Can we even enjoy the board game hobby? One game has given me hope. 

The first 500 people to use my link skl.sh/thekingofaverage05241 will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare premium!

My relationship with the BG industry, specifically crowd funding, is like staying in a relationship after you’ve been cheated on. Something has broken; the magic is gone, as you say. I love it with an ever present shadow of mistrust and disappointment.

One of the biggest problems in this industry is lack of accountability from Board Game Creators. Too many of them seem to forget about backers after they get the money from the CF campaign. CMON regularly does this, Panda Cult Games stopped communicating, started again, then stopped again, and now their Wander games will be 1.5 years late minimum. The Red Joker has stopped all communication for the last 5 months, leaving backers wondering if they will fulfill their campaign at all. Conversely, Dark Horizon Games' first KS campaign is very impressive as the dev has given regular updates, isn't afraid to tell us about delays, and answers all questions in the comment section. They are genuinely excited about their game!

Used to back 12-20 kickstarter a year, but the last two years, it has dropped to 4-6. I have become more jaded, and less time to play and storage issues don't help either.

the Twelve Sins of Herakles campaign had me so pumped for the game. I still am!

I remember when I backed every project that "looked pretty cool" 10 years ago 😂 Now I only back something if I absolutely have to have it and there is no other way to get it.

The last game that got me super pumped was Anastyr......and we all know what happened there.

I've been into the BG world for many years but there is a serious growing problem that no one seems to be talking about. I love these games for many reasons. The family time, the escape from the daily grind of life, for the stories they tell and the world they create. With that being said here is the problem as I see it. Like everyone else my money is hard fought for and I understand it takes time, creativity and passion to make these games. I also understand that it's a job and they deserve to be paid for their hard work. Why are these games costing hundreds of dollars to be all in? I know it cost money behind the scenes to make these games ( molds for minis, paying companies to make good quality maps and so on. ) How long can it go on for? I was super excited for marvel zombies until I did the math on how much to get everything and I just couldn't believe it. When a game does KS exclusive content they loose me instantly. These games at the end of the day should be fun to play and not break the bank or need to be a payment plan to get. Then you have companies that take the money and run and that miss mange the funds or take way to long to finish and deliver. I think we are seeing the beginning of a serious crash in the BG industry and they have done it to them selves. At most a game shouldn't excide $100 to $150 in my opinion and even then that should be for a very big game. The games I love that are in my collection and I regularly play are Shadows of Brimstone, Maximum Apocalypse, Cthulhu Death May Die ( and I hate how some of it's content is missing because of KS exclusive), Fallen Land 2nd edition, Pandemic Cthulhu and Marvel Champions all of which when released did not break the bank. I love this industry for many reasons but I truly believe it's dieing and they did it to themselves with greed. It saddens me to see it happen because there are so many games that look great but I refuse to pay hundreds of dollars for. At the end of the day these games where ment to be affordable and enjoyed not collector items and hard to find. I think the BG industry has seriously lost it's way. To end on a positive note there is one game I'm excited for. Tiny Epic Cthulhu that looks amazing and I've already done my pre-order. Best part is, it only cost $25 or if you want to be all in about $50. I hope these companies understand that when no one can afford their games anymore that it'll be to late for this industry. Just a Rant but I feel the writing is on the wall. I hope I'm wrong.

Great video. I think what happened with me personally, is my collection is filling up. I'm a father of two medically complex kids and they both require full time care. I have limited free time to devote to my hobby, and with current delays, my calendar is filling up. I also fell in love with the over contentification of the hobby, so many sprawling campaigns to play. However, Kingdom Death team continues to surprise me with the dedication to the fans who supported those kickstarters. I'm also very happy with Watchtower games and the stuff I'm getting from Studium, huge surprise in quality. I think as a fan of the hobby you need to personally find your happy space / community. Celebrate the love of that game and devote your energy into the positive side of the hobby. No matter what, there will always be another Mythic games situation in our hobby. There will also be many of those same situations in your life outside the hobby, remain in the more positive side, it helps not dwelling on doodie.

