I still go back and watch these older videos. Thank you for keeping them up. Love the channel in the crowded field of new and slick review channels. It holds up great.
You're correct -- that was a bit of an error on our part that wasn't caught until the video was already up. Only the unit offer (including any advanced actions that have ended up there from active monasteries) is refreshed every round. For spells and advanced actions, it's just the "bottom" one.
Thanks, Michael. That is exactly what we've been doing since we started having enough data to meaningfully analyze. At the start of the project, we committed to producing weekly videos for 1 year (through to the end of 2012), collecting data all the way. We've been doing "spot checks" of how they're working for us every few months, and will be sitting down for a final analysis before we even consider extending the project.
This is one of the best and most awesome games to come out in years. It's fantastic. And don't fret the learning curve - the walkthrough rules guide is one of the best written instructions I have ever read for a board game of this caliber and it eases you into the game real nice. If you're into fantasy themed board games that ooze flavor and love it when growing character power is really reflected in the rules and gameplay you simply MUST own this.
We do run an annual customer survey in the fall, and will include the videos in it, and we're also regularly getting requests for videos from customers, which we then incorporate into our planning.
Yeah, the publisher is great about making their more complex games teachable. The scenario basically stacks the deck of map tiles so that a new kind of encounter turns up on each reveal, and can be introduced as you go along. It isn't the most exciting quest (you play until you've revealed a city, but don't assault it, as it's a "scouting" mission), but is good for getting comfortable with the game as you go. It has a dedicated mini-rulebook, and is short, which is good for an intro game.
Wow, really awesome video. I have been almost dreading breaking into this game due to the complexity but this walkthrough of the basics is giving me the confidence to take the plunge.
I love Mage Knight a lot, but it really takes the right person to play the game. It has a high probability of a negative review from your gaming group if you know ahead of time that they don't like long, very deep, very tactical games. I taught this game to 3 of my friends in one epic game so it can be very enjoyable, but know your group. It's not for everyone, but it remains an awesome game.
Well, actually, I prefer sales people who will try to sell me a game that fits me. This includes giving cons, possibly even more than giving pros (I can usually tell quite quickly what I like about a game, finding out what I dislike is harder). So, I would always buy more from someone who actually describes the cons in detail, because I feel taken seriously.
What we're seeing instead is a good amount of referral traffic from youtube, twitter, and 2d6 (a review site that hosts our videos), and a general increase in sales and revenue. The fun comes with tracking how much of that sales increase can be attributed to the videos, and how much is due to other factors (overall growth, "bumps" from shows like Tabletop, etc). We've got some anecdotal evidence for customers who found us because of the reviews, but the rest is harder to track precisely.
I will reluctantly agree with that, though it only became apparent after multiple playthroughs. They're actually the same card stock as in Star Trek: Fleet Captains, and those definitely need sleeving as well. It's particularly jarring since all of the other components are awesome (especially they plastic tokens, and the tiles/cardboard tokens aren't bad either).
I appreciate the quality and professionalism of your reviews. I would be very interested to know which 5 or 10 games you recommend for the best solo experience - besides, of course, the incomparable Mage Knight.
We very rarely see a noticeable jump in sales for a reviewed game after we've reviewed it. This is because (1) our reviews list both pros and cons, and may in fact turn people away from a given game if it's not for them, and (2) we're often reviewing games that are very popular, and that a chunk of our viewers already own.
The main takeaway here for me is that last little bit about the elf barbarian. Wow, you guys are great actresses....which makes me wonder how much of the other stuff you say is blowing smoke :) Like your reviews a lot, thanks!
A very good wrap-up of the rules. If it wasn't for your episode I wouldn't have believed that such a short rules-introduction for this game would be possible. Awesome! Thank you very much ... I sincerely hope game-developers are aware of you and invite you to introduce games on conventionas and professional game-exhibitions ... ;)
i love how your reviews are scripted. no time lost on stumbling over words or useless tangents. best reviews i've seen. very professional, everyone should take lessons from you guys on how to properly do reviews.
@@510tuber life is good. Had many ups and downs over the last nine years. Finished grad school, got licensed in my field, family grew, it’s been a lot of fun. Don’t play board games as much unfortunately. And I still think this review is great.
OK, here's a question: Do you see any jump in a game's sales after doing a review? If so, is there any subsequent drop off? That is, are you seeing incremental sales when you do a review, or by doing a review are you accelerating future sales such that you aren't better off? I'm hoping you're seeing genuine incremental sales? Yes, I have an MBA.
