Great review! For those that are interested, it is coming back to KS on June 15 along with a new expansion pack. This was just announced on the FB Monumental page. Now, I really can’t wait to get together with friends to play my copy!!
ahhh that smug sense of satisfaction when you've bought a kickstarter game, haven't played it yet because it's behind a bunch of other kickstarter games you've yet to play, and it gets a seal of excellence. *folds arms, nods knowingly* "noice"
It’s okay... I only back a game the 2nd time around. Usually it is with an expansion and I have a review to fall back on to decide. The hard part is when the hype train pushes something for a first edition... but you can do it! 😝😅
Really happy with the game! Especially as a two player game. Downtime is a bit much at higher player counts. Will be back on kickstarter, probably next month. New cultures from Africa this time. Will play any time!
I love Monumental, but I do have to say the downtime (and AP) is pretty bad with this one. Three- player game (or two) for sure. I feel like Tom could have emphasised a bit more on how you put purchased cards on top of the draw deck, so you can make incredible combo's next turn, but overall I completely agree with this review.
@@Oniros503 Yet another one who doesn't know what he's talking about... *sigh* It's NOT a civilisation game! It's an engine builder/deck builder! Even Tom said so in this video you didn't watch! Yes, you can choose between five civilisations (characters) but that's where the comparison ends. And a "little" downtime is fine, but with this one, in a four- player game, I had to wait an average of 12 minutes to get to my turn. With experienced players. So in a full hour, I could do five, maybe six turns. That's a big downtime in any game.
@@Randallsilver Ok we do not agree on what makes a civilisation game, for me the sub mechanic that drives your empire doesn't change the fact that you can develop, conquer, trade and explore, making it a civilisation game. But anyhow I guess that this is a matter of point of view, for certain games I don't mind waiting and discussing with my fellow players. A turn takes time because no matter how well you planned your moves, in the end if you want the perfect turn, you will have to take into account the moves of the ennemi troupes and the new card available. And this is exactly what I expect from of an highly competitive and interactive board game that requires to optimise your own engine as well as predicting and responding to threats on the board. This duality between improving your empire mechanic and driving your conquering/exploring on the board is what makes a civilisation game. This is a light one for sure but still this is not like a Tapestry that only have the civilisation theme in my opinion. I'm really curious to see the new expansion that will be launched on kickstarter Juin 15th and that is supposed to address "this downtime issue".
*groan* As a Dane I cringe EVERY time I see vikings with horned helmets. And Siegfried? Why not call him Sigfred or Sigurd like the king I guess he is made of (google Der Ring des Nibelungen)? I'm sick and tired of designers making a half-hearted attempt of making vikings; and I'm being nice here. Imagine how Americans would feel if US troops in a WWII game wears purple uniforms and a bowler hats? I rest my case. Oh, and good review Tom. ^^
The reprint of Monumental will arrive soon. Has the Dice Tower tried the continuous mode ? It's a new mode included in the last expansion, but the rules are online and can be played with an extra bag of tokens. This new game mode lets the players play 1 action at a time, so that the downtime is drastically cut.
If I remember correctly, did this KS got cancelled once? Or like very very little backing until very late. Lol The price on this game was just way beyond any sane budget for what the game offered (for me at least). But the art is great!
Great minis, tiles, cards and metal token quality, medicore tokens (and sleeves if you ordered them are veeery poor). Great gameplay nice mechanics, played only 2 player match, but I can see the down time could be an issue with more players.
I agree it reminded me of 7 Wonders and the Eric M. Lang designs, but that actually is the reason I like it. I love 7 Wonders and deckbuilding, so those together worked for me. Not to mention the different ways of using your cards after you build your deck was pretty cool. In regards to the fighting on the board I'm not a fan of it but I'm also not opposed to it, since it gives different types of players different things to focus on (I for example would focus more on the deckbuilding and less on the conquering of the board). All of that said, I would like to own not only this game but also other deckbuilders with this grid selection of cards instead of holding the cards.
I saw when he loaded the Monumental Lost Continents review. It wasn’t viewable. It probably wasn’t supposed to be visible at all. Likely same story with this review. He loads them, then makes them visible when he chooses to do so.
Would you mind sharing where you sell games? I've just recently jumped in the deep end with board gaming with my family and I'm looking for a good market.
This game replaced Heroes of Land Air and Sea. Will I sell HoLAaS? No. But on to Monumental, it's not everyday where you see Heracles lead a crusade in taking the Statue of Liberty from the Egyptians who then retaliated by taking the Hadron Collider.
As Tom said this is a deck building game, HoLAaS is a 4X game..the whole choose a row and a column mechanics is totally different than the action choosing mechanics in holaas. I dont think they r overlap the each other. So i dont think it will replace HoLAaS it a whole different game with different mechanics. Personally i dont like deck building bc of the uncertainty of the cards, i like dry long term planning and calculations. I would try this game to bc i like civilization the PC game series but unfortunately i didnt find any good boardgame interpretation yet.
Middle-weight euro that seems like it would be too simple and basic for the hard-core/serious crowd, but too long and detailed for the casual gamer, thus, ends up pleasing no one. And are all the high-end minis really necessary?
