I (Still) Love Board Games (Really!) - with Tom Vasel 

Thank you for doing this for 20 years.

"My worst day at gaming is better than my best day doing anything else" Truer words were never spoken ❤

I'm beginning to think this tom guy likes board games.

How could anyone not love this guy?

And I love you for all those same reasons. I played board games as a kid, all the well worn classics - Monopoly, Sorry, Risk, Stratego, Life, etc etc. I played thousands of card games in college. I did not jump in on the D&D craze. I missed out on video games. I just could not justify or find the time to get really good at them, so I just didn't play. My kids did! And then at age 58 I discovered REAL board games. Scythe, Terra Mystica, Terraforming Mars, Castles of Burgundy, Concordia. (Yes, I'm a Euro-Gamer!) And my life was changed! I had found my true passion. I'm 67 now and I'm hoping my brain stays intact for many, many more years of gaming! You're never too old.

What I find funny about board games is that the opposite of burnout happens. The more you play, the more you want to play. I came home from a convention last Sunday after playing games for 32 hours and asked my wife if she wanted to play a game. 😂

I love hearing people speak on things they really love. Thanks for sharing!

Tom has 7 children and does not use sleeves. It didn't even come to my mind that you would not like games. Keep up the great work.

You and the rest of the Dice Tower team are a pillar of this industry. Whenever I see a new board game on the shelf in my local shop, I search your videos to find your opinions on it first - Not because I always agree with you, but because your opinions are so valuable and the insight you guys give breathes life into this community. Your passion drives your team and your passion drives the board game community as a whole. Here's to 20 more years, and then some!

Thank you Tom, for this video and all you and the crew do for the gaming industry at Dice Tower. I played many board games as a kid and got away from it for several years. I am sure glad I got back into it (for many of the reasons you noted - joy of discovery, family, keeping the mind sharp, etc.). Again, thanks…. Love the tie! Best always.

Thanks, Tom, for putting into words everything I feel about board games. We share a lot of the same sentiments. I purchased this "Ticket to Ride" 12 years ago and have been over the "Moon" with my newfound hobby!

I grew up watching the dice tower, and still point to this channel as the largest way I’ve been able to engage with my favorite hobby since the age of seven. Thank you, thank you Tom!

Thinking Tom Vasel doesn’t like board games after reviewing them for 20 years would be like thinking Roger Ebert didn’t like movies after reviewing them for 20 years.

Your joy for board games comes through in your videos. My wife and I are really new to board games but we are loving the time that we are carving out to have fun together. I can honestly say that we wouldn't have found this new gaming passion if I hadn't stumbled across a dice tower video a couple months back and saw how much fun you guys were having.

That joy of discovery you mention is something that resonates a lot with me and it's perhaps the reason why my board game collection still grows and why I keep having friends over to try out the latest title I might have grabbed from a local store or perhaps an old favourite I still delight in playing. I also treasure playing board games with both my son and my wife...and you know what, if I lose to them it really doesn't matter, it's the joy of sharing in something I love with people I love that matters.

thank you, Tom, for everything.

I love board games so much. I remember in 2010 when I got into board games I thought, "I wonder if there is a podcast about board games" and sure enough I found Dice tower. It was off to the races after that. Just hearing about all these new games that all sounded amazing. I couldn't get enough. It's 15 years later and I'm still excited to play games just the same as when I first started. Thanks Tom! Thanks Dice tower.

Great video! Your passion really shows and it's just infectious! Can't help but smile

Thanks for everything Tom. We all appreciate you, your family and the DT crew. Cheers!

You're a legend Tom in the board game community. Love ya mate. And have loved your channel for years!

I also love this hobby because of the people interactions, along with the tactile experience. My family is my gaming group currently, and the beautiful thing is my daughters (ages 7 & 5) play with us as well. They get excited when I show them a new game I discovered and they beg to open the boxes when a game arrives in the mail. It’s really wonderful seeing them so thrilled to discover a game and want to play as a family. The quality time of board games is pretty difficult to beat.

I love board games, and I love books. I've loved reading books ever since I learned to read, but when I went to university and studied literature, it was much less fun. I had to read books that I didn't like and even the books that were good I liked less, because I HAD to read them. And even worse, when I grabbed a book that I didn't have to read, it was still less fun, because in the back of my mind there were those books that I was supposed to read instead. Since I finished university, reading is fun again. I can't imagine being a lecturer or a critic that has to read books for a living. I don't know if it would be easier with board games. What Tom says is certainly true, that, with the right people around the table, you can have a fun evening even with a bad game. Anyway, thank you Tom for your years of service, you and your Dice Tower colleagues have helped me a lot with my decisions which games to buy and I'm really glad that you still enjoy what you do. My judgement: Excellent!

Board games are really evergreen to me. Some games get better the more you play them, and hanging out with friends literally never gets old.

