Love the review. I will say as an All in backer for Endless Winter and backer of over 150 games on KS/GF, their campaign especially for a first time was well ran and very communicative. The endless winter game itself had one of the BEST insert and deluxe components, it shipped well protected and having Stan Kordonskiy as the designer just makes the game that much better. I am very confident in Fantasia's ability to deliver a deluxe game. I love your channel aesthetics and looking forward to more vids!
This is super helpful to hear, from a research point of view I sometimes only get to see one side of the experience and having testimonies like this really helps add balance. Consider this comment pinned for that very reason :)
As a EW backer I also give them a plus for the last campaign. Much better then average, for a first timer, they definetly learned from the early retail problem, and they proved they can bring a complex game to be amazing.
This is such a needed channel! I love how straight to the point this was. I see back-to-back Kickstarter board game campaigns on my feed, and I need to take a step back before I back anything else. Great video.
The hype train for this game has been huge! I mean Quackalope will promote horseshit for a buck, but seeing guys like Ryan from Nights around a table make legit videos gets me psyched. That being said, the logistics and shipping issues of the previous campaign are irrelevant. No one should expect anything to go to plan when it comes to Kickstarter, and it isn't really reasonable to look at all future projects with caution just because retail got copies first. Of course they did duh, they paid more than you. Money talks. As for the weight, yes this is purely subjective. For me, it's heavy but because of daisy chains, not actual complexity of understanding. But ever tried explaining how to make wine in Viticulture with the 15 steps you need? No one would call that game heavy and yet folks struggle with that too. Thanks for the video!
I think there’s an important piece of clarity here, I’ve not said to take caution with all future campaigns. If this one runs smoothly, aside from the usual crowdfunding issues, then that stance would change to be more positive as they’ve then proven that their systems have improved. This is important because when we see repeat offenders like Mythic Games have major issues crop up every campaign it is fair to caution against backing their games because they’ve shown that there isn’t an improvement. That would be my stance on it.
@@shouldyoubackit and rightly so Sam. We all make mistakes, hopefully learn from them and *improve. If a company shows similar improvements then they can win our trust back... but if they repeat the same mistakes and add new ones, the barrier to the trust returning is greater. Glass Cannon Unplugged have IMO run an exemplary campaign for Frostpunk, despite it being delivered ~ 1 year after the campaign suggested. At every point they've communicated the good and the bad, explaining clearly when dates had to move back, and in the case of Quality control, were of the check, check and check again mindset that caught problems and got fixes in ASAP. I'd recommend any crowdfunding project to look at their updates / update history and engagement for an idea of what good looks like... including what good looks like when problems arise. * or recognise we're not cut out for that job/task - no point being a fool about it🤣
thats y i dont watch boardgameco or quackalope, anything they be like "its amazing" and they are shills for CMON. they never said "i like this BUT..." and shit on a cmon game
As someone who back Endless Winter (and has backed about 50 games on KS so far), I will say that from my point of view, they ran one of the best campaigns I've been a part of. I was really impressed with that being their first effort. And they do seem to be committed to improving this next campaign even more, based on feedback they received. Also, I just subscribed and look forward to future vids!
For me any company that strives to do better with each new campaign and communicate with their backers better always gets a big respectful thumbs up from me.
Really liking the risk assessments, and I think you handled this one very well. Yes companies can learn and improve, but until they do, we have to make our judgement on their past performance, more than future promise. I also very much appreciate people who acknowledge views can differ, as you do in each of these videos, but especially here make the case that it might have specific appeal, but not for you (and potentially not broad appeal).
Oh for sure, and to be honest opinions can change. It’s the tricky thing about making the videos is that for whatever reason there’s a chance that a game I wouldn’t recommend could turn into a game I DO recommend during the course of the campaign.
This game is extremely my jam, but finding other people who would want to play would be hard. That's the only thing that keeps me from getting it. I tend to be forgiving of Kickstarter attempts that issue from circumstances beyond the creator's control. There are multiple companies required to make gaming parts and cards and etc. etc. and we're living through a period of time where the supply chain is in a terrible state. I back a game so that it will be created in the first place, not so I can get it first with backer bells and whistles. They also put out the game on TTS, which I consider a must before backing anything. It allows me to get a feel for the game before the physical copy arrives, and that makes it a lot easier to introduce it to first time players.
