Just discovered both the game and your channel and am delighted with both. All the key points you made are valid,.and it takes a while to set up and break down. But as s SOLO game it is amazing. I doubt if I would play it any other way. Thanks ladies!
Fantastic stuff, glad to come across this channel looking for more about this game. A great format that feels very real; some channels can feel almost slightly removed from actually playing games but you both come across as so genuine. Thanks for the vid 👍
Thank you so much for the kind feedback! It always means a lot to us from fellow content creators. Hope the video was useful and thanks for the sub :) Look forward to chatting about more games in the comments!!
Thanks very much for taking the time to investigate the game and give such a thoughtful review. I'm really impressed Maggie got to grips with the Utopians, I think they're the most challenging civilisation in the game.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment Nigel. Maggie was so thrilled to discover the Utopians... it is a really nice thematic addition, especially for a less violent civilisation leader like Maggie ☺💕
@@ThinkerThemer I enjoy watching all your videos 😊. One thought I had, was Maggie limiting the Utopians to 3 exhaust tokens? Just asking because of the comment you made about how long you had to wait for your turn. The Utopians have a lot of exhaust actions especially if they pick up market cards with exhaust powers too.
Interesting! I just asked her and she said she didn't realise that rule but also that she wasn't ever playing five (I'm dubious but I still won that game 😃). I found her solstice turn particularly long in that game... but I just started playing my turn while she was busy. We only played with classics when playing with larger player counts. Not helping the length was probably that we were always playing with new civs to try as many as possible so also reading and getting to know the cards each time... but I think your length estimate was spot on.
@@ThinkerThemer For sure, first play of a new civilisation (especially those of difficulty 3+) is going to slow things a bit. Once you know your deck you can watch out for market cards that really fit and know what cards to garrison and history without agonising over your hand too much. Also once you know the other civilisations then what your opponent is doing is a bit less opaque and you'll also have a better suspicion if they're pulling ahead on VP or not. You do have some control over the flow of the game, how many cards you remove and how many cards you add, the fatter your deck the slower you'll be cycling it.
All very true and fair points thanks Nigel. The control over the deck thinning / fattening is such a wonderful mechanic. We both look forward to seeing what you're working on next (I hear another with Dávid?)
Found your channel because of this vid since i pre ordered this game. Rly liked the video and how well you explained how the game plays. Thanks :) now off to see the other vids
I've really been looking forward to this video because I've been anticipating this game for quite awhile. It was great to hear your different experiences & opinions. Great review!
This is the first ThinkerThemer video I've seen and you are so pleasant to watch and listen to! Subbed! Also, I bought this game as a solo game and I do love it that way. I would not really want to play this with someone because I don't think it would add much, particularly because the bot -while fiddly- plays very thematically and tactically. It's really well done, despite the faff.
I was waiting in suspense then boom review plot twist! Haha. I was actually expecting the split you mentioned in discord was going to go the other way with you and Maggie. The multiplayer solitaire thing is rough for me too but im also a big-time card game fan. looking forward to trying to see where I land but I'm glad my friend bought it instead of me. Thanks again for the great honest review!
Thanks Aaron! I do have to say that the mechanics are super intriguing to me, it was more the game style that didn't gel with my preferences so much. I didn't expect Maggie to enjoy it as much as she did- but she really does love a game where she can ignore me completely LOL
Great review! I'm always looking for games that are interesting at the solo level since my honey isn't much of a boardgame fan. BTW, today, instead of watching your channel on my phone or tablet I watched on my big TV and you guys look great on the big screen!
Hahaha oh no! We will definitely have to increase our make-up budget if we're going to be in HD on the big screen Thanks for watching Maria and glad this game was of interest to you!
