Escape Plan Review - with Tom Vasel 

Which one would you go for between On Mars, City... And Escape Plan? My group already plays Terraforming Mars, Scythe, Rococco and about to go into Eclipse.

I've gotten two friends who only really play lighter games into EP and they love it. HIGHLY SUGGEST it for getting those into heavier games!

Over time it gets significantly faster. My friends usually only play medium-light games and this was the heaviest they've played but after about 3 games we could kick it out in 90 minutes.

With 2 players, the game is super fast. Takes about an hour.

Uh, I wouldn't compare this to Clank at all. That's like saying a heavy wargame is the same as Monopoly because they both have dice. Clank and Escape Plan feel NOTHING alike.

I agree with Tom, this game is nothing like Clank. Just because you move a wooden figure from place to place doesn’t make this game like Clank! At all.

I was thinking Clank too. The obvious similarity is escaping, but grabbing as much as you can before you get out. That's really fun, and why I want to play EP some time.

Absolutely but it may take a year or so. EP is easily the best produced game of Eagle Griffin's catalog so it might take longer.

Eagle Griffin mentioned that they were not going to allow the price of the game to be discounted until 3 months after KS backers get their games. So it will be at least a 3 month wait, if not longer.

Woah now. Its a decent game but it's heresy to say it's better than Lisboa/Vinhos.

BTW, of the heavies, Kanban is his best design by far. Have you played it?

Totally agree! As thematic/theme-wise game, this maybe the best Lacerda's (but as heavy-thinky game i'll vote for Vinhos or Lisboa)

How is it highly thematic exactly?

Yes, only nine actions are guaranteed. Theoretically 15 max... you are correct. Definitely my favorite of the bunch, but because of its approachability and theme. Vinhos I was also meh on... but his other games (Lisboa and Gallerist) were fantastic. Still... really like Escape Plan and am looking forward to his Mars game too.

You have 6 actions from day 1 and 2, if you escape with your first action on day 3 - it's 7 actions.

No, there is no player elimination aspect to this game.

@@hairbrainedgames3127 Thanks, great to know.

@@holywarriorbear7720 Sure thing. Yeah, instead of elimination, they kinda of 'damage' you and inhibit (or add to end game point loss)... but you're always in the game, thankfully. Otherwise, yeah, it would be like playing Bang! The Card Game with a police theme... no fun for the first guy shot ;)

@@hairbrainedgames3127 Well, there is player elimination. I was eliminated last game. If you don't plan for the worst, you can't escape, therefore you are eliminated and you don't score.

@@MrRadialdrift I assumed that Holy Warrior Bear was referring to player elimination in the standard definition of "Players can be eliminated from the game and then play continues without the eliminated players." Games like Bang!, King of Tokyo, Legendary Encounters, Skull would be examples. Players in Escape Plan are not eliminated by being barred from playing through the rest of the game (effectively becoming spectators on turn 2, for example, while everyone else continues on to turn 3)... they are just eliminated from scoring any points at the end if they do not make it to the exit.

You sound really bitter about this, like you had a notably bad experience or something...? A lot of games have to make thematic compromises for the sake of streamlining rules in the fairly clunky medium which is board gaming. I don’t worship Lacerda games nor collect them all (like a lot of people do!), and I’m quite critical of CO2 and to a lesser extent some fiddly elements of Vinhos and Gallerist, but I think a lot of the things you mentioned are a little unfair. Board games can never be totally thematic :) Hope you can enjoy it under different circumstances!

@@evanstreater6096 Do you always make assumptions about someone just because they have a differing opinion? Of course no board game that comprises of a flat cardboard play area and small wooden pieces that you push around the board for hours is going to actually emulate the experience of running around a city collecting all your money while having the cops hunt for you. This game, like all of his others, could have been designed better to create a more thematic experience by altering some simple gaming mechanics. The slow reveal of the city map is very stupid. Why and how would I forget the city layout, and where my business were located? I have no issue with not knowing which exit is the right one till the end, but the delayed map reveal is dumb, game mechanic dumb, thematically dumb, and kind of clashes with the entire idea of the game and the title itself (you know, ESCAPE PLAN).

Hmm, you just sound very angry about this game, when you could have very calmly said "I don't find it particularly thematic because of this and this." It makes me think something else is up

@@evanstreater6096 So I am angry now as well as being bitter? I did calmly write what I found to be an issue. You seem to be having an issue with reading simple English.

@Mauricio Hoffman AND YOU SEEM TO BE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS. I AM NOT BITTER NOR ANGRY.

Why? It is Tom's opinion. What do you think he got wrong that makes it unfair?

What? How? Please explain

No this is Escape Plan, Unfair is a different game.