Can't believe Ive been only been watching Dice Tower and SU&SD these last few years since I discovered boardgames. It's like Ive been listening to Cliff Richard my whole life and somebody has just played me Napalm Death.
To add to #1, when the influencers who told you the game was awesome then when it's released are like "I culled my copy" , and then when people call them on it are like "my gaming tastes are allowed to change!" . Yeah.... gaming tastes change, I've had games sour on me.....but you knew this game was "meh" from the get go.
Too many people listen to paid reviewers. If you play enough and are on the hobby a long time and seen the people reviewing and their tastes you should be able to know when they sell you crap for a wage. SA&SD, Quackalope, Boardgameco, ManVsMeeple among others... Yes i dare name them.
Idk about all the others but Quack are def hype men. They aren't strictly lying, but they basically say everything is GREAT!!! Which makes their reviews and impressions completely pointless. I don't get the same from boardgameco though he usually will list stuff that he didnt like or others might not like and that section is usually enough for me to decide for myself if its the type of game i would like or not.
Im pretty new to the hobby and I definitely leaning on the opinion of content creators a lot. from my perspective they were an authority/have experience in this hobby. Then I started to realize, dang, these people are getting free stuff sent to them, they go all-in, but they are getting patreon money and TH-cam monetization coming coming in to subsidize the cost. So when they are talking going all in, that’s not all coming from out of pocket at all, like you and I. I realized the top content creators in this hobby are in a different category and you really need to take what they say with a grain of salt. There are some that are super legit, but I think a lot are caught up in the hype to create more and more content.
@@walris44i agree. Quack dude sucks and he kind of creeps me out for some reason, that’s neither here nor there. Boardgame co is one of the best in the game but that dude is also invested in his channel, creating unboxing videos and content videos so when he says he’s going all in, I know patreons are paying for it too. It’s not all out of pocket. Heck, at this point companies send him free games.
@@budsticky I accuse Rhadi of doing the same thing. But this video is right....most of them are turning into KS shills. I love it when they tell you this is the best KS game ever, and when the campaign ends it suddenly doesn't even make the top 20 games of the year for them.
Oh god, your number 10 is SO SPOT ON. Plus, these people who are “moderators” on Facebook board game groups who make posts about how amazing a game is before it even launched on Kickstarter. Then, if you ask them if their post is a paid ad, they kick you out of the group and block you. Another guy on TH-cam made a whole series of videos about his dealings with these people. It’s so frustrating watching crap games make millions because of these people where great games get completely binned because they didn’t grease the right pocket.
The best board game video I’ve seen in a long time. Very funny and very true. Number 10 especially. My heart sinks whenever I see Quackalope’s over excited face whilst he’s reviewing a lump of shit.
Haha just my thought. Stopped viewing his videos a very early on. So much talking and praising turds. Oh and don’t even start on Rahdo. Every board game he ever reviews is hyped to the best thing ever. You could send him a pile of dirt and he’ll praise it like it’s the second coming of Jesus. Saw a video of his once. Where he scrolled through all his bgg ratings. Over 1300 ratings. And the one in the bottom with the lowest rating had a 8.1 rating. Are you serious. 😱😱😱 That’s complete bullocks.
@@xGarrettThiefx IMO that wasn't always the case, as prior to the Daniele Tascini flashpoint, IMO he came across as simply someone who wanted to be positive, affable etc. (overly) Enthusiastic for sure, but he seemed naturally kind-hearted. He certainly attracted strong ire / attacks from the activists on BGG for his initial comments on that flashpoint, and that put him in a difficult position. He chose to lean into being more in tune with them, and as a business decision, I very much can understand it. I still genuinely believe he wants to be a decent person, but it's maybe not as natural as he was, as he's aware of the flak he got, and is a little more self-conscious about a further mis-step. I'd much rather people retain their natural instinct for wanting to be a good person, rather than being influenced by fear of further attacks.
Love it! Great list, Matt. One thing I hate are the plastic inserts that come with a game that either don't hold everything once you punch it all out or just completely let everything inside fly around inside if you simply tip the box on its side. I just end up tossing them in the trash and bag everything up so that it all fits in the box and doesn't explode in my face like a firework the next time I open it up. Eagle Gryphon are one of the rare publishers who add a plastic top to some of their game inserts so that you can close it all up once everything's in. More publishers need to follow their example.
Publishers should stop putting inserts in board games. The people who vare about it make their own or buy 3rd party inserts anyway, and the rest of us throw it out and use baggies anyways. Stop wasting money and resources. Give us the FFG cardboard trench shipping protection and a couple of bags and focus on the rest of the production instead
Days of wonder used to do this. Check out original copies of "Cleopatra and the society of architects" for proof. I agree though. if youre gonna go through the effort do it right or dont bother at all. At least be honest about your uncaring laziness to provide a reasonable product to consumers.
From the game I own, the biggest "Empty Box" offender is definitely Splendor. Basically a deck of cards, ten Nobles, and 40 chips/ tokens- and all of that in a box that is at least 80% empty.
