no matter how many video reviews I watch, the throwing of the cards/tokens in the startup raises my anxiety every time. LOL thanks for another awesome review! I scored my copy today on AMZ for $44.
As a birdwatcher myself, I appreciate the adherence to reality. The birds are true to life and it appears that the habitat requirements, food, and stats of the birds are based on the real bird's preferences.
I hope you are right. Pretty sure Kingfishers nest near water though, and that's not what the card shows. I'm still undecided. Seems expensive, the dice tower is not needed, and the artwork is average at best. I love the concept, but might wait for the inevitable 2nd edition.
I noticed some minor problems in game. For example hummingbirds are listed to eat rats... 😅 And some bird species are only north america when infact they are not.
Just tried the game out tonight. It took a few turns before we really started to get a feel for the game...the early game is slow but once you get to the 2nd-4th rounds it really became something special. Can't wait to play it again.
Had my first game the other night, really enjoyed it and agree with what you said.. should have tried it out a while back. It’s not too complicated at all :)
@@trojan403It has the smallest rulebook of all but the simplest of games. You take one of four actions during your turn, and they're straightforward, and referenced on your player mat. That's 80% right there.
The cards are actually themed around the bird too, which is cool. For instance, the Bronzed Cowbird places an egg on another bird. In nature Cowbirds are parasitic and leave eggs in other nests to make them feed it. (If that didn't show I watch birds lol), but it really adds to the theme, so well researched!!! I gotta get this!
We tried to play this last night but didn't get to play through because we were trying to find all the rules. My main quip is that there are so many different books for how to play. They could have done better with the rule book. There was also too much unnecessary information that made it even harder to find answers to questions we had. That being said, I'm excited to try it again! Thanks for the video. This assured me I did have it all figured out.
The main rulebook states to just use the quick setup guide in the appendix, so we did then I read the full rulebook after, it’s really not a complicated game.
I thought Photosynthesis was one of the best games in terms of theme matching the game play, and then this came along. The artwork and components are beautiful, the dice tower is arguably unnecessary but such an elegant and welcome addition, which makes it better somehow. I loved this game and much prefer it as an engine builder to Splendor, where the artwork and gameplay is a bit flat and uninteresting. I haven't played a better game in 2019 than this. A truly excellent game.
My dad and I are birdwatchers, he's not big on board games but will play one with me now and then, I think he'd love this one I hope we can play it together! Also so happy to see a female designer, I don't see many come up and it looks like Elizabeth Hargrave hit it out of the park with this one
Just finished another game of Wingspan an hour ago. Still a very very enjoyable game! Quality is top-notch and it's easy to explain all rules and get started in 15 minutes or so.
I loved the look of this game.I'm hoping my mom will want to play it because she likes birds.She's not much of a gamer normally, so I've been trying to find games I'll want to play, but also may interest her too.
Definitely on my wish list. Didn't think something with a bird theme would entice me but this one does and from a great pedigree of games. Viticulture and Scythe.
I'm still not sure about the weight of this game. Would it work as a family game? The rules seem a bit much at first, but watching through the video, it's actually not that complex. It feels similar to something like Evolution: Climate in terms of complexity..
Definitely more complex than evolution. I played it on Tabletopia against the automa and immediately had to play it again. A lot of calculations, running multiple scenarios and thinking ahead. Super fun though.
@@nahailyenvanakkor it is medium weight, only 4 options so it's easy to learn/needs practice to master if that makes sense. You can learn it as you play you should be fine. I would say kinda like Century.
If a theme like running a vineyard can be made into an excellent game, then perhaps a theme like birds can do the same. Stonemeyer keeps pulling off what seems impossible.
Awesome game i play it in the computer ,its available on Steam and is Amazing that you can hear the real singing for each bird and cool animations, of course is better to play the actual Board game but i dont have friends to play with so i go online
What's the brand/name of the plastic containers you're using to hold the eggs and tokens? Would love to get a few of those and don't believe I've seen them before.
No, the ones Tom is using here are different I believe. I have a few of those clear plastic bins, they had them at Walmart a while back in various colors. Not sure if they still do.
The one's Tom are using are called Super Stacker, Crayon Box (item # 38200). They are sold in Office Suppies at Walmart for $1.00 each. I just bought two today. Happy organizing!
The blue side functions as its supposed to. Its not *meant* to make a difference. Its just supposed to give you a goal. Its not confrontational vs non confrontational. Its competitive vs playing the same game together.
