And if you want to know the criteria that I’m using, or the conversation starting point, you can read that article here.

Set Collection Games I Own

As normal, two lists one for set collection games that I own and have played another for set collection games that I own and haven’t played. Because that latter group is likely going to be kept completely.

Set Collection Games I Own and Have Played

• Ticket to Ride
• Ra
• Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala
• Sagrada
• Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition
• Flamecraft
• The Isle of Cats
• The Lord of the Rings
• Sushi Go Party
• Forest Shuffle
• Roll Player
• The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth
• Arboretum
• The Castles of Burgundy
• Calico
• No Thanks!
• Biblios
• Meadow
• Faraway
• Nidavellir
• Imhotep
• Canvas
• Century: Golem Edition
• Potion Explosion
• Yahtzee
• Aquatica
• Point Salad
• Creature Comforts
• Daftosaurus
• Let’s Go! To Japan
• Jump Drive
• Castle Combo
• Parade
• River of Gold
• Rock Hard: 1977
• Paper Dungeons: A Dungeon Scrawler Game
• Circus Flocati
• Archeos Society
• Ohanami
• River Valley Glassworks
• Comic Hunters
• SpellBook
• Floriferous
• Astra
• Ecosystem
• Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive
• Marrying Mr Darcy
• Stonespine Architects
• Quiddler
• Pixies
• The Isle of Cats Explore and Draw
• Via Magica
• Tesseract
• Charcuterie
• Butterfly
• Metrorunner
• Gasha
• Trinket Trove
• GAP
• Ramen! Ramen!
• Birds of a Feather: Western North America
• ICECOOL Wizards
• Chop! Chop!
• Featherlight

Set Collection Games I Own and Have Yet to Play

• Ark Nova
• Everdell
• Star Realms
• Tokaido
• Endless Winter: Paleoamericans
• Targi
• Clank Legacy
• Abyss
• Mosaic: A Story of Civilization
• The Vale of Eternity
• Distilled
• Wonderous Creatures
• Cockroach Poker
• Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar
• Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef
• Monumental
• Fantastic Factories
• Deep Regrets
• Eleven: Football Manager
• Trio
• QE
• Cities
• Blue Prints
• Silver 7 Gold
• Oak
• Spirits of the Forest
• Skulls of Sedlec
• Books of Time
• Isle of Trains: All Aboard
• Maple Valley
• Four Gardens
• Marvel: Remix
• Pokemon Splendor
• Santa’s Workshop
• Cascadia: Rolling Hills
• Fika
• Goblin Vaults
• Jurassic Parts
• Longboard
• Senshi
• Boomerang
• Paper Safari
• Zoo-Ography
• Isle of Night
• Properitea
• Sunrise at the Studio

What Set Collection Games Are Leaving

Firstly, the list is massive. I will not mention them all. In particular with the stuff that I have yet to play. I likely should get rid of some of those, but there are ton in there. And I should mention too, I removed some from the list because they aren’t really set collection or because I talked about them before.

Now that we know that the ones I haven’t played are staying, let’s see if there are any that are easy to say they are leaving. I suspect it is going to be tricky because so often set collection is a secondary mechanism in the game. You might score your points off of that, but it’s how you get the sets that is the interesting element of the game.

To highlight this element, we have Sushi Go Party! and Ecosytems. Both are drafting set collection games. But Ecosystems uses a tableau building element for it as well. So they both stay as they do different things.

Easy Leave

The first one leaving is ICECOOL Wizards. This is a fun game, but it’s just less fun than regular ICECOOl. So that one is easy to get rid of because I’d rather play regular ICECOOL.

Another one is going to be Circus Flohcati. The issue with some of these games leaving is more that while they are fun, I’m just less apt to play them. I like Circus Flohcati, it’s just not likely to get played.

Another one is Charcuterie. Again another game that is fairly fun, but it’s almost more hassle to teach the rules than it is to play the game. And the game is extremely light when you get down to it. So the scoring and rules don’t feel like they match up with the game.

Archeos Society is on the pile to leave as well. It is a game that I’ve played at two and I thought it was fairly boring at two. The whole question is when do you collect your set and give the other player access to more cards. And then which tracks do you go up on. But neither of those things are all that interesting as you play it.

Finally, Astra is leaving. It is one that I’ve played on BGA a few times now and it is always just okay. I think the concept is cool, you fill in stars, but the actual execution of the game is meh. It doesn’t feel like fun actions when you take them.

Easy Staying

A number fall into the category of easily staying. You can look at my Top 100 Games this year and last year to see some of the games that I love. But maybe some less obvious ones, Draftosaurus is just a fun game that I enjoy. And there are a lot more, Ohanami, Let’s Go! To Japan, Arobetum and a ton more that I don’t want to list them all. Though I know I should.

What About The Rest?

But let’s instead talk about some that are at the edge of this list. Mainly I want to talk about any set collection games that are similar in their other mechanisms. That is the area where I think I can find games to get rid of potentially. Because while I might enjoy them if they do the same thing, is there one that I want to play more than the others.

And honestly, that is something that I’m finding hard to keep track of right now. Mainly because there are so many differences in how the games play. The one that is probably the biggest maybe for me right now is SpellBook. And the reason that it is a maybe is that while there are a bunch of different sets of cards that you play with, the plays actually seem to be pretty similar as you go. I wish it felt like a more interesting variety in what you were doing. So I think it’s going to leave.

Two others are Biblios and Faraway. Faraway is because I don’t know when I’ll play it in person. I say that, but I like it two player, so I think that I can get it to the table. For Biblios it is more about I haven’t played it in a long time. I like the game quite well, but is that enough to keep it around. Mainly, is it a game I am apt to play again. So while Faraway is going to say, Biblios is going to leave.