It is annoying when board games don't give you any bags to put the pieces in. But when I got into sewing I has a euphoric moment when I realised that I can make bags for all of these components which will always give me some little project to work on.
The spiritual mashup of Sleaford Mods and Dice Tower that I didn't know I needed. Just needs a dude with a long beard and a laptop full of beats doing backup
I just found this channel randomly and I 100% agree and love your content my dude (sorry, I'm a yankee) please keep it coming as this brilliant and 100% on point.
Number 2 is very easy to explain. 1-Shelf space, a big box get more atention then a small box. 2- Cost reduction, If you produce many diferent games you whant to have fewer sizes as possible so you don´t need that much inventory and reduce stock brakes
I’ve been following you for years now and hands down you continue to provide the best in board gaming content. Thank you for your raw honesty and passion towards the hobby. …. and for me? You’ve hit the nail right on the head with #10 - fucking “influencers”….. feels like it’s some bullshit popularity contest.
Great video! Many fantastic points here! Uneven turns bothers me a lot - lost a game of Scythe just a few days ago due to that having prepared for a massive last turn that I never got to go through with. Baggies never been a problem for me, so many games come with an overabundance so I have stores of hundreds and hundreds of them in different sizes that I never know what to do with. That said - I recently sold my copy of Shipyard due to its fiddly captains and chimneys.
How have I never seen your channel until today. This right up my alley...The damn plastic wrap on cards is too accurate...and cardboard construction very recently got me with King of Tokyo: King Kong expansion. That stupid Tokyo Tower was never made to ever stand without you gluing the hell out of it.
Love this!!! My one peeve is useless inserts very similar to empty boxes... oh and regarding number 10 I can guarantee any game that Tom Vassel hates I love!! I don't really pay attention to (paid or non paid) reviews of games I try to watch how to play videos but in saying that your reviews and how to plays are the best!!!
The inserts are most often there to stabilize the box contents during shipping, not to be a practical storage area. I do wonder about FFG and others who insist on decorating such a disposable with artwork, though.
01:51 I love that your example is Eldritch Horror lol I do love the series. It's one of the few dice-in-combat games that I'm fond of. But the boxes are so unnecessarily huge. I've ended up using the base box for keeping boards and manuals from all the expansions along with the base game components, and have placed pretty much everything else in ziploc bags, the total volume of which are about the size of one large expansion box. So the entire line could have been stored in two big boxes instead of 5 big ones and four little ones.
You said it best about these paid or sponsored previews AND reviews. I always make sure to steer clear of their channels and I tell others to avoid them. Because whether these channels admit it or not, they ARE part of the board game community and their deceptive practices weakens it.
I create preview videos. It is my job. But I've been a gamer for over 40 years and have been a part of the hobby as long as I can remember. I hope my videos don't come across as deceptive (I don't give my opinions in those videos, just provide a playthrough so that people can make their own mind up)
@GamingRulesVideos I watch a lot of your videos and I think they are the best. I have ended up purchasing several games based on your play throughs. Keep up the great work.
I give Ed at Heavy Cardboard credit here: his sponsored previews do not have review or postgame discussions, and he often says, 'We're not trying to sell you on this game, but you can see for yourself whether it's for you.'
@@majkus I do exactly the same :) the thought of making a promotional marketing video where I will say marketing friendly phrases that persuade people to buy the game makes me feel sick. I’ll let other people do that with their “one of the best games I’ve ever played” on every video :)
@@garylaframboise2721 thanks. If you’ve watched a lot of videos, you’ll know that I do some that are sponsored, and some that are not. And on the sponsored ones, I focus on providing information only, showing how it plays, not repeating marketing buzzwords to get you to back it.
Great list but you missed my personal #1: TOO MANY F**KING BOARD GAMES!! I can't even play games I love more than a few times to fully learn them and develop strategies because in any group you play with, everyone has their own favorite they want to play and then there's the 'Cult of the New' that everyone clings to because of FOMO ... just make it stop. We need at least a five year moratorium on any new games, FFS. Great games get lost in the dust and our collections get bigger but by the time I play a game a second time, it might have been years since the first time I played it! Yeah, so, too many board games is my number one, followed by almost everything you said plus more.
so true, sometimes gaming events seem more like show and tell of new games that are played once and never seen again as people keep bringing these big bag of games
I think the reason why we get oversized boxes, is that many people associate size of the box with "how much stuff there is in the game", and thereby "how much this should cost".
This is great! You must post the not safe for work version!!!! Number 8 is the most annoying thing. I've ruined many a card because of it. And number 10 is the best. Seeing it more and more which is unfortunate.
My favourite one is when insert can hold all the cards but there isn't enough room for cards in sleeves or those 10 cards that come in a promo next year and everything just becomes a mess inside. Then you either toss the insert out and try to make some sense with a shitload of rubber bands or buy overpriced custom insert that you have to assemble yourself, doesn't come with glue and when you finally find your old glue it's already dry as fk. And then, after couple of years, after the last expasion has been sold out, they print out limited amount of boxes that can store everything nicely for a price of another bloody expansion. I'm talking about you, Raiders of the Northern Sea. Bollocks!
