Objectivity is overrated for these lists. It's all about what your gut reaction is. I often have a visceral reaction to games, thinking immediately, "I like this." :). It's also your list, not anyone else's so if someone watches this and thinks the list is invalid because such and such a game is not on it, well they may need to engage in some personal reflection ;).
For the 2022 list, you guys should find a way to hide your lists from each other. No idea how to do it when you need the boxes in front of you, but the reaction to each people's picks is definitely part of the fun of a top 10 for me. Still an awesome list either way.
This List highlights why I love this channel. You do in depth reviews of games throughout the year and I couldn't predict your top 10. Awesome list guys. Bayonets and Tomahawks is my wife and I's number 1 game of the year.
More than anything, I want a game about Bolivar’s wars of revolution and unification. Such an interesting and under-explored topic! Would make an amazing game
Hear, Hear!!! Great job, gentlemen! My number one game is also high on your list. Atlantic Chase is, for me, the most innovative and enjoyable game I've seen in my 45 years of play. At various cons, I've taught the game to over 2 dozen players who have loved the game as well -- the best experience was teaching two veteran gamers at the last GMT warehouse. These men captured the essence of the system quickly and after a couple of turns, they just let it ROCK! Jerry White was also awesome in clarifying a couple things I was shaky on. Tarawa....Grant, you said "Punishing," and I cannot agree more. I've lost a dozen times without a win (yet), and I have had to table the game to play something I could use to spend time healing. Bayonet and Tomahawks: Saw this played at GMT and loved it. I haven't found time to read the rules yet; I am excited, however, to get to it before the close of the year. Again, great job, gentlemen. I love all you do and what you bring to the hobby.
A fabulous review especially when you think it was a pandemic year! Big thanks for these recommendations. I have B&T in queue to play. I remember you reviews, but glad to hear it made both your lists. Big thanks.
Thanks for your top 10 guys - both of them. Your videos got that 'fellow gamers' vibe like we're having a good time and talk about new games, and there is a BBQ coming and cold beer in the fridge =) Also I couldn't resist and bought 'The Lamps Are Going Out' right away. Keep up the great work!
Darnit, I should stop watching excellent videos like this... It made me purchase Postmen and Captain's Sea. Living in the chocolate-covered plains of Belgium I couldn't find Atlantic Chase nor Bloody Path in stock (fortunately?). Since there are so many awesome (war)games getting released: Is there any chance of future top 10's being split up by playtime (like sub 180min and more)? Then I could be blissfully unaware of the excellent games I just won't get to the table. Anyhow, tx for the shared insight :)
Totally understand your comment about Bayonets and Tomahawks: it’s does feel like it was “made in a vacuum”…totally innovative! I can’t wait to see what else the developer creates. Might we get a Revolutionary War game someday? Would it work with Napoleon? It’s always great to see something nothing fresh, new, and so well done.
I own hundreds of modern board games, but don't own many war games, and I'm interested. Where to begin? I'd love to see a video for newbies or top 100 games or something. Thanks for the video. I dig it. Subscribed!
@@ThePlayersAid In fact i've played some old games of mine. Three of them are games recently reprinted : Pacific War (not the full campaign I'm not so crasy 😄 and Vietnam (well try the full campaign there but gave up by spring 1968 turn) from VG, reprinted by GMT and the four games series The Third World War (originaly from GDW and reprinted by Compass) I've put also back a medieval game called "Cry havoc" which, despist his name is a french wargame. Also played with the extension Siege, Samourai and Vikings. I've discovered that a new edition of the rules where published. And gosh it changes so beautifully the series. On "new" wargames I've played "by stealth and sea", "Redvers reverse" (thank for the discovery Alexander by the way,) "Wing Leader Victories" and all its extension, "Bar Lev", "Lion of Judah", "Wing of the Motherland", "Rome inc" and "Hungarian Rhapsody". But from your list I'm longing to try "Captain's sea" and "Atlantic Chase" (if I'm lucky enough to acquire one...P500 is not really easy for european players to use. At least for me).
