The 7th Continent is a harsh, unrelenting realm full of monsters, extreme conditions and psychological trauma. But it's a bit harsh to compare it to Luton! Thanks so much for the Patreon mention guys!
I lived in Luton for 5 years; it seems pretty accurate to me. Hmmm. Efka and Elaine lived in Luton for 5 years and so did I. Methinks I may now be able to claim a relationship with both of these famous people even though, in reality, I know neither of them. I wonder if this will get me a free dinner at Greggs?
I’ve played this 3 times now, it seems people love it or hate it, I’m of the latter. Those 3 games probably cost me a total of 10 hours of pure boredom. Time I’ll never get back. So glad it wasn’t my game, especially when I was told how much it cost.
Great video as usual! I do still want the game very much, but good to see some reasoned criticism to temper the hype. Also, kudos on wearing the 48 badge
You really captured my own feelings on this one. I'm glad I kickstarted it, because I love supporting a creator's crazy, beautiful vision...but, for me, the experience is wearing thin about halfway through the first curse. And here's something I dont think you talked about: once you get past the initial sense of wonder at how they do everything with the cards, you ask yourself: WHY are we doing this with cards? This is a 90s vintage computer RPG--a good one, yes, but still. I'm growing annoyed at the number of times I have to pick cards randomly from one deck and shuffle them into another. The computer should be doing that for me.
I enjoy the discovery... we haven't hit 25 hours yet, but we are at around 16. I don't care about the story, maybe that's the difference you wanted or expected a story. I went in black.
(For players/owners who haven't played Frankenstein, *minor SPOILER!!!*) The complaint about Victor Frankenstein comes off as a really silly quip. It's revealing you didn't play very far into the game --- because it eventually turns out Dr. Frankenstein *does* have a creation there, a resurrected man he can awaken/summon. As a person who adores the novel, I did appreciate this quite a bit, that it is a strangely plausible "hidden history/origin" scenario of the literary character --- not the pop culture take. (I also don't think the character card looks very much like a monster; why, just cuz he's got a scar above his eye that's stapled shut? What about a sewn neck, bolts in the head, green skin...?) ...In general though: I think your review is half-fair, half a complaint about a game you expected 7th Continent to be, and that it failed to be that game. An exploring game. And, there's fairness to that. Anyone interested in the game's premise should clearly understand the exploration theme is strongly matched by the survival theme, & this is very much a game about puzzling together the most optimized deck/resources --- as much as it is also about discoveries across a big, hours-length map, with a wide-ranging lore & backstory (both the continent's & your characters!) the in pieces it will take playing ALL the game/curses to put together. I'd read about this nuance, but playing it made me really get it...and also get that that would probably be a letdown for many people who got hooked by the prospect of a huge place/game to explore. But I'm into it.
You guys are fantastic! Love all the humor, the varied and creative camera angles, the eloquence, and the ultimate substance of your reviews. Thanks so much for all your work!
Only just found out about this board game and so I'm late to the party but, was pleasantly surprised to hear a joke/reference to the Isle of Wight. You don't hear it mentioned much here in Sweden where I live or much in general on the internet. Homesick now.
Start stacking things and feel the power. Also make sure the first item (or two) that goes in has different keywords (two if possible) and you will never run out of durability.
I'm sad this game didn't get an endorsement with five solid hours of joy up front, whereas First Martians does despite (for me at least) a good five hours of misery has to be endured before you can begin to consider enjoying the game (and even then its dry and dull in my opinion!)
@@NoPunIncludedah too bad, yours was by far the best review of Continent and I was looking forward to a follow up. In fact I've found that in general there really isn't the same level of enthusiasm for Citadel, even though it fixes many of the problems with Continent. But you're right about having to play through the intro scenario every time. That's a slog. They're addressing it somewhat by adding new variety to the intro scenario in the forthcoming expansion but that doesn't fix the problem. The intro does not take 5 hours one you've successfully completed it. More like 2. But still, 2 too many, I definitely get it. I've just completed the intro scenario and found the epilogue compelling enough that I'm home, at least for now.
I was super interested in getting this game, but "5 hour red herring" pretty much killed my interest in the game. I don't want to waste my time merely "puttering about". Thanks for saving me $150+!
Your loss. They are really blowing that out of proportion. The key is the game is completely open, but your curse cards are pointing you in a pretty clear direction if you read them. The recommended first curse is actually the one that is the most obvious because they actually give you a map to follow. Then after that first quest you either mapped out the island yourself or remembered much of what you found the first time such that the new elements that the other curses unlock are easier to discover.
@@mathewrynich3362 Wanna add to this. I actually intro'd myself with one of the fanmade curses. (Crystal Song, or something like that --- though I had also played a couple hours of Voracious Goddess, but then Crystal Song made me realize there was a whole wide world out there beyond the tutorial starting island!) By now I've also finished that 1st curse...and I get why some would want a quicker start/intro. (So go with one of the fanmade curses!) But VG makes the most sense to begin with because you have a map!
