You are by far my favourite board game reviewers, I love the dynamic between you both and how differently you think about games. I think the only thing missing from some of the previous videos was enough pictures/videos of the actual game and the pieces in the board game and I really enjoyed this review because it game me that too. Please keep reviewing!
Everything said about the things Maggie likes in games is almost 100% lining up with me haha I really think I’m going to enjoy this one. I also have over 200 hours in Stardew! Love the grind
Fantastic review. You gave me exactly the information I needed in a very clear and thoughtful way. Its been amazing to watch you grow as creators over the years. Well done!
What a great, balanced review. Thank you so much. I love to hear about negatives as these might not appear until you've played for a while, after you've spent your money! Excellent.
This definitely looks like something that would be for me, but probably not anyone else in my gaming group, so most likely all solo. Maggie, you said that you thought that when you are done with the "story" as it were that you thought you would probably be fully done, unless there is more of that type of content added in expansions. My question then is how much time have you put into the game so far, and if you had to guess, how much time do you think you would end up putting into the game before being "done" with it? If it's a game that one would feel that they got everything out of after, say, 20 hours, then maybe it wouldn't be as much for me as if it took more like 200 hours to feel like you've seen/done everything you want to do. I don't mind some slow progress or even grindiness (I'm the kind of person that would play Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, for example, for over 250 hours and never even start the first story mission; yes, real example), as long as there are still things to do and explore.
Love the comparison to Stardew Valley. My wife and I just started our first playthrough 5 days ago and have already logged 40 hours 😅 Have a feeling we’d enjoy the grind in this one!
Thank you for your insightful and thoughtful review. This is definitely not a game that is all things to all people, but I'm glad to see that there were some universal wins for both of you and I appreciate the feedback on the areas that didn't work as well. Happy gaming.
It definitely needs better player aids. Particularly for the merchant I found. The weather card has the event logo. So does that mean the rival or the customer goes? I had to look that up every time before I realised I could use the way I have it laid out as a reminder. You're right, all the buildings are kind of the same. Most of the time I don't feel the need to go to them. I'll go on an adventure, hire dice, or build a building. What disappointed me is that it definitely has an end. Once the story ends there are no more events. You can keep playing but I feel like "Why am I?" I expected that once the story ended there would be a set of event cards in a loop. But there's not. You lose that part of the game. This game goes forever in the way that Charterstone does. You can play it post-story, but it's definitely 'after the end', and it wasn't supposed to have an end. And I do feel like each player is too alone. The Ranger, Crafter, and Merchant all deal with the same materials but don't interact at all. It makes sense that the ranger goes on an expedition and traps some fur, they give it to the crafter who upgrades it, and gives it to the merchant who sells it. And the farmer feeds them all. That would make sense, but there's nothing like that. I agree with all the positive stuff you said too.
Minor things that annoy me is that the resource tracks on the board aren't in the same order as the resources on the building cards. And for the Merchant the pricing tracks aren't in the same order as the seasons. It's summer, the second season. So you've expect that it's the second track that will go up and down depending on the weather. But it's not, so I have to double check which it is every time. There's no reason these couldn't have been intuitive. All that said I do really like it.
I'm not sure this is for me, other than as a solo game. But I really appreciate what the designers are doing here, it's very unique for a board game and the physical design brilliantly supports the mechanics.
I really like you 2 bringing up some criticism I hadn't heard before. I think I would enjoy the grind and overall flow of the game, but that thing about all buildings just giving a small mechanical advantage does sounds a bit dull for all the hard work put into building them. Food for thought, thank you so much!
That's where I am too. I am getting spoiled on beautifully integrated theme (hello, Obsession) and the peculiar pairing of abstract game mechanic buildings for a highly thematic game is a little disappointing. Why not scratch both itches? Very undecided.
I also enjoyed the review from 'The Broken Meeple'. The only other review with criticism I've seen. And I loved the enthusiasm of 'Inspired 2 Game'. (a very positive review) I want to love this game so much, but right now I'm leaning towards not backing the reprint campaign. @@annec8127
Hi Amy+Maggie, I'm very intrigued by this game but I'm kinda hesitant as Mythwind gave me similar vibes as Artisans of Splendent Vale, a game which I also was really intrigued by at first but later found out that it wasn't for me as I found it way too "chill" for my liking.. I'm curious as to how would you compare Mythwind to Artisans? Thanks for the video btw, much 💚 from Indonesia 🇮🇩!
