This is the best campaign game I’ve ever played. Hats off to the story and mechanics. Everything meshes really well and doesn’t get old even after 60 hrs of gameplay. Just finished cycle 1 and can’t wait to get into cycle 2 :)
@@OneStopCoopShop absolutely to both of these. I have the utmost confidence this company not only will continue to deliver, but will get better and better designing games. My only concern is one they voiced, they mentioned getting punished by the market for making an epic sprawling game. Where other publishers who make smaller and much less costly games get rewarded with far more backers. They have my support for the immediate future, I hope enough people continue to back their games they keep making these narrative monstrosities for those of us who do enjoy them.
This game was so good IMHO that it was like that first serious game you played waaay back that pulled you head long into this hobby. It takes a lot for me to really feel what others call that “ immersive” quality and this one has it in spades. Narration, smooth (albeit complex) mechanics that all seem to support the narrative world it creates, great tactical boss battles. A comparison to Oathsworn is unavoidable due to there close releases I suppose: suffice to say I grudgingly put oasthworn away to try out ATO and ATO hasn’t left my table since
Great review, I’m halfway through Cycle II and these points are all dead on. It’s fantastic and my 2022 game of the year but it’s a heavy investment of time and space. Also note Cycle I is at a fairly pleasant challenge level (it makes you work hard and will occasionally kick you in the teeth, but nothing is that bad when you get the system down) while there seems to be a consensus that Cycle II is significantly harder. I think hardly anyone has hit Cycle III yet but I assume it’s going to be a real teeth clencher.
@@JoostN86 yea same I don't like complicated games and more rules does not equal more fun. They also announced a huge expansion called sins of Heracles and I probably wont get it.
I think this game and Oathsworn are by far the top 2 games of 2022. Honestly, they are both the best story telling tabletop games on the market today (Secrets of the Lost Station is not active). But I do believe they are putting a damper on Isaac Childress’ and Andy Poots’ story telling abilities. While the Gloomhaven and KDM worlds and game systems are fantastic to play, neither of those worlds have good stories. Oathsworn and ATO have taken what Middara tried to do with story telling and elevated it to the nth degree. I believe this is the caliber people will now expect in upcoming titles like Arydia and Vrahode and Stonesaga.
I haven’t played frosthaven yet, but I agree Gloomhaven and jaws of the Lion are both unimpressive when it comes to story. I think Poots is going for something pretty different, for better or worse: more of a vibe and a ton of crazy emergent story instead of a cohesive narrative
@@OneStopCoopShop Oh I believe you are correct about KDM. I guess it was the brainless “Lost” style of ending to the original story that led me to believe no one in the board gaming world could tell a story. Frosthaven’s narrative is basically the same as GH and Jaws. At this point, just give me the classes and let me pick scenarios. It’s perhaps a little better, but you can tell the focus is on the game mechanics, for better or worse. I haven’t played Stars of Akarios, but the bit I saw on OSCS made it seem as though the story was engaging, with decisions that actually had consequences as opposed to merely checking a box.
I was so close to backing this game, back when it was an unbelievably good price. I loved the theme and the art and I was drawn in. When the price went up, I was still considering it but in the end I didn't back it. I have watched the playthroughs and it looks fantastic. However, I doubt that I would get it to the table enough to do it justice? I just have too many games, especially campaign games. The collector in me, really wants the game as does the painter but the reality is that it will just be sitting in the game room, unplayed. And the fact that it is currently selling for around £400, means that it won't be added anytime soon. If I only had a dozen games it would be a definite purchase.
@@ericmatteau9954 Compared to any other campaign game I’ve played, the prospect of playing it all again is really not so bad because the whole process was so fun. Also it does have some mechanics that make you stronger on a second pass which should hopefully (combined with player experience) prevent a third play ever being necessary.
You can lose cycle however if you are far enough you may start next one even if you lose. So I can also start cycle 2 but I did some serious mistakes first campaign days that I want to repeat first cycle. And I am not in a hurry, this game is really great.
I have yet to complete Oathsworn (scenario 9 so far) and I already know that even though I love the game, I wouldn't want to replay the whole campaign right away. Now that you guys told me AT:O is a different beast, I understand it has a few roguelike elements that would make the 2nd pass even more enjoyable and that sounds great. Really looking forward to playing my copy!
I love seeing all of the positivity surrounding this game. I didn’t back it myself as the theme isn’t really my thing, but I’m patiently awaiting Kingdoms Forlorn and seeing all the good stuff around ATO has me excited.
ATO really splits 2022 and 2023. For 2022, I started playing last week of Dec. Just needed 1 week to know it would be my #1 of 2022. Displacing Oathsworn. For 2023, going to also leave it in contention. My other potential best if 2023 are Tanares Adventures, Isofarian Guard, Primal, and maybe Agemonia. ATO has raised the bar for all future games. Going to be tough to beat. (And I thought Oathsworn did the same…).