I’d love to play a game with you someday Tom! Thanks for your channel!

Loved this Tom thanks so much. It's also interesting to note that in a long term (what I think was a French) study of the benefits of board gaming, the results (which is still ongoing) suggested that playing board games leads to a 15% reduction in developing dementia.

Clever way to tease your new restaurant review channel. The Doggy Bag

The love is showing in every video you make. Thank you very much for that! ❤

I love it when I share an amazing hobby like board gaming with someone as kind as you Tom. Thanks for all that you do for the hobby.

Thank you for all you have done for the hobby the last 20 years. You really did play a part making board games more mainstream.

Hats off for making this video. Topical and prescient. Anything that’s a job can instill monotony and wear a person down. Certainly buoys the channel to openly and directly communicate this energy and positivity. Well done.

Love your passion Tom, hence why I watch and fund The Dice Tower

Hooray! So glad you do :D Have a great many more enjoyable gaming experiences and thank you for sharing the marvels of this wonderful hobby!

Love you, Tom 🥹 Thanks for your hard work all these years!

And this is why even if I don't have similar taste to Tom I take his perspective seriously every single time. He just gets it.

Thank you Tom, wish I could give this 2 thumbs up. I don't always agree with you, but value your opinion and the whole crew .

100% Thanks for guiding us all of these years!

Thank you and the team for everything you do. Your channel has been instrumental in my journey in the hobby over the last few years and I cannot thank you enough

Love your take on games, and appreciate this channel so much. Always fun to game with you too when I get the chance.

True words there. Been watching you daily for almost 15 years. You and your team are the best, Tom. Keep on keeping on.

I really enjoy your channel and the views you bring to gaming and games. I just wish I lived closer so I could bring my passion for gaming to your organization as well. Keep doing what you are all doing. It's much appreciated.

Love The Dice Tower, Tom and his whole crew. The amount of great content they put out is astounding and I am a huge fan. Thank you for your genuine love of our wonderful hobby. It shows.

You are my board game compass my friend! thanks for all you reviews!

I may not always agree with all your reviews/opinions Tom. But in this video I see an honest and passionate man without whom the boardgaming world/community wouldn't have been as great as it is today. Thanks, and cheers from Ecuador.

Thanks for everything you do and have done for this hobby.

You are an inspiration! Loved this sincere message.

Hey TomV! I am back afer over year gone, great to hear from you still chucking along. Working up a cardboard dice tbrower/tower of my own, lol.

Salute to Tom 🫡

Hi Tom. Great thoughts shared. I have loved board games since I was 8, now I am 68 and still love them. I only have one gaming friend, so unfortunately most of the time I play alone. I have often thought of starting a gaming club because I certainly have enough games for them to enjoy. My deepest treasured memory is playing 'Waddingtons Blast Off' with my precious Mum who passed away on my birthday in 2020. Games are now so much more refined, but I loved those precious times with 'Blast Off'. Thanks again Tom.

… and we love you Tom!! Thanks for all you do!

Great video with great arguments Tom. I totally agree with everything!

Well said . Sounded from the heart

I've been watching you for at least 15 years. Thank you. You love and passion is felt and it why I have appreciated you so much.

You are an amazing guy, Tom! Love from Russia

It was a Blast playing Space Base with you at Dice Tower West! Thanks for teaching it to us

Thanks for helping to make gaming the best hobby on the planet! 🥰

I love these recentering videos. Real talk.

Thank you for the enthusiasm and joy that you all pass on to so many!

Even if i do not always agree with you or your teams opinion (usually do though) love the passion you have for games old and new. Hope you get to keep doing what you and we all love (:

Love your channel! Many hours watching your reviews, many board games in my collection thanks to Dice Tower, many memories with my friends and family around a table, playing those same games, having a blast. Just, thank you man. Honestly, thank you for sharing your love with us!

This video simply puts a smile on my face. Thank you for what you do and the passion you exude while doing it. The Dice Tower is one of my favorite channels because of you, Zee, and Mike primarily, but I also enjoy hearing from Camilla, Wendy, Roy, and Chris. You all seem to really exude a genuine love of board games and life in general.

I loved that part about you looking for a fun hobby for you and your wife to do together. Interestingly enough, I stumbled back into board games recently through one of your podcasts for the same reason! It's been great to spend more quality time with her and get that brain working at the same time. We play a lot of the older classics (like Scrabble), but we've discovered newer games like Sagrada which has quickly become one of our favorites. Thanks Tom!

Thanks for doing this video! Congratulations and look forward to your next video!

There’s so much variety in the boardgame space! I truly believe that’s why (at least for me) there’s very little burnout. Thanks for your thoughts Tom.

