Honestly, your content is so far ahead of other channels - its getting silly! I love how you introduce the influences and break down the mechanisms. To a knowledgeable gamer, they know exactly what they are getting after one view. Great job!!
Thanks a ton for the comment Mike! This format is definitely different from our KS previews because we really want our RE-views to stand out and come from a place of deeper analysis (we hope).
@@meeple Certainly AEG runs a serious risk by letting you actually review, not paid preview the game. Speaks to their confidence with what they have on offer.
As usual, I have just heard of this game and it's almost 2 years old now. I would like to echo what previous commenters have stated in that your review is ridiculously helpful and really help amateur game players like me make well informed decisions on purchases. Thank you and please keep up the stellar work.
Well, the game itself is just now starting to deliver to KS backers, so you're not too late to the party. 😉 Thanks a bunch for the nice comment on the video. This was a fun one to do, and we WILL try to keep these coming for new and veteran gamers alike.
To echo other people, this is a great review. This new format shows the experience you have to talk about genre and how it's moved forward. It also help viewers like me make more informed decisions about the games I may want to back/purchase. Keep up the great work!
Well thank you for commenting too! We really appreciate the feedback, and hope that it helps at least to give you an idea of what about the game appealed to me.
I'm also a big fan off John D. Clair and his designs, specifically card crafting (but I found Ecos to be a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be), and was really wondering if this one would stack up. Knowing your tastes seem to run parallel to mine, this thorough review really helped me decide whether to back it. Thanks, David! You all keep up the good work!
I will admit, sometimes when a designer hits the mark for me so much, I can be guilty of starting letting that glow spill over to everything they do. But I can definitely say that with his games, there are some that I like far more than others. Space Base and ECOS will likely always get more time at the table just because they're more accessible games for different groups of people, but this is easily my favorite Card Crafting game. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks a ton! We're going to try to keep it up. A lot of that depends on game releases, but we DO want to keep the stream of these reviews more steady.
Hi David. I was already in on Dead Reckoning, so it's not like you swayed my opinion or anything. However, and it's a big however... This was one of the best reviews I can remember seeing in a very long time. Really nice pace, very informative and focused, and just excellent work all around. I was very impressed! I'm not a fan of typical previews, to such an extent I rarely bother with them at all anymore, but I'll definitely be back for more of these pre-KS reviews from MvsM if you guys can keep up the standards anywhere close to this. It's a much more interesting concept, and especially so as long as you'll be able to pinpoint weaknesses in the games as well as their strengths. For now; this is the new bar that every other reviewers and content creators within the industry will have to size up against, especially for the KS-stuff. That's no small achievement.
Wow! Thanks so much for the kind words. This is our new review format, so it won't often be for pre-KS games. We just happened to have Dead Reckoning for a while, so we could really play it and form a solid opinion. You will indeed see more and more of this RE-view format though, along with some variations of this sort of approach. Thanks again, and we appreciate the feedback.
Just going to echo what others have said. You are absolutely killing it when it comes to reviews. I love everything you spoke about and it was all relevant. Very well done.
Honestly, I really hated the old review format, to a point that I just dismissed your channel entirely. The whole way of reviewing just felt very unconstructed and didn't really got to the point. The whole dynamic felt off because there was no real discussion, just two people that tried to name as much positive points as quickly as they could within the set timeframe. I am so glad that I watched this review because this is a format I can get behind. This is just the way to do a board game review. It highlights the game mechanisms just enough, but focuses on the real reasons why it is actually fun or innovative, with some opinions sprinkled in. This is what I want in my reviews. Never has my opinion on a gaming channel changed this much. Very well done. Can't wait to see more reviews like this.
THIS is exactly what we were hoping for when we reformulated our reviews. Thanks for the comment, and for jumping back into the MvM audience. While we're proud of everything we've done to date, we always believe there's room for improvement. Glad to hear you like it.
Holy shiznit!!! What a great review style! I own Space Base and Ecos, but never felt the draw to either Mystic Vale or Edge of Darkness. This game however looks very unique with a theme I love. 2 questions for David: What BGG weight is this game? How long was the teach? Thanks. I look forward to more reviews!
