Love these type of reviews. I've said it so many times I feel like a broken record. Quick video reviews covering many games that fall through the cracks are invaluable to someone like me who is constantly looking for new games.
I find League to be fun, but then I’m an English teacher, so cheerful geeking out over “word stuff” may happen more easily with me. Keep in mind, too, that Tom showed a card from the “tricksy” deck. When I play with my husband (another English teacher), we don’t care so much about collecting the items (as nice/clever as the cards are), but that’s true of us and just about every trivia game. We always end up just making our own game around the questions. My only quarrel with League, actually, is how tightly the cards sit in the box. It’s a beautiful production, but I shudder just thinking of trying to get the box open without tearing anything up, and so it hits the table less often than I’d like and definitely hasn’t come to my classroom yet. That’s a shame as the questions really are thoughtful and better vetted than in other trivia games, and the upcoming slang pack (part of the original KS but fulfilling later) looks fun. I definitely recommend this one to self-described word nerds from about high school age and beyond since the questions are pleasingly original and generate interesting discussions.
The puzzle piece scoring of Fossil Canyon is really intriguing! I'm surprised I haven't seen something like that where there's a growing board piece like that to show where everyone is at in points. And Romi Mani looks like a game my parent's would love to play with me (not a knock, that's a compliment.)
Quick clarification for Hair of the Dog: you don't need to waste turns discovering what dogs need for pets. You can talk to other players who are given the pet conditions after they succeed, then go get the treat you know they want. A big part of the game is information sharing. (The toast mechanic makes more sense when you are sharing/not sharing info too.)
There are a lot of different ways to make a game about big words fun. and education It’s been done before. League of lexicon doesn’t seem to be trying to be fun. It feels like it’s main goal is to make you feel dumb. For example bilious has a few different definitions. If you don’t know all of them or happen to know the particular one they’re referring to, your stuck trying to pick the choice you think best fits the definition you do know 🙄
I have played Fossil Canyon with several different kids and they have all liked it. There is not a lot of depth but this is a very rare case where I have to disagree with your score. I would give it a 7.5. Sorry Tom.
@@CamObscura88 in terms of ratings by dice tower, yes. A seven or higher gets a seal that says the dice tower recommends this game. You will see this on quite a few of board games as publishers use this as promotion for the game. For the random TH-cam person commenting on a video, who knows. No frame of reference, have to assume they have the same standards as dice tower, no idea if they are using the same scale. But for the dice tower rating scale, there is an absolute difference.
Don’t know why tom does not like randomness. For me though, it is pretty simple. Random decks, random behaviors, random setup serves one purpose, and that is to provide a different experience. But with randomness you need mitigation. No mitigation leads to no strategy, which leads to pure luck. When you win you feel like you didn’t earn it, when you lose it feels like there was no way to win, and overall, win or lose, why bother at all. The games with randomness reviewed here, no mitigation. No way to improve a bad deal, bad draw, bad roll. Why play a game, when nothing you do matters?
Wow! League Of The Lexicon gets a 3, while Priorities gets a 7. I thought Tom had reasonable taste in games. Maybe it's just me, but I would switch the scores, based on the descriptions. I haven't played either, but I would only want to play one, and it's not the "what do you think about this?" style of game (excuse me while I puke) that somehow is considered a game, while testing your knowledge, plus a little luck, is NOT a game???
@@CarriedbyGg Not for games that require you to rate your spouse's opinion on tofu sandwiches. I don't need to hear any more about a game like that - it's not for me. I can't fault Tom for giving his honest opinion. I just think it's from a whole different planet than mine.
Priorities looks like a fun Apples to Apples party game variant that is popular with contemporary gamers. League of Lexicon looks like shitty Trivial Pursuit variant straight from the 1980's.
Love these type of reviews. I've said it so many times I feel like a broken record. Quick video reviews covering many games that fall through the cracks are invaluable to someone like me who is constantly looking for new games.
Congrats to Romi Rami. I playtested a very early version of this and I always thought it had this charm.
Romi Rami, thanks for the suggestion, like that kind of family card games. See you at GenCon
Fossil Canyon is literally a Museum game made in parent with the Field Museum in Chicago.
Happy to hear Romi Rami got a recommendation - it's on my GEN CON 2023 listing!
Just pre-ordered Romi Rami for my mom. This is the kind of game my son and I would enjoy playing with her. Thanks for the review!
I find League to be fun, but then I’m an English teacher, so cheerful geeking out over “word stuff” may happen more easily with me. Keep in mind, too, that Tom showed a card from the “tricksy” deck.
When I play with my husband (another English teacher), we don’t care so much about collecting the items (as nice/clever as the cards are), but that’s true of us and just about every trivia game. We always end up just making our own game around the questions.
