20. Power Grid 19. Star Wars Rebellion 18. Splendor 17. Lord of Waterdeep 16. Dead of Winters: A Crossroad Game 15. King of Tokyo 14. Castles of Burgundy 13. Dominion 12. Five Tribes 11. Carcassonne 10. Codenames 09. Ticket to Ride 08. 7 Wonders: Duel 07. Viticulture 06. Terraforming Mars 05. 7 Wonders 04. Blood Rage 03. Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 02. Pandemic 01. Scythe

Lords of Waterdeep was my gateway game 3+ years ago and I still play it. Voted for it, too.

Just want to say that I love this format for the People’s Choice top 100. It was a lot of fun to watch the three of you comment on all the games. I hope you’re able to do this every year.

Lords of Waterdeep was not a gameway game for me or my group. I got the game only a year ago. The reason we like it so much is because of the design. It's elegant and smooth. It plays fast. It starts off quick and simple, and becomes moderately thinky by the end. It scales well. And finally, it's easy to teach new people. Simply put, it's a fun game.

I love this format. Thanks!

I think Viticulture has avoided self-cannibalization because the Essential editions (base game & Tuscany) have pretty well *replaced* the original versions. Stonemaier is not trying to sell both--they made some improvements and streamlined the expansion pool and ended up with a game they preferred and continue to support.

I like it when you guys show the pics and pieces of the board games you talk about. Just a little nit pick but seriously love the channel thanks for all you guys do to introduce the hobby in such a simple and easy way!

It's interesting to me that Tom seems to know exactly which games Zee and Sam will hate, but that ability doesn't appear to be reciprocal. So is it that Tom is just more open-minded and can enjoy more types of games, or is he simply more perceptive of the others than they are of him? Or am I imagining it in the first place?

From this year: Gloomhaven will go up into the top 20s at least. 7th Continent will appear on the list, and Pandemic Legacy Season 2 will appear on the list but be lower than Season 1.

Zee and Sam barely had any worker placement games on their top 100 lists. It’s no surprise that they don’t “get” the appeal of Lords of Waterdeep: a simple but enjoyable worker placement, resource gathering, quest completion, light to light-medium game that families and gamers alike enjoy to play.

Fun list, thanks for putting this together. And it was smart commentary overall from you guys. Sad to see that none of my games made the top 20, bringing me to a total of five somewhere in the top 150. I think I remember you mentioning that there might be some stats at some point. I'd be really interested to see what games were mentioned by very few people for example.

Zee's got to try Castles of Burgundy! Yes, it looks dull, but it's great 2p and is pretty quick once you get to know it. It's well ranked for good reason. The card game pales in comparison!

LoW was one of my first games (and first worker placement) and still after 4 years of hobby - my favorite game among 100+ games in collection.

Please do a video of Zee and Sam playing Star Wars Rebellion! :) :) :)

Lords of Waterdeep was indeed my gateway game Mr. Vasel

I bought King of Tokyo 3 years ago and shortly after bought New York. I’ve played New York once, Tokyo more times than I can count. The simplicity of Tokyo makes it easier to teach and more fun to come back to, and it became my friend’s gateway game!

Hmmm......maybe Photosynthesis or Downforce will show up next year?

LoW was my first worker placement game. It could be my imagination but I definitely think there is a strong thematic conection between the types of workers needed for each mission. I sometimes makes me laugh to picture some of them.

Lords of Waterdeep was the first worker placement game I was introduced to, so yes, that is partly the reason I like it so much (also, I haven't played that many worker placement games to begin with) ;).

Lords of Waterdeep wasn't a gateway game for me, but I do use it as a next step game. It's simplicity is where it's at, everything is straight forward. You explain a couple of spaces and then everyone completely understands the iconography. Finally got the expansion and it makes it a truly amazing game. I can play this with anyone in my family or game group.

Splendor gets a bunch of hate but it's got a number of marketing plusses. First, it plays at multiple levels. You can play it simple or deep. You can play it aggressive or passive. Second, the poker chips were genius. It's an easy to acquire component yet it adds a huge tactile characteristic; who doesn't like handling hefty chips. Third, you can easily add house rules that can add or subtract complexity. Fourth, I can teach it to my mother-in-law in 5 minutes and she'll love it. If you're a hard-core gamer you'll grow out of it quickly but you are not the target demographic for huge sales. They have a winner here! It'll come up every time the fam comes over and we'll play it two or three times while Scythe and Gloomhaven stays on the shelf.