Thanks Dan! These Card Crafters are very different games than Space Base and ECOS, and I too never felt a big draw to them, although Edge of Darkness got me to try it. As for your questions: BGG currently has this at a 3.5 which feels high to me. Edge of Darkness is at 3.36, and I would say Dead Reckoning is not as heavy as Edge for sure. The theme really helps most players grasp what they need to do in the game in this case. I'd say still north of 3.0, but not much. Keep in mind, I'm not a BGG weight expert. The teach can be long, but if you just walk through examples, it's not bad. There are a couple aspects that can have people scratching their heads at first, but all of it is pretty second nature once you've played a few times. Like Edge, there are a couple straggler rules that you just have to remember, and once you interpret them correctly, they make sense.
I'll just echo others' sentiments here; you've done a great job condensing a *lot* of material into a cogent, engaging format, so kudos to you and the team for that. I'll be backing this for sure.
So......It has goals that once so many are achieved it ends the game(Scythe), a deck builder with theme(Clank) AND a euro feel! This sounds soooooo good! Oh yeah and I've heard it also has a solo mode!!!!! Wowwie wow wow!!!
I remember going to AEG headquarters and seeing the original demo for Edge of Darkness (which they wouldn't let me peak through) and how promising it was going to be. This system has come such a long way.
Yeah, I initially dug Edge, but it was ultimately too much game for the variety of gamers I play with (or at least not as accessible). Dead Reckoning really gets around that due to the theme and the fact that the things you're doing in the game just seem to make sense.
I didn’t know anything about this game, but now I’m really intrigued! I LOVE the new review format. Outstanding! Do you have any comments on player count preferences?
Thanks, and yes, I do have some thoughts on player counts. I played it at least a couple times at 2 players, and enjoyed it. Obviously cuts down on time between turns, and the playtime overall. 3 and 4 player will have a lot more variance of strategies going on though, and the area control will feel more spread out. At 2 players, both players will often feel the need/urge to keep fighting over the same islands. It's not necessary that they do that, but I think that sort of urge exists more at 2 players for many games. Like most games in general, I almost always prefer 3 players. It almost always taps into the wider range of strategies, but also keeps a game from being as long as it might be at 4, or even 5 players.
Great review, the production, pacing, and content are all fantastic! The sandbox nature and setting of Dead Reckoning remind me of SeaFall. Having played that and owning Edge of Darkness, Dead Reckoning probably doesn't do enough different for me to back it, but I am glad the card crafting system continues to iterate and improve.
If you do get a chance to play it at some point, please share whether you still feel that way. I've not played SeaFall, but from what I've heard about it, there's far more going on in a game of Dead Reckoning. Thanks for the kind words on the review.
Thanks for watching! I'm not sure if this came through in the review, but this game is so much more of a sandbox euro first, and a card crafting deck-builder just kind of driving all the moving parts.
As someone who appreciated Mystic Vale, but really enjoyed Edge of Darkness, this looks like the ultimate iteration for this system. I am a huge fan of Tyrants of the Underdark, so any game that can add so many different mechanisms to a deck builder, while still looking this good, is going to have to be backed by me on Kickstarter. Shoot they can just do expansions of new islands and inserts alone. Great video and I am definitely on board for this one. Keep up the great work!
Nice review! I think you've convinced me that this will be right up my alley. That said, I do have one question: where can I get that Rogue One poster behind you? That is some fantastic art.
This review format was revelation! Extremely high quality. The effort put into it really shines through. A breath of fresh air for sure. Well done! In terms of game length, roughly how long were your games, if you had to put an actual number on it? Thanks!
At two players, it will ultimately still weigh in at around 90 minutes. 4 player games could easily take 21/2 - 3+ hours depending on the players. It's not a short game, but I found the gameplay worth the time.
We don't always expect viewers to watch from beginning to end (and our analytics would support that), but THANK YOU for doing so. We really appreciate those full watches.
