Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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In today's video I explore games that are difficult to learn for a variety of reasons, but they're worth the effort and energy.

ambassadors: Ark Nova, Too Many Bones, Brass, A Feast for Odin, Imperium/Captain’s Chair, Root, Galactic Cruise, Gloomhaven, Hegemony, Inferno, Innovation, Great Western Trail, John Company, Luthier, Netrunner, Obsession, Race for the Galaxy, Scythe, SETI, Spirit Island, Star Wars: Rebellion, Terraforming Mars, Trickerion, Tzolk’in, Twilight Imperium, Unconscious Mind, War of the Ring

10. Too Many Bones (Aryn)

9. Unconscious Mind (Dillon)

8. Architects of the West Kingdom (Skiler)

7. Ark Nova (Kaitlyn)

Worth playing for the experience of having played them: Star Trek Captain's Chair, Root, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, Hegemony, Luthier, Netrunner, Obsession, Race for the Galaxy, SETI, Spirit Island, Twilight Imperium

6. Galactic Cruise
5. Great Western Trail: New Zealand
4. Terraforming Mars
3. A Feast for Odin
2. Age of Innovation
1. Tzolk’in

00:00 - Introduction
01:25 - Panelists
11:30 - Top 6

Become a champion of this channel: stonemaier-games.myshopify.com/pages/stonemaier-champion

podcast link: stonemaiergames.com/about/podcast
Intro animation by Jeff Payne vimeo.com/jaaronpayne