Seafall - Shut Up & Sit Down Review 

11:06. "But Quinns, you've done all this walking around with unusually creative framing..." It certainly is impressive and appreciated.

C4 is the only thing I hear when Quins says Seafall.

This was the nicest way I've ever seen anyone say: "This game is kinda shit."

I suspect you might have done this whole review just to show a card that says "Quinnstantinople."

I feel like I've seen that shot at 8:40 several times in so many history documentaries, some deep thinking historian crouching down and fiddling with dirt and grass for no particular reason. That made me laugh because of the sheer accuracy to the history doc format. Well done review.

Oh my god I'm so glad to have found your review. So many other reviews are so dry and unbearable so THANK YOU for being entertaining

It's subjective opinion time! On the flip reverse it side of this review, I would say that our group looks forward to playing every week at this game. We are quite far into it now and are loving all of the elements of the story and how things are unfolding. You really do have to play 5 or 6 games before things start to happen in earnest, but when you do get there, it was so worth it in my opinion. Why 5 to 6 games? To likely explore everything you can do! To name Council Members weird things! To expand the map so that more things can happen! Take your pick. But you really do need to explore everything in this game to get a good idea of what is going on with it. And that is what this game gives you. It's kind of like an uneasy but perfect fit in a relationship. Kind of testing the waters at first. Maybe an exciting date here or there, but then you get to know each other better. And you want to hang out more. And you want to get to know each other even betterer. That, in a nutshell, is our experience with Seafall.

Siiic wheelie at 1:40

This is the best review of a game I've ever seen. You can see the anguish and despair Quinns has in terms of how to review a game he obviously doesn't like that much, if at all. And yet it was a game he so wants to like, yet can't. And then he goes and fills the review with commentary that makes you smile and question whether you should even attempt this game. Is it worth your time? But in the telling Quinns may well have defined what it takes for a Legacy game to work: it has to have a solid game that you're engaged with at some level to start with. Trying to ramp up is death. You can't get people engaged, especially not today when so many other games are screaming for attention, with a game that starts out so slowly and then seems to get bogged down in AP to boot. In the end I think Armus said it best (see below).

These guys make the best video reviews of games, imo.

5:43 "In case you are hungover..." "HUNGOVER WOT?"

This Video made my tuesday. Thanks Quinn. The Slow and pretentous Walk through the Museum was hilareous.

Great review! Said a lot that I hadn't heard before, deflated my hype balloon a bit, but gave a few good points to mull over before grabbing people to play. Thanks for a well thought out piece, keep it up!

The most entertaining and enlightening board game review that I have seen in some time from any reviewer. While several other reviewers have given similar impressions of the doldrum of the grind of Seafall, I felt like this video gave a better impression of exactly what was going on and why ... and did so with flare. Liked and subscribed.

"are you leaking below decks" omw I'm dying

My group is 6 games in and we feel the same way. We keep asking if we are having fun after the games.

"are you leaking below decks?"

This would SO MUCH profit from a digital adaption.

"Pretentious Twat" classic!😄

This seems to be the general experience with many players and reviewers. They just stopped half way through, never finishing the game

About writing quality... I strongly suggest a computer game called Sunless Sea. It has a strong board game vibe, very narrative, incredibly atmospheric and a fantastic writing.

Great review! My group was on the fence about playing this game, feeling that we have played Merchants & Marauders enough to wonder if we really wanted what seemed like a legacy style version of it. We all also HATE when we play a game and it ends right as you start to get your engine into gear...so we may have just avoided a major bullet thanks to this review. I'll probably just save the $80 and just have "Merchants & Marauders" going on one table, and "Tales of Arabian Nights" going on the other, switching tables every 30 minutes.

2:30 The Windmaster's name is Onara, which means "fart" in Japanese

1:15 Oh my god, you made me laugh out loud at work. Hit that nail on the head haha!

You two really need to lobby Parliament to pass the "Trumpeter Homicide Legalization Act."