Lords of Waterdeep was first euro I taught my fiance, so it was definitely a gateway for us!

Lords of Waterdeep wasn't my gateway but for an accessible worker placement it is the best. My wife, and friends really enjoy it, and it is complex enough to be fun and interesting for me. It's length of play, weight, and ease of play hit a sweet spot that no other worker placement game has hit. Personally I wouldn't mind a retheming.

Pandemic...not the same as Pandemic Legacy...I totally agree! I like playing Pandemic much more than Legacy. I played Scythe for the first time last week...great game! A lot of the games I really like are on this top 20...Five Tribes, Castles of Burgundy, Carcassonne, King of Tokyo, Terrafrorming Mars, Dead of Winter...and of course Pandemic and Scythe. Not really a Splendor fan. (The game that got me started in gaming was Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn!)

Not only was lords of water deep my gateway but it was also a gateway to component replacement as well. I love this game!

Have to agree with #1. My house is hooked on the game and we keep sharing it with others and they all love it also.

Glad to see 8 of 10 of my top 10 on the top 100 list. My number 1 wasn't going to make it for obvious reasons, and I think the Godfather is a bit too new/too niche, but the rest are great: 10. Clank! 9. Puerto Rico 8. Mechs vs Minions 7. Zombicide: Black Plague 6. The Godfather: Corleone's Empire 5. Dead of Winter 4. Star Wars Rebelllion 3. Blood Rage 2. Battlestar Galactica 1. Chess

I love this format please keep it every year

I cant believe so many of these games are ranked higher than Rising Sun

I own Scythe, and I'm glad I do. My friend across the country asked if she should buy it, but I couldn't recommend it. I really like certain aspects of the game, the art, the player cards and how they are used, and it does a little bit of everything, but it doesn't do anything particularly great.

I guess I have to play Scythe now. I have read the rulebook, watched the reviews, how-to-plays, playthroughs and ... I don’t see the appeal of it. I must be missing something.

I miss the images of the games, great work too

My best gaming experience in 2017 is Arkham Horror the card game. It has a lot of potential and FFG is digging it with every expansion out. The only downside is the fact that it's a LCG so you have to keep hunting for those small expansions.

Lords of Waterdeep is an available and affordable worker placement gateway level game. When I was looking for a first worker placement game it was the one everyone on BGG and the Facebook groups suggested. I decided to go with Fresco and then Stone Age because the D&D theme was a turn off for our group, but price and availability really count.

Thanks to Sam, we bought Mystics and Gods expansions for Blood Rage and the game experience improved a lot. THKS

Lords of Waterdeep was my gateway game. Its allure is the easy decision making while having some medium-weight mechanics with lots of replay value. It still works well as a gateway game even if its not something Id bring to the table over a more complex worker placement game.

I had someone walk out while trying to teach 7 Wonders. Not a gateway game.

No Camel Up? Really thought that'd be in the top 100. Not surprised by Scythe, my most frequently played heavy game, plus it has expansions keeping it fresh.

Please have a liveplay with Zee in SW Rebellion. Please. Please?

I think you guys answered the question of "Why is Lords of Waterdeep so high on the list?" later on when talking about gateway games. It's easy to teach and get. I had never played it before and it was taught to me in 10 minutes or less and within a turn or turn, I had a good idea of what I was doing. I would consider it a gateway game to heavier worker placement games.

Lords of Waterdeep was absolutely my gateway game. We'd played Legends of Drizzt before and I wasn't wild about it. I honestly had no desire to play Waterdeep, but really enjoyed it. It's about time I teach my son.

Please do a Backtalk about what makes or defines a gateway game? Sounds like y'all have tons of good stuff to say about this!

I'm 100% on board with Zee's criticism of Lords of Waterdeep.

Gloomhaven, 7th Continent, Photosynthesis and Rising Sun seem like some top contenders to make next year's Top 20. Scythe has really earned its spot, now with one big final expansion on the horizon it'll be hard to beat. Scythe is going to be the real deal in board game legacies.

Zee, I feel you when you said that Castles of Burgundy doesn't *look* appealing. It was shrinkwrapped on my shelf for over a year. But it is easily one of the top 2 games in our cabinet. PLAY IT!!!

Five Tribes is unique by its gameplay. And I play it a lot with non gamers and all of them like it.

I can't remember if it was on this year's list in an earlier episode, but i really think Wasteland Express has a strong chance to make next year's list. Fantastic game with amazing components and an even better organization system. Very impressed with it.