It can be a bit hard to get on the table the first time. What I'd strongly recommend is playing though a solo game by yourself first, so that you can introduce the game to them by explaining, rather than having everyone try to work it out from the rules as you go (which gets very mess quickly). The mechanics of the game (flipping tiles to reveal new spaces/enemies as you explore) do lend themselves to a gradual explanation of new rules as you go along. There's also a "Tutorial" scenario.
Thanks! And yes, they do come painted. They're plastics, and on the lighter/flimsier side, but the detail on them is nice, most especially with Goldyx (the character that looks like a dragon). Good call on pointing that out.
oh wow, i didn't know about the tutorial scenario. that sounds really helpful. thanks for the reply. i'm just introducing my group to thematic games so we'll see how this weekend goes. if they enjoy it then i'll for sure give mage knight a try eventually. if anything i think i'd enjoy this game by myself either way
As for the cons,we'll have to disagree there. It's never been our intent to use the videos to drive sales of targeted products--there are much cheaper and more effective ways of doing that. In marketing terms, they're a brand-building exercise: we're putting a face (well, 2) to the company, building relationships with our customers, and establishing (hopefully) our integrity and reliability as reviewers as part of that relationship. Artificially soft reviews would only harm that effort.
Great review. It's impressive to see such a deep RPG support solo play. The ability to do a thorough playthrough before bringing guests over to learn a new game is super valuable. Also, did those minis come painted? If so, that's such a rarity it would be good to call out. Thanks for your great work on these videos!
Also, do you do any customer surveys? The old SPI was VERY successful with getting customer feedback on games and mags they produced and games they were considering producing. I strongly suggest asking your customers (e.g. on your website) which games they would like reviewed, do the review, and then see if you get any jump in sales. I admire your integrity in giving cons about games, but I strongly suggest not overdoing it because, after all, you are salespeople who want to generate sales.
Very informative game review!! Thank you very much!! I have been thinking of getting this game to play solo but I just found out that there will be a Star Trek Frontiers board game (similar to Mage Knight) coming out soon. I am now torn between getting either of those games and was wondering what your thoughts may be as to which i should get as my first solo board game. Thanks again and wonderful work!!
I really want to get this game! It got me excited that you could play by yourself. My family isn't intrested in these big strategy games. Even monopoly is too overwelming for them. I have one friend that is into this stuff although he tries to change rules when he is losing. I'll have to find some sort of group for other games.
Great game that doesn't see anywhere near enough playtime in my collection. Just wondering if anyone else has given the different hero's nicknames? Breezy-thighs is a definite favourite (guess who ;) )
I kinda wish they would talk without a script. I think the dynamic conversation helps reveal more time details and nuances than reading from a script. Ah well.
I agree with the poster lkjkhfggd, I always find myself zoning out during the rules descriptions, but I really like the opinion part where they talk about the pros and cons of the game. I wish more of the segments were devoted to that.
My group played this 3 times and put it away and have never played it again. Maybe we will try it again...if all our other games spontaneously combust.
Daniel Davis true, but it also seems limiting in some respects too. what if you have a tougher character that can take more damage, do they get a bigger hand size? I'm struggling with problems like that as I'm trying to design my own tabletop board game that uses cards as items and other things. do i want to just have an HP gauge or use cards to represent damage? i want the game to be fun and in depth while not being overly complicated which is a difficult line to walk.
Garth Palmer I understand. As a player, I like it when HP is represented as something more than just a gauge to monitor. I like it when it actually impacts what I can do as a player.
Daniel Davis is there anything else you've seen or can think of where HP is handled in another way than wound cards? thats something I've been racking my brain trying to come up with.
Garth Palmer What about some kind of balance tracker? When the game starts, it's at zero, and as the players take damage it shifts in favor towards the monsters/antagonists, and as the monsters/antagonists take damage, it shifts in favor towards the players?
I wish these board game reviews wouldn't spend 90% of the video explaining how to play the game. The best way to learn how to play a board game is to watch an example game online. The beginning explanation was unhelpful and confusing.
Nice video editing! Some reviews are very boring with someone just sitting there talking - and that's it - but this video had good camera angles showing what was being spoken about.