Thank you so much for your review of this game. I am looking forward to trying it out solo. The artwork looks fab. Really enjoy your channel and I have to say probably my favorite board game channel. Thank you for all you gals do😊
Thank you so much for taking the time to say that Debra, it really means a lot to us and we're glad to have you here. Thank you for your support and happy to hear you are looking forward to trying this one out solo! 😊
Just found your channel while searching for reviews for this game. Thank you for the great, honest review! And I must say, you are so lucky to have be a couple where both enjoy boardgames. I have to check the games for a strong solo mode... Happily this seems to be one of them :)
What an awesome video (and supposedly channel)! What I loved about the video: 1. very well explained, nice voices, clear articulation 2. very positive atmosphere: Honestly, I was thinking that you LOVE the game until 11:30 or so… that was a very surprising „it’s not for me“ there :) 3. very good reasoning why you came to that / different conclusions. As a mostly solo-only player, I’m looking forward to this, even though the lack of interaction still bothers me. The game feels solvable, mainly because of all the deck thinning mechanics and the focus on your civilisation‘s cards. That’s what you’re also saying: By the end game, you will be doing ‚your thing.‘ Not sure if the path to the end game will feel exciting enough. I’m glad that you both experienced that path as interesting. I’ll give it a try! Thanks for the video and keep the awesome content coming!
Wow, so excited to see a ThinkerThemer video in the middle of the week! Of course I have to mention my favorite quotes, “sometimes we get along and sometimes we don’t”! Also a favorite quote, Maggie “listen to you going into the story....Amy, “well it’s very aligned with the mechanics”. I think that might be what we call the Theme . Just love the banter! The game sounds really interesting, and the art is wonderful. But I will say I am more aligned with Amy on this one. I don’t think it is for me, and I think there are different solo games that I would rather play. The solo AI, sounds a bit too much for me. I don’t mind the multiplayer solitaire so much so I would play it, but don’t think I would buy it. This is a great review and appreciate the honesty between you both about the game! These are exactly how reviews should be done! Another great video! I love middle of the week surprises!
I agree, Darlene. This one wouldn't be for me either. There are elements that look cool, but as soon as I hear the word "grind" associated with a game, I'm out.
Thank you Darlene! I laughed at what you said about me describing the Theme lol. Appreciate you watching and your support as always. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one 🥰
After only four plays we already met all game end conditions, haha, and now I slowly start to get the feeling that I can tell who is ahead in VP and the more you play you will know with which civilization you should push for which ending depending on the match-up. My wife/the Celts relentlessly crushed my Greeks with an unrest ending, because I would've won by VP in the long run and played too risky to let that happen.
So happy to hear that you and your wife are enjoying this one and sounds like really enjoying besting each other with the strategy ☺ thanks for taking the time to comment and for watching! Happy playing !!
Great review. Even better was how supportive you are of each other, even when you disagree. You both are really there for each other. The depth of analysis is very deep. You certainly go beyond your reaction (liked it or not) to explain how you reached that conclusion in a way that is helpful for someone else to make their own decision. Thank you for sharing your insights!
When I first watched the video I sort of dismissed it for whatever reason. It may have been the artwork (not my taste) or lack of a board map, I don't remember now. A comment elsewhere referenced this game and I did not recognize it so I looked it up and it turns out you've got the only review video on it (that's why you're awesome!). I'm learning as much as I can about this game now until I decide if it's for me. Thanks!
I really appreciate this thorough review. I was concerned that elements of this game might be too repetitive for my liking and you confirmed my suspicions. PS: How do you do talk so long with no edits??? It’s amazing and such a pleasure to watch.
SURPRISE!!! Amy and Maggie on a Thursday, and what a nice surprise it is. I was looking forward to both versions, but my enthusiasm is a bit tempered. So I think this one is going to be a typical “try before you buy”... But man does those cards look nice!
The cards are beautiful and despite it not being for me in the type of gameplay, the mechanics have stayed with me as some are very clever. So worth trying ! 😊 thanks for watching the ThursdayThinkerThemer 😄💕
Started off thinking it wasn’t for me, then got excited by the mechanics, the civilisation asymmetry, then … the multiplayer solitaire put me off. I have enough brain burning games that require end to end concentration and am looking for more interaction in my games. Great review guys!
