Transcript
Speaker: Roll the dice, pack your bags, let the countdown begin. Shane and Steve's top 100, who's gonna win? Will Steve crown a feast for Odin his number one prize? Or will shit, real confusion take Shane by surprise?
Speaker: Let the countdown swing.
Speaker: Another great intro. Thank you, Shane. Welcome back to our top 100 games of all time. introduction in Introduction completely done by Shane. Not taking any credit for that one.
Speaker: ah I'm ah not taking any credit neither, to be honest with you. It took me all of five seconds. That's very cool. Makes makes me makes me chuckle. that's always That's always the goal. So well done.
Speaker: It does make me chuckle. so It's a bit of fun. Yeah. And look that's what we're about, right? That's right. So this is the continuation of our top 100 games of all time. If you didn't hear the first 10, you can listen to the previous podcast. This one, we're actually going to be counting down from numbers 90 through to 71. So 20 games each.
Speaker: So we're just going to get straight into it, I think. So I kicked off the list last time. So Shane, I'm going to hand over the reins. Oh, sorry, shout out to Andy, who we're also doing his top 10 mixed through this as well. So Shane will be reading those out in in between. So right out. Without further ado, Shane, tell us where your list starts.
Speaker: No worries. Well, um so before I do, I just do preface Andy's list. There is no top 10. There's no particular order. So I'm just going to call games out, and what he says, and then I'll throw in what I think is going to be his number one.
Speaker: You know, just probably just to see if I know this guy or not, really. If I say this is where I think his number one's going to be.
Speaker: And so my number 90 is a game where I've played it quite a few times. And it's a game that we played together. And it was very famous because I actually beat the designer.
Speaker: Yeah. And, you know certainly blew his mind when I said the word math. So my number 90 is France Estrella. That is just a good game.
Speaker: And I think, you know, when you're when you're playing it with the designer, it makes it a bit more special. And he was so welcoming as well. So France Estrella is my number 90.
Speaker: Yes, that's definitely up there as, you know, top 10 board game experiences I've ever had that game night. I still... remember parking my 2009 dinged-up Kia Carnival out the front and walking past the Ferrari on the way into the room. Just going, I'm in the right place.
Speaker: You know, you've never seen a board game collection where every single board game is still in shrink or the way he was doing it. It was just ingenious. Yeah. All right, so my number 90 is a game that's got a few designers, so they might mess up our whole designer thing. Rob Davio, Justin Jacobson, Chris Lita, Kevin Rogers. It is a one-on-one battle game, and it's unmatched.
Speaker: So this is the placeholder for all unmatched. I haven't actually, I've got Unmatched Adventures, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Tales to Amaze, but I still haven't played them. I still haven't played the cooperative version.
Speaker: But actually, Raph and I literally just played Unmatched yesterday again. And it's it's so good. It's such a clever card system. and The idea that you've you've got two actions and moving is the only way to get new cards. So you can't just hit, hit, hit, hit. You do have to maneuver around the board to get more cards in your deck.
Speaker: So, yeah, I managed to sneak squeak out a win against RAF yesterday using... Who was I using? I was going to say Mufasa, but no, not Mufasa.
Speaker: And from the first box, um my gosh, I've just had a total mind blank. He was using Bigfoot, and I beat Bigfoot with insert character here. But, yeah, unmatched, great game, easy to pull out, probably 20, 25-minute games, really good.
Speaker: That's my number 90. Fantastic. Well, and I'm just going to call this one Andy's first game entry entry into the list. And um what I like about Andy's list here is that pretty much the crew makes the games we play.
Speaker: um That's a little nod to our our Thursday night group. We do have a ball. It is the right bunch people to play ball games with. We all get each other really well, and we all know what makes each other tick,
Speaker: but also two, what makes these other kits a little bit terse, and we we we do lean on the terse more than we do on the tid. So Andy, your number, well, know you're going to call it a number, but your first entry into the list, mate.
Speaker: Actually, no, it's an honourable mention. let's just Let's call this one an honourable mention first, and then I'll then i'll give you the another ten. Hansa Teconica. um we do that We do play that quite a bit on our Thursday and night games. He says, I reckon it would make the list, but only played it once.
Speaker: But tickled me in that spot.
Speaker: So let's just leave that, shall we? All right. Suddenly it feels like a different list to Manuel's already. Yes, it is. But I'm going to chuck in his first entry to the game. I know he's only just started playing this game and he is really enjoying it.
Speaker: And that is Azul. So he is really liking us all.
Speaker: Yeah, fair call. Good game. Good game. I'm sure it tickles him in that spot.
Speaker: All right, on to your 89. My number 89 is a game that will be a crossover with you at some point. I think it will be much higher than where I have it, but I...
Speaker: play it and I only play it with you and every time I play it I enjoy it. I do own a copy and that is Baseball Highlights 2045. Really cool cart game. Really cool A lot of strategy.
Speaker: Building your team. Playing the full season. It's really cool. Yep. Canada Greenlaw. Great game. ah My number 89 is a ah social reduction game. I don't have many social reduction games on my list. And this one is the oldest one that I've played.
Speaker: um It peaked at number nine at one point. um It's actually back in the top 100 this year. It wasn't last time. So I've done, ah even though we haven't done the list, i've I've always done my whole list of games each year. so But this one is Deception Murder in Hong Kong.
Speaker: It's in this spot because it does still get play every now and again with my family. I mean, it's another one of those games, bit like Ready, Set, Bet, and the last top 10, top 100 list is that it requires a bigger group.
