Top 10 Small Box / Family Board Games of 2023

Рет қаралды 38,632

Күн бұрын

2023 has been an INCREDIBLE year of games and we were sooo spoiled for choice that we decided to split our best of lists into smaller, filler or family style games, and a second list that will be all of the heavy euros (we played so many this year!) We hope you enjoy this list and it gives you some inspiration for some holiday games to share with friends and family.
Thanks for watching! :) A&M x
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:37 Maggie's honorable mention
03:28 Amy's honorable mention
05:16 Maggie's #10
07:48 Amy's #10
10:34 Maggie's #8
13:59 Amy's #8
17:23 Maggie's #7
20:58 Amy's #6 & Maggie's #9
25:34 Maggie's #5
29:20 Amy's #5
33:48 Amy's #4
39:00 Maggie's #3 & Amy's #7
44:17 Amy's #3
49:32 Maggie's #2 & Amy's #9
54:10 Amy's #2 & Maggie's #4
1:00:12 Maggie's #1
1:05:55 Amy's #1 & Maggie's #6
1:11:07 Wrap up
Thanks for stopping by! We're Amy & Maggie aka ThinkerThemer. We're an Australian couple with two very different perspectives of what makes a great board game - Amy (Thinker) is all about the mechanics and enjoys tight, competitive games, and Maggie (Themer) is all about the storytelling and the theme of the game, and the 'world' that the designer is trying to create. Subscribe to our channel to hear us talk about these two elements of a game, and how well integrated we feel these are in delivering a cohesive and wonderful game experience.
#boardgames #tabletopgames #thinkerthemer ❤🏳️‍🌈🇦🇺

Пікірлер: 75

@gabrielgohier-roy1903 6 ай бұрын

It's fun to watch a couple with such a wide variety of tastes in games. I enjoyed this list very much. Cheers!

@getgaymin 6 ай бұрын

re: Amy joking about the Everdell animals building a rocket ship to go to space: this basically describes First Rat, which is also a fantastic light-weight game

@Trevin_Taylor 6 ай бұрын

Great game

@bettermoodboardgames 6 ай бұрын

Ummm I would totally have a slumber party in your game room! To see Nebula box glow but mostly to feel so much joy being surrounded by so many games! 😂❤

@RynoKenny Күн бұрын

How is this the first time I've heard of Rebel Princess! Pre-ordered the deluxe version coming in August at a great price on GameNerdz. Thank you for this great video!

@nathanmichael167 6 ай бұрын

OMG< best list ever. I have been wondering why most top tens don't do this, wait until later in the list to discuss crossovers. Just makes the conversation feel more special and organic. I have so often found that the second person gives a more deflated presentation of the game if its already been lauded over earlier.

@karenpatterson2651 5 ай бұрын

What a fantastic list. I don't own any of these. But Fit to Print has been on my list for months. Now I've added Art Society for sure. And I def plan to learn more about Forest Shuffle and Point City. I look forward to seeing the big box list next.

@marie-helenepaquette5504 6 ай бұрын

Hi! Thanks for this video! I love your suggestions. I discovered your KZfaq Channel this year and it’s such a great discovery!!

@leighperrott 6 ай бұрын

Congrats on 20k subscribers!!! Looking forward to your Top 10 Euros video

@brookenelson7163 6 ай бұрын

So many games I’ve not heard of! Can’t wait to explore. Thanks for the list!

@PlayerOnYourLeft 6 ай бұрын

Great countdown, TT. Perspectives, Knarr and SkyTeam were absolute standouts for me this year. Got my purchase pen out for Point City, Witchcraft, Art Society and Fit To Print, so thanks for the reviews! As always, love your enthusiasm for this hobby. I look forward to more content from you in 2024.

@gemmaking1824 3 ай бұрын

Its so good having the differing opinions from each of you, it really helps to decide on a game that would suit both me and my partner.

@Tablenauts 6 ай бұрын

Great video, and great recommendations!! Forest Shuffle flew to the top of our wishlist! haha

@antfungames 4 ай бұрын

Such an interesting variety of games. Nice list!

@maxkosek 6 ай бұрын

Woohoo 🙌 ArtSociety no3 thank you Maggie and so happy you guys enjoy the game. Hope you will have so much more fun with it! Great list as always 👏

@steveorourke8959 6 ай бұрын

Love the theme of best little or family games! As space gets tight on shelves, having fun small games with good choices is really important. Thanks for the great suggestions! Hope all is well with the two of you!

@Kirk-Dennison 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for including Goblin Vaults!

@ajcrosby87 6 ай бұрын

I love so many games on this list. I have to agree with Amy that Forest Shuffle is the best small box game/ biggest surprise of the year. ❤

@davidthompson7233 5 ай бұрын

Thank you so, so much for the kind words for Witchcraft! And I loved Battle of Versailles too - one of my top games of the year.

@sierrahall8791 2 ай бұрын

@davidthompson7233 where is this game for sale? I’ve been seeing everyone talk about it, and would love to try it but I can’t find any retailers selling it.

