Top 10 Good Games that STRESS us out 

the game that stresses me out is waiting for Sam's to announce the name of his game, lol!

I love it, how you always wait until you shoot the Top Ten, to clarify, what you really meant with the theme of the show.

I don't care how long these videos go... I love watching you guys! These top ten lists bring me much happiosity.

Love how the list that dealt with the most stress created the funniest video!

Oh man, the zoom in on Sam's face at 38mins is gold.

LOL at the zoom in on Sam as he rants. Great editing!

Ooh man, loved where they zoomed into Sam's face when he was talking about Warhammer 40k. Funniest thing ever.

Every game can be stressful if you play with the wrong group... Discovered that in the hard way...

One of the most enjoyable videos for me that you three have ever done together. I love it when you guys comment on intense emotions in gaming. Clearly your group has a a lot of fun together. Thank you!

What Zee mentioned about Lost Cities is exactly what often happens in gin rummy. You could be holding onto a 5 and 6 of clubs for example, and you need a 4 or a 7; many many turns go by, and finally you figure you're getting nowhere and discard the 6 in favor of a lower card. You can almost guarantee that the next card you draw will be the one you needed; Every. Single. Time.

I've played Specter Ops once. I was the Agent. The stress level tightened my chest muscles and accelerated my heart rate enough that I was still feeling the stress an hour after the game was over.

40:15 - Mr. Vasel, that's not a waste of time, these moments make this videos great!

Sam, you should just say that any game, played with your family is stressful. I have a wife who beats me at most games, a daughter who does random actions that screw up my next move, a father who forgets the rules then cheats and a mother who doesn't understand the what the game is about.....STRESS!!!

Tensation is my word of the day. Thank you Sam.

Space Alert is hilarious! I once ran into the top left room, fired a blank (no energy left) ran into the wall, turned back, shot another blank, ran down, activated bots that weren't there, and then ran into the wall again. Epic game XD

One of the most stressful games for me is Catan. People blocking people, not trading and, worst of all, when 6s and 8s just don't get rolled. Legendary Encounters and Escape round up my top 3. Pit gets an honourable mention as well.

I can't believe Hanabi didn't make anyone's list. It seems like the Dice Tower guys don't like the game as much as I do but it's probably the most stressful game I've ever played when you're playing with a team of people that take it seriously. Awesome game, pure stress for half an hour.

Sam, you nailed it with the description of the traitor element of Dead of Winter. I was the traitor the other day playing with the guys, and one guy told me at the end of the game that I was WAY too nice. I had to remind him that my objectives as a traitor were not to "kill them all" but rather to collect this and that. Awesome top ten subject guys, keep up the great work, Im always looking forward to your next subjects!

Hmm what Tom said about Lost Cities about dropping cards knowing the opponent will take them, in fact is, what i admire in Lost Cities. I'm still looking for games, that give me the same tension or have similar mechanics.

Totally agree with you about Warhammer Sam! I actually started playing board games specifically because I wanted to get away from the stress and over competitiveness of 40K.

Gentlemen. In the last month I have watched dozens of your top ten lists. Love the format, your interactions and the raw information on games. Too long? No printed lists? Who cares...do it so you continue to enjoy it, that is the very reason most of us tune in!

Hanabi. If you make a mistake, it feels like such a personal failure, like you let the other player(s) down with YOUR ineptitude. Or maybe they make a mistake, and you feel like you're the one who led them to it.

Sam's channeling his stress at Warhammer! I luv it! XD 38:15

Stress? Any game with dice. That was a super episode! Laughed out loud with you guys the whole time!

One of the first games that came to my mind was Level 7: Omega Protocol. When you're one of the humans, and there's a ton of stuff you want/need to do, but knowing it costs adrenaline which allows the overseer to do more against you. Super stressful, but as Sam says, it should be like that. The other one that immediately came to mind, X-COM. Although the stress is presented so well that I can't help but love it.

I would be happy if it was longer! Great entertaining list guys!

A Game of Thrones Second Edition. Making alliances, breaking alliances and getting backstabed. As well as the battles. Trying to out bluff your opponents in the battles etc. Absolutely mental

My then 10-year old cried after the first time we played Escape. That was the first and last time he played that game. Sold it 2 months later. One of my favorite gaming experiences of all time. I knew he had invested himself into the game. We laugh about it all of the time now. Love the list ! I think most of my stressful moments in gaming come from the fact that I suck at so many games, but still have a blast!

