I adore the theme of this one, given the IP, just like the Spartacus board game with the stills from the show; similar to the GF9 products, I quite enjoy stills from the show. Thanks for the review :)
Exactly. It's a game that pays masterful homage to the show in so many ways that it will heavily improve your enjoyment of it by watching the series first. Or watch it several times. I did. :)
Its a pretty good show and dramatization of an important period of world history. I’ve got issues with some parts of it but I concur and would highly recommend anyone to watch it. It’s good to hear the game captures the dynamics of the show.
The first few seasons were great. The last couple were bleh at best. Coming from someone who has read every book and would rank The Saxon Stories as my favorite series.
I love the show, I really liked the designer, and I was still hesitant to back it just because of the live still photography. Even if they had done drawings versions of the characters I think it would have been better. I don't regret getting it but yeah, sometimes the cover of a book does matter.
Yeah I know nothing about the show and the "screenshots of a movie" are a real turn off. Never really think of myself as caring about graphics, but guess I'm wrong.
I loved the TV-Series and I even think Roy will like it, especially the main character. It's a story about a viking which goes on an odyssey through England in turbulent times. He looses evrything and he wins all - an epic story about freedom, loyalty and true friendship. Well, I think that means I also have to try the game.
Seems like this one may go the way of the Sons of Anarchy game: a "cult classic" beloved by fans of it but the IP actively worked against its popularity. I picked this up on the strength of the designer's pedigree. I'm actually rather happy with the production. I don't need another massive box like Blood Rage/Ankh and I'm happy with the conservative production and readability of the board here. Hope it catches on enough for a small expansion at least.
I’m quite a fan of the IP - books and tv show - as well as the historical setting in general. But even with that, the bland art and use of photo stills makes this package less appealing than it should be - relegating it from the “must play” it should be to a “yeah I’d like to give it a try if the opportunity arose”, and it’s really only at that level following this positive review.
@@Bleuchz I want to play great games with great art and themes that appeals to me. This puts me in the fairly happy position of being able to instantly overlook a lot of the many hundreds of games that are released each year. Sure, I probably miss out on some great games - but there’s still too many to choose from even after I’ve instantly eliminated a large majority of options. The theme here really appeals to me; gameplay is intriguing (without looking necessarily outstanding - but maybe it is); the art and components are terrible and in most other circumstances so poor that I’d instantly dismiss the game from further consideration. How do you decide to pick a few new games each year from the thousands that are released?
@@Bleuchz yeah - one of the things I look for in a game is a theme that appeals to me. But there can be plenty of other aspects that mean the game as a whole doesn’t appeal.
Just to clarify the setting it’s set earlier than the medieval period. It’s set in the dark ages and the Viking invasion of Anglo saxon Britain. It’s the period ‘England’ came into being. Alfred and his dynasty created England after conquering or absorbing the other Saxon kingdoms and Viking lands. It’s an interesting time in history but a lot of it is not fully know. Hence the ‘dark’ ages The books by Bernard Cornwall are superior to the tv show. Uhtred the main character in the books constantly fights for both Saxons and vikings.
Last Kingdom is the next best thing under Game Of Thrones; with it’s ending being a thousand times better. phenomenal show. The art an minis can always be better an that would hike the price which will exclude a lot more players than picky players. It should do well with co-signs on how good it plays, the IP isn’t the problem, it’s the execution of the design.
like you don’t have to care about the IP to enjoy the game or want to play the game. It will bring in people who do care about the ip tho an hardcore gamers will play it for the experience anyway. So many fire games out there that no one cares about the theme per-say.
Spartacus did the screenshots perhaps the best. A lot of Battlestar Galactica was also good. Thus here is sort of Sons of Anarchy and Firefly level of photo quality.
The show is incredible, especially the first 2 seasons. While the later seasons aren't as strong, the actors and their performances, and how well they draw you, the viewer, into their personal struggles and journeys, really helps carry the show to a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommend all 5 seasons. One of the most underrated shows around.
You’ve given the show a bad rap there Tom, it’s a fantastic show and series of books! Even though I love the show and the game looks OK, I’m unlikely to get this because it breaks my rule of being careful about games skimmed with an IP from TV Shows and Movies.