Final Thoughts

With how long that list of games is, I was hoping it’d be fewer games to keep. But there is such variety. Some mechanisms are more similar in their games. And while set collection is just set collection, how you do it is very different a lot of the time. And for that reason it is easier to justify keeping a lot of them. How you collect a set is not all equal.

What is your favorite set collection game?

Send an Email
Message me on X at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

And if you want to know the criteria that I’m using, or the conversation starting point, you can read that article here.

My Tableau Building Games

As normal, we split it into games that I’ve played first and then games that I haven’t played yet in my collection.

Tableau Building Games I’ve Played

• 7 Wonders Duel
• Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth
• 7 Wonders
• Splendor: Pokemon
• The Castles of Burgundy
• Arkham Horror The Card Game
• Marvel Champions
• Dwellings of Eldervale
• Forest Shuffle
• Res Arcana
• Meadow
• Space Base
• Faraway
• Castle Combo
• Furnace
• Aquatica
• New Frontiers
• Jump Drive
• Ancient Knowledge
• Starship Captains
• Village Rails
• Call to Adventure: Stormlight Archives
• Cafe Baras
• Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition
• Pixies

Tableau Building Games I’ve Yet To Play

• Everdell
• 3 Ring Circus
• Ark Nova
• A Feast for Odin
• Revive
• Beyond the Sun
• Targi
• Endless Winter: Paleoamericans
• Vale of Eternity
• Expeditions
• Fantastic Factories
• The Bloody Inn
• Raising Robots
• The Witcher: Path of Destiny
• Andromeda’s Edge
• Earth

What Stays and What Leaves?

This is a tough list to really do because they are so unique. A lot of the time there is a pretty big difference between a scoring tableau game and an engine building tableau game. So as I’m looking at the list, it’s hard to say that I should keep this one or another one. Plus sometimes they didn’t really do a great job of putting like games on the BGG list. For example, Terraforming Mars, on the list, Ares Expedition, not on the list. New Frontiers is a tableau building game, but Jump Drive wasn’t part of that list. So I hope that I caught everything, but I’m sure some where missed.

What Is And Easy Leave?

So when we look at the list the ones that I have yet to play, those are generally going to stay. That means that we’re looking at what I’ve played for easy games to leave the collection. It’s not an easy list to pick from. I only have one that is an easy leave from the list. And that is I’m going to be getting rid of 7 Wonders Duel. Mainly because I own Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth. Yes, they are different, but I’m most apt to pick the Lord of the Rings themed one to play.

The other one that is going to leave is 7 Wonders. Now that might be surprising, but I bought I copy and I just don’t play it. If I want a big group drafting game, I go with Sushi Go Party! For that reason while 7 Wonders offers something quite different, it just isn’t going to stick in my collection.

What Is An Easy Stay?

Now for easy stays, I definitely am keeping Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth and then both of the LCG’s on the list from Fantasy Flight Games. I know that I want to keep one of Dwellings of Eldervale and Andromeda’s Edge, but having not played the latter, I don’t know which I want to keep. I’ve heard the latter is the better game, but I like the theme for the former more so.

Space Base, Forest Shuffle, Castle Combo, Castles of Burgundy and Ancient Knowledge easily make the list as well. As does Call to Adventure: Stormlight Archives.

Everything Else

Now let’s touch on everything else and this is where I need to find a few to cut. Do I need Jump Drive in my collection if I play it on BGA so much? I had actually put it in the too sell pile but then I brought it back. And I want to keep it and New Frontiers because I really like both of them. So they stay, though with Jump Drive, it’s tempting because of BGA.

One that it tough for me is Meadow. I like Meadow a lot, but it’s also one that I play less often. I think that this means I just need to play it more to keep it in the collection. The same can be said for Res Arcana. I need to play it more because I really do love that game.

Furnace is going to leave the collection, I’ve decided. Mainly because it’s okay at two players. And I think that I am most apt to play it at two players. Because of that it should leave the collection I think. Another one that I love the theme of but thought the game play was okay so it’s going to leave is Cafe Baras. Mainly it’s super cute, but a bit too simple for my tastes. Even as a game to play with my kid, it’s not quite interesting enough.

So The Tableau Games That Are Leaving

Just to recap we have Furnace, which I really enjoy but less so at two. Cafe Baras is a bit too simple and 7 Wonders Duel is a game that has been replaced by Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth. And 7 Wonders is getting kicked out because it’s the secondary drafting game for big groups for me.

I think that there will be others to leave once I play more. But it’s tricky getting all the tableau building games to the table. Some I maybe shouldn’t keep, like Res Arcana just because when will I play it again.

What is your favorite tableau building game?

Send an Email
Message me on X at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

And if you want to know the criteria that I’m using, or the conversation starting point, you can read that article here.

What Roll and Write Games Do I Own?

Two lists like every time. We’re talking of course, played and unplayed. It’s less likely that an unplayed game is going to be leaving the collection without having been tried first.

Played

• Welcome To…
• Cartographers
• Ganz Schon Clever
• Yahtzee
• Long Shot: The Dice Game
• Twilight Inscription
• Welcome to the Moon
• Railroad Ink
• Fleet: The Dice Game
• Doppelt So Clever
• Three Sisters
• On Tour
• Paper Dungeons
• Super-Skill Pinball: 4-Cade
• Bargain Basement Bathysphere
• Clever Hoch Drei
• Metro X
• Trek 12: Himalaya
• Sonora
• Super Mega Luck Box
• My City: Roll & Build
• Clever 4Ever
• The Isle of Cats Explore and Draw
• Patchwork Doodle
• Criss Cross
• Knister
• Delicious
• First Class Letters
• Mind Space
• Doodle Dungeon

Unplayed

• Hadrian’s Wall
• Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write
• Silver & Gold
• Get on Board
• Sagrada Artisans
• Welcome to Dino World
• Riverside
• Kokoro: Avenue of the Kodama
• Motor City
• Cascadia Rolling Rivers & Rolling Hills
• Pioneer Rails
• Fliptown
• Arabella
• Merchants of Magick: A Set A Watch Tale
• French Quarter
• Zombicide: Gear Up
• Boomerang
• Number Drop
• Vengeance: Roll & Fight
• Lantern Dice
• Astra

Unplayed Games

This list is massive for both played and unplayed. I’m not 100% sure that I own all the ones still that I have yet to play. In particular I think Arabella might have left the collection as might have Number Drop and Kokoro. But looking at that list, is there anything where I think it should just leave? The only one that jumps out at me is that I don’t think I need both Rolling Rivers and Rolling Hills. From what I know they are basically the same game.