OK. So now you have to ask yourselves whether the incremental cost of doing videos is outweighed by the incremental sales lift you are generating, and whether you are better off increasing or decreasing your videos as well as CAREFULLY picking the games to review. It helps that a) your reviews are VERY professional, both in content and production values, and b) you're both attractive women which, believe me, having hung around wargamers for forty five years, is a major asset.
It took almost six minutes to get to the review. The prior time was spent explaining the minutiae of rules and gameplay. I get that you need some of that for viewers to understand what it is you're reviewing but it really feels like this video is bogged down by tutorial and light on review.
crackerasscracker your point is not well taken. If you already know how to play and the mechanics of the game, then why do you need to watch a review of the game? Most people need to either play a game first or understand the gameplay well before they spend $$ on it.
Yeah, I have to say that it's the way they present the rules and system of the game that helps me get a feel for what it is I'll be buying. This is the best review channel I've seen for breaking games down in an easy to understand kind of way, and actually helps me to know whether or not I might enjoy it.
you ladies are Beautiful And i like your necklaces And earings. you game girls know how to dress! my two favorite things are board games And beautiful women .going to watch And like all your vidos eventually
I still go back and watch these older videos. Thank you for keeping them up. Love the channel in the crowded field of new and slick review channels. It holds up great.
You're correct -- that was a bit of an error on our part that wasn't caught until the video was already up. Only the unit offer (including any advanced actions that have ended up there from active monasteries) is refreshed every round. For spells and advanced actions, it's just the "bottom" one.
Watching August 2022. You guys put out fantastic game reviews
Thanks, Michael. That is exactly what we've been doing since we started having enough data to meaningfully analyze. At the start of the project, we committed to producing weekly videos for 1 year (through to the end of 2012), collecting data all the way. We've been doing "spot checks" of how they're working for us every few months, and will be sitting down for a final analysis before we even consider extending the project.
This is one of the best and most awesome games to come out in years. It's fantastic. And don't fret the learning curve - the walkthrough rules guide is one of the best written instructions I have ever read for a board game of this caliber and it eases you into the game real nice. If you're into fantasy themed board games that ooze flavor and love it when growing character power is really reflected in the rules and gameplay you simply MUST own this.
We do run an annual customer survey in the fall, and will include the videos in it, and we're also regularly getting requests for videos from customers, which we then incorporate into our planning.
Yeah, the publisher is great about making their more complex games teachable. The scenario basically stacks the deck of map tiles so that a new kind of encounter turns up on each reveal, and can be introduced as you go along. It isn't the most exciting quest (you play until you've revealed a city, but don't assault it, as it's a "scouting" mission), but is good for getting comfortable with the game as you go. It has a dedicated mini-rulebook, and is short, which is good for an intro game.
Wow, really awesome video. I have been almost dreading breaking into this game due to the complexity but this walkthrough of the basics is giving me the confidence to take the plunge.
I love Mage Knight a lot, but it really takes the right person to play the game. It has a high probability of a negative review from your gaming group if you know ahead of time that they don't like long, very deep, very tactical games. I taught this game to 3 of my friends in one epic game so it can be very enjoyable, but know your group. It's not for everyone, but it remains an awesome game.
Well, actually, I prefer sales people who will try to sell me a game that fits me. This includes giving cons, possibly even more than giving pros (I can usually tell quite quickly what I like about a game, finding out what I dislike is harder). So, I would always buy more from someone who actually describes the cons in detail, because I feel taken seriously.
What we're seeing instead is a good amount of referral traffic from youtube, twitter, and 2d6 (a review site that hosts our videos), and a general increase in sales and revenue. The fun comes with tracking how much of that sales increase can be attributed to the videos, and how much is due to other factors (overall growth, "bumps" from shows like Tabletop, etc). We've got some anecdotal evidence for customers who found us because of the reviews, but the rest is harder to track precisely.
I will reluctantly agree with that, though it only became apparent after multiple playthroughs. They're actually the same card stock as in Star Trek: Fleet Captains, and those definitely need sleeving as well. It's particularly jarring since all of the other components are awesome (especially they plastic tokens, and the tiles/cardboard tokens aren't bad either).
Miss both of you
I appreciate the quality and professionalism of your reviews. I would be very interested to know which 5 or 10 games you recommend for the best solo experience - besides, of course, the incomparable Mage Knight.
We very rarely see a noticeable jump in sales for a reviewed game after we've reviewed it. This is because (1) our reviews list both pros and cons, and may in fact turn people away from a given game if it's not for them, and (2) we're often reviewing games that are very popular, and that a chunk of our viewers already own.
