I’m with Chris. Just because a game doesn’t have the most exciting theme doesn’t mean the game doesn’t capture its theme really well. I’m glad he was there to introduce some less obvious picks.

No shade on Roy and Mike, but I really enjoyed the way Chris built his list. I like how the actual mechanics and gameplay truly evoke the theme, forcing (or encouraging) a player into the right headspace to be making the kinds of decisions that place you within that theme.

I work in the power industry and Chris is right that power grid has a lot of theme. The highest cost routs to expand your network on the USA map are where the grid interconnections are sepperated. Cool pick.

The dice tower crew is really great these days. I wish Sam was still around, and was worried that DT would lose some of that magical chemistry between Tom, Sam and Zee when he left, but I have been really impressed and thoroughly enjoy all of the additions to the crew. You guys all have great chemistry and have awesome varied views. It’s great to see the core team of DT thriving! Keep up the great content guys!

Flamme Rouge is a great thematic game. The deck thinning representing your energy dwindling, the way exhaustion comes back to bite you, taking advantage of slip streaming. So true to cycling. Writing this is making me want to play it now.

I think there is a distinction between thematic and flavorful. Thematic means it feels like I’m doing what the game says I’m doing. Flavorful means that pieces of the game act the way they should, but not necessarily you as the player. The two best examples I can think of for flavorful games are Magic: the Gathering and Wingspan. Do the creatures work the way their lore dictates? Yes. Do the birds behave like their real-life counterpart? Yes. Does it feel like I’m a mage dueling another mage or that I’m a bird enthusiast attracting birds to different habitats to become the most prestigious bird watcher? Absolutely not.

Totally agree with Alchemists . My friends who were in grad school at the time told me about playing Alchemists and how it really felt like being a grad student. And just because a theme is "boring" doesn't mean the game isn't thematic!

This was a nice alternative host panel for top 10’s, more please.

I misread the thumbnail and somehow thought this was going to be Top 10 Games with Perfect Timing. Not sure what that would even mean.

"Last Will... is a game about going broke"... looks at the game collection... looks at the wallet... yeah, this is thematic alright XD

Chris is right about Power Grid. Went on a boardgame weekend and met a head engineer at a Power Plant. He said Power Grid is very accurate to his job. And he loves the game.

My number one would be Prêt-à-Porter. It has the feel of working in fashion, trying to win the PR battle, getting your different colored fabrics to actually make your collection, hire employees to improve things in game. It is heavy, but man it is thematic.

I found this a really enjoyable discussion since the first thing I look for in a game is theme+art or art+theme, followed by mechanics which aid in the immersion and challenge. Thank you!

Was really expecting to see Jaws on the list somewhere. I think it matches the movie and the tension it brings so incredibly well, even separating the game into two distinct acts. Underrated.

Fun list guys, it was nice to have just you three to change things up a bit ;)

Hey, I’m watching from the planet Agamemnon and I’ve got to say that Cosmic Encounter feels exactly like inter-planetary negotiation and warfare. The theme is perfect.

Roy is the perfect guy to be on this list, his picks are exceptional. Also great, and different picks, Chris. And I love the rapport in this video especially built by Mike.

These lists make my day. Keep up the great work.

Roy did a pro job on camera while switching here! We have a couple roll and writes that are super thematic- Cartographers (you’re exploring a land and drawing a map) and Floor Plan (you design a house to certain specifications while creating a blueprint). Also, we find Catacombs Cubes pretty thematic because you’re building actual structures out of blocks to form a city.

Chris got it right! Powergrids mechanics and theme is a good match, nice 1 Chris!!

Vinyl!!!! Thank you for the mention and the comments! We definitely want more folks to play it for sure! Not to mention the art and icons have all been redone and updated. We also put in Easy listening scoring based on Tom's feedback from PaxU!

Good job Roy for multitasking!! What a feat!!!!

So happy to see Obsession on one of these lists. Go Mike!!

Love seeing Firefly mentioned. Thanks Chris. If I ever get to a DT convention, I want to play Firefly with Chris and Eric. Definitely a "bucket list" item. :)

LOVE the cross-chat, so much fun to hear what the others think while still being supportive. I love hearing about personal experiences with the game. NOT the B-Team! The Reservists!

15:19 Garbage is actually not made up! There are waste-to-energy power plants that use Municipal Solid Waste, aka garbage, as a source of combustible fuel for power generation. So the garbage resource adds to the theme!

Much as I love Tom & Zee, you guys make an awesome trio. It's always great to see your collective chemistrys resonate throughout the Dice Tower videos

Alchemists is a stellar pick Chris! I wouldn't have thought about it till you said it but you're so right

Roy is great but I found Mike and Chris’ list much more interesting - Roy’s list felt like he was doing ‘top 10 games with lots of theme’. It was more interesting to hear games where the mechanisms cleverly match the theme, rather than just games with loads of narrative or apps

Was great to have Chris here, love Roy and Mike, but Chris provided a really different flavour .