Love this game! ... So much so that i started watching the show, and love it even with the screen captures (which i normally hate) but it doesnt diminish from an amazing core system. I would give it my own seal of excellence if i had one😂.
Hi there, two questions: 1.I see a lot of acronyms IP. What is the meaning? 2. Is the rulebook clear enough? How many plays do you need to enjoy the title without going back to rulebook? Thank you!
My wife is the exact opposite, she loves the show and has watched it several times, but would never play a game like this. Just shows how little this IP did for the game.
they also could've released it as a straight medieval game but still call it 'a lost kingdoms game', just have the related screenshots smaller, in the corner of the box and not inside the game. That would appeal to gamers and would make them interested in the show because of a good game.
I don’t really get the complaints about the IP. Sons of Anarchy and Spartacus are fantastic games. Even though they’re based on shows I’d never seen and use screenshots from the show, I thought the themes were cool, and more importantly the gameplay of both those games is top-notch. I have watched the Last Kingdom and read the books, so the theme is a bonus. Looks like the gameplay is great too. I’ll definitely be picking it up. How many cartoon vikings and dragon themed games do we need? That’s about as generic and cliched as you can get in 2024.
The IP is great I like that a lot; but screenshots? I am waiting for the republishing 2.0. Flipping sides yes, but be aligned behind the sceenes to saxons... Destiny is All!
They could easily slap this concept onto a fantasy setting. I think you're giving the game too much flack for its IP though considering your gripe seems to be 'I don't know the IP'. Really when you think about it it is in essence not so different from any other made up / historical setting it could've covered.
When I first saw the game a couple of days ago: oh a John D. Clair game I didn't know was getting released! Will probably end up buying it either way but let me watch a couple of episodes to see if I like the IP... Me now: Destiny is all!
This seems to really have a lot in common with The King is Dead. I think The King is Dead is a more streamlined implementation and is a really good, thinky strategy game.
the game looks good to me I would for sure play it. the show was great, I think better than game of thrones which was ruined by the last season. they did a movie also which was great
I have never understood the hatred of screenshots. I don’t have any connection to the ip but the screenshots don’t look bad. Also the comparison to Blood Rage…I get it a bit but the better comparison is a more complex The King is Dead
The rulebook speaks to The King is Dead and Blood Rage being the primary influences, and can def see both in the design. This game is so much more than either though. I think it’s a hybrid of those two with some “stock” (affinity tracks and loyalty) manipulation.
My problem with IPs like this is the box just screams, "If you don't watch this, don't bother playing it!" It's the photography. If all the characters were drawn, then I would never even know this was an IP. I've vaguely heard of it, but that name is so generic that I wouldn't really know unless it has obvious actors on the cover (and putting "Board Game" in the title). If I was interested in the game, I might have looked into it, but I don't know this character or story so I'm now actively avoiding it. That's why these companies need to stop using stills. They are literally telling non-viewers to find something different to buy.
Why they didn't just use the exact same historical setting but not link it to the IP is beyond me. They could've used interesting period style art and most of the characters wouldve remained the same (just removing the fictional ones) and it would've had much broader appeal. I highly disagree about making it more like Blood Rage, though. I don't need giant monsters and minis, I'd much rather they just used the actual history, which is a great enough theme as is.
Artwork is typically the biggest expense in boardgame publishing. Using photo stills is way, way cheaper than commissioning hundreds of distinct pieces of artwork for the cards.
With so many games to choose from, a game with Still just automatically puts in in the Hard Pass category for me (fairly or unfairly) That stuff was acceptable in 2004.....for me....not so much in 2024.
Im surprised. I saw the game advertised and looked away because of the IP. It would be interesting to know if the game sell got boosted or hurt by the IP.
This game has trumped Blood Rage on every level for me in terms of gameplay. Far more dynamic, choices get more interesting as game goes on. I do get the complaints of graphic design, but the IP is actually very central to the gameplay and character mechanics. Most IPs feel pasted on the game after the fact, in this particular game the IP drives the design.
It's rare for a really ugly board game to come out in this day and age. This is def one of them IMO, shame. Reprint this with actual artwork and fancier board and I'm in, have plenty of fantasy games so it being straight medieval stuff is a plus.