I was sceptical because I do not really care for the theme, but the game seems really fun from what I've seen. Gonna pick this up at some point this year for sure, thanks for the review. :)
Tom, can you mention if the trays and box will fit sleeved cards? I always premium sleeve my cards and I hate it when a great insert is made to only fit unsleeved cards.
@@Marky_X : Awesome. I so wish the reviewers consider sleeved cards when talking about the packaging. So many times the game has such great inserts but it won't fit sleeved cards. We need to know that going in before we buy. And game makers should keep sleeved cards in mind when making inserts/boxes for games.
Eggcellent game! Jumped right up to #1 on my favorites list and I can't see it moving anytime soon. But hey, if someone wants to publish a game I like even better than this, please do!
I was hoping for more flying bird mechanics. Almost pick-up and deliver style maybe? I just think the theme isnt super neccessary. It could be any theme? I know I'm gunna buy this anyways because I'm a huge fan of Stonemeir games and love animal themes soo much. Just have really high expectations and hope the game lives up to the hype when I finally try it.
@@ryanfournier9522 Yeah, I couldn't wait either. Ordered it last night... just a week or two (says Mid-January). I love the art, theme, and mechanics. I've seen two play throughs of this game, and I think it looks like so much fun!
@@J-Wheeler-G I debated the wait until March, but I am enamored by this games mechanics. I reminds me a lot of San Juan/Race for the Galaxy, where you have to give up cards/resources to grow. I've been working on my own game with this kind of feel for years.
Tom i been watching your videos and enjoying them, but have never been compelled to comment. But after watch top 100 with the guys I felt I should watch a review on wingspan. Historically speaking when people look back Wingspan will be the moment in time when Stonemaier jumped the shark. Might as well make it about earth worms.
@@thedicetower I could be mistaken, but I believe Happy Days was still very popular when the writers thought Fonzie Jumping the shark on skies was a good idea, but from a historical perspective many people look at that episode as the moment they ran out of good ideas. So in turn even though Wingspan is very popular and fun it seems that Mr. Stonemaier seems to be scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to themes in my personal opinion. Mr. Vasel I didn't mean any offense and have so much respect for what you do even though I am new to your videos. I tell my wife your videos are saving is hundreds of dollars because you inform the public what games are the cream of the crop. We haven't bought a bad game yet based on your recommendations. We are grateful for all the work you put into your videos.
Ohkapi Flock has enough cute birds of each color except for purple (it has black birds instead). It is such a bad game that probably can be found for dirt cheap.
@@TheMrE sadly Flock sells for at cheapest 34USD for me locally (Macau, China). But the thing is, It's just not good enough for me to sink that kind of money. As I've seen some reviews online, I've heard Flock can be a messy game unlike Wingspan.
Tom should have mentioned that the goal board is so thin and flimsy that I first thought it was part of the scoring pad that tore off. So disappointed with this as it did not meet my eggspectations as all the other components are eggcelent!
Wednesday was the start of pre order for early copies(which should ship in a week or so) , so copies were sent in advance so reviewers could meet that embargo date.
Amazing? Not, its a solitaire game with little to no player interaction. I found myself playing by myself the whole game not caring whatsoever what my opponents were doing and even when I did, there was nothing I could do about it. Production quality is I think pretty standard in terms of most games I buy, mostly cardboard with some upgraded components. The eggs are nice but the dice tower is awkward to use and the dice are absolutely terrible. Wooden dice? In the 4 or 5 times this has been played they're already starting to look black (darker) from the dirt and germs on peoples hands and they just don't feel so great, weight wise. The bird cards are all nice but the bonus cards are very plain. The card holder is supposed to hold sleeved cards but it doesn't, I can't get mine to close. I'll be selling my copy, I like Stonemaier Games but this was a disappointment.
Are you daft? It's basic science that everyone has oils in there hand and if they come into something that is highly porous, it shouldn't be to anyone's surprise that the oils and or dirt on someone's hand could transfer to another surface. I play games with other gamers, sometimes friends, sometimes both but realistically people's hands are disgusting. There have been countless polls showing that 95% of people don't wash their hands long enough to kill germs after using the bathroom, only 2 out of 3 people use soap; while 1 out of 10 people skip the sink altogether. You ask what kind of people I play with? Whomever wants to play and I can't ask people to wash their hands every time someone joins in. I didn't say the dice actually turned black, but the light color of the dice are anything but and have shown dirt/grime, and who knows what else after a few plays. Plastic dice are just more durable and at least I can't see the filth on them like I can the wooden dice.