Speaker: Five is fine, but if it's better at seven plus kind of game. But it holds a special place in my heart because it became the unofficial ending to board game days when where we first started running them in Brisbane as part of the board game barbecue and some just some classic games. i so I still go back to that game where was it G Money just picked what DG had or the other way around, like in the first turn. He'd just gone, I think it's this person with that.
Speaker: And Dave's just gone, yep, that's it. That's end game. Perfect. That is perfect. All right, Andy's andy's um next one on the list is Raiders Any Version.
Speaker: So let's just go North Sea. Yeah. Good choice, Andy. That is the better version. So well done, Andy. All it is written is Raiders Any Version.
Speaker: So totally different list than Van Wells so far. Yeah. That's good. what's works
Speaker: My number 88 is a game I have not won yet. Oh, no, sorry. I had won it once. Once. and then But I think i actually made an error, so no, I haven't won.
Speaker: and And that is, it's bloody hard. it's so hard. It's really old game. They did a reiteration of it a couple of years ago. That's Ghost Stories. Oh, yeah.
Speaker: Ghost Stories is super hard where you are battling against a ah deck of villains and hard ninjas and, you know, ghosts.
Speaker: And they're all coming at you and you are you're trying to um offset them. And, man, it's tough. It is a tough game.
Speaker: I have played it with two people. I played a lot solo. And, yeah, still can't beat yeah yeah cool uh all right well uh my number 88 is a co-design with uh tommaso batista and simone luciani just wanted to put that out there and and this one is barrage so barrage for me is probably Simone's most in-depth game and a game that when I'm in the right mood is one of my favorite games, but I'm not always in the right mood. Like I've, and I don't own it, but I play it on BGA every now and again. And even on BGA, sometimes I'll be like, I'll be right into it and really thinking out everything I'm doing and really watching. And then other times I'm just pressing buttons and I can't even gauge when the right mood is. Sometimes like, I really feel like a game of barrage. And then I'm after day one, I'm just like
Speaker: so and and like there but there's some great great strategy in that game really depending on who you're playing with it can be really cutthroat you can cut someone's water off by building a dam wall in front of their supply or you can just try and hide on one side of the board and not get touched all game you can wait until someone builds something and pay them money and run the water so they can't run the water and like it it It offers you the the chance to be an arsehole, but also the chance to be friendly.
Speaker: um And for some reason, as much as I don't love games that make you be an arsehole, I like this one. So Barrage, I haven't played... I've played with one of the expansions, that Lee Water Project.
Speaker: And I don't even really care for that. I'd rather just play the base game. And I know that there's ah a million expansions. They've just put out a big box. and I'm not interested. I'm sure if I played it more, I would, but I just love the base game. So that's, that's it for me.
Speaker: Very good. Yeah. ah i play I play it. I play it. I really get it. don't understand. I didn't get the grok of it all. So this is a damn silly game.
Speaker: My number 87 is Roll for the Galaxy. Good dice rolling game and good fun. Good fun.
Speaker: Enough said about that one. There's not much to talk about Roll for the Galaxy. It is what it is. Yeah, definitely.
Speaker: may not be the only for Galaxy in my list too. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I like it. Andy's. Andy's next is Concordia.
Speaker: Full stop.
Speaker: Look, that's about as much about Concordia I'd like to discuss, but... So, Concordia, it may appear on someone else's list, so... It won't be mine. I don't hate Concordia anymore, but I used to with a passion. But it certainly hasn't reached the the the levels of being in a top 100. Well, look, i I hated it as well, but it was because it was the Venus edition, right?
Speaker: And that's a game where you're working with another player.
Speaker: But Phil changed my mind. He brought around and... It hit the table once that Thursday night, and I think we played it for four weeks a row, and it's good.
Speaker: It's good. It's really good. Very nice. Okay, my next game is a co-design with Danielle Tashini and Simona Iluciani. Yeah, him, him.
Speaker: Him, him. And also the first of the games. and also the first of the teagas this is the most beautiful of the tea games, especially because my wife painted all of the cogs. This a Zulcan 9 calendar.
Speaker: So yeah, Zulcan, it probably should be a bit higher. i guess it doesn't, none of the tea games get played as often as I'd like. And this one, probably of all the ones that I play is the one that,
Speaker: it I have to remember things a bit more. and it doesn't It doesn't just flow when I pull it out and put on the table. So for that reason, it doesn't get pulled out as often. But a wonderful game, a beautiful main mechanic. And um yeah, just every time I play it, i always go, oh, and why don't I play this more than I do? And yeah, go and steal those skulls and take all the spots early so no one else scores points at the end of the game. Great. That Zulker in the mind calendar. My number, what are we up to?
Speaker: Number 87. 87. Nice.
Speaker: Yes, and your cogs do look amazing. It's nice to have an artist as a wife. It has its benefits. ah My number 86, are you ready?
Speaker: Get your pen out. i Is London. Is what? London. London. London. Awesome card game where you're building a trial.
Speaker: Martin Wallace. There it is. First Martin Wallace balling. He's number 86. I play this a lot with Ingrid and Shane whenever we have a game day. It's one of those ones that I always pack just in case we get it out because it's it's good fun.
Speaker: It's thinky, very thinky. um But, yeah, my number 86, my first Martin Wallace game. I'm betting it's not your only, but you never know.
Speaker: It won't be my only.
Speaker: All right, my number 86. Andy's? Oh, Andy, yeah. Oh, no, sorry. You you do your 86 and I'll do Andy's. Sorry, mate. That's all good. So my 86 is a another co-design, not with Simone Elishani this time, no, with Ben Rosset and Matthew O'Malley. And this one is a, a yeah what would you call this, a deduction game, not a social deduction game. And this is a search for Planet X.