There are a few others that I’d want to get played on the list to see if they stay. Those are the ones that I mentioned that I might not have still. Also Boomerang is another one that I need to see about. It looks like a simple little game so that begs the question of if I need to keep it. Getting all these little roll and writes is easy, but often times they need a more limited player count, which means that for game nights even though they are easier to learn games they are hard to get played.

Played Games

So what on that massive list is at the danger of going away. And I think there are a number of them that fall into that category of maybe are similar to other games.

Easy Leaving

In particular I think of games like Metro X, while it’s not too similar, it’s not a game that feels that different any time that you play it. And while I’ve enjoyed it, it’s been in my Top 100 Games in the past, it’s also something that is a less appealing on future plays. Bargain Basement Bathysphere is another one that is going to be going because it’s fine but I have played it.

Another one that might be a surprise is Welcome to the Moon. I thought it is a fun game when I played it and streamed it. But as a campaign game, I now feel like there is only so much interest in going back to it. I haven’t even gone back to it recently on Board Game Arena. And Welcome To… is more fun with the same main mechanism.

I also think that Twilight Inscription is leaving the collection as well. This is one where it could stick around because it is really different. But honestly I don’t want to teach it to someone. And I don’t want to learn it again. I really had a lot of fun with it at Gen Con and if someone is up for teaching me again I gladly will play. But at the same time, it’s that category of I don’t want to do that.

Easy Staying

There are a handful that are staying for sure, games like Railroad Ink, Cartographers, Sonora, Fleet, Three sisters, and Paper Dungeon are all games that I love. And with them also all of the “Clever” games. Yes, they are similar in some ways but they are different in other ways. So that is going to keep them around, plus I like them for that combotastic nature.

Isle of Cats: Explore & Draw is another one where it make it easy to keep. In fact it might be so easy to keep that it spells the end for Isle of Cats. But I want to play that one again at a higher player count. Because I like a lot of elements of the game. I think at two it is possible for it to just get out of balance score wise pretty quickly.

Questioning

So that leaves a handful that are in that questioning range. Some of them like Trek 12, Knister, and Criss Cross I know I like and are going to be kept as well. It is just less of an emphatic keep. Same can be said for at least some of Super-Skill Pinball: 4-Cade, though I might have sold expansions already and Super Mega Lucky Box.

The ones that I’m really thinking about right now are Delicious, Mind Space, On Tour and My City: Roll & Build. With all of them I enjoy the games. I think that Delicious is leaving because it is just simpler. Mind Space and On Tour are good, but in particular with On Tour it is not the best the score and I can always play it on my phone. So I think both of them are going to leave as well. And that leave My City: Roll & Build. I was through a campaign and half way through another. I think it goes because it is fun but I’ve played it.

What Roll and Write Games Do You Love?

Let me know your thoughts. Do you think that there are any of them that I should give another chance from what I’m talking about getting rid of. Just to recap that list:

• On Tour
• Mind Space
• My City: Roll & Build
• Delicious
• Metro X
• Welcome to the Moon
• Twilight Inscription
• Bargain Basement Bathysphere
• Cascadia Rolling Rivers or Rolling Hills

Send an Email
Message me on X at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

And if you want to know the criteria that I’m using, or the conversation starting point, you can read that article here.

What Party Games Do I Own?

Let’s go through and make a list of everything, keep in mind this list is split into two parts. The first part is party games I’ve owned and played and the second part I still need to play. And also, let’s see what Board Game Geek calls party games.

• Deception Murder in Hong Kong
• Sushi Go Party
• Skull
• Just One
• Take 5/6 Nimmt
• Wits & Wagers
• PitchCar
• Spot It
• Flip 7
• Ready Set Bet
• Zombie Dice
• Scattergories
• So Clover!
• Tumblin’ Dice
• Letter Jam
• The Gang
• Cross Clues
• Medium
• Green Team Wins
• Fun Facts
• Blank Slate
• Doodle Dash
• The Table is Lava
• Beat the 8 Ball
• Plakks
• Dungeon Party

And now for the ones that I haven’t played.

• Boy Band Builder
• Mutton Bustin
• Mojo
• TAGS
• Crash Octopus
• Wavelength
• Cockroach Poker
• Master Word
• Draft’d
• Ito

Just as a reminder, I am generally going to keep the ones that I haven’t played. Why, because I want to give them a try, so they get a free pass.

The Played Games

So now we need to look at the games on that list and you can break them down into some different categories. There are push your luck games like Flip 7 and Beat the 8 Ball. There are the more classic write something down or trivia style. And then there is a hidden role game on the list because I like Deception: Murder in Hong Kong and dislike basically all the rest of them. And then dexterity games.

Classic Party Games

Let’s really stick to talking about the classic party games here. I think some of the others will show up at other times. And there is not a ton of overlap with them. But that classic write something down or do trivia games, let’s talk about them and see which ones should stick around.

Let’s just put that list together. We have Just One, Wits & Wagers, Scattergories, So Clover!, Medium, Fun Facts, Green Team Wins, Blank Slate, Cross Clues, and Doodle Dash.

