Phenomenal game , different ways to approach victory ...you need to play to win based on the different circumstances presented when the game starts While I 100% respect Tom I feel sometimes he takes a game for a quick spin and isn't able to really focus energy on the big and long-term picture
I saw this play through on Ant Lab Games channel and it looks good. Gonna pick this up when I can as the wife loves this theme. This is the game I wanted out of Marrying Mr. Darcy which fell flat for me.
I wouldn't recommend ignoring courtship. In addition to having one of the very good Fairchild cards to play each new season, you also get to Take a VP card for winning each one and get 8VP for winning final courtship (which is a sum of all previous courtships combined). Many points here, and points that if you win them others don't. Many of the other ways to score points are areas in which you're opponents will also score in without you being able to do much to prevent it. Not so with courtship.
Kind of funny to leave a comment 2 years later but - I didn't find anywhere this rule of getting an extra 8VP for winning the final courtship. Was it something revised in the 2nd edition, perhaps?
@@dalembertian If you win them in the last round, you get the 8 VP from the card rather than using the card in the next season. That's what John likely was saying.
@@markusschmidt9260 Yes, agreed! I think what threw me off in his comment was the part about "which is a sum of all previous courtships combined", which sounded like a special rule. But I also think he's just talking about the value of the Fairchild card...
I played my first game and I agree that the end game scoring cards seem a little imbalanced at first glance. I had the one that gives 17p for three specific building tiles and it was stolen right in front of me. But one can mitigate the randomness somewhat by using reputation to clear the market, which I discovered way too late in the game. Overall, I think there are ways to counter the randomness somewhat. Also, I was not a fan of the ability to steal workers from each other, especially since there was no way to block it (to my knowledge). However, I found that there was always an alternative path one could take, although suboptimal, and I never felt stuck only because someone stole a servant from me. All in all definitely want to give this a few more tries.
2018 game shouldn't look visually this bad. A tiny company back in the day - Portal Games - released a game called Legacy which is both more fun in gameplay and more thematic regarding themes like this.
Perhaps it is subjective? My girlfriend who adores Victorian literature likes the way it looks and she is the intended audience. I looked at that Legacy game and dislike it's cartoonish tacky art style.
I love the art style in Obsession: it fits the mood and time period well. The flashy, cartoony style of Legacy doesn't fit my idea of the theme. But that's just me!
Agree with the others. Also, I think, this is among the most thematic Euro games, I had played. I'd give an extra shout-out to the flavour texts on the cards, which are hilarious.
I don't understand - the visual design is top notch, IMO. It's not a colorful theme - it's Victorian England. And the component quality is very good as well. It's almost too flashy for me, the brightly colored meeples, but they are so functional, that I don't mind.
Not every game needs to look like the rainbow ice cream. This games look is intentional and polished. Great games can still have low production quality.... Yes even today. Don't judge a game by its cover. Otherwise sudoku would never get played!
I am currently ordering the 2nd edition of the game+ all expansion content so I came to the tube to watch some content. I noticed my own comment ( which I don't even remember writing). Amazing how one changes their perspectives over time. I will happily admit my comment was foolish to say the least haha.
Looool. This is how I used to feel about the TV show Downton Abbey. Never gave it the time of day. Then I started watching it with my partner one day and loved it.
God this game looks horrible! I can’t see how anyone would like such an abhorrent theme. The aesthetics are bad and the components mediocre. This game reminds me of the hype around Food Chain Magnate. Another horrible game!
Phenomenal game , different ways to approach victory ...you need to play to win based on the different circumstances presented when the game starts
While I 100% respect Tom I feel sometimes he takes a game for a quick spin and isn't able to really focus energy on the big and long-term picture
I saw this play through on Ant Lab Games channel and it looks good. Gonna pick this up when I can as the wife loves this theme. This is the game I wanted out of Marrying Mr. Darcy which fell flat for me.
I wouldn't recommend ignoring courtship. In addition to having one of the very good Fairchild cards to play each new season, you also get to Take a VP card for winning each one and get 8VP for winning final courtship (which is a sum of all previous courtships combined).
Many points here, and points that if you win them others don't. Many of the other ways to score points are areas in which you're opponents will also score in without you being able to do much to prevent it. Not so with courtship.
