Відео

lol, none of your top 3 are still in my collection (I did expect you to pick those three, though). Wingspan I would still happily play, I just am in the crowd that much prefers Wyrmspan. Not just because I love dragons (had it simply been a reskin, nothing more, I wouldn't have bought it no matter how much I love dragons), but I love the mechanics of it more. Viticulture does have a great worker placement concept, I'm just not a big fan of the point threshold ending. I was on the brink of culling it when the co-op expansion dropped, and that did breathe some life back into it for me since I enjoyed the upgradable worker spots aspect of it. But ultimate it just didn't sustain it enough for me. Scythe is probably the game that had the biggest fall for me, simply because it used to be among my favourites. But over time it has just felt more and more like I was playing the same game over and over again. It did last 16 plays though before I culled it, so that's something at least. Tapestry, however, is still going strong for me. I genuinely don't care that it's not balanced. I have not consulted any of the rebalancing efforts, because I don't need it to have fun with it. It's probably my favourite Stonemaier, though Wyrmspan could surpass it over time. Not tried Pendulum (nor do I really care to, the moment I heard it was real-time, it just went off the radar for me as that's not a mechanism that appeals to me at all) and only played Expeditions once and it was a 5-player game (too many people interested to play it at once), and yeah, I don't really want to play it 5-player ever again, too crowded. I think it could be good at 2, but the chance that I will get to play it at 2 is fairly slim since I'm not interested enough to get my own copy.

I like this format. Looking forward to more. And I was in total agreement with you, all the way up until you said "Wingspan." At which point a noise of disgust game out of me. 😂 Not that I think it is a terrible game, but there is absolutely nothing special about it, and I will always prefer just about any other game.

I am almost with you here. First, Tapestry is a hit in my group and will likely remain so. Expeditions, despite not being Scythe, has been well-received as well and I am enjoying it. I cannot begin to state how much I don't find Wingspan fun and just don't understand the love. Wyrmspan felt like more of a game and so we have been playing that one, while I sold my Wingspan. Pendulum I still haven't tried playing with others, so perhaps one day. Again, I love your content, but please, consider stopping the pointing out what others are saying game you have been playing. Who cares if Tantrum House loved Expeditions? It doesn't make their opinion invalid or strengthen your opinion one bit. I like your channel because you tend to call it like you see it, but this playing clips from other channels stuff needs to stop.

All flawed games. Even your fav one can't hold without the replacement board. Everybody recommends buying fixes to remedy the sunk cost of their pretty base game. Some titles have obvious power spikes -e.g. crows, Marriage of state, Patriotic- but people are oblivious in their few plays to even notice them.

My two cents: 1) Doing asymmetric factions is really hard. 2) I love your show, but don't you think that this is the easiest way to make a lot of new enemies? Who likes to hear that they are bad at something? 3) In most of the fields: inventions, music, writing best things are done by young people. Maybe the same is in boardgames? As we getting old maybe we lose creativity and will to experiment/invent something new?

splendor duel is so much better then base splendor...

I appreciate your direct discussion and thoughts. You may want to consider being a little less dismissive of what other people enjoy. Some people are not as bothered by down time and want games that play with their regular group of 4-5, don’t mind playing games a game that has been ‘fixed’….certainly that happens a lot with video games, etc. I do like to see the passion you have for what you enjoy, perhaps consider turning it a little down for what you don’t as small things don’t make a game (which many others enjoy a certain way) “garbage.” Thanks.

Totally agree with player counts being inflared with a lot of games these days. I dont know where i would rate Scythe. Loved it but now have no interest in playing ever again. Wingspan easily top. Wyrmspan seems a good game but the art is nice but i dont find it interesting.. feel it would have been better as a nature game again.. fish perhaps? Dinosaurs I dunno..

I still like Top Ten videos however I’d prefer them in your style by splitting them up with lowest & highest

I would totally take Tapestry over Red Rising. Red Rising seems super broken - when you are "finished" with the goals of the game half way through the game and just waiting for it to end, it is not good. I would much prefer Tapestries imbalance to that.

