Video summary

Solving Your Board Game Problems

Main summary

Key takeaways

Lifestyle

Overview

This episode of a “board game collection therapist” features the host reviewing patrons’ game shelves (with some photos appearing uncensored). The guiding idea is to fix bloated / ugly / unplayable collections through:

  • Culling
  • Matching games to who you actually play with
  • Optimizing for table space and storage

The goal isn’t to own fewer games—it’s to own games that get played without ruining game night.

Key lifestyle / collection strategies

Buy for reality, not fantasy

  • Stop buying only what sounds perfect.
  • Big, rules-heavy games often flop if your typical group won’t learn/teach them.
  • If games aren’t getting played, the resulting frustration can hurt more than having fewer titles.

Play to your situation

Choose games that are playable with:

  • Your typical group size (often 5–8 for casual gatherings)
  • Your group’s teaching comfort level
    • If people won’t learn rules longer than ~15 minutes, plan accordingly

Let go (and possibly sell)

  • If a game you love (e.g., epic narrative) doesn’t fit how you can currently teach/play, set it aside or sell it.
  • Don’t keep “fantasy experiences” you can’t reproduce in your real group.

Cull ruthlessly

Ask of each game:

  • When was the last time you played it?
  • Was the experience memorable?
  • Is it taking up space that could be used for more versatile, frequently played titles?

Additional culling guidance:

  • Remove redundancies (multiple games that deliver the same niche experience).
  • Prioritize games that match your current tastes—not only your collection-size goals.

Travel / portability-focused advice

Keep a “backpack subset”

If you play at a specific local board game bar/community event, maintain a subset that fits in a backpack. Box size matters because you may be limited by:

  • what you can carry
  • what you can teach quickly

Use “filler” and quick-access games at arrivals

Start-of-night games should be:

  • small-box
  • flexible in player count
  • fast to teach/play (often 10–20 minutes)

Recommended filler/quick-access games mentioned:

  • Llama
  • Flip Seven
  • Trio
  • Jungo
  • No Thanks

Player-count and flexibility tips

Cover multiple player counts

Aim for games that work across different group sizes so you’re not stuck whenever attendance changes.

Example flexibility picks:

  • Libertalia (stronger with higher player counts)
  • Cult Express (adds chaos; described as meaner, so group-fit matters)
  • Zuvardist (light negotiation up to 7 players)
  • Hot Streak (race-betting style; bigger “event” feel)

If your common nights are 5–8

  • Seven Wonders Architects (3–7 players; low downtime for big groups)
  • Captain Flip (easy to get into)

Two-player collector reality check

For collectors who buy primarily for 2-player:

  • Be honest about how often you actually play 2-player.
  • If you don’t play 2-player often, adding more may be wasted space.

Health / meal routine mentioned (sponsor: Huel)

The host uses a time-saving meal strategy to free up evening time for gaming:

  • Huel Black Edition powder
    • Shake with water; ready in ~30 seconds
    • Can be eaten while playing
    • Notes: chocolate flavor and balanced nutrition

Cost/time angle:

  • Cited cost: £1.79 per meal
  • Claims it saves £10+ vs takeaway

Discount/promo:

  • Mentions promo code “actual LOL 15” for 15% off (via link/QR)

Notable collection-specific fixes (examples from patrons)

Velon (Bulgaria)

Issue: Racing-heavy collection; problem is games don’t reach the table. Advice:

  • Match games to group teaching limits.
  • Sell/set aside long-rule games (example given: Sleeping Gods, due to a ~15-minute teaching reality).

Jade (Netherlands)

Issue: Shelf space blocked by husband’s study books. Advice:

  • Declutter duplicates and non-study items.
  • Consider culling older “one-case-at-a-time” crime bundles that consume too much space.

Explicit recommendation:

  • Avoid the “red box” Jack the Ripper-focused Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective case early/on its own.
  • Keep those crime boxes for later or skip.

Rotation strategy:

  • Buy one crime game, finish it, then rotate—don’t hoard multiple simultaneously.

Jack (NYC)

Issue: Limited ability to bring large games on the subway; mostly 2-player games, but nights are 5–8. Advice:

  • Remove some small boxes that aren’t worth it.
  • Add higher-player-count, easy-to-teach options.

Suggested adds:

  • Cult Express
  • Waterfall Park
  • RA
  • Las Vegas
  • Flip 7

Ryan

Issue: Lots of new Gen Con purchases; wants more “space” and better taste-curation. Advice:

  • Don’t overbuy convention hype—research and test mechanics more strategically.
  • Explore mechanics by picking representative “popular” examples instead of random variants.
  • Thin out repeated types (e.g., multiple similar games; one abstract trick-taking game is likely enough).
  • Revisit older “classics” (in print for a reason).

Mel (England)

Issue: Loves small party games; dislikes big boxes overflowing shelves. Advice:

  • Consider missing classics that fit silly/party chaos (examples: Cockroach Poker / Spicy alternatives).
  • Also suggested:
    • Survive the Island (family-level, competitive “eat the survivors” theme)
    • Anomia (speed/word/party guessing)
    • Poetry for Neanderthals (hit each other with an inflatable club; speak in single syllables)
    • Shifty Spies (wink/tag-and-catch vibe; noted as out of the host’s sight/possibly out of print)

Stefan (UK)

Asked to be roasted. Roast targets:

  • oversized boxes
  • excessive shelf clutter
  • disconnected/unglued shelving setup
  • too many redundant / “not recommended” titles

General takeaway:

  • Fewer oversized boxes, better shelving, stop hoarding content that doesn’t get played.

Specific annoyance:

  • An expansion box was used to replace the base game’s own box representation (example: Cosmic Encounter).

Notable locations / products / named items

Collections reviewed

  • Velon (Bulgaria)
  • Jade (Netherlands)
  • Jack (New York City)
  • Ryan (room aesthetics & Gen Con)
  • Mel (England)
  • Stefan (UK)

Sponsor/product mentioned

  • Huel (Huel Black Edition)
  • Promo code mentioned: actual LOL 15

Board game locations referenced

  • A board game bar with a weekly gathering (city-specific, unnamed)

Game highlights mentioned across reviews

  • Heat, Steampunk Rally, Joyide, Root, Sleeping Gods
  • Libertalia, Cult Express, Zuvardist, Hot Streak
  • Scout, Llama, Flip Seven, Trio, Jungo, No Thanks
  • Seven Wonders Architects, Captain Flip, NAR, Through the Desert
  • Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective (Jack the Ripper “red box” called out)
  • Chronicles of Crime (noted as taking space)
  • Exploding Kittens, Throw Throw Burrito
  • Colt Express, Ra, Waterfall Park, Quacks, Melee Fury
  • Ark Nova, SETI, Scythe (heavier consideration)
  • Las Vegas, Herd Mentality
  • Gizmos, Quest for Elderado, Carcassonne
  • Earth, Forest Shuffle
  • Bonanza, Quax (mentioned as negotiation/push-your-luck/deckbuilding comparisons)
  • Ticket to Ride, Sheriff of Nottingham
  • Cockroach Poker, Spicy, Survive the Island, Poetry for Neanderthals, Shifty Spies
  • Cosmic Encounter, Marvel United, Wingspan, Aisle of Cats, In the Footsteps of Darwin, Abyss, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, “racoo”

Original video