Oh yes what a great question! It's Amy here. This one has a lot less story but it depends on which part of Artisans you didn't like. I think the progression is slower in Mythwind but the mechanics are more complex for the characters. So if it was the pace and sense of purpose that you struggled with in Artisans then you might not enjoy this one either. If it was the amount of reading then you might find this more suitable (if you're OK with the pace / soft objectives). Hope that helps!
I've had this on the table for a week now and I'm HOOKED. It's definitely a must buy for fans of Stardew Valley (both the video game and board game) and people looking for a chilled out solo experience.
Just got your iron-one in the mail. ❤ They are so adorable. I especially love the thank you card. So glad I ordered. 😅 I love your channel. Do you still play Nusfjord?🎣
Thank you for this video. This is the best review of that game and helped me with a question if this game is for me or not. I was hoping for gameplay but this review is fine enough. I believe that I like games with specific target or targets than walking on a meadow gathering flowers just for fun😀
I think that this game is a great add to some competitive games it allows to have some diversity. Competition is exhausting sometimes and this look like a great little break from it. Haha i totally understand Maggie on her point of view. I think we will love Spirit fire so much 😉 Thank you for the review although i am still tiptoeing on that one
This left me thinking. I'm usually the host of board game nights of 4 different groups of people (family, highschool friends, college friends, gf + her friends/family) so to have a game that will be like an individual campaign with each group, having so little progress each game night without an end, i think will be pointless because i can easily see this game beign played 1-2 times and be left out against others like zombicide, massive darkness 2, terrorscape, or a trivia game (? I really do love the artstyle though, and my gf is a fan of cozy games like animal crossing / stardew valley. So thinking of the purpose of this game to be a campaign game for me and her only could make it work, but i don't know. I pledged $1 to be inside the pledge manager, but now have my doubts.
I'm really torn on this game. I'm enjoying digging into each character/mechanism - so far I've played several seasons with the farmer and the innkeeper (the innkeeper hits much better than the farmer for me, which fell flat)... I really love the theme and find myself prioritizing progressing the Adventure deck. But I have yet to feel like any of the buildings are useful enough to drive me towards building them (or progressing in the construction tree) with the exception of the buildings that provide seasonal benefits. I'm still determined to play all the characters before I make my decision but so far... I'm a little lukewarm on it.
25:00 Yeah, I like how the Stardew Valley video game always feels like progress, and on-theme, even though you can play an infinite number of days; whereas this game sounds like a lot of busy work for slow progress and lackluster rewards? I can see myself getting immersed in it and frustrated, especially with the formatting of the player aids.
Amy, I wonder if you will feel more "pay off" (8:20) for the work on your character if you tried one of the less complex characters? Given the complexity of the Merchant, I totally can see how you're experience is so different than Megan's.
This game is marmite (vegimite), you will either love or hate it and there is little in between. If you like open ended games like minecraft, stardew valley, harvest moon etc... you may love this. If you dont like those games, you almost certainly wont like this. Wife and I fall into the first camp and really enjoy the chilled vibe of the game.
You are by far my favourite board game reviewers, I love the dynamic between you both and how differently you think about games. I think the only thing missing from some of the previous videos was enough pictures/videos of the actual game and the pieces in the board game and I really enjoyed this review because it game me that too. Please keep reviewing!
I wish more reviews were like this. Like is this game for you rather than is it good
Everything said about the things Maggie likes in games is almost 100% lining up with me haha I really think I’m going to enjoy this one. I also have over 200 hours in Stardew! Love the grind
Fantastic review. You gave me exactly the information I needed in a very clear and thoughtful way. Its been amazing to watch you grow as creators over the years. Well done!
I've been enjoying the incremental play. I also was looking forward to a "Sim City" style of game, and I enjoy that I get that in a fantasy setting!
What a great, balanced review. Thank you so much. I love to hear about negatives as these might not appear until you've played for a while, after you've spent your money! Excellent.
Thanks for the video! This makes me think that while I love the aesthetic and the idea, this is probably not for us.
I am all in on this game. I'm so much more into enjoying the journey than reaching a destination!