Thanks for the very detailed review. Makes me feel like I got a good understanding of the game. I don't mind the solitaire aspect and the asymmetry sounds like fun. But as you say, this game seems like it takes too long for what it is. Having played a lot of Dominion I know how annoying it can be to wait for my next turn. I hope they make a second edition where this game is more streamlined.
Thanks for watching Magnus and for taking the time to comment. Just a little long for us but certainly some clever mechanics and the assymetry is executed very well. We love Dominion too! ☺
Seems nice. I think this looks like a game for a regular opponent so you both know your civilisations (decks). Also makes turns go faster. The last part off the game you say is to long. Is that because by then players have a lot off cards/abilties out that takes time or is it 4-5 more rounds when 1-2 more hould have been enough? Good review found your channel from this one :)
Seems very similar to Empires of the North, which also has a similar problem of "rinse & repeat" feeling towards the second half of the game. EotN also gives a similar feeling of "ok, finish your turn already so that I can play my turn" and is supposedly better solo. This might be best as a solo game since it's in the similar vein.
Glad this one intrigues you! It is certainly special and unique in its design. Maybe more for Maggie than me but still enjoyed exploring it! Thanks for watching.
Hey you two! :) Finally managed to watch a video before bed - excellent as always! As you might know by now, I do love asymmetry and variable player powers in my games, so from that stance, this should seem like a doozy. Do you have any idea when it is going to release and what the price-point is going to be?
Thank you so much... glad you enjoyed the review and the game sounds like it might be a good one for you ☺ I believe you can preorder from the book depository! And it is delivering in May? Price wise I think $40US per pack. You could always start with one!
Ah, interesting review! I'm not sure if I land with #Thinker or #Themer this time around. On the one hand, I'm perfectly happy with multiplayer solitaire games. On the other hand, I don't like a lot of downtime between turns. Maybe I'll get a chance to try it at a meetup one of these days :D
Mmmmmm interesting! You might be ok. I think the fact that I want to be engaged in someone's turn makes it feel even longer. Interested to hear what you think once you get a chance to try it out ☺ thanks for watching Luke!
@@ThinkerThemer I do like the civ theme and deck-building! But it does sound like the game is maybe too long for what it is. Hmmm.... Thanks for the review! :D
Thank you for this! Great analysis and great points. I was really looking forward to this game but I know now that I would have ended up disappointed. Thanks for saving me a bit of money :-)
I have been interested in this game ever since they first had their failed Kickstarter campaign a few years ago. I have both copies of the game on pre-order (mainly for solo play), but the downtime in a multi-player game is quite a negative. Did you find the game difficult to grasp from the rules? I thought the rulebook was quite poorly written.
Maggie struggled a bit but I think if you can grasp the turn structure - there will be more videos by then - and then learn the unique terms for actions - you should be ok. Once you get going and know those terms the cards are very easy to understand in terms of their abilities etc. Look forward to hearing what you think Andrew! 😊
The card art looks amazing. Multiplayer solitaire is quite a turn-off for me too, card games are supposed to be more player interactive I feel. I mean I'm ok wth euro board games being multiplayer solitaire but card games I expect to be more interactive, like Magic and FFG's LCG games. It's nowhere on sale yet so I'll likely see the price first before committing to it. Fingers crossed, I hope to be playing Red Rising this evening. Yes, I'm slowly but surely moving up your list of recommended games. :)
The card art is beautiful :) I think it available preorder from the book depository too! Thanks for watching Melvin! Look forward to hearing what you think of RR. 😊
Thanks for the review. I am more and more on the fence. I would play this mostly solo, but am worried about that grind which I saw in some of the online play throughs. Would you say that this also due to the fact that you can choose the development cards once you become an empire, or does that not play a role? How much replay ability would this game have? I know the game comes with 8 civilizations per box but are the amount of cards per civ deck such that each civ has a great deal of replay ability, or would you have seen it all after 2 or 3 plays?
I was excited about this, now I'm a little wary. My partner is not keen on long turns or overly long games, whereas, I don't mind as much, but combined with a lack of player interaction, hmmm. Also, I wish it was simply all together. Any advice on how to choose one over the other, pros and cons?
