What would you like to see us play on Tabletop Season Three?

Posted on By Wil

Anonymous asked:

Second Season of Wil Wheaton Project. Yes or No? I hope SyFy channel has the foresight to keep it going.

So for those of you who don’t know, earlier this summer, I did 12 episodes of a silly comedy show on Syfy called The Wil Wheaton Project. It was basically The Soup for people like me who enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, as well as jokes about those things. If you’d like to see a bunch of clips from the show, they’re right here on my YouTube thing.

We’re officially on hiatus right now, and we don’t know if the network will order more episodes. I know that they liked us in a creative sense, but the ratings weren’t very good (ratings are generally not very good in summer, and while I don’t believe that ratings are as important as they once were, my opinion on the matter isn’t particularly important to the decision makers), but the people who did watch us really liked us. So I won’t know for a few more weeks, but until then, I’m on hiatus, which means I get to write more, play more games, and prep for season three of Tabletop, which goes into production in October.

Part of that preparation includes finding 20 games to play on the show, and as of today, I have eight (maybe nine) that are strong contenders.

What do you want us to play on the show next year? Would you tell me the game, the publisher, and why you like it?

Keep in mind the criteria for Tabletop game selection:

  1. Plays well with 4 people.

  2. Plays in under 90 minutes.

  3. Can be generally explained in about 5 minutes.

  4. Has a high ration of luck to strategy, so everyone has a chance to win the game.

  5. Looks great, has clear graphical design and photographs well.

  6. Is not something we’ve played before.

I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.

Discover more from WIL WHEATON dot NET

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

blog Tabletop Television The Wil Wheaton Project

Comments (2,070)

  1. Warhammer: Diskwars. A tabletop wargame set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting made by Fantasy Flight Games. It can have four players by default, and each can field an army of their own. It has thematic battles between Humans, Elves, Orcs, and Chaos. The game has a rock-paper-scissors mechanic which changes up the player order every turn. The game pieces are easy to see and have all the relevant information printed on them. There is little need to reference the manual once the game mechanics are explained. There is a random or luck mechanic for all ranged attack, and since orders are determined secretly, next-turn player order is also random. Players can fight for their own secret agendas; either kill the enemy heroes, kill as many units as possible, or move to strategic points and claim them. Reinforcements enter the fray so no player is knocked out too early. It is a complete tabletop wargame in a box that creates meaningful, tactical battles.

  3. Eldritch, mansions of madness, level 7 omega protocol, fortress America, mice and mystics, manhattan project. And everyone already knows you’re gonna do king of New York.

  4. Here’s a few games that might fit the show well: Trains, Power Grid, The Manhattan Project, Star Realms, King of New York, Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Zombie 15′, Tales of the Arabian Nights, Mouse Guard: RPG, Dungeon World: RPG, Neuroshima Hex, Imperial Settlers, Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island, Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game, Quarriors and The Battle of Kemble’s Cascade.

    Also please have Josh Barnett on the show.

  7. “Cash N Guns” just got reprinted which is a fun / silly game that can be taught very quickly and has a lot of betrayal elements to it! I’m sure your guests will love it! Who doesn’t loves a good Mexican stand of

    I know how you usually play a good party game in each season so I feel “Telestrations” would be a fantastic pick! It leads to a lot of goofy moments especially among some really funny people and it would be a riot for the audience to see what you would draw.

    And finally “Kingsburg” for a great worker placement game that has great depth to it and some fun dice chucking! It also has some great artwork so it would be fantastic game to look at and play at around 90 minutes, maybe longer depending on the players so that one may be pushing it.

    Beyond those it’d be real great to see a lot of the games folks here have already recommended! And honestly you mostly introduced me to the majority of the games I play consistently! Happy gaming and I can’t wait for season 3!

  9. I just played Cutthroat Caverns with friends for the first time, and it was a ton of fun and is a neat mix of cooperative and competitive play. I think that could be made into a good show, and if you want it to run a little shorter, I don’t see why you couldn’t always start with a smaller deck of encounters.

  10. Something that introduces younger players (like 8 – 10 yrs old) to RPGs, or at least something that encourages creativity and teamwork which might lead down the road to role playing.

  11. You’ve mentioned it before, but I would really love to see you play Cosmic Encounter. It’s one of my friends’ and my favorites. Thanks for such a cool show.

  12. Quarantine! Board game about building a hospital and curing patients. It’s a great little strategy game and it’s pretty simple.

    Cosmic Encounter! Your hand and who you have encounters with is totally luck of the draw. That and the 50 aliens that come with the base set make this something I’d love to see on Tabletop.