Chasing that first time feeling is an experience in so many spaces. I used to play MMORPGs, like Everquest and Dark Age of Camelot or WoW. OG wow, not the new expansions that pushed your character level past level 70. And now there arent ANY MMOs that make me feel like the first time. Reminds me of that Foreigner song, Feels like the First Time. What we do to chase that nostalgia... Is it a bygone era? Well, board games have definitely progressed from Heroquest... But have they become magnitudes better than others from the 80s? Elfquest, Battletech/Aerotech/Citytech, and even AD&D 2nd edition. Some of the classics still hold up better than the remakes. Great topic KoA.

Glad to see you making the most about your enforced break. It's an excellent time to take stock and wonder about what you want from the hobby and what you are willing to give to get that. I applaud the diligence you have shown in your approach to covering the board game news. That is a lot of work and makes you a target for comments from folks who haven't done the work to inform their opinions.

I think I'm being a lot more selective when it comes to crowdfunding games. My biggest issue with most campaigns is all the "exclusives" you can't get unless you back.

I'll be honest. I have been feeling "blah" or worse about the gaming industry lately and just don't have fun with these anymore. I mean, I have been a solo player for the last maybe decade, simply because I am disabled. But I used to love playing games in a way where it is not "meta," basically acting as individual people. But lately? well, you have covered so much of the drama.

I get that feeling when a project releases but the wait usually kills it as time goes by especially when there’s problems with production

The 1.1 Middara campaign back in 2019 had me super pumped and honestly still am. Can't wait for wave 2. The game is a banger, minis are fun to paint art is awesome. Been excited for 5 years, congrats Succubus.

I feel like in general post-campaign updates have become minimum effort where it used to be an ongoing push to keep up the buy-in / backer engagement. Im still excited by a lot of titles like Horror on the Orient Express, Stalker, Nemesis: Retaliation, and the upcoming Story of Many and Lands of Evershade. I think the volume of projects (new and previously backed) can take the shine off of things. CMON is launching campaigns every few weeks now it seems. Can't stay high on the hobby full time.

Surprised with your enchantment by The Dead Keep. I was hyped beforehand, hoping CMON was gonna give us something fresh and innovative but let down by its unapologetic vanilla approach. Let me explain what I mean. Paul Bonner provided the visual style to the Trudvang world. The RPG aside, when CMON took over the RiotMinds IP, the community's hope was that they'd blow new life into that world after the clusterf*** they made out of Legends (despite being my Game of the Year 2021). Especially cuz it looked to be a dungeoncrawler campaign, not labeled as a Zombicide game, first on GF and again, sporting Bonner's enchanting style. Imagine my utter and devastating disillusionment when CMON utterly dropped the ball on this project by a) still giving us another Zombicide Black Plague+ experience, b) doubling down on hard combat against hordes of undead instead without any real story, investigation or exploration, c) tacking on a $200 price tag from the get go, and d) running a poor-ass campaign with ZERO excitement, boring updates and no Stretch Goals or daily reveals. This is honestly the saddest reinvention of CMONs crowdfunding tenure yet and pretty much solidifies my divorce from them and where the company decides to take its games next. It's always just gonna be more of the same. They are one-trick pony clones banking on shareholder contentment towards the Zombicide model at ever-increasing prices and a downward spiral of creativity. Whenever they try to break the mold, their attempts are lackluster (Cyberpunk 2077) and the community picks up on it immediately. Cool Mini Or Not. No sir. Maybe rebrand the acronym to Corporate-Minded Obsolescent Nostalgics. 😅

I'm perfectly happy with just every game that Monolith and Diemension Games brings out. And a few Eric Lang games. It's about enjoying the games you have with your friends and not be longing for the games you do not have. Btw, there is always something Monolith in your background... Eyeing that TO magazine I don't have...

Just a question: At what point does the transistion of the hobby from "boardgame" to "crowdfunding" takes place. This thought recently crossed my mind... and stuck ever since. And suddenly, the interest, fomo and all this "negativity" was gone... and the realization hit me... "I am drowning in games! more than I will have time to play... I.do.not.NEED.any.more"... that relaxed a lot.

CMON and Paul Bonner Artwork remind me a looot of Trudvang ... a game where the final product is unrecognizeable from what was sold on KS. Never ... again will I back CMON. If the game is good I will buy retail.