Number 10# has basically turned some of my favourite channels into commercials. It seems that those around 30-50k Subs are the worst offenders, as it's a crux for taking the channel to the next stop of popularity.
Yes, I used to very much enjoy Alex Radcliffe's 'coffee table' monologue on hot / sensitive topics and did like that he discussed / acknowledged different perspectives. That felt like it got dropped in favour of more commercial influences, as part of building his channel's revenues, plus his gig at Gamefound. It felt more and more like a shill channel, and afraid to rock the boat, so I moved on.
That’s how many subs I have, but the preview videos I make are not trying to tell you the game is the best thing ever. I just teach you how to play it and show you how it is played. You then have to decide yourself. :)
@@GamingRulesVideos And even then nobody could disrespect you for taking sponsorshiips, because you and other channels like "How its played" are just offering instructional videos. This is why if I see a reviewer spending more than 2 minutes explaining why a game is good or crap, then I just shut them off. Aint nobody got time fo dat.
As someone who creates paid preview videos - since it is my actual job - I hope I'm not included in your list :) I don't give opinions in those videos, I just provide a playthrough to help people make their own mind up. Some of them are games I enjoy, some not so much :)
But if you are talking about the people who get paid to tell you how amazing the game is with all the marketing speak and generating all the buzz "one of the best games we've ever played" when the game isn't even finished yet - it bothers me too. I'm in the tricky position though of this being my actual job, it's what pays the bills, and many of the publishers I work with do pay for those kinds of videos. I personally don't offer that service as it would make me feel dirty.
Great points, thank you! Jamaica must have listened to you because their second edition rule book not only is proper sized, but it has tabs along the right side to jump right to what you want to look up! Sadly though, the back of the book just has lore about the characters. While really neat, a cheat sheet of setup & turn options would have been more practical.
Haha this made me laff, great vid geezah. The card-deck unwrapping mini game has been quite traumatic for me, this video should have had a trigger warning bloke....
Great video. I for one wouldn't want to f**k you off, that's for sure! Don't know quite what you have in mind for that fish slice rampage but I don't think I wanna find out! I'll pass on the dog sh*t sandwich too. Tell you what really f**ks me off about board games is punch outs that rip even when you are being ultra careful. That's gotta be number 1 for me. Keep doing what you're doing, mate. Some of the best and most unique board game videos on TH-cam.
Oh, my! Your content is topnotch. It's quite remarkable how the video and audio quality improves each time a new video is published. Hands down! Greetings from Mexico, mate.
Top video mate! The only one that didn't immediately register with me was when the rules have the diagrams of the tokens on one page and the description of them on another. Don't know why, but this one doesn't seem to get my dander up. But No10 is definitely - DEFINITELY - the worst of the lot. I too hate these paid mercenaries running around all over TH-cam, saying how stunning this new game is, knowing full well it's a pile of 💩, but keeping quiet because they've got a nice fat cheque from the publishers. Closely related, indeed a Siamese Twin to this, are when these games are sitting on BGG with 9's and 10's, even though they haven't even been published, while really good games that have been available for months or years, are scoring 6-7. 🤬
One day I'd love to see that more honest opinion vid on G to the first letter of the alphabet to the second. Where we make worker placement a speech that is free.
Excellent stuff, have to agree with all of those. I also don't like it when they make huge unneeded miniatures for games when a small standee would have been fine, reduced the cost of the game and fitted in the box bette.
Card wrapping challenge, it's clearly the worst for me! By far! Awesome video 👏 Sadly what you said about influencers and kickstarters strategies is true 😢
Great List! Although I'm an ameritrash random dice roll masochist of old - so don't mind the cruel fates they might dish out. One of my favourite games I played in the 80s was Buck Rogers Battle for the 25th Century. It's basically Risk in Space but FIVE times as long winded! :D
I, too, love some random rolls and draws, especially regarding "ameritrash" adventure games or old-fashioned wargames. Although there has to be some form of strategic risk-reward decision, odds loading possibility, and/or mitigation involved in the whole process, to some extent. Some way to weight the odds in your favor, or have a chance to take it in stride. I can understand his "random die roll insta-death" complaint, however, as those can be an issue when things are completely out of your hands both before and after. The 'Choose Your Own Adventure' analogy was apt.. "turn to entry 64: You're Dead!" type of thing. I rarely see them go that far these days but I wouldn't be surprised if they're still around.
Number #4 REALLY makes my blood boil. Definitely the worst for me. I agree with most on this list though. Can probably add an 11th which is new games getting lauded for mechanics which have been done a million times before but for some reason people eat it up, might be stepping on your kickstarter comment from your BGG videos.
Agree completely with everything on this list. I think a lot of the time box design is about marketing rather than practicality, the box cover art and the box size probably have a major impact on sales in shops. Games Workshop is notorious for selling half its games in boxes that are way too shallow to fit the miniatures in once they're assembled, it's a full on piss take considering how much their games cost, £100 for a game that won't even fit in the box.