5:24 "Seitou Kaichou" lelelel

Here in Brazil, this game is VERY expansive...so i can't see the point in have a game that encourages me to rip my cards, use pen to mark things, and sticky all kinds of stuff permanently... Even if i like the game, and finished it all, how can i start it again with new friends, make new choices? I Understand the legacy concept...but, why not play RPG instead? I'll save money for when Scythe comes up here.

You are very unforgoving with games. And I think that's a good thing, even if I like games you don't recommend. I like seeing reviewer that are more critical than me.

You should make a video review of the game, similar to the single evening you recommended us to have. Going through the game bit by bit in detail.

Love the costumes and documentary style review! We know a thing or two about that :) . The thing the public should be aware of with game designing is that it's a very subjective field, so developers are trying to be as unique as possible and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes this leads to games becoming more mechanically challenge and as a result the fun factor isn't always balanced with an effort to make the game stand out.

Game must be bad if at the end he recommends to not play it and just buy it to read the rules and scenarios. I've played it. It's frustrating at best and absolutely mind numbingly slow at it's worse. I played with three players and we only made it about 8 game sessions

You had me at "not just because I'm a pretentious twat."

we are on game 5 now. i am really enjoying it so far. I agree with the weaknesses he mentions but they don't outweigh the good in my option. there also is a huge advantage to winning a game but an almost equally disadvantage if you do not plan out your strategy if you are going to win. it can be a little complicated.

Why do you crush our dreams Everytime lmao, it starts off so good then Quinton slams us with the bad stuff

The review i have been waiting for...waiting for scythe too tho!!

Oh, the puns... although “leaking belowdecks” might be part of my commonly used phrases, sadly...

Cancelled my preorder because of this and the dice tower. Waited what, five years for this game? Sad times indeed.

All of the art school jokes gave me outloud belly laughs. My gut actually hurts.

1:44 and in the background, the old lady gets up to do just that

Great review! And two games in, it sums up my own impressions so far. I love the whole Age of Sail meets Lovecraft vibe, but last night I had to discard half the night's work one turn before it was to bear fruit just because someone hit the magic glory number. If they had some sort of postgame mechanic to translate some of that into glory so it wasn't a total waste, that would be fine (one glory for every ten unspent gold, for example). But making me just throw it all away with nothing to show for it is another thing entirely from a standpoint of how I want to spend a dozen or so of my finite evenings on Earth.

We're 7 games in and are having a blast. I guess like with any game, it is not for everyone. The reviewers are all so down on this game, but literally every person in my seafall group is super excited about every upcoming session. I think the payoff is there. Every chest opened so far has enhanced the experience in a way that a game couldn't do if all options were available form the start.

I guess I’m the minority when I say this game is brilliant and I really, really loved it. Never had a dull moment. Having a treacherous bunch of conniving players and a bit of roleplay helps.

The thing is this game is a lot of fun, it's just not for everyone. It's slow, it's fairly clunky, and it's down right frustrating sometimes. But if you're willing to get into it, if it's the type of game for you, it's AMAZING.

Saved me the buy it looks like. If you guys don't even want to finish it..... well that is about as damning as it gets.

How very grown up! I think this is what I expected - its almost like Rob had to start again and his first solo legacy game was likely to be flawed. As you say Mr Quinns games like this are so essential to board game evolution but you know they'll inspire others (and Rob) to make better games in the future. But I'm not buying this one..

If you're actually peeling off and placing stickers to mark permanent changes to the game, what do you do when you finish the campaign and want to start a new one, or just decide you want to sell it? It seems like the game would be unplayable a second time.

Seafall is only $15 now.....I think it might be worth it....

I love Legacy games and really really wanted to love this game. However. First, this game is worse than Monopoly in terms of game mechanics that reward screwing over other players. This is not a fun game with anyone you need to speak with for the days after the game. Secondly, it is terribly imbalanced. Winners are rewarded with compounding abilities and starting resources into future games, making it frustrating for anyone who doesn't win the first 2-3 games, AND then later in the game there is a weird counter balance mechanism that is an obvious attempt to fix imbalance. AVOID.