We bought it before the English version was released. There was a period where you could only buy the Polish version and it's not like there's any language in the game.
11:00 to 11:30 is, in my opinion, the unfortunate part of this review. I wonder what your opinion of the game would have been had you not done this. What I heard when you said this was "We got tired of trying to figure it out, and we skipped ahead to the end of the book to see the solution" and this is what likely ruined it for you. We haven't finished the first adventure yet, but we're not going to do that. I'll be interested to see if our opinion of the game is the same as yours when we start to do the other curses. Thanks for the review, the first half was a very good description of what the game feels like.
What's the album next to Etta James? What are the games on top of Meeple Circus and Great Western Trail? Is that Gheorghe Zamfir in the over-dubbed music? (Why do I ask so many questions?)
Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear Above Meeple Circus - Spirit Island, Secrets and an old Alice in Wonderland game Above Great Western Trail - Untold: Adventures Await I have no idea who it is but it's not Zamfir. Why do I answer so many questions?
Hi Efka. Great review, as always! I noticed a russian rock band "Mumiy Troll" vinyl sitting on your fireplace. Do you listen to russian rock? On vinyl??
Did someone teach you how to play it? If so, lucky you! If you had to learn it on your own, you'd likely feel differently. OK, obviously I'm providing a super hot take on FM, but I found it terribly disappointing after pre-ordering it and trying to decipher the game from the horrible rulebook and worthless app.
Well, going in I knew a bit from watching videos. We were taught as we played via a special scenario. Since playing that game, I've watched several videos and I feel like I understand it. I can see somebody having a hard time if they went in blind though, with only a rulebook.
Took a couple of play thoughs or 'Make yourself at home' with 4 of us but we got it fairly well by the end of the second one - but yes the rule book need help from online stuff (but its a master peice compared to the original Robinson Crusoe one)
I was worried for a second when I saw you lying down on the ground. I actually thought that hat was part of a new hairstyle ! Also that shopping precinct looked like the one in Blackburn, there's food for thought.
I'm not clear: can I start with one of the smaller stories instead of the first 20+ hour campaign? Would I be missing some experience or information needed to play the smaller expansions?
Pasquale Cirone technically you can start with any curse but the subsequent curses were designed with the idea that you know the continent by now. Who knows, maybe it works anyway.
I would advise against this. VG gives you a literal map to follow and not only do you learn the game but the continent as well. Subsequent curses rely much more heavily on your knowledge of the continent and you may just wander aimlessly which I guarantee will not be fun for too long.
As long as the horse knows you are there, it usually isn't that risky. That said, it's a good policy to avoid it when you can, especially one that isn't familiar with you.
Thank you for always saying something negative about games. You guys are helping me save a ton of money and buying only what really fits my interest. Keep up your good work, hype murderers.
I played it the other week. The guy who brought it was clearly a fan as was his young niece. I firstly made the mistake of thinking it was going to be a relatively small game, maybe an hour or two but quickly we realized that this game was going to take the whole session of the club (5 hours) and probably wouldn't be finished by then. Secondly I found the whole structure of the cards and rules to be fiddly and tedious. The 4th player and I were both sitting around bored for the 2 hours we played, completely unengaged by the game, its story and its mechanics. i found the turns structure to go on too long. I loved Choose Your Own Adventure gamebooks as a kid and I'm still a very heavy role-player to this day but this game was just head bangingly dull to the point that the 4th player and I pretty much gave up after 2 hours as we were bored senseless and moved on to something else.
Yeah its not a game thats gonna get me buying. I mean I've played games that have lasted months but they never felt as long or as drawn out as those two hours.
I do have to disagree on your overall conclusion (but that's not a bad thing - world would be very dull if we all agreed on everything) but do have some caveats for the game. First - don't play with more than 2 players. Its certainly at its best with two. Second - don't go burn out on the game. Play for a couple of hours at a time (no more than three). My other half and I are basically playing it on some weekday evenings after work - for the last two weeks, with proper gaming and stuff at weekends and loving every session. It's not everyone's cup of tea certainly but its certainly accessible and fun.
No Pun Included - You never explained why you skipped the end of the VG curse. I'd love to know if you were bored, about to die and couldn't imagine starting from scratch again or just didn't like the game at that point. It seemed strange that you'd short circuit the starter curse and then burn through the remaining curses. I'm curious if your 3hr play times for those curses also involved skipping ahead or if you played it legit... most people are reporting 20-30 hrs for Voracious Goddess and 8-12 hrs for the other curses.
