Don't Buy Board Games You Can't Afford 

The saddest comments I see are the ones on Kickstarter that say, "Can I put a dollar in now and hopefully have enough for a full pledge later?" or "When is the pledge manager closing? I won't get paid until such and such a date"

This topic is so important, especially because lots of influencers and content creators seem to get every game that comes out.

Don’t buy board games you can’t find room for on your shelves.

This is a so necessary talk in this hobby. I remember the first time that I got a "all in pledge" in kickstarter then I realized six years later that I've only played the core box content and that was enough for my entertainment. You don't need the last "The Hotness" from boardgamegeek or the sequel from your favourite game that is the same as before but with vikings/samurais/zombies. Boardgames is not about premium minis and shining dices, it's about gathering people around the table.

I know a couple of guys who are literally in debt with a board game store. Some of them rack it up to almost 500 EUR (~$600) before the owner has to start asking them to pay up before "selling" to them more stuff. One of them is addicted to Warhammer other is Kickstarter-junkie. You can see them posting on our local game group facebook and sharing newest KS or Warhammer purchases. Worst thing about it? They both work as developers and earn quite well but because of their purchasing addiction, they live paycheck to paycheck. Now, it's not that dramatic but at least for me personally, it was a huge wake-up call when I saw them in this situation because I also used to spend so much of my income, at one point my spendings were about 70% board games and then the rest of stuff, you know, like utility bills and the other not so important stuff. I still remember my coworkers looking at me like a crazy person when all Kingdom Death expansions and the core box came in a massive coffin-like packaging at the office. Good times. (but the deal was good, like $1k for all of it during Black Friday sale) Also, is it me or at least in Europe most people who are addicted to this purchasing mania are unmarried guys working in IT, between ages 25-35 ? I feel like that's the majority of demographic board game publishers target.

I wish that KS deluxe versions with the exclusives would no longer be a thing. I wish the deluxe versions would be made available in retail so that I could save for them, or get them as gifts rather than them passing by in three weeks windows on KS. This would get rid of FOMO, and allow consumers to save up and cull to put towards deluxe versions of games.

Thanks Alex, that’s really a sincere heart to heart sharing! We all still can enjoy board games with proper allocation of income😉 Happy board gaming everyone 💪🏻

As someone that just finalized their all in pledge on Euthia, this hits home. I can afford it but it isn't a wise use of money.

I put my games on a credit card simply to build the credit. I typically pay them off immediately or leave such a small balance on them that the interest is negligible. Have a savings account, all. And a separate retirement account. Both things are so so so important.

Oh Alex, you’re so on point in this video. I feel I’m falling exactly in that 78% of people and it’s really hard to break the cycle 😞

This is one of those videos you just need to see after backing that game that gave you buyers remorse (well before you’ve even received the game) and it kicks you into gear with setting a reasonable budget. Sometimes I get tunnel vision and get “too obsessed” with hobbies and I think the fact that I share this hobby with my friends and family and they love it, I use that as justification for the steeper purchases. I luckily am able to afford to support this habit but I still recognize it’s a bit of an issue and is completely unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. Thanks Alex, one of my favorite videos to date!

Very solid advise. My system is very simple. I arranged for my paycheck to be split between 3 accounts. One is retirement savings, another Is used for automated payments for my mortgage and essential bills like utilities. Enough is deposited so the payment account always has a surplus and that surplus continuously grows to act as an emergency fund. What’s left after those two goes to an account for “wants”. This way money needed for “needs” is never in my pocket where it can be unintentionally spent on wants. When I buy something on credit I transfer that much from the wants account to payments account, so credit is paid off in full every month.

Don't buy anything you can't afford if you don't need it.

