Help, I'm Drowning in Games! - with Tom Vasel

Tom Vasel discusses the over saturation of board game releases, and how gamers can navigate potentially being overwhelmed.

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#dicetower #thedicetower

[erichammett]

I think this is just a sign of a maturing entertainment industry. Movies, books, TV shows and music have created more content than can be consumed individually for many years.

[monozeroth]

Deckbuilders taught us that diluting your deck with "good" cards is a losing strategy, but we haven't applied that lesson to our collections.

[keithedwards]

Best advice I got told was to decide a realistic amount of space you can spare and then make sure your collection always fits in there. Want a new game? Get rid of a game in your collection! Also helped me stop buying big kickstarter games as they can easily take up the space of several "regular" games.

[JonnyTenebrous]

I've spent the last few years trying to re-adjust my attitude to my games inventory (and most everything else I own) from "collection" to "curation". After a decade of allowing my video games collection to grow like wildfire, I can see that it was largely a waste when compared against what I actually play. I'm determined not to go the same way with my board games. I've kept it to around 40 games, and ~10 are small box / card games. I would happily play every one of them at any time, yet I could still sell off probably 25% and not lose too much sleep. Learning to be more brutal with acquisitions, and willing to let go of things more readily.

[jasonc]

Exactly! Play the games you already own that your group enjoys!

[teekaytwo]

I thought it was just me. I am feeling overwhelmed, this is just the video i needed to hear from one of the most I respect. Thank you. ❤ I am too busy collecting, then regretting, instead of playing.

[freeheeler]

In regards to buying games, I went on a shopping spree the first couple years I got back into the hobby. I did end up buying a lot of games I didn't like or really need, but I have really figured out more about what I want and need out of a game to make it a worthwhile purchase. So now I've become more picky about the type of games I buy and play. I just don't have the time to waste on playing everything.

[kirkwagner]

Tom Vasel: "Remember the golden days when all we had was Monopoly and we LIKED it!"
:D
Thanks to Tom and the DT for trying to keep us informed about the industry.

[TheRadianc]

As board games become more popular, I hope "board game libraries" will start popping up, just as they have at the Dice Tower. Would save us the shelf space!

[davegildersleeve]

It's an important message Tom. Even if I wanted to, and I don't, I couldn't afford to buy every new game that is touted as being great. It's definitely exciting to buy and play a new game, but I only purchased what appeals to me. There are many, many games I will never play, and that's ok. I'm thrilled with the games I already have! Happy gaming and thanks.

[IndianaGeologist]

Tom you continue to be the best voice this hobby has. Thank you.

[gmoney]

We are definitely living in the Golden Age of Board Games. Great points.

[Alrek]

About a year ago, I became interested in owning board games. Not knowing where to start, I searched YouTube for the biggest channels and found Dice tower. The vast amount of reviews and top lists made me realize how many games are released each year and so I made lists of games that looked interesting to me and checked out multiple reviews and let's plays of them.

With my recent stress-related issues, I concluded that light to medium weight games is where I should start. I also had a criteria that the theme and/or aesthetics of the game should be pleasing to me. I also value interactivity and banter during a session so that check box has to be ticked. The game also has to hit the table regularly, so I started asking friends if they were interested in creating a gaming group and what their preferences were - asking them about games I was checking out to see if it would be a potential hit. Not having too many games with the same gameplay or mechanics will relieve redundancy, so some games on my list had a death match-up. Lastly, I limited myself to the shelf space I have available, so my collection will never get more important than maybe 20 games.

If ever there people want to know what I have, I can make a list. I hope my thoughts around the hobby brings inspiration to someone. I would like to thank the Dice Tower for sharing their vast knowledge with us. Keep it up!

[jpotter]

I Have sold off 450 games in the past 20months. Will keep on selling. I buried myself, it's killed my interest in physical gaming, and I have to shovel my way out. Getting out has become the entirety of my involvement in the hobby.

[WendyGa]

Love the sentiments in this video, Tom. Play your games. You don't need to own everything. Be content and have fun!
I feel much happier since my collection has been reduced in size. I play my games more often and only occasionally buy something that looks special. I fell in love with my boardgames again.

[dwarrenmsp]

This is one of the best videos about board games I've ever watched. Thank you Tom for all that you do!

[theDriveGuy]

Dice Tower’s version of the Sermon on the Mount. 😉 Very wise wise words. I’m newer to the hobby and I only have 12 games, not including the ones I play with my kids. And I get nearly all of them on the table monthly. That’s do to being able to enjoy the games I own and love to play. Great to encourage us to playing our games.

[metalprognosis]

These style of conversational videos are amazing.

[IslanKleinknecht]

The whole reason I got into board games back in 2015 was because it was a hobby that was talking about games there were several years old, and I wanted to escape the constant concern of the new and upcoming in video games. I thought this was a hobby where we could slow down and enjoy ourselves. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

[BobbyJuno]

I'm out of space. Its gotten so bad that I cant expand any of my other hobbies. I'm trying to cull down to the classics. It's expensive trying to discover hidden gems. Kickstarter previews/reviews tricked me one too many times. Moving forward, I'm not interested in purchasing another game unless people are still talking about it 3+ years after its release.