Great review and great job of delving into why this truly I the next evolution of card crafting! Kudos to John on this great design, I'm gonna get a copy now ^_^
Thanks a lot Carl! It will be exciting to see the campaign page, and everything they will be offering. I'm particularly interested in learning more about the Saga expansions.
Very well done. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy the on-line version of Mystic Vale and it truly is card crafting. And, it looks like that card crafting works/fits better in Dead Reckoning.
I haven't played Mystic Vale online, but I've heard great things. Obviously, the card crafting lends itself well to digital formats, so it makes sense. I would say it works better here, as you said, but I also just enjoy the core game that's being played with Dead Reckoning a bit more too.
Yes, I agree with others ... this is the best review I've ever seen from MvM. Clear, concise, detailed, expansive, well-paced, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and inciteful, all at once. This is a very high standard for board game review. If there was a "Best Boardgame Review of the Year" award, this would be the clear winner. Well done!
Wow! Thanks so much for that. We'll have more like this coming, but we've been slower than I'd hoped in getting more review content added to the channel. I'm hoping that 2022 will be the year though. This video represents what a "deep dive" review will hopefully resemble for us, but we'll be playing with other review formats as well. Thanks again, and stay tuned.
@@meeple I will stay tuned for sure! In fact, watching your top ten 2021 game video now. :-) I just regret not getting in on Dead Reckoning KS until it was too late. 😞 The good news is that AEG has said that it will be available for purchase later on in 2022. I will stay optimistic that one will find it's way to our gaming group. 🙂 Thanks again for providing such exemplary review content.
David, this new presentation is FANTASTIC! It really hones in on the most important aspect of a game: the game experience! Sadly, the more reviews I see of Dead Reckoning I see, the less I think it's for me but that's just because I love adventure/exploration more than tactical engine building/combat strategy. Games like *Forgotten Waters* and *Skull Tales: Full Sail* are more in my wheelhouse.
This one does have more "game mechanisms" than those, and probably less narrative element. Although it sounds like the Saga expansion content might push some of those buttons. Thanks for the feedback on our new review format too!
Man.. I haven't played any board games in a long time. Thanks for getting me excited about them again. I needed that, and I think I'll pick this one up.
@@meeple Around eight months. I used to love it (and watch your videos a lot), but I had some difficult stuff come up that kind of occupied me for a while as, I think, people often do lately.
@@Alexanderkermani Well we hope you're making it through the difficult stuff, and finding some fun and relaxation with some board games from time to time. Thanks again for watching.
Glad you like them. We're really trying to put in an effort to give a deeper look at the games we review, and it's great to get feedback like this. Thanks.
I am NOT a euro game fan, but the light euro-y aspects of this game make sense with the theme and are not too abstracted. This could be a good intro to light euro game mechanisms. I know I'd sure like to give it a try.
It's an interesting balance that you're suggesting. I agree that this game could be a great intro to more euro-style mechanisms to gamers who might be open to them, but typically enjoy more ameri-style games. If you do end up trying it at some point, try to come back here and let us know what you think.
Thanks! Jeremy only played once, and Ryan and Kira haven't gotten a play in yet. I've played it 5 times with a variety of people. Given that we're including actual scores now, we want to make sure to get some plays in before any of us actually assign a number.
I agree about how a thematic game should be judged by how well it integrates it's mechanics. I've always maintained that a thematic game design comes up with a workable theme first, THEN designs mechanics to implement the theme. If a game doesn't do that, then it's NOT a "thematic" game. Rather, it's merely a game that uses a theme as a setting.
I agree for the most part, as I mentioned in the video. I do think it's important though (for me anyway) not to take that to the extreme. At the end of the day games with theme still have many abstracted elements, so as long as it hits a couple notes where the theme really comes through, I'm fine with it "not exactly making perfect thematic sense" in some other respects. ;)
Curious to how this is similar to "Forbidden Stars" Where upgrading the cards in your hand to fit what you want to do is a bigger part than the "what is on the board" than people think. I know they are different, but they look to have that same feel. DR does the card crafting, and FS does the upgrade the same 10 cards you have in hand for each battle.