My only quarrel with League, actually, is how tightly the cards sit in the box. It’s a beautiful production, but I shudder just thinking of trying to get the box open without tearing anything up, and so it hits the table less often than I’d like and definitely hasn’t come to my classroom yet. That’s a shame as the questions really are thoughtful and better vetted than in other trivia games, and the upcoming slang pack (part of the original KS but fulfilling later) looks fun. I definitely recommend this one to self-described word nerds from about high school age and beyond since the questions are pleasingly original and generate interesting discussions.
The puzzle piece scoring of Fossil Canyon is really intriguing! I'm surprised I haven't seen something like that where there's a growing board piece like that to show where everyone is at in points. And Romi Mani looks like a game my parent's would love to play with me (not a knock, that's a compliment.)
Thanks for the review of Romi Rami!
Belle job Joel
Quick clarification for Hair of the Dog: you don't need to waste turns discovering what dogs need for pets. You can talk to other players who are given the pet conditions after they succeed, then go get the treat you know they want. A big part of the game is information sharing. (The toast mechanic makes more sense when you are sharing/not sharing info too.)
Is there ever going to be another "bunch of bad games" -review, with that awesome western intro? I really enjoyed those.
"The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" title with that intro would be a good series for reviews.
I imagine he has to actually play several bad games to be able to make a video on it. It's probably a good thing he hasn't made one in a bit.
I am pretty sure, that this video series kinda includes the 'bunch of bad games' review :D
Romi/Rami looks great.
Fun watching these fast reviews!
Thank you for the quick reviews.
I'm definitely going to check out Romi Rami. My extended family loves Rummikub. Could make a good gift.
That would make a good trivia book.
Simple trivia games are still fun for me. I actually prefer it if they’re so challenging that I miss a lot.
Absolutely. My group and I love trivia, trivia games, and competing with each other with trivia. It is absolutely a game and a ton of fun for us.
Thanks, Tom!
Love vids like these
5:13
What do they speak in the UK?
So if I said the more correct definition of antediluvian (before Noah’s flood) I’d be wrong? {league of the lexicon}
There are a lot of different ways to make a game about big words fun. and education It’s been done before. League of lexicon doesn’t seem to be trying to be fun. It feels like it’s main goal is to make you feel dumb. For example bilious has a few different definitions. If you don’t know all of them or happen to know the particular one they’re referring to, your stuck trying to pick the choice you think best fits the definition you do know 🙄
Wow, voice recognition really butchered that. I thought I proofread, but apparently not 🤣
Romi Rami looks like Splendor the card game
I have played Fossil Canyon with several different kids and they have all liked it. There is not a lot of depth but this is a very rare case where I have to disagree with your score. I would give it a 7.5. Sorry Tom.
Is a 6.5 that different from a 7.5?
@@CamObscura88 in terms of ratings by dice tower, yes. A seven or higher gets a seal that says the dice tower recommends this game. You will see this on quite a few of board games as publishers use this as promotion for the game. For the random TH-cam person commenting on a video, who knows. No frame of reference, have to assume they have the same standards as dice tower, no idea if they are using the same scale. But for the dice tower rating scale, there is an absolute difference.
Why would cannibalism be controversial? Ask Timothy!
A Dog not wanting bacon - never has happened and never will!
We enjoy "Priorities", but find too many of the words are too ambiguous and need discussing. It's fun but only in small doses.
Well someone was in a bad mood today.
More seriously, why does Tom hate randomness so much?
Don’t know why tom does not like randomness.
For me though, it is pretty simple. Random decks, random behaviors, random setup serves one purpose, and that is to provide a different experience. But with randomness you need mitigation. No mitigation leads to no strategy, which leads to pure luck. When you win you feel like you didn’t earn it, when you lose it feels like there was no way to win, and overall, win or lose, why bother at all. The games with randomness reviewed here, no mitigation. No way to improve a bad deal, bad draw, bad roll. Why play a game, when nothing you do matters?
Wow! League Of The Lexicon gets a 3, while Priorities gets a 7. I thought Tom had reasonable taste in games. Maybe it's just me, but I would switch the scores, based on the descriptions. I haven't played either, but I would only want to play one, and it's not the "what do you think about this?" style of game (excuse me while I puke) that somehow is considered a game, while testing your knowledge, plus a little luck, is NOT a game???
Sometimes playing the game really changes your perspective.
@@CarriedbyGg Not for games that require you to rate your spouse's opinion on tofu sandwiches. I don't need to hear any more about a game like that - it's not for me.
I can't fault Tom for giving his honest opinion. I just think it's from a whole different planet than mine.
Priorities looks like a fun Apples to Apples party game variant that is popular with contemporary gamers. League of Lexicon looks like shitty Trivial Pursuit variant straight from the 1980's.
@@wolflarson71That's an insult to Apples To Apples.