I wanted to get in early, but so far views are still limited. See what happens overnight as US people see it. But to be honest as much as this is a game that people are waiting for, it's going to be a small number and most have already pledged so what do they care? 😜
This game screams for some expansion content now that I’ve played it multiple times. I agree with you about needing some more asymmetric powers, probably in the different adventure cards. Maybe adding them somehow at the beginning of the game for each faction. I also agree that there needs to be more ways to dominate monsters. As always, great review. - Boardgameginger
Great review! Very thoroughly objective and lots of insight. Really value your opinion here. Definitely keeping my expectations in check for when I finally get my hands on this
Thanks for posting the review, Luke. 8/10 seems really good. Glad you enjoyed Dwellings of Eldervale. I get that there were hopes/expectations that you brought to the table. You seem to pit the game against those and spend a good chunk of the video on that which is fine. But, with an 8/10 rating I would expect to hear a little more about why such a good rating. :)
I do mention a lot of good things too! :-) I like worker placement in general, it's a well produced game, there's plenty of variety in the box, the solo mode was solid, it was fairly straightforward to pick up for what was a lot of rules, the timing of taking back your workers like in Energy Empire is great.
Having received and played the game, I had to come back and watch this on again. I think you had a solid take, but the game just really landed with my group. Even the folks who don't like being attacked didn't mind it. We will definitely play with the Oracle tile from now on though.
This has been the most helpful review I've seen. DoE is out of stock everywhere . . . except for my FLGS. I have it on hold and I'll probably follow through it and pick it up tomorrow. But I might want to watch parts of this review a second time. Thank you!
My legendary pledge arrived a week ago. It took an hour just to unpack all the content and put everything in its place. All your criticisms are valid and I agree with you. The cardboard lids for the trays is probably the biggest bummer part, as it's a good idea, but you have to be careful when placing them on. I find if you hold the trays in your hand, not on the table, it allows you to flex the trays a bit so the cardboard lids take less damage when placing them on. Not sure if all your wooden tiles (not the resources) had decal leftovers that had to be cleaned off of them. It looks like they are damaged, but it was just leftover decal material from production. Was also disappointed with the sleeves. Not very good quality, in my opinion. Maybe I'm a sleeve snob. :)
16:57 No… All versions of the game - the Standard, Deluxe & Legendary Editions - all come in the same exact box. Therefore, those that got the Standard and Deluxe Editions just have more empty space in the box, compared to those who got the Legendary Edition, who received everything. This will also always remind those who only got the Standard and Deluxe Editions that they are missing some components in their game - because of the more empty space.
Refreshing to see your opinion.. I realize we align in how we feel about games (after watching some other ones) - I also went into this due to all the rave reviews but you were the first one to actually ground it all in reality
In the US, so I'm still waiting on my copy, but check every now and then just to see if there's a review of the actual game (rather than the prototype). Glad to see yours even if you didn't seem too enamored with the game. Critiques seem reasonable though. Glad to hear the solo is done well, since that's how I'll be playing it for who knows how long.
@@TheBrokenMeeple Haha. Oh, must've missed that part (I tend to not pay attention to "numeric scores" much). I guess my saying "not too enamored" was a bit strong, it just seemed like the review seemed to point out more negatives than positives, but you did say it was a solid game. And a solid game is what I generally hope for.
The rating is an 8/10. Is this typically a low rating for The Broken Meeple? I heard some, "I was expecting..." and "I wish it was this..." that might have become a bit too amplified as Luke was working to clarify his thoughts. But, an 8/10 is typically a very strong rating, right?
Good you didn't broke you column with that weight, and about the description I think it opens room for an expansion but I hope I get it soon as us will start shipping soon
1:49 The Deluxe Edition also adds 8 monsters, in comparison to the Standard Edition. And then the Legendary gives you 8 MORE monsters and the sound bases.
Outstanding review, thank you. Brilliant thoughts regarding theme/immersion issues. I think I'll stick with my Zombicide, Rising Sun and Shadows over Camelot. Sure am looking forward to a board game where each player has their own elemental deck... so it feels like MTG - Fire is truly playing Fire...
I also have to say I liked it more solo than with two players. Maybe with more plays, I will think differently. I haven’t had an opportunity to play with more than two, though. I would like to see more competition and battles. - boardgameginger
Hi! Thanks for the vid. Have you tried Tidal Blades, by any chance? Seems it's a love/hate game, would love to know your thoughts, perhaps in comparison to DoE. Cheers!
Getting my copy tommorow! Loved the video! Always looking forward on your reviews! One question tho: On the actual faction boards dosent it explain the special keywords under them?
15:23 I would be very careful when saying a game is “overproduced”. I watched a video about the topic. I believe it was from Jamey Stegmaier. He said that we might not end up getting games which look as good if people complain too much.