@davidthompson7233 2 ай бұрын

@@sierrahall8791it depends on where you are. If you are in North America, I believe a new printing is coming from 25th Century this summer in time for convention season.

@taipan2021 6 ай бұрын

i pre-ordered Maggie's #1 a month ago and im excited about playing it cos i really like resist but i have to wait until after xmas to get it in the mail

@topofthemuffintoyou5610 6 ай бұрын

The purchase pen is already out and we're only up to the honourable mentions ... 🤣

@AngoraWinch 6 ай бұрын

I love hearing Maggie talk about Witchcraft! It’s such a great game despite occasionally being a very mean game. But the witch-hunts weren’t fair at all so when you lose because villagers turn against you *while you were trying to help them* it just kind of works with the theme Plus I mostly play solo so I’m always extra appreciative of solo games getting airtime 😁

@leovincent6461 5 ай бұрын

really enjoyed your top ten lighter games video, cheers!

@rolling.reggie 6 ай бұрын

So many great looking games to add to my Want to Play list! Seas of Strife, Rebel Princess, Skyteam especially :) I love Fit to Print, Point City and Forest Shuffle as well - recent favorites. Sending love from the PNW as always.

@jameskirk4692 6 ай бұрын

Thank you a lot for this list and great long video. I like how you two talk about games. Several of the games are really attractive and I would really like to try them.

@terry3733H 5 ай бұрын

cosmoctopus is such a brilliant parody 🤣

@TimChuon 6 ай бұрын

ok friends you've officially sold me on amy's number 3 that's a buy for me HAHAH! thank you so much for this fun list! 🥳

@Steve-zl5om 6 ай бұрын

Love your channel, Mr Chuon. Also love that you watch other gamers videos! :)

@pourquoipasdemain9884 6 ай бұрын

Omg two top 10 lists ?! 🤯🤯🤯 that’s the real Christmas gift 🥰

@Viragomp 6 ай бұрын

Great list! I have a lot of these and just recently backed Battle of Versailles' English version currently on GameFound. Excited for your next list!

@Dash-si3en 4 ай бұрын

Love your channel Amy and Maggie! Thank you for your fun and informative reviews! Our gaming group is evenly split on whose take they side with LOL. Have you tried Footprints? Small box part worker placement part hand management. Plays 1-6! We just started playing it, and we really like it. Very tight game play. But our number one small box game of 2023 is also Forest Shuffle!

@languagemaus8083 2 ай бұрын

Glad I found your channel! :) please make the video clips of the games a bit longer, I always have to pause because I can´t see much in the few seconds

@ianotoolevideo 6 ай бұрын

Great video! Amy, your nail polish is fantastic!

@rocksandstars 6 ай бұрын

My tastes align so much with you both... all the games you talk about, I own, have played & enjoyed, or am excited to try. The only game that is not is the solo game as i don't play solo, but if I did, I would tray that too as everything about it (other than the solo part) sounds awesome! I really wish you rated games on BGG, adding you as a geek buddy and seeing your ratings on games would be so helpful!

@blackboardgaming5348 6 ай бұрын

Great list! Now I'm kicking myself for not picking up the Battle for Versailles at Pax. Love your choices!

@Naeddyr 6 ай бұрын

I'm not sure if you've played it this way, but in Texas Showdown (and I assume SoS) you don't have to follow the first lead suit; you can follow any suit that has already been played. So when someone plays off-suit, the following players can choose between the two suits played, etc. etc. Great game.

@theSolemnBard 6 ай бұрын

Came in to say this. Incredibly important rule that it sounds like they may have missed

@ChristinaPlans 6 ай бұрын

Excited. I love how your tastes align with mine - do you have a BGG?? I'd love to see what you guys own.

@christinacampbellbooks 4 ай бұрын

I've been interested in buying Forest Shuffle for a while. Definitely bumping it up my list now. I saw Nimalia the other day in a board game shop. Picked it up and then put it back down because I hadn't heard anyone talking about it. So nice to hear someone talking about it. Cosmoctopus sounds great! I haven't heard of that one. Added it to my list of board games I'd like to buy ☺

@jotobaja 5 ай бұрын

Nebula it's awesome!! Hopefully it'll have a wider distribution world wide!! Good video, You two are great!

@ericscott3125 6 ай бұрын

Wanted to say thanks ladies for another small box recommendation earlier this year. After you introduced us to Nana at LevelUp, we ordered it direct from Japan (Christmas edition)! Now hoping to play Forest Shuffle with you sometime next year.

@bookaddict777 6 ай бұрын

I am happy to see Nimalia on your list. I was able to teach it to my 80+ year old mother recently. You are right - good for both gamers and non-gamers. Thanks for another great list, ladies!

@terry3733H 5 ай бұрын

Beer & Bread, Bamboo 😊

@darbyl3872 4 ай бұрын

Great List! I don't know if you reviewed it, but one of my favorites from 2023 was Hooky, a word game about pure, logical deduction. It takes 3 to 5 players about an hour to play, and it has been a hit with everyone I've played it with.