Speaker: So really good game. I've only actually, I don't actually own planet X. I own the lost species one and they're pretty interchangeable. But I actually, in a weird way, I prefer planet X um even though I don't, I own the other one, but I only play this at my brother's house. Maybe that's why kind of has that um thing about it, but it just, ah just a really interesting game where you're finding out information, the more information you find out, the longer it is going to be between turns for you. yeah,
Speaker: You want to find out little bits of information so you can keep going rather than sitting there and waiting. But you also find out information from what other people are asking questions about, which is really good too. So you really got to pay attention, which I'm not the greatest at, which is why my win-loss record is where it is. But still have a good time. That's Search for Planet X. Awesome.
Speaker: I played that one, I did enjoy it. It was good. and Andy's. Andy's next one. Now, I'm just... just moving cause i reckon I think he's going have... There's going to be two... I'm going to shuffle around for him because I think... Because he's just done a mind dump here on the the the notes. But his next choice will be City of the Big Shoulders.
Speaker: His reasoning being when someone can do the maths for me. M-A-F-F-S. Maths. Maths. um And look, I absolutely agree with Andy. It's... ah it's a beast when you're playing it manually.
Speaker: And unless you've got a Dave guard sitting next to you where he just gets this, this, this, this this um, uh, versus on the app is the best way to play it. It's on, sorry, BGA, on BGA is the best way to play it.
Speaker: It's all done for you. Um, so I'm, I'm really pleased to see that that's made Andy's list. Yeah. Great game. I have a feeling it may. Yes. some way i have a feeling may yes All right, your number 85? My number 85 is, it's actually my number, 84 or 85 are games, two games I purchased to enter the board game hobby.
Speaker: So if you remember, you know, watched the Dice Tower top 10 essential games everyone needs to own, and I bought 10 games from watching that.
Speaker: um, which where I launched my hobby. Uh, but my number 85 is a ah game which you have to have a higher player count to play it. It's, you can't play it to it at three if you wanted to, but four and five is the best.
Speaker: And that is bang the dice ah game. little bit, little bit mean as well. Like, you know, you start ganging up on the sheriff If you know who the Sheriff might, although it's not the Sheriff, i everyone is everyone's ganging up on the Sheriff, but then there's other people trying to protect the Sheriff. So and that's why you need more more players to play it.
Speaker: So bang the dice game is good fun. Yeah, lovely. My number 85 is a classic game that I talk about every now and again. i think I mentioned it last week, the week before last, sorry, our top 10 most important games to us.
Speaker: so it's a crossover fat list. And this one is a game that I am terrible at, but love. And that is Quacks of Quedlinburg. So just just a fun push-your-luck game that has some level of strategy, for sure.
Speaker: It does. But you can also have all the best chips in your bag and on the last turn pull out all the white chips at the start. Oh, crap. can and will do that at some point. So yeah, great game.
Speaker: Again, hits the table less and less these days. You in a weird way, Wonderland's War, while being a completely different style of game, has almost buried this one because it uses a similar bag building mechanism, but in a different way.
Speaker: So, and it's a more fun way. So it's, it's ah if I'm going to play a bag builder, I'm i'm not looking to this. I'm looking at either Alley On or Wonderland's War. So yeah, but otherwise still great game.
Speaker: Yeah, it's um how I see it as well. Although Quacks is a lot more simpler to set up than Wonderland's War. and But, you know, if you are going to play one of those two games, it depends on the group.
Speaker: If you've got a new board gaming, you'd bring out Quacks. If you've got a board gaming group that, you know, you can handle a bit of biffo, then you'd go Wonderland's War.
Speaker: Yeah. choice. Andy's next one on the list, it's his second Garfield game. It's Architects of the West Kingdom.
Speaker: um So Andy has got two so far on the list that are Garfield games. um And I'm sure Architects will be somewhere on yours and mine as well. So the potential three-way crossover there.
Speaker: I'd be very surprised if it's not, for sure. Fantastic game. It is a fantastic game. So we'll talk about that a little bit more later.
Speaker: My next one on the list, as I said, was one of the first board games I purchased. This is a two-player game. And two-player card game, but also two, it's <unk> a bit of a battle.
Speaker: so And that is Raptor. where it's dinosaurs dinosaurs versus the researchers. um And, you know, the mother raptor is protecting her baby raptors.
Speaker: you've got to You've got to get to a certain point on the map to win the game, but also to mother raptor Ken. They say it's not eating the researchers, but yes, the Mother Raptor can go and have a bit of a munch on the researchers as well. say But it's a really good game to how you manage your hand of cards.
Speaker: So, recommend it. don't think it's that hard to get. I think you could still get it in the market. So, if you want to a good two-player game, yeah, Raptor, my number 84.
Speaker: Very nice. i haven't still haven't played that. ah Now, we talked about Clank in space and just normal Clank in the last episode. And this is my...
Speaker: Clank entry could be my only one. could There could be more to come. but This is Clank Legacy version two, Acquisitions Incorporated. So this is the second campaign Clank.
Speaker: um And it's it's great. it's we had a lot of great time We had a lot of fun with it. It does run a bit long, which is probably why it's not as high as the other Clank Legacy spoiler. It's high. But, yeah, it got it got to a point towards the mid the mid-game where it felt like you were doing things because you were told to, not because it was an exploring game. um And the first one didn't have that. The first one felt fully explorational. So, yeah, Clank Legacy so Vol. 2 is number 84 for me.