Being able to demo games virtually now is one of the best things to happen to board games in recent years. As for your first point I totally hear you. I have a couple of heavy games that maybe only see the table once a year which is fine, but when looking at new games I’ve always got to think about whether my gaming group would play it otherwise it just joins the other heavy games that collect dust :(
Enjoyed your video so much I would've liked it to be considerably longer (and that's saying something). For some reason I'm having a hard time deciding on this one. High marks for a unique and creative theme. Even higher praise for the fabulous artwork (10/10) which perfectly captures its era. I think my hangup is the gameplay. I want to feel that all the spinning hoops make for a richer gaming experience, not that less would have been more. I'm in a quandary. Maybe the issue is buried in my unconscious mind.
Sorry, I'm not great at making videos longer than like 5 minutes, as much as I write they always end up being that length :D I had the same dilemma when looking at it, it seemed like there were a lot of bells and whistles but it was hard to tell how or if that translated into a positive gameplay experience
@@ButOneThingIsNeedful Oh no don't worry I didn't take it as that :) It is a comment I get a lot though where folks would love longer videos, which I only ever take as a compliment :)
Congratulations on your channel! I'm loving the videos, so refreshing to see boardgames reviews so honest as yours, I see so many videos like these from other channels that are so afraid to point things out as bad. Although I was watching this and just wishing the videos were a bit longer, that some subjects were a bit more extended, I just think that they end before I actually made up my mind ahah but maybe that's just me. Keep up the good work!
You’re way too kind. I always find myself making shorter videos but as I find my way a bit they may get a little longer but I always try and have them last shorter than 10 minutes just so it doesn’t take up too much of someone’s time :)
@@shouldyoubackit I guess at some point as well people will be aware already of your usual topics so you won't have to explain why mentioning the companies everytime for example therefore you will have more time to explain your opinion and give examples. But so far so good I'm really looking forward to see the next ones. Are you planning to cover Cosmoctupus?
Great video! Concise, clear, and interesting! Do you take requests? Would love to hear your take on Cosmoctopus! Either way glad to find your channel and I'm happy to subscribe!
@@shouldyoubackit cool. In general I'm looking at crowdfunding much less than in the past, and even then I was rather careful. Of upcoming projects, Pest by Archona games (on KS) is currently the only one I plan to look at more closely when it launches. It looks like a euro with a solid /different theme (albeit Bristol 1350 did that theme in a very different way recently). I've never noticed any of their prior games / them as a company before seeing this. The stuff that intrigues me from what's been released so far includes a seemingly innovative 'grid' worker placement system, where the placement in the 3 x 3 grid executes BOTH row and column action. Moving plague doctor mini around the map looks different to many euros. Not too much to go on yet though, so it's a case of cautious interest for now.
Love the video, just feel that cautioning against the heaviness, that a good euro should have, is a bit off. For the genre it's not really on the heavy side... so it shouldn't be communicated as a minus, just a know what you get into. Maybe put in a category: light medium heavy.... but heaviness as a minus feels like you only cater to 'beginning/light boardgamers'
That Euro = Heavy could be a whole discussion in and of itself 😄 but I do recognise what you’re saying. A lot of my assessments are personally subjective with regards to my own perceptions and while I perceive this as being heavy it may not be as heavy as some other Euros for example. I’d always hold my hands up and say I can be too subjective and would equally always, always encourage people that no matter what they hear a random Irish guy on the internet say in a video, they should always do their due diligence and research in order to fully know if a game is for them. If I had my way we’d all just play Arkham Horror and Battlestar Galactica forever 😄
I like the idea of your channel but personally feel like you need to include alot more info to make the case either for or against (and I say this as someone who has also decided to not back Unconscious mind). On price- it isnt just £60/ 70 Euros. Thats the lowest pledge level- there's $15 shipping and 20% vat to pay, making the lowest pledge actually 102 Euros (the highest pledge level comes to 167 Euros). Your video did not go into the different pledge levels, what you get in these (and whether they offer a value proposition), what you get and for what complete price are surely salient to a decision on whether to back. The projected delivery date may also be of interest to people (Dec 2023), and very importantly- is it coming to retail and if so what is likely to be available retail vs KS.