Interesting... I guess I don't see how the first 5 hrs can be enthralling and then you get bored. Were you backtracking? Were you having to spend too much time hunting/fishing? For me, the same exploration/discovery that was exciting on the 2nd tile of the game exists with every other new exploration / terrain tile in the game. The "boredom" for me comes when I'm exploring an area I've already explored or need to backtrack to find some missing piece of information. Sorry that feeling didn't last for you guys.
I guess it was a matter of the veil dropping. Once we figured out the "trick" to the game - save a lot, hunt a lot, etc. everything became rote. The exploration was fun until it stopped surprising us.
Thank you for another great review! I am really sorry that I missed the ks for your channel, next year count me in! I was definitely going all in with the next 7th continent ks but now I start to doubt about it...
Marco Boschetto many people seem to enjoy it, just not for us. Make your decision based not on our opinion but our observations. Maybe what bothered us won't bother you.
Thanks! I will, I just consider all the opinions and I appreciate your honest reviews! Also did not know about Lovecraft (man there are really a lot Lovecraftian story-based board game out there )
It's shocking and interesting to hear your thoughts given that it seems every other reviewer has just gushed about this game. This video also makes me curious if you two ever disagree on a game. Have you reviewed a game with the two of you giving different opinions?
Eric Finley we disagree frequently but our approach is slightly different so you don't get to see it as much. Our reviews are entirely scripted, and are often informed by both of our opinions and then polished for narrative flow. That way you kinda see both sides but can't really tell. In this case we agree fully however. And frankly, I don't think the critical opinion on this game is that united, I've seen a fair few videos that aren't that positive.
"Just like any other Lovecraftian story-based game, you'll just get the same punchless punchline." Could you explain what you meant by that? Were you saying that every Lovecraft/Cthulhu game's story doesn't work well? If so, I would immensely disagree with that, as game like Mansions of Madness and Eldritch Horror, just for example, have great storytelling elements.
This is actually how I describe it to people. My other go to is Zork or any other text-based video game from the 80's-90's. There can certainly be some grind in this game as you try to keep your Action Deck full (ya know... so you don't die), but the sense of discovery and wonder lasted me WAY longer than 5 hrs. I'm about 80 hrs in and on the 2nd curse at this point playing solo. I love it and really disagree with the end conclusion. I will readily admit that the first Curse is over long, but it attempts to show you 50-60% of the continent so you sort of know your way around. Without that download, the other curses would be much more difficult as you would just be wondering aimlessly. Now, I agree that splitting the first curse into a series of smaller ones would have been good, but ultimately if you got to play a game for 40 hrs and loved it, wouldn't that be a raving success? How many games on your shelf have you honestly played and enjoyed for 40 hrs? How about 80 hrs?
there are 2 ways to play 7th Continent : 1/ you play the regular rules and you do end up in a frustrating food hunt = YOU'LL HATE THE GAME 2/ you "house-rule" the food part and focus on exploration = GREAT GAME After 15h, i decided to create my own character that has special abilities : * Has a special back-pack where i could store unlimited food. * Could always make a fire for food purpose. * Could use some herbs (to add +1 or +2 cards taken back) * Had special "Trekking Shoes" = so moving was reduced by 1 card to pay for new location and going backward was free. I then didn't feel like cheating but using a unique "more balanced" mechanism and actually had fun creating this character with her "very" special abilities (based on a real french female explorer). -For "resetting the game" when going to a new location ! I just didn't do it ! Hihiii.. My table is big enough to start placing new map-tiles on another corner of it. So when i gotta come back to the previous map, i just moved back to another part of my table. -Finally, i did prefer the white box than the base game, BUT i waited 1 year before playing it to recharge my 7th continent's motivation. Will from France
Jesus christ, man ! My poor dog almost jumped out of het skin when you switched to your actual attempt at music... she's still staring at me, so I've paused the video, because I am not sure about what's coming
Great review -- thanks. But dammit... I wanted to love this so much... :( In the end, if it's just about wandering around aimlessly and the end result is clichéd story beats, then it's a pass for me.
If you want to love this game, chances are you will. I don't agree with the hot take of this review. I will concede some of the arguments, but I think the wonder and excitement of exploration FAR outweighs some of the complaints. Maybe I get bored less easily, but I've been playing for about 80 hrs and can't stop thinking about when I get to play again. I'm now playing the first curse over with my wife and son and hate that we only get to play once or twice a week for 60-90 mins... I NEED more 7th Continent! This slow drip is killing me!! Go read some reviews on BGG... you'll see there are a lot of people who absolutely rave about this game... Get a 2nd opinion (or a 7th!)
Thanks for the reply. I'll gladly watch/read other reviews. Right now most of them are from people who had gotten the demo version (like Rhado Runs Through), and they all say it rocks. I'll wait a bit until more folks like you chime in -- after many many hours of playing it. :)
Greggs is horrible? WHAAAAATTT. Sine leaving the UK many years ago, I still miss a good Greggs sausage roll lol It's a shame if you didn't KS this it costs so much.
