Between this, the 18xx deep dive, and the colonialism video, you guys are really setting yourselves apart from the board game content creator crowd. Thank you for your thoughtful, eloquent (and occasionally hilarious) contributions to our hobby!!
@@Xipheas but they are talking about board games. Discussion of broader. cross-cutting themes and cultural context is just something that has in the past been lacking in commentary around games compared to other forms of media.
Excellent video, this helped me understand better why I gravitate towards space and space themed games subconsciously, because of the idea of the unknown, and limitless possibilities.
"We revere those who make promises and invest time and money into Mars all the while treating what we have as disposable." Perfect. Love this video so much.
The point you make about ditching Earth in the hopes of terraforming Mars is a really interesting narrative - so much time and effort spent on escaping to space when we could instead be aiming to stop the 'terrorforming' of Earth we're currently undergoing. I recently started watching The Expanse and the Mars-Earth friction explores that discussion, with the Martians looking down on the Earthlings for their mistreatment of a green and ocean filled home. Alas, there's no immediate capital to be made in slowing Climate Change. The long term profits of 'human sustainability' seem to be irrelevant to most.
I started following NPI because of its goofiness, but the closer your videos get documentaries - the more I like them! Goofiness is great, but you've both revealed yourselves as thoughtful intellects. And I love that! The video on colonialism is life changing.
Elaine, this was fascinating. Well done! Please please please, more deep dives like this! I recognize how much work must go into them, but it definitely shows in the richness of discussion!
Quite liking these editorial style videos, breaking away from just reviews. Looking forward to the inevitable (and awkward origins of) Cthulhu Mythos editorial!
You've done it! You've moved board game criticism to the next level, beyond dumping parts on a table and screaming "I'D BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR" at the camera. I love it great work!
Your videos are just on another level from the majority of gaming content on UA-cam. This is *fantastic* content, insightful and meaningful, treating board games with all the seriousness they deserve as art. See you on Patreon!
Gotta echo what other people are saying. Board games are more than toys they are outlets to explore our creativity and ourselves. More so than digital games or books or movies the experience people can have in a board game can be as shallow or as metacognitive as we desire. Board games are truly stand-alone experiences in this world. Thank you both for these videos
This long form content is great. Something "On Mars" looks at that not a lot of other games try is the issue of time across space. We've already seen what an 18 minute delay does landing something on Mars. I'd love to see a space game simulate running a colony where you need to wait a turn if you want answers from "home planet"
I am really new to board games, but finding your channel has helped me dive in with some confidence. These videos really help showcase a lot of games, and they are really interesting. Keep up the amazing work!
This was such an amazing video essay. I love how the two of you incorporate your passions and interests and personalities into such rich tapestries. Also, it's always a joy to get an Elaine episode.
BTW This is the content I actually close other screens and give my full attention. Most UA-cam viewing for me is background to other work getting done.
What an incredible video. Filled to the (outer) rim with wonderfully interesting education, insightful commentary, and some nice humor to balance it all out. Thank you for making this, Elaine! It is both inspiring and informative!
Man what an incredible piece. I've been loving this new style of video from NPI (the colonialism video too). I love all your content, but these have been so well written and put together it's captivating til the very end.
Oh dear, the first aliens we'll encounter will be clowns won't it? Intergalactic clowns... about a billion of them packed into a comically small spaceship.
Fantastic material!!! Propably done slightly too quickly as we have whole selection of space themed games on the way (like Rocketmen, Beyond the Sun or few others) which potentially could expand this fascinating theme. Big thanks for creating material which talks about board games differently and provokes us to think! Well done!!!
I really enjoyed the First Martians when I wrapped my head around the rules. It actually felt oddly thematic for something that looks like a conveyor belt control panel.
I love these video essays. It's wonderfully researched and quite insightful. er ... I wonder if I should say anything about the same two-handed "here it is" hand movement that's repeated in each scene (at least as of the 12:43 mark). It's like the somatic version of saying "Uhh...." in speeches. I keep being mesmerized.
Just sat through this 34 minute video and loved every minute. Your enthusiasm for these games really comes across and makes me want to play them all haha. Plus at 15:27 we are treated to a Space Dolphin so there's that.
