Thanks for this review of app assisted games. While not intending to, I have a bunch thanks to FFG and Plaid Hat embracing such a boardgame style. I almost exclusively solo game so the apps actually help in ways that I did not expect. Looking forward to the Akrham Horror overview.
Of these three games I only have Lands of Galzyr and I think it's fantastic. The issue of lack of character advancement can be addressed by creating milestones where getting X amount of Prestige gives you certain perks, like additional Skill pips, more item capacity, limited use re-rolls, or persistent companions. I put rules for that on BGG, it's a double-sided card you can print out and store in the box with your character. You can combine that with personal goals, like trying to get to X prestige within Y months, or trying to obtain specific achievements or personal goals. Also, I really like how the app is handled in Galzyr. It's basically a digital Choose your Own Adventure booklet akin to Legacy of Dragonholt, and only digital because if they printed it out it would fill half a shelf just on its own. While yes, I would absolutely buy a deluxe version of Lands of Galzyr that game with half a dozen tomes instead of the app, I appreciate that it's unobtrusive especially if you use a tablet.
@@TheDungeonDive I did. I enjoy Galzyr very much solo as a 60-75 minute, low key bimble around a very nicely imagined world (and a break from heavier games.) Glad you enjoy it.
Thanks for doing this one. It was fascinating! I have MoM and Galzyr, but might take a look at Freelancers. Very similar games but also very different!
The original Mansions of Madness was one of my first board gaming purchases in the "modern" era and I'll never forget how I ruined my first group game by doing something wrong during setup with one of the card decks. That is indeed what I love about some of these app driven games - they let you enjoy the story or experience without getting bogged down in the mechanics. Let the app handle all the annoying administrative functions behind the scenes and let me just enjoy the game. I figured Freelancers would rank higher overall for you, but a great list and comparison overall.
Ooph! Freelancers with no #3 rankings in the first 5 criteria, but a final rank of 3!! I love MoM and am about to pull the trigger on freelancers. Thanks for the expertise!
I love app assisted games. Especially when you have to play solo. Most of my game buddies have moved out of state, a coupe passed away. Apps like the ones for XCOM, Dune Imperium, and Descent (Journey into Darkness) gives me more choices for game play.
I used to own everything for mansions 2nd edition. I always hated how a lot of the tiles never got used as they were included to play the first edition levels. Also what’s up with suppressed memories / recurring nightmares being impossible to find?!
I only Own Mansions of Madness. Lands of Galzyr was a little too nice, so different from Mansions of Madness. I love First Martians with his app, it's perfectly integrated in the game. I wouldn't like too many app in our boardgames, we are in front of so many screens and we spend so much time in front of them.
I hate to ask because you’ve probably already mentioned it somewhere else, but do you have any hankering toward Agemonia? Just received mine last week and have been properly impressed- sort of like a “Daniel deconstructed Gloomhaven and remade it with a very talented novelist” feel. I know it has two strikes against it being a massive(ish) sized box and campaign, and not super sandboxy, but I figured the amazing attention to story elements over battle strategy, and the individual and moral choices might draw you in to take a look.
Agemonia is too big for me, and it's a huge campaign, so I probably won't be checking it out. I've got a couple of big campaign games coming, so my time for that kind of thing is filled up. I've heard good things, though! I just have very little room for large box games these days, so I have to be very picky with what I bring in.
I agree. I love the way that Mansions of Madness is enhanced by the app and how it let's me play solo. If people don't like apps 99.9% of other games are there for you. More controversially maybe, I'm interested to see how AI might be implemented into boardgames and especially solo RPGs in the future. Love your content ❤
That is one area where I am looking forward to AI generated content - solo gaming. It should be able to provide a more varied automated GM for games like these.
Have you looked into Descent: Legends of the Dark? Its an app assisted Fantasy Flight dungeon crawl. Very similar to MoM2e but with a little crunchier mechanics, and really nice 3D terrain. It's campaign based, which is a bit of a drawback for me, but some might prefer that
Yes. I did not care for it. I found the quests were too long for what they offered, and I didn't care at all about the story. I did, however, like the art.
I myself have contributed to the app argument here.😆 But I actually liked mansions 2nd less the more i played it. The traitor mechanic always left the game feeling empty for everyone (good and traitors). For a game 3 hours long, it ending in loss because a player started next to another and knifed them was just so 'ugh' for all involved. The missions, considering what an app could potentially be capable of, was very minimal. Theres no layout randomization. Usually its just a few tiles swapped around. It also never seemed to use any 1st edition monsters/content very frequently, if at all. Maybe thats been patched since? I'm not sure.
I LOVE when people go insane and end up with different win/lose conditions. Every time it ends up being one of those stand up around the table moments. Sounds like the game just doesn't work for you, and that's totally fine. No game will be perfect for everyone, although I've never had this one fall flat, personally.