Pledging $1 and asking when the PM closes before you decide to upgrade your pledge or not, isn't necessarily because of lack of funds. I do it a lot, I have a specific budget every month for KS and/or board games, but because many times there are so many cool games running on KS at the same time, it is hard to decide which one to put my money on. So I pledge $1 to buy me the time to decide, after seeing all the stretch goals, the add-ons, the reviews, and yes, the hype for each game :) I currently have at least 10 games on $1, total worth of I don't know how much, but I know how much of it I can afford! Their PM is open, I am one of the people who asks when it will close, because I just haven't decided yet which ones to go for within my budget. For me, figuring that out is part of the fun of the hobby :)

My son is nine and was typical for his age - totally averse to saving any money. I sat him down and explained both the concept of compound interest and the rule of 72 and I could see whole worlds open in his eyes.

Speaking from the heart I see... Feels like getting good advice from a friend, even telling people to unsub because the channel pulls people who cannot afford in the wrong direction. I really liked your video, for the past 2 months (it's nothing, I agree), we had to be extra careful with our budget (wife is finishing studies soon, living on 1 salary), it can be tight sometimes. I find all your advice compelling, especially the cycling collection which actually helps buying the game you really want. Other than that, I find that watching rules videos and playthrough might be enough for some games you would end up playing once or twice. Really good video Alex

Great video. Fantastic discussion. I love how you are able to use boardgames to engage in broader topics.

When the content creator says "I am part of the problem" and "unsubscribe from my channel" to save the audience, you know you came to the right place. Thanks Alex for being selfless and self reflective. Appreciate it man!

This is the most important video that I have seen about this hobby. You have gained my utmost respect. I can see that you truly care about the community. I remember a few years ago a very close friend asking my opinion about getting a small loan to fully back KDM (plus the outrageous shipping to our location); I thought he was kidding and said he shouldn't. FOMO won the battle and he did, it took him almost two years to fully pay it plus interests. I hear stories like this for many other hobbies/luxuries, whether they are books, movies, art, travel, cars, clothes, food... Don't fall through the rabbit hole!

Thanks for sharing your personal experiences with honesty, needs a lot of courage to do this!

A very good video to make and an important thought for us to bear in mind. When I was a child I would indeed spend what I had, but then I had the security of parent putting food into me and clothes on my back. In adulthood, I found that having savings really helped me not worry about money (or more specifically running out of money). I really hated that worry, so it was a strong motivator! I'm glad you brought up credit card debt, as that is a wide ranging problem for many, especially those who struggle to curb the temptation to buy.

One of the best things I've ever seen on youtube. And that's me, exactly. And as you explained, the last 5 years I've really dialed down my spending on many things. I'm focusing more on playing games than collecting them. I've sold some stuff I decided I did not need and bought a bass and amp, something I've been wanting to do for decades. As you stated the fear of missing a fantastic experience from a new game is very real. But you need to realize regardless of how much you have, you will always be missing out on something. You need to focus on what really like. I've only done 3 kickstarters the most expensive $165. I'm keeping up with Arkham Horror LCG and a few card sets for some sports games I also play and that's all I really need. And I'm have more fun than ever! Thanks for making this video.

❤ So good. Just so thoughtful and helpful to your community. Thank you for sharing and caring about your viewers. Love that you are encouraging viewers to take ownership of their financial situation.

Forget the "board game" discussion, this is great financial advice! :)

Great video, Alex, and this had to be addressed. I'm fairly new to board games, but I am already in love with them, and spend a lot of time watching videos, following KS projects, read articles and hunt for second-hand games. - For those who are less fortunate, rotating second-hand games in their collection could be a great way not to lose a penny as most of the time you can resell them for the same value you purchased (apart from optional shipping cost). - The second option is board game cafes where you can try games for fairly cheap. (I've got one around where I live that offer £5/3hour sessions to play with hundreds of games) - The other option is fairly new, but I've seen board game rental services, where you pay about £25-35 for 2 to 4 games of your choice a month delivered to your door. And for an average person, up to 4 board game, a month is definitely more than enough playtime to learn and immerse themselves in each one of them. The latter two options are also good if you have limited storage space, and your hobby might be less annoying for your better half who might not share your passion to board games. I hope this helps for some! :)

Solid video! Just wanted to stop by and say congrats on 30k! You deserve 30M!