I like when it goes overtime because it is usually a fun episode. There was a lot of humor and fun. Very entertaining and informative, Thanks!

Haha Sam I have to agree, whilst Battlestar Galactica and Dead of Winter are awesome games, they can be super stressful!!! But I think its a good type of stress. I'd have to say the most stressful game I have ever played is Space Cadets: Dice Duel, I will never play that again, its just too stressful and so in my opinion it's not fun. Robo Rally would probably be my second most stressful game... but I do still enjoy playing it, now I understand programmable movement a bit better It's getting slightly less stressful. Great list guys :)

love to come back to this to relieve stress; "my name is Gemblo" never fails to make me laugh!

I have to say that Anomia is one game that REALLY stresses me out. The game makes me neurotically look at everyone else's cards and try to be prepared, but my brain just shuts down on me. My hands were literally shaking at the end of my last game. I know at least Zee has tried it since it was on his last top 10 list.

Fury of Dracula, playing either side. Having two hunters one town away from you after stockpiling some strong weapons or stumbling upon the Dracula by yourself on a whim and all your friends are 7 towns away.

I have to agree on Targi, though i have only played it online and asynchronously, so you usually forget about what column or row you need until your move comes back, but yeah, you sit there and think, if i take this column, will he take away that row, or should i better take this, but then maybe he will take that.. Also, Ticket to Ride can be really stressful sometimes. Last time we played it with a group there was a silence at some point near the end and someone said, man, how stressful it is! And we all felt that way.. :)

Five Tribes was absolutely the first game that came to mind when I read the title.

Dead of Winter is a good one. In our very first game, one of us had the character who never has to roll the exposure die when he travels. Early in the game a crossroads card gave him the option to become immune to exposure when attacking as well. All he had to do was roll the exposure die one time without getting bit and we would have a superhero that could run around and kill zombies all over the place without ever having to roll the exposure die again. Needless to say, the "tensity" was very high as he made the roll. And when it landed on the bite, the stress boiled over. The entire table erupted in a collective cry of shock and dismay. On the flip-side, everyone's dismay was so genuine that I was about 99% sure we did not have a traitor in the midst - so the rest of the game was significantly less stressful than it could have been.

You guys were smacked by the Silly stick for this episode. Funny.

You guys have such great chemistry!

I want to play (any games) with you guys, so MUCH! :D

For me a stressful game can be (if I play with the right people) Forbidden Island. And there is a story to it as well, which involves me, someone else who really got into the game, and 2 other friends playing with music (Indiana Jones soundtrack), and just as we draw a waters rise card a dramatic tone plays perfectly as its being revealed. So when its like that I can get stressed, but if I play with my family it isn't as stressful as there isn't someone to enjoy the elaborate 3-4 move ahead plans. So that's one for me.

After looking at their list, I am beginning to wonder if I actually ENJOY stressful games: I have Kamisado, Targi, For the Crown, Ticket to Ride, Dead of Winter, Gemblo and a couple of others mentioned . . . Better go take my blood pressure medicine now. :) @Sam Healey: If I ever visit your area, or attend a convention you are at, I would be more than happy to play Gemblo with you. I too, have a problem finding others to play, and enjoy the game very much. It is amazing though, once you start playing at public events, everyone seems drawn to the game: It's probably the humongous, uniquely shaped, golden board and colorful pieces.

Thanks Zee, for being the "voice of the people." I don't have a copy of Mission Red Planet-- and it's darn expensive on the used market right now-- "come back in print already" is certainly my refrain...

Great Top 10! I like to see a new Top 10 maybe a segment, 'Confessions & Stories of Sam'.

Not sure if Damage Report was out when you made this video, but wow it is stressful. Managing your sand timers, listening for the electronic timer, and making sure your teammates aren't accidentally cheating... But I love it!

One of the best videos ever, on the dicetower! :) So funny! :D

Love your show guys. One question, why isn' t this part of your top ten youtube playlist. That's how I easily know if there is a new top ten!!

Five Tribes deserves the merit. In addition to the bidding and someone else not taking your move, You could also leave an ever better move for someone else. So you have to be careful as to how you're going to pursue your play and cover every single angle. Sooo good.

Thank you, Zee, for caring about the people! Hashtag Bring Back Mission Red Planet!

I was little surprised not to see the 7 Wonders Duel on the list! Zee was right spot on about the Lost Cities, It does happen almost every game that you hold on to a card and then play it only to bring the preceding cards back in your hand :-D

Great top ten! One of the best.