@jamesmorgan1967 6 ай бұрын

Witchcraft! arrived recently and I'm hoping to table it soon. Have had Point City for a while and need to play it. This year we enjoyed both Nimalia and Goblin Vaults. Had not heard of Elawa before....really like the art on that one. Nice lists!

@mazman9355 6 ай бұрын

if the "theming is thematic" , then the thinking should be "thoughfully done" 😂😂 (for balance reasons)

@DaFees 6 ай бұрын

Solid list of games, no doubt. I would recommend you check out the small box card game, Fika. For me, it is personally my #1 2-player / small box game of the year. Very tactical, with a great theme and beautiful artwork on top. If you like a good 2-player game like 7 Wonders Duel, then you'd likely love this one too!

@KingMePlease3 6 ай бұрын

Love this category, especially the games that work well for both families and gamers. Played Fit to Print, Forest Shuffle and Point City, and I am hoping I am gifted Point City and/or Forest Shuffle from my BGG Santa.

@ralfn9629 6 ай бұрын

Nice video. For me I will stay with Resist, as the theme resonates so much more with me. Forest Shuffle I am soo intrigued by, but I heard different reviews with apparently some imbalance and luck issues. Anyway, I still have to get this somehow!

@elmonty1 6 ай бұрын

We bought Seas of Strife after watching this video. We LOVE it!

@hpshovecraft 6 ай бұрын

I've been playing a ton of Forest Shuffle on BGA, but I've never played the physical version. How do you find sorting/holding your hand of cards? I've heard it can be hard to keep track of everything, and on BGA your cards are all displayed individually. Thanks for the video.

@susanoerter1419 6 ай бұрын

Rebel Princess sounds very fun.

@kitcarpo4745 6 ай бұрын

Knarr sounds great!

@JMS1138 5 ай бұрын

Some fun games, I think Earth should have been on this list! Thanks for some under-the-radar suggestions. And great sky blue nail color.

@jjrathkamp9021 5 ай бұрын

Played Forest Shuffle recently, for the first time, and really enjoyed it! Excited to play it more, I sort of whooped my wife, so hopefully that won’t discourage her to table it again soon. 😅🌲🕺🏻

@PernillaHulten-nr5rh 5 ай бұрын

Kommentarer 56 Hi there! Thanks for all your great videos, they are a delight! To Maggie: have you tried the solo game Black Sonata? It's a hidden movement and deduction game set in Shakespeare's London cirka 1600, where you look for the dark lady. This is a small box real 400-year-old mystery. Very cleaver, very thematic! I highly recommend it. Merry Christmas to all.

@peterkarlsson1825 6 ай бұрын

Silent K in Knarr in english. With a hard K in Nordic countries.

@axeterio4816 6 ай бұрын

How did you find the length of Forest Shuffle?

@pattyward6291 5 ай бұрын

Love your video. Would be helpful if you stayed the minimum and maximum number of players for each game. Thank you for putting this list together.

@hugodasilva198 6 ай бұрын

Update : i did two games of a feast for odin. What a game! Both solo games were amazing !! Any tips on strategic view?

@baihen8133 6 ай бұрын

Where can we purchase Art Society? If it’s not out yet, when can we expect it?

@theONLYfudjud 6 ай бұрын

I want to buy Maggie's number 1. Is there any cool way to access it in Australia at all?

@topofthemuffintoyou5610 6 ай бұрын

I'm in Australia and purchased it from Zatu Games in the UK as they post to Australia. So happy with this game. I could be addicted ... 🤣

@Roundtablist 6 ай бұрын

The gamefound campaign looks to be only just delivering. I checked Zatu in the UK which seems to be the only retailer on BoardGameOracle with a listing for it anywhere. I'm afraid this is likely one we're going to have to wait for.

@theONLYfudjud 6 ай бұрын

@@topofthemuffintoyou5610 They're all sold out! I found a German site, but it would work out to be $125 AUD with shipping.. Is it worth that much?

@AngoraWinch 6 ай бұрын

I backed it on Gamefound and I think I have a vague memory of it hitting retail in April next year but I can’t find where I got that information! I hope you manage to find it, it really is an excellent, if brutal, game.

@bestatstartrek2179 6 ай бұрын

Check out the first city magnate directly behind on the shelf. Monopoly on Steroids😊

@gamewrit0058 3 ай бұрын

Thematically, Fit to Print intrigues me, but I think my family and I would enjoy Knar and Rebel Princesses better - because of the memory and spaceal awareness challenges of ADHD.

@gamewrit0058 3 ай бұрын

And I can see Forest Shuffle becoming a family favorite.

@Shelby-xz4qk 4 ай бұрын

Have you treid tea dragon society card game?

@shawns3911 6 ай бұрын

Where was the smallest of boxes and the best, inheritors?

@Socksrule3032 5 ай бұрын

I have to agree, I think Earth is a bit overhyped. I liked the idea of Earth, but I felt like I was just constantly counting symbols, okay I need X more of these, Y more of those, Z more of this, etc. Forest Shuffle fills the same space as Earth for me. It still has the interesting tableau building, just without the counting, though Forest Shuffle is a bit lighter than Earth.