I'm happy to say I listened to Alex about whether a kickstarter is 'worth backing' from a financial sense. I just ordered a Kickstarter version of Cascadia in the UK for around £2.50 / 5USD less than the kickstarter pledge and for the same price as the retail edition. The FOMO is real and sometimes you have to let it go.

great video Alex! I have a quite modest collecion if games but dare not think hiw much has been spent on them over the years. Think have reached the point now where am content with what I have now and have become very, very conscious of the 'do you really need this!" voice on my shoulder. it now takes so ething special to add oitself to the collection. a huge saving is that have weened off of kickstarters that have become ridiculously expensive and looooooong wait times for delivery of what usually turns out to be just too much.

"Unsubscribe from my channel. ... I am part of the problem." Thanks for tackling a tough subject sincerely and compassionately.

Thank you! Really great video. So happy to hear this being said.

Great video as always. Thank you Alex!

Great video that really made me think. I honestly have a KS addiction, I keep telling myself that I’m building a collection and one day I’ll be done and will have a “free” entertaining hobby, but I never stop. I’m out of room, it is effecting our finances, and I don’t play as much as I used too. Im essentially just collecting them at this point… but can’t stop or make plans to stop because I know what will be coming out.

Totally agree this is something to talk about. I sometimes see in the Kickstarter comments that people are asking if they can pledge $1 for the campaign first until their next pay check comes in.

What an important topic. Your advice here is spot on, especially the habit of saving before you spend. One of the most impactful things my wife and I did early on in our marriage was developing a budget for ourselves. It takes work to maintain and stick to a budget, but we’ve found that instead of being something that prevents us from having fun, it actually frees us up to truly enjoy life. Board games is one of the best hobbies there is, but it is just a hobby. Keeping that in perspective is key- thanks for helping us do just that!

Agreed completely, out of my 'disposable income' every month I refuse to spend more than 25%, the rest goes in savings. That 25% keeps growing as my career keep moving forward so now I can afford a descent outright but I still really think about it. I don't think I'll ever go above 300 for just one game, can't justify it to myself.

Such a good video and I think very nicely done. I think the biggest thing that has helped me personally is that board game budget. I just keep track in a note on my phone. I get a certain amount per year it and anything I make from selling my games comes out of it. And when it’s gone it’s gone. It was hard at first but I now back 5-8 kickstarters a year and that doesn’t break the bank and I still get a taste of the fancy minis and pretty components.

I have always been a saver. I always have buffer and adjust my expenses. I like nice things, when I have less money, I save for things I want. Boardgames are only luxury item that I buy. I am fortunate that I have well paying job, but if I would get fired tomorrow, I still have buffer and probably buy less games in future, but do not have to sell current ones. I have learned to be more fussy and the bar is quite high for the game that I buy, but I allow myself buy all-in with deluxe glitter if the upgrades are something that increase the gaming pleasure, when the game is something I really want.

Me and my wife spent 300$ on expansions and new board games a few days ago. I know we went heavy on the spending but I'm picking up extra shifts at work

Thank you for this video, it's really important topic to discuss and gets overlooked in favor of 'Look at this cool new thing.'

I like your set. It's clean and stylized, yet cozy. Like you're taking us to a nook in a far corner of the house to impart some inside information.

I sometimes see comments on Kickstarter of people asking for a refund in desperate need of cash. Spending your savings is really something to worry about. Thanks for raising awareness.

I am just glad I found this hobby in my late 40’s. Need a Don’t Buy Games you can’t Store video. I agree with the selling, have sold 17 game since I started.

Awesome video. You deserve to be commended on this topic. Bravo!

Very important topic - very good video. Thank you for the reminder.

This is so interesting. Thank you for this subject. Sometimes I soend too much money for boardgame and it is difficult to stop the bad habit :)

Thanks Alex. My dollar definitely went farther in 2016 when I joined the hobby. I've slowed way down on purchases. I think I took a reality check when I realized I had 9 games coming and 12 on my shelf I had not even played yet. Now I watch your channel mostly to see what's new. I could never afford to stay at the top of the BGG hotness list. But I am very ok with that.