The last crowdfunding game to get me excited is current in the reboot of the Warlord Saga of the Storm CCG. Such a fun game and seeing new cards is amazing.

For me, I think I'm less exited about crowdfunding, not board games. It's hard to get exited, when I know it will probably take around 2 years to get the game, and it costs a lot. I can go into any store right now, and buy a game I can play right away. (Just did, bought the G.I.Joe deck building game, and Agemonia)

Have you heard anything about Mythic Battles Isfet? I've only found coverage on the french side of youtube. I have (inspired by you) posted a small collection of the info I've found in a video if you're curious.

I think last one that got me super excited was Primal.

Did you see Mordred, also by CMON? the art there is pretty cool and unique. I'm hesitant to back multiple projects from a single company these days, and I already have Cthulhu DMD and Mordred on the way from CMON but The Dead Keep does look fun

For me, crowdfunding has just become so oversaturated. Keeping up with all the news from the games, designers, and publishers is just way too much. Then games are forgotten quickly and it's on to the next hottest thing. It feels like a giant marketing machine that feeds on our discontentment. I've decided that I am going to consider 3 games this year and then I'm dropping out for the foreseeable future. I need to rewire my brain to enjoy what I have rather than constantly taking in all the info on games I don't have.

my favorite board game to play is BackerBackOut. It's great. I see a campaign I'm interested in. I follow it. I back it. Then I cancel my pledge. Or get a refund. Its great. I win everytime. But I also lose every time.

I had this realization a bit ago, about 1.5-2 years. Things have gotten just too overstuffed. To many too similar games, obviously overambitious goals that ignore reality, an overload of existing IP exploitation (some can be good, most are cheap and boring cashgrabs), and it just made me numb instead of exciting. I realized I was still backing stuff for superficial reasons, and I wasn't really invested anymore. My solution was also to take a break from crowdfunding, and when I came back to really examine projects and only back with my money if I (like you brought up) actually wanted to back it with my support as well. Last big back for me was Twelve Sins of Herakles because ITU absolutely blew me away with ATO and KF has turned into something that looks phenomenal too. Just got TG Kings of Ruin too, which will probably be my last AR project. You're definitely right. The system is broken and the only way to still have fun is to learn to just filter out the trash for the projects that are worth the time. They're still absolutely there and they're worth it, it just takes more time to find them.

Beware about CMON. It is a Hong Kong listed company and if you look at their financial statements, they have a TON of debt, which is a red flag that this company may not be sustainable.

I’ve been most excited about some late pledges I missed before I started the hobby….Middara, Dawn of Madness, Primal….but ones that were finding when I was there at the beginning, Ravaged Star and Studium No Exit probably most. And Worms Armageddon for nostalgia haha

This is channel really is about consumerist addictive habits and chasing dopamine. It’s fascinating.

To me, buying and playing board games is still a hobby. Which means i don't let myself got bogged down by the minutia of the industry. Make no mistake, hobby board games IS an industry now, i don't think it, in itself, should be described as a "hobby", it all just depends on how individuals look at it. Do i think a game looks like it would be fun? If yes, back/buy. If no, pass. As games get more and more expensive, i am backing less and less. Not because i don't think these beautiful and fantastic games aren't worth it, but because financially it's not smart for me to back. I am thrilled for the people who can back them though, and that there are people who are able to support the companies out there trying to keep their companies going. I think sometimes, as a community, we take the hobby/industry a little too seriously.

Every ATO update still gets me stoked. I'd say there's a lot more distrust in the comments section. Which is a shame, but also justified. Hopefully over the next year or two the scars of Mythic, Blacklist, Broken Anvil, and similar will heal.

I am new to the hobby just started last year on december. Just have old world, undead or alive and skytear horde. This year also i backed a Dead Keep, Dceased, Nemesis retaliation and Ironwood. I am very happy waiting for this games.