I feel an affinity with even the most modest of locales in my home county in Ireland, so I turned to my Berkshire-bred wife expecting her to offer a valiant defence of Slough in the face of all these slights, whether from NPI or from Betjeman. Ho-boy.
Hundreds of horses is definitely a space game and I'm disappointed it wasn't here. In all seriousness this was wonderful, lovely writing, fantastic little jokes that made me laugh out loud and I learned so much. I love this!!!
Such a fantastic video! It feels like y'all have all booster rockets lit and heading out the outer reaches...of our hearts. Well, my heart. Because it's empty space. Looking forward to more videos like this!
The thing about the fermi paradox and drake´s equation is: While there are probably many, many planets that could sustain life, it might still be extremely rare to occur. As long as we cant replicate biogenesis, the creation of living matter from dead matter without being digested by a living organism, we have no idea how rare life might really be. Will it, under thought-to-be ideal circumstances and on average, take 1 million test tubes and a 1000 years for life to spontaniously spring up in one of them? Or would it just take 100 test tubes running for 10 years? AFAIK we have no clue and if i am not mistaken, we are not even trying to find out. We dont even know if it is still occuring on earth (since "new life" would probably fail immediately due to competition with already existing and adepted life wherever it does occur, if it does). It all hinges on that moment that Q showed Picard in the last episode of "the next generation" - how likely and often does it occur? You can read about what science thinks had to happen, but it´s all just hypothesis, as this moment has never been witnessed or replicated. And a single replication still would not give us much of a clue on the overall statistical probability of occurance - if you roll a dice just once, you cant tell if it´s been tampered with. We´d have to do it many times to approach any reliable value to put into drake´s equation and as long as we havent it´s all just wild speculation. There might be billions of earth like planets and life on none but one, or there might be life on every single one of them. We just dont know, yet and cant even make an educated guess.
Between this, the 18xx deep dive, and the colonialism video, you guys are really setting yourselves apart from the board game content creator crowd. Thank you for your thoughtful, eloquent (and occasionally hilarious) contributions to our hobby!!
@@Xipheas agree 145% I love this storytelling approach to the reviews
@@Xipheas but they are talking about board games. Discussion of broader. cross-cutting themes and cultural context is just something that has in the past been lacking in commentary around games compared to other forms of media.
Elaine's space shirt is amazing
I think they are PJs. Which would be apt.
Stellar, even!
it is!
Not to mention the pendant in the form of a space shuttle
I love these new long form video essays you we've been doing
++
I grew up in Slough, and have always wondered about the marvelous prospect a cosmos blessed with the miracle of light
Thx Elaine, this content is distinctly different, interesting and really enjoy your writing.
I'm loving the documentary/review approach. I am sure it's so much extra work, but it really shows in the quality of the video. Well done!
Excellent video, this helped me understand better why I gravitate towards space and space themed games subconsciously, because of the idea of the unknown, and limitless possibilities.
I'm very happy with the way you've expanded into doing more criticism over regular reviews. It's something that is sorely needed in the hobby.
Leaving Earth is one I highly recommend checking out
These deep dives are fascinating. I'm really enjoying them
"We revere those who make promises and invest time and money into Mars all the while treating what we have as disposable." Perfect. Love this video so much.
Well this is excellent, I would very happily watch a whole Netflix series of this kind of jazz.
The point you make about ditching Earth in the hopes of terraforming Mars is a really interesting narrative - so much time and effort spent on escaping to space when we could instead be aiming to stop the 'terrorforming' of Earth we're currently undergoing. I recently started watching The Expanse and the Mars-Earth friction explores that discussion, with the Martians looking down on the Earthlings for their mistreatment of a green and ocean filled home.
Alas, there's no immediate capital to be made in slowing Climate Change. The long term profits of 'human sustainability' seem to be irrelevant to most.
I started following NPI because of its goofiness, but the closer your videos get documentaries - the more I like them! Goofiness is great, but you've both revealed yourselves as thoughtful intellects. And I love that! The video on colonialism is life changing.
Elaine, this was fascinating. Well done! Please please please, more deep dives like this! I recognize how much work must go into them, but it definitely shows in the richness of discussion!
Quite liking these editorial style videos, breaking away from just reviews. Looking forward to the inevitable (and awkward origins of) Cthulhu Mythos editorial!
Love the video, really cool to see board games used to explore/examine broader topics!