@@djgossman I was merely jesting, no need to attack my intelligence. A petty exchange of insults is not necessary so I wont fire back. I'm genuinely surprised your components have actually gotten grimy, though. I'm paranoid about the longevity of my games, but I guess I'm blessed to have a few select gaming partners who value those things too. Its a shame wooden dice get dirty faster. I like the texture, and the rustic feel...
I don't get that criticism. Checking what people need to pick up and beating them to the punch in terms of food and drawing face up cards is crucial to win against good players.
This review hurts me. I played this one a couple of weeks back. It was boring, and it felt like none of my decisions had any real meaning. And that dice tower? Sure, it looks nice, but the functionality was poor. I have no problem with components that look nice, but when that gets in the way of functionality, I get annoyed.
John Wheeler Because, as I stated, I played it. It was boring, and did not offer me any important choices. I disliked the game. I hated the dice tower. Feeding large chunky dice through a small hole in the back of it is the definition of form over function. Adding to that is a tray that isn’t exactly large enough for the dice to come out at the bottom and finish rolling. Every time we rolled dice, there was at least one die that we needed to make a decision on what it actually was. A cool looking bird feeder that doesn’t perform it’s function well is a poorly designed game component. I have played a game since then that flat out doesn’t work. This game, technically, works. The mechanisms do what they set out to do. It is just that the gameplay itself is so bland that I don’t think it is worth the 40-60 minutes needed to play the game.
John Wheeler I can’t tell if you are calling me a liar, or merely implying it. Either way, I see no benefit from continuing this. I played the game, did not like it at all, and gave an honest opinion of it. You do not believe that I played it. There is not a lot of middle ground there. Feel free to ignore my stated opinion of the game.
Well, I respect your opinion, but also realize that it is in the minority. The game is already getting stellar reviews. And I agree with them, this is a great game. Hopefully you’re not one of those weird bitter people I see on bgg boards who hate on others for liking the game and make toxic posts. To each their own.
Kind of concerning he spends so much of his praise on the production values of the game. Yeah good production is nice but I'd like that to be 10% of the praise not 2/3 of the praise. I also am not sure what this game does differently than other engine builders other than having birds as the theme.
Did you actually watch the review? He spends about 90 seconds on the production values, and about 10 minutes and the rest of his review on gameplay. He fully explains the mechanics of the game’s engine building.
You should reread what I typed. I am talking about after he went through the mechanics. A large majority of what he praises are the production values .
Jason Janisewski Roughly the first half of the video is an overview of the game. The second half is his review. In the review section, he spends less than two minutes on production values, and the rest of the review discussing the game itself.
I really hope the retail version will not have the bird tower. Seems unwieldy and unnecessary. Also doubt that many of the high quality stuff will make it to retail.
It's kind of useful because it separates the dice that's been played from the dice that hasn't. I could see myself losing track of that if I didn't have the tower.
"there is no direct interaction in this game"... Since when it became totally acceptable to release games (and rate them excellent) that don't have any meaningful player interaction? /s
Maybe since ancient times, where people at the Olympics competed in a category (say javelin throwing, or sprinting) individually and then checked who did best ?
If he wanted to have scrambled eggs that bad he could have just opened a few chicken eggs instead of smashing all those little bird's eggs with a hammer. The work he will have to get all the shell pieces out of it.
Does anyone else watch Dice Tower videos EXCLUSIVELY at 2x speed? Too much content to watch at regular speed, and Tom and the gang are a little draggy without the speed boost...ENORMOUS fan, but gotta have the speed shoes on! :P
Andrew Simek Perhaps you want to hear the content of what he says, but stylistically, you wish to get it over with ASAP. I can understand that, especially with how kooky he is. That outfit, for example...
Are you kidding? Those birds could go in an official bird guide. Amazing art. If you mean the bland white all around it and on the objective cards, I think they did that to make the birds stand out and be the focus.
No, I am not kidding. The birds do look good. The graphic design is awful. The layout of the cards and symbology are boing. The same goes for the bonus cards. Tom also made comment about the bonus cards.