Nerfenstein aka GirlyGamer second KS coming soon. As for greggs - I never understand the fascination - it's alright but I've had many a better sausage roll elsewhere.
Lovecraft and Frankenstein were SG characters which clearly homage to genre. No issues with including them. As for game itself, we are 12h in and enjoying it so far. Pity you have not. It seems as if you tried to game it too much, i.e. Save and hunt a lot, rather than moving on with adventure.
Can't let your characterisation of Lovecraft go completely unchallenged; he married (a Jewish woman) despite his family's disapproval, rather than under pressure from them, and he ws extremely well-travelled in the USA. Not an archetypal hero, though, I agree.
No Pun Included It's not entirely clear whether his wife Sonia"s personality overwhelmed his temperamental disposition against intimacy but the general correspondence suggests he was enthusiastic immediately before and after the marriage (although that cooled quickly and his introversion reasserted itself). Sonia described him in her memoir as an excellent lover! A lover, not a fighter?
@No Pun Included - How is this relevant to him being chosen as a character in a fictional board game? I'm not arguing that Lovecraft was a good person or that his racial politics aren't abhorrent, but having no desire to marry hardly seems like a point worth mentioning in any context (unless we're trying to lionize him for his zeal to be wed for some reason).
Tried this game this weekend. Was bored out of my mind, soooooo bad. I would never buy this. No replayability, story is paper thin, nothing exciting happens, extremely repetitive: items, forests, birds, whales, yawn.....
I wonder, for people who don't like this game, what is your ideal game? A half hour mini game that you can set up in your car and play on go with some magic in it which makes it somehow to be played different every single time!? WTF guys!? I love your reviews, but this is just....almost personal for you!? You weren't invited to do scenario like in Gloomhaven so you need to criticize!?
Mieke van de Waal Wait, is this Teen's sister? Weird to see a name you half recognise from years ago (if you are) when just clicking around the Internet.
![Baba Is You, but you have [Ｄ]uplicate and [Ｓ]wap bullets](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/A6wN5IRScl0/mqdefault.jpg)
When efke played the palmflute I laughed my ass off!
The 7th Continent is a harsh, unrelenting realm full of monsters, extreme conditions and psychological trauma. But it's a bit harsh to compare it to Luton!
Thanks so much for the Patreon mention guys!
I think that's why we found 7th Continent not that challenging. We lived in Luton for five years...
Actualol i live in luton XD
I lived in Luton for 5 years; it seems pretty accurate to me. Hmmm. Efka and Elaine lived in Luton for 5 years and so did I. Methinks I may now be able to claim a relationship with both of these famous people even though, in reality, I know neither of them. I wonder if this will get me a free dinner at Greggs?
"Either way, you're getting crabs". Haha
I’ve played this 3 times now, it seems people love it or hate it, I’m of the latter. Those 3 games probably cost me a total of 10 hours of pure boredom. Time I’ll never get back. So glad it wasn’t my game, especially when I was told how much it cost.
A couple from England just saved me $89. We live in such a wonderful world. Thanks NPI family.
'Hewlett Packard Lovecraft' buahahahah
Great video as usual! I do still want the game very much, but good to see some reasoned criticism to temper the hype.
Also, kudos on wearing the 48 badge
You really captured my own feelings on this one. I'm glad I kickstarted it, because I love supporting a creator's crazy, beautiful vision...but, for me, the experience is wearing thin about halfway through the first curse. And here's something I dont think you talked about: once you get past the initial sense of wonder at how they do everything with the cards, you ask yourself: WHY are we doing this with cards? This is a 90s vintage computer RPG--a good one, yes, but still. I'm growing annoyed at the number of times I have to pick cards randomly from one deck and shuffle them into another. The computer should be doing that for me.
I enjoy the discovery... we haven't hit 25 hours yet, but we are at around 16. I don't care about the story, maybe that's the difference you wanted or expected a story. I went in black.
This game was fantastic. I can't wait for the new expansions towards the end of the year.
Subscription earned at 8:54. Love you, El!
(For players/owners who haven't played Frankenstein, *minor SPOILER!!!*)
The complaint about Victor Frankenstein comes off as a really silly quip. It's revealing you didn't play very far into the game --- because it eventually turns out Dr. Frankenstein *does* have a creation there, a resurrected man he can awaken/summon. As a person who adores the novel, I did appreciate this quite a bit, that it is a strangely plausible "hidden history/origin" scenario of the literary character --- not the pop culture take. (I also don't think the character card looks very much like a monster; why, just cuz he's got a scar above his eye that's stapled shut? What about a sewn neck, bolts in the head, green skin...?)