Don´t like traitor mechanics either, so I just removed the traitor cards. Easy. No traitors. And the problem with layout randomization etc. can be solved with Valkyrie, the app with hundreds of new fan-made scenarios.
Nope. But they can be played without power by having a battery. If the power ever goes out for a long, long, long time, I’m sure I’ll have things other than these three games to worry about. :)
@@TheDungeonDive No doubt you do. That is my only concern with such games. I'm sure you have already heard that from people complaining about that. I don't want to sound like those you mention earlier in the video. I'm reminded of the old Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future toys back in the 80s. One of the gimmicks is that you can use the ships and interact with the show on TV firing on the enemies machines. If that fails, you can still play with the toys traditionally. I figure that when you make games like this when technology has to come in by design, one should have a means of playing in case it fails.
Yeah. For me, if there is some technological reason I couldn’t play these games, I would just play other games that I own. Not every game is for every situation.
I didn't enjoy Freelancers mainly due to its weird nature. I have a hard time relating to nonsense. So this was just not my thing. On top of that there are events in the game that effect certain players making the game more interesting for them, of the group of 5 that I was part of only 2 players ever seemed to get these events/choices leaving the rest of us pretty bored.
Thanks for this review of app assisted games. While not intending to, I have a bunch thanks to FFG and Plaid Hat embracing such a boardgame style. I almost exclusively solo game so the apps actually help in ways that I did not expect. Looking forward to the Akrham Horror overview.
Glad you enjoyed!
Of these three games I only have Lands of Galzyr and I think it's fantastic. The issue of lack of character advancement can be addressed by creating milestones where getting X amount of Prestige gives you certain perks, like additional Skill pips, more item capacity, limited use re-rolls, or persistent companions. I put rules for that on BGG, it's a double-sided card you can print out and store in the box with your character. You can combine that with personal goals, like trying to get to X prestige within Y months, or trying to obtain specific achievements or personal goals.
Also, I really like how the app is handled in Galzyr. It's basically a digital Choose your Own Adventure booklet akin to Legacy of Dragonholt, and only digital because if they printed it out it would fill half a shelf just on its own. While yes, I would absolutely buy a deluxe version of Lands of Galzyr that game with half a dozen tomes instead of the app, I appreciate that it's unobtrusive especially if you use a tablet.
Galzyr. Galzyr. Galzyr!!! 🤩
I'm very excited to see the new expansion and the new features
Thanks for making and posting this comparison, Daniel. Really enjoyed the selection in the video and hearing your thoughts.
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@TheDungeonDive I did. I enjoy Galzyr very much solo as a 60-75 minute, low key bimble around a very nicely imagined world (and a break from heavier games.) Glad you enjoy it.
Another great video-thanks so much Daniel!
My pleasure!
Great run thru all three. Thank you!
Very welcome!
Thanks for doing this one. It was fascinating! I have MoM and Galzyr, but might take a look at Freelancers. Very similar games but also very different!
I have a detailed review on Freenlancers on the channel.
@@TheDungeonDive thanks I will check it out!
The original Mansions of Madness was one of my first board gaming purchases in the "modern" era and I'll never forget how I ruined my first group game by doing something wrong during setup with one of the card decks. That is indeed what I love about some of these app driven games - they let you enjoy the story or experience without getting bogged down in the mechanics. Let the app handle all the annoying administrative functions behind the scenes and let me just enjoy the game. I figured Freelancers would rank higher overall for you, but a great list and comparison overall.
I absolutely love all three of these games. The ranking is like the difference between an A-, A and A+. They should all be treated as superb games.
Thanks for the kind words!
Thanks for contributing to a good game. :)
Let's go Daniel 💪🏼❤️
Ooph! Freelancers with no #3 rankings in the first 5 criteria, but a final rank of 3!!
I love MoM and am about to pull the trigger on freelancers. Thanks for the expertise!
It’s an amazing game.
So in summary: "Get all the Gamez"
Or, choose one and you can't go wrong. :)
I love app assisted games. Especially when you have to play solo. Most of my game buddies have moved out of state, a coupe passed away. Apps like the ones for XCOM, Dune Imperium, and Descent (Journey into Darkness) gives me more choices for game play.
Same here!
I used to own everything for mansions 2nd edition. I always hated how a lot of the tiles never got used as they were included to play the first edition levels. Also what’s up with suppressed memories / recurring nightmares being impossible to find?!
For MoM 2e, would you buy any of the expansions?
If you like the game and want more, yes. They’re great.
What MoM scenario would you suggest as a good start for introducing people to modern board gaming?
The first one that is included with the base game. I've played it many times, and it's always fun. I don't remember the name of it.
I have a very small space, for storying games as well as playing. Galzyr sounds interesting so I will need to see how big it is!
My table is 3x4, and my hobby room is 11x11, so any game you see on the channel can be played on a small table in a small room.
