10 Board Games to Start a Collection

Since this is a list that could (and should) find many new players, i guess it's always good to remind that NO game SHOULD be a stepping stone to a "heavier" one, the goal is to have fun, you can play just "gateway games" and it's ok

Great list! I also want to add, if you're new to boardgaming but you feel more attracted to heavy games, don't feel intimidated and go for it! I got into boardgaming at the end of 2021 and got Scythe very soon, and Mage Knight (for solo) 6 months later. These heavy games actually made me love board games! Lighter games wouldn't have done that for me. If you want to dive into the deep end straight away, and you're looking forward to learning something complicated, go for it!

Your Lost Ruins of Arnak playthrough was how I discovered your channel. I ended up buying a copy and have really enjoyed it, mostly solo, so thanks! I think Chinatown is another great game for starting a collection, with simple rules and high player interaction given it's all about negotiation.

Great list and have introduced a few of them that you mentioned to new gamers and have gone over well. I've found Ticket To Ride, Just One, Blockbuster (the movie, party game) and Dixit have been the biggest hitters amongst family/group of friends when introducing them to the hobby

Great list guys! I would have to put Bohnanza on my list. Low rules overhead and, something super important to me especially for playing with non-board-gamers, high player interaction. You guys put it in your top 50 (I think at 48) games of all time. I can’t preach enough for this game as I’ve played it with so many different groups and it slaps every time!

I love hearing your perspective as well as everyone else that has made these. Love hearing how you two have different lists based on your different interests.

This is a really good list with a good approach to variety. I would pick different games for a lot of categories, but Cascadia, Wingspan, and Just One are definite cross-overs with mine. A game I was quite surprised not to see here is Everdell, it's got such great theme and art, is relatively approachable at a baseline, and can grow into a really satisfying midweight euro once you start adding some expansion content.

Awesome list! Mine would probably be something like: Lost Cities, Azul, Quest for El Dorado, Blue Lagoon, Stone Age, Chinatown, Escape: the Curse of the Temple, 7 Wonders, Modern Art, Just One. Cheers from CO!

Love this list. You really hit all the targets. Great suggestions. Totally agree with you and very surprisse that "Nev" has not played Carcassonne. It was my gateway to the hobby.

Delighted to see Clank! On this list—it is one of the two games that got my son and me into the hobby, thanks to a recommendation by my FLGS. That second game was Star Realms—it or Hero Realms would be good games for this list. Now you all have me intrigued by Cascadia, which I’ve seen around a lot but didn’t know anything about, and Flamecraft, which I did not know about. Always enjoy your videos. Thanks for this one!

Great varied list. As I started my collection recently, Modern Art was one of my first ten purchases and I think fits the economic/auction category well. Every time we play it is hilarious experience as people really get into the art speculation theme.

Great video! Thank you for this list - and I actually very much enjoyed when you mentioned more games of the same kind.

your 10 game bonus list...i was shocked Lords of Waterdeep was not on it...and then you added it. Its still one of the best pure worker placement games. My wife and I love it.

Great list! Excited to try some these out!

This is a great list. I'm not personally a fan of Arnak, but I know it's very popular. Another thing to consider including would be one or two small box card games like The Crew or Parade. When I started my collection, I got drawn into the hype of big games with tons of bells and whistles because those felt like the "real boardgames" but over time I've come to appreciate smaller, simpler games that have still have some strategic depth but also foster a more social experience. They also tend to be easier to teach, easier to get to the table, cheaper and they take up much less space. Also BGA is a great place to try out a ton of different games. Playing online might not be everyone's cup of tea but it's a fantastic way to try something out once to decide if it's worth spending the money and attempting to talk your friends or family into playing it.

This was so great! Also, I love how you started because I also started on table top day at my friendly local game store… And my wife and I gave everyone “just desserts“ who was in our wedding party!

I own most of the games on this list and have introduced my family to a number of them. Instead of Clank, we play Cubitos for the push your luck mechanic. My family really enjoys it and the expansion will likely help get it to the table more often. I have tried some heavier games but feel like I enjoy games at the weight of Lost Ruins of Arnak best along with some of the lighter games like Space Base and Wingspan. This hobby is such a great one in finding fun in a variety of complexities and mechanics.

Nice one guys, some great games on the list, going to try a few of these this week.

Great list ! I’ve almost played all of theme, Arboretum, Long Shot the dice game and Skull king would be a great addition as well to start a collection.

Feels great to see games from my library making the list -- still a few to collect as well. Lost Ruins of Arnak is one of my favorite games and I consider it to be a gateway game to bridge the gap between light and heavier games. Great work!