Primal and agemonia were both amazing for me when I played the prototypes, and both are a little more realistic/manageable for me to finish than ATO, so I’m still excited for them :)
Thanks for the review! I’m glad to hear ATO is a great and well-written game in of itself. The initial similarities to KDM made me skeptical, but it’s great that they built upon it to make something new and exciting.
There are lots of KDM similarities in the battles, there’s no denying, but they added a fun spin to all of it, and the journeys are quite different than the settlement management
Getting to this late, but I'm glad to hear this is so good. I didn't back this in the day due to KS fatigue, but I did back Kingdoms Forlorn. Hope that's enough to satisfy me! Certainly if ATO was this good, Forlorn should be even better...right?
Forlorn has more going on in combat, which I think is great. It also has a MUCH different take on theme and story. We will have to see how that turns out!
Thanks for the review Mike. In the comments you mentioned that you love Oathsworn and ATO for different reasons. May I put you on the spot? If you could only own one, which one would you keep?
Haha, in all honesty, I want to finish them both, and then probably cull them both because they are way too huge. But I don't want them gone until I've seen the end of the campaigns. But if I HAD to choose one, it'd probably be Oathsworn, only because 20 scenarios is easier and quicker to finish than 3-5 cycles!
Oathsworn has more interesting individual characters, and also has an awesome system for solo play where you can turn some characters into helpers, basically, to limit management overhead. I think this one has a more engaging out of combat phase and a more epic narrative and campaign overall. Both are excellent :)
Thanks for reviewing this one Mike! I also own it but haven't cracked it open yet because I'm intimidated. Unfortunately, despite this one looking to be right up my alley, it's going to be too much for my game group so I'll likely be doing it solo. This is the one thing that has me on the fence about opening the box. The administration for the Journey phase, though heavy, doesn't really look too bad but combat scares me a bit. If it were like Oathsworn with the easier companion option for some of the characters, I wouldn't think twice. If it's more like multi-handing Gloomhaven though, it may be more than my poor brain can handle. So what are your thoughts on this for solo specifically? Just how bad is the cognitive overhead to multi-hand 4 different titans?
So to address both parts for solo: Journey - It's pretty straightforward. I'd compare it to the ship phase in ISS Vanguard. Both are fairly involved, but get easier as you play more. Battle - This is WAYYYYYY easier than multi-handing Gloomhaven or even using 2 non-companions in Oathsworn. Characters have very few special abilities, especially starting out, and no hand of cards or anything to manage. I would say it's similar, complexity-wise, to 1 full character and 3 companions in Oathsworn.
Mike, you just made my day! I've been half bummed for weeks this one was going to end up too crunchy (BGG 4.72) and expecting to have to pass it on. I feel MUCH better about it now. I may crack that big white box open tonight! Thank you sir!
@@ajplank3907 the one thing I might recommend is watching a bit of Bairnt's two recent plays on the channel. What seems light for my tastes might be heavy for yours! Watching a bit of both the battles and journeys in action should help you know for sure!
Hi Mike! How is ATO now for you after more than a year? As someone who enjoyed Oathsworn and AH:LCG a ton, would you still recommend this? Looks like Late Pledge is still open, wanted to know your input before I pull the trigger.
With my crazy schedule of coverage I didn't play beyond act 1. It's a great game, but it's also huge and unwieldy and time-consuming. If you are ready to dig fully into it for several weeks or even a month, leaving it set up on your table, I think it could be a top game for many. If not, I probably wouldn't recommend it. It is bigger and more unwieldy than even Oathsworn, for context. As for Arkham Horror LCG, I wouldn't even compare that to the other two :)
Thanks for the review! I was back and forth when this one was being pledged...I was concerned the combat would be too similar to KDM. I thought you had similar issues with KDM combat as I did, in that it would devolve into just rolling a bunch of D10's until something died (either you or the beast). Do you feel like ATO ends up creating more interesting tactical decisions with the tokens, etc.? Surprised you like this one as much as you do, but I guess the exploration and story can definitely win out!
So a BIG difference for me compared to KDM is that a miss is, in MANY ways, a good thing. In fact, in some battles I tried to miss on purpose early on. The reason is that every time you attack your Rage goes up, which gives you more special abilities and eventually an entire extra damage die. Every time you attack the boss and miss, nothing bad happens except a possible response. But every time you WOUND the boss, their AI deck gets better and their body deck gets tougher. So yeah, big difference for me compared to KDM. Missing is great... hitting is great... the combat is great :)
What would you compare the story to? I can't tell, still, if it's based in a sort of anime histrionic or if it's more grounded than that. Is it pulling at your heart or creating some really cool moments? I've managed to acclimate myself to the art style at least--not my taste, but I don't dislike it anymore. It's nice to have something to keep eyeing as I hack my way through the deepwood like I'm frolicking in a field of pure fun.