I don't know, they remind me of what the pages of the Audobon bird books look like, with the minimalistic white pages, text, and the drawing. I think it actually fits the feel of the game well.
no matter how many video reviews I watch, the throwing of the cards/tokens in the startup raises my anxiety every time. LOL thanks for another awesome review! I scored my copy today on AMZ for $44.
As a birdwatcher myself, I appreciate the adherence to reality. The birds are true to life and it appears that the habitat requirements, food, and stats of the birds are based on the real bird's preferences.
I hope you are right. Pretty sure Kingfishers nest near water though, and that's not what the card shows. I'm still undecided. Seems expensive, the dice tower is not needed, and the artwork is average at best. I love the concept, but might wait for the inevitable 2nd edition.
Yeah, I love the educational aspect of it.
I noticed some minor problems in game. For example hummingbirds are listed to eat rats... 😅 And some bird species are only north america when infact they are not.
I really like the fact that you can actually learn the names of the birds without being an educational game
IKR being educated sucks! 😶
It *is* an educational game. Source: I'm an Educational Psychologist.
Tom, is someone making you wear that waistcoat. Blink twice for yes.
It's to show that he sells rare items.
Sorry to necro this, but I seriously want to roll up a newspaper. Especially when combined with the hat. No! No!
Lmao
He definitely has a style that’s for sure.
ROTFL
Just a little correction: You do not wipe all the birds at the end of a round. Only the 3 face up one you can draw from.
He said "discard the birds that are in the face up thing" not wipe all the birds
“Little”
Played this one tonight and really enjoyed it! Very creative and unique themed game. The amount of work that went into this game is mind blowing!
WIngspan has now been written about in today's NYTimes, with the headline "She Invented a Board Game With Scientific Integrity. It’s Taking Off."
Just tried the game out tonight. It took a few turns before we really started to get a feel for the game...the early game is slow but once you get to the 2nd-4th rounds it really became something special. Can't wait to play it again.
I've bought it but have yet to play it... The rule book kinda scared me lol
Is it worth getting to play solo?
Had my first game the other night, really enjoyed it and agree with what you said.. should have tried it out a while back. It’s not too complicated at all :)
@@trojan403It has the smallest rulebook of all but the simplest of games.
You take one of four actions during your turn, and they're straightforward, and referenced on your player mat. That's 80% right there.
@@NaughtystimpyFriends are worth snagging just to play Wingspan.
In my experience the tucked cards are usually birds that were eaten...by raptors. Not really a flock.
I have no allegiance to Stonemaier Games, but it just makes me happy to see them put out quality games. One after another.
They are getting my allegiance more and more by putting out top notch quality games
Top quality productions*
I have really, really liked everything they have put out that I have played, at a minimum, and I have absolutely LOVED Scythe and Wingspan.
The game looks beautiful. I like the fact that you can play it solo too. It's going on my wish list.
The cards are actually themed around the bird too, which is cool. For instance, the Bronzed Cowbird places an egg on another bird. In nature Cowbirds are parasitic and leave eggs in other nests to make them feed it. (If that didn't show I watch birds lol), but it really adds to the theme, so well researched!!! I gotta get this!
We tried to play this last night but didn't get to play through because we were trying to find all the rules. My main quip is that there are so many different books for how to play. They could have done better with the rule book. There was also too much unnecessary information that made it even harder to find answers to questions we had. That being said, I'm excited to try it again! Thanks for the video. This assured me I did have it all figured out.
Its really one of those watch a video type games. A lot of them are leaning into that now and making rulebooks that are more precise.
The main rulebook states to just use the quick setup guide in the appendix, so we did then I read the full rulebook after, it’s really not a complicated game.
This is such an informative and comprehensible review. Thanks.
I've never seen a rulebook with linen finish, I cannot even imagine how that would feel.
Linenny.
Monopoly gamer collectors edition is the only other one I can think of
The last Stonemaier game, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, has one as well.
When life gives you linen, you make linenade.
I thought Photosynthesis was one of the best games in terms of theme matching the game play, and then this came along. The artwork and components are beautiful, the dice tower is arguably unnecessary but such an elegant and welcome addition, which makes it better somehow. I loved this game and much prefer it as an engine builder to Splendor, where the artwork and gameplay is a bit flat and uninteresting. I haven't played a better game in 2019 than this. A truly excellent game.
I ordered it for my wife who is a big bird watcher and loves to play games! Perfect for her birthday on January 31! Good overview and review!
