I really like your video variety. I see quite a sizeable overlap with my preferences in tabletop games - my highest priorities include: - Streamlined Mechanisms (Rumble Nation comes to mind, I love it despite using a DIY version) - "Dusty/Plain Euro" (e.g. Medici, High Society, Serengeti/Templari, Web of Power/Iwari & Spirits of the Forest) and - Innovation (e.g. quirky winning condition like Samurai and Ingenious).

We have pretty much identical tastes! One thing I’ll add that you didn’t mention is the importance of timing. I love games where I have a wealth of good options where what I do is less important but WHEN I do the certain actions is everything.

Our tastes differ when it comes to your last list but I can agree with most of this one. Appreciated that you included box covers as examples of each and many of these are in my own collection!

Are you me? This is a great distillation of things I really like in games. Especially the random input and incentive building. The only other ones I can think of off the top of my head are: 1. A good player aid, or rules printed on the board itself - Massively helps when you come back to a game after a few months and can just skim over the player aid and understand the turn progression. Not a deal breaker, but I appreciate it more and more recently. 2. Similar to not being able to achieve everything in a game, I like not being able to achieve everything in a single turn. I enjoy limitations. - As in I don't want the game to be too open. Maybe it's the limitations of the mancala in Trajan, or not having quite enough for that dice in Troyes. I want that card in Lorenzo to be really expensive (but possibly still worth the risk). I want worker placement spots to be blocked, I want the dice drafting to not come out perfectly, I want to not JUST have enough resources to do that action, but keep it in mind for the future. 3. Lower direct interraction - I like indirect interraction (blocking spots, someone drafting that dice I needed), but don't like actions that can take someone out of the game, completely ruin their strategy, (not just that turn) and make the game not fun. Food chain magnate was a little too mean for my partner and I. I want everyone to be able to achieve something and it's more a battle of who achieves it the best.

Two great lists that help to see what mechanisms games can have and what effects it gives.

I love that you have examples of each principle. Definitely makes we want to try some of those games

Pretty much agree w/ your take on positive player interaction. Also, it's a plus when a game has a good solo mode, preferably something that has an automa opponent & not just 'beat your own score' mechanic. Lastly (tho this fits more in the other video you did) I can't really buy games that come in huge oversize boxes anymore......I just don't have the shelf space!

from top of my head: - setup and rules that one can easily remember, without some gameplay mechanics of effect that are not intuitive or at least obviously marked on game components - complexity at a level in which game gives you choices that are meaningful, with cons and pros, but yet "obvious" in a short time of thinking (

For chain reaction games, one that does it amazingly well is Golem. Such a great game! Wow. I'd highly recommend you that one if you haven't tried it yet. Great video

I actually look at expansions when buying a game. If I like a base game I'm excited to add to it. If I don't like the base game then I'm glad they didn't include all the extras. The more expansions it has to choose from the better. There are very few exceptions to this. I agree with the strategy completely, but I like at least an element of luck, whether it's the draw of a card, or random event or something similar. Otherwise, it would just be chess or checkers. And most importantly I look for a game that is different every time I play it. That could be different paths to victory, or changes in setup that makes the strategy you used in the last game obsolete, or balanced unique player powers, etc. Some examples are Terraforming Mars, Maracaibo, Teotihuacan, Robo Rally, Carcassonne, Alhambra, etc. These are games I never tire of. Or at least not yet.

Love this list and your style of interest in board games. I feel like the game I designed "Reel Them In" checks most of these boxes. It's a commercial fishing game with an innovative rock, paper scissors / area control mechanism, unique game board / player board layout where the board spins, dice randomness input, crazy high player interaction, unique market that's never been done before, cool combos with contracts for additional free actions, great arc of getting your engine going for max efficiency of actions to catch and sell fish and is a big brain burner with testing how aware you can be with everything going on in the game in a streamlined manner. The game still needs art and am still tweaking the rulebook to finalize it. But out of all the board game channels I watch I feel like you'd be the best candidate to like it. So if you're interested I will gladly send you more info about it.

Not especially useful but good to see I’m not alone. Rulebook is my biggest gripe. Tiered or limited randomness is another. And there must be a solo otherwise I’m not even considering it. And the solo should have some similarities with the multi player version, and it should not require me to play a group of individuals. It should fit on my table. It should be able to compete with my existing games. I have a solo version for almost every game I own. I prefer games without minis because it takes forever to paint them. Games that are too fiddly or with mechanics mashed together that just don’t work must go as well, think sleeping gods. Games with too much information are also a reason to dump, an example would be SHDA.

I love it dry and dusty. This push for vibrant color and cluttered graphic design needs to slow down.

Positive player interaction is code for multiplayer solitaire.

Ah, you came through after all! 🔥

I don't see you talking about Vital Lacerda games. Aren't you fan of his games? I just got Lisboa, learned it and waiting to bring it to the table. Pure Euro with a strong theme attached to it

Can you name a game that has all of those elements? Does it exist ?

First!