Last campaign backed I was excited about was Nemesis Retaliation. Last campaign received I was pumped for was TG KoR. Next campaign I am excited about is Cyberpunk 2077 by Go on Board. There are far fewer games these days that get me in that "can't wait feeling". Part of it is the conversation around the games. There are so many games out there even the content creators seem bored by the next game. It is hard to get excited when no one else seems to care either. I am looking forward to Tanares arriving. But am I excited about Odalin? Not really. Will I back it? Probably. There is something about being part of a group of people that all look forward to the same thing. Their excitement fuels you, and in turn your excitement fuels them. This is what is missing right now in gaming, and it isn't just board games. Video games have the same effect. Out comes the next game and its pretty meh. That doesn't get people excited that the next one is going to be a banger.

what I've seen is that, more and more, being excited about a game and being vocal about it tends to be 'socially punished' - being told you're "just a fan boy" or "just trying to justify your purchase" and myriad other ostracizing insults.

Cysmic is the game that got me pumped. It’s live and the campaign is really different from the standard glitter shit

I'm currently overwhelmed with my games because all these things I backed years ago are all showing up at the same time.

Ive burned out on Crowdfunding at this point. The idea that everyone just accepts that everyone lies with their estimated timeline. 6 months late is considered on time. Then all the extra content that you have to add on now because you might never be able to get it in the future. By the time the game comes I end up losing interest and it just sits on my shelf taking up way too much space. Then there is a chance your box will get damaged because they dont protect it well enough. Now I would never buy that busted box from a store or if i did I certainly would pay a ding and dent price but for some reason I am expected to accept this busted up game box that i waited years for and paid full price. Then of course there is always going to be the second edition that will launch right after you finally get your game. It will fix all those errors that should have been caught by an editer and game testers at the company in the 2+ years they had to make it. So now i have to buy and wait another couple years for the upgrade pack to fix my version otherwise my game will lose any resale or trade value in the future.

11:32 Monsterpocalypse 😢 😭

Been working on my Dream Game for years. Could have easily launched our campaign by now, but I never add the guts to ask for money when/since the project is not ready/close to 💯% I have no choice but to launch, one day, but I will know at that moment that we’ll be able to deliver a quality product and that, we will, had given it all the time needed to succeed. In the end, I believe that decision will pay off. Yep. 😊 And just like you suggest and I can happily confirm that, I’m having so much fun creating it. Great contents as always. Much love.

I do think you're wrong here. I think it might because you're so invested in campaign games with miniatures and story and ..... My world of mostly euro games is greater than any time I can remember.

The part that I hate about crowdfunding is the fulfillment part of it, it really puts me off backing stuff, especially with Kickstarter model where if you pre order or late back something you can 't post on kickstarter, that sucks so much., I've gone from day one backing to late pledging with a lot of games. I agree with dead keep, CMON have fallen so far down the ladder of companies I back, but the more I read about Dead keep it made me finally cave in.

I'm trying to stop backing games and focus on playing my games instead. I started backing my very first game during 2020 but now that I have received a lot of the games I backed, I feel like they are piling up faster than I play them. It was to be expected with the campaign games, but even the 1 shot games are collecting dust atm. There are a lot of campaign I felt excited about. The last one was probably Spirit Fire, mainly because Vindication is my #1 game and I trust Orange Nebula to deliver games I'll enjoy. Btw, I started to shift my mindset towards enjoying games that arrives at retail. Games like Spirit Island, Ark Nova and Heat Pedal to the Metal were purchased from a retailer store and they are all part of my top 10 with 2 of them part of my top 4. I don't own a huge collection as some others, I'm at 105 games atm, but I feel like it's time for me to cull back down and "refine" my collection. As for backing campaign on crowdfunding in general, I'm not as excited about it but mostly because I'm trying to stop backing. I'll still be looking at Grimcoven because the premisce of this game sounds really great, but according to what I see during the campaign or the gameplay, I might just wait to get it at retail even if I miss out of stuff. The thing is, I got enough games to last me plenty of years without being bored and there are games in my collection that excite me more than the games that are coming out anyway, either because I own something similar or just because I want to play the games I already love and enjoy vs trying to chase the new potential hidden gem. Btw, the hobby is great and I'm not sure if others feel less excited about crowdfunding and games coming out. One thing is certain tho, focusing on the negative rarely brings out joy out of it. I tremendously appreciate the work you're putting towards all the journalistic work that you do, but if it robs you from enjoying the hobby, I think you should at least consider reducing the amount of cases you cover on the industry. Thanks for the video ;) You're among the few channels I keep around because I enjoy those discussions and your pov on things.