I appreciate your engaging documentary approach. Informative AND entertaining as always, keep up the good work!
You've done it! You've moved board game criticism to the next level, beyond dumping parts on a table and screaming "I'D BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR" at the camera. I love it great work!
Your videos are just on another level from the majority of gaming content on UA-cam. This is *fantastic* content, insightful and meaningful, treating board games with all the seriousness they deserve as art. See you on Patreon!
Gotta echo what other people are saying. Board games are more than toys they are outlets to explore our creativity and ourselves. More so than digital games or books or movies the experience people can have in a board game can be as shallow or as metacognitive as we desire. Board games are truly stand-alone experiences in this world. Thank you both for these videos
NPI: *has pet dog, uses footage of raccoon*
You can tell this was "a choice."
This long form content is great.
Something "On Mars" looks at that not a lot of other games try is the issue of time across space.
We've already seen what an 18 minute delay does landing something on Mars. I'd love to see a space game simulate running a colony where you need to wait a turn if you want answers from "home planet"
"Lunch boxes and celebrity bakeoffs would be things of mystery"
I am really new to board games, but finding your channel has helped me dive in with some confidence. These videos really help showcase a lot of games, and they are really interesting. Keep up the amazing work!
Wow, what a tremendous deep dive! I'm impressed by the amount of non-board game research that went into making this. It was presented very well!
At the end I expected to read "Turn off your computer and go to sleep" message, in the style of The secret of Monkey Island
This was such an amazing video essay. I love how the two of you incorporate your passions and interests and personalities into such rich tapestries. Also, it's always a joy to get an Elaine episode.
So happy all this thoughtful goodness wasn't lost by UA-cam. Loving your video essays... happy with these deep dives.
BTW This is the content I actually close other screens and give my full attention. Most UA-cam viewing for me is background to other work getting done.
What an incredible video. Filled to the (outer) rim with wonderfully interesting education, insightful commentary, and some nice humor to balance it all out.
Thank you for making this, Elaine! It is both inspiring and informative!
I really appreciate your content. You bring such a depth of consideration that can be sorely missing most of time.
this might be the best board game review video ever made. Honestly, Elaine, this is brilliant.
Fantastic video! Your deep dives are easily some of my favorite content in all of UA-cam.
Watching the growth and evolution of your videos is a joy! Long may it continue
This was awesome! Very welcome new perspectives on games as a genre and how they support our thinking about things. Keep it up!
Man what an incredible piece.
I've been loving this new style of video from NPI (the colonialism video too). I love all your content, but these have been so well written and put together it's captivating til the very end.
Oh dear, the first aliens we'll encounter will be clowns won't it? Intergalactic clowns... about a billion of them packed into a comically small spaceship.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space?!
This was excellent - maybe my favorite NPI video, keep up the excellent work!
This channel has really stepped up its game. Great work! Hope things keep up like this
13:53 if Uranus is sideways, I would suggest visiting a doctor... *ptss!*
“Wow you’re still here” lol
06:04 - thanks for the warning! I was worried for a second there..!
This might be the best space themed board game review.
Fantastic material!!! Propably done slightly too quickly as we have whole selection of space themed games on the way (like Rocketmen, Beyond the Sun or few others) which potentially could expand this fascinating theme.
Big thanks for creating material which talks about board games differently and provokes us to think! Well done!!!
Wow! Your knowledge is impressive and fun to listen to. Thanks!
Thanks for another thoughtful and in-depth video!
I really enjoyed the First Martians when I wrapped my head around the rules. It actually felt oddly thematic for something that looks like a conveyor belt control panel.
Fantastic video Elaine! NPI are to be commended for advancing the cause of gaming discussions beyond 'what should I buy next'.
Elaine, Efka: Excellent work. 👏 Thank you.
I love these video essays. It's wonderfully researched and quite insightful.
er ...
I wonder if I should say anything about the same two-handed "here it is" hand movement that's repeated in each scene (at least as of the 12:43 mark). It's like the somatic version of saying "Uhh...." in speeches. I keep being mesmerized.
I loved the philosophical note on board game presentation!
Sure, I enjoy the reviews... but I must say, I love this essay format. Thank you for the hard work!