Never fear! The Kickstarter for the next expansion, Monumental: African Empires, will be coming very soon in Q2 2020. You'll be able to get everything from the first campaign then :)
I can't help but eyeroll nowadays when a game I am checking out has, 'realistic miniatures'! ugh, every game does not get improved with minis.... I sold Small World and haven't played 7 Wonders in years, think I can safely pass for now....or am i just satisfied with my collection...who knows!?
I have blacklisted Funforge ever since they scammed thousands of people during their Tokaido kickstarter. There are many, many incredible games to choose from created by countless companies. I encourage everybody to prioritize supporting moral and responsible companies.
Great review, and it looks fantastic, but I wish he let us know his thoughts on the solo mode. I know he did a playthrough, can anyone tell me if it's good solo?
It finally happened. Tom’s wearing a tie that I also have.
Tom liked this one so much, he didn't even hit the components with the gavel at the end!
I wouldn't hit mine either, they are completely amazing. I would say about 90% of the miniatures are on par with professional model kit designers.
Great review! For those that are interested, it is coming back to KS on June 15 along with a new expansion pack. This was just announced on the FB Monumental page. Now, I really can’t wait to get together with friends to play my copy!!
ahhh that smug sense of satisfaction when you've bought a kickstarter game, haven't played it yet because it's behind a bunch of other kickstarter games you've yet to play, and it gets a seal of excellence. *folds arms, nods knowingly* "noice"
Playing games and buying games are two completely separate hobbies.
Same boat!
Seal of Excellence is only his opinion. Doesn't say anything about how much you will like it...
I hate games that only release on Kickstarter. I don’t hear about most games until they release on retail, or there are solid reviews of them
It doesn’t fix the issue but I believe an expansion is coming to Kickstarter next month and I assume you will be able to get the base game too.
It’s okay... I only back a game the 2nd time around. Usually it is with an expansion and I have a review to fall back on to decide. The hard part is when the hype train pushes something for a first edition... but you can do it! 😝😅
Really happy with the game! Especially as a two player game. Downtime is a bit much at higher player counts. Will be back on kickstarter, probably next month. New cultures from Africa this time. Will play any time!
I'm gonna have to back this one
Nice! Now I'll definitely need to back the new kickstarter in June!
I love Monumental, but I do have to say the downtime (and AP) is pretty bad with this one. Three- player game (or two) for sure. I feel like Tom could have emphasised a bit more on how you put purchased cards on top of the draw deck, so you can make incredible combo's next turn, but overall I completely agree with this review.
Nice review
Agree. I’m surprised that the downtime wasn’t emphasized more.
@@jasonstansel6958 I think this is because it's a civilisation game, this is not a party game, of course you will have some downtime.
@@Oniros503 Yet another one who doesn't know what he's talking about... *sigh* It's NOT a civilisation game! It's an engine builder/deck builder! Even Tom said so in this video you didn't watch!
Yes, you can choose between five civilisations (characters) but that's where the comparison ends. And a "little" downtime is fine, but with this one, in a four- player game, I had to wait an average of 12 minutes to get to my turn. With experienced players. So in a full hour, I could do five, maybe six turns. That's a big downtime in any game.
@@Randallsilver Ok we do not agree on what makes a civilisation game, for me the sub mechanic that drives your empire doesn't change the fact that you can develop, conquer, trade and explore, making it a civilisation game. But anyhow I guess that this is a matter of point of view, for certain games I don't mind waiting and discussing with my fellow players. A turn takes time because no matter how well you planned your moves, in the end if you want the perfect turn, you will have to take into account the moves of the ennemi troupes and the new card available. And this is exactly what I expect from of an highly competitive and interactive board game that requires to optimise your own engine as well as predicting and responding to threats on the board. This duality between improving your empire mechanic and driving your conquering/exploring on the board is what makes a civilisation game. This is a light one for sure but still this is not like a Tapestry that only have the civilisation theme in my opinion. I'm really curious to see the new expansion that will be launched on kickstarter Juin 15th and that is supposed to address "this downtime issue".
*groan* As a Dane I cringe EVERY time I see vikings with horned helmets. And Siegfried? Why not call him Sigfred or Sigurd like the king I guess he is made of (google Der Ring des Nibelungen)? I'm sick and tired of designers making a half-hearted attempt of making vikings; and I'm being nice here. Imagine how Americans would feel if US troops in a WWII game wears purple uniforms and a bowler hats? I rest my case.
Oh, and good review Tom. ^^
The reprint of Monumental will arrive soon. Has the Dice Tower tried the continuous mode ? It's a new mode included in the last expansion, but the rules are online and can be played with an extra bag of tokens. This new game mode lets the players play 1 action at a time, so that the downtime is drastically cut.
So how is it compared to Domination, as I recall Tom also give Domination excellence?
"Automa" is the new "Valcano".
If I remember correctly, did this KS got cancelled once? Or like very very little backing until very late. Lol
The price on this game was just way beyond any sane budget for what the game offered (for me at least).
But the art is great!