The Cooperative Classic Party Games

Then I want to look for where there is overlap. And there is pretty light overlap. But I also want to look for ones that have that element of fun factor that I keep on wanting to come back to as well. Does it feel different and unique enough. Games like Just One and So Clover are always a hit, so even though they are cooperative they both are going to stick around. However, I feel like Cross Clues, another cooperative party game, is a lot of fun, but I like those two cooperative ones better.

The Competitive Classic Party Games

Looking at that list it leaves us quite a number more. One question I think needs to get answered in the long term is do I need both Ito and Fun Facts. Both of those seem like they hit kind of the same thing, even Wavelength also seems to fall into that category. But I haven’t played Ito and Wavelength yet. Green Team Wins is also kind of in this category, and it feels like the loser of the group.

There we have to look at the word based games, Medium and Blank Slate both offer that matching words. But I like both enough that I plan to keep both of them. Scattergories is also in this category ,and I think it’s leaving finally. It stuck around because it was solid as a remote game, I could show the sheet on camera. But there are websites that do that just as easily and we play in person mainly.

Doodle Dash and Wits & Wagers are both kind of different in the group, but still have that classic party feel. Doodle Dash is speed drawing which is a blast, I need to play it again. And then Wits & Wagers is number based trivia with betting. It is one that has been a hit a good number of times, but it hasn’t come off the shelf in a few years at this point, so it is going to leave because while I like it, it just isn’t getting played.

What Party Games are Leaving

So let’s talk about the ones that are leaving here to just recap it. Cross Clues, a fun cooperative party game but won’t get played over So Clover! or Just One. Green Team Wins, kind of that same get to you know you type of game like Fun Facts and Ito, so it is the odd one out. And then Wits & Wagers just because it hasn’t gotten played. And Scattergories is a classic, but I think it’s finally hit end of life for me.

Would you make a different decision than I did? And what are some party games that you own that you know you’ll never get rid of.

Send an Email
Message me on X at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

I’ve already talked about culling games, and it is something that I do fairly often, I should look to play more new ones again and do another cull soon. But this article is about how you can maximize the amount of games that you can have in a space.

Step 1: Combine

Now, don’t worry, I am not talking about combining a game like Five Tribes into the Ticket to Ride box and having both in the same box. I don’t like that. But I like to look at a game and go, can I fit the expansion into here. Is there some way that I can make it work. Some games it works well for, Marvel United for example, others, you can free up a little space, like with Root. But how can I free up that space by putting an expansion into the base box.

Step 2: Throw Out Inserts

This ties directly into the first one, but throw out inserts, and this is really for games with expansions. There is an exception to this rule. If the insert makes the game easier to get to the table, keep the insert. For example, if Stars of Akarios comes out with an expansion, I am not going to get rid of the insert in the base game to get it all into one box. Why, the insert makes the game easier to table. But on the flip side, Reichbusters had a big insert to house one giant mini. I don’t need that, so let me remove that and get my four boxes, and four big boxes, down to three.

Step 3: Organize

Then organize your space, and think about how you want to organize. Because of my streaming, I want some of the bigger titles behind me. But you can also do it by size of the games, types of games whatever it might be. I have three cubbies that are full of roll and write games for example, just not on the side on camera. But organizing helps you gain space in two ways. You can optimize how you place your games and you might find a few to cull.

Step 4: Organize Less

Now, this flies in the face of Step 3. But organize less. We are talking about fitting a lot of games in. Some games just won’t fit in a good spot. I have Hadrian’s Wall down below, why, because I am out of room. I really should play a couple of roll and writes and decide if I can get rid of a few. But if I tried to cram them all into one spot or keep them sorted too neatly, I’d have four semi-full cubbies for of roll and writes. Instead I have three jam packed ones and one that is in another spot.

Final Thoughts

Now, this might not be easy for you to do. I know of gamers who really want their games to be like they were when they got them. Keep them as new looking as possible, keep the expansion boxes if possible and some of that is because they might want to sell them again later.

So, it is something that is personal to the person doing it. It might be easier for you to sell games than to condense a base game and an expansion into a box. Or easier to sell a game than have a roll and write not with the other roll and writes. It depends on you, but if you want to get more games, the tips above or steps above will create more room.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

What Board Games Are Leaving?

This time the games were in a number of different categories that are leaving. Some of them I was very excited for but as time has gone on my excitement has waned on them. Others are just classic games that I don’t play anymore. And I think that’s one thing I’m noticing about having bought a lot of games over the years. Stuff that I don’t get to quickly, that is more likely to fall out of my current taste in games.

Sentinels of the Multiverse

This is one that I didn’t buy too long ago. I mainly bought it because it was on a great sale. I think I got the base game and something like 16 or 17 expansions for about $80. My plan is to try and sell it for about the same amount. I thought I’d give it a whirl because it looked cool, but when it comes down to superhero themed games, I’m going to pick Marvel Champions over it.

Dice Throne Adventures

This one is only kind of out the door at this point. Again, it’s another one that I’d really like to get played. But with middling reviews for this Dice Throne expansion, that makes it into a cooperative game. I’m not that excited to try it anymore. Add in the fact that I love Dice Throne as a two player head to head battle or king of the hill fighting, it’s hard to want to try a new way to play it that’s so different.

Merchant’s Cove

Merchant’s Cove, a game in my Top 100 games, and could still easily be there this upcoming year or longer, also leaving. The reason for that is it’s a very big game, a very light game, and there’s a learning curve, but not a bad one, each time you pull out and play a new character. I love the level of production on the game, but it makes it harder to table.

Uno

Uno is not a fun game, it’s a classic game. And when I started my collection, I wanted to own a number of the classics. Now, there are other very simple games that I have that I’d play over Uno. Add in that Uno can take no time or forever to play, it’s just not worth it.