I have to plead ignorance on Forbidden Stars, as I've never played it. I can confirm though that your core strategy for getting points can rely heavily on which cards you "level up"--less so I think on which cards you add advancements to. Some of the leveling up is required for certain routes in the game.
Best board game review I've ever watch...Watching this made me wants to buy the game immediately The problem with most board game reviewers is that they are too afraid to give spoilers. Darn tootin! without some spoilers, how am I suppose to know whether the game is good or not please to all board game reviewers: give more spoilers and highlight the point and interesting stuff that players can do at the game.
Wow! Thanks so much for the kind words. We really hope that our new review format is landing with viewers, and getting this sort of feedback is awesome to hear.
Hello. I am new to your channel but i like what i see so far. I liked this review but i do have a question. I barely heard any meaningful criticisms but you scored it an 8 (out of 10 i assume). I would have expected higher so can you elaborate on why it wasn't a 9 or 10? Or maybe you don't really give those kinds of scores out at all?
Welcome to the channel, and thanks for giving us a chance. We appreciate it. Your question about the score is a fair one. As with any numeric scoring system, things can be subjective. To give you some reference though, a 10/10 for me would be a VERY rare perfect storm of factors, and I can't even think of any games off the top of my head that would be an easy candidate. Also, a number of things go into my personal approach to the score. The game in and of itself (mechanisms, fun factor, production, etc.) and how they appeal to me personally is one side of it. But I also take into consideration the game's broader appeal to the variety of people in my game groups. For example, I'll more often choose to play something heavier than Azul, but I still very much enjoy the game, AND it gets major points from me because it appeals to just about everyone I've ever played with. For Dead Reckoning, I think I'd say I shaved it down to an 8 because it might be a bit much for the more casual gamers I play with at times, and it's on the longer side (which is also sometimes a turn-off for some people I play with). With that said, I would put this on the high side of an 8--just not quite enough to push it to a 9 for me.
Really looks fun and pushes a bunch of buttons for me. I will almost certainly back this! Only part of this (or any review) is when you compare to Clank... to say it takes what Clank does well and improves it 10 X, that makes me question everything else to some degree. Clank is a top 60 all time game with multiple successful spinoffs. I hope it lives up to the hype👍
To be clear, I drew that analogy because they're both games that "use" deck-building to drive a game as opposed to deck-building being the game itself. This is a heavier experience than Clank! and feels even more like a game driven by the mechanism than just a mechanism itself. Have you played other card crafting games?
ManVsMeeple yes sir. It is one of my favorite game mechanisms. I find when Clank hits the table, I almost always say, “this is a really good game”. I also have over 1,000 plays of Dominion (which the first turn advantage still kills me). Spirit Island is my all time #1... so I’m super excited about Dead Reckoning. Really appreciate the information, just a little burned by over-hype in our hobby. I’m also in the medical field, so “word precision” is a big deal to us. Best of luck!
WOW. My game collection is so huge now (over 100+). It is hard to justify another purchase. This looks like something very special. I gotta give it a try.
Thanks for: the comment, the view, the subscribe, and for making my day with all of the above. Glad to have you as a subscriber, and hope to keep bringing more of this type of content to the channel.
Did you feel you could game the dice tower / battle resolution? Seems like the best results at the far end so wouldn't just throwing it in really hard net you the best results?
Funny you should ask. I spoke with the designer at one point after a couple plays, and asked if the intent was for players to "game" the cube tower. It is not. The idea is that the active player drops all relative cubes at once from a standard angle/height. There are instances when additional cubes may be dropped, but all drops are supposed to be done in an as-close-to-standard fashion as possible.
Mystic Vale may have been this designer's first card crafting game, but Gloom technically predates Mystic Vale by a whole 13 years as far as card crafting goes. ;) I will say that this review mostly sold me. I'm iffy on the combat, but the rest of the game looks very intriguing. This game feels like it has many elements akin to SeaFall, plus the card crafting deck building aspect, minus the things that often drag it down and made it so divisive among groups that have played it. (I frankly loved playing it).