So tired of the people picking Wingspan for every list. It's really getting ridiculous.

My first thought was Mansions of Madness. My husband & I have bought all the expansions (so far) and he had a blast painting 100+ figures. Also, the game can change. We played the first story, just the two of us. The mansion was smaller and the winning scenario was in a totally different room than when we played with five people. Also, one of our favorites is Horrified. Great to see that on the list.

My number one most thematic game - Flamme Rouge! No other game makes me feel like I am doing the actual activity, road captaining a bicycle race team, quite like this one.

Really enjoyed this one. Nice games. Nice chill conversations

8:09 - Chris your retort had me crying! hahaha. Fantastic.

Great list idea!

I agree with many of your picks. I might strongly consider also: Atlantis Rising, Sleeping Gods (with Roy), and 7th Continent. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Fortune and Glory: The Cliffhanger Game!

What an evocative list - great job

Nice content, well done Roy for putting this show running flawless 👍

I would've thought Evolution: Climate would've been there

Genotype is a great game. I would've mentioned as well: Robinson Crusoe Pandemic Legacy Kitchen Rush Romeo&Juliette

One game that I feel that fits the theme is Picture Perfect. You are a photographer who are hired to take the well perfect picture. All the diffrent people have certain demands on placing and which other people they want to stand next to/avoid. Then after six rounds you take an actual photo to show that you meet as many demands as possible. The game is pretty unique and theme as well. As someone who loves odd/unsual themes that one was an instant pick. Also it is easier to get into the game if the mechanisms fits the theme. Having them make sense.

The market in Power Grid is more like real life markets, than rolling dice is to actually shooting a gun or performing a skill. Chris nailed this list. Mechanics bring the theme to live more so than story or art. My picks would also include Brass, and Twilight Struggle.

This video evokes the need for a thesaurus for the word evokes ;)

Great list guys. Of course Roy came up with this list, OF COURSE

Spirit Island is highly thematic and a wonderful game

Great job guys! 🤘

Watching this one more time and I think that Chris most understood the subject, Roy unfortunately the least and just went for the most themed story games, Mike in the middle.

I have never head the word "evoke" spoken so many times in such a short period of time. Good list and fun video

Dang…. Chris has a voice like warm butter on my Sunday morning toast.

Mike, Roy and Chris… please do more videos together. Great banter 😀

Such a great list. I really need to get Xia and Sleeping Gods - but already own so many games on this list!

Great list guys.

Great Lists! There are a lot of games that I would LOVE to try: Last Will, Captain Sonar, Western Legends, Xia, Chronicles of Crime, Dinosaur Island... (and some that I own but cannot bring to the table yet: Mansions of Madness, Forgotten Waters & Nemesis :s) At the moment my picks for "Games with Perfectly Fitting Theme" would be something like that: 10. Flyin' Goblin ; 9. Conan ; 8. Dead Men tell no tales ; 7. Skulk Hollow ; 6. Flamme Rouge ; 5. Dungeon Petz ; 4. Raptor ; 3. Ghost Stories/Last Bastion ; 2. Colt Express ; 1. Dive (crossover with Mike) :D I also considered: Viticulture, Zombicide Black Plague, The Loop, Stronghold & Robinson Crusoe.

I was waiting patiently for Roy to say Star Wars Rebellion, nice gotcha Roy. Also bonus points for the game choice to prank with. It's these inside jokes that reward us fans that watch all the shows. I would add Back to the Future Back in Time and Deep Sea Adventure.

I am floored that Marvel Champions did not make Roy’s list.

Android: Netrunner wins this without contest for me. The mechanics merge seamlessly with the Neuromancer-type hacking theme.

Battle Star Galatica is a fantastic game. It nails so much - atmosphere, tension, mechanics, difficulty level, thematic accuracy and more. If you ever see it for sale buy it. You are all hapily co-operating....until???

Yeah, I dunno why a theme has to be fantastical or blingy for it to fit a game perfectly. Glad you're here to represent the gritty realists among us Chris!

It's funny how the DT start to talk about games being more and more complex. At the same time many of the gamers mostly seem to like games that takes "the next step" in inventing mechanics or combining several of them. The newb or family game often don't get the same spotlight.

Regarding powergrid: garbage is not made up. In Germany we produce energy by burning garbage. I assume other countries do the same...

I've been a fan of Tom Zee and Sam for several years now and I'll be honest i haven't really been watching the other hosts very much. Mike definitely grew on me pretty quick, he's like a board game red green, but this video sold me on Chris. I deeply appreciate the dryness, sir.

I think my #1 would be Sub Terra. I would also suggest: Under Falling Skies, Cartographers, Atlantis Rising, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Goblivion.

Best picks from your lists, IMHO (games I've already played): Power Grid (Chris), Escape (Mike), Alchemists (Chris), XIA (Roy), The Gallerist (Mike), BSG (Roy), Mansions of MAdness (Roy), SW: Rebellion (Roy)

A few that come to my mind: Nemo’s War, Darkest Night, Machina Arcana, Sleeping Gods and Quest for the Lost Pixel.