Before you said '#1 Rulebooks' I said to myself...'hey, I wonder if he's gonna mention rulebooks...those piece of shit, lost in translation barriers that are getting me to question whether I should find another hobby'. I used to plow through them but now, with so many games to choose from, I dont bother. I just ditch the game and find something else. And what really confuses me is how some designers and publishers don't make it a priority. Do they want to sell games or not? Fkme.
And heres a tip for all you designers and publishers out there: if your target market/audience is not your native language hire a professional to do the translation. You may know that second language but you are not fluent...period. And just because you think your buddy Sven is better at English than you are please don't ask him to translate the rulebook...it will still be a hot mess of dog shit...although neither of you will realize it. I've just read the rulebooks for Grand Austria Hotel and The Gates of Loyang and damn near quit the hobby.
I totally agree with all this list. As someone who works for a site that does paid previews...I won't sign up for any promotions of games I think suck. It would be a disservice to anyone that has had faith in me for years. I'm choosey and still make it clear why I chose to preview the game in the first place. All that extra over the top stuff I see is BS. Very few games are great, we all know this. You made me smile cause you would think some of these final games just have to be prototypes....but they aren't.
Bbaaaaaahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!!!! Gold!!! Agreed. The thing that annoys me the most is when there are all the parts, and no compartments to sort or store them.
This is a great list. The only difference in opinion I have is about empy spaces in boxes. If a game has expansions, I'd like them to fit in the base box. I don't like pulling three boxes out when setting up a game. But I understand the frustration regarding shelfspace. Bollocks.
I always wondered why publishers don't design the boxes for expansions to fit the original game and the expansion in it. That way, the base game doesn't have wasted space, and the expansion can account for all the components that would need to fit and it can still just be in one box.
Glad to see you showcase “gay sauna, the boardgame”. Did you ever get the crabs and gonorrhoea expansion? I got them last week, and am hoping my copy of the “GUM clinic” expansion arrives next week.
Boxes full of air gets on my tits way more than anything else. In the US everyone seems to own a mega basement but here in England we are cramming our games into nooks and crannies. Gtfo here with all this air.
Can't believe Ive been only been watching Dice Tower and SU&SD these last few years since I discovered boardgames. It's like Ive been listening to Cliff Richard my whole life and somebody has just played me Napalm Death.
Hahaha!!!! Comment of the decade!!! 😂😂😂
Indeed! Some of these are amongst the biggest culprits of #10!
To add to #1, when the influencers who told you the game was awesome then when it's released are like "I culled my copy" , and then when people call them on it are like "my gaming tastes are allowed to change!" . Yeah.... gaming tastes change, I've had games sour on me.....but you knew this game was "meh" from the get go.
Too many people listen to paid reviewers. If you play enough and are on the hobby a long time and seen the people reviewing and their tastes you should be able to know when they sell you crap for a wage. SA&SD, Quackalope, Boardgameco, ManVsMeeple among others... Yes i dare name them.
Idk about all the others but Quack are def hype men. They aren't strictly lying, but they basically say everything is GREAT!!! Which makes their reviews and impressions completely pointless.
I don't get the same from boardgameco though he usually will list stuff that he didnt like or others might not like and that section is usually enough for me to decide for myself if its the type of game i would like or not.
@@walris44 I think they are strict liars
Im pretty new to the hobby and I definitely leaning on the opinion of content creators a lot. from my perspective they were an authority/have experience in this hobby.
Then I started to realize, dang, these people are getting free stuff sent to them, they go all-in, but they are getting patreon money and TH-cam monetization coming coming in to subsidize the cost. So when they are talking going all in, that’s not all coming from out of pocket at all, like you and I. I realized the top content creators in this hobby are in a different category and you really need to take what they say with a grain of salt. There are some that are super legit, but I think a lot are caught up in the hype to create more and more content.
@@walris44i agree. Quack dude sucks and he kind of creeps me out for some reason, that’s neither here nor there. Boardgame co is one of the best in the game but that dude is also invested in his channel, creating unboxing videos and content videos so when he says he’s going all in, I know patreons are paying for it too. It’s not all out of pocket. Heck, at this point companies send him free games.
Number 10 was hands down my favorite
Thought it might be 😉
Oh yes, mine too!
Say Quackalope without saying Quackalope. 😂
@@budsticky I accuse Rhadi of doing the same thing. But this video is right....most of them are turning into KS shills. I love it when they tell you this is the best KS game ever, and when the campaign ends it suddenly doesn't even make the top 20 games of the year for them.
Uh oh. Does Matt hate gloomhaven 😮
By quite a bit the best board gaming TH-cam channel. Please do not change when you also become gigantic. Also, more general rant videos please!
Is that a euphemism?
@@BoardGameBollocks the gigantic part?
Oh god, your number 10 is SO SPOT ON. Plus, these people who are “moderators” on Facebook board game groups who make posts about how amazing a game is before it even launched on Kickstarter. Then, if you ask them if their post is a paid ad, they kick you out of the group and block you. Another guy on TH-cam made a whole series of videos about his dealings with these people. It’s so frustrating watching crap games make millions because of these people where great games get completely binned because they didn’t grease the right pocket.
The best board game video I’ve seen in a long time. Very funny and very true. Number 10 especially. My heart sinks whenever I see Quackalope’s over excited face whilst he’s reviewing a lump of shit.