The main takeaway here for me is that last little bit about the elf barbarian. Wow, you guys are great actresses....which makes me wonder how much of the other stuff you say is blowing smoke :)
Like your reviews a lot, thanks!
A very good wrap-up of the rules. If it wasn't for your episode I wouldn't have believed that such a short rules-introduction for this game would be possible. Awesome! Thank you very much ... I sincerely hope game-developers are aware of you and invite you to introduce games on conventionas and professional game-exhibitions ... ;)
miss you guys
i love how your reviews are scripted. no time lost on stumbling over words or useless tangents. best reviews i've seen. very professional, everyone should take lessons from you guys on how to properly do reviews.
Are you still weird 9 years later?
@@510tuber life is good. Had many ups and downs over the last nine years. Finished grad school, got licensed in my field, family grew, it’s been a lot of fun. Don’t play board games as much unfortunately. And I still think this review is great.
OK, here's a question: Do you see any jump in a game's sales after doing a review? If so, is there any subsequent drop off? That is, are you seeing incremental sales when you do a review, or by doing a review are you accelerating future sales such that you aren't better off? I'm hoping you're seeing genuine incremental sales?
Yes, I have an MBA.
That's an awesome necklace!
It can be a bit hard to get on the table the first time. What I'd strongly recommend is playing though a solo game by yourself first, so that you can introduce the game to them by explaining, rather than having everyone try to work it out from the rules as you go (which gets very mess quickly). The mechanics of the game (flipping tiles to reveal new spaces/enemies as you explore) do lend themselves to a gradual explanation of new rules as you go along. There's also a "Tutorial" scenario.
Thanks! And yes, they do come painted. They're plastics, and on the lighter/flimsier side, but the detail on them is nice, most especially with Goldyx (the character that looks like a dragon). Good call on pointing that out.
AWESOME review! Thanks!
oh wow, i didn't know about the tutorial scenario. that sounds really helpful. thanks for the reply. i'm just introducing my group to thematic games so we'll see how this weekend goes. if they enjoy it then i'll for sure give mage knight a try eventually. if anything i think i'd enjoy this game by myself either way
...from the designer "what the fuck"... 0:10
LOL!
I feel like everyone owns this game but no one plays it.
fingerdrop I don't own Mage Knight.
I own it and play it. It took 7 years but you just got schooled twice.
@@510tuber lol. We’ll one comment in 7 years says a lot
I was almost sure you swore when you said the designer's name :)
Got the game yesterday to play in solitaire mode. Really good and fun but doubt I will play with other as it is a bit complicated for casual gamers.
As for the cons,we'll have to disagree there. It's never been our intent to use the videos to drive sales of targeted products--there are much cheaper and more effective ways of doing that.
In marketing terms, they're a brand-building exercise: we're putting a face (well, 2) to the company, building relationships with our customers, and establishing (hopefully) our integrity and reliability as reviewers as part of that relationship. Artificially soft reviews would only harm that effort.
Great review. It's impressive to see such a deep RPG support solo play. The ability to do a thorough playthrough before bringing guests over to learn a new game is super valuable. Also, did those minis come painted? If so, that's such a rarity it would be good to call out. Thanks for your great work on these videos!
i'm really interested in this game, but i'm afraid it would be overwhelming for my game group
1:14 I think you draw cards at the end of your turn instead
Yep. So you can plan ahead for your next turn.
Final buying this. As a solo gamer (boo hoo), this looks exactly what I need. Well, this and Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective.
Also, do you do any customer surveys? The old SPI was VERY successful with getting customer feedback on games and mags they produced and games they were considering producing. I strongly suggest asking your customers (e.g. on your website) which games they would like reviewed, do the review, and then see if you get any jump in sales. I admire your integrity in giving cons about games, but I strongly suggest not overdoing it because, after all, you are salespeople who want to generate sales.
If I win, do I get a date?
Very informative game review!! Thank you very much!! I have been thinking of getting this game to play solo but I just found out that there will be a Star Trek Frontiers board game (similar to Mage Knight) coming out soon. I am now torn between getting either of those games and was wondering what your thoughts may be as to which i should get as my first solo board game. Thanks again and wonderful work!!
Mage knight sounds like a great game and I wanna get it for Christmas
Is that how you pronounce his name?
Insta subbed after 2 mins, superb vid! Thanks for uploading! Going to buy this game asap! :)))
how i buy i am from vietnam buck i love this game
Excellent review!
