In a 4-player game, you play until a team has 15 points. So the 10 points from ending with a "1" isn't an instant win. I'm surprised you didn't play that way before the review, because for me, 4-player partnership is the primary mode of play.
My gaming group love this. I am a gamer of 40 years experience and hundreds of games in my collection. But our group love the chill out factor of T&G. Like you say it almost plays itself - which is why it is so chilled, but with just enough edge in passing, bonuses, the shoot the moon 1 strategy and the dragon defence of that, plus the incomplete information, plus combining these subtleties with the different arenas. I can see us playing this in 10 years time.
Thanks for the great explanation! 😊I‘ve also had the problem with the last tile. It seems as if I had also missed this explanation (last tile face up) in the rules. Your video helped a lot since I like the game, especially the flow of it. Greetings from Munich, Germany!🙋♀️🥨🍺
Great review, Mike. You taught me Floristry at DTR and I wish I had had a chance to play this with you as well. A friend picked it up for me at GenCon. I agree that this game needs more plays to pick up the subleties of the strategy. I also agree that the game is definitely better with 4 than 5.
Thanks for the coverage, Mike! Great stuff!! I've only played at 5 and I wasn't liking it, but hoping to try at your recommended player counts! Cheers!
I played this a month ago, and had the exact same issue when shuffling them. A couple would always flip around. Other than that, a solid game in my opinion. Regarding the depth you mention, I feel it's much like classical trick-taking games in that regard. There is definitely an element of card counting in the game, and thinking about who passed which attacks, in order to decide what to play next or what to put down as a bonus. The first few rounds you kinda just play whatever, but after only a couple of rounds you begin to realise that it very much matters which number you play.
For the 'shoot the moon' scoring of 10 "+bonus" - My theory is this is coming from a culture (and I don't just mean nationality, but the game culture) where gambling on a per point basis is a thing - I really do believe there's going to be a whole swath of Mahjong play that people pay based on the differences in their scores. (I was taught how to play Pinochle as a child playing penny a point against my uncle - I got good REAL fast. :P And washed a lot of his laundry for money to pay for those lessons. :P ) Obviously they would not want to call that out in their rulebook, but I do think this is the mindset behind it - also for people who looking for person high scores, or are playing in a league or a tournament, there may be need of information beyond just win or loss that this would feed.
i was going to say it sounds like a tournament rule. Either a straight point victory after X number of games played, or a tie breaker system when 2 or more players have won the threshold at once, then points break the ties.
In a 4-player game, you play until a team has 15 points. So the 10 points from ending with a "1" isn't an instant win. I'm surprised you didn't play that way before the review, because for me, 4-player partnership is the primary mode of play.
Ah, yes. Of course! I wasn't considering the team game in regards to scoring. Thanks for the answer!
My gaming group love this. I am a gamer of 40 years experience and hundreds of games in my collection. But our group love the chill out factor of T&G. Like you say it almost plays itself - which is why it is so chilled, but with just enough edge in passing, bonuses, the shoot the moon 1 strategy and the dragon defence of that, plus the incomplete information, plus combining these subtleties with the different arenas. I can see us playing this in 10 years time.
Thanks for the great explanation! 😊I‘ve also had the problem with the last tile. It seems as if I had also missed this explanation (last tile face up) in the rules. Your video helped a lot since I like the game, especially the flow of it. Greetings from Munich, Germany!🙋♀️🥨🍺
Great review, Mike. You taught me Floristry at DTR and I wish I had had a chance to play this with you as well. A friend picked it up for me at GenCon. I agree that this game needs more plays to pick up the subleties of the strategy. I also agree that the game is definitely better with 4 than 5.
Thanks for the coverage, Mike! Great stuff!! I've only played at 5 and I wasn't liking it, but hoping to try at your recommended player counts! Cheers!
Love the Midwest Annex. Nice touch.
I played this a month ago, and had the exact same issue when shuffling them. A couple would always flip around. Other than that, a solid game in my opinion.
Regarding the depth you mention, I feel it's much like classical trick-taking games in that regard. There is definitely an element of card counting in the game, and thinking about who passed which attacks, in order to decide what to play next or what to put down as a bonus. The first few rounds you kinda just play whatever, but after only a couple of rounds you begin to realise that it very much matters which number you play.
I stood right in front of Mike at the oink booth while he purchased this, amongst other oink titles.
For the 'shoot the moon' scoring of 10 "+bonus" - My theory is this is coming from a culture (and I don't just mean nationality, but the game culture) where gambling on a per point basis is a thing - I really do believe there's going to be a whole swath of Mahjong play that people pay based on the differences in their scores. (I was taught how to play Pinochle as a child playing penny a point against my uncle - I got good REAL fast. :P And washed a lot of his laundry for money to pay for those lessons. :P ) Obviously they would not want to call that out in their rulebook, but I do think this is the mindset behind it - also for people who looking for person high scores, or are playing in a league or a tournament, there may be need of information beyond just win or loss that this would feed.
i was going to say it sounds like a tournament rule. Either a straight point victory after X number of games played, or a tie breaker system when 2 or more players have won the threshold at once, then points break the ties.
Is there a series of games option, where the overall total score, including any "shoot the moon" bonus, could be relevant?
No crouching tiger hidden dragon reference in the video title?
Excellent review! Seems like a game I could see being played in a cyberpunk gambling hall.
Could the bonus points for shooting the moon matter in case of ties?
Good review mike.
We like to play to 20 points, by first laying the scoring tiles upside down, and then flipping them over. 🙂
Having to flip over tiles while shuffling is very mahjong
Thanks Mike, not sure this game is for me. The production looks OK.
Maybe the bonus is carried over to the next round if playing best of 5, maybe
Either the color balance is off, or this is the video we learn Mike is colorblind. That's definitely green, not blue.