I agree 100% with Tom, I am steering off this game because of the look and production. It would have landed a lot better for me if the art was done the way that Dire Wolf handled Dune Imperium if they needed to stick with the show theme. Hope they can figure out a better theme or a reprint some day.
This 100% looks like a game that wishes it could have used the Game of Thrones IP. Royals was the same way, so much so that I went and did my own full re-skin to Game of Thrones. I call it "Royals of Westeros". This game looks like it would be a little tougher to do a straight retheme.
Last kingdom was horribly boring toe and did not care about the team. That being said, its really the screenshot from the show amd the bland miniature look that made it a pass to me. Original art work and better mini would have been fine even with the last kingdom ip
I look forward to seeing this on "buried gems" lists for years to come.
I adore the theme of this one, given the IP, just like the Spartacus board game with the stills from the show; similar to the GF9 products, I quite enjoy stills from the show. Thanks for the review :)
Everyone who read this, and have not watched The Last Kingdom till now, stop everything you do right now, just go and watch it, it's a 10/10.
Exactly. It's a game that pays masterful homage to the show in so many ways that it will heavily improve your enjoyment of it by watching the series first. Or watch it several times. I did. :)
Its a pretty good show and dramatization of an important period of world history. I’ve got issues with some parts of it but I concur and would highly recommend anyone to watch it. It’s good to hear the game captures the dynamics of the show.
No, thank you. Nothing gets me off Succession
'Why not both.'@@ilqrd.6608
The first few seasons were great. The last couple were bleh at best.
Coming from someone who has read every book and would rank The Saxon Stories as my favorite series.
I love the show, I really liked the designer, and I was still hesitant to back it just because of the live still photography. Even if they had done drawings versions of the characters I think it would have been better. I don't regret getting it but yeah, sometimes the cover of a book does matter.
Yeah I know nothing about the show and the "screenshots of a movie" are a real turn off. Never really think of myself as caring about graphics, but guess I'm wrong.
I loved the TV-Series and I even think Roy will like it, especially the main character. It's a story about a viking which goes on an odyssey through England in turbulent times. He looses evrything and he wins all - an epic story about freedom, loyalty and true friendship.
Well, I think that means I also have to try the game.
Seems like this one may go the way of the Sons of Anarchy game: a "cult classic" beloved by fans of it but the IP actively worked against its popularity. I picked this up on the strength of the designer's pedigree.
I'm actually rather happy with the production. I don't need another massive box like Blood Rage/Ankh and I'm happy with the conservative production and readability of the board here. Hope it catches on enough for a small expansion at least.
Love the Dice Tower exclusive definition for "bombastic". Pretty soon Webster is going to have to add this new definition to the list.
I'm surprised at the quick turnaround on this one, it feels like it was just on KS
I’m quite a fan of the IP - books and tv show - as well as the historical setting in general. But even with that, the bland art and use of photo stills makes this package less appealing than it should be - relegating it from the “must play” it should be to a “yeah I’d like to give it a try if the opportunity arose”, and it’s really only at that level following this positive review.
This is wild to me (almost as wild as the deductions from their scores). Do you want to play great games or just good games w/ great art?
@@Bleuchz I want to play great games with great art and themes that appeals to me. This puts me in the fairly happy position of being able to instantly overlook a lot of the many hundreds of games that are released each year. Sure, I probably miss out on some great games - but there’s still too many to choose from even after I’ve instantly eliminated a large majority of options.
The theme here really appeals to me; gameplay is intriguing (without looking necessarily outstanding - but maybe it is); the art and components are terrible and in most other circumstances so poor that I’d instantly dismiss the game from further consideration.
How do you decide to pick a few new games each year from the thousands that are released?
@@brucebush5744 you said you're a fan of the ip in your op and then say you want themes that appeal to you. I guess you just do you.
@@Bleuchz yeah - one of the things I look for in a game is a theme that appeals to me. But there can be plenty of other aspects that mean the game as a whole doesn’t appeal.
Just to clarify the setting it’s set earlier than the medieval period. It’s set in the dark ages and the Viking invasion of Anglo saxon Britain. It’s the period ‘England’ came into being. Alfred and his dynasty created England after conquering or absorbing the other Saxon kingdoms and Viking lands. It’s an interesting time in history but a lot of it is not fully know. Hence the ‘dark’ ages
The books by Bernard Cornwall are superior to the tv show.
