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Darryl Boone

@boardgems.com

105 followers 47 following 85 posts

Board game enthusiast, vlogger, former programmer and restaurateur. I talk about older board game gems on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@BoardGems

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Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 23/09/2026

Didn't used to rate #boardgames (how much I want to keep them, 0 to 4), so I occasionally go back to ones I've previously covered to do so. In this video I rate Mexica, Crazy Chicken, Ponte del Diavolo, BITS, MarraCash, Aton, Roma, Downfall of Pompeii, Samurai & Sleuth. youtu.be/jCfW38rmmdE

Rating Old Board Game Gems #6 ⭐️

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/09/2026

Hellas from Stefan Dorra flew under the radar but is a hit for those in-the-know about those old-school German-style games. Hard to find for a while now but there’s a new edition this year, so let’s compare: Hellas (White Goblin 2016) vs Hellas (Playte 2026). #boardgames youtu.be/4gJ4soAbCl8

Hellas – Side-by-Side Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 09/09/2026

Start with two low-value dice, then get more, some high-valued ones, maybe some bonuses too, to eventually build airships and to maybe (or not) get a chance at the Hindenburg. Airships is one of the simplest engine-builders out there. #boardgames youtu.be/MZmp3hT30pg

Airships — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 24/08/2026

Die Macher, the previously-five-hour board game of German politics, is one of the most epic Eurogames of all time! Here's a comparison of three editions: 1997 Hans im Glück, 2006 Valley, and heavily-edited and -shortened 2020s edition from Spielworxx. #boardgames youtu.be/67rHug--fHU

Die Macher — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/08/2026

In less than ten years we have three versions of what is essentially the same Reiner Knizia trick-taking card game! Let's compare them: Voodoo Prince (2017 Schmidt) vs Marshmallow Test (2020 @gamewrightbuffalo.bsky.social) vs Piñatas (2025 @allplay.bsky.social). #boardgames youtu.be/wVU9DkaMTyY

Voodoo Prince AKA Marshmallow Test AKA Piñatas — Side-by-Slide Card Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/08/2026

Enlighten the neighbouring villages by training students in the seven disciplines and having them march over the Bridges... of Shangri-La. This classic Colovini game from 2003 is getting a spiffy new version from @playforkeepsgames.bsky.social, appearing on KS soon. #boardgames youtu.be/7DJY2AOsUoQ

Bridges of Shangri-La — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 23/07/2026

I admit, not normally the biggest fan of Stefan Feld #boardgames, but I do like Carpe Diem! Here's a side-by-slide comparison of the two Alea editions, 2018 vs 2021. First printings of both, apparently some of the issues were fixed in later printings. youtu.be/HswXhbRwelE

Carpe Diem — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/07/2026

Thanks so much to @playforkeepsgames.bsky.social for a preview copy of the upcoming new edition of Bridges of Shangri-La! It allows me to do a side-by-slide comparison with the old 2003 Kosmos edition. Gem video soon! KS soon too probably! #boardgames youtu.be/PuESe_ab1pE

Bridges of Shangri-La — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/07/2026

Soccer's on TV and Soccero is on my table! You'll need open lanes for moving/passing the ball, and your opponent will block those lanes and position for a steal. The game is all about positioning, playing the odds, and capitalising on opportunities. Looks great too. #boardgames youtu.be/B50Op1Zdrew

Soccero — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/06/2026

The Reiner Knizia board game Tutanchamun first came out in 1993 in Germany. It's a bit of an oldie! In this video I compare the two English versions: Tutankhamen (2004 Out of the Box) and Tutankhamun (2021 @25thcentury.games). #boardgames youtu.be/AOuXBedFNa0

Tutankhamun — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/06/2026

Intrigue is Nepo Baby TBG. Help your heirs secure well-paying jobs by greasing the wheels with favours and a few bucks. All brib— ahem, "donations"—are welcome and accepted, but no guarantees! Fewer games have simpler setup/rules than this classic negotiation game. #boardgames youtu.be/z5FGHjjUImk

Intrigue — How to Play 🫰 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 23/05/2026