Phase 10

Phase 10 is another classic game, one that I don’t hate, but also one that I am not that likely to play again. If I do play it, it’ll be with my parents who have a copy. Phase 10 is a fine game that takes too long because it doesn’t progress. I want to replace mine with 5 Crowns. A game that does a similar thing with getting sets and runs, but with a more limited game length.

Chess

Chess is yet another classic, and one that I feel like I should have. But the game is not one that I play, so do I keep the tin around and let it take up space on a game shelf? Or do I let it go to someone who is excited to get a decent looking all wooden chess set? I think it’s smarter to let it go to someone else enjoy it and if or when I want to get a new chess set, I can always do that later.

8-Bit Box

Another game I picked up with store credit, and one that I really wanted to play when I got it. But then my interested in it waned over time because it’s learning basically a new game for each one that I’d pull out of the box. The whole 8-Bit arcade game thing, that’s pretty cool, but if it creates a barrier to entry, well, then it ends up leaving my collection.

Karuba: The Card Game

Grabbed this one from a local Goodwill, I wasn’t thinking about it, thought it was the board game. Should have been obvious that it was different. I wouldn’t mind giving it a whirl, it’s more that I’m trying to find that thrift store gem, and this wasn’t it.

Cat Cafe

Added to the pile last night from a section I’d already gone through. Cat Cafe is a fun enough roll and write game. And it has some cool things that I don’t mind with drafting dice and then a shared die that’s left. But the game feels like it should do more. And I don’t like the end game trigger. You get more points for completing towers and the first person who completes three ends the game.

The Drink

Islay Storm again for me. Finished off the bottle of this Scotch from Trader Joe’s. It’s a really good Scotch for the price it’s at, and a very peat forward Scotch. I really enjoy peat in my Scotch, so this is always a good one when I make it to Trader Joes.

Upcoming Streams

So what comes after this. Well, it’s going to be some smaller games being streamed up through the end of the month. Start of May, I want to kick off another campaign game. And I might be playing through some Perdition’s Mouth, or I have a few others that I’m considering as well.

But I do want to maybe play through more Paper Dungeons, I had fun playing two games last time. But I have a few other games, Village Green, Dinosaur Island Rawr ‘n Write, Welcome To Dino World, and others that I can play solo as well. And two of those are ones that I want to try out to see if they’ll stick in my collection.

If you want to know when I go live, you can go to the Malts and Meeples YouTube channel, subscribe, and click the notification bell. That’ll let you know when I go live or schedule a video.

Send an Email.
Message me directly on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here.
Support us on Patreon here.

What Board Games Are Leaving?

There are four games that are kind of leaving, or potentially doing so, let’s go through those first. Mainly, I remember those off the top of my head. One for sure is leaving, but also staying. One might come to live at work. And two I need to check on to see if they will leave.

Boomerang USA

Boomerang USA is kind of leaving. I got it on a good sale and then realized I had Boomerang already for a roll and write game. I don’t need two copies of what are basically the same game. Just Boomerang USA is a US map and regular Boomerang is Australia, which makes more sense.

Quarto

This is the one that is going to work to see about. It is a solid abstract game. I like the concept of it when I played it. You pick the piece your opponent places down. What keeps me from loving it is that after two plays, the game didn’t feel like it’d be that different. I want to try it at work because it is a fast game. So might work better in that setting. I just know I won’t play it at home more.

Quoridor

This is a game that I have enjoyed. And I think Quoridor is one that is great for a lot of people. It’s a simple abstract game that gives you some real clever plays. The issue is my group has “solved” it. By that I mean we always make the last possible person block. And honestly, it is not that much fun when you stick the block with the last person. I could see it being better now at two than four, but not one that is going to stick around, I don’t think.

Second Chance

This is a game that has had a dramatic fall for me from my original top 100’s to being outside of it this past year. Second Chance isn’t a bad game. I suspect that it is one my wife is likely to save. My issue with it is that I’ve played it a lot. I’ve gotten my phone with it and I am ready to move on from it. Patchwork Doodle does something similar and offers more choices.

Deadly Doodles (1 & 2)

Deadly Doodles is a solid little roll and write game. It takes a dungeon crawl idea and makes it extremely simple. And that’s why it is leaving. I think the expansion adds in more, but it has a lot of expansion boards. And with those boards, you need to learn more and it is harder to get to the table. I would say, there are probably too many extra boards. Plus, Paper Dungeons has knocked this one down for me. Similar concept, but Paper Dungeons is a more interesting game.

Photosynthesis

This one was tough to say that it was leaving. I like it as a good abstract game, but I knew I was starting with that cube, and I knew it just wouldn’t make the cut. The game is gorgeous. 3D cardboard trees look amazing. And I like how mean the game can be. I am trying to get my trees to grow better and faster than yours and block your trees from getting light points to spend as action points. The game looks less mean than it actually is, and I am keeping another game like that.

Ascension: Immortal Heroes

I have three versions of Ascension. I thought that I’d maybe play them all more often than I do. And I guess, that is three versions of Ascension that I am keeping. But I can get them all into one box, so they are sticking around. Immortal Heroes, it seems fun, but higher player count doesn’t add much to me. And I don’t know that I need any more Ascension than what I already have.

Welcome To New Las Vegas

I own Welcome To, which I love. I own Welcome To The Moon that I want to try. But Welcome To New Las Vegas, I was really excited for. I am not so excited anymore. The game looks good, but it looks like too much to me. It’s a two sheet roll and write game, which I don’t mind. But it feels like a lot of busywork without the fun theme of Welcome To. So I don’t think I need all three of the games in the line. And Welcome To The Moon with it’s campaign, that is more interesting.

The Drink

Just an Old Fashioned again. This time, though, I made it with rhubarb bitters. Now, I am out of rhubarb bitters. I really like the flavor of rhubarb, it grapefruit, and lemon are probably the bitters that I always want to have on hand.