Speaker: Very good.
Speaker: Next one on the list for Andy is... Look, it's definitely going to be another three-way crossover. Castles of Burgundy. Is Andy's next one on the list?
Speaker: bra it Great game. Great game. We'll talk about it later. Fair enough. Sorry, it's still me. Apologies.
Speaker: We spoke about this game last episode. Well... No, we didn't speak about this game in the last episode, but we did use the term in the last episode. So my number 83 is... three Ah, yep. Good fun.
Speaker: um It's just to learn all the players, you need to really spend a good couple of weeks playing the game back to back to back to back to back to back back you can learn it all.
Speaker: um But no, it was kind of my first... ah intro into Cold Whirly games. and And hit him. But good fun.
Speaker: And, you know, again, you need the right group to play that because you can play quite lean, which is good. Great. Yeah, nice I've been chatting to my brother recently and he was saying that he's got it back to the table for the first time in a while with a few of the new factions. And he he rates it a lot with some of the new factions.
Speaker: So ah I'd be interested, yeah, it's it's a tough one. at' time I'd be interested to try it again, but it it is such such a lot to understand to play it well.
Speaker: if you're playing against someone who understands it well, it's going be pretty obvious, but yeah. Yeah, yeah. you you couldn You kind of got to play character, then the next character, then the next character, then go back, learn, learn, learn, learn.
Speaker: so Yeah. the The player powers are just totally Yeah, they're different games, basically. My number 83 is a game that was a former number one of yours, a former top 10 for me, and it also suffers the same fate as the previously mentioned game.
Speaker: games, Dead Reckoning, for example, where it's just not hitting the table to the point where I'm actually considering moving this one on. i just i don't see a world in we in which it comes back to the table. That is too many buttons.
Speaker: I just, it full it has the same problem. I've got too much stuff. I don't know, like, I don't know what to do. do I just go back to Daylor and do the basic missions again and then presume that I'm going to want to keep playing it through all the other content?
Speaker: Or do I bust open Unbreakable even though I've got so much more content I haven't touched? So, and so what happens is I just go, ah no, I'll just play something else. So I love the game, but I just, I struggle to get it to the table. So that is too many benefits.
Speaker: Love the game as well. and know I know what you mean, mate. It is is a bear to get to the table. But, you know, I just say it solo, get it to the table, leave it set up for a couple of weeks and see where you go.
Speaker: yeah Yeah. My table is also my dining table, so I can't leave it set up for a couple of weeks. Yeah.
Speaker: Andy's next on the list is... Now, um I'm just going to keep his last... The first three that he said, I'm leaving it in that order. so I'm going to say this is Andy's number three, and that is Junion Pyrim, which is a great game.
Speaker: Really fun game. it we will probably be talking about it again later. That's it. Yeah, very cool. If he's not giving you much more than that, then you can't run with much more than that. It's just Juniper, that's it. no Fair enough.
Speaker: My next game, and it is my number 82. It's a solo card game. So it's in the realms of, you know, those ones you can put your pocket.
Speaker: And that is Skulls of Sedgwick. and Ah, yeah. that's ah It's a quirky little game. And you actually play it two players too. Two players is good fun.
Speaker: But I like playing a solo to try and beat beat yourself. um But Scalse is essentially a quick five-minute game. I love 82. Yeah, nice. yeah nice My 82 is a another co-design and another co-design that has already been mentioned in this set. So Matthew O'Malley and Ben Rousset, and they did Search for Planet X, but they also did Fromage.
Speaker: which I know Ingrid's one of her favorite games, and it is such a clever system. There's another version of this system, and I don't mean from Agio, but a very similar style game to this by the same designers that is further up on my list.
Speaker: But this one is it's really good. i the The cheese thing works. I i love... fulfilling the orders um i was like it's kind of like my little thing that i try and do there's many different paths to victory in this one but i i just like making the cheese on the side but having the cows um in your in your yard or you're delivering on plates or whatever there's lots of different things you can be doing in this game but it's it's a lot of fun and really good on bga so fromage is my number 82
Speaker: Never played it. But I do know that it is someone elses kind of someone else's, one of their favourite games, as you mentioned. so um Andy's number two.
Speaker: Great Western Trail, second edition. Yeah. With a nod to the sheep. With a nod to the sheep. nod to the sheep being the New Zealand version? you yeah music New Zealand version.
Speaker: Which is probably the best version and the most relaxing to play. But the second edition is The Goat. Okay. There you go. So it's either The Sheep or The Goat. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. But I do agree with his comments around The Sheep. Yeah, I also agree. I think I really like the New Zealand version. Yeah. And, you know, it was a game that I didn't like, so...
Speaker: And thanks to both Andy and and Pastor Nick who really just said, and also Lucky Phil, they were all at me. Come on, we're playing this, we're playing this. So I'm glad that I've played every edition.
Speaker: Very good. My number 81. So the final one for our top, well, our last lot of 10. Now I've played this game quite a few times and and It is my go-to if I had to play TI4 or this game.
Speaker: Because this game can be done in couple of hours versus eight hours. And that is Eclipse Second Dawn. Yeah, okay. It is basically TI4 Lite.
Speaker: Yeah. I feel it. um and again though, you can stuff yourself up pretty quick in this game when you're stuffed, or you can align with someone and then someone else can just totally roll you mid-game, even though you've apparently you aligned yourself to them. um But it's fun.
Speaker: It's a good one, and it's not one I own, but I know a few people that do own it, so whenever it hits the table, if anyone says, do you want to play Eclipse, second door, and hands up, yep, I'm in.