😂
+1
You want over excited ? Try Rahdo. The guy is basically a mouthpiece conduit for bgg.
Haha just my thought.
Stopped viewing his videos a very early on. So much talking and praising turds.
Oh and don’t even start on Rahdo.
Every board game he ever reviews is hyped to the best thing ever. You could send him a pile of dirt and he’ll praise it like it’s the second coming of Jesus.
Saw a video of his once. Where he scrolled through all his bgg ratings.
Over 1300 ratings. And the one in the bottom with the lowest rating had a 8.1 rating. Are you serious. 😱😱😱
That’s complete bullocks.
@@xGarrettThiefx IMO that wasn't always the case, as prior to the Daniele Tascini flashpoint, IMO he came across as simply someone who wanted to be positive, affable etc. (overly) Enthusiastic for sure, but he seemed naturally kind-hearted.
He certainly attracted strong ire / attacks from the activists on BGG for his initial comments on that flashpoint, and that put him in a difficult position. He chose to lean into being more in tune with them, and as a business decision, I very much can understand it. I still genuinely believe he wants to be a decent person, but it's maybe not as natural as he was, as he's aware of the flak he got, and is a little more self-conscious about a further mis-step.
I'd much rather people retain their natural instinct for wanting to be a good person, rather than being influenced by fear of further attacks.
Love it! Great list, Matt.
One thing I hate are the plastic inserts that come with a game that either don't hold everything once you punch it all out or just completely let everything inside fly around inside if you simply tip the box on its side. I just end up tossing them in the trash and bag everything up so that it all fits in the box and doesn't explode in my face like a firework the next time I open it up. Eagle Gryphon are one of the rare publishers who add a plastic top to some of their game inserts so that you can close it all up once everything's in. More publishers need to follow their example.
Publishers should stop putting inserts in board games. The people who vare about it make their own or buy 3rd party inserts anyway, and the rest of us throw it out and use baggies anyways. Stop wasting money and resources. Give us the FFG cardboard trench shipping protection and a couple of bags and focus on the rest of the production instead
Days of wonder used to do this. Check out original copies of "Cleopatra and the society of architects" for proof. I agree though. if youre gonna go through the effort do it right or dont bother at all. At least be honest about your uncaring laziness to provide a reasonable product to consumers.
From the game I own, the biggest "Empty Box" offender is definitely Splendor. Basically a deck of cards, ten Nobles, and 40 chips/ tokens- and all of that in a box that is at least 80% empty.
I’m so glad I found this channel 😂 especially when my wife overhears and says “what are you listening to”… I just say bollocks.
It is annoying when board games don't give you any bags to put the pieces in. But when I got into sewing I has a euphoric moment when I realised that I can make bags for all of these components which will always give me some little project to work on.
Number 10 - spot on. And it gets worse and worse. Therefore, my backing is almost extinguished! Great episode.
The spiritual mashup of Sleaford Mods and Dice Tower that I didn't know I needed. Just needs a dude with a long beard and a laptop full of beats doing backup
Subscribed, love your straight to it attitude, all great points made!!
I just found this channel randomly and I 100% agree and love your content my dude (sorry, I'm a yankee) please keep it coming as this brilliant and 100% on point.
Number 2 is very easy to explain. 1-Shelf space, a big box get more atention then a small box. 2- Cost reduction, If you produce many diferent games you whant to have fewer sizes as possible so you don´t need that much inventory and reduce stock brakes
I loved this list and I 100% agree, you made me laugh so hard throughout 😂
I’ve been following you for years now and hands down you continue to provide the best in board gaming content. Thank you for your raw honesty and passion towards the hobby.
…. and for me? You’ve hit the nail right on the head with #10 - fucking “influencers”….. feels like it’s some bullshit popularity contest.
Kind words mate. Thanks so much 👍🏻
Great video! Many fantastic points here!
Uneven turns bothers me a lot - lost a game of Scythe just a few days ago due to that having prepared for a massive last turn that I never got to go through with.
Baggies never been a problem for me, so many games come with an overabundance so I have stores of hundreds and hundreds of them in different sizes that I never know what to do with. That said - I recently sold my copy of Shipyard due to its fiddly captains and chimneys.
LOL You are hilarious! Oh my goodness I want to immediately toss all flappy rulebooks.
I hate when they wrap the cards so tight they are cupped.
I just discovered your channel and I. laughed. so. hard. You're my new hero! Keep up the great work!!
👍🏻
😂🤣🤣 Brilliant observations and so true. Love the refreshing honesty of this channel.
I fit the ENTIRETY of Eldritch Horror (every expansion, organizers, etc etc) into just TWO of the FFG big boxes. It's crazy.
im totally with you on your final point... it is literally the reason i stopped accepting ks projects for content
nice vid man Stay Hexy!
Thanks for the laughs! Love your reviews.
Class channel mate. Looking forward to more reviews etc. Cheers.
How have I never seen your channel until today. This right up my alley...The damn plastic wrap on cards is too accurate...and cardboard construction very recently got me with King of Tokyo: King Kong expansion. That stupid Tokyo Tower was never made to ever stand without you gluing the hell out of it.