  13. Smirk & Dagger have several games that would fit the bill. You have the card based dungeon crawl with Cutthroat Caverns. Student Bodies is a fun zombie board game with a few twists. Dread Curse is simple to learn, but the cards and roles gives it quite a bit of dimension. Then there are the quick paced Hex Hex and Run For Your Life! Hex Hex is similar to hot potato but you control the flow of the curse through cards. Add in few specialty things such as compelling it in one direction or shattering it and getting multiple hexes out on the table for fast action fun. Run For Your Life is part of the “good games tine bad series.” Take a beloved game from childhood (such as Candyland) and give it the fractured fairy tale treatment. Now you are one of the gingerbread people trying to get out of the Candy Kingdom. Better arm yourself with licorice whips because its every cookie for themselves. Of course those whips won’t help you in a cage match. That’s right a candy cage match.

  14. The new XCOM game by those guys that made Star wars Xwing. Or the fleet star wars game! Ooh ooh, Or Arkham Horror 😀 And Mansion of Madness. You can never have too much Cthulhu.

  15. agricola by zman games because you actually see what you have built at the end and it is very fun to play. power grid rio grande games because its very simple and easy to learn. and No Thanks! another very simple card game, maybe do what you guys did and combine it with other little games. hope to see these on the next season!!

  16. Flashpoint
    Quantum

    Mostly I’d like to see newer games. You’ve introduced me to classics and different types to get me interested in my new favorite past time. Now, keep me up to date and current with new and innovative games!! Thanks so much! Will be liking lots of vids when you start up again

    Good Luck!

  17. I think someone created multiple accounts to spam these Grant Wilson games…. pretty suspicious if you ask me.

    As I said earlier, I wanna see Sentinels of the Multiverse for sure, and beyond that, play whatever. a lot of my game collection is because of Tabletop so I’m counting on you Wil!

  18. First off, I think an absolute perfect fit for the show would be Dungeon Fighter. It’s a light-hearted dexterity game where you’re doing on a dungeon dive, but in order to fight the monsters you are literally throwing dice towards a giant bullseye on the table. The closer to the center you get, the more damage. The trick is that some monsters require special throws, such as with your eyes closed, off your forehead, from below the table, etc. It would be awesome to watch, and a ton of fun to play.

    My other suggestion might run up against your time limit, but a storytelling game like Tales of the Arabian Nights or its “successor” Agents of SMERSH would be something you could really get into. Especially if you had Felicia Day or one of the other people who really get into their characters.

  19. Twilight Sparkle’s Super Secret Ship Fic Folder is a beautifully rendered game best played at 3-4 players over a light-hearted and hilarious half hour. In it players help Twilight Sparkle’s ravenous relationship-fiction writing by creating an elaborate ship-web of improbable scenarios featuring all her pony friends. Definitely needs to be shown to the world.

  21. Survive! would be another good choice. Some strategy to it but very high luck. Plus I think it could be a funny episode.

  24. My husband wants to see you guys play Agricola, but I’m not certain it meets all your requirements (specifically the 5-min explanation and 90-min play time). I do think that Stone Age would be a great option though.

  25. Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre is a crazy little game where you take on the role of wizards casting spells in order to be the last wizard standing. Even though it’s a “knock out” game, it plays fast so nobody has to sit out too long. It appeals to non-gamers b/c of the ease of play, and also to old-school DnD players who “get” the references. Crazy fun art, fast play, seems like a good fit.

  26. Space Cadets. You have to play space cadets. It’s basically a game where you play the worst Star Trek Crew ever. It’s a crime that you haven’t played it yet. No really look it up.

    DISCLAIMER: Don’t look it up.

    ANYway … you … you should totally play Space cadets…

    …and invite me…

  27. Power Grid (from Rio Grande Games)is a fabulous game and plays well with 4 players. Also Sucking Vacuum (from Alien Menace) is lots of cut throat fun and you can be a monkey.

  30. Most of the games that I love are ones you’ve already covered, but I have yet to see you play:

    Quelf (AMIGO Spiel + Freizeit GmbH, Imagination Games, Spin Master Ltd., Wiggity Bang Games)
    http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/50381/cards-against-humanity

    This is an insanely fun board game that requires players to cater to the random, chaotic rules of the game in order to beat other players to the finish. All of my memories of playing Quelf involve someone doing or saying something crazy and outrageous, or abiding by some outlandish rule in order to hold their position on the board. Even if you’re not playing, it’s extremely fun to watch as well, so it’s definitely great viewing material.

    …and secondly, Cards Against Humanity (Self-published and web published)
    http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/50381/cards-against-humanity

    Of course almost everyone I know is familiar with Cards Against Humanity. It’s one of the most popular card games on the market right now, and rightfully so, since it’s got the right amount of toilet humor, sexual jokes, and political incorrectness to please just about anyone over the age of 16. I’ve played both the online version and the physical card game; both have proved to be immensely entertaining; it’s definitely got that laugh-till-you-cry factor. In brief, I’d describe this game as “R-rated Apples to Apples”. That’s really the best description I can give without going into extreme detail about its rules and such. Because of the game’s popularity and because it’s a quality game in general, I’d definitely suggest adding it to your roster.