Games can look good and not be overproduced. Terra Mystica is a shining example. I would argue the same for SM's own Viticulture. I don't want games to come in massive boxes and to cost $100-200 or more. If that goes away, I'd be happy.
I can’t find a single video of the standard edition unboxing and how the standees look. Is everyone embarrassed to show them? Even bgg won’t show a single photo.
World you say that the tableau building is a big part of the game? Since it’s my favorite mechanics (Race for the Galaxy, Everdell) I had high hopes for this one, but since you said many cards aren’t that fun I’m starting to second it. Not fun powers is my single biggest problem with games now day, but of course it needs to be integrated with other fun mechanics as well. And thank you for an excellent review! (Reading the appendix and hoping for at least 3/4 of fun powers on the cards...)
You build up a tableau of cards, but don't expect something like Race/Ever/Empires of North levels of variety in the cards. It's not bad per say, but you do get some rinse repeat here and there.
@@TheBrokenMeeple Thank you for a quick answer and you also namned one of our favorite that I forgot - EotN. The powers on the cards in these games are so fun and varied, like Mage Knight and Spirit Island, and with 108 cards I had high hopes. But well, maybe the other parts of the game is good enough to buy it. Thanks again :)
I think getting the door for your element of choice early is the key to building your tableau. I will say that by the end of the game, you are buying cards just to try and nab some points, but getting the door early, putting a good treasure tile on it, can make a huge difference. One of our players had a massive tableau that was cool to watch work when he would regroup. The more you build, the better your regroups will be!
@@npckse8508 Thank you for taking the time to answer 😃 I have now bought it and will focus on getting the door, and hopefully it will be satisfying enough 🤓
@@npckse8508 Hmm… The biggest thing which I am wondering based on what you just said is how do I know which treasure token tile to put on the doors early? What is it based on? Thanks.
How could the solo mode be a after thought when they took the time and effort to make a whole book just for the solo mode? I've played so many games where solo modes are on the last page of the main rulebook, or a small blip on solo meshed into the main rules (which is the solo explanation I hate the most), or a printable add-on from BGG or the publisher sit.
Is 8/10 typically a bad rating from The Broken Meeple? I think the "wants" expressed in this video distract from the face that the reviewer is really liking the play. Could be wrong, but 8/10 seems really positive.
Ha ha it's the nature of the internet - if it's not 10/10 it's considered a horrible game! :P But in Ghost's case it's the combat specifically that puts him off, which is perfectly valid.
For me, after a couple plays I figured out how to better use my worker placment to enahnce my battle stance. Players do have to strategicly consider how to place workers both in light if the resource gathering/action triggering AND in light of the potential for battle. All players are in the same boat here in terms of needing to best place their units to accomplish their goals. Repeated play was very rewarding for me. The asymmetric unit abilities for each faction nudge players to try different strategies, but do not force it.
Most of the time its me and my wife . So these kind a games that heavy on battles and fights is not our cup of tea . I had hopes that its more of euro game than any other type .
Luke you didnt mention the luck with the first hand cards. You can have a bad starting hand and others can start with way better cards. The luck based battles killed it for me. I wanted to like the game, but this combat system is really bad. (Even suming the dice would be better).
Given how often you can draw them I've not yet encountered much in the way of "acceleration" from different starting hands. If you get mostly spells you get a boost early but no other point opportunities. If you get most scoring cards you'll have advanced knowledge of what to aim for.
Even though I hope it’s a ten for me(I’m in the US so no games shipped yet) I’m just happy to finally see a review in the wild!
I wanted to get in early, but so far views are still limited. See what happens overnight as US people see it. But to be honest as much as this is a game that people are waiting for, it's going to be a small number and most have already pledged so what do they care? 😜
@@TheBrokenMeeple we still care! Haha
This game screams for some expansion content now that I’ve played it multiple times. I agree with you about needing some more asymmetric powers, probably in the different adventure cards. Maybe adding them somehow at the beginning of the game for each faction. I also agree that there needs to be more ways to dominate monsters. As always, great review. - Boardgameginger
Cheers mate!
Great review! Very thoroughly objective and lots of insight. Really value your opinion here. Definitely keeping my expectations in check for when I finally get my hands on this
Thanks for watching CollectorsDomain, glad I could help! :-)
Thanks for posting the review, Luke. 8/10 seems really good. Glad you enjoyed Dwellings of Eldervale. I get that there were hopes/expectations that you brought to the table. You seem to pit the game against those and spend a good chunk of the video on that which is fine. But, with an 8/10 rating I would expect to hear a little more about why such a good rating. :)
I do mention a lot of good things too! :-) I like worker placement in general, it's a well produced game, there's plenty of variety in the box, the solo mode was solid, it was fairly straightforward to pick up for what was a lot of rules, the timing of taking back your workers like in Energy Empire is great.