Upcoming Stream

So, next Monday, I plan on streaming. I will not be streaming next Wednesday. I have family in town so I won’t be around on Wednesday. Monday, I am planning on doing more of the Should It Stay Or Should It Go series.

And I have to say, I am pleased with the amount I found again for the chopping block. Granted, a few might be going back. I think there is a decent chance that Second Chance is saved because it is so accessible. And it is a fun game. For me, I won’t complain if it is, because I don’t mind it. It is just one that I like to play now versus one that I want to pull off the shelf myself and play.

Which one would you save? Which one would you get rid of?

Send an Email.
Message me directly on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here.
Support us on Patreon here.

I started this process last week, so you can catch up here.

Which Board Games Are Leaving?

So this is going to be a bit of a Point of Sale as well, now in these articles. Mainly because I think that those leaving are the most interesting to talk about. Mainly because I don’t consider a lot of the games to be bad games that are leaving my collection.

I am also going to catch up this time on the ones from last time as well that are leaving. Mainly because I decided to talk about culling games last time.

Arkham Horror 3rd Edition

This is one that I am mainly getting rid of because I have other Lovecraftian games. And Arkham Horror has been sitting on my shelf for a while. If I have a bigger group to play with, I’m likely going to pull out Mansions of Madness, or Cthulhu: Death May Die. If I’m playing solo, I want to play Arkham Horror LCG (Living Card Game). Arkham Horror 3rd Edition just kind of falls into the category of a game I should play but it’s leaving.

Arkham Horror LCG Packs

Now, I just said that I am keeping Arkham Horror LCG, so then why is it here? These are just the plastic packs, basically little bits of story to add onto the main big boxes. I have several of those big boxes and I can play through those without the extra story. And I do need to do that. Plus Fantasy Flight just changed their model from monthly plastic packs to releasing all the extra content in a big box. It’s a one time hit, so when I’m ready for one, I can grab that.

First Martian

First Martian is a game that I actually enjoy quite well. But it falls into the category of a game I enjoy, but one that isn’t hard to get back. And one that I believe a friend still has, so I can play their copy. But this is a space Robinson Crusoe style game, tied in with the book the Martian for a lot of the feel. So a hard survival game. It is fun, there is a campaign that I want to play. But I can get it back when I’m actually ready to do that.

Heroes of Terrinoth

This one, you got to see me pick between it and the game it is based on, Warhammer Quest. And I went with Warhammer Quest. Mainly, the setting is more interesting for me, and I definitely don’t need both in my collection. This does look like a solid solo game, but also can be gotten back for not that much.

Lord of the Rings: Sauron Expansion

Yup, I’m getting rid of an expansion. Though, now I’m wondering if I could fit it all into the base box. If I can, then maybe I won’t get rid of it. The reason that I am planning on getting rid of it isn’t that it’s not a good expansion, it is, but it takes a cooperative game and turns it into a one versus all. And the one is playing a different game in some ways. I want or generally like one versus all games that are easy to pass around who is the one. I feel like this expansion it wouldn’t be as easy, especially considering I haven’t played it in a long time.

The Drink

So last night I tried Orange Jameson for the first time. It is a very orange forward whiskey, so at least the name doesn’t lie. But it’s only okay as a sipping drink. I think compared to normal Jameson, which is also only okay for sipping, so much of the whiskey flavor is lost. Some of that is how strong the orange flavor is, but I’m not sure, it seems like they tweaked it so that the whiskey flavor is lost.

I do want to try it again tonight, and to mix it with cream soda. Basically creating an orange creamsicle because that sounds amazing and a better use for the whiskey. What other cocktails or mixed drinks do you think would work well with Orange Jameson?

Upcoming Streams

So my original plan for these “Should It Stay or Should It Go” streams was every other Monday. I think that might be changing to every Monday now, or shooting for that a bit more. I do think it’ll be determine week by week if I stream on Mondays but I’m having a lot of fun with these streams and it gives me good things to think about with my collection.

But Wednesdays are going to be consistent for sure. So this week and next week I will be playing some one off games. I might try and learn a new game to stream on Wednesday, though, I do want to try out the solo mode for a few games, and I have a few roll and write games that I can show off. Let me know what you’d like to see, some smaller card games, or some roll and writes.

Send an Email.
Message me directly on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here.
Support us on Patreon here.

Malts and Meeples Videos

Firstly, I want to start with the quality of my videos. They are solid, but not always where I want them to be, and that is something that I want to improve upon. Plus sometimes technology acts up and I miss it, see Sleeping Gods Part 5, I believe, for how that went wrong and the audio got messed up. That is somewhat on me. But this is going to be where I ask you to subscribe, give videos thumbs up, and consider the Patreon, which you can find here.

The reason I am making a push for this is that I’d like to do a few things, eventually, to improve my streaming quality. And Patreon plus growing the channel so I can do more previews or reviews of Kickstarter games coming up, means that I’ll be able to do that eventually. I’d like to be able to get a gaming table. That would make it easier for me to keep a campaign game set-up and keep getting it to the table for streaming. I would also like to improve the quality of my game camera, get something that is a bit better on the focus.

New Content

Next up, I want talk about the different types of new content I am considering doing. Because I do have some ideas for upcoming series. And I want to ask if people want me to do board game reviews in video format? I do written reviews, and those won’t go away. But should I do video reviews as well?

But while you ponder that question, let’s look at some series I’m considering doing:

Collection or Cull

This would be a series where I go through my collection and talk about if I am going to cull them – sell them – or keep them in my collection. Plus it’ll be a fun way to talk about the games that are in my collection. I know a number of channels do this sort of thing already, I generally like those videos if they aren’t about – “Look how much I’m getting rid of, I’m so awesome for it.”. But I think it’d be a smart thing to do to take stock of what I have, what might not be getting played, and what might be leaving. This would probably be my biweekly Monday chat.