Yeah, I'm familiar with Gloom, but felt that the "Card Crafting" as AEG has defined it, offered more fitting comparisons. The combat definitely has a random feel to it, but the results of combat are mostly good for all participants in many cases, aside from the "who wins and who loses" determination. In other words, there's enough consolation on the losing end of combat (in most cases) that it never feels too disappointing (again, in most cases).
@@meeple Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I guess I can see that in terms of AEG defined card crafting. Good to know about the combat. The one thing that bothers me about it is it feels very hands off. Dice may be random, but you are rolling your own dice, offering a tactile connection that almost feels like your energy has some sway over the outcome. Other systems offer more strategic possibilities... while the combat in this is not only random, but lacks the tactile component. It's a reason I don't use dice towers, I don't like the feel of having some thing roll dice for me. It's good to know that it is not too damaging if you are just experiencing bad luck, though. I wish if they were going to have this thing with cubes, that we would each have our own and maybe we could swap out components and upgrade and what not. Then while it lacks some of the tactile elements, it at least feels like our own field and we can even alter that field to some degree by the choices we make with upgrades during the game. I think if that was the case, that would most certainly get me off of the fence. As it is, I just don't know. Everything else looks very cool, so we will see.
This was a prototype, so I can't say for sure what the production ship miniatures will be like. For a prototype, these ones were pretty nice, and seemed sturdy.
Thanks! Those coins were packed in with the prototype we received. I'm not sure if those are representative of the final production, but I imagine they are.
How punishing is losing at combat? Do you have a choice to avoid combat? I think this game might have too much direct player interaction for my taste. I know I’m a bit odd this way. Thanks!
Luke, thanks for the question. I haven't experienced a "punishing" feeling during combat in my plays. In most cases, all players participating in a battle will walk away with some cargo and/or coin. The winner gets more, but losing is typically not awful. You take some damage, and even if you get sunk, I think the worst case scenario is that you might lose 5 coin to the victor, but you can even control your losses to some degree with planning.
Ok, that doesn’t sound too bad. I really like the mechanisms of everything else in the game. I also like the new format of your reviews. Nicely done! Thanks!
@@Luke_L Even if you lose the combat, the Battle system is designed to give you rewards by just joining the battle. You can also use your mastery tree to prepare and have some unexpected surprises
I've played a few times at 2 players, and I enjoyed those games as well. The area control "back and forth" can feel more important in those games since it's head-to-head (just like any game), but I found that if you differentiate your play from the other player, you can also find points elsewhere without having to fight it out endlessly. For example, a player might build up their sails such that they can more freely move further out to sea, and simply take control of islands that the other player can't as easily reach.
Shipping is always a rough pill to swallow for me, but it just seems to be the reality of KS these days. Regarding the higher tier, I think the value is there, and I just look at the lower pledge level as an option for those who don't want to hit their wallet as hard. Thanks for watching our review!
@@meeple I don't understand the much lower shipping for Germany though. Having to pay almost twice as much for shipping while being in a country just next to it feels wrong. :/
Yeah, I'm really excited to see how people to respond to it. I'm most looking forward to the Saga expansions. They sound like they'll bring a narrative flare to the game, as well as more content of course.
This may sound like a strange collection of pieces to answer that, but here goes. I'd say that this has more things to do that Edge (or at least it feels that way), and it has more of a point salad vibe. The huge difference for me is that the things that you ARE doing in this game make far more sense thematically, so overall it's just more intuitive. More mainstream gamers will latch onto this far more easily than with Edge. Game length might be pretty similar. And this last bit is far more opinionated, but this game has a much higher "fun-factor". You can have some very satisfying turns, and the controlled chaos of the battles also makes for more exciting moments than the cube drops in Edge (for me anyway). They're both Card Crafting games, but VERY different otherwise.
AEG sent it to us, and then we shipped it out to another reviewer. We do often get games sent to us for review, and we keep them in our MvM library, but those are sent to us with zero expectation on the part of the publisher that we'll even do a review. We are very clear with anyone who sends us a game, that we may or may not review it. If you have any other questions, please let us know.