The best way to enjoy board games is to pretend like KS doesn't exist.

Grimcoven and Odalin coming out next month. Could we get your thoughts on both and if you could pick 1 to back which would you choose?

Crowdfunding used to be about making a game come to life that would otherwise not exist. Games like Oathsworn and Arydia are the last ones that felt like a small team working hard on a big idea. Now with failed games, people are scared to back anything unless its an established company. Alot of people are mentioning the costs, but also its now a lack of discounting. Crowdfunding used to feel like you were getting a deal because you were an early adopter and an insider. The stretch goals 5+ years ago felt like they were really only happening because we backed the project. Now with $1 backing into pledge managers and addons and blah blah....it used to be about an exciting game that needed my $$$ so it could exist. It has got so complicated that a new person can easily be intimidated out of crowdfunding. Lasty, I think most of this audience is hardcore gamers and it doesn't take many of these $300 games to fill a shelf...

thumbs up for the S.H.E.O.L box on the ground!

Hey, thanks for the thoughts. Agreed, I'm excited about the look of this latest CMON offering but feel very confused as to what it actually is... What elements are genuinely "limited" beyond the snap exclusive add-ons - just wish it was much more clear what is actually being offered vs. what "everyone else" will be able to purchase one it hits retail. While I'm not a scalper, I do appreciate being able to purchase items that I know will hold and increase in value - it's not a cheap hobby and occasionally I will purchase/back games that, once they arrive, I find isn't actually a good guy for me...I then want/need the confidence in not going to end up out of pocket. Maybe that's narrow minded 🤷

It feels all games are now via GF or KS, so the buyer takes the risk that what you get as a final product turns out to be good before development has even finished. Gone are the days you could buy when ready in a store at your own convenience after you see if it is good or not and want to buy. Campaigns take the risk away from the producer that what they are punting is any good or not and puts it onto the backer, they come out with guareenteed sales. I feel campaigns should be for up and coming developers to get their ideas out and grow who otherwise could not, not for established producers. Established producers should go straight to retail, but they cloak this with "ohh but you get these extras the normal folk wont if you buy before you see". Why are the xtras not standard if you beleive they add to the experience of playing it. Also, the swings in campaign costs are huge, especially with shipping, eg one large game which i backed with four big boxes was 20 pounds, another simple game i backed was 50 pounds. Finally, no protection for buyers. I was one who was stung with Mythic necromancers, they used our money to fulfil projects we did not back. It was due to this i dont back on Ks anymore, only GF, and only on small independent developers as they are the ones who need our support. Yes, large campaigns from established developers being pumped out all the time has taken the excitment away. But i do still get excited when it is a small developer as they comminucate well and you feel their passion.

I wonder what your feelings are with this new fixed "pre-order"style of backing as opposed to the traditional model. I wonder if we still have the absolute lack of protections backing something like dead keep as opposed to pre-ordering an item from a storefront(consumer vs supporter) this new model I see many companies offer is no benefit to the buyer and all to the manufacturer. They tell you there is a msrp discount but you pay for shipping both from China and then final shipment from warehouse to door which is usually more than the savings originally offer, in addition your money is gone for 12+ months vs when it is released and most online we retailers will offer an additional discount on msrp + free shipping based on actual cost of these games. Since cmon is a industry leader I am concerned for crowdfundings future as this "pre-order model" is becoming the preferred way to do smaller less invested projects.

Dead Keep will have a retail version at a fraction of the price and plenty of content considering the amount of games I own, let alone you. Plus you will have better information on the game and no bad surprises regarding "shipping costs". I like a lot of CMON games, but honestly, screw them. I have zero interest left in their crowdfunding endeavors. And I would not recommend backing them to anyone.

Yeah, it‘s not how it used to be. Marketing tactics all over the place. The fun is mostly gone. It combines the bad things of retail and crowdfunding almost. I still do it. But it does not feel as good as it used to.