I really want to get this game! It got me excited that you could play by yourself. My family isn't intrested in these big strategy games. Even monopoly is too overwelming for them. I have one friend that is into this stuff although he tries to change rules when he is losing. I'll have to find some sort of group for other games.
Great game that doesn't see anywhere near enough playtime in my collection. Just wondering if anyone else has given the different hero's nicknames? Breezy-thighs is a definite favourite (guess who ;) )
Tried it yesterday and my brain melted on the rule book. Looks really good though on my first play test. Time flied by so fast! Time consuming game.
I live this game, I never put it back into its box as I aM constantly playing it! Just awesome...
I kinda wish they would talk without a script. I think the dynamic conversation helps reveal more time details and nuances than reading from a script. Ah well.
I agree with the poster lkjkhfggd, I always find myself zoning out during the rules descriptions, but I really like the opinion part where they talk about the pros and cons of the game. I wish more of the segments were devoted to that.
My group played this 3 times and put it away and have never played it again. Maybe we will try it again...if all our other games spontaneously combust.
im not sure im a fan of games that use wound cards for your hand or use your hand size as your HP. it seems an unusual way to represent health to me
It's a great way of showing how your options/powers become more limited as you become more debilitated/fatigued.
Daniel Davis true, but it also seems limiting in some respects too. what if you have a tougher character that can take more damage, do they get a bigger hand size? I'm struggling with problems like that as I'm trying to design my own tabletop board game that uses cards as items and other things. do i want to just have an HP gauge or use cards to represent damage? i want the game to be fun and in depth while not being overly complicated which is a difficult line to walk.
Garth Palmer
I understand. As a player, I like it when HP is represented as something more than just a gauge to monitor. I like it when it actually impacts what I can do as a player.
Daniel Davis is there anything else you've seen or can think of where HP is handled in another way than wound cards? thats something I've been racking my brain trying to come up with.
Garth Palmer
What about some kind of balance tracker? When the game starts, it's at zero, and as the players take damage it shifts in favor towards the monsters/antagonists, and as the monsters/antagonists take damage, it shifts in favor towards the players?
I wish these board game reviews wouldn't spend 90% of the video explaining how to play the game. The best way to learn how to play a board game is to watch an example game online. The beginning explanation was unhelpful and confusing.
Nice video editing! Some reviews are very boring with someone just sitting there talking - and that's it - but this video had good camera angles showing what was being spoken about.
"From designer Vlada Fucking"?
hahaha...thats probably not what u said, but it sure sounded that way to me! :))
OK. So now you have to ask yourselves whether the incremental cost of doing videos is outweighed by the incremental sales lift you are generating, and whether you are better off increasing or decreasing your videos as well as CAREFULLY picking the games to review. It helps that a) your reviews are VERY professional, both in content and production values, and b) you're both attractive women which, believe me, having hung around wargamers for forty five years, is a major asset.
Right? Holy shit she's amazing.
Excellent intro ...
An inept barbarian elf? Sure. ^^
wow thats the shortest time i ever saw those rules explained! 🤣👌🏻
perfect
imo it is the best game i have ever played!
Nope -- Czech names are just awesome.
have this it's a long game And deep strategic game
10yr ago wow. Yall are beautiful btw
Its always nice to see women represented in this male dominated hobby.
hear hear!
Elf-barbarian ftw!
neat
You guys are way easier to look at than Tom Vasel. (No offense Tom).
It took almost six minutes to get to the review. The prior time was spent explaining the minutiae of rules and gameplay. I get that you need some of that for viewers to understand what it is you're reviewing but it really feels like this video is bogged down by tutorial and light on review.
crackerasscracker your point is not well taken. If you already know how to play and the mechanics of the game, then why do you need to watch a review of the game? Most people need to either play a game first or understand the gameplay well before they spend $$ on it.
Yeah, I have to say that it's the way they present the rules and system of the game that helps me get a feel for what it is I'll be buying. This is the best review channel I've seen for breaking games down in an easy to understand kind of way, and actually helps me to know whether or not I might enjoy it.
sorry i didn't hear most of the guide... you guys are so pretty
I hate living in Ohio. We do not have beautiful nerds such as these
you ladies are Beautiful And i like your necklaces And earings. you game girls know how to dress! my two favorite things are board games And beautiful women .going to watch And like all your vidos eventually