Maggie would say the Legends simply because of the more challenging options and the fictional, perhaps more creative civs. But I think if you're into history you might enjoy the classics.. I *believe* the designer started with the classics and then built from those and they are a bit easier to work with if teaching to others as they are more similar. I hope that helps! Thanks for watching Sarah. 😊
I was excited about this game as you described it until you talked about waiting for your turn. That would be an issue for me. It’s too bad it cannot be played simultaneously in a 7 Wonders style format. Thanks so much for another insightful review.
so how is it solo again? I want to play it solo only if I understand correctly you are just fighting against all the AIs one after another in order to bear the score of the AI before him/her? is it really that much VP based for solo? or the main goal besides the scoring is to finish building the civ first in kind of a race?
There are two modes for solo play. One is a one-shot game, you pick a civilisation to play and pick one for the AI BOT - and you use that civilisation's BOT charts in the solo rulebook. So different civilisation, different game. You're trying to score more VP than the BOT (similar to a multiplayer game). The other mode is campaign, you pick a civilisation and try to beat 5 different civilisations in a series of linked games, each game the BOT gets harder but you get to keep a card you added from the previous game
Oof. Imperial Settlers has some multiplayer-solo moments as well (which I don't really enjoy), and I want to play that one more, so not going to get this one given how it plays.
Haha! Funny Maggie likes that one also and I don't... so at least we are consistent ☺ Thanks for watching and also thank you so much for joining our UA-cam membership! We really appreciate the support and hope to see you on the community page or in the discord!
Thank you for sharing! Be interested to know whether you found it easy/difficult to learn the game at all? I remember looking at the rulebook around the time of your unboxing video and found it hard to get a good sense of how the game flows or what players were ultimately supposed to be doing from just reading the rules. I felt like it could have done with at least a few examples of play -- or is it all reliant on having the card text in front of you?
Maggie said she did find it quite difficult. I think that's partly because of the language that is used for different types of actions but also the card use is very unique and at the time we were learning there were no videos to watch once you understand the flow it is a lot easier and yes I think the card text is quite self explanatory so long as you can remember the lingo. Thank you for watching Nigel.
Interesting that you dislike multiplayer solitaire yet you had a really positive review of Hardrians Wall which is....you guessed it MP solitaire. Not trying to criticize. Everyone has their own opinion. The fact that each civilization plays very differently is what sold me well plus art by The Mico. I'm getting this mostly for solo anyways. Thanks for the video.
Just to clarify, Maggie has no issue with multiplayer solitaire. In the Hadrian's Wall review I clearly mention that it is an exception to my usual dislike of multiplayer solitaire (which is why I was pleasantly surprised) - I think partly because of the simultaneously play. But as I mention here, if that doesn't bother you, I'm sure you will enjoy it like Maggie.
Just found your channel. I just wanna say that I absolutely LOVE the whole idea behind your channel! So genius!
Thank you!! Glad to have you here and thanks for watching and taking the time to comment 😊
Just discovered both the game and your channel and am delighted with both. All the key points you made are valid,.and it takes a while to set up and break down. But as s SOLO game it is amazing. I doubt if I would play it any other way. Thanks ladies!
Been really looking forward to this one. Just downloaded to watch in the A.M.!
Fantastic stuff, glad to come across this channel looking for more about this game. A great format that feels very real; some channels can feel almost slightly removed from actually playing games but you both come across as so genuine. Thanks for the vid 👍
Thank you so much for the kind feedback! It always means a lot to us from fellow content creators. Hope the video was useful and thanks for the sub :) Look forward to chatting about more games in the comments!!
Thanks very much for taking the time to investigate the game and give such a thoughtful review. I'm really impressed Maggie got to grips with the Utopians, I think they're the most challenging civilisation in the game.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment Nigel. Maggie was so thrilled to discover the Utopians... it is a really nice thematic addition, especially for a less violent civilisation leader like Maggie ☺💕
@@ThinkerThemer I enjoy watching all your videos 😊. One thought I had, was Maggie limiting the Utopians to 3 exhaust tokens? Just asking because of the comment you made about how long you had to wait for your turn. The Utopians have a lot of exhaust actions especially if they pick up market cards with exhaust powers too.