Partially as a side effect of depression and partially because I got really genuinely enamored with this hobby I bought way too many games over a few years. Spent way to much and didn’t save. (Not just games either… I developed a general spending problem as a way to distract myself from my inner problems ) when I realized I absolutely must do something to stop myself I unsubscribed from nearly all board game channels on RU-vid (they had become basically my primary form of entertainment which was also one big endless window shopping trip lol) I actually had to do this unsub thing twice because I fell back in for a bit. It was hard. I genuinely loved the content and personalities but it ended up being an endless temptation. Not saying I regret discovering some of my favorites this way I just needed a way to stop the endless FOMO and temptation. I still have problems saving money and it’s always an uphill climb but this video was a very good reminder to me. Thanks so much!

I really appreciate the truths and wisdom you share in this video. Excellent content, bro.

I've been following you for over a year now. I have backed 2 games in that time. I tell my friends about games coming soon. I have a little over 30 games now. All of my other friends in this hobby have more games than me.

Solution, just get the base game, there is ton of playtime just with the base game and most cases all other extra stuff is unnecessary like Ivan said: "Hey man, don’t get too attached to things… learn to let go." Helpful video Alex!

On a serious note, I am REALLY glad to hear you talk about solutions and not just the problem. There are tons of people who can talk about issues but offer no potential solutions. I am glad you aren't one of those people.

Marvel United was my first "this is a lot of money do I really need to be spending this much?" purchase. I went all in on both, with a couple of cosmetic add ons as well. Fortunately, my family and friends love it as much as I do, so it makes it feel more worth it. And I can easily see it being a generational game as the years go on, since it's good for all ages. But it's still a lot of money.

I have a serious Kickstarter addiction the last year. This was very on point.

Very good tips and true words. That is far more than talking about games, that is how you become lucky, save, self controlled and free. Take from yourself as fast as you get money. If you do it, nobody else can do it. You can also create savings for your board game buys. It makes your far more happy to buy and understand the worth of your games. Fantastic episode. If not the best.

Thanks for sharing this ! This is a kind of an eye opener. Now is the time to put some more restrictions before buying or pledging to KS. Create a limit by reserving a certain amount of money each month, that can be spent on games. Not enough in the reserve means no buying. It's going to be hard (in the beginning).

Well done Alex! A topic that needs to be addressed. I have a long history of being rubbish with money and spending far more than I can afford. Last year I discovered Kickstarter and went into meltdown, pledging on far more games than I needed to and buying other games as well. I realised that things had to change. Luckily I had no credit cards to pay off and no money owed, so it was just a case of monitoring my spending and building up a buffer, which I have maintained. I set the Kickstarter limit at 5 max and have stuck to this (3 pledged so far). I make a list of things that I am interested in and, in most cases, end up crossing them out when I have had time to weigh up the pros and cons, such as how different is this to other games that I have? In some cases I have pledged and then changed my mind and dropped out. It hasn't all been successful as I have still been tempted by games on the second hand market or new, some of which I probably shouldn't have bought? However I can afford to buy these and I am not wading in overdraft anymore, as I was previously. The ideal, as you said, would be to avoid all the boardgame channels on RU-vid. I am not ready for that yet!

Good advice - thanks for the video. And it applies to a lot more than just board games.