I listened again and did hear all the positives woven in. Good work. Reviewing is challenging. I appreciate the perspective your review offers.
Luke ... thank you so much for the very thoughtful and sincere review. While waiting for my game in the US, really enjoyed hearing your thoughts.
Having received and played the game, I had to come back and watch this on again. I think you had a solid take, but the game just really landed with my group. Even the folks who don't like being attacked didn't mind it. We will definitely play with the Oracle tile from now on though.
This has been the most helpful review I've seen. DoE is out of stock everywhere . . . except for my FLGS. I have it on hold and I'll probably follow through it and pick it up tomorrow. But I might want to watch parts of this review a second time. Thank you!
Thanks a bunch! Glad to be of help whatever your final decision is!
My legendary pledge arrived a week ago. It took an hour just to unpack all the content and put everything in its place. All your criticisms are valid and I agree with you.
The cardboard lids for the trays is probably the biggest bummer part, as it's a good idea, but you have to be careful when placing them on. I find if you hold the trays in your hand, not on the table, it allows you to flex the trays a bit so the cardboard lids take less damage when placing them on.
Not sure if all your wooden tiles (not the resources) had decal leftovers that had to be cleaned off of them. It looks like they are damaged, but it was just leftover decal material from production.
Was also disappointed with the sleeves. Not very good quality, in my opinion. Maybe I'm a sleeve snob. :)
I used my own sleeves. 😊
Agreed that you really have to be careful when placing or removing the player boards. Thus far I have done so myself whenever it needed to happen.
There are solutions to the player board issue. Go look at 3D printed component solutions!
Well done detailed review Luke! Looking forward to giving this a play!
Hope you enjoy it!
16:57 No… All versions of the game - the Standard, Deluxe & Legendary Editions - all come in the same exact box. Therefore, those that got the Standard and Deluxe Editions just have more empty space in the box, compared to those who got the Legendary Edition, who received everything. This will also always remind those who only got the Standard and Deluxe Editions that they are missing some components in their game - because of the more empty space.
Excellent thorough review Luke! Keep up the good work!
Thanks a ton!
Refreshing to see your opinion.. I realize we align in how we feel about games (after watching some other ones) - I also went into this due to all the rave reviews but you were the first one to actually ground it all in reality
Honestly I think my rating will have gone down 1 since then.
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to be in your video! We hope some people come and check us out!
Any time!
@@TheBrokenMeeple How’s tomorrow look? Haha, jk!
@@ExploreNiagaraUSA Rebranded the channel?
In the US, so I'm still waiting on my copy, but check every now and then just to see if there's a review of the actual game (rather than the prototype). Glad to see yours even if you didn't seem too enamored with the game. Critiques seem reasonable though. Glad to hear the solo is done well, since that's how I'll be playing it for who knows how long.
Well too enamored, it's an 8 out of 10 - that's still a great game!
@@TheBrokenMeeple Haha. Oh, must've missed that part (I tend to not pay attention to "numeric scores" much). I guess my saying "not too enamored" was a bit strong, it just seemed like the review seemed to point out more negatives than positives, but you did say it was a solid game. And a solid game is what I generally hope for.
The rating is an 8/10. Is this typically a low rating for The Broken Meeple? I heard some, "I was expecting..." and "I wish it was this..." that might have become a bit too amplified as Luke was working to clarify his thoughts. But, an 8/10 is typically a very strong rating, right?
@@ChrisCypher Ha ha everyone focuses on the negatives that's human nature! 😋✌️
@@mikevanderveen4092 At some point in doing a video explaining my ratings!
If anyone's interested, the second edition will be available for pre-order on 3/14/22. Shipping in July.
Good you didn't broke you column with that weight, and about the description I think it opens room for an expansion but I hope I get it soon as us will start shipping soon
1:49 The Deluxe Edition also adds 8 monsters, in comparison to the Standard Edition. And then the Legendary gives you 8 MORE monsters and the sound bases.
Very good review. For me its a 10-,as I all the flaws are not dealbreakers. Im glad that there isnot more ways to dominate the monsters :)
Outstanding review, thank you. Brilliant thoughts regarding theme/immersion issues. I think I'll stick with my Zombicide, Rising Sun and Shadows over Camelot. Sure am looking forward to a board game where each player has their own elemental deck... so it feels like MTG - Fire is truly playing Fire...
Thanks for the kind words!
I also have to say I liked it more solo than with two players. Maybe with more plays, I will think differently. I haven’t had an opportunity to play with more than two, though. I would like to see more competition and battles. - boardgameginger
15:47 There are solutions for that problem - some involve 3D printings/printed materials. I recommend looking around.
The game doesn't get a free pass because third parties solve their problems
@@TheBrokenMeeple OK, I get it. They should have made the game better.