I haven't seen "1979:Revolution in Iran" before. Having actually been there right through the revolution, I might be tempted to get it just to see how well it reflects my impressions and memories.....
Hey guys! Absolutely love your videos. I am very new to war gaming and your channel has quickly become my favorite. I'm a big American Civil War buff and was wondering what each of your favorite Civil War games would be? Complexity level doesn't matter, just the best game in your opinions. Preferrably a game that can be played solo as well. Or you could just make a top 5 video. Ok, I'm rambling now. Sorry lol
@@ThePlayersAid Thank you for the suggestions! The Blind Swords system looks really good for a regimental level game. I'm looking at the battle of Bull Run as my first go at the system. I'll start there and check out Battle Hymn Vol 1 as well.
I know what Jerry is doing with the Atlantic chase system and I am going to look at it next weekend at GMT West, not sure if he would want me to say something publicly but I'm sure I could tell you guys privately.
thanks guys. your at 1979. told myself no more games except what I have on pre-order Now there's one dark summer that I'm finally going to relent and get and at least two so far already that I have to go back and look at again. My credit card is crying and saying don't watch anymore of the video. lol
Deadly Woods was a lot of fun but the quality of the maps, rulebook, counters and components is a huge drop off from GMT's excellent quality. A Dark Seas pacific game similar to the Dark Valley would be epic.
I would much rather you did these top 10s in April than at the end of last year when you hadn't got round to playing everything you would have liked too. Spring seems like the perfect time for this, there must be a reason why the Oscars, the Grammys etc. are around this time each year. ....at least in this case no one got slapped!...... (although apparently Grant did get waterboarded)
Love watching these vids to see what games on your lists I have! Rage in the comments? Who does THAT? Lol! Top ten police? "That's no joke. They'll jump on him!" [Sy Liebergot, Apollo 13] Three: The Dark Summer, Bulge 1944 and Atlantic Chase.
I'm an experienced ww2 miniature war gamer but I grow tired of the table setup/breakdown and lack of opponents. Can you recommend a WW2 boardgame that has some crunch and handles combined arms well and can be played solitare? I prefer a western front 43-45 theater based game. I watched a recent video you did about a eastern front 1941 game but I didn't like the dice mechanism. Prefer where 1 counter= 1 tank or 1 squad. Thanks
If you want something that has a dedicated solo system, check out Lock N Load tactical (Heroes of Normandie to start with). For something you can two hand solo check out Last Hundred Yards Airborne, or Old School Tactical Vol.2
@@Jackdaw5 it's funny you mention that. I tried the Panzer game on VASSAL and while I like the "crunch" of the armor rules, I found the game overall to be too cumbersome. I think I'm sticking with miniature gaming for WW2
This is a visual medium, as is broadcast television news, but the news is edited to include visual emphasis on what is being presented. They don't just announce "this is Kentucky Derby" day, they voice over shots of horsed (don't even have to be the ones in this particular race), jockeys, lots of hats worn by women (tradition), and mint juleps (also tradition) - all of which serve to reinforce the point that it is not just a horse race, but a grand horse race kicking off a trifecta of races which may or may not culminate in a Triple Crown winner. That can be stated within 15 seconds of air time by a talking head, but the visuals bring it alive. One hour, twelve minutes, eighteen seconds and at the end of which is the statement "the video would be too long", followed by "it already is." Truer words were never spoken. During that time I saw two guys chat, often about the same game in a different order, holding up the game box cover. Not a single shot of components, not a single illustrative shot of "the box" or "the map" when it was mentioned. The first game is compared to Axis and Allies, a game famous for its toy-like components - Napoleon's Imperium has the same style? A single static shot would have answered that question. This occurs time and again and it would have added value without adding a split second of time on our end. If I want text, regardless of how it is delivered, I read a review. If you were to publish the transcript of this list of top 10s I'm sure any reader would think "get to the point" a number of times. It took slightly over four minutes to get to the first game. Some specifics follow: 10. Napoleon Imperium Soldiers in Postmen’s Uniforms “plays up to eight, one of the few…” “adds some 3D.” Oh, gee, if only I No comparison to others that can, could see what you mean. such as Here I Stand. 