"Are you leaking below decks?" Hilarious!

Dude you are the alton brown of board games.

Best su review I’ve seen so far. ALL characters named Quinns. That’s what you can do if you play it alone. Like Being Quinns Malkovich.

I hate putting stickers on games and what's worse is tearing up components .

I don't think I could ever own a legacy game--it'd feel like vandalism.

Finding time to play a legacy game is sadly something which is currently beyond me. My friends are currently very scattered since leaving university and I haven't formed another regular group yet. We still meet up to play, but it's irregular and we normally have a bunch of new things we've aquired and want to try when we meet up. I'd love to see a play through of a legacy game with susd and friends though. Cool ghost's subterfuge diaries were one of my favourite things I've seen on youtube and seeing something similar for a legacy game would be excellent. I would definitely watch a spoilers included, after action report next time the susd down guys are playing a legacy game.

Wow i loved that final advice! I was thinking about that as i watched the review :)

yet another excellent review. thank you.

Aaaah do not like the idea of writing all over a game with marker ....

That's Trinity College of Music. Amazing when I stumble upon a random video that showcases where I spent 4 years of my life.

What annoyed me is that I got a huge engine working, kind of won or came close to winning most games and was then beat out by a mechanic someone else unlocked right at the end. Making everything I had agonised over for a couple of months of game play fairly pointless...

When you realise that, this entire time, people were intentionally walking really slow in documentaries. How did I not notice that before... I just never thought about it, I guess.

Buying this as a board game design study is a good idea in the same vein as using 504 to figure out how the hell that crazy green haired man does anything! I believe there is a lot to learn and realize how to approach a legacy system as a designer OR a rich kid collector of board games that will hang SeaFall lovingly on the wall next to oil painting of a boat. As for game play goes... if a game takes me 7 or 8 long games to get a bit of fun out of it, then clearly it was acting out creating a feeling in me of passing time on an actual ship across the sea, and then falling asleep sick to my stomach because of too much rum. Does Rum makes this game better!? Libertalia certainly so! Anyway, if this was the idea then good job I guess? Give me cliff hangers, interesting stories, characters, cool mini's of cave's or something and then add in all that good multiple mechanic stuff to build an engine, and very importantly DON'T you dare take away my progress so far of things I collected or whatever (not sure if SeaFall does this or not). Hoped for better but thanks for the review~!!!! Time to die my hair green and design something weird

With as cheap as this game has become I may just have to do his suggestion at the end. Heck, the board might make a great mat to play Pirates of the Spanish main on as a bonus.

Ive recently been playing this game with a full party of 5. We're gearing up to play game 6, last night was 5. we play 1-2 times a week. My opinion so far is that it is a fun game that requires the players to be active as they play and especially between turns. We have a player that tends not to pay attention between turns, and when their turn comes they slowly put together what they want to do despite having 4 turns worth of time to think ahead, and this does drag the game down. There are a lot of small rules and numbers that are in play at all times; buy limits, sell limits, values of treasure and goods, what effect is in play, what advisors do i have; and more, on top of decisions such as do i explore, do i raid, to i buy or sell, should i keep ships together or separate. If you as a player cannot handle so many little things i dont really recommend this game, otherwise the game gets to be this large monster, rather than a night of fun board games. For those that like games that have multiple avenues to claim victory, dont mind all the little rules and numbers, and actively play i highly recommend the game.

'Not 8, but 6', hahaha. This guy.

My main concern with legacy games is the lack of replayability. Like, sure it's a lot of playtime but once it's over you can't play the first game or restart with a new group or similar

11:27 in and you made me hit pause and go and make a cuppa.