Last one I was excited for may have been Isofarian Guard or Company of Heroes 2nd ed

I'm still excited for KDM.. when I think about all the expansions I still have to come my heart gets giddy.. Okay I've got three different recent examples. Shadows of Brimstones latest campaign, I love the theme, the deal is great, I know it will take years but will turn up, it was very exciting and felt like a old school campaign in terms of delivery. Dragon Eclipse.. I think my daughter is going to love this game, and for me that's priceless, I'm so excited to give it to her and play it with her and my partner as I brought all the gameplay stuff so can do multiplayer.. having that AR version of pokemon we can play 3-4 player is awesome as well. STALKER.. I was super excited for, really hyped, I don't have a highly granular stealth sim that has realistic injuries or combat.. sadly it was a massive let down, they are no longer making that game, its now a stealth light, abstract shooter.. So its worth mentioning that that hype can turn sour. Honourable mentions Maladum and Middara, both I worked with and I'm really excited to see get into peoples hands, especially Maladum as I was hands on with the mechanics and its going to be a treat.. You Michael will love it, not the colouring of the scenery but the game. If you don't I'll up my support, but it so up your street and yet delightfully simple.. You are going to love that game.

I've been lucky, I guess. Cysmic has been crazy high on my list and that's launching in a week. Last month's The Presence has me strangely excited and I don't really know why. Before that was... Primal I think?

Crowdfunded games have exceeded capacity. Long term gamers have finite resources. Those resources are not just money - they're space, time and friends with which to play. We've bought so many games that people without discipline (99% of us) have just seen the reasons to not back outweigh the reasons to back - while we see way too many new games being thrown out there all the time. Over the next 3 years we'll see people selling more and more games in the secondary market causing people to spend their free money there rather than on new crowdfunded games, more campaigns failing (although there will still be a few bright lights), and generally a reduction in the board game industry overall. This is not to say that it will fail overall ... but it will be a correction for the excess spending, charges and crowding of the industry we've seen over the past 5 years. Shrinkage, but not failure.

The last boardgame I got excited about was Aeon Trespass and Oathsworn. Fortunately both have come in and now I have so much game both here and on its way that I have stepped away from the hobby.

At one point, one needs to ask oneself, “Am I going to be a venture capitalist for board game companies, or should I just get it at retail or a 2nd print?” I’ve chosen the latter. Just done with all of it. For me Dawn of Madness by Diemension (which I just got last week after half a decade) and Dark Quarter by Lucky Duck. Those clowns shut me down entirely. And I’m committed to pledging every single one of thier future games for $1 so I can ceaselessly tell others not to back thier awful companies on the project comments section. Integrity should actually mean something.

I was excited for Rivenstone, but BAM has kinda soured me on backing other tabletops from small companies. I am looking forward to Worms because my kids are excited to play it

Lots of cool looking games out there, however i cannot back all of it or it will ruïn me financially. So i only look and back games that get me excited and are EU friendly. The last game i got excited about was worms the board game, looks like fun and chaos but nostalgia has a big say in it. Another one is Hunters 1492, got excited when i first saw it and still really anticipate it. But the last game that got me really hyped and i kicked myself for being a cheapscate and select single wave shipping was Nemesis. And really i came by that by chance of a facebook add. I don't play it as much as i like but is has since been upgraded with a neoprene mat and expended upon with 3d elements. I'm looking forward to AVGhost paranormal investigations. Looks fun playing in the dark with lights as it is a mechanic i don't have. But i'll need to look into it if they funded and more importantly, delivered any games as otherwise i won't back.

My hot take. Hard to enjoy the hobby when most in the industry are super toxic. I had a discussion on a forum about how a Nordic game set 300 years ago would be strange to have non-Nordic characters. Boy that didn't go over well. Also, seems a lot of creators forgot we invest in these games because we care about development, but that is also seen as toxic. I am at a point I don't want to even go to stores anymore because it got so bad with people not allowing opposing opinions. Over this hobby honestly.

i think its just the rate that new versions of games are coming out or games that we want come out. that we get burnt out on so many choices etc. we want all the things. but do we play them all. but also the ups and downs of the ride from backing a crowd funding. get that bad taste from poor communication or feeling like is this game even coming out, to mythic which was like a wTF is going on here.