Speaker: It's interesting, though, because the one thing that it doesn't have TI4 has of the negotiat is the negotiation. And we all know how much of a big fan of negotiation games you are, Shane. Sorry, I can't hear you. You're fading in and out, mate. Sorry.
Speaker: no Moving on. um My number 81 is a recent game. ah And it's a recent-ish. Actually, it's not recent if you look at the year it came out. But feels like it's recent because we live in Australia.
Speaker: And that is Rebel Princess. This is a cool take on Hearts, the trick-taking, old-school trick-taking game with funny little powers, shortens the game up a heap.
Speaker: which is definitely what's needed with hearts. It plays up to, I think, five really well. Just instead of the queen and the hearts deck, you've got the princes and the and the frog, and they're trying to propose to the princess, and the princess doesn't want to hear a bar of it. That's the theme, which just makes it delightful as you're playing along as well. So Rebel Princess is my number 81.
Speaker: Very good. Oh, he could write-ups about that. I've never played it, but... Well, that's Andy's number one. And it is Graves Birmingham.
Speaker: Ah, yes. Yeah, I'm just having a guess that that's his number one. I'm pretty sure it'd be up there. I know he really likes it. In fact, the whole gaming group likes playing Graves Birmingham.
Speaker: To the point where... I went up and got upgraded all and 3D printed all the pieces for it as well. sight Yeah, cool. and Did a second copy for Phil's game. So it's um it does hit our table on a Thursday night. So for us, Birmingham, ah Andy, thank you so much, mate. I really appreciate you giving us your top 10, and I'm going to assume that that's your number one is Brass Birmingham by Mr. MW.
Speaker: So what spot does it Brass Birmingham tick on him?
Speaker: that's What spot does Brass Birmingham tickle him in? Because, you know, it's going to be some special spot. Andy, if you're listening, what spot does it tickle you? We'll talk about in our next episode.
Speaker: ah But great list, mate. Thank you so much for putting it together for us, Andy. Yeah.
Speaker: um my So we're going to continue on. We're going to 20 games this episode. So my number 80.
Speaker: um I'm just going to quickly just talk about it because I reckon it's going to be somewhere else. and This other person knows this game more than I do. I like playing it. It looks really cool.
Speaker: You're not meant to talk about it during the game. no interaction but no player interaction.
Speaker: And then all you do is argue about who's got the the best hand, and that is the game, is my number 80. Great game. I'll just leave it at that.
Speaker: Fair enough. i I mean, i I'm sure we'll bring it up potentially later, but that game we play at the community place was out of the control where we just we we just decided we were going to keep going until we won and then you got the shits and left and then someone else got the shits and left and we kept replacing them with other people.
Speaker: It was like, i think no, I think someone left first before you and then the game after you left, we finally won it. Yeah, there you go. It was all me. Yeah.
Speaker: uh my number 80 has fully been my number two game uh it dropped off a bit just because i've played it too many times 233 plays of terraforming mars and uh just i don't know when my next one will be so um it it's you know when you talk about games that are important to you that sort of thing this one's obviously a lot higher but as far as my top 100 right now i i don't I don't do the nostalgia spots. It fits where it fits. And I'm more of a, my list is more of a games I'm keen to play right now list. So Terraforming Mars, still a great game, but has dropped down to number 80. That's a big drop. but you know To be fair, it wasn't like to last year either. Like it's been a gradual requirement. Yeah. Yeah. But still it's, that's fair enough.
Speaker: Right. Yeah. My number 79 is a little card game, very small little card game. You can play it with four players and um it's even good just with two players.
Speaker: And it's a sprawling, you need a lot of area. And this is a great game that I've taught nieces, nephews. I've taught people at work.
Speaker: They've then gone out and bought it and that is Bandito. ah Yeah, classic. Bandito is a classic game to to get to the table. Again, you can play it on BGA, which is another good place to play it, because at least you don't have the cards crawling everywhere. But it's from little games, yeah. you You've just got to make sure you catch the Bandito before he escapes.
Speaker: um And you you you can't communicate with the other players what cards they've got in their hand. yeah So, you know, you sitting there you might be getting down to the last you think we only got one more one more card you've got the car that can close off that so then someone plays these stupid cars that open up another three more escape routes you're like for god's sake why don't you do that bandito good fun it's um it could very easily be an airport game but then it could also very easily not be an airport game depending on how quick you can get it done when are going to play it at the airport though
Speaker: Well, sometimes you could play it on an airport tray. It's over that quick. But it's not the case most of the time, that's for sure, especially if you start sprawling. ah My number 79 is a game I have had for a couple of years and really, ah really like this one. In fact, it's probably taken the spot of something like a barrage in a weird way. Like it's a similar style game. It's a Japanese game based on building out a ski resort and putting people in rooms so they've got nice views of the snow or close to the convention center or whatever their purpose, whatever the reason they've come to this resort is. It's got a bit of a Grand Austria hotel feel, but it's got a Yeah. Yeah. It's better than that, I think, anyway. And this is Snow Planner.
Speaker: Never heard of Yeah. It's a great game. And it's another one that Seb likes to play. So I think the theme did a lot of heavy lifting for him there, which is which is awesome. um Yeah. it's And it works. It's it's really clever. I got the – they did a second edition Kickstarter for it.
Speaker: um It's – yeah, I can't say enough good things about it. I want to play it more. So – Snowplaner is my number 79.
Speaker: Okay, very good. My number 78 is a game by Mr Vidal Lacerda. um It's not my favourite of his games, but it's it's on the list.