For me I usually tend to focus on the core pledge level for games because at the end of the day if the basic/ core pledge isn't good value then why go any higher? If I need to spend more money in order to feel like I'm getting value then it's likely because it's been orchestrated for that purpose which is pretty crappy.
@@shouldyoubackit I agree with you, if the core pledge isn't enough to interest me, I'm not going to worry about value proposition and paying more to save a few pounds. BUT. They do raise a point that I think is very relevant. Whether or not it is going to hit retail. 99% of the time, if it's going to hit retail it's going to be cheaper. A LOT cheaper. And you don't need to worry about the FOMO which is an overwhelmingly important part of crowdfunding. These days if I see it's going to be at retail my mind thinks about it far differently compared it it only being Kickstarter. Or having swathes of it that are KS exclusive.
@@trixbunnyman that's the playthrough I watched. They did a good job explaining, but I just feel that it's too much in the gameplay to keep up with. Maybe I'll try to watch it again.
This game is for me… but not necessarily the kickstarter. I’d be getting the lowest level pledge but it comes in a gigantic box filled with empty foam to take up the extra space. I strongly dislike oversized boxes, as my space is limited. So kickstarter = no; retail = yes.
If I’m remembering right this box has game trays that nest and fit all the components. Big box yes. Empty space unlikely. However you make a good point that if I can’t store it, what’s the point of paying $70 to have a game sit next to the shelf bc it’s too big. So many factors!
Points with shipping delay and early retail are not relevant. For first - they have problem with shipping blockade. You can't control everything in global delivery chain. Second, they ask us, backers, with vote for early retails - retails was shipped before KS. So we voted with yes. People who complain about this in comments are minimal. What about game - is her mechanics are interesting and work good or not, what make you want it from KS but not from retail, what make it different from other games with same wage? I see you try to do short videos but you miss so much info which can help potential backers. Looking only previous campaign and main pledge level is not enough. You can look what BoardGameCo and Liege of Games do in their videos about "Should you back it?'.
I would argue that selling a game at retail before it’s with backers is very relevant especially if that was the agreement and understanding between game company and backers. Equally I don’t believe it was voted that the game would go to retail first with their last title otherwise they wouldn’t have apologised for the fact the game went to retail early due to a miscommunication with their distributor.
@@shouldyoubackit it's look like you miss some updates: "In our next update, we will prepare a poll asking you if we can offer a small number of games at the convention (if the games make it in time), just to cover these costs. We are not aiming for profit. If a significant amount of you agrees with it (80%), if possible, we are going to do it. If the poll is not successful, then we will still have an Essen presence; but obviously, we will downgrade our booth and services a lot. Either way, though it will be totally fine with any of the results, as long as it pleases you. You are a top priority for us, and we are happy to follow either option." - update 53. They apologize because they know situation is out of their hand and can't do nothing more. This is good and clear communication with backers. If you put something in your video first check facts, not latest comment in BGG or KS.
Love the review. I will say as an All in backer for Endless Winter and backer of over 150 games on KS/GF, their campaign especially for a first time was well ran and very communicative. The endless winter game itself had one of the BEST insert and deluxe components, it shipped well protected and having Stan Kordonskiy as the designer just makes the game that much better. I am very confident in Fantasia's ability to deliver a deluxe game. I love your channel aesthetics and looking forward to more vids!
This is super helpful to hear, from a research point of view I sometimes only get to see one side of the experience and having testimonies like this really helps add balance. Consider this comment pinned for that very reason :)
As a EW backer I also give them a plus for the last campaign. Much better then average, for a first timer, they definetly learned from the early retail problem, and they proved they can bring a complex game to be amazing.