What are your thoughts on Rove?

Man, you're not making my life easier. I loved the game as the the first news came out, mainly because of the art of Paul Bonner. (I have half a dozen CMON games just because of Adrian Smith...). Then the project went live and I've realized that it's beyond my budget (just the core game costs $300 with shipment and VAT...) unfortunately and I made peace with the idea that I will purchase the retail/ standees version when it comes out. Then you have to make a second video about the game and the minis!?... ;)

Vrahode has been keeping me super jacked for a couple of years, and I’m really champing at the bit for Arydia to deliver later this year. But I agree the “corporate” game developers are awful. Give me the independents that engage their communities.

For me that isnt a reprint and was something new. To me i think redwood was the last time. Im excited to get street masters reprint. I would have bought it at retail if i could

I was last excited for wild assent and stormsunder. Those mini's looked dope and as a 5e player I was pretty keen to have a bunch of dino's to run Chult/ Tomb of Annihilation and mummies to run Mr Rhexx's Sands of Doom campaign. The delays though, killed the last of my excitment for any board games that came with miniatures. I first saw it as a great way to get started collecting figures for DnD with Blacklist Games, FS2. I LOVED the different race and class combos. With the increasing amounts of failures to deliver and outright scams in the industry I've lost all interest in board games to collect miniatures. I'll only back Archon and Reaper from now on.

You see what you focus on. If you focus on all the crappy news all the time, you'll see more of that (and probably get less excited). News is useful, but maybe you should limit how much of it you do, and spend more time focusing on the things you enjoy. Last thing I was super excited about was Battletech: Mercenaries, which was only a year ago. But I also got excited about the DCeased Zombicide game. So, not too long ago. I'd go in on The Dead Keep, too, if I wasn't currently really frustrated with the lack of info on the Cmon Comics Vol 2... It's not that there's been bad news, just that there's almost no news, and I don't have any idea how they'll handle their Gamefound preorders as far as information drips go.

I think you can attribute some of it to time. Crowdfunded board games have been a thing for many years now so it’s just not as exciting anymore. Another thing is the price…… This is seriously a boutique hobby now. It’s so expensive and very hard to justify. I can see it here in Denmark that the used market is becoming fatigued. Games are not moving nearly as fast as they used to. Last time I backed a game on Kickstarter was the original Oathsworn campaign. The last time I was genuinely excited was when Sankokushin did that huge update. An update to a game that never materialized. Oh yeah I bought Aeon Trespass used but still in shrink and have since then backed the upcoming expansions.

Is there a date to announce the raffle winners? 😁

I think that it falls between Massive Darkness 2 and Zombicide and owning the former and waiting for the latter (White March), I do not think another game that needs many minies painted and takes space. Also, I am a bit concerned with the number of CMON campaigns, which still have not delivered multiverse and are coming up with DC, and some games coming without much of the design done..

Eric Lang CMON was the best CMON

Lobotomy II. Which wasn't that long ago. Other than that, I'm sort of addicted to Zombicide. I'm trying to cut down; I skipped Marvel Zombies and I was quite prepared to wait for White Death to hit retail, but then there was some exclusive that I wanted, so I'll be expecting yet another oversized box eventually. On another note: Campaigns with minis should be more honest and maybe show pictures with digitally added mold lines or something.

I dont know I agree but at the same time I look at the support ITU has for instance. Fans like myself are sort of ride and die with ITU even though they lack polish. Maybe part of the problem with backers is updates from a great portion of the games have just been flat. When's the last time we've seen a game not be fully developed or close to fully developed and hit Kickstarter or Gamefound? There's a lack of organic cohesion with backers during development. Maybe backers have been too spoiled? Idk.

Chuckle. I preordered this for the same reasons… Between this, Death May Die and *United… I just love these games. For me: grounding “games” in the stories, the painting I get to do, and shared experiences I get to have… It’s as much creation as it is consumption, at a minimum. As often or not, it’s more so the creative act than anything else. I appreciate your word and insights. You pointed at me at Primal. That lead to my wife naming a dragon the “Terra Cotta Dragon,” and me thinking “nailed the Dragon of the Clay!” Cheers 🎉

There is no hope. Board game crowdfunding sucks. Very very very long development time, 0 consequences of not fulfilling promises, and a 50/50 chance of it turning out a good game. All that after charging $300-$500.