My dad and I are birdwatchers, he's not big on board games but will play one with me now and then, I think he'd love this one I hope we can play it together! Also so happy to see a female designer, I don't see many come up and it looks like Elizabeth Hargrave hit it out of the park with this one
Try Piepmatz as well for a much easier card game about birds in case these game mechanics are too much for your dad
We love Stonemaier and are very excited about this release!
Just finished another game of Wingspan an hour ago. Still a very very enjoyable game! Quality is top-notch and it's easy to explain all rules and get started in 15 minutes or so.
Setup and explanation time are huge plus for this game.
Good they use cm. 👍🏻
Is putting cards under a bird to simulate a flock? Since it picked on smaller birds I assumed your bird was eating them! 🥺
For some it's flocks, for others it's eating I think
I assume the cards represent species, if the bird is a successful hunter, it is able to provide and then increase its flock :)
Engine building is a mechanism that has seemed great, so have played them all. But this is the only one that I have enjoyed. Bought!
Thanks for this detailed explanation if the game. We have it but have been a bit confused how to play it. Now we're set to enjoy it over Thanksgiving.
Who is the stylist of this show??! Who is it???! I want to call the police and this is not the first time!
Probably Tom himself lol
I loved the look of this game.I'm hoping my mom will want to play it because she likes birds.She's not much of a gamer normally, so I've been trying to find games I'll want to play, but also may interest her too.
Definitely on my wish list. Didn't think something with a bird theme would entice me but this one does and from a great pedigree of games. Viticulture and Scythe.
I bought this game not to long ago. It is Fantastic! I am really liking Stonemeier games!
I'm still not sure about the weight of this game. Would it work as a family game? The rules seem a bit much at first, but watching through the video, it's actually not that complex. It feels similar to something like Evolution: Climate in terms of complexity..
Definitely more complex than evolution. I played it on Tabletopia against the automa and immediately had to play it again. A lot of calculations, running multiple scenarios and thinking ahead. Super fun though.
@@micahgmiranda That's sad because I don't usually get to play complex games, but who knows, this might be it.
@@nahailyenvanakkor it is medium weight, only 4 options so it's easy to learn/needs practice to master if that makes sense. You can learn it as you play you should be fine. I would say kinda like Century.
@@micahgmiranda Its complex? My grandmother understood it fine. This is one of the few games she enjoys because its so simple
@@Wylie288 @Post Rock Mixes be thankful that you're surrounded by good people. My family are morons and my grandma is as dumb as a rock.
January 3rd and Tom is still wearing his outfit for new years eve 🥳
If a theme like running a vineyard can be made into an excellent game, then perhaps a theme like birds can do the same.
Stonemeyer keeps pulling off what seems impossible.
Awesome game i play it in the computer ,its available on Steam and is Amazing that you can hear the real singing for each bird and cool animations, of course is better to play the actual Board game but i dont have friends to play with so i go online
I'm so glad you gave this a very positive review. I was looking forward to this game.
Now I'm very comfortable buying this game.
Do we need to know bird laws to play the game?
No. But it helps to be a master of karate.
Hi. Jack Kelly. I'm a lawyer.
What's the brand/name of the plastic containers you're using to hold the eggs and tokens? Would love to get a few of those and don't believe I've seen them before.
Included in the game. Same ones that are used in Scythe.
Check Stonemaier or Meeple Source. I know they used to sell them separately.
No, the ones Tom is using here are different I believe. I have a few of those clear plastic bins, they had them at Walmart a while back in various colors. Not sure if they still do.
The one's Tom are using are called Super Stacker, Crayon Box (item # 38200). They are sold in Office Suppies at Walmart for $1.00 each. I just bought two today. Happy organizing!
Being good solo will put it at the top of my wish list. Based on how good Scythe is, they probably nailed solo play in this one too.
Yunis Rajab They did. Solo is fantastic.
The blue side functions as its supposed to. Its not *meant* to make a difference. Its just supposed to give you a goal. Its not confrontational vs non confrontational. Its competitive vs playing the same game together.
I'm hoping for a crossover between this game and Pandemic.
I see what you did there. Nice.
Shock and Terror
Oof
Bird flu.
Bruh
Well, you we're right Tom...Game of the year!!