Great video! Lately i think more about what i consider playing with friends only and thinking about when we play and what everyone would enjoy playing long term compared to what games offer in their base pledge. e.g i didn't spend any money on all-in pledges (no Stormsunder, no chronicles of drunagor etc...) recently. Also partly because a lot of them are filling up space in certain categories that are already filled with playing d&d with friends, but also because of unnecessary deluxified components which i don't wanna store anywhere at home or buy like extra storage capabilities for. good example would be playmats or deluxified components like coins or upgraded plastic tokens or extra boxes with content not needed. There's even a few boardgames i look back to and might say i should not have backed them because i know i'm not gonna play all content with my friends or even when solo gaming (which i do less). The idea with putting aside money when getting your salary is good, i also do that. Following rule applies to myself nowadays -> Don't buy things that just make you happy short term and also don't buy things that stack up for long term :)

Such a great topic and not limited to the board game hobby. I can't recall the exact figure, but the number of households that could be ruined by an unexpected expense of $1k is staggering (I think it's around 60%). I'm not saying $1k is small money, but it's so easy have a $1k expense. Hospital bills, car repairs, unexpected housing expenses...

This felt like a really honest and valuable conversation, thanks for doing this video Alex. I think you mostly avoided sounding preachy but as someone how got this drilled into them at a young age maybe I just can't see it! FOMO is real but it's temporary, there will be another amazing game around the corner and you can't store them all! When I first found your channel your focus on the potential resell value of games definitely helped give me the kick to sell on the games I wasn't playing anymore and that in turn has funded about half the cost of the kickstarter/gamefound purchases I've made since then. As those new ones arrive I'm already planning which games will be up for potential sale, assuming the new game is an improvement! As a general rule I think most people only need one, at most two games in the genres they and they're gaming group enjoy, selling the game that isn't in that top two for you will rarely be a bad idea. It's helped me resist games like CoD and 6: Siege. if you go in saying what game would I have to sell if I buy this it can help resist the FOMO (for those of us who don't want to unsubscribe)

Thanks for this accurate public service message. This is very relevant to board game purchases but also to life decisions in general. I found that in the 90s I was hooked on Magic and spent far too much on that addiction. Board games can be similar but I have learned to be patient and thoughtful on these purchases now. Great advice for people to save and create a safety cushion before making luxury purchases. Keep up the creative content.

Hello Alex, great video! Just to add my two cents from a central European country: Luckily my mother has always saved money and taught me to save money, I am maybe saving around 20 - 30% of my income. I am working for around 4 years and currently changing jobs for a better position, trying to accommodate savings for higher income. With that being said I backed way too many games in the recent time: Witcher - all in, Scarface, Bantam West, planning to late pledge Divinus. But I don't feel it as much as I was lucky enough to be able to have a remote job during the pandemic and save constantly. Coming from Magic some games feel like a great deal in comparison to cards/decks that cost too much, nowadays I feel like I am getting much more than buying few expensive cards or a new MtG deck. Thanks for talking about this, all the best! edit : typos

I gave you shit in a previous video but this was all around awesome that you tackled this, and actually gave financial advice to people. More content creators need to acknowledge consumerism, and how content encourages others to spend more than they earn. Mad props for being the only one I have come across that actually state it to the point of telling people to unsubscribe from your channel.

July and August I've been hit with a lot of unexpected car repairs putting me about $2000 in the hole. Between that and going on vacation soon, my entire "have fun" budget for 3 months is eaten. I have savings but I'm saving them for something super critical. I'm finding that fighting my board game addiction is incredibly difficult. I have 4 projects backed right now and each day I tell myself I can't afford them and each day I struggle to unpledge. I think I'm going to drop my pledge to $1. That way I still get updates and get to enjoy the KS experience. If I've stabilized, I'll upgrade in the PM otherwise I need to bite the bullet. Fighting addiction is hard.

Watching this video while painting Nemesis minis, which is a good intro to my argument. What do you get from a board game? There are many facets of enjoyment that one can get; painting, moding, playing, social. It boils down to a cost benefit analysis. I've only played my copy of Nemesis twice, but have gotten hours of painting in.

I've spent more than I should have, but I've realized I shouldn't be doing what I was doing as is. Because of you and quackalope, I get the same feeling if exploring new board games without spending anything. At this point I've been fairly selective. While I was planning on getting kdm, I've finally decided I don't need it. It's too much, and honestly I doubt I'd table it. After I get everything I do have played, I may start deciding to sell or give away some games just to make room and get what I do want. I honestly needed this talk. I've budgeted out to have my credit card paid off in 2 months, and start saving/investing 25-50% of my paycheck. Thank you.