Is there any update from Mythic on Darkest Dungeon? Its been radio silent for months! Mythic really have turned me off crowd funding board games.

I was at the point to just get my stuff retail only and from the second market - but! - Dante happened and I was hooked. It was a joyride from pre updates till the end of the campaign and so damn curious if the final product really matches my personal hype/feel/trust. But beside this one I admit I do check on new campaigns but I kinda lost my interest. The designs are about looks but mostly not about mechanics - the pricetags way too high - and in the end gambling if the initial shipping costs are really as promised (not estimated - promised!!!) Simply said too much happened and with more than 1.4k new boardgames per year...is crowdfunding really the way to go? Always a lot of money for beta games halfly tested with plenty stuff noone needs...yeah...I kinda divorced from crowdfunding. It should be THE game that I can get there and not the X reprint/relabel/cash the cow crap. I do miss the time when it was the place for indie stuff.

Darkest Dungeon & Lobotomy 2

The bottom line is KS or GM is way too oversaturated with games and there is way too much risk (coming from a Hel backer) I cant see things going anyway but down. Just backing AR games alone will cost you easy £1000+/year. Plus no way any1 can afford the risk of losing another £150+ for every (say) 5 games backed. I'm personally already £250+ out of pocket and that is coming in relatively late (3/4 years) into the hobby. Ppl won't (and shouldn't) accept it. CMON want your next mortgage payment to deliver the game! And then there are companies like Mythic 😢. Wise up all. Why don't content creators want to talk about that? Because they all still make money from the misery!😮 And btw, before you do say you do cover it KOA, I don't honestly think people truly understand the real risk, it's just hidden with fomo for most. There are ppl literally scamming, frequently. Pleased to see you back 😀 though more reviews/playthroughs would be nice with less drama

Would love to know how the Dead Keep is doing in terms of how many backers? Also, can’t help but feel that the old kickstarter model campaign would have been really exciting for this game? And would have got them more backers???

The minis in The Dead Keep are leaps and bounds better than the misshapen, static minis from CMON's God of War campaign. That lackluster campaign totally wasted the potential of the God of War IP, and that has fueled my decision to stop supporting them in any way.

Crowdfunding is hot garbage. not because its inherently bad, but because companies like CMON abuse it and backers for profit. CMON is also hot garbage churning out that same stuff with minor tweaks because people keep buying it. meanwhile, thousands of games we never hear about are being made by real passionate creators who would love to have the opportunity these other companies now take for granted. thats my take. keep feeding the corporate beasts or lift up the passion waiting to be discovered.

BG industry has gotten terrible. They have to make a buck, but they have to give a deal for crowdfunded games too. And they don't except for the rare one

Its not cmon. Its bonner. Full disclosure. I am a painter first second and fifth cmon is the GW of the board game space. Love them and hate them but then again now I paint Parabellum games just give me the sculpts please.

I completely disagree with you. I've been disagreeing with you a lot lately, except with The Dead Keep. The last time I felt great about funding a game was the last time I backed a game, which was God of War and Eath Abundance. I love backing and following crowdfunded board games. It's really fun to me.

I also generally disagree with you about the industry, I think I said it before but you only cover certain board games that you like, and because those games are heavily mini focused which costs tons of money that's were problems arise, when these companies make games with too much content bloat. Like right now I am excited for Children of Morta which is still on Kickstarter right now, However that game isn't particularly your type of game. I am also excited about Mythic Battles Isfet coming up just shortly.

Its funny because personally the Dead Keep doesn't interest me. For me I need something that draws me in and does something unique to stand out, before I back. Maybe I am missing what the Hype is all about, but The Dead Keep feels very generic.

Zombicide always pulls me in

Way too big a part of the video spent on praising the sponsor… timestamp to skip that please :)

Townsfolk tussle. And before that, monsterpocalyose. I try to set and forget so when it gets here its a huge rush.