I was sceptical because I do not really care for the theme, but the game seems really fun from what I've seen. Gonna pick this up at some point this year for sure, thanks for the review. :)
WARNING: The game has 20 wrong printed cards and errors in the rule book. Just check "cassins finch" und "cassins sparrow".
Tom, can you mention if the trays and box will fit sleeved cards? I always premium sleeve my cards and I hate it when a great insert is made to only fit unsleeved cards.
According to Jamey, it will fit the cards sleeved but expansions will have to be seperate
@@Marky_X : Awesome. I so wish the reviewers consider sleeved cards when talking about the packaging. So many times the game has such great inserts but it won't fit sleeved cards. We need to know that going in before we buy. And game makers should keep sleeved cards in mind when making inserts/boxes for games.
Andy Yan Grim Forest :(
Finally was able to get a copy. Very excited to get it to the table
Anyone consider enhancing player interaction by including an option to trade birds (either directly or using food) with other players?
"Dice tower judgment, eggcelent!"
I see what you did there.
Eggcellent game! Jumped right up to #1 on my favorites list and I can't see it moving anytime soon. But hey, if someone wants to publish a game I like even better than this, please do!
I was hoping for more flying bird mechanics. Almost pick-up and deliver style maybe? I just think the theme isnt super neccessary. It could be any theme? I know I'm gunna buy this anyways because I'm a huge fan of Stonemeir games and love animal themes soo much. Just have really high expectations and hope the game lives up to the hype when I finally try it.
I’m debating pre order from Stonemeier for January or wait until March from CoolStuff
I'm going to wait on this one. Also, Stonemaier games usually have great holiday discounts!
I grabbed it cuz I want it early I really wanna play this one!
@@ryanfournier9522 Yeah, I couldn't wait either. Ordered it last night... just a week or two (says Mid-January). I love the art, theme, and mechanics. I've seen two play throughs of this game, and I think it looks like so much fun!
@@prufrock1977 I bought it on miniature market. I do have to wait for it until march but it cost me less and no taxes in my state.
@@J-Wheeler-G I debated the wait until March, but I am enamored by this games mechanics. I reminds me a lot of San Juan/Race for the Galaxy, where you have to give up cards/resources to grow. I've been working on my own game with this kind of feel for years.
THE EGGS!!!! NOOOO!
Just ordered this. Can’t wait
@TheDiceTower great review, thanks. What token boxes do you use? I'm looking for good ones
Ahhhh, I think we will just play Ticket to Ride again.
This cute engine building game looks so interesting!!
Tom i been watching your videos and enjoying them, but have never been compelled to comment. But after watch top 100 with the guys I felt I should watch a review on wingspan. Historically speaking when people look back Wingspan will be the moment in time when
Stonemaier jumped the shark. Might as well make it about earth worms.
I don't know what this means? Wingspan is a HUGE selling game, and the most popular game to be published in 2019. How is that "jumping the shark"?
@@thedicetower I could be mistaken, but I believe Happy Days was still very popular when the writers thought Fonzie Jumping the shark on skies was a good idea, but from a historical perspective many people look at that episode as the moment they ran out of good ideas. So in turn even though Wingspan is very popular and fun it seems that Mr. Stonemaier seems to be scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to themes in my personal opinion. Mr. Vasel I didn't mean any offense and have so much respect for what you do even though I am new to your videos. I tell my wife your videos are saving is hundreds of dollars because you inform the public what games are the cream of the crop. We haven't bought a bad game yet based on your recommendations. We are grateful for all the work you put into your videos.
This looks fun once you figure the game out
Its super simple tbh if you ever played an engine builder
2019 starts with a bang ! Love it
Is this that brid box game I keep hearing about?
Bird meeples.. mmmmm. Where can I get those?
Tweeples?
TheMrE crazy boardgame like Flock
Ohkapi Flock has enough cute birds of each color except for purple (it has black birds instead). It is such a bad game that probably can be found for dirt cheap.
@@Ohkapi Flock would be perfect. It comes with 11 of each of the 5 colors
@@TheMrE sadly Flock sells for at cheapest 34USD for me locally (Macau, China). But the thing is, It's just not good enough for me to sink that kind of money. As I've seen some reviews online, I've heard Flock can be a messy game unlike Wingspan.
Imagine if dice tower dislikes a game with an actual dice tower
I love the production value, but watching how this game is played just makes me want to go and play Terraforming Mars instead.
this makes me happy
Spent 2 hours playing a game of this at a board game night recently. Nice but needs and Australian edition.