Interesting! I just asked her and she said she didn't realise that rule but also that she wasn't ever playing five (I'm dubious but I still won that game 😃). I found her solstice turn particularly long in that game... but I just started playing my turn while she was busy. We only played with classics when playing with larger player counts.
Not helping the length was probably that we were always playing with new civs to try as many as possible so also reading and getting to know the cards each time... but I think your length estimate was spot on.
@@ThinkerThemer For sure, first play of a new civilisation (especially those of difficulty 3+) is going to slow things a bit. Once you know your deck you can watch out for market cards that really fit and know what cards to garrison and history without agonising over your hand too much. Also once you know the other civilisations then what your opponent is doing is a bit less opaque and you'll also have a better suspicion if they're pulling ahead on VP or not. You do have some control over the flow of the game, how many cards you remove and how many cards you add, the fatter your deck the slower you'll be cycling it.
All very true and fair points thanks Nigel. The control over the deck thinning / fattening is such a wonderful mechanic. We both look forward to seeing what you're working on next (I hear another with Dávid?)
Enjoyed the review; very helpful. Thanks for taking the time!
Thank you Simon, so glad it was helpful. Thank you for taking the time to comment :) :)
Found your channel because of this vid since i pre ordered this game. Rly liked the video and how well you explained how the game plays. Thanks :) now off to see the other vids
I've really been looking forward to this video because I've been anticipating this game for quite awhile. It was great to hear your different experiences & opinions. Great review!
Thank you Bill! 😊
This is the first ThinkerThemer video I've seen and you are so pleasant to watch and listen to! Subbed!
Also, I bought this game as a solo game and I do love it that way. I would not really want to play this with someone because I don't think it would add much, particularly because the bot -while fiddly- plays very thematically and tactically. It's really well done, despite the faff.
I was waiting in suspense then boom review plot twist! Haha. I was actually expecting the split you mentioned in discord was going to go the other way with you and Maggie. The multiplayer solitaire thing is rough for me too but im also a big-time card game fan. looking forward to trying to see where I land but I'm glad my friend bought it instead of me. Thanks again for the great honest review!
Thanks Aaron! I do have to say that the mechanics are super intriguing to me, it was more the game style that didn't gel with my preferences so much. I didn't expect Maggie to enjoy it as much as she did- but she really does love a game where she can ignore me completely LOL
Great review! I'm always looking for games that are interesting at the solo level since my honey isn't much of a boardgame fan. BTW, today, instead of watching your channel on my phone or tablet I watched on my big TV and you guys look great on the big screen!
Hahaha oh no! We will definitely have to increase our make-up budget if we're going to be in HD on the big screen Thanks for watching Maria and glad this game was of interest to you!
Thank you so much for your review of this game. I am looking forward to trying it out solo. The artwork looks fab. Really enjoy your channel and I have to say probably my favorite board game channel. Thank you for all you gals do😊
Thank you so much for taking the time to say that Debra, it really means a lot to us and we're glad to have you here. Thank you for your support and happy to hear you are looking forward to trying this one out solo! 😊
Just found your channel while searching for reviews for this game. Thank you for the great, honest review! And I must say, you are so lucky to have be a couple where both enjoy boardgames. I have to check the games for a strong solo mode... Happily this seems to be one of them :)
Always love your videos!
Thanks Brian! 😊
What an awesome video (and supposedly channel)!
What I loved about the video:
1. very well explained, nice voices, clear articulation
2. very positive atmosphere: Honestly, I was thinking that you LOVE the game until 11:30 or so… that was a very surprising „it’s not for me“ there :)
3. very good reasoning why you came to that / different conclusions.
As a mostly solo-only player, I’m looking forward to this, even though the lack of interaction still bothers me. The game feels solvable, mainly because of all the deck thinning mechanics and the focus on your civilisation‘s cards. That’s what you’re also saying: By the end game, you will be doing ‚your thing.‘ Not sure if the path to the end game will feel exciting enough. I’m glad that you both experienced that path as interesting. I’ll give it a try!