Speaker: And that is On Mars. Yeah. and I enjoy every play of this. Every time I've played it, it's been good fun. It's one of those games where even the last time I played it it, I just threw down the last card, which ended up winning the game.
Speaker: But someone else had thought they'd won the game until I threw down that last card. yeah that's but you know You know what that's like, Steve. And, yeah, it's good game on Mars. It's a very thinky i type of game. And, yeah,
Speaker: But it's a big beast of a game as well. So, you know, you need to set aside some time. Yeah.
Speaker: Cool. ah My next game is a Martin Wallace game. So I'm not adding to your count, but I have the same amount as you now. Martin Wallace game on the list. And this game is Brass Lancashire.
Speaker: Okay. So I like Brass Lincoln. I like the idea, the difference where it holds cards back in the first round. You don't have the beer, but it plays pretty similarly other than that. But it is a bit tighter of a game, I think, than Brass Birmingham.
Speaker: But um ah they both are great games, really. I mean, they're both in the top 40 in BGD and obviously Brass being number one, Brass Birmingham. But Brass Lancashire, I often like to play it over. And it also has that advantage of it being the original game. So like the crappy old Brass app that I have on my iPad.
Speaker: is brass lancashire because it's like the old school original martin wallace artwork one so and you can't get it anymore so i'm not deleting it off that ah ipad because i'll never get it back so yeah yeah look i i agree like any of the brass are great like i've even got the original brass but uh Yeah, good choice. Good choice, mate. I won't ask if it's the only brass on your list, but we'll wait and see.
Speaker: Yeah. My next one on the list, number 77, is a Cole Whirly game. Cole Whirly. This would be my number two Cole Whirly game.
Speaker: Noted. Just saying. And... Really good fun. I've played this quite a few times. Again, you need the right group to play it with. John Company is brilliant. Hard to grok, but once you grok it, it's nice, easy flow, um and you are know building wealth and and also too tanking as well. And then you know you then go back to the retirement village and make sure you retire in luxury.
Speaker: So John Company is really good. Fair enough. Still have not played that one. ah My number 77 is a Tom Lehman game, and it is a... I don't think you like this. can't remember whether you like this game or not. You either dislike it or you're partial to it. um I can't remember exactly. But it's a great game that you start with eight cards, and that's all the cards you're gonna have, and it is Reza Card.
Speaker: getting Getting goods from your eight cards, doing the most you possibly can from such a small pot pool just feels so, don't know, rewarding. So Rez is a great game, which I think you don't like.
Speaker: I don't like. I don't.
Speaker: So I wonder, yeah, I've tried. I've tried many times to play it. I've played it with people that love the game and they've taught me the game. And at the end of it, I'm like, no.
Speaker: Anyway, you know you don't have to like every game, do you, Steve? That's right. My number 76 is probably the second best dice chucker, where you are just under pressure, rolling dice, picking them up, rolling dice again, picking them up, taking actions.
Speaker: But all over the board, you've got aliens coming at you, You're trying to fight them off. And that is Project Elite. It a super fun game.
Speaker: It's one of those games you can play at at a game night and it stand up you just stand up the whole the whole time. People start crowding around you to see what's going on. But yeah, Project Elite, my number 76. I remember that was probably in my top 10 at one point.
Speaker: it's It's the game. When this came up on my list, I was like, I can't vote it higher because I've only played it once with you. And it was, I didn't even realize, it was just chaos.
Speaker: And then the game was over. And I didn't – I was like, is that it? Is that – what have we done? Like, it was mental and it was loud and it was crazy. And I had a great time. And I'm like, I want to play that again, but I've never played it again.
Speaker: So I can't put a game that I hardly understood. it whats up one of these and It's a game that I sold. But it's a regretful self. I wish I had that back in my collection.
Speaker: So Project Elite, 76. seventy My number 76 is a game by Roy Kennedy, and that pretty much narrows it down to one. He's done one game. We also just recently played this, actually. Last weekend, we had a game of Last Light.
Speaker: And it does a really good thing, which is turns a genre of games that is like your epic four five hour long games into, I think I won in like 45 minutes. and it was my first ever victory.
Speaker: um It was like in 45 minutes. But you do get that full space exploration feeling of the game in that time. So yeah, Last Light is fantastic if you're looking for A 4X style game that is, doesn't require lunch and dinner plans.
Speaker: It's, it's the one for you. Over, over within an hour, isn't it Pretty much, yeah. Do you know what they're saying? It doesn't matter what player count you're playing at. I've seen it all set up. I want to play the actual version of it. I haven't played it yet because I played it a lot in testing phase with Roy. In fact, my last game of it was with Roy and Chris Yee.
Speaker: And I ended up, it was a draw. We had 25 light. Chris and I had 25 light each. And then he won on count battle. okay it was It was an epic game.
Speaker: It was a really epic game. Good choice.
Speaker: Didn't make my list because I haven't played it since. I might have to, you know, next time you're around. I brother's got it as well, I'll have to get it out and have a game. Yeah. My number 75 is, I'm just going to say, Scythe.
Speaker: You can talk about it later. I think so oh like it. Every time anyone do you want to play Scythe? Yep, I'm up for Scythe. yeah Do I know what I'm doing in Scythe?
Speaker: No, because I need probably play it back to back to back to back to back so I can understand it a lot more. But then about halfway through the game, I grok it. This is what I should be doing. I remember it now. I'm going to do this. I remember this. Yeah, Scythe, my number 75.
Speaker: Yep, fantastic game. No arguments from me there. Mind Number 75 is a much smaller game that requires a non-COVID time play because you are handing things from your hand to the next person into their hand. So definitely wasn't able to be played in 2021.