😂👍🏻
Thank you for number 10 good sir!
Love this!!! My one peeve is useless inserts very similar to empty boxes... oh and regarding number 10 I can guarantee any game that Tom Vassel hates I love!! I don't really pay attention to (paid or non paid) reviews of games I try to watch how to play videos but in saying that your reviews and how to plays are the best!!!
The inserts are most often there to stabilize the box contents during shipping, not to be a practical storage area. I do wonder about FFG and others who insist on decorating such a disposable with artwork, though.
Just found your channel and I love it. Its like board games reviewed by Charles Dance if he sounded like an angry Terrance Stamp.
That’s quite a mix up
Wonderful list. Agree on the boxes full of air, oh and useless inserts. And those card wraps, when I have sausage finger's drive me crazy!!!
01:51 I love that your example is Eldritch Horror lol
I do love the series. It's one of the few dice-in-combat games that I'm fond of. But the boxes are so unnecessarily huge.
I've ended up using the base box for keeping boards and manuals from all the expansions along with the base game components, and have placed pretty much everything else in ziploc bags, the total volume of which are about the size of one large expansion box.
So the entire line could have been stored in two big boxes instead of 5 big ones and four little ones.
The final big box expansion contained a few cards, some tokens and not much else apart from air.
2:49 LMAO gay sauna the board game, sounds like a winner.
Found your channel by happenstance. Brilliant, love it, got a new subscriber :D
👍🏻
You said it best about these paid or sponsored previews AND reviews. I always make sure to steer clear of their channels and I tell others to avoid them. Because whether these channels admit it or not, they ARE part of the board game community and their deceptive practices weakens it.
I create preview videos. It is my job. But I've been a gamer for over 40 years and have been a part of the hobby as long as I can remember. I hope my videos don't come across as deceptive (I don't give my opinions in those videos, just provide a playthrough so that people can make their own mind up)
@GamingRulesVideos I watch a lot of your videos and I think they are the best.
I have ended up purchasing several games based on your play throughs. Keep up the great work.
I give Ed at Heavy Cardboard credit here: his sponsored previews do not have review or postgame discussions, and he often says, 'We're not trying to sell you on this game, but you can see for yourself whether it's for you.'
@@majkus I do exactly the same :) the thought of making a promotional marketing video where I will say marketing friendly phrases that persuade people to buy the game makes me feel sick. I’ll let other people do that with their “one of the best games I’ve ever played” on every video :)
@@garylaframboise2721 thanks. If you’ve watched a lot of videos, you’ll know that I do some that are sponsored, and some that are not. And on the sponsored ones, I focus on providing information only, showing how it plays, not repeating marketing buzzwords to get you to back it.
Ha! You had me at #1.
I agree with all 10 - well done🙏
Great list but you missed my personal #1: TOO MANY F**KING BOARD GAMES!! I can't even play games I love more than a few times to fully learn them and develop strategies because in any group you play with, everyone has their own favorite they want to play and then there's the 'Cult of the New' that everyone clings to because of FOMO ... just make it stop. We need at least a five year moratorium on any new games, FFS. Great games get lost in the dust and our collections get bigger but by the time I play a game a second time, it might have been years since the first time I played it! Yeah, so, too many board games is my number one, followed by almost everything you said plus more.
Maybe there should be a World Cup for new releases…100 games every 4 years.
This is why I pretty much quit the hobby. Over a 6 month period I sold nearly every game in my collection. Now I play almost exclusively solo games.
so true, sometimes gaming events seem more like show and tell of new games that are played once and never seen again as people keep bringing these big bag of games
I think the reason why we get oversized boxes, is that many people associate size of the box with "how much stuff there is in the game", and thereby "how much this should cost".
The automated subtitles have you saying the "ball gaming industry". Thats some bullocks
AI will end the world
I enjoyed this - please can you do more ? :)
Need to get my breath back first…
This is great! You must post the not safe for work version!!!!
Number 8 is the most annoying thing. I've ruined many a card because of it. And number 10 is the best. Seeing it more and more which is unfortunate.
You're so right about No10. It's got to the stage now, that watching game reviews is a totally worthless waste of time.
'Gay Sauna', the board game. NEVER roll doubles!
Oh mate, you had me crying with laughter. Love it 😂
👍🏻
you had me at "unboxing" 5 seconds in. subscribed.
My favourite one is when insert can hold all the cards but there isn't enough room for cards in sleeves or those 10 cards that come in a promo next year and everything just becomes a mess inside.
Then you either toss the insert out and try to make some sense with a shitload of rubber bands or buy overpriced custom insert that you have to assemble yourself, doesn't come with glue and when you finally find your old glue it's already dry as fk.
And then, after couple of years, after the last expasion has been sold out, they print out limited amount of boxes that can store everything nicely for a price of another bloody expansion.
I'm talking about you, Raiders of the Northern Sea. Bollocks!
Number 10# has basically turned some of my favourite channels into commercials. It seems that those around 30-50k Subs are the worst offenders, as it's a crux for taking the channel to the next stop of popularity.