Thanks for the video and keep the awesome content coming!
For what it's worth, this was the video that pushed me into a purchase. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful, thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! 😊
Wow, so excited to see a ThinkerThemer video in the middle of the week! Of course I have to mention my favorite quotes, “sometimes we get along and sometimes we don’t”! Also a favorite quote, Maggie “listen to you going into the story....Amy, “well it’s very aligned with the mechanics”. I think that might be what we call the Theme . Just love the banter! The game sounds really interesting, and the art is wonderful. But I will say I am more aligned with Amy on this one. I don’t think it is for me, and I think there are different solo games that I would rather play. The solo AI, sounds a bit too much for me. I don’t mind the multiplayer solitaire so much so I would play it, but don’t think I would buy it. This is a great review and appreciate the honesty between you both about the game! These are exactly how reviews should be done! Another great video! I love middle of the week surprises!
I agree, Darlene. This one wouldn't be for me either. There are elements that look cool, but as soon as I hear the word "grind" associated with a game, I'm out.
Thank you Darlene! I laughed at what you said about me describing the Theme lol. Appreciate you watching and your support as always. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one 🥰
After only four plays we already met all game end conditions, haha, and now I slowly start to get the feeling that I can tell who is ahead in VP and the more you play you will know with which civilization you should push for which ending depending on the match-up. My wife/the Celts relentlessly crushed my Greeks with an unrest ending, because I would've won by VP in the long run and played too risky to let that happen.
So happy to hear that you and your wife are enjoying this one and sounds like really enjoying besting each other with the strategy ☺ thanks for taking the time to comment and for watching! Happy playing !!
Great review. Even better was how supportive you are of each other, even when you disagree. You both are really there for each other. The depth of analysis is very deep. You certainly go beyond your reaction (liked it or not) to explain how you reached that conclusion in a way that is helpful for someone else to make their own decision. Thank you for sharing your insights!
Thank you so much Christopher. That is really meaningful and kind feedback. We really appreciate that you took the time to write this. 🥰
Thank you for the thorough review! Love your approach and I will suscribe to the channel.
When I first watched the video I sort of dismissed it for whatever reason. It may have been the artwork (not my taste) or lack of a board map, I don't remember now. A comment elsewhere referenced this game and I did not recognize it so I looked it up and it turns out you've got the only review video on it (that's why you're awesome!). I'm learning as much as I can about this game now until I decide if it's for me. Thanks!
First time I’ve been expose to your channel.
Honesty is always welcome...
Subscribed!
Thank you Joe! Great to have you here ☺
Thank you so much for the great review. 👍
Preordered this purely for solo play. From the sound of it it will be good ! Can't wait....
Certainly plenty to explore from a solo perspective koen..thanks for watching ☺
very good thoughtful video. thanks
Thanks for watching! 😊
I really appreciate this thorough review. I was concerned that elements of this game might be too repetitive for my liking and you confirmed my suspicions.
PS: How do you do talk so long with no edits??? It’s amazing and such a pleasure to watch.
Great review! Thank you!
Thank you for watching! ☺
Another great review ladies.
Thank you Monica!! 😊💕
Nice review. Well considered opinions.
Thank you Norm!
SURPRISE!!! Amy and Maggie on a Thursday, and what a nice surprise it is. I was looking forward to both versions, but my enthusiasm is a bit tempered. So I think this one is going to be a typical “try before you buy”... But man does those cards look nice!
The cards are beautiful and despite it not being for me in the type of gameplay, the mechanics have stayed with me as some are very clever. So worth trying ! 😊 thanks for watching the ThursdayThinkerThemer 😄💕
Started off thinking it wasn’t for me, then got excited by the mechanics, the civilisation asymmetry, then … the multiplayer solitaire put me off. I have enough brain burning games that require end to end concentration and am looking for more interaction in my games. Great review guys!
Great review! The lack of player interaction really turns me off for a game like this.