There's an Oceanic expansion being released to support the Bushfire Relief Fund.
Tom should have mentioned that the goal board is so thin and flimsy that I first thought it was part of the scoring pad that tore off. So disappointed with this as it did not meet my eggspectations as all the other components are eggcelent!
Played this game twice: absolutely bored with it. Totally overrated.
It sure looked boring from the review.
Dice Judgement... Eggcellent!
Birds... a game about birds. I’ll pick this up the day I retire... at 65
You’ll be missing out til then.
This game is just a group of people siting around playing solitaire.
Why are you dressed like a street magician?
Ελπιζω να το βγαλει και η Καισσα στην Ελλαδα...
Well I got buy it
Nice, but sounds extremely complicated.
It's pretty good, not enough birds for my taste
The main thing I don't like about this game is the end, "All right let's see who won" tedious counting victory points part.
Only Russian subtitles...
Is this only going to be published with American species? British species would be quite different...
Yes, for the base game. Future expansions will be themed to different regions of the world.
I want the expurgated British version: the one without the gannet; they wet their nests.
game looks great 👍👍
BIRD POWERS
Estimated release March 8? Seems like we're a bit early for this hype train.
Wednesday was the start of pre order for early copies(which should ship in a week or so) , so copies were sent in advance so reviewers could meet that embargo date.
I agree. You can buy the game now, whereas many of the Essen releases you still can't get in most countries, so it reasonable to review it now.
Amazing? Not, its a solitaire game with little to no player interaction. I found myself playing by myself the whole game not caring whatsoever what my opponents were doing and even when I did, there was nothing I could do about it. Production quality is I think pretty standard in terms of most games I buy, mostly cardboard with some upgraded components. The eggs are nice but the dice tower is awkward to use and the dice are absolutely terrible. Wooden dice? In the 4 or 5 times this has been played they're already starting to look black (darker) from the dirt and germs on peoples hands and they just don't feel so great, weight wise. The bird cards are all nice but the bonus cards are very plain. The card holder is supposed to hold sleeved cards but it doesn't, I can't get mine to close. I'll be selling my copy, I like Stonemaier Games but this was a disappointment.
Dice turning black because of germs on people's hand? Tell me, what kind of people do you play with? If they are people at all :D
Are you daft? It's basic science that everyone has oils in there hand and if they come into something that is highly porous, it shouldn't be to anyone's surprise that the oils and or dirt on someone's hand could transfer to another surface. I play games with other gamers, sometimes friends, sometimes both but realistically people's hands are disgusting. There have been countless polls showing that 95% of people don't wash their hands long enough to kill germs after using the bathroom, only 2 out of 3 people use soap; while 1 out of 10 people skip the sink altogether. You ask what kind of people I play with? Whomever wants to play and I can't ask people to wash their hands every time someone joins in. I didn't say the dice actually turned black, but the light color of the dice are anything but and have shown dirt/grime, and who knows what else after a few plays. Plastic dice are just more durable and at least I can't see the filth on them like I can the wooden dice.
@@djgossman I was merely jesting, no need to attack my intelligence. A petty exchange of insults is not necessary so I wont fire back.
I'm genuinely surprised your components have actually gotten grimy, though. I'm paranoid about the longevity of my games, but I guess I'm blessed to have a few select gaming partners who value those things too.
Its a shame wooden dice get dirty faster. I like the texture, and the rustic feel...
I don't get that criticism. Checking what people need to pick up and beating them to the punch in terms of food and drawing face up cards is crucial to win against good players.
The card holder definitely holds sleeved cards, mine are all sleeved and fit in just fine.
This review hurts me. I played this one a couple of weeks back. It was boring, and it felt like none of my decisions had any real meaning.
And that dice tower? Sure, it looks nice, but the functionality was poor. I have no problem with components that look nice, but when that gets in the way of functionality, I get annoyed.
Why are you hating on a game that isn't even out?
John Wheeler
Because, as I stated, I played it. It was boring, and did not offer me any important choices.
I disliked the game. I hated the dice tower. Feeding large chunky dice through a small hole in the back of it is the definition of form over function. Adding to that is a tray that isn’t exactly large enough for the dice to come out at the bottom and finish rolling. Every time we rolled dice, there was at least one die that we needed to make a decision on what it actually was. A cool looking bird feeder that doesn’t perform it’s function well is a poorly designed game component.