Yes, I used to very much enjoy Alex Radcliffe's 'coffee table' monologue on hot / sensitive topics and did like that he discussed / acknowledged different perspectives. That felt like it got dropped in favour of more commercial influences, as part of building his channel's revenues, plus his gig at Gamefound. It felt more and more like a shill channel, and afraid to rock the boat, so I moved on.
That’s how many subs I have, but the preview videos I make are not trying to tell you the game is the best thing ever. I just teach you how to play it and show you how it is played. You then have to decide yourself. :)
@@GamingRulesVideos And even then nobody could disrespect you for taking sponsorshiips, because you and other channels like "How its played" are just offering instructional videos.
This is why if I see a reviewer spending more than 2 minutes explaining why a game is good or crap, then I just shut them off. Aint nobody got time fo dat.
As someone who creates paid preview videos - since it is my actual job - I hope I'm not included in your list :)
I don't give opinions in those videos, I just provide a playthrough to help people make their own mind up. Some of them are games I enjoy, some not so much :)
But if you are talking about the people who get paid to tell you how amazing the game is with all the marketing speak and generating all the buzz "one of the best games we've ever played" when the game isn't even finished yet - it bothers me too. I'm in the tricky position though of this being my actual job, it's what pays the bills, and many of the publishers I work with do pay for those kinds of videos. I personally don't offer that service as it would make me feel dirty.
No Paul…you’re a proper legend mate 👍🏻
Love these reviews, absolutely amazing
I think so
Great points, thank you!
Jamaica must have listened to you because their second edition rule book not only is proper sized, but it has tabs along the right side to jump right to what you want to look up! Sadly though, the back of the book just has lore about the characters. While really neat, a cheat sheet of setup & turn options would have been more practical.
A solid list of bollocks mate!
#2 could have just been 2 words: Fantasy Flight!
Haha this made me laff, great vid geezah. The card-deck unwrapping mini game has been quite traumatic for me, this video should have had a trigger warning bloke....
Great video. I for one wouldn't want to f**k you off, that's for sure! Don't know quite what you have in mind for that fish slice rampage but I don't think I wanna find out! I'll pass on the dog sh*t sandwich too. Tell you what really f**ks me off about board games is punch outs that rip even when you are being ultra careful. That's gotta be number 1 for me. Keep doing what you're doing, mate. Some of the best and most unique board game videos on TH-cam.
Brilliant. Nailed every gripe in an amusing video
I hate empty space in boxes.
Gay Sauna broke you didn't it?! 😂 If I could like and subscribe for every one of your points I would! Keep it up mate!
This is all spot on. Great video
Oh, my! Your content is topnotch. It's quite remarkable how the video and audio quality improves each time a new video is published. Hands down!
Greetings from Mexico, mate.
Cheers mate 👍🏻
Brilliant! The Jonathan Pie of the boardgaming world. And there was me thinking that us Brummies were the kings of misery.
A close second if you count the Bull Ring
Good list. Agree with all of 'em. Octopi hands was a highlight :D
You are exactly what I’ve needed since I saw through all the bullshit and garbage people on that nasty board game site.
Top video mate! The only one that didn't immediately register with me was when the rules have the diagrams of the tokens on one page and the description of them on another. Don't know why, but this one doesn't seem to get my dander up.
But No10 is definitely - DEFINITELY - the worst of the lot. I too hate these paid mercenaries running around all over TH-cam, saying how stunning this new game is, knowing full well it's a pile of 💩, but keeping quiet because they've got a nice fat cheque from the publishers. Closely related, indeed a Siamese Twin to this, are when these games are sitting on BGG with 9's and 10's, even though they haven't even been published, while really good games that have been available for months or years, are scoring 6-7. 🤬
One day I'd love to see that more honest opinion vid on G to the first letter of the alphabet to the second. Where we make worker placement a speech that is free.
Holy shit new favorite channel.
👍🏻
Excellent stuff, have to agree with all of those. I also don't like it when they make huge unneeded miniatures for games when a small standee would have been fine, reduced the cost of the game and fitted in the box bette.
That was great and full of laughters on my side.
Great list, so many truths here!!!😅👍
Card wrapping challenge, it's clearly the worst for me! By far! Awesome video 👏 Sadly what you said about influencers and kickstarters strategies is true 😢
Hilarious, i'm going to have hit that subscribe button!
BTW, I did hit it :)
Good upload mate!
Great List! Although I'm an ameritrash random dice roll masochist of old - so don't mind the cruel fates they might dish out. One of my favourite games I played in the 80s was Buck Rogers Battle for the 25th Century. It's basically Risk in Space but FIVE times as long winded! :D
I, too, love some random rolls and draws, especially regarding "ameritrash" adventure games or old-fashioned wargames. Although there has to be some form of strategic risk-reward decision, odds loading possibility, and/or mitigation involved in the whole process, to some extent. Some way to weight the odds in your favor, or have a chance to take it in stride. I can understand his "random die roll insta-death" complaint, however, as those can be an issue when things are completely out of your hands both before and after. The 'Choose Your Own Adventure' analogy was apt.. "turn to entry 64: You're Dead!" type of thing. I rarely see them go that far these days but I wouldn't be surprised if they're still around.