Really enjoy Roy in these videos! Roy you belong infront of the camera, love the ability to multitask seamlessly.

Thanks guys! Great choices!!! Just played Wendake. Great Native American theme during the 7 years' war. Terraforming Mars: If someone likes the engine-building mechanic there, then it could be higher on their list than mine.

Obsession is a great pick!

Many game rules would become more intuitive if the theme was changed. For example Bohnanza: Why is 2 red beans worth something but 1 red bean is worthless? Makes no sense. If you changed the theme from beans to building cars and bikes it would make sense that a single wheel is useless, while 2 wheels is a bike and 4 wheels is a car and gives you a bonus. Games like Splendor and Century have achievements like "This thing required 2 red, 2 green and 2 blue" which is highly forgettable. If you changed the theme to a Bar you could have the achievements be famous cocktail recipes. " a negroni requires 2 campari, 2 vermouth and 2 gin." Or a restaurant theme: "a cheeseburger which requires 2 bread, 1 meat, 1 cheese." The Crew is based on limited communications so the theme should not be a high tech space mission. But rather perhaps that the players are shipwrecked on distant islands and can only communicate rarely via signal flares.

Chris, YES FIREFLY! You are spot on! I am a fan and so love this game. I have every single expansion.

Love the Dinosaur Island mention, I think the over colourful 80/90s vibes and the tongue in cheek humour really add to the theme of that one. Would of put Arkham Horror higher though, if you get into the story the theme really comes out and you get invested. Mansions of madness was a good pick, the app helps generate the mood and the artwork on the location tiles helps bring the horror/mystery to life.

Food Chain Magnate was the first that came to my mind… but I might be alone on this :)

Agree with all of Roy's picks, but Mike absolutely saved the whole video by making Nemesis #1.

"Lawyer Up" to me is a perfect combination of theme and mechanisms. Every aspect is added to further what people would expect in a courtroom themed game

Notice how most of these games are very long. That makes total sense, since the longer the game the more you can become immersed in its theme, and therefore the theme will come out more. A very interesting list would be "Games that are short but still fell immersive in the theme." I can't think of many. Any ideas?

Power Grid and The Gallerist would be on my list for sure.

No Letters from Whitechapel? I think it captures both the tension from being chased (as Jack) to the frustration and elation that comes with chasing a criminal as the policemen. The one game that instantly came to mind for me.

Love this! Great job guys 💪🏼

My picks would be Escape Plan, Kanban EV and Lost Ruins of Arnak.

Awesome lists, guys, some REALLY nice picks from all 3 of you. Still, I'm annoyed Eldritch Horror and Champions of Midgard are nowhere to be seen.

Love these top 10 lists. A game that can evoke a lot of emotions but I feel is very thematic is Freedom: The Underground Railroad.

Wait, where is Flamme Rouge…!!

Genotype and Obsession immediately come to mind for me.

Bad games with one ingenious rule/mechanic. That'd make for a interesting one but might be too hard to do.

Mike to counter your point that games are abstracted so they can't have perfect theme.. I'd counted with throw throw burrito. nothing abstracted about pelting someone with a burrito.

Themes that don't match rules bother me. Like The Crew! If the core mechanic is limited communication then why is the theme "you're a team of astronauts"? Would've worked much better if the setting was something like "every player is on a different island and you can only communicate with signal flares (or semaphor flags)"

Loved this list! Surprised Everdell wasn’t brought-up! Lol

Based on Mike's description of Vinyl, it sounds like the theme is setting up a deck building game.

I miss sports games on this list. "Set and match" for example feels exactly like a tennis match, and "Flamme Rouge" is a very well designed racing game, that feels like an actual bike-race. Also: not a sports game but very, very thematic: The Pursuit of Happiness.

3 games I was certain would get a mention: "Western Legends", "Twilight Struggle", "Captain Sonar".

uboat and xcom are the best ones I can come up with not on the list, but captain sonar mixes a lot of elements from both of those in it.

Roys face during Power grid 😂

I would happily watch Roy teaching one of those epic 2 player games to Chris or Mike as part of a 24 hour marathon! Really want to find someone to teach me those games!

a good selection of different opinions. for me the first thoughts go to: robinson crusoe dungeon petz where everything you do in the game fits the theme

For me, it's Kingdom Death: Monster as the most thematic game that feels like it nails it.

More creative ideas like this or revisiting classic lists like essential, expansions, etc.

All while watching I was thinking 'one of you guys really should play Nemesis, it's number one without a doubt'

Love Genotype! Peer reviewed is great! Ex biology teacher. This is a great game that teaches too.

Warhammer Fantasy Battle is one of the most thematic. What you see is what you get (miniatures, terrain, etc...)...SFB with miniatures is a close second.