This is such a needed channel! I love how straight to the point this was. I see back-to-back Kickstarter board game campaigns on my feed, and I need to take a step back before I back anything else. Great video.
I’m all for shorter, to-the-point content 🙂 and you’re right, absolutely nothing wrong with taking a pause on crowdfunding
These short, well informed videos are a must here on YT. Great quality content. d
Keep it going. You have my sub!
The hype train for this game has been huge! I mean Quackalope will promote horseshit for a buck, but seeing guys like Ryan from Nights around a table make legit videos gets me psyched. That being said, the logistics and shipping issues of the previous campaign are irrelevant. No one should expect anything to go to plan when it comes to Kickstarter, and it isn't really reasonable to look at all future projects with caution just because retail got copies first. Of course they did duh, they paid more than you. Money talks. As for the weight, yes this is purely subjective. For me, it's heavy but because of daisy chains, not actual complexity of understanding. But ever tried explaining how to make wine in Viticulture with the 15 steps you need? No one would call that game heavy and yet folks struggle with that too. Thanks for the video!
I think there’s an important piece of clarity here, I’ve not said to take caution with all future campaigns. If this one runs smoothly, aside from the usual crowdfunding issues, then that stance would change to be more positive as they’ve then proven that their systems have improved.
This is important because when we see repeat offenders like Mythic Games have major issues crop up every campaign it is fair to caution against backing their games because they’ve shown that there isn’t an improvement.
That would be my stance on it.
@@shouldyoubackit and rightly so Sam. We all make mistakes, hopefully learn from them and *improve. If a company shows similar improvements then they can win our trust back... but if they repeat the same mistakes and add new ones, the barrier to the trust returning is greater.
Glass Cannon Unplugged have IMO run an exemplary campaign for Frostpunk, despite it being delivered ~ 1 year after the campaign suggested. At every point they've communicated the good and the bad, explaining clearly when dates had to move back, and in the case of Quality control, were of the check, check and check again mindset that caught problems and got fixes in ASAP. I'd recommend any crowdfunding project to look at their updates / update history and engagement for an idea of what good looks like... including what good looks like when problems arise.
* or recognise we're not cut out for that job/task - no point being a fool about it🤣
thats y i dont watch boardgameco or quackalope, anything they be like "its amazing" and they are shills for CMON. they never said "i like this BUT..." and shit on a cmon game
As someone who back Endless Winter (and has backed about 50 games on KS so far), I will say that from my point of view, they ran one of the best campaigns I've been a part of. I was really impressed with that being their first effort. And they do seem to be committed to improving this next campaign even more, based on feedback they received. Also, I just subscribed and look forward to future vids!
For me any company that strives to do better with each new campaign and communicate with their backers better always gets a big respectful thumbs up from me.
Love your approach and the short form video. Clean and to the point. Keep it up mate
Thanks!
Really liking the risk assessments, and I think you handled this one very well. Yes companies can learn and improve, but until they do, we have to make our judgement on their past performance, more than future promise.
I also very much appreciate people who acknowledge views can differ, as you do in each of these videos, but especially here make the case that it might have specific appeal, but not for you (and potentially not broad appeal).
Oh for sure, and to be honest opinions can change. It’s the tricky thing about making the videos is that for whatever reason there’s a chance that a game I wouldn’t recommend could turn into a game I DO recommend during the course of the campaign.
Watched every video about it on UA-cam and I LOVE it.
Just for my own research would you be someone who primarily plays heavy games? What is it that’s drawn you in to this one?
This game is extremely my jam, but finding other people who would want to play would be hard. That's the only thing that keeps me from getting it. I tend to be forgiving of Kickstarter attempts that issue from circumstances beyond the creator's control. There are multiple companies required to make gaming parts and cards and etc. etc. and we're living through a period of time where the supply chain is in a terrible state. I back a game so that it will be created in the first place, not so I can get it first with backer bells and whistles.
They also put out the game on TTS, which I consider a must before backing anything. It allows me to get a feel for the game before the physical copy arrives, and that makes it a lot easier to introduce it to first time players.