Thanks, Alex. This is an important topic that is rarely covered.

Thank you Alex, nail on the head!

A nice heart felt video. I use to be heavy in to KS. But the past two years have been backing away more and more. Past KS still rolling in and not getting played due to life stuff and covid. I dont even consider big box game anymore have one's still sealed on shelf. Preferably now only want light quicked games because thats all that seemed to be able to get to the table. I am interested in flamecraft though lol

I had a conversation about this with my parents. I was complaining about how everything is so expensive these days - houses, food, etc, and how much cheaper stuff was when they growing up. And that part is true, my parents had a big fully detached house on 1 income. But they came back and said, yes it is true, but look at how materialistic even middle class people are these days. We never had all these crazy gadgets and doodads. We wore the same clothes for years on end, patching them up/fixing it when required. We recycled a lot of stuff, shared stuff with neighbours, did a lot more trading. It is a bit eye opening - who needs a 2k iphone, all the latest video games, all the big board games, etc. This isn't to discount the housing prices as it is completely out of control, but did give me a bit to think about.

Some really great advice, not just for game spending but for finances in general. It’s not at all obnoxious but rather quite hopeful. In the long run, this can make one’s life much better. Some thoughts that help me soften the “pain of missing out” when tempted to buy games/support crowdfunding: 1. Considering that tying up my money in a crowdfunding campaign for something that generally won’t deliver for a year or more can mean I miss out on something that I want even more in the meantime. 2. Realizing that while I may miss out by passing up on that “one opportunity of a lifetime,” there is always another “opportunity of a lifetime” coming up at some time in the future with a good chance of being even better. Sometimes I regret missing out but that has turned out to be rare. (A variation of thought on point #1) 3. I can only play so many games and only have so much space so do I really need something that I look at for a relatively short time and then sits on the shelf for a considerable amount of time before I get to it? In the meantime other games come in which may push it further back in the To Play queue? 4. I’ve found that waiting a few weeks on games that I just have to have or until a pledge manager is about to close helps put things in better perspective. (I’ve backed off a lot on crowdfunding and now only occasionally pledge minimums on crowdfunding projects that really interest me so I have access to pledge managers if I decide to buy.) 5. Speaking of perspective, being transparent with my wife on my game spending helps out. 😉 Of course, the real tool is setting life priorities, budgeting, and tracking spending as you’ve noted. (One of the tools I use is YNAB but even if one prefers something else, it has a lot of good ideas, including points made in this video. I also have a game spending calendar using Notion - what I’ve spent and what I might like to buy.) I sleep better at night knowing that needs and contingencies/savings are covered as opposed to just having more games.

Another great video. I see the improvement of your channel (or i just haven’t watched enough if your video 😅). Great topics, and reviews, and crowfounding updates. Good job! As for myself, i bought a lot of games, i wanted to play, but i don’t have the group to do so (at least we don’t meet frequently enought). Now i buy a lot less games. As you said i don’t buy games, if i have a similar one (or one is on the way). And i only buy games i can play with my group, or solo (i realized i need those solo games, if i wanna play more). As for selling games: that’s not so easy even if you are willing. In the USA there are a lot more people, and most speaks english, also the postal service is really cheap. Selling in europe is a lot harder (of course i could sell on ebay - i will try it eventually).

I am super fortunate that my local libraries have board games to check out and that they are pretty good collections. It gives me the feeling of purchasing games when im not spending a dime. And then if there is a game my family adores we will budget to buy it eventually. Also another way to save money in this hobby is using your local game stores demo games. I have two stores near me that demo board games. Just big shelves with used games that people can use on the tables there. My teenager and i love to do this. We get to leave the house and play a game and it didnt cost us anything.

Thank you for my therapy session sir. Genuinely it touches my brain and heart.