...In general though: I think your review is half-fair, half a complaint about a game you expected 7th Continent to be, and that it failed to be that game. An exploring game. And, there's fairness to that.
Anyone interested in the game's premise should clearly understand the exploration theme is strongly matched by the survival theme, & this is very much a game about puzzling together the most optimized deck/resources --- as much as it is also about discoveries across a big, hours-length map, with a wide-ranging lore & backstory (both the continent's & your characters!) the in pieces it will take playing ALL the game/curses to put together.
I'd read about this nuance, but playing it made me really get it...and also get that that would probably be a letdown for many people who got hooked by the prospect of a huge place/game to explore. But I'm into it.
I wonder does the retail edition address any of the issues raised here? With the characters, and intro curse game length?
I'm curious about what your top ten games would be efke?
I don't think the game glorifies Lovecraft. He comes across as insane and eccentric, and it struck me as a negative portrayal, which I appreciated.
You guys are fantastic! Love all the humor, the varied and creative camera angles, the eloquence, and the ultimate substance of your reviews. Thanks so much for all your work!
Ooooh I'm liking the camera upgrade. Noticed it as soon as Elaine came on screen!
I missed first KS, after your review not sure if I should back new campaign :D
H.P. Lovecraft Heroic Quality # 7: Naming his cat.
"either way your getting crabs" LMAO!!
Only just found out about this board game and so I'm late to the party but, was pleasantly surprised to hear a joke/reference to the Isle of Wight. You don't hear it mentioned much here in Sweden where I live or much in general on the internet. Homesick now.
Aw good to see love for another channel and the final frozen image of this video when it finishes is lovely 😁
Looking at that hat: now I know where all trimmed pieces of the beard were going.
Winter is coming and I probably should trim mine as well.
Is the woven basket really that good? We never build it and always throw it away the first chance we get.
Start stacking things and feel the power. Also make sure the first item (or two) that goes in has different keywords (two if possible) and you will never run out of durability.
Wow.
Thanks for saving me $100+, was dangerously frothing at the mouth for this!
Will I enjoy this if I am Zamfir, or if I can whisper to horses like Zamfir (probably does)?
I think you are suppose to play with multiple curses after the first curse thus being more like 6-25 hours once again.
16:10 Some drunken students have inevitably perished searching for an Iceland. :)
I'm sad this game didn't get an endorsement with five solid hours of joy up front, whereas First Martians does despite (for me at least) a good five hours of misery has to be endured before you can begin to consider enjoying the game (and even then its dry and dull in my opinion!)
You're right, we were too kind to FM and that was mostly because we were on the high of ending the campaign and really liking the ending.
Will you be reviewing The 7th Citadel?
Please say yes.
nah, it's not interesting or different enough. we shared our very early impressions on our podcast but I think that'll be that.
@@NoPunIncludedah too bad, yours was by far the best review of Continent and I was looking forward to a follow up.
In fact I've found that in general there really isn't the same level of enthusiasm for Citadel, even though it fixes many of the problems with Continent. But you're right about having to play through the intro scenario every time. That's a slog. They're addressing it somewhat by adding new variety to the intro scenario in the forthcoming expansion but that doesn't fix the problem. The intro does not take 5 hours one you've successfully completed it. More like 2. But still, 2 too many, I definitely get it.
I've just completed the intro scenario and found the epilogue compelling enough that I'm home, at least for now.
I was super interested in getting this game, but "5 hour red herring" pretty much killed my interest in the game. I don't want to waste my time merely "puttering about". Thanks for saving me $150+!
Your loss. They are really blowing that out of proportion. The key is the game is completely open, but your curse cards are pointing you in a pretty clear direction if you read them. The recommended first curse is actually the one that is the most obvious because they actually give you a map to follow. Then after that first quest you either mapped out the island yourself or remembered much of what you found the first time such that the new elements that the other curses unlock are easier to discover.
@@mathewrynich3362 Wanna add to this. I actually intro'd myself with one of the fanmade curses. (Crystal Song, or something like that --- though I had also played a couple hours of Voracious Goddess, but then Crystal Song made me realize there was a whole wide world out there beyond the tutorial starting island!) By now I've also finished that 1st curse...and I get why some would want a quicker start/intro. (So go with one of the fanmade curses!) But VG makes the most sense to begin with because you have a map!
My nr1 game!!! I will back the new stuff later this month!
I absolutely cannot wait for the second KS!! This game looks so good!
a quick question: How did you end up getting a polish version of a board game "Tajemnicze domostwo" that's visible @7:00?:)
We bought it before the English version was released. There was a period where you could only buy the Polish version and it's not like there's any language in the game.
This game, gloomhaven, or kingdom death monster? Pick your favorite
ryan champloo I haven't played any of them, but it's looking like the only one I'll ever be able to find and afford is gloomhaven.
Lolol straight up... you guys do make some wicked amazing videos lol thank you!