Being able to demo games virtually now is one of the best things to happen to board games in recent years. As for your first point I totally hear you. I have a couple of heavy games that maybe only see the table once a year which is fine, but when looking at new games I’ve always got to think about whether my gaming group would play it otherwise it just joins the other heavy games that collect dust :(
Enjoyed your video so much I would've liked it to be considerably longer (and that's saying something). For some reason I'm having a hard time deciding on this one. High marks for a unique and creative theme. Even higher praise for the fabulous artwork (10/10) which perfectly captures its era. I think my hangup is the gameplay. I want to feel that all the spinning hoops make for a richer gaming experience, not that less would have been more. I'm in a quandary. Maybe the issue is buried in my unconscious mind.
Sorry, I'm not great at making videos longer than like 5 minutes, as much as I write they always end up being that length :D
I had the same dilemma when looking at it, it seemed like there were a lot of bells and whistles but it was hard to tell how or if that translated into a positive gameplay experience
@@shouldyoubackit Thanks. And my first comment was only meant to be as compliment, not a criticism. :)
@@ButOneThingIsNeedful Oh no don't worry I didn't take it as that :) It is a comment I get a lot though where folks would love longer videos, which I only ever take as a compliment :)
Congratulations on your channel! I'm loving the videos, so refreshing to see boardgames reviews so honest as yours, I see so many videos like these from other channels that are so afraid to point things out as bad. Although I was watching this and just wishing the videos were a bit longer, that some subjects were a bit more extended, I just think that they end before I actually made up my mind ahah but maybe that's just me. Keep up the good work!
You’re way too kind. I always find myself making shorter videos but as I find my way a bit they may get a little longer but I always try and have them last shorter than 10 minutes just so it doesn’t take up too much of someone’s time :)
@@shouldyoubackit I guess at some point as well people will be aware already of your usual topics so you won't have to explain why mentioning the companies everytime for example therefore you will have more time to explain your opinion and give examples. But so far so good I'm really looking forward to see the next ones. Are you planning to cover Cosmoctupus?
Recommended here from @boardgameco. Really enjoyed the thoughts and balanced explanation. Keep it up.
You're so welcome!
Great video! Concise, clear, and interesting! Do you take requests? Would love to hear your take on Cosmoctopus! Either way glad to find your channel and I'm happy to subscribe!
Always open to hearing what other people have their eye on :) also glad to hear you enjoyed the video 🙂
@@shouldyoubackit cool. In general I'm looking at crowdfunding much less than in the past, and even then I was rather careful.
Of upcoming projects, Pest by Archona games (on KS) is currently the only one I plan to look at more closely when it launches. It looks like a euro with a solid /different theme (albeit Bristol 1350 did that theme in a very different way recently). I've never noticed any of their prior games / them as a company before seeing this.
The stuff that intrigues me from what's been released so far includes a seemingly innovative 'grid' worker placement system, where the placement in the 3 x 3 grid executes BOTH row and column action. Moving plague doctor mini around the map looks different to many euros. Not too much to go on yet though, so it's a case of cautious interest for now.
I guess I'm that very specific board gamer then
“You know, I’m something of a board gamer myself…” (in my best Willem Defoe voice)
Love the video, just feel that cautioning against the heaviness, that a good euro should have, is a bit off. For the genre it's not really on the heavy side... so it shouldn't be communicated as a minus, just a know what you get into.
Maybe put in a category: light medium heavy.... but heaviness as a minus feels like you only cater to 'beginning/light boardgamers'
That Euro = Heavy could be a whole discussion in and of itself 😄 but I do recognise what you’re saying. A lot of my assessments are personally subjective with regards to my own perceptions and while I perceive this as being heavy it may not be as heavy as some other Euros for example. I’d always hold my hands up and say I can be too subjective and would equally always, always encourage people that no matter what they hear a random Irish guy on the internet say in a video, they should always do their due diligence and research in order to fully know if a game is for them. If I had my way we’d all just play Arkham Horror and Battlestar Galactica forever 😄
great video, very informative
Thanks!