After seeing the details of the Kickstarter, I’ll probably skip this. I know I’m probably in the minority of backers for Kickstarter projects where backers love to go all-in and creators push that sense of FOMO. Personally, I don’t like having to choose between paying for an expansion for a game I haven’t played or completely missing out after finding that it’s essential (or worse, having to pay a premium on ebay). This game isn’t going to retail, and AEG has no plans to sell the expansion separately. This policy seems backer-unfriendly. In contrast, some companies like Roxley or Eagle-Gryphon sell their products directly to consumers after Kickstarter projects ship.
I was under the impression that there might be a retail release, but I may have misunderstood. I understand your point, but I generally look at it as the lower price point "non-all-in" pledge level as an "entry point" for players who might not want to spend as much. In my own experience, I would say that the amount of game you get in the box, both pledge levels seem reasonable.
@@meeple You’re probably right about the content being reasonable for both pledge levels. I just don’t like the idea of not being able to get the additional content if I end up really liking the base game. I have liked all of a John D Clair’s games that I’ve played, and this one looks good too. I might yet end up backing it. I’m having some AP here :) In the FAQ, AEG says they have no retail plans, but they also don’t rule it out in the future. I suspect that if the game is very well-received, it will hit retail in some form. On the other hand, Edge of Darkness hasn’t, so who knows?
Hey, thanks for the questions. I played one at 2 players in fact that was somewhere between 90 minutes to 2 hours, but most other plays were longer. All have involved a teach, so keep that in mind too. I'd say a first play with 4 players is going to easily approach 3 hours unless someone really pushes the game end triggers. As for 2-player commentary in general, I answered below, so this is a cut-and-paste from that: I've played a few times at 2 players, and I enjoyed those games as well. The area control "back and forth" can feel more important in those games since it's head-to-head (just like any game), but I found that if you differentiate your play from the other player, you can also find points elsewhere without having to fight it out endlessly. For example, a player might build up their sails such that they can more freely move further out to sea, and simply take control of islands that the other player can't as easily reach.
im wondering abouth the seetrue insert/cards do i need to sleeve them so they wont get scratched over time and thus the card att the back gets less readable? not sure how this works after many playtroughs
Given how the card crafting works, I can't imagine that sleeving the advancements would be logistically feasible. I imagine there will be some minor scuffing, but I don't think the artwork or information will suffer. I suspect that their technique for production has only gotten better than when they started with games like Mystic Vale, and that players shouldn't expect the sort of wear and tear you're wondering about.
@@meeple ok thx for the answer, im deff going to have a look att this a bit more, but it looks rly nice, do you tihnk the 12 tiles of exploration is enough for replayability over many rounds? is there a date for this one?
If players want to really lean into it, they can get aggressive. But the "feeling" of the take that isn't terribly hurtful--at least in my opinion. With that said, the game is all about control of the islands often going back and forth between players, and you lose all your structures on the island when that happens. The ship vs ship element can result in getting sunk, but there's no player elimination, and you can manage your cargo to try to minimize potential loss of coin that way. This is NOT a game of multi-player solitaire for sure, but none of the take-that felt too rough in my plays.
One of the things I made sure to maintain with the design is that any conflict between players was nearly 100% about victory points and NOT about damaging or tearing down other players engines. Other players can and will get it your way and possibly take some treasure (VP) away from you, and vice verse, but you cannot make each others decks or ships worse. The goal was to encourage conflict by making it worthwhile for the aggressor (usually), generally minimize or eliminate the unfun for the loser, and make battles fun and different in their execution.
@@meeple the fact a player can lose their ship and all fortifications makes this a no go for me as I generally find those games to be where a player who is ahead paints a target on themselves and gets ganged up on and then those players go on to win. Not fun.
LoL... If John Clair uses your quote about this being the best card crafting game to date, he'll be shooting himself in the foot considering all the games being compared to are his also!