Uhtred the main character in the books constantly fights for both Saxons and vikings.
Last Kingdom is the next best thing under Game Of Thrones; with it’s ending being a thousand times better. phenomenal show. The art an minis can always be better an that would hike the price which will exclude a lot more players than picky players. It should do well with co-signs on how good it plays, the IP isn’t the problem, it’s the execution of the design.
like you don’t have to care about the IP to enjoy the game or want to play the game. It will bring in people who do care about the ip tho an hardcore gamers will play it for the experience anyway. So many fire games out there that no one cares about the theme per-say.
Spartacus did the screenshots perhaps the best. A lot of Battlestar Galactica was also good. Thus here is sort of Sons of Anarchy and Firefly level of photo quality.
You're bang on Tom, if it had different art it would be a lot more popular. I passed on it because I can't stand irl photos used as art in game.
Also, I straight up hate the way the board looks lol but that's probably just me personally.
Thanks guys!
Did Mr Cornwell get any royalties? I read all the books in the series. Great series, great show. Hope the game is up to it.
The show is incredible, especially the first 2 seasons. While the later seasons aren't as strong, the actors and their performances, and how well they draw you, the viewer, into their personal struggles and journeys, really helps carry the show to a satisfying conclusion.
Highly recommend all 5 seasons. One of the most underrated shows around.
You’ve given the show a bad rap there Tom, it’s a fantastic show and series of books! Even though I love the show and the game looks OK, I’m unlikely to get this because it breaks my rule of being careful about games skimmed with an IP from TV Shows and Movies.
Love this game! ... So much so that i started watching the show, and love it even with the screen captures (which i normally hate) but it doesnt diminish from an amazing core system. I would give it my own seal of excellence if i had one😂.
The show is fantastic and y'all are missing out
Hi there, two questions:
1.I see a lot of acronyms IP. What is the meaning?
2. Is the rulebook clear enough? How many plays do you need to enjoy the title without going back to rulebook?
Thank you!
IP = “intellectual property”, for example Last Kingdom. :)
My wife is the exact opposite, she loves the show and has watched it several times, but would never play a game like this. Just shows how little this IP did for the game.
What IP means ? Intellectual Property ?
I also get an Inis feel from this when I play it
I like Last Kingdom (TV) much more than GoT. It's historically relatively on spot, even though it has a lot of made up characters.
they also could've released it as a straight medieval game but still call it 'a lost kingdoms game', just have the related screenshots smaller, in the corner of the box and not inside the game.
That would appeal to gamers and would make them interested in the show because of a good game.
but does this game come with 878 vikings?
I don’t really get the complaints about the IP. Sons of Anarchy and Spartacus are fantastic games. Even though they’re based on shows I’d never seen and use screenshots from the show, I thought the themes were cool, and more importantly the gameplay of both those games is top-notch. I have watched the Last Kingdom and read the books, so the theme is a bonus. Looks like the gameplay is great too. I’ll definitely be picking it up.
How many cartoon vikings and dragon themed games do we need? That’s about as generic and cliched as you can get in 2024.
The IP is great I like that a lot; but screenshots? I am waiting for the republishing 2.0.
Flipping sides yes, but be aligned behind the sceenes to saxons... Destiny is All!
Are we getting new last kingdom movie or season?
No. Season 5 was the final season and the movie “Seven Kings Must Die” was the end of the whole series and serves as sort of an epilogue.
Also, bummer Mike wasn't in this one. Wonder if it had drawn some comparisons to his highly rated Pax Pamir...
I didnt back because of the art and graphic direction. Hate screengrabs.
They could easily slap this concept onto a fantasy setting. I think you're giving the game too much flack for its IP though considering your gripe seems to be 'I don't know the IP'. Really when you think about it it is in essence not so different from any other made up / historical setting it could've covered.
I think the problem isn't the IP its the screen captures from the IP that make it a problem.
When I first saw the game a couple of days ago: oh a John D. Clair game I didn't know was getting released! Will probably end up buying it either way but let me watch a couple of episodes to see if I like the IP...