Rating more old gems — we're on the 5th one — based on how much I want to keep the game in my collection. And this I think has the first ZERO-STAR game, meaning I couldn't wait to see this game gone. I would have yeeted it, if I was the type of person to yeet. #boardgames youtu.be/4IlxXQyraIw

Rating Old Gems 5 — BG Gibber 🗣️

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/05/2026

Here I compare! The Reiner Knizia tile-laying board game Qin (2012 Eggert) and its recent re-development Gazebo (2025 @bitewinggames.bsky.social). #boardgames youtu.be/pS3aY8jIB04

Qin / Gazebo — Side-by-Slide Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 11/05/2026

Skills can be important in Tales of the Arabian Nights, especially if you want to do one particularly stupid #boardgames joke. youtube.com/shorts/XBUJs...

My favouritest worst best joke to pull in #boardgames

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 24/04/2026

A side-by-slide comparison, with commentary, of the Stefan Dorra friendship-risking game of bribery, Intrigue. 1994 FX Schmid, 2005 Mayfair (via Amigo), and 2016 Igiari. (How do you pronounce Igiari, anyway?) #boardgames youtu.be/h98e4QNEGWQ

Intrigue — Side-by-Slide Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/04/2026

I don't have the original from West End, but I have both the '00s Z-Man and the brand-new crowdfunded one from Play to Z. Let's compare the two modern editions of the wondrous Eric Goldberg storytelling game Tales of the Arabian Nights! #boardgames youtu.be/17Jo9hJ158s

Tales of the Arabian Nights — Side-by-Slide Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 04/04/2026

Gradually march your samurai west to Kyoto, keeping up with the changing scoring regions in this Moaideas area majority game with a trick-taking-ish backbone. Liking TTers doesn't mean you'll like Joraku, heads up! But I dig it, and the TMG edition was so compact. ❤️ #boardgames youtu.be/fZwDnVrJwF0

Joraku — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/03/2026

Here I compare side-by-slide the two editions of Emerson Matsuuchi’s Volt: 2015 Nazca (Matsuuchi’s own company) vs 2018 @heidelbaer.de #boardgames youtu.be/NjtXDbeXxys

Volt — Side-by-Slide Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/03/2026

Oh Hell is an exact-bid trick-taker using a standard deck. I haven't played it! Here I talk about two derivatives that I love though. Wizard adds special cards, and Skull King adds MORE special cards, tweaking a few other things along the way. #boardgames youtu.be/86fuPNcjMDo

Wizard & Skull King — Are They Gems? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 23/02/2026

I continue my run through #boardgames I've covered, rating them by how much I want to keep them in my collection: FITS, Feudality, Keltis Card Game, Pyramid, Witch of Salem, Top Secret Spies, Lifeboats, Safranito, Wildlife Adventure, The Hanging Gardens, Manoeuvre and Hansa! youtu.be/9WgnXIO6_mM

Rating Old Gems #3 — Board Game Gibber

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/02/2026

In this video I compare theJeffrey D. Allers games ...aber bitte mit Sahne (2008 Winning Moves), New York Slice (2017 Bézier) and Piece o' Cake / もっとホイップを (2018 New Games Order). #boardgames youtu.be/FUZ95fG8ROg

Piece o' Cake / New York Slice — Side-by-Slide Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/02/2026

Line goes up! In Speculation, stocks in 8 companies rise & fall relative to each other. As a poor trader with limited starting capital, buy low, sell high, rinse, repeat. Dice from old edition replaced with bag pulls. Not an improvement — find dice if you can. #boardgames youtu.be/apnuH0-ZXns

Speculation — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 30/01/2026

I have an internal rating system I use in evaluating whether a game will stay in my collection. It's fun to go back to the old gems I've covered using this lens. Did I or will I keep them? Have they been banished to the trade/sale pile? 2nd video of many! #boardgames youtu.be/bZkOGZWJCDc

Rating My Gems #2 —Board Game Gibber

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/01/2026

There have been many editions of the two-player classic The Rose King by Dirk Henn. I obviously can't compare them all, but here are three: Kosmos DE 2008, Thames & Kosmos EN 2016, and Playte KO/JA/EN 2025. Three different decades! #boardgames youtu.be/PjyT-R3Vw1I

The Rose King — Side-by-Slide Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 05/01/2026