Exactly and we all know it’s going to sell so what do they need Kickstarter for? Several games in with their go to designer and they’re not backing his game designs by selling retail. AEG surely have the money to produce this themselves anyway not rely on backers.
Yeah, the reality with some products is that the associated costs make just doing purely traditional retail distribution is challenging given the margins. I do believe this will ultimately find its way to retail too, but largely because they were able to cushion their margins with a direct offering.
Hi Jason. This will be on KS, launching July 7. www.kickstarter.com/projects/alderac/dead-reckoning-the-swashbuckling-card-crafting-game-from-aeg?ref=bggforums
@@meeple Thanks. I wasn't a big fan of the card crafting games preceding this, mostly due to theme. This seems much more interesting, like you said, more akin to what Clank! did for deckbuilding.
I'm hearing that details about how it will reach retail will be shared soon. Regarding the review, we do reviews for all sorts of games be they retail releases or otherwise. We think there's still reason to share with people what we thought of the game, and with it hitting KS sometime in July, it might help inform their decision. As we say with anything though, everyone should always make up their own mind. This is just my opinion, so if anyone feels like they relate to me as a gamer, maybe they'll like it too.
Ha! Thanks. I'm on there most of the time. We're going back to some studio recording for that, but when we do it remotely, we may go to a 5+ person format. Just need to make some frames for that. ;)
There certainly can be combat, but I have in fact played games with zero PVP combat. It was a 2-player game, and there was combat with the Merchant Ships, but none between players. I recommend giving it a try or checking out a playthrough to see how it really impacts the game.
Most of my plays were at 2 players. Pros: It's shorter, and probably less potential for combat (depending on who you're playing with). Cons: Many of the mechanisms such as the area control are just typically more fun with 3-4 players by comparison.
This was not paid or sponsored content. Our reviews have NEVER been and NEVER will be. We say that clearly in the video and in our descriptions. Our callout for emails is just a blanket statement for publishers to contacts us if they're interested in any of our paid content, but also if they just want us to take a look at their game to consider it for review.
Since the last picture shows two expansions called "Deep Legends" and "Salt & Thunder" i would guess there is more to come. Deep Legends sounds very much like monsters..
In the base game that we had (prototype), there were no fantasy elements like that. However, the designer diary on BGG suggests that the Saga expansion content will likely go there. They show one image of sirens/mermaids on an encounter card. I personally can't wait for that stuff!
Like many, it varies. With two experienced players, you can get it to within 90 minutes. 4 players (even experienced) is going to safely take 21/2 to 3+ hours I think.
Truth be told, I was teetering between an 8 and a 9. Numeric scores are new territory for us, and one of the things that's challenging is comparing games to other games we've scored, and reconciling everything. At least we can agree that's it's a killer card crafting game. ;)
Nice review. I loved everything.... until the combat. A large, expensive dice tower for swingy combat and take that. Being able to save a card between round is something I really like and am surprised more DB's don't do this. Really need to see the KS price to see if it is cheap enough to take the risk. But that has put me off this game.
Thanks! The combat might not suit everyone's tastes, but I really enjoy it...when it happens. I'm not a conflict-style gamer in general, so I actually appreciate the fact that another player can't just focus on building up a massive combat-heavy strategy without considering that there is a chance that they could still lose a battle from time to time. It should also be noted that initiating combat is not something a player can just do whenever they want. If you want to instigate a battle, you'll need to level up the right cards, and find the right advancements to do so.
Isaac, have you gotten the chance to play it? I'd say it's as fiddly as any other Card Crafting game, or at least Edge of Darkness. What I can say specifically for me, is that this wasn't "too" fiddly for me to not enjoy it thoroughly. It's does more than enough well, that the fiddliness didn't end up bothering me.
Nope, this is 100% at review. When we say "preview" we try to keep any judgement or analysis out of the equation. Most KS previews, whether on our channel of others are typically meant as just a overview of the game. What we hope to do with our "reviews" is to provide a deeper perspective on how we feel about the game--good and bad. That's our goal with the two formats anyway. Thanks for watching.