Permadeath is rare (95% of the time when you "die" in battle, it's just losing one of your titans, so you don't lose any progress). When it does happen, it's annoying but not terrible. They let your new character jump in with some of the mnemos skills you've unlocked. And since you'll still have all your techs and weapons, a newer pilot will still be able to fight well.
@@OneStopCoopShop great to hear! I just can’t fathom playing a campaign game and then being forced to start over entirely. I’ll here for the story and experience, not a grind/slog.
That was a mistake :) #1 was supposed to be a “mix”. That said, yes, spirit island and warp’s edge both got 5 pros. Though looking back I definitely could and would have given SI a mix if I reviewed it again
@@OneStopCoopShop The problem is that everything you described calls to me big time. I keep wanting to trade for games instead of buying more. I can't seem to cull as much as you do. I suspect I won't be able to trade for this. And shipping would probably be brutal.
I have trouble not playing it yet... but I really want to play with painted minis. So another week or 2 before I get into it (I did play the Tutorial and the opening days of sea faring of Act 1)
Great review. I'm finding the story to be amazing and engaging. I'm finding the combat to be luck driven, which is less exciting for me. If the story wasn't so amazing, I would have sold it, tbh. Your Titans often have boring turns of doing little to nothing. I really down like how you can quickly reach body parts that you have zero chance to damage so you either wait until you have 5 Rage or have to use another Titan. Story is beyond a masterpiece. Game mechanism are ok. 8/10 for me.
Yeah, as I mentioned in my point #1 those lost turns and such can really be a bummer. One strategy I started using (though it feels a bit weird) is attempting to miss on purpose. Helps you build up rage without escalating the boss to crazy levels :)
How did the boss battles play into the story when they are simply on the time line? Did you get annoyed with that? How about the number of times you had to fight the same bad guy?
yeah, you aren't wrong that thematically it's a little weird that they pop up consistently no matter where you are or what you are doing. But no, the repetition didn't bother me. The level ups for the enemies can change their tactics significantly, and even just switching between the 2-3 common fights feels pretty different.
Would love to hear more about how Aeon compared against KDM. How does the boss AI compare? How's the difficulty? I'm sometimes skeptical that games based on other popular designs won't quite stack up to the original
Fascinating. I hate KDM from my few plays as red shirts, but the enemy activation system seemed to have potential. Not sure I need another timesink, but super happy it turned out so well! Thanks again Mike!
Hmmm... it depends a bit on which parts of KDM you hate. If it's the civilization phase, this is totally different. If it's the boss activation and the wound deck, it's VERY similar. If it's the yucky theme, this one is generally much better. If it's the crazy randomness, this one is quite a bit better (you are in some ways rewarded for bad rolls). If it's the sudden deaths of your best characters through random events, this one is much better.
@@OneStopCoopShop Not to drag you away from other stuff, but ultimately, I felt the first 3 or so fights I was just rolling dice and praying... no hand management, no resource management, no real meat to bite into other than move and pray. Which, y'know, is fine if it's a lot faster. The civ part I liked, I just hated having so little player choice. TBH, I don't think I'm in on this one (theme doesn't do much) but it does make me much more interested in their sequel thingamajig, the one with the dragons. Regardless, thank you for the review, hopefully we'll see more playthroughs of this one, doesn't seem like a game that you can spoil too badly because there is just too much to cover :) Also, belated best wishes to you and yours for the new year!
@@Gutock yeah, this one is better for that kind of stuff than KDM, but only somehwhat. It sounds like Oathsworn, Gloomhaven, Frosthaven, etc. would serve you better. They have that yummy card management goodness. Happy New Year!
Yeah, tons of stuff comes straight from KDM. But my perspective is now more people can actually play a similar game. With KDM's super high core cost, miniature assembly, etc., it has a very high bar for entry.
Are you asking if Aeon trespass is a card game? There are a TON of cards, but the focus of the action during the boss battles is tactical movement with miniatures
After watching the first 4, I was kind of like, number 1 is going to be a negative and he's going to be like this game is just trash... made me laugh hahaha
I was so hyped for this game and so happy when I finally got. Now, after 3/4 of Cycle 1, I just hate it with a vengeance. Never hated a game so much ever before. Aside from three horribly balanced red and black dice (they land identically 90% of the time) It just doesn't work for me overall. Not gonna spoil anything, so I won't dive into details. A real shame and a huge disappointment.
@@OneStopCoopShop There were so many unexpected extremely positive surprises in 2022, they soothed the sting Aeon Trespass left for me. I am happy to see that the majority of people have a great time with Aeon Trespass.
With as much randomness as there is in this game I figured early on that there were going to be a few people who hit the low end of the statistical curve and would just have a miserable time, and a few that would cakewalk through the whole thing. But with so many rolls most people will end up clumped in the middle somewhere. One little tip is that full misses during the first couple rounds are really lucky. Don’t reroll them, they let you build up rage without escalating the boss.