Zee should be a DM on a DnD campaign

I've seen a few boards flipped and wrestling matches break out over the regular version of Risk - with nasty making and breaking of alliances and cut throat play.

Great video. BTW, I don't mind you guys going on slight tangents like this. Gives the video and channel more character.

Please do a top ten solo or can be played solo games. This would be a great list for those of us who don't have a large group of board game friends. I'm new to board games, myself. It can sometimes be hard to set up a time to get everyone together, but a solo game could feed your board game hunger if you can't get a group together. Thanks!

Diplomacy was the most stressful gaming experience I ever felt. I had to quit only a quarter way through.

I almost felt like wiping the table last week. Dominant species. First round, insect got catastrophe and wiped out all of my units except one. Then I just continuously got beaten down over the course of the next 4 hours. Ughhh...

I've never played Escape! once when I've brought it out. It always gets played at least 2-3 times because people love it so much and it's so fast. Luckily it takes some time to set back up, that gives people some time to cool down.

Two of the most stressful games for me are ones that made this list: Escape and Freedom: The Underground Railroad. Escape was the first one that came to mind!

Agree with Spector Ops, my first favorite board game was scotland yard playing Mr. X.

Such a good episode!

Space Hulk is a very stressful game which I enjoy. The timer mechanism for the Space Marine player is a great stress-inducing device.

Republic of Rome, for two different reasons. First, having to manage the wars to keep them from overwhelming the game. Second, watching out for the other players to prevent them from winning the game. There is an additional reason why this game is considered stressful, and that has to do with the group that you play with. I had a group that got together on a regular basis, and we ended up getting banished to the basement of the FLGS where we were playing. The store owner said that he was worried that our group was going to start fighting while we were playing (we were that passionate about this game and that competitive).

Space Alert broke my brother midgame. He couldn't handle the stress and just tossed his cards down. XD

Great list. I definitely agree on a lot of it. I'd add Tichu and Zooloretto... maybe a few others. Tichu without calling anything is already stressful enough. Call Tichu and it's a bit more stressful. Call grand Tichu and I'm using the bathroom on myself. Definitely my number one. Zooloretto....... BACK AWAY FROM MY TRUCKS!!!!

Honestly, the worst game for me that I enjoy is Magic The Gathering. As is the case with many gamer friends, it seems that I like MtG but I really REALLY dislike MtG players. The arrogance, meta gaming and playing to annoy rather than to win, or even to have fun, ruins every game I play outside of my own group. And no, it's not about being upset when I lose. I am shockingly uncompetitive for someone that loves gaming so much. I really don't care about winning. Gaming is about having fun and ruining gaming sessions by being purposefully and relentlessly annoying is just unforgivable imo

You guys are awesome. Nice Top 10 the game that stresses me out, recently, is Pandemic Legacy. It´s great, but OMG it´s tough O_O

Zee's comment about a third party telling the best moves is my gaming pet peeve. One person in my gaming group does this all the time, and I will no longer play war games with him because he tells everyone the optimal move and effectively plays the game by himself.

The average result of a 20-sided-die is also 10.5

For me is Lewis & Clark, Nations and Agricola, because mistakes are paid dearly, as you realize in hindsight that your previous actions were horrible, so you keep fearing making more mistakes.

You guys are the Shakespeare of board game reviewers with all these made up words. Haha. Love the videos.

Awesome video!

Chiming in late on an older list here, but my vote would have to be for Forbidden Desert when it comes to stress. Between all of the hidden terrain elements, the looming sand dumps and the sun eating up your water supply, there's tension with every draw from the card deck. Add on to that the occasional disagreement over team strategy and it can become a nail biter. Just knowing that one of your team has "1" water left and is out in the open is stressful(still think the 'one dies, you all die' mechanic is weird). Like most of the games that the Dice Tower crew highlighted....this one is also NOT a bad game, but it is indeed stressful.

For me Summoner Wars: I put a plan together, work hard to get the combination of cards and board position I need, and then chuck all 1's and 2's on my dice attack rolls. It has happened so often, the stress level at that critical point in the game, is through the roof for me. :) I love the game however . . . . . . . .it's just the dice hate me! Another game, which only stresses me out when I play my son is: Kahuna! We both like to hold cards until we get enough to make some devastating combo moves. If I am the one who makes the first move, I have learned to be terrified of what my son has in store for me as a counter-move. Still love the game.