Viticulture without Tuscany was my intro into modern board games after playing Carcasonne once in a while and it blew my mind at the time. Then I purchased Tuscany and I discovered how much fun and thematic board games could be. Very fun video to watch Luke. I like this format with negative and positive takes. More enjoyable than watching a long rant on a game I understand you didn’t enjoy two minutes in the video. I wish you a great (cool) summer.

Captain flip is on BGA. I've played it a few times. It's super super light push your luck fun but without more tiles not nearly enough variety.

Great video! I like this format. I also like top ten lists but this format is a refreshing mix-up to the standard. Stonemaier is a funny publisher for me. At one point they were my favourite publisher. This was when Red Rising was announced. So, that was my ideal mashup - my favourite publisher in my favourite hobby producing a game about my favourite fandom. But then Red Rising turned out to be just...okay. It wasn't nearly as heavy, thematic, or engaging as I would have liked. I think that's when I began to realize that Stonemaier doesn't make games in the weight class that I most enjoy (and most play) anymore. That being said, I have never disliked a Stonemaier game. I've either loved, liked, or just felt okay about them. My bottom two (can't pick three) would be: Red Rising (just disappointed from how hyped I was) and Wingspan (too simple for my tastes now and the bird theme doesn't really resonate) My top three would be: Scythe (an all-time favourite), Tapestry (love the overproduced buildings and the combo's - mainly play solo), and Expeditions (mainly play solo and I really enjoy the card play/hand management aspects).

Stonemaier introduced their "games as value-added items" philosophy somewhere in the Scythe - Tapestry period, that (and abandoning crowdfunding post Scythe) seems to have been a pivotal moment when their games went downhill. The announcement of the "philosophy" was the point where I stopped buying their games. IIRC it was around this time that EGG did a similar thing, which is why The Gallerist is the last of *their* games that I purchased.

Expeditions below Red Rising??? Really? What was behind that rationale (I agree Expeditions is only a 1-3 player game but didn't enjoy Red Rising at any player count)

My biggest problem with Tapestry is the frustration with the variable playtime of all players. If you are a bad player at this you‘ll finish the game early and you have to watch the rest of the group playing for 60 or 90 minute before you know that you‘ve lost by 100 points. Not a pleasant experience.

I don't own a single Stonemeier game. Of those I've played, Viticulture I would play again, but I've no desire to own a copy. Criticisms? Yes the Tuscany tweak to action spots felt too close to a 'fix'. I also found the cards remarkably swingy (though not for Stonemeier I suppose🤣), though I could see how visitors from the Rhine would appeal to those even more irritated by the swinginess.

Agree with all your best and worst choices. Own only the best 3. Sat down Expeditions demo at Essen 23 and maybe the teacher wasn’t good but after the demo turns it was straight out boring (dodged a bullet,. Did just buy Wyrmspan cause it was decent price to try and see if can replace my wingspan collection. Hate the art but will try just for mechanisms. Worst i sell and lose like $10aud. As for Stonemarier on the downs, atleast they try each year and help other designers so A+. It is hard to come up with something completely different in boardgames but we can say no two of their games are the same like say compare to Rosenberg. No publisher or designer always has a hit or recent hits. It's like a song artist, you might like their earlier albums but absolutely hate their new stuff (*cough cough* Taylor Swift). The good thing is atleast we can try and move onto the 100s of other new games out there.

Agree with all your best and worst choices. Own only the best 3. Sat down Expeditions demo at Essen 23 and maybe the teacher wasn’t good but after the demo turns it was straight out boring (dodged a bullet,. Did just buy Wyrmspan cause it was decent price to try and see if can replace my wingspan collection. Hate the art but will try just for mechanisms. Worst i sell and lose like $10aud. As for Stonemarier on the downs, atleast they try each year and help other designers so A+. It is hard to come up with something completely different in boardgames but we can say no two of their games are the same like say compare to Rosenberg. No publisher or designer always has a hit or recent hits. It's like a song artist, you might like their earlier albums but absolutely hate their new stuff (*cough cough* Taylor Swift).