Great topic. I don't make a lot of money, but I have trained myself to live moderately. I have had to make sacrifices (probably too strong of a word for this), but I currently save about a third of my income, hoping to eventually get to 50%. This means I rent a room instead of having my own place, I keep things for a long time (old phone, car, etc.), and I rarely eat out. I do budget for everything and my board game budget is the only lie I tell to myself because I blow past it every month lol. I allow that lie though because I do good in every other aspect of my finances.

just backed 75 in avatar legends and was about to get the big kingdom rush chest, but now im seriously reconsidering! thanks for the video!

30K!!!! Congrats!!

If only 20 year old me had someone like you tell me this. "Spend what you have" is a serious problem and all hobbies really drive this home. I would suggest one other concept that can help is the idea of a group library. Parallel to the "if four friends went to a movie, it would cost the same as Descent" is the pooling money or rotating purchases. To have that group mindset can really make a difference. Thanks for the video!

I’m 1 or 2 years behind on the hotness. This makes it easier to find the cream that has risen to the top. It also helps that most of my play is with people who aren’t in the hobby, so they don’t care if it’s not new.

I'm really good with money, and this hobby actually had my monthly income going red for a few months. I just got a ton of games over the last 3 or 4 months and it get's expensive. Ton of them are unopened, and I do want to play them. Your videos and others like it help. There will always be tons of awesome games they make every year, and usually the ones that I would think are the most awesome are right on my shelf now.

The title is so true especially in the UK most Kickstarter have hidden costs ine paid closet the £300 vat and even more on import tax o. Top of that

I agree, but i'd add one more point : also don't buy game you can't store in your home ! (Too much content !)

This month my suburban broke down, car radiator broke, heat pump fan went out, AC unit has small flood in the basement, and daughter got into an accident they gave her a concussion. Thank goodness for emergency savings fund! And still have enough to back Flamecraft 🤣.

Thanks for the shout out, Alex! At the end of the day, we're 85% on the same page. I'm just not nearly as willing to let companies off the hook. Asmodee/ FFG are run by a hedge fund that sees a giant honey pot of money from higher income gamers willing to spend any price on a premium product. They know they're going to get money both from the people who can afford it, and also from the people who really can't afford it but who get scooped up by FOMO. They don't give a crap about that. Critique of that reality has to come from the outside. And critique can't just land on individuals. That is only half of the conversation. It's funny because I think you're aware that it's only half the conversation. You mention a few times that you're being "obnoxious". Well, don't be so obnoxious :). Engage the other side of the conversation, too, which is to critique companies and their practices in as intelligent and educational a way as you can.

I do love these topics, becouse im on that same boat of buying to many games becouse of all the content on social media. I tell myself, every time that i buy a new big game, that it will be the last one for some time, but a month later im back again buying a 70-100 euro ich game, ( next to the new releases of arkham horror lcg and Marvel Champions) I love the topics becouse it makes me think about my decisions everytime i buy a game and i often watch these topics to refresh my thoughts. It may sound weak out of me but thats just how i row my boat :).

I hear this. My wife and I need to start saving. We live check to check and I spend more then I should. I have a job that gives us our apartment as part of my salary. I also have a decent healthcare plan and although we don't have savings we always have money in our accounts. We don't make a ton of money, but for example my wifes boss just screwed her out of a weeks pay and we are fine. Infact I could still buy the new Descent and be more then ok. I could have 1000 dollar emergency right now and it would sting, but we would make it and be ok. Still we need to save because we want better for ourselves. These jobs are not enjoyable and we want a car and a few more luxury items. Great video! Really made me think.

I like this video because it could be applied to anything in your life and not just board games. Good financial advice in general.

This video is a MUST if you want to start in this hobby. Everybody should watch this.

Interesting video. I am quite aware of the difference between North America and for instance where I live, as the economy in the US is based on credit. It's a devious system that will break a lot of ignorant families. I personally only use a credit card for Kickstarter (as other options are not available). All my standard payments and spendings are just paid from my bank account from money that I actually have and not might get in a near future. No debt aloud. The question if I need all those games is a different topic ;-)

On my side I can say I know it was not an easy time with Corona. But the good thing we did was giving some money to friends so that they could get new Kickstarter boardgames. We got in the end our money back and to get the feedback how happy they are at the moment I can say it was worth it. And it shows how amazing our friends are.