I don't rank games, but I do rate them... sort of. I have an internal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating system based on how much I want to keep a game in my collection. So I've returned to and rated the first dozen-ish #boardgames I've covered for this channel. Have I kept them, or moved them on? youtu.be/Vm8jTxNx-hs

Rating the Gems I've Covered #1 — Board Game Gibber

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 15/12/2025

The rise and fall of civilisations can be seen in Philippe Keyaerts's #boardgames Vinci (1999 Descartes) and Small World (2009 Days of Wonder). Same core concept, but they differ in important ways. Let's take a look! youtu.be/ZTZ_vrumFX4

Vinci / Small World — Side-by-Slide Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/12/2025

Add floors to towers, finish them off with roofs, then add them onto the board for area-majority goodness. Escalating points & brutal scoring in which only top two score (if that) ratchets the tension in a four-player game of Capitol AKA Skyline 3000 up to 11. #boardgames youtu.be/udv2LTZ6K6c

Capitol / Skyline 3000 — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 23/11/2025

In this video I compare, with commentary, ye olde Formula Dé from the late-90s to the newer (but not that new) Formula D from the late-00s and beyond. #boardgames youtu.be/_it6vN2NKfU

Formula D(é) — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 21/11/2025

I recently talked about ye olde Kreta and ye newe Sardegna. Here they are, side-by-slide, with commentary! #boardgames youtu.be/unUJzkyzHi0

Sardegna / Kreta — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/11/2025

Kreta was an area-majority game from 2005 in which one player must choose to trigger scoring, putting them behind the pace but giving them influence where scoring happens in the future. 2024's Sardegna is a compact version worth checking out for fans of the genre. #boardgames youtu.be/tsTYs4bZXsg

Sardegna AKA Kreta — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 23/10/2025

Let's compare the two editions of the board game London, by Martin Wallace: From his own company Treefrog in 2010 to the 2017 edition from Osprey. Note I haven't played the game, so this is a comparison of the components and my vibes from reading the rules. #boardgames youtu.be/swRdqrFUNe0

London — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/10/2025

Countless* copies of the Colovini classic Cartagena — compared, with commentary! #boardgames youtu.be/RywTKDdaKfs * well, four

Cartagena — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/10/2025

To make money, you have to spend money. Bid away money you don't want, and try to get lots in few different currencies, identical sets, and some precious metals wouldn't hurt too. Money! by Reiner Knizia has a new edition this year from @allplay.bsky.social. #boardgames youtu.be/Mtx-arC6xAU

Money — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 23/09/2025

Here’s a side-by-slide comparison, with commentary, of the two retail editions of the Dan Cassar card game Arboretum: earlier Z-Man vs later Renegade. #boardgames youtu.be/GaqnzTjGdbM

Arboretum — Side-by-Slide Card Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 15/09/2025

This is a side-by-slide comparison, with commentary, of two versions of a classic Corné van Moorsel board game: Gipsy King (2007 Cwali) and the brand-new Waddle (2025 @allplay.bsky.social). #boardgames youtu.be/M4SQaXAioYQ

Waddle AKA Gipsy King — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/09/2025

Warring Italian city-states! It's easy to over-commit your mercs to one battle when your cards have to last multiple. Pick and choose your battles, literally! Classic from '95, revised '07. Maybe new rules are fine, but this is a love letter to classic Condottiere. #boardgames youtu.be/odhTgqvfCj4

Condottiere — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 23/08/2025

I compare side-by-slide with commentary two editions of the classic Ehrhard game Condottiere: Eurogames/Descartes (late 90s/early 00s) vs Z-Man 2018. (Avoid FFG 2007 as they changed the rules. At least with Z-Man 2018 you're able to play the classic way.) #boardgames youtu.be/00_pCg1ksHc

Condottiere — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 11/08/2025

In this video I compare side-by-slide, with commentary, the two editions of the J. Alex Kevern #boardgames named Gold West: Tasty Minstrel's from 2015 vs Trick or Treat's from 2024. youtu.be/gici5DmZvuI

Gold West — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 06/08/2025

In Patrician, play cards to place tower pieces, hoping for the most/highest pieces in the tallest towers. Where you play ➡️ what card you get next, leading to a do-this-to-get-that-to-play-there kind of process. Easy to learn & play, with quick turns and a nice flow. #boardgames youtu.be/AFMtFpZ1Ewc