11:00 to 11:30 is, in my opinion, the unfortunate part of this review. I wonder what your opinion of the game would have been had you not done this. What I heard when you said this was "We got tired of trying to figure it out, and we skipped ahead to the end of the book to see the solution" and this is what likely ruined it for you. We haven't finished the first adventure yet, but we're not going to do that. I'll be interested to see if our opinion of the game is the same as yours when we start to do the other curses.
Thanks for the review, the first half was a very good description of what the game feels like.
What's the album next to Etta James? What are the games on top of Meeple Circus and
Great Western Trail? Is that Gheorghe Zamfir in the over-dubbed music? (Why do I ask so many questions?)
Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear
Above Meeple Circus - Spirit Island, Secrets and an old Alice in Wonderland game
Above Great Western Trail - Untold: Adventures Await
I have no idea who it is but it's not Zamfir.
Why do I answer so many questions?
Thanks :)
Hi Efka. Great review, as always! I noticed a russian rock band "Mumiy Troll" vinyl sitting on your fireplace.
Do you listen to russian rock? On vinyl??
Yeah that's pretty much the record of my teenage years.
We changed players, after a few rounds not playing you're completely fresh!
I love it when what's her name crinkles her brow.. that's a Passmore Crinkle.
Is that Untold: adventures await in the background?
Still jazzed about 7th Continent and First Martians. I just watch videos of them because I can't play them yet.
Sell First Martians immediately.. it's hot garbage. Spend the money you get on 7th Continent's 2nd Kickstarter... you won't be sorry.
I've played First Martians at a con and enjoyed it =]
Did someone teach you how to play it? If so, lucky you! If you had to learn it on your own, you'd likely feel differently.
OK, obviously I'm providing a super hot take on FM, but I found it terribly disappointing after pre-ordering it and trying to decipher the game from the horrible rulebook and worthless app.
Well, going in I knew a bit from watching videos. We were taught as we played via a special scenario. Since playing that game, I've watched several videos and I feel like I understand it. I can see somebody having a hard time if they went in blind though, with only a rulebook.
Took a couple of play thoughs or 'Make yourself at home' with 4 of us but we got it fairly well by the end of the second one - but yes the rule book need help from online stuff (but its a master peice compared to the original Robinson Crusoe one)
I was worried for a second when I saw you lying down on the ground. I actually thought that hat was part of a new hairstyle ! Also that shopping precinct looked like the one in Blackburn, there's food for thought.
I'm not clear: can I start with one of the smaller stories instead of the first 20+ hour campaign? Would I be missing some experience or information needed to play the smaller expansions?
Pasquale Cirone technically you can start with any curse but the subsequent curses were designed with the idea that you know the continent by now. Who knows, maybe it works anyway.
I would advise against this. VG gives you a literal map to follow and not only do you learn the game but the continent as well. Subsequent curses rely much more heavily on your knowledge of the continent and you may just wander aimlessly which I guarantee will not be fun for too long.
That's a nice Мумий Тролль album at the back!
Was genuinely scared for you approaching the horse - never approach one from behind!
I (Efka) was terrified when Elaine was doing this. She just shrugged her shoulders. No fear.
It doesn't look like it from the angle, but I was actually quite far away!
As long as the horse knows you are there, it usually isn't that risky. That said, it's a good policy to avoid it when you can, especially one that isn't familiar with you.
Excellent horse-bothering
Thank you for always saying something negative about games. You guys are helping me save a ton of money and buying only what really fits my interest. Keep up your good work, hype murderers.
I played it the other week. The guy who brought it was clearly a fan as was his young niece. I firstly made the mistake of thinking it was going to be a relatively small game, maybe an hour or two but quickly we realized that this game was going to take the whole session of the club (5 hours) and probably wouldn't be finished by then.
Secondly I found the whole structure of the cards and rules to be fiddly and tedious. The 4th player and I were both sitting around bored for the 2 hours we played, completely unengaged by the game, its story and its mechanics. i found the turns structure to go on too long.
I loved Choose Your Own Adventure gamebooks as a kid and I'm still a very heavy role-player to this day but this game was just head bangingly dull to the point that the 4th player and I pretty much gave up after 2 hours as we were bored senseless and moved on to something else.
Its best with 2 definitely. Its a really good two player game but not short.
Yeah its not a game thats gonna get me buying. I mean I've played games that have lasted months but they never felt as long or as drawn out as those two hours.
Thanks for telling me it'll be alright.
I don't hear that much.
Went all in on it. The only one kickstarter I have ever backed. Hope it'll be worth it!!
What did you think. Just got core. Sorted but haven't started. Other games have been elbowing it down the line
Either way your getting crabs classic
AH... Monty Python! Where is the icelandic saga!!!!! Great video!