Kind of funny to leave a comment 2 years later but - I didn't find anywhere this rule of getting an extra 8VP for winning the final courtship. Was it something revised in the 2nd edition, perhaps?
@@dalembertian If you win them in the last round, you get the 8 VP from the card rather than using the card in the next season. That's what John likely was saying.
@@markusschmidt9260 Yes, agreed! I think what threw me off in his comment was the part about "which is a sum of all previous courtships combined", which sounded like a special rule. But I also think he's just talking about the value of the Fairchild card...
2nd edition fix a lot of the problem you had, especially extensions
i guess I am kind of off topic but do anybody know a good site to watch new tv shows online?
@@fletcherabdiel1755 🙄
I am OK with the theme, still a big question whether I would buy it or not, nice review Tom, thank you!
I played my first game and I agree that the end game scoring cards seem a little imbalanced at first glance. I had the one that gives 17p for three specific building tiles and it was stolen right in front of me. But one can mitigate the randomness somewhat by using reputation to clear the market, which I discovered way too late in the game. Overall, I think there are ways to counter the randomness somewhat. Also, I was not a fan of the ability to steal workers from each other, especially since there was no way to block it (to my knowledge). However, I found that there was always an alternative path one could take, although suboptimal, and I never felt stuck only because someone stole a servant from me. All in all definitely want to give this a few more tries.
Bowling Green in a board game so soon after the tragedy? Outrageous!
Am I the only one that hates it when they print the game's logo on the board? It looks so tacky I think.
I have been meaning to ask is that ending music the same that SU&SD uses sometimes but at a faster pace?
idk Tom. You are not really selling this
Obsession is not a new perfume :)
If you play Solo and win, Keira knightley comes round to your house and bangs you. Fact.
2018 game shouldn't look visually this bad. A tiny company back in the day - Portal Games - released a game called Legacy which is both more fun in gameplay and more thematic regarding themes like this.
Perhaps it is subjective? My girlfriend who adores Victorian literature likes the way it looks and she is the intended audience. I looked at that Legacy game and dislike it's cartoonish tacky art style.
It is definitely subjective. I think have the game and love how it looks and plays. The components are also outstanding.
I love the art style in Obsession: it fits the mood and time period well. The flashy, cartoony style of Legacy doesn't fit my idea of the theme. But that's just me!
Agree with the others. Also, I think, this is among the most thematic Euro games, I had played. I'd give an extra shout-out to the flavour texts on the cards, which are hilarious.
Ssssssymbolism
Tom is so boring and can’t put his bias aside when reviewing games.
Visual design looks really bad....maybe 5 years ago great gameplay could make up for that but not anymore I think.
I don't understand - the visual design is top notch, IMO. It's not a colorful theme - it's Victorian England. And the component quality is very good as well. It's almost too flashy for me, the brightly colored meeples, but they are so functional, that I don't mind.
Not every game needs to look like the rainbow ice cream. This games look is intentional and polished. Great games can still have low production quality.... Yes even today. Don't judge a game by its cover. Otherwise sudoku would never get played!
I fell asleep
Ok.....
I am currently ordering the 2nd edition of the game+ all expansion content so I came to the tube to watch some content. I noticed my own comment ( which I don't even remember writing). Amazing how one changes their perspectives over time. I will happily admit my comment was foolish to say the least haha.
@@ozzyperez3190 Glad you woke up.
@@ozzyperez3190 I've done this so many times.
Looool. This is how I used to feel about the TV show Downton Abbey. Never gave it the time of day. Then I started watching it with my partner one day and loved it.
this game would be great if I was British… and was born in about 1865,,, sorry, not my “cup of tea”
Do you have to be born on Mars in the 22nd century to enjoy a sci-fi game?
God this game looks horrible!
I can’t see how anyone would like such an abhorrent theme. The aesthetics are bad and the components mediocre.
This game reminds me of the hype around Food Chain Magnate. Another horrible game!
You sound fun.
Really? I think this game looks beautiful despite the theme doing literally nothing for me.
Both amazing games, actually.
@@victorgonzalez2927What kind of games do you like? I think Obsession is quite pretty, not so keen on FCM.
@@GretSeat LMFAO! 🤣