I have played a game since then that flat out doesn’t work. This game, technically, works. The mechanisms do what they set out to do. It is just that the gameplay itself is so bland that I don’t think it is worth the 40-60 minutes needed to play the game.
@@Jackanapes7 couple of weeks back no one had played this game
John Wheeler
I can’t tell if you are calling me a liar, or merely implying it. Either way, I see no benefit from continuing this.
I played the game, did not like it at all, and gave an honest opinion of it. You do not believe that I played it. There is not a lot of middle ground there. Feel free to ignore my stated opinion of the game.
Well, I respect your opinion, but also realize that it is in the minority. The game is already getting stellar reviews. And I agree with them, this is a great game.
Hopefully you’re not one of those weird bitter people I see on bgg boards who hate on others for liking the game and make toxic posts.
To each their own.
Kind of concerning he spends so much of his praise on the production values of the game. Yeah good production is nice but I'd like that to be 10% of the praise not 2/3 of the praise.
I also am not sure what this game does differently than other engine builders other than having birds as the theme.
Go look at radho run-through. He's saying that it's terraforming mars killer.
Did you actually watch the review? He spends about 90 seconds on the production values, and about 10 minutes and the rest of his review on gameplay. He fully explains the mechanics of the game’s engine building.
You should reread what I typed. I am talking about after he went through the mechanics. A large majority of what he praises are the production values .
Jason Janisewski Roughly the first half of the video is an overview of the game. The second half is his review. In the review section, he spends less than two minutes on production values, and the rest of the review discussing the game itself.
I said praise not discuss. Actually look at which aspects he praises vs which aspects are more explanations
FREEEEEE BIIIRRRDDD!!!
There’s a bird....yay.
Where is the fighting? Can I send my eagle over to other players and break some egs at least. Think I`ll pass on this one. SCYTHE is great though.
I really hope the retail version will not have the bird tower. Seems unwieldy and unnecessary. Also doubt that many of the high quality stuff will make it to retail.
you can play without it...
@@inuinuinuinuinu Yes, but I will still pay for it.
It's kind of useful because it separates the dice that's been played from the dice that hasn't. I could see myself losing track of that if I didn't have the tower.
this is the retail version!!!
No bird tower? Do you just not like fun?
It's eggcelent for sure....
Well I was done with my board game budget this month. Nvm
"there is no direct interaction in this game"... Since when it became totally acceptable to release games (and rate them excellent) that don't have any meaningful player interaction? /s
Maybe since ancient times, where people at the Olympics competed in a category (say javelin throwing, or sprinting) individually and then checked who did best ?
@@anaesthesiadolorosa7100 touché
Since when has the only form of meaningful player interaction been direct?
mmmmmmmmmm mini eggs
Wait... are you catching birds?? Or watching? 😂
You are attracting them to your wildlife reserve.
Seems like this game is... for the birds.
Yeaaaaaah!
If he wanted to have scrambled eggs that bad he could have just opened a few chicken eggs instead of smashing all those little bird's eggs with a hammer. The work he will have to get all the shell pieces out of it.
The cards are pretty bland. I feel a like blue fade would of made them loom a whole lot better.
To bad they used cubes instead of some bird meeples :D
Great idea for game upgrade.
Does anyone else watch Dice Tower videos EXCLUSIVELY at 2x speed? Too much content to watch at regular speed, and Tom and the gang are a little draggy without the speed boost...ENORMOUS fan, but gotta have the speed shoes on! :P
Andrew Simek Perhaps you want to hear the content of what he says, but stylistically, you wish to get it over with ASAP. I can understand that, especially with how kooky he is. That outfit, for example...
:)
Don't trash the games! jeez
This looks like a good game. But damn do I hate birds.
This game looks so boring. I own every Stonemaier game, but I actually think I'll pass on this one.
The graphic design on the cards is pretty bad
Are you kidding? Those birds could go in an official bird guide. Amazing art. If you mean the bland white all around it and on the objective cards, I think they did that to make the birds stand out and be the focus.
No, I am not kidding. The birds do look good. The graphic design is awful. The layout of the cards and symbology are boing. The same goes for the bonus cards. Tom also made comment about the bonus cards.
I don't know, they remind me of what the pages of the Audobon bird books look like, with the minimalistic white pages, text, and the drawing. I think it actually fits the feel of the game well.