I only play it solo and its still fun to play :D
Was on the fence about this one, so when he mentioned it's essentially a deck building game, I was like "Phew!!!!". Bullet dodged :)
Same
Phew, glad you dodged the bullet so it could hit me, what a fantastic game.
Great minis, tiles, cards and metal token quality, medicore tokens (and sleeves if you ordered them are veeery poor). Great gameplay nice mechanics, played only 2 player match, but I can see the down time could be an issue with more players.
For me, it feels like a complicated version of "7Wonders" designed by Eric.M.Lang :|
and Small World perhaps?
I agree it reminded me of 7 Wonders and the Eric M. Lang designs, but that actually is the reason I like it. I love 7 Wonders and deckbuilding, so those together worked for me. Not to mention the different ways of using your cards after you build your deck was pretty cool. In regards to the fighting on the board I'm not a fan of it but I'm also not opposed to it, since it gives different types of players different things to focus on (I for example would focus more on the deckbuilding and less on the conquering of the board). All of that said, I would like to own not only this game but also other deckbuilders with this grid selection of cards instead of holding the cards.
Yes! Cool game.
Why was this reposted?
It wasn’t
Justin Hoffee it actually was. I started to watch it a couple of days ago and it was taken down
@@cgrice1971 So your real question is why was it taken down.
I saw when he loaded the Monumental Lost Continents review. It wasn’t viewable. It probably wasn’t supposed to be visible at all. Likely same story with this review. He loads them, then makes them visible when he chooses to do so.
Game was fun and unique. Downtime and game length is just too long for how simple the game actually is for me. Already sold off.
Would you mind sharing where you sell games? I've just recently jumped in the deep end with board gaming with my family and I'm looking for a good market.
@@jaquaun911 BGG Market, and FB's main board game marketplace called "Board Game Exchange." And ebay :)
This game replaced Heroes of Land Air and Sea. Will I sell HoLAaS? No. But on to Monumental, it's not everyday where you see Heracles lead a crusade in taking the Statue of Liberty from the Egyptians who then retaliated by taking the Hadron Collider.
As Tom said this is a deck building game, HoLAaS is a 4X game..the whole choose a row and a column mechanics is totally different than the action choosing mechanics in holaas. I dont think they r overlap the each other. So i dont think it will replace HoLAaS it a whole different game with different mechanics. Personally i dont like deck building bc of the uncertainty of the cards, i like dry long term planning and calculations. I would try this game to bc i like civilization the PC game series but unfortunately i didnt find any good boardgame interpretation yet.
Middle-weight euro that seems like it would be too simple and basic for the hard-core/serious crowd, but too long and detailed for the casual gamer, thus, ends up pleasing no one. And are all the high-end minis really necessary?
Please make a gameplay video
Starting at 1:32:00
ua-cam.com/video/Gs1mxVNPXi4/v-deo.html
Who else has still got their all in pledge still in shrink wrap? Thumbs up for anonymous confession. ;)
this is seven wonders!
If Seven Wonders was a completely different game, sure.
Thanks for another great review Tom, I have been waiting to see how this game turned out! Now I am regretting not getting in on the kickstarter!
Never fear! The Kickstarter for the next expansion, Monumental: African Empires, will be coming very soon in Q2 2020. You'll be able to get everything from the first campaign then :)
No problem! you can get it on ebay!
www.ebay.es/itm/Monumental-Boardgame-KS-exclusive-Mini-edition/373056272704
This game is really great. Dunstan is a fantastic designer.
I can't help but eyeroll nowadays when a game I am checking out has, 'realistic miniatures'! ugh, every game does not get improved with minis....
I sold Small World and haven't played 7 Wonders in years, think I can safely pass for now....or am i just satisfied with my collection...who knows!?
oh, and does Tom play guitar?
15:24 Final Thoughts
I have blacklisted Funforge ever since they scammed thousands of people during their Tokaido kickstarter.
There are many, many incredible games to choose from created by countless companies. I encourage everybody to prioritize supporting moral and responsible companies.
Do you have more details on that
About 4 years later and fellow Kickstarter backers are still waiting on their copies of Monumental. It's available on Amazon now btw.
Great review, and it looks fantastic, but I wish he let us know his thoughts on the solo mode.
I know he did a playthrough, can anyone tell me if it's good solo?
I believe he enjoyed it during the playthrough
Mike Dilisio (from the Dice Tower) did a review of it, and loved it.
@@johchadow Oh cool! I'll check that out. Thanks! 🙂
Mike hasn't actually shot the solo review yet, but it's coming!
@@thedicetower I guess I've just heard him talk about it, might have been on one of the daily chats. Looking forward to the full review!
Ha! Reference to Something Rotten!
I didn't back this because I was worried it would be too confrontational/aggressive for me.
It isn't. And why would you care? It's cards and plastic. Nobody really gets hurt you know.
@@Randallsilver maybe because some of us do not find that stuff fun
Wow, what a different experience and impressions from So Very Wrong About Games (Mark's)
The theme is very fan-servicey for gamers. That is not a bad thing, certainly for me.
Game designers are out of new ideas; Mechanicwise
"Ramesses Two"!