Do a similar thing on Uwe. Video length is fine. Top 10, only some are interesting, most arent (on any boardgame youtube channel). Id rather watch something like this for sure!

Agree with the list, but Id swap wingspan (2) and Viticulture (1)

Viticulture and Scythe are excellent games. Wingspan would be up there except that the theme is just so so for me. Tapestry is a game I do actually like. It is flawed, but I can live with those flaws. The other stuff is pretty but rather insipid.

Expeditions is a game that should have never been made. It's a failure to the scythe series on a massive scale.

As it seems you are rating both Viticulture including the Tuscany expansion and Wingspan including the Oceania expansion, you should also rate Expeditions including the Gears of Corruption expansion. It is also an essential fix for some of the flaws in the base game and improves it significantly.

Hi Luke, I have not played Oceania yet because many reviewers said that the nectar makes it too easy. But you recommend it?

On the player count: it seems to be company policy at Stonemaier that EVERY game they have published can be played with a max player count of at least 5 (many of them up to 6/7). I would not berate them at all for that. It is a free option for us gamers in case ever required (think about large families). Sure, it doesn’t make sense at all times. But I don’t think this should be a negative for any of their games and not worth a lengthy rant.

You should do a most overrated company review, because Stonemaier would have to be in the top three.

Tapestry is a lot of fun - oh it has many flaws, but there's always the possibility of a wild points combo. If you accept its a paper thin theme it's just fine. Apiary has been a surprise hit for me, hits a similar wingspan itch in many ways. One of the real baffling things with Stonemaier is the insistence on 5 players (or worse 6) for all their games. How many games genuinely aren't a chore at that player count (maybe there's a video in that)?

Thanks Luke. Always enjoy your vids, honest appraisal and from the heart. Love love viticulture and agree, Tuscany a must. As for Wingspan....errrrmmm.... I got it. I played. I loved it. Then...i realised. Eggs! Eggs!! Just get eggs!! Especially at the end. It became so repetitive and honestly if you played differently...you lost. You mention Oceania "solves" this...sort of. Never played but if does...maybe ok. But honestly...i am giving it away to a friend and not looking back. Such a shame. I love birds too. But, I tried so hard to love it, but couldn't. What's that saying?...if you love something, you gotta let it go and not hold on to it too tight. Well...wingspan...fly fly away. More time for Spirit Island!!😂

I’m glad you said this- I’ve always felt like the little boy saying the emperor isn’t wearing clothes with these games. Expeditions made me want to pluck out my eyeballs. Wingspan is about as exciting as a medically induced coma. Playing tapestry is like taking sandpaper to my knob. Scythe is mildly interesting, kinda like discovering a dodgy looking mole and getting the all clear from the dermatologist.

I liked this format. Feels a bit refreshing even though I like top tens as well… would love to hear your thoughts on Red Raven games, since the two I’ve tried has been a miss but everyone is raving about (pun intended) their games.

Pretty nice overview and explanation about the hate and love of the games!! Well done :-)

I have not jumped on the Stonemaier hype train yet.

My favorites are Wingspan and Tapestry.

First, I love this video format. I would like to hear more about liked and hated board games from different publishers. Now, I do like your top three Stonemaier game picks as they are games I like and will play. Now, I do like Tapestry, but will only play it if the game shows up at a table. I have no plans to go buy the game myself. I have not played either Pendulum nor Scythe Expeditions, and will also not hunt them to own them. I will also hold judgement on Wyrmspan until I can get it to the table, but it does hold promise of being a good game.

Trashed Pendulum last year because it had no resell value. Still trying to like expeditions with the new expansion.