Me now: Destiny is all!
Exellent game for an excellent TV series.😁 10/10
That board is super ugly. Having the allegiance track take up a third of the space just does not track well. It looks like a bad clone of scythe
This seems to really have a lot in common with The King is Dead. I think The King is Dead is a more streamlined implementation and is a really good, thinky strategy game.
I’m regretting canceling my pledge
The retail edition is exactly the same, so you've missed nothing.
the game looks good to me I would for sure play it. the show was great, I think better than game of thrones which was ruined by the last season. they did a movie also which was great
I have never understood the hatred of screenshots. I don’t have any connection to the ip but the screenshots don’t look bad. Also the comparison to Blood Rage…I get it a bit but the better comparison is a more complex The King is Dead
The rulebook speaks to The King is Dead and Blood Rage being the primary influences, and can def see both in the design. This game is so much more than either though. I think it’s a hybrid of those two with some “stock” (affinity tracks and loyalty) manipulation.
@@richardcarneski8789 I agree. Another comparison is as a better War of Whispers. I like WoW but this is cleaner.
As someone who loves the show, the graphic design and artwork were what put me off buying it. Can’t see it getting to the table looking like that.
My problem with IPs like this is the box just screams, "If you don't watch this, don't bother playing it!" It's the photography. If all the characters were drawn, then I would never even know this was an IP. I've vaguely heard of it, but that name is so generic that I wouldn't really know unless it has obvious actors on the cover (and putting "Board Game" in the title). If I was interested in the game, I might have looked into it, but I don't know this character or story so I'm now actively avoiding it. That's why these companies need to stop using stills. They are literally telling non-viewers to find something different to buy.
I think the worst part of this game is that britannia is out there already and it is an aweome game
It is very much inspired by
The King is dead board game
which is a streamlined game
The show is amazing! 10/10 :)
Why they didn't just use the exact same historical setting but not link it to the IP is beyond me. They could've used interesting period style art and most of the characters wouldve remained the same (just removing the fictional ones) and it would've had much broader appeal.
I highly disagree about making it more like Blood Rage, though. I don't need giant monsters and minis, I'd much rather they just used the actual history, which is a great enough theme as is.
Artwork is typically the biggest expense in boardgame publishing. Using photo stills is way, way cheaper than commissioning hundreds of distinct pieces of artwork for the cards.
With so many games to choose from, a game with Still just automatically puts in in the Hard Pass category for me (fairly or unfairly)
That stuff was acceptable in 2004.....for me....not so much in 2024.
Destiny is all!
Great review
Im surprised. I saw the game advertised and looked away because of the IP. It would be interesting to know if the game sell got boosted or hurt by the IP.
The theme is great and so is the show. You should watch the show its good. I disagree on this one.
This game has trumped Blood Rage on every level for me in terms of gameplay. Far more dynamic, choices get more interesting as game goes on. I do get the complaints of graphic design, but the IP is actually very central to the gameplay and character mechanics. Most IPs feel pasted on the game after the fact, in this particular game the IP drives the design.
It's rare for a really ugly board game to come out in this day and age. This is def one of them IMO, shame. Reprint this with actual artwork and fancier board and I'm in, have plenty of fantasy games so it being straight medieval stuff is a plus.
Have not played the game but the show is better than Game of thrones or Vikings
The graphic design could have been a lot better.
I agree 100% with Tom, I am steering off this game because of the look and production. It would have landed a lot better for me if the art was done the way that Dire Wolf handled Dune Imperium if they needed to stick with the show theme. Hope they can figure out a better theme or a reprint some day.
Hopefully people will give it go like they did with terraforming mars. Great GamePlay but crap artwork.....
This 100% looks like a game that wishes it could have used the Game of Thrones IP. Royals was the same way, so much so that I went and did my own full re-skin to Game of Thrones. I call it "Royals of Westeros". This game looks like it would be a little tougher to do a straight retheme.
Last kingdom was horribly boring toe and did not care about the team. That being said, its really the screenshot from the show amd the bland miniature look that made it a pass to me. Original art work and better mini would have been fine even with the last kingdom ip
Why is the graphic design of the map THIS bad? Pixelated as if done in MS Paint?