Patrician — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 19/07/2025

Goldland was a German-only exploration board game by Wolfgang Kramer and Goldsieber, originally published in 2002. Daryl Andrews has re-worked the game into a new 2025 edition, Donald Duck in Happy Camper, published by Maestro. This side-by-slide compares the two! #boardgames youtu.be/8RRi4dwmMgA

Goldland / Donald Duck in Happy Camper — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/07/2025

Old-school German (OG) style games are my jam. Any new games in that style? Here's a good one: Foundations (Matsuuchi/Arcane Wonders). Of Rome (2022) is a luxe plastic-mini-filled city-building experience, Of Metropolis (2024) a more sensible retail version. #boardgames youtu.be/G4V28XjrVoc

Foundations of Rome and of Metropolis — Are They Gems? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 24/06/2025

Side-by-slide, I compare with commentary the old and new versions of the same great Reiner Knizia board game: Orongo (Ravensburger 2014) and Nyakuza (CMON 2025). #boardgames youtu.be/dFaSCQ-oysY

Orongo AKA Nyakuza — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/06/2025

In this side-by-slideshow I compare, with commentary, two editions of a classic Alan Moon / Aaron Weissblum strategy game: Capitol (Schmidt 2001) vs Skyline 3000 (Z-Man 2009). #boardgames youtu.be/fLzea2P5Z6c

Capitol AKA Skyline 3000 — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/06/2025

In Dolmen(götter), make stone circles and place blocks of hidden values in a stack, higher the better. NO LUCK, but the secret placement of blocks keeps one from analysing too hard. Open-info gameplay + hidden-info scoring = simultaneously casual and intriguing. #boardgames youtu.be/kW7CPeyPxyQ

Dolmen(götter) — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 23/05/2025

In this video I compare side-by-slide, with commentary, the 2014 edition of Port Royal with the 2022 big box. I compare all the cards that are present in both, and show some extra content in the big box that were previously available in expansions (not included). #boardgames youtu.be/NlHkKGzbvZ4

Port Royal — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 13/05/2025

Almost the same Reiner Knizia #boardgames, but they look quite different! This is a side-by-slide comparison, with commentary, of the English-language Zombiegeddon (2009 Twilight Creations) and the German-language Jäger und Sammler (2010 Amigo). youtu.be/D6wWQ7j-djU

Zombiegeddon AKA Jäger und Sammler — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 03/05/2025

Medieval Merchant by Christwart Conrad, 1998 Goldsieber, and the revised Franchise, 2018 Queen. Fundamentally the same route-building & expansion game, but lots of changes. Which do I teach? Neither, I talk about the #boardgames generally, their differences and my preferences. youtu.be/JQBxuENEE7k

Medieval Merchant & Franchise — Are They Gems? 💎

YouTube video by Board Gems

Reposted by Darryl Boone

Bruno Faidutti @faidutti.com · 24/04/2025

I had to look hard to find one small possible positive effect of tariffs on boardgames.... Il a fallu bien chercher pour trouver un possible effet positif de ces absurdes droits de douane sur les jeux de société. faidutti.com/blog/blog/20...

Dégraisser les jeux Downsizing games

Les droits de douane imposés par les Etats-Unis aux produits fabriqués en Chine sont en passe de tuer une bonne partie des petits éditeurs de jeux de société américains, en commençant par ceux qui …

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 27/04/2025

In this video I compare, with commentary, the two retail editions of the unique worker-placement board game Egizia, by Italian design group Acchittocca and published originally by Hans im Glück (2009) and later in a VERY revised edition by Stronghold (2019). #boardgames youtu.be/ntLn5NScYOU

Egizia — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems

Darryl Boone @boardgems.com · 19/04/2025

In this video I compare, with commentary, two English editions of the Spiel-des-Jahres-award-winning Manhattan by Andreas Seyfarth. Rio Grande 2007 (based on Hans im Glück, mid-90s) vs Mandoo 2017. #boardgames youtu.be/1_0NEjV46Ec

Manhattan — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

YouTube video by Board Gems