I came across Link City and Landmarks at the same time (I actually mistook one for another) and I see you've got videos for both. Cool! As a party game, do you prefer one over another? By the way, I should mention when you give a sample turn in your video - awesome (chef's kiss). It really makes your videos three times more useful than someone else's for me when I'm trying to decide whether to buy it.
Thanks I’m glad you like my videos! I think link City is more of a party Game and Landmarks is more of a thinky party game. Both could be considered party games but it would depend on your group which would be best. If your group likes codenames then they can probably handle Landmarks. If that’s too thinky for them then probably not. But both feel different even though they seem somewhat similar so I would recommend owning both :)
Oh it will be a hit like codenames I believe! I found it best to play coop version first DVDs the gamer be the clue giver. Then split up into teams and pay the competitive version (which actually has less abilities to remember)
I love So Clover, Decrypto and Codenames they are some of my all time favorite games. So I bet I would like this one too-but with the aforementioned games there is almost unlimited replayability whereas with Landmarks I worry that once you’ve burned through the map cards the game will be done. Do you think replayability is a concern? Are there a very large number of those maps cards or is there a way to keep this game replayable after you have been through all of them that I am missing?
There is no concern. There are a ton of cards (150 total) for each difficulty level and by the time you’ve cycled through them all, there is no way you’ll have memorized the Maps. And since only 3 words seed the board everything is player induced from a word perspective so some could argue this actually has more replayability than the others.
There are 150 included map cards. The cards offer suggested starting words but those are there to get you started. The Pathfinder could easily pick any three words they want to start with with just the starting location mattering. In addition, Floodgate Games will be creating promos and additional map cards through other means.
Very glad to know that this game has lots of replayability. 150 map cards is an impressive amount and if an expansion is to follow that is even better. 😃 So I think Landmarks is going to be a hit for me and my game group! Looking forward to trying it out for myself. Thanks for making the video and introducing me to it.
The real Codename killer is Decrypto. There are some bits in here that might be too much for the average non gamer to grasp, where as Codenames and Decrypto, I can explain those games to my grandma and she won't be intimidated by the pieces or the rules overview.
The turn flow in decrypto is so fiddly it often doesn’t go over well with non gamers. This is super simple especially because you can run the game without taking any rules in the co-op version. Just place a tile and ask them to put it where it most belongs. You don’t even have to teach all the spots do until you hit them. In that case it’s easier to teach than codenames. Then in the second game you can have one of them give clues in the team game if you want. It’s more flexible and even more depth since your own clues can set you up for clues later.
We've actually found in our Demos that this game is really easy for non-gamers to play. You'll need someone who knows the game to run the Pathfinder, but the other players just need to place a word next to other words on the board. It's surprisingly easy to get started play!
It’s really not bad if the person likes logic / deduction. That is to say - the game has a somewhat niche audience. Likes word games and math puzzles. But does not need to be a gamer
I love Codenames and least for now should be mentioned in the same sentence as Codenames. Time will tell if it stands the test of time like Codenames has. The cool twist in the tram game is that you can play off your opponents words which you can’t do in Codenames.
I don't love how the words and symbols are preset in the maps, that makes the possible starting setups pretty limited (equal to the number of map cards that come with the game). The magic of codenames is there are so many possible permutations since the clue cards and the "map" keys are separate it's guaranteed you won't play the same game twice, with this game all it takes is drawing the same card again and you can reuse all the same clues you used last game. I guess it could be fixed with a web app that generated new maps (or at least a new set of 3 words to replace the ones in the card) or something.
There are 150 map cards so a ton of replayability and after you go through them all you’ll never remember them. Plus you can see the board with any words you don’t have to use the 3 suggested ones. This actually has more replayability than Codenames because other than the 3 starting words (which you can modify and create on your own) all the other words are made by you, not in cards like codenames.
This will not replace codenames. It looks like a good game, but it's trying to do too much. The amazing thing with codenames is that i can explain it to a non gamer in 3 sentences and they get it and we can all have fun. If I'm only playing with gamers, we will play decrypto. If i try to explain this to non gamers, i can already tell they will check out. The venn diagram this game satisfies will appeal to a tiny fraction of gamers. The word game here doesn't stand out amongst the competition for gamers and the rest of the game is going to lose non gamers and those non gamers are specifically why i have codenames.
Actually when playing with non gamers you don’t even have to teach anything up front (even easier than codenames). Because you the gamer can be the navigator playing cooperatively. Just write a word and ask them to put it next to 1 or more tiles that have strong connections with it. Then you can show what the different tile types do as you hit them. Then second game you could play competitively and have one of the others give clues if they want. I’ve played this with gamer’s and non gamers and I’ve had a very different experience than what you are suggesting here (I’m assuming you haven’t played it because it’s not available yet).