Dont listen to all the bad reviews for seafall. My group is about twelve games in and we still enjoy playing. Is it hard to learn? Yes. Is it some groundbreaking new style of game? Not really. Each box you open fits into the story as you explore further from home and uncover the hidden secrets of the seas and islands. We have everything but the final box open and were pretty sure that last box will take some time to open. Theres a lot of repetition but the randomness of the advisors and events will most likely be what determines what strategy you use each campaign. My best piece of advice is don't try to play twenty games in one week. Play once or twice every week or two and throw in some of your other games for variety. Look at it as replaying the same game with a few added bonuses occaisionally thrown in the mix.

This review was incredible, what a charming fellow.

Sounds like it has the hype of No Man's Sky. The thing is No Man's Sky was exactly what I thought it would be and I loved it. But I fear Seafall has been hyped to the point that people are expecting something that it's not.

Hey man..love your reviews, thorough and honest.So do you sell your copy of Seafall? ;)

Will people never learn from Quidditch? The Snitch is NOT a good idea.

This video did more to make me visit London than to buy the game.

I really want to get into a legacy game--I don't object to the limited playability of it or lack of resale. It just has to be good, fun out of the box. If you're buying this, you are familiar with complex games and don't need the slow roll!

I got this game for 19 euro, and so far we're having fun with it.

Well... my gaming friends and I pitched in and preordered this game. This review now has me worried.

So, take me back to Quinstantinople No, you can't go back to Quinstantinople Been a long time gone, Quinstantinople Why did Quinstantinople get the works? That's nobody's business but the Turks

'Rich kid's stocking.' Stealing that line.

You guys are amazing. Can i ask you if you can review blood bowl board game. Thanks

Haha it only took me a few months to realize that at 1:00 you said "Sea-crets"

Quinstantinople. *chuckles softly to self*

I didn't know what legacy meant in games. Now, I know I'd hate it.

Hahaha "Onara the Wind Master". Fucking hell you guys.

brilliantly done great wrap up at the end

I'm not totally familiar with the "legacy" mechanics in games. I did have some level of anxiety watching cards torn up, written on with marker and the board itself having big X's drawn on it. Is this erasable? Or is Seafall a one-and-done experience? Meaning, do you play your campaign through once and all the components are forever marked up? Please tell me this isn't so. Please!

Excellent

There are a segment of people, myself included, that don't mind spoilers. Some of us, myself included, want spoilers. In addition to this review as it is, maybe release a parallel video without the mosaic and a warning?

What if you want to play another campaign, do you have to re-buy it? Is there a way to make it back to game 1?

We had a house rule where milestones only give you one glory point. Best decision ever.

Seeing this again in 2021, getting to 14:13 and I wonder if Seafall would have been better as two releases: Seafall, and then later Seafall - Legacy. As Quinns says both Risk and Pandemic were tried and tested games that had legacy mechanics added to them. Seafall was made from the ground up as a legacy game and seems to have suffered for it.

Quinn said it straight. Legacy Games are the Boyce Avenue of boardgaming. When you apply them to an existing good game they're great, but when you make them create a game from scratch it sucks balls.

I'm so glad I put the breaks on this one and did not pre-order.

So... how have you guys not done a let's play of Spyfall yet? Also, a follow-up question, can you do a Spyfall let's play?

Awesome review. Had me in stitches. Such a shame is also aligns with The Dice Tower too for the fate of this game. I'm gonna hit subscribe, if only, for the accent :)

I know this comes across like I'm an old fuddy duddy, but I never have and never will buy a boardgame that is designed to be played once only. I don't doubt there are interesting mechanics in legacy games, but it's not a path I choose to go down.

what the fuck, you named the master trader 'seito kaicho'? the 'student body president'?

Plus 100,000 points for Onara the wind master.

Are you leaking below decks!?

These Legacy games are fascinating but they just aren't for me.

did you know that there is a secret packet in risk legacy under the plastic thing that holds the pieces?

The Michael Woods of board games!