I only Own Mansions of Madness. Lands of Galzyr was a little too nice, so different from Mansions of Madness.
I love First Martians with his app, it's perfectly integrated in the game.
I wouldn't like too many app in our boardgames, we are in front of so many screens and we spend so much time in front of them.
I'm getting a feeling of a heavy bias for MOM. 🤣🤣🤣
But nice review this helped me in choosing
Bias is just love, and I love them all. Two of them are in my top ten lists of all time.
I hate to ask because you’ve probably already mentioned it somewhere else, but do you have any hankering toward Agemonia? Just received mine last week and have been properly impressed- sort of like a “Daniel deconstructed Gloomhaven and remade it with a very talented novelist” feel. I know it has two strikes against it being a massive(ish) sized box and campaign, and not super sandboxy, but I figured the amazing attention to story elements over battle strategy, and the individual and moral choices might draw you in to take a look.
Agemonia is too big for me, and it's a huge campaign, so I probably won't be checking it out. I've got a couple of big campaign games coming, so my time for that kind of thing is filled up. I've heard good things, though! I just have very little room for large box games these days, so I have to be very picky with what I bring in.
Understandable. I just checked and I currently have 16 solo campaign games in (very slow) progress. Apparently I expect to live to the age of 246.
Haha. LOL! Truth. Between all of my games and books, I'm hoping to live at least that long. :)
I agree. I love the way that Mansions of Madness is enhanced by the app and how it let's me play solo. If people don't like apps 99.9% of other games are there for you. More controversially maybe, I'm interested to see how AI might be implemented into boardgames and especially solo RPGs in the future. Love your content ❤
That is one area where I am looking forward to AI generated content - solo gaming. It should be able to provide a more varied automated GM for games like these.
Have you looked into Descent: Legends of the Dark? Its an app assisted Fantasy Flight dungeon crawl. Very similar to MoM2e but with a little crunchier mechanics, and really nice 3D terrain.
It's campaign based, which is a bit of a drawback for me, but some might prefer that
Yes. I did not care for it. I found the quests were too long for what they offered, and I didn't care at all about the story. I did, however, like the art.
@@TheDungeonDive The missions are definitely way too long. Still thought it might be your style. I agree MoM2e is better though
Mansions of madness is so good but the final show down with a boss can be so long and tedious imo. Still a great game
Can be. Pretty much the same as the final showdown in AK2e, EH, and DMD, unfortunately.
I myself have contributed to the app argument here.😆 But I actually liked mansions 2nd less the more i played it. The traitor mechanic always left the game feeling empty for everyone (good and traitors). For a game 3 hours long, it ending in loss because a player started next to another and knifed them was just so 'ugh' for all involved. The missions, considering what an app could potentially be capable of, was very minimal. Theres no layout randomization. Usually its just a few tiles swapped around. It also never seemed to use any 1st edition monsters/content very frequently, if at all. Maybe thats been patched since? I'm not sure.
I LOVE when people go insane and end up with different win/lose conditions. Every time it ends up being one of those stand up around the table moments. Sounds like the game just doesn't work for you, and that's totally fine. No game will be perfect for everyone, although I've never had this one fall flat, personally.
Don´t like traitor mechanics either, so I just removed the traitor cards. Easy. No traitors. And the problem with layout randomization etc. can be solved with Valkyrie, the app with hundreds of new fan-made scenarios.
IMO Forgotten Waters is better than Freelancers.
Nice!
I found Galzyr to be easy without any real challenge which is why i passed on mythwind and othe 'cozy' games.
Yes - it's especially made for us who don't like to be challenged. That is for sure.
Are these games capable of being played without the tech? You know, just in case the power goes out in the future.
Nope. But they can be played without power by having a battery. If the power ever goes out for a long, long, long time, I’m sure I’ll have things other than these three games to worry about. :)
@@TheDungeonDive No doubt you do. That is my only concern with such games. I'm sure you have already heard that from people complaining about that. I don't want to sound like those you mention earlier in the video. I'm reminded of the old Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future toys back in the 80s. One of the gimmicks is that you can use the ships and interact with the show on TV firing on the enemies machines. If that fails, you can still play with the toys traditionally. I figure that when you make games like this when technology has to come in by design, one should have a means of playing in case it fails.
Yeah. For me, if there is some technological reason I couldn’t play these games, I would just play other games that I own. Not every game is for every situation.
I didn't enjoy Freelancers mainly due to its weird nature. I have a hard time relating to nonsense. So this was just not my thing. On top of that there are events in the game that effect certain players making the game more interesting for them, of the group of 5 that I was part of only 2 players ever seemed to get these events/choices leaving the rest of us pretty bored.
Such is the nature of randomness. Doesn't always work out. For me, the weirder the better, but I understand that's not everyone's cup of tea. :)
Thanks i wanted to try n app crawl. But when i saw descent do it
..well we know how lame that was