THANKS TOM. YOU WERE THE FIRST GAME REVIEWER I WATCHED. KEEP IT UP

Great video! I share allot of your reasons. By the way we have met. Years back at Origins. I was kinda sad when we went last year after a hiatus and you guys weren't there. 😢

Tom, thank you for doing this video. I couldn’t agree more. I have played board games and RPGs for half a century. They will never get old. I have never needed time away from gaming. What I am interested in in gaming evolves but gaming itself is part of my soul.

Thanks for sharing, Tom! I also enjoy playing games with family and friends as a way of sharing experiences and making great memories. Board Games are still a growing hobby but at the same time it still feels like a relatively small group of friends. Really enjoyed meeting you in Tampa a few years back and playing a 2-player game of My Father's Work.

What a great video! Love the passion after all these years

For me, it’s the family and friends that’s core. It’s as much a shared act of creation as it is an experience crafted by others.

Thank you Tom

Thanks Tom. This was quite inspiring!

That was wonderful to hear! Thank you!

I really like these videos from Tom and people at the dice tower. If I ever get a chance to meet Tom, I think I’m going to ask him about his grandchildren. He always lights up when he talks about about his family.

Hi Tom, I found this video very moving and very relatable. Thank you so much for all you continue to do for our hobby. I don't know if you actually read the comment (there are often hundreds), but I wanted to tell you my story and hopefully you will appreciate it. I was an avid RPG (original D&D and Traveller from the paperback pamphlet books) and board gamer in the 1970s and '80s (in college, one of the original members of the DRAGO - Duke Recreational Adventure Gaming Organization), and I still have over 20 Avalon Hill bookshelf games in excellent condition. Grad school, life, etc. intervened and I left the hobby until a friend sent me a few games as presents around 2016-17 (Pandemic, Ticket to Ride: Europe, Power Grid, in some order). And I discovered the Renaissance of BGs and EuroBGs and brought my wife and kids along with me. The first, and for a while only, place I went to learn about these fabulous new games was The Dice Tower. Although I am now I'm a fan of at least 10 or more content providers, I still go to the Dice Tower first for an overview when I'm looking at new games. I love the team you have put together (Zee, Mike, Chris, Sam, Camilla, Wendy, and the others) !! I truly hope to meet you all someday and maybe play a game.or two. TL;DR: Keep up the great work. You are greatly appreciated 👏 💐 🥳

thanks for the video; I am beginning to formulate a theory that possibly you might like board games.

Your ability to stay passionate and love things as much as you do is a fantastic trait, and probably why you have so many kids …

Thank you Tom.

Aaah really loved that last bit, I have grown up with my parents and brother playing board games (mind you they were not hardcore haha) but I still have such great memories of it and now I play with my nieces and nephew, and it's a blast

Top 25 of your board games when x) I have bought at least a dozen after watching your review, so far no misses!

Thanks for helping me discover the world of games!

Tom is the definition of A Real One. 🫡

When I was a kid, there were only a few board games available in my country: Chess, Backgammon, and Ludo. And I played, but didn't like them. When I was a teenager, I saw some folks in my technical school playing Monopoly and I fell in love with that game for a long time. My favorite board game is still Monopoly, I've got many versions. But in 2022 I bought Tiny Epic Galaxies. And this dice game makes changes. It become my favorite, because is in small box, can be played at small table. Now I can say I like Ludo. When I play a board game, it's not important to me who will win, but the game itself! But it's not the same, when I play board games on my mobile device, maybe because I don't know the people against me.

You're great, Tom !!!!

My turning point with board games was when I recognized I’d gone from “player” to “collector”. We couldn’t play then as fast as I was buying them. Shelves and shelves of games, some played once and some never played at all. And some still in shrink wrap! We’d play a great game and without taking the time to play it again…to really understand the strategy…we’d be off to the next one! I’ve since sold many of my games (though I still have a large amount) and my purchases are very limited: maybe a couple a year and that’s only after trying the game . Yeah, my advice to new players: remember why you love the hobby and don’t succumb to being a collector. Tom has a lot of games because it’s his livelihood. I get that. But for the rest of us, we don’t have to have every game. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Great message 👏

Love your specs and the content!

thats what amazing about tom. he's still joyous and never get jaded even after all this time. thank you for being you. 🙏

Love your work Tom - best board game player in the world because you are all heart and passion ❤

And this is why I like Dice Tower

Legend ❤

Yep the discovery aspect lets me know I will never burn out. Theres always a new game.

Awesome. Makes me want to go play a game.

well said sir

Fan-tastic!

Did he say some people in the boardgame industry don't like boardgames? Hmm. Anyway, thanks Tom Vasel. I think you're great.

You should really review Oriflamme. It won the as d’or at Cannes a couple years ago.

Channeling Milla… “this makes me happy!”

Anybody find out the answer to the mystery of if Tom enjoys playing board games? The coded message in this video is a tough cipher to crack. He speaks in such riddles and blurs the hidden meaning behind what he really prefers as a hobby. Will we ever know what Tom does to pass the time?

And that's how it's said!!!

Interesting