@@TheGameBoyGeeks I don't understand why you are reaching so hard here. It's obviously more complicated than codenames. You even get reference cards for the iconography. If you just want to gut the game so they can do basic word association that's fine, but I then I would still rather be playing codenames or so clover. The grid movement just makes it an updated mystic paths with the codenames mechanism instead of a binary choice. But then again it's just that game plus more rules overhead which clearly means there's more going on. And no I haven't played it but there's nothing really novel here and it's pretty straight forward. I'm not saying it's a bad game. But the fun in these games is the word association. The grid movement and tile management is just putting barriers in front of the things keeping non games engaged. The small percentage of people that want that on top of their word game won't be enough to make this a hit. But then again I'm just a random guy on the Internet.
@@grog3514 I’m not reaching at all. It’s less complicated for the guesser side for sure and You don’t have to put a non gamer on the clue giver hot seat as you can play cooperatively.
@@grog3514 And I liked mystic paths but it was way too long for what it was and You didn’t actually choose the words. This is way more streamlined and definitely replaces Mystic paths.
Shadows: Amsterdam is actually the more direct comparison... with words instead of Dixit-like clues. Also closer to 'Cross Clues' and 'So Clover' I think, than Codenames. The main thing about codenames is that it's probably the #1 team-vs-team based words game. Would it replace it? feels like no but we'll see...
I think it could for some people because codenames still is VERY thinky for a non gamer to be a clue giver on their first game (might not have a choice otherwise). Here you can run the first game cooperative being the clue giver then the next game have the non gamer be a clue giver in the team vs team version.
Still to find anyone who I play it with that doesn’t love it. I’m sure some people have codenames a 5 too :) people can be wrong and’s Tom isn’t the end all all be all.
Thank you for the review! I'm so glad that Landmarks earned a sax serenade! Me and Danilo are excited to see it presented at Gen Con!
Great job on this design! You’ve really got a hit on your hands!
We're really excited to get this one on more people's tables! Thanks for the great overview and review!
You’re welcome! You’ve got another hit on your hands!
Wow, Dan, you’ve convinced me on this one. Great overview! You’re awesome.
Ha! Thanks!
Wow! This is a really cool idea. Adding to my list, thanks!
You’re welcome!
We hope you love it!
I came across Link City and Landmarks at the same time (I actually mistook one for another) and I see you've got videos for both. Cool! As a party game, do you prefer one over another? By the way, I should mention when you give a sample turn in your video - awesome (chef's kiss). It really makes your videos three times more useful than someone else's for me when I'm trying to decide whether to buy it.
Thanks I’m glad you like my videos! I think link City is more of a party Game and Landmarks is more of a thinky party game. Both could be considered party games but it would depend on your group which would be best. If your group likes codenames then they can probably handle Landmarks. If that’s too thinky for them then probably not. But both feel different even though they seem somewhat similar so I would recommend owning both :)
Nice review! Was able to pick up this game in time for a family vacation. Hoping it is a hit like codenames and letter jam.
Oh it will be a hit like codenames I believe! I found it best to play coop version first DVDs the gamer be the clue giver. Then split up into teams and pay the competitive version (which actually has less abilities to remember)
I love So Clover, Decrypto and Codenames they are some of my all time favorite games. So I bet I would like this one too-but with the aforementioned games there is almost unlimited replayability whereas with Landmarks I worry that once you’ve burned through the map cards the game will be done. Do you think replayability is a concern? Are there a very large number of those maps cards or is there a way to keep this game replayable after you have been through all of them that I am missing?
There is no concern. There are a ton of cards (150 total) for each difficulty level and by the time you’ve cycled through them all, there is no way you’ll have memorized the Maps. And since only 3 words seed the board everything is player induced from a word perspective so some could argue this actually has more replayability than the others.
There are 150 included map cards. The cards offer suggested starting words but those are there to get you started. The Pathfinder could easily pick any three words they want to start with with just the starting location mattering. In addition, Floodgate Games will be creating promos and additional map cards through other means.
Very glad to know that this game has lots of replayability. 150 map cards is an impressive amount and if an expansion is to follow that is even better. 😃
So I think Landmarks is going to be a hit for me and my game group! Looking forward to trying it out for myself. Thanks for making the video and introducing me to it.
@@cortlandwheeler9412 cool! AB’s the publisher mentioned you don’t have to use the 3 seed words on the cards, you could use your own 3 seed words too.
The real Codename killer is Decrypto. There are some bits in here that might be too much for the average non gamer to grasp, where as Codenames and Decrypto, I can explain those games to my grandma and she won't be intimidated by the pieces or the rules overview.
The turn flow in decrypto is so fiddly it often doesn’t go over well with non gamers. This is super simple especially because you can run the game without taking any rules in the co-op version. Just place a tile and ask them to put it where it most belongs. You don’t even have to teach all the spots do until you hit them. In that case it’s easier to teach than codenames. Then in the second game you can have one of them give clues in the team game if you want. It’s more flexible and even more depth since your own clues can set you up for clues later.
We've actually found in our Demos that this game is really easy for non-gamers to play. You'll need someone who knows the game to run the Pathfinder, but the other players just need to place a word next to other words on the board. It's surprisingly easy to get started play!
doubtful its a codename killer for us, but will buy it and play it in addition to codenames. When is it out?