I stick to my favorite "Castaways" . I usually play it as coop game, but when played as semi-coop, it become soooo stressful. Working, exploring and surviving together, but once goal is getting near, you can be eliminated from the game by not allowing quick aid or other player's sabotage. Really feel abandoned by comrades.

Stressful game are great, they take us all away from a dull existence... One of a my favorite games, Rainer Knizia's "Kingdoms", is very stressful; if you really get into it with a good player your blood pressure will certainly rise. "Nexus ops" also have a high stress factor. Citadels can also be very stressful... damn you Warlord!

In response to you all talking about the game Freedom reminded me that in one of my college history classes we played Reflecting the Pasts "Wiemar Germany" This is where everyone gets real roles and has to debate and argue issues in Germany from 1919 - 1933My class was the first game ever to elect Adolf Hitler. I add insult to injury we did it faster than it really happened. The most stressful board game I have ever played still goes to Atmosfear II: Zombie.

I was about to say, "Where the heck is Captain Sonar?" when I realized it wasn't released until 2016.

"My #2 does not involve a stressful level of cannibalism" priceless!

So did Zee try out a whole bunch of opening greetings before making the wink & point his calling card? Did any of his other opening greetings involve funny accents or accessories? I like to imagine it was like Peter Brady in that episode of the Brady Bunch where he tries to re-invent himself.

I don't play any games in tournaments because of the poor sportsmanship that abounds in that setting. I still enjoy playing those games with friends however because they don't cheat. Sam, you should find some gamer friends that still play Warhammer 40K and play with them.

Try Articulate on cooperative mode (three people all on the same team, seven turns to get all the way around the board) it's lots of fun but almost soul-crushingly hard. Lots of stress.

Letters from Whitechapel is by far our number one.

You guys are awesome🤣🤣🤣

Android: Netrunner (though you could put pretty much any deckbuilder game in this) can be extremely stressful and for me I tend to get very stressed out as the runner. I worry so much about running into that piece of ICE that I may not have a breaker for or that agenda I thought I was running on turns out to be a Snare or other trap. It's why I tend to just play Criminal and throw caution to the wind. Worker placement games in general. (in my head) Don't take that spot, don't take that spot, don't take that-FRAK he took that spot I needed...

Great list, I was laughing with you all the time. You guys are the best. Sam, you are the one who I understand the most in the list. Always one pimply kid you want to smack, but won't. Keep up the fantastic work guys. Thanks for the laughs, I need it this week.

Galaxy Trucker! Grabbing those parts trying to find enough lasers to beat the pirates you looked at in the adventure deck while everyone else tries to get them first! Then some asshole flips the timer and you remember there's only 60 seconds left! Oh the humanity!! It's also one of my favorite games. :)

another top10!!!! :D

oh, now I really want 5 tribes. Can't wait for the shipment to arrive at the store

Tensity is actually a word. Tensation though... I am totally using that!

totally agree with Ghost Story, resistance, and Escape, would add Zombicide.

Hey what are those Giant D20 called? I would love to get one!

saboteur,letters from whitechapel and dungeonquest some of my suggestions!

Must ask, since it really seemed interesting. Moai, the concept of being stranded trying to survive co-op style but ending up eating each other. Seems awesome. Do you of anyone know a game similar to this one, but with higher ratings?😎

WEEEEEEE! A top 10 list with the 3 of you! (Which unfortunately I cannot view today). But still... WEEEEE!

30:12 "Gemblo is angry!"

haha i knew ghost stories would be somewhere on someones list. that game is tough

Where can i buy the big 6 sided and 20 sided dice ?

One strange game that stresses me out is one of the lightest of light games - Discworld: Ankh Morpork. Because you have no idea what character everyone is playing there comes a point where several people could be just about to win and you have to try to stop them. And this happens every turn from that point on! And you point out that someone else could win but the other players know that they can do what they want and leave stopping him to you, so you have to play sub-optimally just to stop someone else who may not even be the character you think he is! AAAArgH! It only stops when someone actually wins.

Great topic ... Lost Cities stressful... wow,,, didn't know fillers could be stressful. Sam with 5 Tribes phobia... and Elysium? wow, i kinda want to get that game too. Zee too frantic over 5 tribes, wha ?? omg

18:08-18:20 just makes me die lol I had to keep rewinding! :) :) :) :)