Hi! Thanks for the vid. Have you tried Tidal Blades, by any chance? Seems it's a love/hate game, would love to know your thoughts, perhaps in comparison to DoE. Cheers!
Never even seen a copy.
Getting my copy tommorow! Loved the video! Always looking forward on your reviews!
One question tho: On the actual faction boards dosent it explain the special keywords under them?
Nope. It has the keyword printed, but not what it actually does.
15:23 I would be very careful when saying a game is “overproduced”. I watched a video about the topic. I believe it was from Jamey Stegmaier. He said that we might not end up getting games which look as good if people complain too much.
He's more a businessman then a designer, he wouldn't be that crazy.
Games can look good and not be overproduced. Terra Mystica is a shining example. I would argue the same for SM's own Viticulture. I don't want games to come in massive boxes and to cost $100-200 or more. If that goes away, I'd be happy.
What do you mean? That he would make his games look worse *out of spite?* lol
1:54 But as of right now, there is no retail version. You can only get the game through Breaking Games.
I can’t find a single video of the standard edition unboxing and how the standees look. Is everyone embarrassed to show them? Even bgg won’t show a single photo.
Who knows, I thought they looked ok
World you say that the tableau building is a big part of the game? Since it’s my favorite mechanics (Race for the Galaxy, Everdell) I had high hopes for this one, but since you said many cards aren’t that fun I’m starting to second it. Not fun powers is my single biggest problem with games now day, but of course it needs to be integrated with other fun mechanics as well. And thank you for an excellent review! (Reading the appendix and hoping for at least 3/4 of fun powers on the cards...)
You build up a tableau of cards, but don't expect something like Race/Ever/Empires of North levels of variety in the cards. It's not bad per say, but you do get some rinse repeat here and there.
@@TheBrokenMeeple Thank you for a quick answer and you also namned one of our favorite that I forgot - EotN. The powers on the cards in these games are so fun and varied, like Mage Knight and Spirit Island, and with 108 cards I had high hopes. But well, maybe the other parts of the game is good enough to buy it. Thanks again :)
I think getting the door for your element of choice early is the key to building your tableau. I will say that by the end of the game, you are buying cards just to try and nab some points, but getting the door early, putting a good treasure tile on it, can make a huge difference. One of our players had a massive tableau that was cool to watch work when he would regroup. The more you build, the better your regroups will be!
@@npckse8508 Thank you for taking the time to answer 😃 I have now bought it and will focus on getting the door, and hopefully it will be satisfying enough 🤓
@@npckse8508 Hmm… The biggest thing which I am wondering based on what you just said is how do I know which treasure token tile to put on the doors early? What is it based on? Thanks.
How could the solo mode be a after thought when they took the time and effort to make a whole book just for the solo mode?
I've played so many games where solo modes are on the last page of the main rulebook, or a small blip on solo meshed into the main rules (which is the solo explanation I hate the most), or a printable add-on from BGG or the publisher sit.
After-thought on the KS.
I had so much hype for it ... many many fights and battles is a let down factor for me 😿
Is 8/10 typically a bad rating from The Broken Meeple? I think the "wants" expressed in this video distract from the face that the reviewer is really liking the play. Could be wrong, but 8/10 seems really positive.
Ha ha it's the nature of the internet - if it's not 10/10 it's considered a horrible game! :P But in Ghost's case it's the combat specifically that puts him off, which is perfectly valid.
For me, after a couple plays I figured out how to better use my worker placment to enahnce my battle stance. Players do have to strategicly consider how to place workers both in light if the resource gathering/action triggering AND in light of the potential for battle. All players are in the same boat here in terms of needing to best place their units to accomplish their goals. Repeated play was very rewarding for me. The asymmetric unit abilities for each faction nudge players to try different strategies, but do not force it.
Most of the time its me and my wife . So these kind a games that heavy on battles and fights is not our cup of tea .
I had hopes that its more of euro game than any other type .
@@babakvahidnia206 It is a hybrid game - hybrid between Euro and Ameritrash. I call it a “thematic Euro”.
Sorry 2 people from the UK group who disliked that it's not a 10/10. Hopefully you'll sleep easy knowing others will probably rate it so. ;-)
I tried it recently. I think it's a 7.5/8.
7.5/8 = .9375, which is a 9.375/10. So where did you get that arbitrary score from? Why are you rating it out of 8?
Luke you didnt mention the luck with the first hand cards. You can have a bad starting hand and others can start with way better cards.
The luck based battles killed it for me. I wanted to like the game, but this combat system is really bad. (Even suming the dice would be better).
Given how often you can draw them I've not yet encountered much in the way of "acceleration" from different starting hands. If you get mostly spells you get a boost early but no other point opportunities. If you get most scoring cards you'll have advanced knowledge of what to aim for.
Victory points is a crutch of board game design that makes games less interactive and dynamic.