This definitely looks like something that would be for me, but probably not anyone else in my gaming group, so most likely all solo. Maggie, you said that you thought that when you are done with the "story" as it were that you thought you would probably be fully done, unless there is more of that type of content added in expansions. My question then is how much time have you put into the game so far, and if you had to guess, how much time do you think you would end up putting into the game before being "done" with it? If it's a game that one would feel that they got everything out of after, say, 20 hours, then maybe it wouldn't be as much for me as if it took more like 200 hours to feel like you've seen/done everything you want to do. I don't mind some slow progress or even grindiness (I'm the kind of person that would play Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, for example, for over 250 hours and never even start the first story mission; yes, real example), as long as there are still things to do and explore.
Really good review, it helps me a lot in deciding if I should back the ongoing kickstarter or not.
Love the comparison to Stardew Valley. My wife and I just started our first playthrough 5 days ago and have already logged 40 hours 😅
Have a feeling we’d enjoy the grind in this one!
Great review, ladies! Have a wonderful week!
Thank you for your insightful and thoughtful review. This is definitely not a game that is all things to all people, but I'm glad to see that there were some universal wins for both of you and I appreciate the feedback on the areas that didn't work as well. Happy gaming.
It definitely needs better player aids. Particularly for the merchant I found.
The weather card has the event logo. So does that mean the rival or the customer goes? I had to look that up every time before I realised I could use the way I have it laid out as a reminder.
You're right, all the buildings are kind of the same. Most of the time I don't feel the need to go to them. I'll go on an adventure, hire dice, or build a building.
What disappointed me is that it definitely has an end. Once the story ends there are no more events. You can keep playing but I feel like "Why am I?" I expected that once the story ended there would be a set of event cards in a loop. But there's not. You lose that part of the game. This game goes forever in the way that Charterstone does. You can play it post-story, but it's definitely 'after the end', and it wasn't supposed to have an end.
And I do feel like each player is too alone. The Ranger, Crafter, and Merchant all deal with the same materials but don't interact at all. It makes sense that the ranger goes on an expedition and traps some fur, they give it to the crafter who upgrades it, and gives it to the merchant who sells it. And the farmer feeds them all. That would make sense, but there's nothing like that.
I agree with all the positive stuff you said too.
Minor things that annoy me is that the resource tracks on the board aren't in the same order as the resources on the building cards.
And for the Merchant the pricing tracks aren't in the same order as the seasons. It's summer, the second season. So you've expect that it's the second track that will go up and down depending on the weather. But it's not, so I have to double check which it is every time.
There's no reason these couldn't have been intuitive.
All that said I do really like it.
I'm not sure this is for me, other than as a solo game. But I really appreciate what the designers are doing here, it's very unique for a board game and the physical design brilliantly supports the mechanics.
I really like you 2 bringing up some criticism I hadn't heard before.
I think I would enjoy the grind and overall flow of the game, but that thing about all buildings just giving a small mechanical advantage does sounds a bit dull for all the hard work put into building them.
Food for thought, thank you so much!
That's where I am too. I am getting spoiled on beautifully integrated theme (hello, Obsession) and the peculiar pairing of abstract game mechanic buildings for a highly thematic game is a little disappointing. Why not scratch both itches? Very undecided.
I also enjoyed the review from 'The Broken Meeple'. The only other review with criticism I've seen.
And I loved the enthusiasm of 'Inspired 2 Game'. (a very positive review)
I want to love this game so much, but right now I'm leaning towards not backing the reprint campaign. @@annec8127
Thank you for the review. So I know not to back the new Kickstarter now
Hi Amy+Maggie, I'm very intrigued by this game but I'm kinda hesitant as Mythwind gave me similar vibes as Artisans of Splendent Vale, a game which I also was really intrigued by at first but later found out that it wasn't for me as I found it way too "chill" for my liking.. I'm curious as to how would you compare Mythwind to Artisans? Thanks for the video btw, much 💚 from Indonesia 🇮🇩!
Oh yes what a great question! It's Amy here. This one has a lot less story but it depends on which part of Artisans you didn't like. I think the progression is slower in Mythwind but the mechanics are more complex for the characters. So if it was the pace and sense of purpose that you struggled with in Artisans then you might not enjoy this one either. If it was the amount of reading then you might find this more suitable (if you're OK with the pace / soft objectives). Hope that helps!
