My Top 10 Sandbox Board Games

I really enjoyed the closing section of the video, naming popular games in the same-ish genre and why they dont fit for you, as well as interesting ones youve heard of but havent had a chance to play yet. The context helps to frame games on the list even better!!

This intro was good, not buy games, but I do miss the regardless of the consequences.
I wanted XIA, but is imposible to get here.
Western Legends I thought the big box had all the content in it in a big box, sad to find out is an empty super expensive box.
Ti4 I recomend playing it at TTS, with people that now the game well, you can play in 4 hrs a 6 player game, specially with the expansion that speeds up everything.

You gotta check out The Good The Bad and The Ugly, and Once Upon a Time in The West. Both of those movies are incredible

Is there something like a light Sandbox game? i feel i would love all the choices but im not that thinky :) i was thinking Forgotten Waters from what ive heard?

This is great! I was actually thinking about this on your podcast episode. I would debate that sandbox games are kind of campaign games, where each game is a mini campaign for itself 😊
I actually skipped campaign games in my collection altogether for exactly same reasons you named in conclusion. Anyway great content as always!

I was worried fields of arle would be here. I hate this game with a passion!
😂

I'm only 10 seconds into the video and I'm already cracking up. That Anakin sand clip was a genius choice. Lol.

Outer Rim completely killed Firefly for me

Love Xia! I missed backing the expansion so I backed it at the same time I backed Arydia. Unfortunately got to wait till November but I know I love the expansion since a friend has it. Also related to the podcast I’ve never really done a campaign so I’m excited to try Arydia. I’ve tried a couple but ever owned anything not counting LotR LCG

Also I’m the same with Western themes I don’t know what it is that turns me away

Never played pursuit of happiness but want to so bad but do agree it sounds like a sandbox

Fields of Arle is one of the games I want to play so badly and my wife loves those kind of euro games so I think I could get it to the table a lot

This is a really good list! Some interesting choices, explained well. This is the first time someone's said they like Pursiit of Happiness and I actually understand why

And when you started describing a game I really like...I thought "that sounds like Fields of Arle"😆 We've just discovered it & I hadn't thought of it as a sandbox, but yes! 💡 Also, I'm a fan of Firefly, both show & game. Yes, it's long. And the dice rolls can be frustrating. But it's just sooo thematic that even its flaws are thematic🤣 Thanks for the video! You've given me a handful of games to think about🎉

Did you block me? Keep trying to post, gets removed in seconds.

Im seeing a lot of empty space behind you, Luke. Time to hit up Kienda, perhaps?? 😉

Fun list, as usual. Thanks!

Another great video Luke. I personally love sand box ganes and have many of your top ten.
Caverna and Fields of Arle sound similar....is FoA the better of the 2?

The Persuit of Happiness is definitely a Sand-box game. I would love to own the All-in-box. Western Legends I still need to play - is this great as solo though? How about Frost punk and This War of Mine?

Does your opinions on Caverna also apply to the two player version Cave vs Cave?

Hi this list got me subscribed, thanks 😘

Personally I think Roads & Boats is the ultimate sandbox game, cannot recommend it enough. Great list, though!

Hard disagree on Caverna killing Agricola. Both are excellent but Agricola is still better due to occupations and improvements, static buildings in Caverna are pale in comparison.

XIA with exp, Bantam West, Fallen Land, Merchant and Marauders.

FYI, if you're wanting to get Xia, Western Legends of Pursuit of Happiness to the table, I'm always happy to join you ... 😀

Merchants and Marauders is one of the best pirate sand boxes out there. It is long - true, and there is some downtime (One of the expansion modules fixes that - sort of (if you’re lucky)) but I think it’s pretty easy rules. The combat is really good - but you might have to refer to the rules. Arrr 🏴‍☠️

Yeahhhhh Fields of Arle!! My favorite Uwe and i love it for its sandboxyness... great list!

Suprised hexploreit wasnt mentioned

I don't get WHY people play these kind of games. Got dropped by accident as a baby and hit their heads? 😬

How about Dead Reckoning? Have you tried it? Shiver me Timbers also looks interesting.

I wish TI4 was ONLY 6-8 hours, but games can easily take 10-12 hours. I won't comment on whether it's justified or not as this is rather subjective, but I will say that while there is luck and having a better starts are better, because of its length and negotiation you have plenty of time to catch up and make impactful plays. Runaway leaders are not so much of a problem because people can team up to squash you. In fact, you don't want to be a runaway leader early or that reputation might just cause you to lose the game.

Fields of Arles was my first introduction to worker placement games and I had to play it several times to understand it, but every time I am in France I want to play it (game is in France). I have the Dutch version called Friesche Velden

I agree, Caverna is much of a better sandbox than Agricola.

And what about this war of mine???

Earthborne rangers vs Lands of galzyr. I have played Galzyr but missed any form of urgency and no "main quest". How is Earthborne in comparison in this regard?

Where is mage knight? :C
We know you love it!

I like Caverner. ;-)

Have you tried playing Captain's Log and Euthia?

Xia? Blech!

How is Unsettled, directly beneath you not included on the list?

Would WarHammer be considered a sandbox?

A Study in Emerald, Agra and Madeira.

Firefly board game would be a great background simulator for some kind of Space-Cowboy themed RPG ... unfortunately as a board game it's not excessively long - all you do is sit on certain locations churning cards until you get certain ones that will make the end missions trivially easy and then basically win. Just when everyone else is really starting to have fun. That is to say if you play it 'in character' it's fun, but if you play it 'to win', there's a strategy which basically breaks it in an un-fun way.

Groups that play it a lot probably either haven't discovered how to break it, or have introduced house rules to prevent deck squatting.

Thanks Luke
Any resemblance between XIA and outer rim?
And why do you prefer OR?

Right there with you on Mage Knight and Merchants & Marauders... Bounced off of each one, even though they should have been my kind of game. Weirdly, I liked the Star Trek re-implementation of MK better, and not just because I like the theme. 🤔 Xia and Outer Rim + Unfinished Business, however, are both a ton of fun, and I'm glad to see them on your list!

Bios megafauna, very event heavy, I would consider it the entry level bios game.
Phil Eklund. His game are very polarising - people tend to hate or love them… I definitely lean heavy on the later.

Also I wouldn’t consider it a sandbox game, but I wouldn’t really consider outer rim a sandbox either so … to each their own.

Fantastic video Luke.

Woohoo, I guessed your #1.

It’s sad to hear that you’re done with campaign games. They are a commitment, which is why I’m considering Primeval Peril over Sleeping Gods/Distant Skies.

Give Arkham Horror LCG’ Fortune and Folly a shot before you retire that game. It’s basically a mash up of Ocean’s Eleven and Metal Gear Solid (mechanically) in Arkham.

Vindication doesn’t really have bloat, as it’s very modular.

La Granja vs Fields of Arles?

It's mage knight for me

I basically gave up on sandbox board games because they always fall flat in some regard (balance, game length, interactivity etc.)
My favourites could have been Phantom League (basically Elite as a board game) and Merchants & Marauders but they also have serious issues

High frontiers 4 all, this will trigger your time phobia and luck fest antennas. Still I think it is interesting and the board is just wow.

What about keyper?

Have you played the Colonists? Great game, despite some clunky rules that could use another round of streamlining.

I went out and grabbed Fields of Arle after watching this and wow, what a great recommendation! I’ve played it a few times solo now and it’s the perfect chill sandbox game. Now I need to track down the expansion!