Thanks for watching Jason! Maggie and I agree to disagree about this 😅
Thanks for the very detailed review. Makes me feel like I got a good understanding of the game. I don't mind the solitaire aspect and the asymmetry sounds like fun. But as you say, this game seems like it takes too long for what it is. Having played a lot of Dominion I know how annoying it can be to wait for my next turn. I hope they make a second edition where this game is more streamlined.
Thanks for watching Magnus and for taking the time to comment. Just a little long for us but certainly some clever mechanics and the assymetry is executed very well. We love Dominion too! ☺
@@ThinkerThemer can't buy every game that looks interesting so I need to figure out which ones to skip :D
Seems nice. I think this looks like a game for a regular opponent so you both know your civilisations (decks). Also makes turns go faster.
The last part off the game you say is to long. Is that because by then players have a lot off cards/abilties out that takes time or is it 4-5 more rounds when 1-2 more hould have been enough?
Good review found your channel from this one :)
Great review. Instant subscribe.
wow! very well done!
Seems very similar to Empires of the North, which also has a similar problem of "rinse & repeat" feeling towards the second half of the game. EotN also gives a similar feeling of "ok, finish your turn already so that I can play my turn" and is supposedly better solo. This might be best as a solo game since it's in the similar vein.
It definitely looks like an interesting game, gonna have to put it on my list of games to buy lol
Glad this one intrigues you! It is certainly special and unique in its design. Maybe more for Maggie than me but still enjoyed exploring it! Thanks for watching.
Hey you two! :)
Finally managed to watch a video before bed - excellent as always!
As you might know by now, I do love asymmetry and variable player powers in my games, so from that stance, this should seem like a doozy.
Do you have any idea when it is going to release and what the price-point is going to be?
Thank you so much... glad you enjoyed the review and the game sounds like it might be a good one for you ☺ I believe you can preorder from the book depository! And it is delivering in May? Price wise I think $40US per pack. You could always start with one!
Ah, interesting review! I'm not sure if I land with #Thinker or #Themer this time around. On the one hand, I'm perfectly happy with multiplayer solitaire games. On the other hand, I don't like a lot of downtime between turns. Maybe I'll get a chance to try it at a meetup one of these days :D
Mmmmmm interesting! You might be ok. I think the fact that I want to be engaged in someone's turn makes it feel even longer. Interested to hear what you think once you get a chance to try it out ☺ thanks for watching Luke!
@@ThinkerThemer I do like the civ theme and deck-building! But it does sound like the game is maybe too long for what it is. Hmmm.... Thanks for the review! :D
Thank you for this! Great analysis and great points. I was really looking forward to this game but I know now that I would have ended up disappointed. Thanks for saving me a bit of money :-)
I have been interested in this game ever since they first had their failed Kickstarter campaign a few years ago. I have both copies of the game on pre-order (mainly for solo play), but the downtime in a multi-player game is quite a negative. Did you find the game difficult to grasp from the rules? I thought the rulebook was quite poorly written.
Maggie struggled a bit but I think if you can grasp the turn structure - there will be more videos by then - and then learn the unique terms for actions - you should be ok. Once you get going and know those terms the cards are very easy to understand in terms of their abilities etc. Look forward to hearing what you think Andrew! 😊
@@ThinkerThemer I've had this game for awhile now, and have played it quite a lot (mainly solo). For me, this is the. best game of 2021!
The card art looks amazing. Multiplayer solitaire is quite a turn-off for me too, card games are supposed to be more player interactive I feel. I mean I'm ok wth euro board games being multiplayer solitaire but card games I expect to be more interactive, like Magic and FFG's LCG games. It's nowhere on sale yet so I'll likely see the price first before committing to it. Fingers crossed, I hope to be playing Red Rising this evening. Yes, I'm slowly but surely moving up your list of recommended games. :)
Preorders are available on miniature market, FYI 👍
The card art is beautiful :) I think it available preorder from the book depository too! Thanks for watching Melvin! Look forward to hearing what you think of RR. 😊
Thanks for the review. I am more and more on the fence. I would play this mostly solo, but am worried about that grind which I saw in some of the online play throughs. Would you say that this also due to the fact that you can choose the development cards once you become an empire, or does that not play a role? How much replay ability would this game have? I know the game comes with 8 civilizations per box but are the amount of cards per civ deck such that each civ has a great deal of replay ability, or would you have seen it all after 2 or 3 plays?