Speaker: But this is Draftasaurus. A game about drafting dinosaurs into different pens in your dinosaur zoo, I guess. ah It's just fun. i actually um own a copy. And then when I was in Tasmania recently, we went to a charity um like car boot sale style book sale thing. And they had a couple of board games there and all the board games are $5 each. And this was there. So I have two copies now wow because you can't say no to a $5 copy of Draftosaurus. i'll give it to so one um My plan is I'm going to play Draft of Soros probably at the game that RUAK plays.
Speaker: And then if someone really likes it, I'm just going to go, there you go. Five bucks well spent. That's kind of my theory. But yeah, great game. Really simple, but it's it's easy to come back to. it's It's great on BGA too. So you don't get the sweaty palms.
Speaker: So there's that. But, yeah, Draftosaurus. And for you, someone who loves 3D printing, there's plenty of people out there have made little dinosaur pens that's what you pass the the dinosaurs around in rather than... Oh, right. than Than just the dinosaur. Cool.
Speaker: um My number 74 is two-player card game. i played it a lot with Lauren. I've actually got a game going at the moment in BGA with Ingrid. And I haven't played it for a long time, but I do... So actually probably need to watch a video of how to play it again so remember.
Speaker: Because I'm slowly picking it up as I'm playing in BGA. But I played a lot with Lauren. It was one of my first lotter games I'd ever purchased, and that is Lost Cities. yeah and It's cool.
Speaker: Cool car game. Just, you know, 1v1 and enjoying it. Yeah, classic. It is classic. ah My number 74 is a game that I used to own, sold, and this was a regretful sale and um have since bought back.
Speaker: So it was a regretful sale for a period and is no longer, it's prior to place on my shelf and it's like just a cool card system and that is Aquatica.
Speaker: So just that idea of pushing the cards up and getting their benefits and then having things trigger and trigger and trigger. It's actually a really quick game. It looks like it's going to be like an hour long, but it's rarely goes over 30 minutes.
Speaker: you get You get a lot of fun in that 30 minutes. And almost every time it finishes, people will just go, oh, oh, is this the end of the game? Like it just sort of sneaks up on you. So yeah, great game. Aquatic card need to play it more often.
Speaker: Is that the one with the manta rays? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cause that, don't they liken that to a, like a terraforming Mars? Sometimes it's probably little bit better than terraforming Mars?
Speaker: Uh, no, I don't think it's got much in similarity to terraforming Mars. I wouldn't, I wouldn't have thought so. It's more, um, it's like, like a deck builder that, yeah, you're not really, it's not really like tableau building or anything like that. So yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: Very good. Uh, my number 73.
Speaker: You've mentioned chip theory games. This is a chip theory game, and that is Hoplamakis, which is a one- or two-player battle game using chips.
Speaker: And actually like playing it solo.
Speaker: Again, chip theory games, it's blinged out. I have the original version, not the new the new version that just produced. But the original version still has the nice neoprene mats, all the heavy chips.
Speaker: But you you were 1v1, and the other player, you know, yeah each each one of your army have a different ability. So, I'll put Marcus, my number 73, by Chikiri Games, just saying.
Speaker: Just putting that out there. Okay. Well, speaking of designers that may have multiple games in a list, my number 73 is a Shem Phillips game. Whee! And it is a crossover with um our good friend Andy.
Speaker: And this is Raiders of the North Sea. Wow. Too low. Too low, Steve. Yeah, it's it's a hard one when when you you talk Shem games, but i do I do like all of, and this is probably giving away something, I do like all of the West Kingdom games more than Raiders.
Speaker: But i I do love Raiders. So it's, I think it's, that that know The simple nature of the of the the pick up and put the the pickup and remove, so put down and pick up action is really cool. I do love it with all the expansions.
Speaker: ah it It has faltered in this in the way that it doesn't hit the table much anymore, not because of the game, but because my bloody playmat started eroding and it's now fallen apart.
Speaker: And I did the stupid thing of throwing out the game board when I bought the playmat. So I've ordered a new playmat. ah um So I can't actually play the game at the moment unless I'm playing on the app, which is a great app, find you, but um not the same as playing with me.
Speaker: It's a good app. I've taught my nephew this game. He loves it. We play it a lot. Whenever I'm down, he doesn't have the app. So whenever I go to Adelaide... Can we play Raiders? Yes, no worries. We'll start playing Raiders together.
Speaker: He loves it. Yeah. But when he was here in Brisbane, I actually had the mat set out for him when we played it live, and he really enjoyed it. Yeah.
Speaker: My number 72 crossover with you. Yeah, yeah. That's our first first one, I think. Yeah, potentially, yeah. um Jeez, and I'd guess 22 crossovers.
Speaker: There's plenty more to come. Yes, indeed. So my number 72 is the oldest game on my list, and that is Croconell. You articulated it well.
Speaker: I think it's quite funny watching my my kids playing at the moment because, you know, Josh and the kids, they're being really nice to each other, just little flicks, littlele little flicks, little flicks. Max walks up, starts playing, bang, ping, and everyone off. He's really good at it. He just puts it down, ping, really fast.
Speaker: Chips are flying everywhere. But yeah, coconut. It's on the list. Number 72. Cool. My number 72 was mentioned earlier when i was speaking about quacks, about really good bag builders. And this one has always been in my top 100 pretty much since I started doing them um in my top 10s for a while there too. This is Orléans.