I do have to disagree on your overall conclusion (but that's not a bad thing - world would be very dull if we all agreed on everything) but do have some caveats for the game. First - don't play with more than 2 players. Its certainly at its best with two. Second - don't go burn out on the game. Play for a couple of hours at a time (no more than three). My other half and I are basically playing it on some weekday evenings after work - for the last two weeks, with proper gaming and stuff at weekends and loving every session.
It's not everyone's cup of tea certainly but its certainly accessible and fun.
Elaine - your sweater is awesome!
10:50 😂💀 I'm dying.
No Pun Included - You never explained why you skipped the end of the VG curse. I'd love to know if you were bored, about to die and couldn't imagine starting from scratch again or just didn't like the game at that point. It seemed strange that you'd short circuit the starter curse and then burn through the remaining curses. I'm curious if your 3hr play times for those curses also involved skipping ahead or if you played it legit... most people are reporting 20-30 hrs for Voracious Goddess and 8-12 hrs for the other curses.
We were bored and under no threat of dying. We played through two more curses, one being the KS exclusive.
Interesting... I guess I don't see how the first 5 hrs can be enthralling and then you get bored. Were you backtracking? Were you having to spend too much time hunting/fishing? For me, the same exploration/discovery that was exciting on the 2nd tile of the game exists with every other new exploration / terrain tile in the game.
The "boredom" for me comes when I'm exploring an area I've already explored or need to backtrack to find some missing piece of information. Sorry that feeling didn't last for you guys.
I guess it was a matter of the veil dropping. Once we figured out the "trick" to the game - save a lot, hunt a lot, etc. everything became rote. The exploration was fun until it stopped surprising us.
Hmm if you backtrack and kept saving to hunt again, sure it can be longer but it is unnecessary. Not hunted same spot twice yet
Thank you for another great review! I am really sorry that I missed the ks for your channel, next year count me in!
I was definitely going all in with the next 7th continent ks but now I start to doubt about it...
Marco Boschetto many people seem to enjoy it, just not for us. Make your decision based not on our opinion but our observations. Maybe what bothered us won't bother you.
Thanks! I will, I just consider all the opinions and I appreciate your honest reviews! Also did not know about Lovecraft (man there are really a lot Lovecraftian story-based board game out there )
It's shocking and interesting to hear your thoughts given that it seems every other reviewer has just gushed about this game. This video also makes me curious if you two ever disagree on a game. Have you reviewed a game with the two of you giving different opinions?
Eric Finley we disagree frequently but our approach is slightly different so you don't get to see it as much. Our reviews are entirely scripted, and are often informed by both of our opinions and then polished for narrative flow. That way you kinda see both sides but can't really tell. In this case we agree fully however. And frankly, I don't think the critical opinion on this game is that united, I've seen a fair few videos that aren't that positive.
Issues with stretch goal characters seem silly.
The Isle of Wight jokes hurt. Well, they would if it was not true.
I hear it's a lovely place and I can't wait to visit. And Elaine does like it very much.
It drains your experience levels, though. (Dungeons and Dragons joke. Sorry. Not sorry.)
"Just like any other Lovecraftian story-based game, you'll just get the same punchless punchline."
Could you explain what you meant by that? Were you saying that every Lovecraft/Cthulhu game's story doesn't work well? If so, I would immensely disagree with that, as game like Mansions of Madness and Eldritch Horror, just for example, have great storytelling elements.
BigBryan and absolutely awful endings
I would still disagree, but I suppose that's what opinions are.
Is this zelda the board game?
lol
No, that is Tiny Epic Quest
This is actually how I describe it to people. My other go to is Zork or any other text-based video game from the 80's-90's. There can certainly be some grind in this game as you try to keep your Action Deck full (ya know... so you don't die), but the sense of discovery and wonder lasted me WAY longer than 5 hrs. I'm about 80 hrs in and on the 2nd curse at this point playing solo. I love it and really disagree with the end conclusion.
I will readily admit that the first Curse is over long, but it attempts to show you 50-60% of the continent so you sort of know your way around. Without that download, the other curses would be much more difficult as you would just be wondering aimlessly. Now, I agree that splitting the first curse into a series of smaller ones would have been good, but ultimately if you got to play a game for 40 hrs and loved it, wouldn't that be a raving success? How many games on your shelf have you honestly played and enjoyed for 40 hrs? How about 80 hrs?
I can truly understand you... I had the same feelings. Loved this game for the first hours but now, I just want to sell it :(
It's almost like Kickstarter was designed for people with too much money...
there are 2 ways to play 7th Continent :
1/ you play the regular rules and you do end up in a frustrating food hunt = YOU'LL HATE THE GAME
2/ you "house-rule" the food part and focus on exploration = GREAT GAME
After 15h, i decided to create my own character that has special abilities :
* Has a special back-pack where i could store unlimited food.
