10 Games you can play forever

So yes, if you are feeling burned out by constantly playing new games ever week..... how about no? And if that's working out for you, cool, you'll probably be back at this video in a few years time telling me you wished you had listened. Because the churn and burn that currently defines the influencer meta within board gaming is unsustainable, unhealthy and ultimately hollow. Play your games! And let me know what your forever games would be.

I heard about a guy that played a game of jumanji for 26 years

‘“Board games are not pizza.” With that statement and 34 minutes to explain that distinction, you created one of the most important and entertaining game lists of all time. We don’t give enough credit to the cumulative shared experiences of playing the same game together over and over. A game does not need to be a legacy or campaign game to create its own narrative arc and rich storylines. Games are not meant to be played once and discarded, if they are games worth playing.

Santorini - 5:40 Dominion - 7:43 Netrunner - 12:53 Arkham Horror - 14:08 Sentinels of the Multiverse - 16:42 Spirit Island - 19:13 Dueling Games - 22:08 Filler Games - 23:58 Diplomacy-like Games - 25:38 Engine Building Games - 28:45

One of the fun things about playing "kitchen table" Magic the Gathering, that is, just with your friends in a casual setting, is you don't really need to buy the cards. You can just print out slips of paper and slide them into card sleeves in front of real cards and, ta-da, you have new cards to play with! Fans call it proxying, whole Wizards of the Coast calls them playtest cards, and has no problem at all with their use. They even encourage pro players to do this to get a feel for how the new cards play before they're released. Proxying is fully fine and 100% legal as long as: 1. You're not trying to use them in an official tournament where real cards are required. 2. Pretending they're real cards in order to counterfeit them. 3. Sell them, even if it's obvious they're not real cards. I do it all the time with friends and even strangers who play Commander. I also have my own self imposed limits, but I share what I have made with everyone before play begins to make sure they're ok. I have some decks of 100% real cards just in case someone feels uneasy about it.

For me, Root hits so many of the points you mentioned and is my most loved forever game. Variable set up, expansions that make it feel like a living game, storytelling, evolving metas. You may never play the same combinations of faction, map and deck twice. And even then different players may play the same faction in different and surprising ways. You could play 50 games and still be discovering new interactions.

My wife and I have been playing Terraforming Mars for about a year and a half now. This week we ended up playing a 2.5 hour game, totally different than before. We finished and said to each other, “Okay, NOW I’m starting to get this game.” So deep. Great video

One of my wife and I’s forever games is Carcassonne. At first it seemed pleasant enough. Build some roads, some cities, lay down a farmer here or there. All is well. After repeated plays though, we discovered it’s “knife fight in a phone booth” competitive nature. Cutting in on each others cities. Strategically blocking each other. And the vicious fight for farmland. Now we love it. We’ve tried expansions and spin offs, but always just return to the regular base game. We never grow tired of it.

Concordia gives me the best of both worlds. New maps to try out with unique mechanisms along with a core game I could (and plan to) play forever.

Or, you could just play 'The Campaign for North Africa' once.

Fantastic video and perspective! Sharing to my game groups. Thanks also for throwing some love to Catan. I'm many hundreds of plays deep in my forever game and it still delivers great experiences.

Love this format. Thanks for taking us through all of the games. It's clear you have a deeper understanding of each of them.

You highlighted some points that really hit home in our game group. One of my friends is constantly collecting and learning new games. While I enjoy new experiences, starting from scratch every time is not only draining, but also leaves a lot to be desired. It’s unfulfilling not being able to experiment in a game through diving deeper and seeing what it really offers.

My forever list - Castles of Burgundy (over 3000 plays and I'm not tired of it), Grand Austria Hotel (infinite combos), Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers (my favourite in the series), Mottainai (my favourite card game), Targi (best 2 player game), Balloon Cup (another great 2 player game), Rose King (chess like 2 player game), Saint Petersburg (replaces splendor for me), Kashgar (my favourite deck builder with a twist), Oregon (another great but rare tile laying game), The Voyages of Marco Polo (classic euro - around 200 plays for me), Port Royal (press your luck at it's best), Through the Ages (app version, also like the tabletop on occasion), dice games (because they are quick and fun) - Way of the Dragon, Can't Stop, Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age, Skyline, Spexxx, Zooloretto the Dice Game.

As a fanatic collector and player of AHLCG and Spirit Island, i can confirm that replayability never stops. I dont need to buy any other games

My forever game... D&D. ;-) Yeah, I know it is a TTRPG and not a board game, but it is the game that I never tire of and have played for 40+ years now... and with some of the same people from back then. Best game I ever discovered. :-)

I'm learning that (good) deckbuilders really hold up to repeat plays over a long, long time - I recently picked up Legendary Alien and can see that staying in my collection forever. Great video!

What an impactful message at the beginning of your video. You've just earned my great respect. I've always loved playing board games since I was little, and recently I started a board game hobby as an adult, buying so many games in such a short period of time. I began this journey at the start of the year and now own around 65 different games, not including the expansions. Heck, I haven't even played some of them yet because I rushed to buy so many so quickly. Watching your video, especially this one, really made me reconsider what I'm getting myself into. I don't want to end up like one of those "skipping stones" bouncing across the vast ocean that has much depth beneath it. I've already subscribed to your channel; you are one of the few board game reviewers I find truly authentic and genuine, offering crucial advice to someone like me who wants to make this a serious hobby. Thank you!

My list games that got many plays and still don’t feel boring and fresh: 1- spirit island 2- Cthulhu wars 3- Too many bones 4- Gaia project 5- KDM 6- black rose war (now renaissance) 7- Voidfall 8- Eclipse 9- insert your favorite lcg (lotr for me) 10- castle of burgundy / mage knight

In my friend group, Ra is easily our forever game. We also enjoy poker and there are some overlapping strategies. We have a goofy “trophy” that goes home with the person who pulled the most Ra tiles which they have to display on their desk at work until the next session. Love it!