Shut up and sit down pointed me to this channel and my gosh this is FANTASTIC stuff! You are doing an amazing job with these videos!
Very good video and as others said, it sets you aside from other youtubers with thoughtful l, well written and interesting content. Well done!
Just sat through this 34 minute video and loved every minute. Your enthusiasm for these games really comes across and makes me want to play them all haha. Plus at 15:27 we are treated to a Space Dolphin so there's that.
Super glad this came back up today!
Got half way through and then it disappeared on me.
You had me at Hob Nobs, you lost me at Pot Noodle.
What about pop tarts?
Really loving the in-depth Themes in Boardgames content! Well done NPI
Search for Planet X is easily in Top 3 of best deduction games!! Highly recommend!
I feel an affinity with even the most modest of locales in my home county in Ireland, so I turned to my Berkshire-bred wife expecting her to offer a valiant defence of Slough in the face of all these slights, whether from NPI or from Betjeman.
Ho-boy.
What an amazing video, I love everything about this!
Mars, most famously known as the place demons made the unfortunate error of trying to invade our dimension from.
Thank you for this wonderful video essay!
That Indentured Workers card...
Great Video!
Hundreds of horses is definitely a space game and I'm disappointed it wasn't here.
In all seriousness this was wonderful, lovely writing, fantastic little jokes that made me laugh out loud and I learned so much. I love this!!!
As a side note I'm sad that Martians a story of civilization doesn't get enough love.
Love these video essays you guys have been doing.
I had to share this with my SO as we both love science and space but I'm the board game nerd. Ugh I really need to get TI4
I've missed that Juanitos song!
This was so awesome. Thank you for this.
This was very cool, and I really enjoyed.
Simply brilliant. Thank you.
Such a fantastic video! It feels like y'all have all booster rockets lit and heading out the outer reaches...of our hearts. Well, my heart. Because it's empty space. Looking forward to more videos like this!
Amazing production.
Brilliant video, thanks!
Great piece-amazing work.
Such a brilliant, long form video essay. Well done Elaine and Efka! I'm so impressed with the work that has gone into this, and the final result.
No one really? Ok. ,,Pluto is a Planet!!" - Jerry
Wow, so much research so well presented
This is much needed content. Well done.
that was beautiful! thank you
Great job! Keep up the good work.
Very nice rundown of game history
Definitely expected this to be the beyond the sun review!
We do have one of those! ua-cam.com/video/V9fCxQzLe0A/v-deo.html
The cut right after Elaine says baguettes.....
Great video really thought provoking and different
My goodness gracious, this was amazing!
This was excellent!!!
This was amazing. Thank you!
The thing about the fermi paradox and drake´s equation is: While there are probably many, many planets that could sustain life, it might still be extremely rare to occur. As long as we cant replicate biogenesis, the creation of living matter from dead matter without being digested by a living organism, we have no idea how rare life might really be. Will it, under thought-to-be ideal circumstances and on average, take 1 million test tubes and a 1000 years for life to spontaniously spring up in one of them? Or would it just take 100 test tubes running for 10 years? AFAIK we have no clue and if i am not mistaken, we are not even trying to find out. We dont even know if it is still occuring on earth (since "new life" would probably fail immediately due to competition with already existing and adepted life wherever it does occur, if it does). It all hinges on that moment that Q showed Picard in the last episode of "the next generation" - how likely and often does it occur? You can read about what science thinks had to happen, but it´s all just hypothesis, as this moment has never been witnessed or replicated. And a single replication still would not give us much of a clue on the overall statistical probability of occurance - if you roll a dice just once, you cant tell if it´s been tampered with. We´d have to do it many times to approach any reliable value to put into drake´s equation and as long as we havent it´s all just wild speculation. There might be billions of earth like planets and life on none but one, or there might be life on every single one of them. We just dont know, yet and cant even make an educated guess.
It's because of videos like this that I support Elaine and Efka on Patreon. Keep up the good work!
Yes, I'm still here. 😉😁
This was a great video. Thank you.
2 mins in and I can already tell this video will be amazing!
This is absolutely fantastic. It's wonderfully written and expressed. Love this new direction.
This is fantastic.
One can only hope to see High Frontier here.... one day :)
NOW THAT'S CONTENT! GREAT VID.
Glad the video is back
Fantastic stuff.
Elaine killed this!