Video Game Streaming

I want to keep these new ideas a bit more simple. Mainly, without a gaming table, it make it trickier and more work to set-up a board game every single time I want to stream. So I want to try some things like video games as well. And with Elden Ring just coming out, I am really tempted to pick it up and stream that. I also have the digital version of Gloomhaven I could stream. Or Slay the Spire and Inscryption. Though, Inscryption right now is less interesting. And Outer Wilds is another one that really seems intriguing to me. Let me know what you’d want to see streamed.

A little bit about each game:

1. Elden Ring – This is an open world game kind of in the style of a Dark Souls, but way more open world than that. It’s new, looks really cool, but also does still have a few bugs. But if you want to see my hack and slash and die, this could be awesome. Plus the graphics are amazing.
2. Gloomhaven Digital – Gloomhaven the board game but digital. I think it would be fun to go through, I believe you need to control four characters which is a downside. Plus it’s more board game coverage, which isn’t a bad thing.
3. Slay the Spire – This is board game adjacent because there is a board game version coming eventually, maybe, hopefully, to crowdfunding. But it is a rogue-like deck building game. The nice thing is that a run isn’t that long.
4. Outer Wilds – A space game where a sun explodes and the world resets every 22 minutes, I believe. This is going to be a game of exploring mysteries of why it’s happening and maybe figure out how to break out of the loop, I really don’t know.
5. Other – let me know if there is one that you think would be interesting to watch? Maybe something more story and choice driven?

Digital Board Games

So, technically Gloomhaven Digital could fall into this category. But more likely I’d use this to preview upcoming games or more for games that are a one off. So stuff like my Rogue Angels play through on TTS. The idea would be that I want to cover more upcoming games so you know if they are right for you.

Recorded Game Plays

So, unlike most of this other content, this would be recorded. The upside to that is that it means I don’t need to set it up at a specific time. The downside is that they might be more sporadic. But if you liked the Aldarra game play, and that was a massive game, then maybe do some more recorded game plays. I could also do them when I just feel like playing a one off solo game and leave campaigns more for the Wednesday live stream.

Top Tens

Board game top ten lists are always fun. I would consider doing these just by myself as I have before. But I’d also like to start bringing in a few friends on them as well. Or reach out to some content creators to see if they’d want to collaborate. There are a lot of creators that do top tens, but I’m okay adding to that because I like doing them as well. You can see in my Top 100 videos how excited I get making them and talking about games.

Final Thoughts

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for watching. I really appreciate the people who join it live and check it out later. And I do want feedback on what works well, what maybe doesn’t and I could improve upon, things like that. Let me know what you want to see more of or less of. You can use the information in the bottom to let me know on Facebook, Twitter, or email.

And I really want to grow Malts and Meeples this year. But for those who prefer the written content, I will not be getting away from that. Nerdologists.com is going to still be a focus on what I do and something that I want to grow as well. But part of that is growing the brand as a whole and that means if Malts and Meeples does better, hopefully more people will find Nerdologists.com as well.

And help me pick my next board game to stream as well.

Send an Email.
Message me directly on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here.
Support us on Patreon here.

Today, though, I want to take a different tact. There is a lot about why you should get rid of games. But not all games fall into the category of play it, then get rid of it. Or why did you buy it in the first place, you already have 20 campaign games, you don’t need all of Kingdom Death Monster. I believe games can fall into three different categories in your collection. The games that you need to keep, the games you want to keep, and the games you should probably get rid of.

The Board Games You Need To Keep

Now, I use the word need here. There are no board games that you truly need. Board games are a hobby, and no hobby is a need. That said, there are some games that you will want to keep no matter what. These games fall into a few different categories or reasons why you keep them.

Firstly, you play the game often. So board games that you play a lot, you can most definitely keep those. You need them because you play them. That one is simple enough to grasp.

Next, you might keep a game because it’s a grail game. But even this is not a great reason to keep a game. If you aren’t playing a grail game, why do you need it on your shelf? Sometimes, though, a game is just so hard to come by that it won’t be worth the hassle of getting it back. Especially if it’s a game that you found before it was hard to get or just stumbled across. Also, if the grail game still brings you joy.

For example, I’ll remember stumbling across Tannhauser at a used book store, or getting the minis for Dice Throne Adventures off of Facebook Marketplace, as how I got the game. So there is joy of the hunt for those games. And having that on your shelf and reminding you might be enough.

That brings us to the final reason you might need a game, it brings you joy. This is a game that you look at, possibly a grain game, and you see it and it just makes you happy. You don’t feel regret that you aren’t playing it, you are just happy you own the game.

The Board Games You Want To Keep

Now, the final reason of need is also the main reason that you might want to keep a board game. The game brings you joy. But these are the games that bring you less joy than other games. An example for myself, owning Xenoshyft: Onslaught, and Dreadmire brings me joy. I don’t really need two things that are basically the same game. I should play both and pick my favorite.

So it is more of a want to keep both? They bring me joy. Another way to put it is that while you might have a lot of the type of game you love. I own a lot of deck builders and a lot of stuff for a lot of deck builders. Do I need Xenoshyft, Aeon’s End, Ascension, Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle and more in my collection? No, I don’t play all of them all the time. But deck building brings me joy.

This can also be the games that you maybe don’t love, but you play. Another example from my collection would be Splendor. I think it’s an okay game that I’d play but never seek out to play. I feel like I’ve played it and I don’t need to again. But, my wife likes the game, and she can pull that one off the shelf and teach and play it. That is a game I want to keep because other people like it and want to play it. This really works for games that people ask to play.

One important thing though is that games you want to keep shouldn’t be games that weigh you down. Some games when they are on the shelf, you look at them and you feel bad that you aren’t playing them. Those games fall into the third category.

The Board Games You Should Get Rid Of

This is the hardest category, there are reasons to think you shouldn’t get rid of any game. What if someone wants to play that one game that has been collecting dust for years. You got a good deal on a game, so it’d likely cost more to get it back. Or it’s out of print, so it’ll be more difficult to track down later.