Common thread through most of the top 20 is that theme is not that important to people. The masses prefer streamlined mechanics, high replayability, good components and artwork and ease of entry.

photosyntheses, dragon castle, viral, bunny kingdom, charterstone and ex libris maybe. Not sure about this war of mine.

"Because... shut up!" :) Valid point.

Lords of Waterdeep didn't get me into the hobby, but it was the game that got me into euro games. I still have a soft spot for the game, but I hardly play it for meatier worker placement games. The theme was what drew me in to try it (I know it is pasted on).

LoW is probably popular because it was a gateway for a lot of people, but it's also just a simple and determininistic puzzle with a splash of luck and variability that is easy to wrap your head around. It allows for confrontation without relying on violence and it has a theme that attracts nerdfolk but is applied conservatively enough to avoid alienating normal people. It offers a great intersection for a lot of people, but easily disappoints hardcore gamers who expect a theme-focused DnD product. The fact that it's DnD-based is fun, but the thing that's really fun about the game is that it almost offers a more controllable and calculated Monopoly experience. You get the feeling of running around a city snatching up locations and modifying the game board while working towards set collecting and denying other players all without the frustration of dice and bankruptcy. Great game.

LoWD was my gateway game. The theme did draw me in and disappoint me in that regard. But it did show me what modern board games can do. Streamlined and easy to teach, but a good depth of strategy. It has lost some of it’s shine, but it is still a solid game for me. I like to come back to every once in awhile for easy teaching or really relaxed playing.

Games that will make the list next year: 7th Continent, Season 2, Gaia Project, Photosynthesis, Altiplano, Azul, Charterstone, Clans of Caledonia, Batman, Rising Sun

Photosynthesis will probably make the next list if the publisher can keep it in print and maybe get it into wide distribution - it would probably be a good seller in the bookstores. Wasteland Express Delivery Service could be a contender, but the high cost and obnoxious graphic design & artwork might stop a lot of people from trying it.

Kolejka should be up there. Awesome game done with so much charm. In my top 20 of all time.

I dare you guys - Play SW:Rebellion 4 players Sam & Zee vs Tom & Jason. This is easily my no 1 even before expansion, and I was strongly believing that it is 2 player only game, but I gave it a try and it was one of the best coop experience I've ever had. Playing 4 players adds additional layer of planning cause of the way the order of players is set.

7th Continent I'm guessing, maybe Downforce. I like the format of the top 100 :)

The Next year the games that hope will make my top are Barenpark, Thunderstone Quest, Batman TBG, Azul, Dragon Castle, Sagrada, TI4.

Takenoko was actually a gateway game for me. I saw it on Tabletop and thought it looked cool.

Surprised not to see Magic Maze on the list. Maybe next year? I would expect Photosynthesis on the list next year as well.

I enjoy Waterdeep a lot. It was one of the first modern style board games I played and still is.my go to to.introduce people to worker placement games even though I prefer games like Tzolkin now.

You guys are awesome!! Great video!!!

I never played Champions of Midgard, I only saw videos of how it plays. Taking this: honestly, I think the big difference between the two is the preference between euro or ameritrash games. The dice luck has an impact on the game, where in Lords you manage your things and your objective with what you have. The only luck is the intrigue cards. LoW was not my gateway game, but it was one of my first worker placement gateway games and I still love it. But I see myself more as a euro gamer, whereas Sam (for example) is more of an ameritrash gamer.

Clans of Caledonia could end up in the Top 100 next year. Scratches the Terra Mystica itch for a lot of people but seems a little more accessible

Good guess Tom, Lords of Waterdeep is what got me into this hobby a couple years ago. Still rate it higher than I probably should. I haven't bought (and dont have any way to try) Champions of Midgard because I feel like it would be a case of having one or the other, and I've already got a deluxed version of waterdeep

I have never understood how the DT crew consider Spice Road a replacement for Splendor. Different mechanics, no? Spice Road turns are a single card play to swap cubes, whereas Splendor has gems used as currency to buy property cards without the need torecover your discards.

Imo Meeple Circus could be very well on this list next year and if it comes out in german on time be also a front runner for Spiel des Jahres. Its that kind of game where everyone says: Yeah I dont like dexterity games normally but this one is really cool. Meeple Circus could be the next big gateway game.