@@ThinkerThemer hi Amy, thanks for the insight! Much appreciated as well.. Guess this might also not be for me then..
I've had this on the table for a week now and I'm HOOKED. It's definitely a must buy for fans of Stardew Valley (both the video game and board game) and people looking for a chilled out solo experience.
I have no interest in this game whatsoever, but I still enjoyed hearing you talk about it.
Just got your iron-one in the mail. ❤ They are so adorable. I especially love the thank you card. So glad I ordered. 😅 I love your channel. Do you still play Nusfjord?🎣
Another Great review. Daily grind, i feel like there is a video game like that.....Stardew valley?!? I am excited to get into my copy!
Maggie have you tried Charterstone? gives me similar vibes
Thank you for this video. This is the best review of that game and helped me with a question if this game is for me or not. I was hoping for gameplay but this review is fine enough. I believe that I like games with specific target or targets than walking on a meadow gathering flowers just for fun😀
I think that this game is a great add to some competitive games it allows to have some diversity. Competition is exhausting sometimes and this look like a great little break from it. Haha i totally understand Maggie on her point of view. I think we will love Spirit fire so much 😉 Thank you for the review although i am still tiptoeing on that one
FIRST!!! I’ve been so excited to see what you both thought of this one! 🎉
Loving your beautiful footage of this one too! It is gorgeous - those miniatures! 😍
This left me thinking. I'm usually the host of board game nights of 4 different groups of people (family, highschool friends, college friends, gf + her friends/family) so to have a game that will be like an individual campaign with each group, having so little progress each game night without an end, i think will be pointless because i can easily see this game beign played 1-2 times and be left out against others like zombicide, massive darkness 2, terrorscape, or a trivia game (?
I really do love the artstyle though, and my gf is a fan of cozy games like animal crossing / stardew valley. So thinking of the purpose of this game to be a campaign game for me and her only could make it work, but i don't know. I pledged $1 to be inside the pledge manager, but now have my doubts.
Please please, can you do an agree to disagree on andromeda's edge? You know when it becomes available 😅, PLEASE
I'm still waiting for my copy, so curious what it will be like for me.
im so excited for my copy to arrive!!!!!
I just ended Year 1 as the Crafter today. I am loving the game. My husband, on the other hand. . .
I'm really torn on this game. I'm enjoying digging into each character/mechanism - so far I've played several seasons with the farmer and the innkeeper (the innkeeper hits much better than the farmer for me, which fell flat)... I really love the theme and find myself prioritizing progressing the Adventure deck. But I have yet to feel like any of the buildings are useful enough to drive me towards building them (or progressing in the construction tree) with the exception of the buildings that provide seasonal benefits.
I'm still determined to play all the characters before I make my decision but so far... I'm a little lukewarm on it.
In terms of "saving" the game, does this still work vertically?
TK so mutch to talk about thid game🎉
Nice review !
25:00 Yeah, I like how the Stardew Valley video game always feels like progress, and on-theme, even though you can play an infinite number of days; whereas this game sounds like a lot of busy work for slow progress and lackluster rewards? I can see myself getting immersed in it and frustrated, especially with the formatting of the player aids.
Amy, I wonder if you will feel more "pay off" (8:20) for the work on your character if you tried one of the less complex characters? Given the complexity of the Merchant, I totally can see how you're experience is so different than Megan's.
Given that Amy loves complicated mechanics, I suspect not.
But this kind of game was always going to be a long shot for her competitive nature.
Great video young people ❤
This game is marmite (vegimite), you will either love or hate it and there is little in between. If you like open ended games like minecraft, stardew valley, harvest moon etc... you may love this. If you dont like those games, you almost certainly wont like this. Wife and I fall into the first camp and really enjoy the chilled vibe of the game.
I needed this post
Just listening to it, it kinda sounds like Dwellings of Eldervale.
Own Sims, Harvest Moon video games. Relaxing daily life board games: Dorfromantik $40 😅 Stardew Valley $60
10:30 Stardew Valley for the win! 😆😉
not me
first
Yeah, I suspect this one is not for me. (Goes back to grinding for a Hulking Deathroc.)
no idea what that even means
irony based on him playing a lot of World of Warcraft to get a particular mount