Thanks Alex, lots of great thoughts and advice. Certainly have made a lot of mistakes with money myself. Listened to your whole video even though it made me feel pretty embarrassed. In a spot where I cannot afford to buy any more games, so advice I would add for that last bit would be, Play and enjoy the games you have. If you bought some huge campaign game thinking you would dive deep into that experience for hundreds of hours, do that. Don't instead get distracted by the new big game project promising hundreds of hours of content when you still haven't got the last 3 to the table. Currently I am at 7 unplayed games left in my collection which I am working on finishing. I'm down to the more complex, or maybe daunting in some way games like Joan of Arc, Core Space, and League of Infamy. Games I was so excited about, but haven't even played despite having them a long time. Appreciate what you have, is the cliche, and that's proving true. While I learn to bear down on my budget and get things under control financially it's not as though I will be bored or lack for games.

I think my biggest issue is how board games can be expensive NOW but they can be even MORE expensive later! Like a game that has a limited run--if it sells out, it's so much harder/more expensive to get later. It feels like a pressure to buy NOW because it "could" become more expensive or just completely unavailable later :(

Here on Brazil, Descent costs more than my monthly salary. Sometimes we just cant save any more money. It's better to have at least a pretty thing more than nothing. But of course, if you're going to put heavy money on a game, you better play it. I will play my zombicide until the minis become dust.

Core problem is that no reviewer is critical of the price. Most of these games are batshit insane. They don't actually cost as much to produce as is claimed, and they frequently are overproduced *purely as a cash grab*. If they were more sustainably produced, they would cost less than half as much - both in price and in shipping.

Descent Legends of the Dark is amazing!!!! Changing my original comment of this video. Retail for Descent is 175, and it is pricy, but its less than half the cost than a lot of the games I see in the backdrop of this video. All in pledge for a game like Etherfields is a mortgage payment.

thank you for the insight

Great video. I think it is very important message. I do not kickstart any games. I mostly buy my games second hand. I very seldom get them played which makes me feel bad. I sell them cheap. I am very interested in game design but at the same time don't try to over spend. I have done that previously on records but then I did not have any kids.

Over the years, I've had more than a handful of employees come to me asking for a raise because they made x, y, or z purchase. Really?! Not only do people not learn a solid foundation in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics in our American culture (another rant topic about non-essential self-esteem and sexuality topics/subjects REQUIRED instead); but where does anyone learn how to balance their checkbook, manage their bank account, live within a budget, etc.? I got into the board game hobby in 2012 and was such a noob that I didn't buy much at all. In 2016 I went through Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey and now I have my personal envelope for my board game and miniature painting hobby. Twice I've spent EVERYTHING in that envelope and went negative (spending more than I should have), but have actively been selling the games on my shelf of shame and quickly get the dollars to fund my hobby and have a buffer for that 'must-have' new KS core game (The Thing the Board Game!). Now if it's not in the budget (my hobby envelope) it doesn't get spent. Which is FREEING! And when some crap happens in real life, my family is able to respond because we have the funds saved in other envelopes for those emergencies...and we still have more games than we have or make time to play. I now track # of plays vs cost formula to find out if a game is played enough to get down to less than $1 per hour of entertainment for the number of players. If after 2+yrs I haven't played it out enough to get the cost per play down, then it gets sold.

I've set myself a buget every month which I busted last week for the first time in years...well pulverized is more accurate but it doesn't dent my savings that much. But my partner was not happy about it and she is usually in charge of the money.

I only started collecting board games this time last year, and have started hitting the brakes pretty hard a few months ago. I only back things I've done significant research on, and it has to fill a hole in my tiny collection. It feels great to say no to a thing that I don't NEED. After all, it's a hobby, and I need to make sure the bills are paid.