9. 1944: Battle of the Bulge The Dark Summer: Normandy 1944 There are a ton of Bulge games, what’s Ditto. D-Day Normandy, Normandy ’44, (in a single sentence) different? Undaunted Normandy. What’s special other than 2021? 8. Conquest & Consequence The Grass Crown “the alliances shift and allegiances change” (thank you Ancient Warfare Magazine podcast Whoa! WHAT? Now you *have* to specify the for explaining the term) three blocs. Are you saying the Japanese can partner with Russia? “tactics chits” I wonder what *they* look like. 7. Assault Red Horizon 41 Red Flag over Paris “And I can talk about it in my list, too.” Area adjacency is more important than No! Don’t! Both should discuss it now, then Ft Sumpter? With the exception of just mention it when it comes up in your list moving influence cubes, adjacency was no issue in FS, so a little exposition would have been nice. 6. Dark Summer: Normandy 1944 Conquest & Consequence Again? See above note. Huh. Amazing. Two guys who play games together are showing the weakness of comparing each other’s Top XYZ lists. “Multi-use cards” “I would play this again!” LOL, there's something I wouldn't have expected in a top 10 list. 5. The Lamps are Going Out Captain’s See “The tech cards were so cool!” “there are, like, five different sets of I bet! orders.” As depicted how? Cards? List? Chart? 4. 1979 Lamps are Going Out This from the guy who said Paris That’s how it’s done, good job. wasn’t a war-game? This mini-review reminded me of the SNL sketch: “Remember that one movie starring that one guy who did that cool thing? Yeah - it was awesome!” 3. Bayonets and Tomahawks Assault Red Horizon 41 Custom dice? Question about shapes? Introduced at 46:52. At 46:56 we hear Sigh. “I don’t know if I can say say anything more about it”, which makes sense as this is the second time it has come up. Sequence ends at 49:55 without examples resolution of the colors system. 2. Captain’s Sea Atlantic Chase Really? We need to go over wind again? Ticket to Ride, eh? Since a trajectory is graphic layout of anticipated future locations of any task force (even if only one ship, a pic would have been nice along with the line, “the actual location is *anywhere* in this line of blocks. 1. Atlantic Chase Bayonets and Tomahawks See previous comment. “We’ve already talked about it.” Ah, but there’s more! Symbols! Dice! If only there was some way, in the 21st century, a way of embedding a still graphic in a streaming video format! Alas and alack. Your list did not move me to investigate any game of which I had not already heard something good. I don't even know if you have published earlier reviews of any of these games. You should consider investing some of your time in editing your pieces to not only perk up your "taking head" style, but also clear away some of the dross.
@@olizapp AH! I see, sorry for my confusion. Basically Grant considers Red Flag over Paris a wargame, and I do not. It's too abstract and the open combat plays too little of a part in the game for me to consider it a wargame! But that's subjective, it doesn't check my box, but I also will not inflict that upon others!
@@ThePlayersAid hi alexander, yes i got that, but you said "check the wargame box it is really high up there", what is the war game box, a site where war games are reviewed? thanks for your great very funny entertaining videos
I wonder how game designers are going to simulate Russia's latest war and whether they're second-guessing the mechanics of existing hypothetical WWIII games, given the fact that they're clearly a glass canon.
@@ThePlayersAid, I was just thinking that it would be an interesting study, but given the genocide and how current this is, it might be best as a solitaire game system.
@@biblehistoryscience3530 oh, no for sure it'll have some fascinating case studies and games (there's literally someone who posted a prototype on Twitter TODAY) but seems a little immature at the moment with any formal conclusion to the conflict etc. But you know there's a ton of designers out there thinking about exactly your question and it's implications and implementations into a game.
@@ThePlayersAid, yeah, it's very early, and WE may already be in WWIII and not know it yet. Or maybe this is "WWIII Beta 0.1". Anyway, great videos. Keep up the good work.