Sam's right. A person only has so much time. So when I play a game it's not the specific game but the player count, experience, and mechanics that I use to choose what we play. I have no reason to play Pandemic the Cure or base Pandemic any more because I get my Pandemic fill by playing Season 1 and Season 2. I've no reason to play Pandemic again until Season 3. If they stop making Legacy, then maybe I'll buy Pandemic and play it then. It makes the list harder to curate and rank, but I almost feel like some games need to be grouped.

Gloomhaven will make it next year. Maybe 7th continent too. It'd be cool if Brass made it too, with the large kickstarter printing coming out early next year.

Great top 100... I love this lists every year... I was wondering WHERE and WHEN can I vote? Do they anounce it somewhere? Been subscribe for a WHILE now and never heard anything T_T. I would like to have the chance to give my 2 cents for next year, if I have the chance

Will Phtosynthesis make it next year?

I think Gaia Project could be in there next year. I think that almost every person, who liked Terra Mystica will like this (maybe even more than TM).

Thanks for the video... great stuff as usual. Out of the top 20 I have only played 14 of them. 11 I didn't enjoy and 3 I did. Of the three games I enjoyed playing I own 2 of them. I guess my tastes are just different from the majority of Dice Tower fans. Then again, it would be a sad old world if everyone had the same preferences. Thanks again guys.

Sagrada will make the list next year for sure.

Five Tribes was featured on one of Wil Wheaton's TableTop episodes and looks very different and refreshing from the other games there (I really like it also), this is why people have voted it so much. Also Lords of Waterdeep was on TableTop and even if the game seemed good enough compared to other games there, this episode was one of their most impactful due to player interaction, I could say this might be the reason some people choose it as a getaway game. Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game also was on the show and even if it's a really awesome game it would not be as high on the list without TableTop. This might be a strech but this could be the reason why both Ticket to Ride and Ticket to Ride: Europe are on the list. It is amazing how every time someone especially Zee cannot understand why a game is so high on the list, TableTop is the answer :D. Also as you have said you have influenced the vote of some games on the top 100 like Jamaica and BANG! The Dice Game and Shut Up & Sit Down have influced the vote of games like Concordia and Captain Sonar.

Lords of Waterdeep replaced Stone Age as the gateway worker placement game for a lot of people, myself included. It came out just around the time when the boom really started getting steam and it's still a great, simple, quick, worker placement game.

I love these videos! But I would love them more if there were ninjas moving about in the tree behind these guys, coming closer and closer... ;O)

Lords of Waterdeep is the game that ultimately got me engrossed in the hobby. Still own it, still love it (but will never play with the expansion). By the way, I'm not a D&D guy - in fact, I've never played D&D.

I got into games because of TableTop and the first two games I bought were Pandemic and Lords of Waterdeep because of that show. It's cooled for me somewhat, but it was an important gateway game for me.

LoW was the first worker placement game I ever played, and I loved it. I've begun to grow bored of it and want to play more complex worker placements more often. I've bought a couple as well, but I have the small problem that my 'gamer group' shied so far from complex games that LoW was too much for them. I need to find more gamers where I live so that I can actually get these games to the table.

Lords of Waterdeep was the gateway euro game for me i've been playing it for years now, love the game, the art on the cards is fantastic, its a solid strategy game with simple enough mechanics to get other people into the game. Again, for sure my gateway game to the euro genre, basically my first love and it difnetaly have the legs.

When I first started playing Scythe it was a 9 for me (8 solo), these days I think it's a 10 (9 solo), not many games improve for me as I play it - they tend to either start to feel repetitive to me and I wane on them or my opinion of them stays fairly static, so can really see why it would improve on the rankings aside from just getting into the hands of more people.

Lords of waterdeep seems to have the accessibility of a gateway game but the depth of a good mid-weight strategy euro. Better skilled players will win and despite the randomness in the decks, the game is mathematically pretty balanced and varied.

For next year I believe the safe bets would be as you said Pandemic Legacy: Season 2, Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition and Queendomino I would add codenames duet. Also I really hope awesome games like This War of Mine and Anachrony will make the cut. Maybe it's too late but Runebound Third Edition could be on the list because many will use it as a gateway game (for pc gamers especially). I don't know a lot about them but Clans of Caledonia, Nusfjord, Noria, Otys, Merlin, Space Freaks also The Masters' Trials: Wrath of Magmaroth (if it's not broken), Ticket to Ride France & Old West, Mountains of Madness , Kitchen Rush and/or A Tale of Pirates might have a chance (Starfall a small abstact game will probably not get discovered or maybe it's just me who likes it this much :D). Unfortunately it will probably be too soon for the Dice Hospital to be there (I already love this game) the same goes for RWBY: Combat Ready unless Rooster Teeth send their people to vote, in this case Tom you will see a lot of lists with only this game :P. I am pretty sure there are more games who are good canditates but I just cannot remember all of them right now.