Speaker: it probably just fails from the fact that it doesn't look amazing. There's no theme. I still don't even know why we're doing what we're doing. Like the rule book doesn't tell you, doesn't lead on. It just, I think it mentions victory points in the paragraph that it explains the theme.
Speaker: So yeah, it's, it but who cares? It's good fun, bag building game, pulling out things, making actions. Sending your people off to the yeah onto the achievement board at the end to get victory points. It's a sneaky game, so you can kind of look like you're doing nothing and then suddenly come home and romp home to a victory. but And it has certainly um warranted a BGA adapt adaptation, and it now has it.
Speaker: And I can't think of a better game to have BGA because the setup, you talked about bears to set up. This one drives me nuts. Those little pieces you've got to put everywhere.
Speaker: it's And then the tiles that keep falling over on top of each other. But it's still still great fun. So all you want is my number 72. Really good choice. and It's a game that I do like to play.
Speaker: but actually, on BGA, I ah don't mind the bear of setting this one up because I do have all the upgraded pieces to it. so it looks really nice. Yes, I understand the board looks horrible. and But when you've got all the upgrade pieces, it does look better.
Speaker: And the upgrade chips as well. So you've got that little clinky clinky going on in your bag. Well, the only problem with the clinky clinky is that they they stumble, stumble. Like, if you're using cardboard, they'd stack a lot better, but because they're smooth, you can't stack too many of them up on top on the board, so you just put a pi just with piles. Yeah, just do piles. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker: Good one. Good choice. um My number 71, it's my final one for our list today before we get into our top 70. Again, another good dives chuck up.
Speaker: It's an entry level dice chugger. So this is one of those ones where you go along to a board game day, you or you're teaching board games to a lot of people. So when i when I did the RUIK play last year, I did it in the work offices that I was working in.
Speaker: And we had our two businesses all combined. and We had a bit of a board game lunch and we just played board games. So I took Las Vegas Royale and I took this game and this game was a big hit. People were buying this game during the time I was teaching it and they did roll for it.
Speaker: hi You're just lining out some cards and and so you might need to get certain combination of dice. So you roll your dice, you've got seven dice, and you roll your dice, you place those combinations, you try to make them make those combinations on the card, you win the card, first of 40 points wins.
Speaker: there's Every card's worth a certain amount of points. and Everyone really enjoyed playing it. um Again, nieces, nephews all play it. ah Mother-in-law and father-in-law play it. you know they When they go on their caravan and trips with their friends, it is a game that they take along with them. So roll for it.
Speaker: Excellent. 71. month So my last game for the list that we're doing today is a collection of games in this spot. It's it's a franchise of games, I guess you'd say, and I'm choosing my favorite of that franchise to stand out. And it is a game by David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin, and it is Undaunted. I'm choosing Undaunted Stalingrad because we really, really enjoyed running through the whole campaign of Stalingrad. But yeah all of them are great. Probably my least favourite is Callisto, even though apparently it's the best.
Speaker: um But the difference between, like, you don't have to read law to understand what happened in World War II. So it's really easy to get around the theme. And in Undaunted Callisto, um when we started playing it, Raph just set it up and we started playing. So although what we were doing was interesting, there was no reason, there was no understanding of why it was happening. was just two factions.
Speaker: So I feel like if I went back and I read the lore and then we played it again, I think I'd probably like it more, but it's just that Undaunted World War II theme is just fits so perfectly with the game and the way that we played. Yeah. really enjoyed my time. and It'd probably be on Raph's top 10, I would imagine.
Speaker: I played it with him almost every play. I think I played a couple of games with my brother, but every other player has been with Raph. So my number 71, Undaunted Stalingrad. Very nice. and da do have you played the Battle of Britain one?
Speaker: Yes, the one with the with the planes. It's actually, I like it, but i like and this is how my brain works and it's probably, you know, it's a me thing. And that is that there are, like, they're planes, right?
Speaker: So there shouldn't be turns where they don't move. They're just suspended in the air. Hovering plane. Yeah, and I feel like every turn they should at least move one spot, irrespective of whether you're doing anything with them. But it is cool to try line them all up. And when you get a good shot lined up and you're like, this is, you know, then you're rolling this. But forget that. Lining it up is cool because it is kind of tricky to try and get your lines right.
Speaker: Yeah. Oh, mate, that's ah a really good set of 20 board games there, or 40 board games. Actually, week when you think about it, it's actually 50 board games when include... Andy's 10, so thank you, Andy. We really appreciate you giving us your top 10, mate.
Speaker: And Steve, awesome episode once again. Yes, there's been some cracking games. you've only We've mentioned we've only had the one crossover. I'm looking at the next slate of games, and i' I'm only two down, and I can already see that there's a crossover coming.
Speaker: a so And then there's definitely a future crossover. So, yeah, good there's a bit to come. yeah There is a bit to come, and I agree there will be some crossovers next episode, yeah without a doubt.
Speaker: Well, thanks again for listening. i hope you're enjoying the countdown. As we mentioned in the last episode, if you've got a top 10 that you would like us to share and chat about, ah feel free to get in contact with us. We're hoping to a few more to yeah just talk about games that we may not highlight otherwise, which, although to be fun fair, most of Andy's games probably show up on your list by the sounds of things so that may not have been too many different games there but it was a good it was a good 10 list let's put it that way and i do have a list from my nephew michael and i'm looking forward to doing that because he surprised me with his list very much so including his number one his number one really surprised me and i'm looking forward to hanging shit on it when i bring it up as his number one so let me do let me do that one it'll be good fun
Speaker: Excellent, mate. Well, have a great week and see you all next episode. Yep. See you later.