There's a house rule that tries to fix the *worker issue* in Viticulture: by introducing seasonal workers from Viticulture World to competitive play. Check out relative pages in BGG for more detail. Basically: - each player starts with 2 summer, 2 winter, and 1 grande worker - when you train a worker, remove one hat. If all hats are removed, you get an additional worker without hat. - Seasonal workers can only be placed on their seasons, and they can't get bonus on the spot. Now the game is much faster. Training workers still provides value, but not as essential Please give it a try at some point 😁

I agree on those best 3, also for me the best (and only) 3 AND in the same order too. The only other I did consider was Expeditions because of the Scythe ART-work. But can I justify this for a game I probably won't play?? And yes, MORE birds NOW. But unlike you I like the Nesting box. I wish I had the Wine crate too.

Actually agree that Expeditions is the worst on this list. Utterly bland and unexciting. A complete dud.

Have you played Euphoria with the expansion? That’s a pretty good one.

Only played Expeditions once and it was no way bone dry. It's fun. Tapestry is bad though

Viticulture, the game you can win by not doing the main objective, producing and selling wine

I have, I think, every product Stonemaier has produced except Wyrmspan (not into remixes), including Pendulum(!), and one thing I've noticed that hasn't changed throughout the company's existance is the poorly thought out insert designs. The company has not improved much here. Remember the Lengendary Box came with a couple of long boxes? Oof! The insert in that Viticulture Wine Crate is a war crime! Wingspan's Nesting Box is full of mind-boggling decisions, like having to separate the deck into multiple holders across multiple levels. I mean, come on! I don't know what's going on down there at Stonemaier headquarters, but some of these choices make me think they harbor a lot of anger towards humans. Apiary was great and reminds me of the Stonemaier golden age, so hopefully that's a sign of a return to greatness.

This series is a great idea. I had a falling out with SM games in the last couple of years to the point that I didn't bother trying Apiary (I was even a SM ambassador and champion for a few years). Tapestry was one of the most disappointing game as it was marketed as a CIV game in less than 2 hours when it's civ-themed at best. Red Rising was also disappointing because it didn't capture the story that I loved; still hoping for a Red Rising 4x game someday. I agree Pendulum is the worst. Couldn't finish Charterstone after 5 plays; such a lackluster legacy experience. I agree completely with your assessment of Expeditions. Scythe was a top 3 game for me for a few years but after RoF campaign, I sold everything; the first 2/3 of the game is too much on rails. Wingspan was by replaced Earth; both low-player interaction but Earth plays quicker and I don't care about birds. I still have Viticulture EE with Tuscany and I think that's their best game by far. I am looking forward to trying the new open world game next year tho.

I don't particularly enjoy Tapestry, but the complaints about it being "unbalanced" are frustrating. No amount of playtesting can match the wealth of data gathered after a game's release. Video games handle this post-launch balancing, and it should be more accepted for board games as well. Kudos to Jamie for his ongoing support and improvements to the game.

There's a "best" of Stonemaier? Also, great series idea!

Glad to see someone else that actually enjoys the app. So many other reviewers complain that the interface is clunky and the aesthetics look like this came out years ago. Personally, I think it fits the looks of the physical game very well. Not sure if you knew, but they did release Tuscany as a dlc. I don't remember if they released structures with it, but the dlc does have the Tuscany board. To be completely honest, the app is a bit harder to play with Tuscany turned on. I enjoy playing with the physical game a lot. I play solo mostly because my wife would not handle this game well. Her level of bliss is actually ticket to ride first journey and that's it. Maybe you could get the Tuscany dlc and make a new updated video? Hope you like it.

cant agree more, Luke me too : Wingspan is the no.1 from Stonemaier i skipped the dragon lol, maybe because of the art i think and the second close is Red Rising 😄, odd but i loving it so much

You nailed this .

It's funny how often my opinions are almost exactly opposite to yours. I'm probably just wrong, and I definitely respect your opinion. This time it wasn't quite opposite to mine, since you liked Scythe and Viticulture (as do I); but I really don't care for Wingspan at all and I love Tapestry. Never tried Pendulum or Expeditions, but now I wonder if I should. Lol. Different strokes.