    If you’ve already featured either of these and I missed it for some reason, I apologize. If not, please consider featuring them, as they’re both quality games that are deserving of more recognition.

  32. Hey Wil,

    It would be great to see Castle Ravenloft or any of the DND board games. Bring Felicia, Dr. Hannah and an owl bear and it could just be the funniest episode to date!

  33. Forbidden Desert- Show Matt Leacock you can win!
    Survive: Escape from Atlantis- wicked fun and very cutthroat
    Libertalia – because pirates. And Mission Red Planet is out of print.
    Jamaica- because pirates. And racing games are awesome
    City of Horror- zombie survival with negotiation. And Dead of Winter takes too long to explain.
    Letters from Whitechapel- really good hidden movement game. And Fury of Dracula is out of print.
    Alien Frontiers- Dice Rolling Worker placement area control space game; so much awesome in one game. And El Grande is out of print.
    Lost Legacy: The Starship, No Thanks, and Hanabi- THE FILLER GAME EXTRAVAGANZA!!!
    Fury of Dracula, Mission Red Planet, and El Grande- THE OUT OF PRINT EXTRAVAGANZA!!!

  34. Sheriff of Nottingham, from Arcane Wonders. It’s a great social game with almost all bluffing. Would be a blast to watch you guys play it. It’s very easy to explain and has some great artwork.

  35. I think that a deck building game would be cool. I just started getting into them, and while they do take some getting used to, once you get it, you GET it. I’ve been playing both Legendary and the Lord of the Rings Deck Building games, but Dominion might be a good one too.

    Either way, I’m excited to see the new games you’ll be playing!

  36. I liked the episodes where you played one or two lighter-weight games, rather than a single game. If you decide to do another one of these episodes, I think Escape – Curse of the Temple would be a PHENOMENAL game to include. Given that it plays in exactly ten minutes, this might even be the first game where you could show the ENTIRETY of the game. It might be somewhat hard to follow (frequent cuts to people explaining what was going on in their heads?) but it’s just a pure joy to watch people play this game, and see how fired up they get.

    I also think it’s one of those games that really exposes people to just how much more modern board games can be. When most people see it, it’s unlike anything they ever imagined you could do with a board game, and that’s really a fun thing to see.

  38. A few that I think would be a good fit for the show:

    Cash’N’Guns (a no-brainer, would be a riot to watch)
    Sheriff of Nottingham (would be great with the right group!)
    Hanabi
    Sentinels of the Universe
    Concept (unless the board icons are too small to shoot effectively while still showing the players)
    Nuns on the Run (viewers could “see” the player locations, which are secret during the game, through graphics added in post)

  39. I would nominate sentinels of the multiverse.

    A coop super hero card game, which has super easy rules for you to remember; play a card, use a power, and then draw a card. It gets more indepth as you go but the base is super simple and I have found newbies easily jumping into it and doing well.

    And while it’s a card game , since it’s coop if you leave your hands on the table so others can see, it makes it even easier to photograph.

  41. I would love to see Evil Hat Productions’ Zeppelin Attack and/or Race to Adventure. Both games play fairly quickly and are simple to explain.

  42. I’d love to see you visit a classic like Escape from Colditz- the rules are slightly archaic, but easier than some I’ve seen, and if it’s a group that has at least one or two experienced players, the learning curve is not steep. It also encourages in the rules to set the time limit and terms for winning before playing, so you can run it at any time length you desire.

    If Nazis are too controversial, a similar format would be Letters from White Chapel. It runs like Fury of Dracula, but it seems to have a much more balanced gameplay to it. I’ve played it a few times, and it often comes right down to the last move of the game.

    Both of these are everyone against one player, but it’s a nice scenario because of the teamwork aspect it garnishes. Colditz could have a single winner, while White Chapel would deviate slightly from the nightly winner tradition you have on the show.

  43. Dead Teenager RPG
    Everything is done with a deck of cards and you can get it from Drivethrurpg.net for $10.

  45. Diplomacy. A game of alliances, intrigue, and treachery. This one has Wil and Felicia written all over it.

  46. I’m adding my vote for “Evil Hat Productions’ Zeppelin Attack” (thank you, copy+paste). It’s a 2-4, plays quickly, great artwork, and the thematic elements lend themselves to comedic moments.

  47. Interstellar Mayhem
    In short it’s a starship dogfight in an asteroid field. It’s quick, easy to learn and can be played by 2 to 6 players. enjoy playing it a lot.

  48. Manifest by SchilMil games. It’s easy, it’s got an awesome pirating theme, and it’s very photogenic.

  49. Galaxy Trucker. All the way. It isn’t turn based, so it might change the pace, but time lapse images of the ships falling apart would be pretty rad, and also the game is hella-fun

Comments are closed.