I believe they are having an early release at Gencon And retail in Sept. but best to contact Floodgate Games through their website to be sure.
We hope you give it a try! We are releasing Landmarks at Gen Con with a retail release in late August.
Wow this looks cool. Have you played A Message From the Stars?
Been our favorite word deduction game recently.
I have not played that one yet but I’ve heard good things. It seems like a lot more to teach to a non gamer in that one
It’s really not bad if the person likes logic / deduction.
That is to say - the game has a somewhat niche audience. Likes word games and math puzzles. But does not need to be a gamer
If you like this better than Codenames, is this a top 10 game for you? Looks fun!
I love Codenames and least for now should be mentioned in the same sentence as Codenames. Time will tell if it stands the test of time like Codenames has. The cool twist in the tram game is that you can play off your opponents words which you can’t do in Codenames.
This looks like a game I’ll enjoy. When is it coming out?
I believe they are having an early release at Gencon And retail in Sept. but best to contact Floodgate Games through their website to be sure.
We are releasing Landmarks at Gen Con in just a few weeks! Landmarks will be in retail in late August or early September.
Congrats. Great game
Feels like more of a So Clover killer than Codenames. There's room on my shelves for all of them though!
The spatial aspect is much more codenames :)
I don't love how the words and symbols are preset in the maps, that makes the possible starting setups pretty limited (equal to the number of map cards that come with the game). The magic of codenames is there are so many possible permutations since the clue cards and the "map" keys are separate it's guaranteed you won't play the same game twice, with this game all it takes is drawing the same card again and you can reuse all the same clues you used last game. I guess it could be fixed with a web app that generated new maps (or at least a new set of 3 words to replace the ones in the card) or something.
There are 150 map cards so a ton of replayability and after you go through them all you’ll never remember them. Plus you can see the board with any words you don’t have to use the 3 suggested ones. This actually has more replayability than Codenames because other than the 3 starting words (which you can modify and create on your own) all the other words are made by you, not in cards like codenames.
This will not replace codenames. It looks like a good game, but it's trying to do too much. The amazing thing with codenames is that i can explain it to a non gamer in 3 sentences and they get it and we can all have fun. If I'm only playing with gamers, we will play decrypto.
If i try to explain this to non gamers, i can already tell they will check out. The venn diagram this game satisfies will appeal to a tiny fraction of gamers.
The word game here doesn't stand out amongst the competition for gamers and the rest of the game is going to lose non gamers and those non gamers are specifically why i have codenames.
Actually when playing with non gamers you don’t even have to teach anything up front (even easier than codenames). Because you the gamer can be the navigator playing cooperatively. Just write a word and ask them to put it next to 1 or more tiles that have strong connections with it. Then you can show what the different tile types do as you hit them. Then second game you could play competitively and have one of the others give clues if they want. I’ve played this with gamer’s and non gamers and I’ve had a very different experience than what you are suggesting here (I’m assuming you haven’t played it because it’s not available yet).
@@TheGameBoyGeeks This is the experience we've seen in demos as well!
@@TheGameBoyGeeks I don't understand why you are reaching so hard here. It's obviously more complicated than codenames. You even get reference cards for the iconography. If you just want to gut the game so they can do basic word association that's fine, but I then I would still rather be playing codenames or so clover.
The grid movement just makes it an updated mystic paths with the codenames mechanism instead of a binary choice. But then again it's just that game plus more rules overhead which clearly means there's more going on.
And no I haven't played it but there's nothing really novel here and it's pretty straight forward. I'm not saying it's a bad game. But the fun in these games is the word association. The grid movement and tile management is just putting barriers in front of the things keeping non games engaged. The small percentage of people that want that on top of their word game won't be enough to make this a hit. But then again I'm just a random guy on the Internet.
@@grog3514 I’m not reaching at all. It’s less complicated for the guesser side for sure and You don’t have to put a non gamer on the clue giver hot seat as you can play cooperatively.
@@grog3514 And I liked mystic paths but it was way too long for what it was and You didn’t actually choose the words. This is way more streamlined and definitely replaces Mystic paths.
Shadows: Amsterdam is actually the more direct comparison... with words instead of Dixit-like clues.
Also closer to 'Cross Clues' and 'So Clover' I think, than Codenames.
The main thing about codenames is that it's probably the #1 team-vs-team based words game. Would it replace it? feels like no but we'll see...
I think it could for some people because codenames still is VERY thinky for a non gamer to be a clue giver on their first game (might not have a choice otherwise). Here you can run the first game cooperative being the clue giver then the next game have the non gamer be a clue giver in the team vs team version.
🔥🔥🔥
Another big hit for you guys!
Tom Vassel gave this a 5. Probably not killing codenames.
Still to find anyone who I play it with that doesn’t love it. I’m sure some people have codenames a 5 too :) people can be wrong and’s Tom isn’t the end all all be all.