I was excited about this, now I'm a little wary. My partner is not keen on long turns or overly long games, whereas, I don't mind as much, but combined with a lack of player interaction, hmmm. Also, I wish it was simply all together. Any advice on how to choose one over the other, pros and cons?
Maggie would say the Legends simply because of the more challenging options and the fictional, perhaps more creative civs. But I think if you're into history you might enjoy the classics.. I *believe* the designer started with the classics and then built from those and they are a bit easier to work with if teaching to others as they are more similar. I hope that helps! Thanks for watching Sarah. 😊
I was excited about this game as you described it until you talked about waiting for your turn. That would be an issue for me. It’s too bad it cannot be played simultaneously in a 7 Wonders style format. Thanks so much for another insightful review.
Thanks for watching Stephen!
so how is it solo again? I want to play it solo only if I understand correctly you are just fighting against all the AIs one after another in order to bear the score of the AI before him/her?
is it really that much VP based for solo? or the main goal besides the scoring is to finish building the civ first in kind of a race?
There are two modes for solo play. One is a one-shot game, you pick a civilisation to play and pick one for the AI BOT - and you use that civilisation's BOT charts in the solo rulebook. So different civilisation, different game. You're trying to score more VP than the BOT (similar to a multiplayer game). The other mode is campaign, you pick a civilisation and try to beat 5 different civilisations in a series of linked games, each game the BOT gets harder but you get to keep a card you added from the previous game
The Mico, unmistakeable....
Absolutely! 😍
I just backed the German version and I am desperately looking forward playing it.... in February or March next year...😐
Thanks for your review.
Does it get tiresome to play as the AI when playing solo? This is what is stopping me from buying the game...
Oof. Imperial Settlers has some multiplayer-solo moments as well (which I don't really enjoy), and I want to play that one more, so not going to get this one given how it plays.
Haha! Funny Maggie likes that one also and I don't... so at least we are consistent ☺ Thanks for watching and also thank you so much for joining our UA-cam membership! We really appreciate the support and hope to see you on the community page or in the discord!
Thank you for sharing! Be interested to know whether you found it easy/difficult to learn the game at all? I remember looking at the rulebook around the time of your unboxing video and found it hard to get a good sense of how the game flows or what players were ultimately supposed to be doing from just reading the rules. I felt like it could have done with at least a few examples of play -- or is it all reliant on having the card text in front of you?
Maggie said she did find it quite difficult. I think that's partly because of the language that is used for different types of actions but also the card use is very unique and at the time we were learning there were no videos to watch once you understand the flow it is a lot easier and yes I think the card text is quite self explanatory so long as you can remember the lingo. Thank you for watching Nigel.
How many players can play this game? 2-4? 5?
1-4 players (and solo has a campaign mode)
Interesting that you dislike multiplayer solitaire yet you had a really positive review of Hardrians Wall which is....you guessed it MP solitaire. Not trying to criticize. Everyone has their own opinion. The fact that each civilization plays very differently is what sold me well plus art by The Mico. I'm getting this mostly for solo anyways. Thanks for the video.
Just to clarify, Maggie has no issue with multiplayer solitaire. In the Hadrian's Wall review I clearly mention that it is an exception to my usual dislike of multiplayer solitaire (which is why I was pleasantly surprised) - I think partly because of the simultaneously play. But as I mention here, if that doesn't bother you, I'm sure you will enjoy it like Maggie.
This is a must-buy for a solo gamer like me because it's got David Turczi's name associated with it and it's a deckbuilder (my favorite mechanism).
Definitely sounds like a Maggie game
Hahaha sure is 😊
thank you so much for letting me know this game will not be for me.