I like the idea of your channel but personally feel like you need to include alot more info to make the case either for or against (and I say this as someone who has also decided to not back Unconscious mind). On price- it isnt just £60/ 70 Euros. Thats the lowest pledge level- there's $15 shipping and 20% vat to pay, making the lowest pledge actually 102 Euros (the highest pledge level comes to 167 Euros). Your video did not go into the different pledge levels, what you get in these (and whether they offer a value proposition), what you get and for what complete price are surely salient to a decision on whether to back. The projected delivery date may also be of interest to people (Dec 2023), and very importantly- is it coming to retail and if so what is likely to be available retail vs KS.
For me I usually tend to focus on the core pledge level for games because at the end of the day if the basic/ core pledge isn't good value then why go any higher? If I need to spend more money in order to feel like I'm getting value then it's likely because it's been orchestrated for that purpose which is pretty crappy.
@@shouldyoubackit I agree with you, if the core pledge isn't enough to interest me, I'm not going to worry about value proposition and paying more to save a few pounds. BUT. They do raise a point that I think is very relevant. Whether or not it is going to hit retail. 99% of the time, if it's going to hit retail it's going to be cheaper. A LOT cheaper. And you don't need to worry about the FOMO which is an overwhelmingly important part of crowdfunding.
These days if I see it's going to be at retail my mind thinks about it far differently compared it it only being Kickstarter. Or having swathes of it that are KS exclusive.
Yeah, I tried to watch a playthrough, but it was too complex for me. I love the concept though.
Me too 😬 I knew very quickly that this was just too heavy for me, it looks gorgeous and it’s a great concept but it would gather dust 😔
Try the before you play playthrough. If you watched gaming rules you might as well have tried to watch someone read the rulebook
@@trixbunnyman that's the playthrough I watched. They did a good job explaining, but I just feel that it's too much in the gameplay to keep up with. Maybe I'll try to watch it again.
Nice thoughts, I don't intend to back
This game is for me… but not necessarily the kickstarter. I’d be getting the lowest level pledge but it comes in a gigantic box filled with empty foam to take up the extra space. I strongly dislike oversized boxes, as my space is limited. So kickstarter = no; retail = yes.
Big boxes combined with little storage at home is a recipe for disaster (I speak from experience)
If I’m remembering right this box has game trays that nest and fit all the components. Big box yes. Empty space unlikely. However you make a good point that if I can’t store it, what’s the point of paying $70 to have a game sit next to the shelf bc it’s too big. So many factors!
Points with shipping delay and early retail are not relevant. For first - they have problem with shipping blockade. You can't control everything in global delivery chain. Second, they ask us, backers, with vote for early retails - retails was shipped before KS. So we voted with yes. People who complain about this in comments are minimal.
What about game - is her mechanics are interesting and work good or not, what make you want it from KS but not from retail, what make it different from other games with same wage? I see you try to do short videos but you miss so much info which can help potential backers.
Looking only previous campaign and main pledge level is not enough. You can look what BoardGameCo and Liege of Games do in their videos about "Should you back it?'.
I would argue that selling a game at retail before it’s with backers is very relevant especially if that was the agreement and understanding between game company and backers. Equally I don’t believe it was voted that the game would go to retail first with their last title otherwise they wouldn’t have apologised for the fact the game went to retail early due to a miscommunication with their distributor.
@@shouldyoubackit it's look like you miss some updates: "In our next update, we will prepare a poll asking you if we can offer a small number of games at the convention (if the games make it in time), just to cover these costs. We are not aiming for profit. If a significant amount of you agrees with it (80%), if possible, we are going to do it. If the poll is not successful, then we will still have an Essen presence; but obviously, we will downgrade our booth and services a lot. Either way, though it will be totally fine with any of the results, as long as it pleases you. You are a top priority for us, and we are happy to follow either option." - update 53.
They apologize because they know situation is out of their hand and can't do nothing more. This is good and clear communication with backers. If you put something in your video first check facts, not latest comment in BGG or KS.