Before we pick apart some reasons to keep, let’s talk about some reasons to get rid of a game. The most obvious one is that you don’t play it. If you don’t play it, why do you keep it? Does it bring you joy? Okay, but does it bring you enough joy to eat up a spot on your shelf? Is it in a genre that you just adore, well, maybe keep it. But sometimes it’s better to know your putting a game into the hands of someone who will play it.

Honestly, that is the reason that you get rid of a game, you don’t play it. But to add another twist on that, it weighs you down. That’s the idea that you look at the game and you feel bad that you aren’t playing it. And it feels like it’s too much work to learn the rules and play it, but you feel bad you aren’t. Get rid of games like that. They are a mini black hole on your shelf and soon they’ll start sucking the joy out of other games around them, because you always see that one game.

But now let’s tackle some of the excuses that you might be using to keep games around.

What If Someone Wants To Play The Game?

This one is simple, they can buy it. Or we can make it slightly less simple, they can let you know they want to play it and you can buy it. This is something I want to work on this year, the idea of getting a game just in time. Some games I want to keep on my shelf because they get played, but if a new game comes out, let’s say So Clover as a party game example, I can buy that right before a game night. I don’t need to buy it two months or two years before I’ll play it.

It Was Such A Good Deal Though

So, what does that matter if you don’t play the game. Buying a game because it “was a good deal” still uses money that you could be spending on other things. Even non-board game related things. And if you sell the game now, or trade it, you’ll get money to buy a board game or part of a board game that you’ll actually play. Or something else that you actually need. If or when you want to play the game again, you can buy it again, probably on sale again.

It’s Out Of Print, It’ll Be Hard To Find Later

It might be hard, but it won’t be impossible. And if you are savvy with selling it, you will break even when you want to get it back. And this is still a game that you’re not playing. It might even be a game that you don’t like that well. So why would you want it to eat up some space on your shelf. Like the game that was such a good deal, this is money that is just sitting there. But in this case, it is more money that could be going into a game that you will play.

This is one that i really do see so often, it’s the idea that people don’t love a game, but it’s hard to find. That is a bad reason for it to be in your collection. Just because it is rare isn’t going to make you like it more. Let someone else who is having trouble finding a game that they like and want to play, get the game. Sell your copy, and then get a game you will play.

It’s My Favorite Type Of Game

But does it bring you joy? Or does it weigh you down? If it isn’t bringing you joy, that doesn’t matter that it’s your favorite mechanic. I don’t own Dominion even though I love deck building games. Now, in all fairness, I don’t like Dominion as a deck building game, it is a game that kind of plays itself for me. I do not need it in my collection because I won’t play it. The other ones I do pull off the shelf from time to time all of them.

Let’s Run Through Some Examples In My Collection

So, like that whole long title says, I want to use some games in my collection as an examples of different things.

Gloomhaven

When was the last time I actually played Gloomhaven? Well not this year, and not in months. I have beat the campaign and I don’t intend to go back and play it again anytime soon.

But it isn’t going to be leaving my collection. This is a game that I absolutely love. Even if I never come back to it again. I like having it on my shelf to think about all the great fun I had playing it. This is a game that brings me so much joy. Plus it’s marked up and has stickers, so while I’m sure someone would like a cheaper used copy, the return isn’t worth losing that spot of joy on my shelf.

Xenoshyft: Onslaught

This is a simple one, I play the game often. Now, what determines often might be different for different people. I think I played it 3-4 times last year, and when I played 70+ different games and 100+ were Orchard, that is pretty often.

The Blood Inn

Now this one is trickier. I haven’t played the game yet. Technically it is part of my goal to get down to under 100 games in my collection that I haven’t played. And I do want to play it, the theme is fun and I think I’d enjoy the game. I just need to play it and see if it is a game that I like.

Marrying Mr Darcy

This is kind of my stand-in for Splendor. This is a game that my wife backed on Kickstarter and I do like playing it. It isn’t that far off of my top 100. But it is a game she can easily pull off the shelf and teach and play with people. And that happens fairly often. So that one won’t leave the collection for that reason.

Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate

Finally we have Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate, and this one I think is actually going to leave my collection. You know I love Betrayal at House on the Hill. And Betrayal at Baldur’s Date is the same thing, just the fantasy version of that, the D&D version. And I love D&D. But if I were to pick one of the two games, Betrayal at House on the Hill will get played every time before Baldur’s Gate. And I have Betrayal Legacy that I need to play as well. So there are two games ahead of Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate.

But does it give me joy? Meh, I don’t feel like it’s a weight, but it also doesn’t make me smile every time I see it. It is just more of a game and game system I know I love in a package I like slightly less than the original version. And it’s a game that if I want to get it back, I can.

Final Thoughts

So we actually found a game during this that can leave my collection. Some people say that as you start culling it can be addicting. It feels like a weight leaving your shoulders because you don’t need to worry about playing that game. I can see that to some extent, but that’s not why I cull. And I think, to start, it doesn’t feel like that. It feels bad that you are selling a game that you didn’t play as much as you wanted to.

I cull games and sell games for a few reasons. When I sell a game it means that someone else can enjoy that game. If I’m not playing it, now someone who really wants it can play it. I’m passing on the joy of board gaming to someone else. Plus I get money or store credit, and now I can get a game I want to play even more.

And I really mainly do it for that last reason. I want to find a game that works better for me. If a game doesn’t get played or is just fine for me, why keep it in the collection. Instead, let someone else play it and quest for that next game that is great for me.

Do you find it hard to get rid of games? And do you have games that you love but you know you won’t play, but they still stay anyways? Let me know what those games are in the comments below.

Send an Email.
Message me directly on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here.
Support us on Patreon here.