* Could always make a fire for food purpose.
* Could use some herbs (to add +1 or +2 cards taken back)
* Had special "Trekking Shoes" = so moving was reduced by 1 card to pay for new location and going backward was free.
I then didn't feel like cheating but using a unique "more balanced" mechanism and actually had fun creating this character with her "very" special abilities (based on a real french female explorer).
-For "resetting the game" when going to a new location ! I just didn't do it ! Hihiii.. My table is big enough to start placing new map-tiles on another corner of it. So when i gotta come back to the previous map, i just moved back to another part of my table.
-Finally, i did prefer the white box than the base game, BUT i waited 1 year before playing it to recharge my 7th continent's motivation.
Will from France
Jesus christ, man ! My poor dog almost jumped out of het skin when you switched to your actual attempt at music... she's still staring at me, so I've paused the video, because I am not sure about what's coming
Javier Perez thinking about it - a high-pass filter would have saved your dog's sanity.
Efka, I love you, honeybear!
pjnorman262 well done.
Fine...I'll subscribe...
This sorta sounds like another "really over stuff Kickstarter game", may not be for me :/
Ludonarrative dissonance ... amazing.
Aww, man - that hat!
Gheorghe Zamfir you're not.
Great review -- thanks. But dammit... I wanted to love this so much... :( In the end, if it's just about wandering around aimlessly and the end result is clichéd story beats, then it's a pass for me.
If you want to love this game, chances are you will. I don't agree with the hot take of this review. I will concede some of the arguments, but I think the wonder and excitement of exploration FAR outweighs some of the complaints. Maybe I get bored less easily, but I've been playing for about 80 hrs and can't stop thinking about when I get to play again. I'm now playing the first curse over with my wife and son and hate that we only get to play once or twice a week for 60-90 mins... I NEED more 7th Continent! This slow drip is killing me!!
Go read some reviews on BGG... you'll see there are a lot of people who absolutely rave about this game... Get a 2nd opinion (or a 7th!)
Thanks for the reply. I'll gladly watch/read other reviews. Right now most of them are from people who had gotten the demo version (like Rhado Runs Through), and they all say it rocks. I'll wait a bit until more folks like you chime in -- after many many hours of playing it. :)
Greggs is horrible? WHAAAAATTT. Sine leaving the UK many years ago, I still miss a good Greggs sausage roll lol It's a shame if you didn't KS this it costs so much.
Nerfenstein aka GirlyGamer second KS coming soon. As for greggs - I never understand the fascination - it's alright but I've had many a better sausage roll elsewhere.
LUTAN.... wasn't that a Monty Python joke, at one point???? This is one game I must have!!!!!!!
Lovecraft and Frankenstein were SG characters which clearly homage to genre. No issues with including them. As for game itself, we are 12h in and enjoying it so far. Pity you have not. It seems as if you tried to game it too much, i.e. Save and hunt a lot, rather than moving on with adventure.
Elaine spooked that horse! Rude!
Is there a game that NPI likes at all? Thus far I haven't watched one. Meh.
Can't let your characterisation of Lovecraft go completely unchallenged; he married (a Jewish woman) despite his family's disapproval, rather than under pressure from them, and he ws extremely well-travelled in the USA. Not an archetypal hero, though, I agree.
+Mark Tattersall we cut it for brevity but correct me if I'm wrong, he had no desire to marry?
No Pun Included It's not entirely clear whether his wife Sonia"s personality overwhelmed his temperamental disposition against intimacy but the general correspondence suggests he was enthusiastic immediately before and after the marriage (although that cooled quickly and his introversion reasserted itself). Sonia described him in her memoir as an excellent lover! A lover, not a fighter?
Mark Tattersall fair enough! We'll have to refer to you whenever next we need to research Hewlett.
A complex man (Howie, not me).
@No Pun Included - How is this relevant to him being chosen as a character in a fictional board game? I'm not arguing that Lovecraft was a good person or that his racial politics aren't abhorrent, but having no desire to marry hardly seems like a point worth mentioning in any context (unless we're trying to lionize him for his zeal to be wed for some reason).
Tried this game this weekend. Was bored out of my mind, soooooo bad. I would never buy this. No replayability, story is paper thin, nothing exciting happens, extremely repetitive: items, forests, birds, whales, yawn.....
I wonder, for people who don't like this game, what is your ideal game? A half hour mini game that you can set up in your car and play on go with some magic in it which makes it somehow to be played different every single time!? WTF guys!? I love your reviews, but this is just....almost personal for you!? You weren't invited to do scenario like in Gloomhaven so you need to criticize!?
We changed players, after a few rounds not playing you're completely fresh!
Mieke van de Waal Wait, is this Teen's sister? Weird to see a name you half recognise from years ago (if you are) when just clicking around the Internet.