Wow, I can't believe Sam and Zee haven't played Castles of Burgundy. Yes, Sam would hate it. Zee, you might like it. True, it's not pretty on the table, but there's something very satisfying about getting points, points, and more points for every single thing you do. :) It's definitely in our top 10 games (hubby and me).

While not a Gateway game for me Lords of Waterdeep is a very enjoyable game. As for theme, for a long term D&D (forgotten realms) player it is there in spades. The factions are important in world factions and many of the quests are very thematic. Domesicating Owlbears FTW!!!!

Scythe!? Wauw that's insane. Great game but wauw! In top 20, I voted for: Star Wars Rebellion Five Tribes 7 Wonders Duel Terraforming Mars Blood Rage Scythe I have played 90 games of the ones in the top 100

Near and far will definitely show up next, also 7th continent, Azul, charterstone, season 2

All time?! popular in recent memory til the next one walks by is more like it lol I see those titles pop up all the time and hardly any of them look to interest me to be fair I'd have to play them but it's not too difficult to get a feel of what they are whether they're resource management worker placment with player boards and lot 'o wooden cubes etc (man theres a lot of those now) but interesting that so many people fancy them these days

It's funny, I think they were unintentionally describing Splendor as the optimal gateway game when they were critiquing 7 Wonders.

Would Photosynthesis make it next year?

2 Stonemaier Games in the top 20. Yes please. Congratulations to you. Side note: Euphoria and Between Two Cities are also fantastic.

I still use Lord Of Waterdeep as a gateway game for non gamers or as a demo game for rare gamers who are not familiar yet with the worker placement mechanic. My interest in it dropped significantly since I started playing Champions Of Midguard which is really what LoW should have been in the first place. My girlfriend enjoys playing it also so.... :)

I think next year we might see Stuffed Fables make the list.

Yes, LoW was my gateway game, but it is also a SOLID game. Families and gamers both play it a lot. In Champions of Midgard I dislike the use Dice to decide on quests. I would LOVE it if CoM was a DICE PLACEMENT game instead. Also, the blame token mechanism is stupid, inelegant and tacked on.

Judging on how difficult game stores around me are having keeping it in stock, I would be surprised if Sagrada is not in the top 20.

Power Grid is a good game, it is my 47th favorite game. And like Sam I don't like math but still enjoy this. I usually ask for help in pricing out my choices. I will keep plugging Power Grid the Card game as better though, as that is my 15th favorite game. It needs more love! Power Grid has a strong universal appeal in my board game meetup, and thus gets semi-regular play. It's length may keep it from more plays. But the card game is so much shorter it gets played more. But most others in my meetup still prefer the board game, but still play the card game more as its much shorter and still fun. Star Wars: Rebellion was a good game, and I beta tested it. I will play it, but it isn't on my top 100. Splendor was quite enjoyable to me, until I played it 3 times in a row and got burned out fast. Now its not even on my top 100. Lords of Waterdeep was defined by Zee brilliantly, collect cubes and get points. But unlike Zee I am a fan of D&D but still dislike the game and find the game thin on theme. I would play the game again, but reluctantly. Dead of Winter is my 28th favorite game. Fun game. King of Tokyo has beaten out New York for me. Its simplicity just makes it shine. It is my 99th favorite game. Castles of Burgandy was a game I played once, early in my board game meetup experience and needs another play. I thought it okay at best. Five Tribes was not a game I cared for. It is not on my "do not play" again list, therefore I would play it again, but its one I would avoid and never request. Carcassonne as I have shared before I prefer Hunters & Gatherers as its my 15th favorite game. I liked it so much I went out to find a copy of this OOP game a couple months ago, and even got an expansion, which is only okay at best. Ticket to Ride like Catan I got burned out on. But did not explain, I played these games solo on the Xbox. However I didn't play this one as much so my burning out didn't get as bad, therefore am more willing to play this and thus like it more, but is still not on my top 100. Although Catan with an expansion is better. Terraforming Mars is a great game, but gets knocked down a bit due to its length. It is my 43rd favorite game. If it was shorter it would be higher on my list. 7 Wonders does not get much love from me, although each time I play it, I like it a bit more, but it is not on my top 100 at all.

Scythe really deserves it. Such an excellent design.

YES! Scythe is So Amazing!