Number #4 REALLY makes my blood boil. Definitely the worst for me. I agree with most on this list though.
Can probably add an 11th which is new games getting lauded for mechanics which have been done a million times before but for some reason people eat it up, might be stepping on your kickstarter comment from your BGG videos.
I needed this vibe
Jay of 3 minute board games did a good rant about influencers (search for his video 'don't buy that game').
Agree completely with everything on this list. I think a lot of the time box design is about marketing rather than practicality, the box cover art and the box size probably have a major impact on sales in shops. Games Workshop is notorious for selling half its games in boxes that are way too shallow to fit the miniatures in once they're assembled, it's a full on piss take considering how much their games cost, £100 for a game that won't even fit in the box.
Great list! I think there are only really 2 channels who do #10. Who are the others?
Boardgameco and Quackalope. Thats them
Thanks for list!
You had me at sail of a galleon. Lol
This was a spot-on list.
Before you said '#1 Rulebooks' I said to myself...'hey, I wonder if he's gonna mention rulebooks...those piece of shit, lost in translation barriers that are getting me to question whether I should find another hobby'. I used to plow through them but now, with so many games to choose from, I dont bother. I just ditch the game and find something else. And what really confuses me is how some designers and publishers don't make it a priority. Do they want to sell games or not? Fkme.
And heres a tip for all you designers and publishers out there: if your target market/audience is not your native language hire a professional to do the translation. You may know that second language but you are not fluent...period. And just because you think your buddy Sven is better at English than you are please don't ask him to translate the rulebook...it will still be a hot mess of dog shit...although neither of you will realize it. I've just read the rulebooks for Grand Austria Hotel and The Gates of Loyang and damn near quit the hobby.
It's the top 10 lists like this is why I subscribe. Looking forward to the NSFW version.
F*CKS me off has now been added to my personal vocabulary. Thanks! (Also, excellent video)
I totally agree with all this list. As someone who works for a site that does paid previews...I won't sign up for any promotions of games I think suck. It would be a disservice to anyone that has had faith in me for years. I'm choosey and still make it clear why I chose to preview the game in the first place. All that extra over the top stuff I see is BS. Very few games are great, we all know this. You made me smile cause you would think some of these final games just have to be prototypes....but they aren't.
Very interesting list! Number 10 for sho!!
Bbaaaaaahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!!!! Gold!!! Agreed. The thing that annoys me the most is when there are all the parts, and no compartments to sort or store them.
This was awesome, thank you. Love your intensity and passion.
Great rant. I thought player elimination might have made it in there though
I eliminated it
So I had to look up if 'Gay Sauna' is an actual boardgame 😁
"The sail of a galleon" had me on the floor
I can only imagine what the "not safe for work" versions of your videos would sound like!
- Non-mitigated dice rolls were fashioned by Satan him self.
😂 Loved that.
This video was fantastic 😂
This is a great list. The only difference in opinion I have is about empy spaces in boxes. If a game has expansions, I'd like them to fit in the base box. I don't like pulling three boxes out when setting up a game. But I understand the frustration regarding shelfspace. Bollocks.
I always wondered why publishers don't design the boxes for expansions to fit the original game and the expansion in it. That way, the base game doesn't have wasted space, and the expansion can account for all the components that would need to fit and it can still just be in one box.
Glad you held back a bit, as the NSFW version would probably cause my speakers to melt.
I usually can't abide whinging, particularly when it's about a luxury hobby good. But you manage to make it entertaining, so kudos!
Glad to see you showcase “gay sauna, the boardgame”. Did you ever get the crabs and gonorrhoea expansion? I got them last week, and am hoping my copy of the “GUM clinic” expansion arrives next week.
Wait till you get the AIDS epidemic promo. Gamechanger right there.
@@rainerdrake7975 I’ve heard it breaks the game unless you use the rubber pieces.
@@tozmom615 Goes from 'endlessly replayable' to 'legacy - one and done' really quickly.
@@rainerdrake7975 yeah but the kickstarter stretch the hole goals are fabulous. If you can fit them all in.
@@rainerdrake7975 PS before some snowflake comes along to say i am a homophobe, I’m a card carrying bender myself so F off lol.
number 10 is the most annoying and I appreciate your videos more because I feel you are honest, even if you are often wrong ;)
I’m never wrong 😂👍🏻
8, number 8 is the worst!
Love these rankings rants!
Dont bend over to pick up that Gay Sauna Boardgame lol
Love it! But doesn't Eleven: Football manager let you re-roll that after-match die if you have a fan token? Isn't that mitigation?
Not if you don’t have one 👍🏻
@@BoardGameBollocks You should have mitigated against that ;¬)
Boom boom
Boxes full of air gets on my tits way more than anything else.
In the US everyone seems to own a mega basement but here in England we are cramming our games into nooks and crannies. Gtfo here with all this air.
It's interesting to see the huge volume of micro box games in Japan (oink game size), and I'm sure that's also linked to apartment size.