Themer Solos | Sleeping Gods Solo Board Game Review | Maggie's Adrift in Narrative
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2024
- Join me as I tell the tale of my (mostly) solo adventures with my first big box narrative style game! Hear about my time sailing the Wandering Seas & getting truly lost side-questing within this stunningly beautiful world.
(Note: Kickstarter Edition shown)
Sleeping Gods
Ryan Lauket
Red Raven Games
1-4 Players
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:45 The Theme ❤
02:29 Game Overview
12:38 Learning a Narrative Style Game (...with Amy...kind of)
13:46 Exploring & the Writing
14:56 Session Length
15:37 Saving Mid-Session
15:57 Side Questing
18:42 Why Own It?
20:47 Wrap Up
For more game info: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2...
Thanks for stopping by! We're Amy & Maggie aka ThinkerThemer. We're an Australian couple with two very different perspectives of what makes a great board game - Amy (Thinker) is all about the mechanics and enjoys tight, competitive games, and Maggie (Themer) is all about the storytelling and the theme of the game, and the 'world' that the designer is trying to create. Subscribe to our channel to hear us talk about these two elements of a game, and how well integrated we feel these are in delivering a cohesive and wonderful game experience.
#teamthemer #cooperatingalone
So at the start I say it’s a solo game, but what I meant to say is that it’s a co-op game.. which makes it a solo game at our house 😂😅
I like solo AND coop games 😄👍🏻
Great job, Maggie! A very well rounded review that really helped me determine if it would be a fit for me or not. Exactly why ThinkerThemer has quickly become my top choice for boardgame reviews.
Aw this is so lovely. Thank you for the support! 😊
What a pleasure to see a review from someone who actually did two runs through the campaign. I really appreciate you doing a review based on actually having seen as a significant amount of content (even though, as you say, it's only about 20%).
Love this series Maggie! Glad to see another one.
Yay! Thank you! I have more games lined up that I'd love to cover with this series. I'm slowly learning how to get myself organised with these 😅Hadn't realised how much structure Amy brings into my life and to our review discussions! Hahaha
This has helped me come to terms with the fact that as beautiful and interesting this game is, it's just not the right game for me and my game group. Thanks for the review.
Glad it was helpful. It definitely wasn't for Amy. And though I enjoyed my time with it, it's unlikely to be hitting the table again at ours.
Ryan Lauket is an amazing designer! I’ve loved all his games that I’ve played!
Yes. I''m excited to try his other games!
Just got this a few weeks ago and I am loving this game to death! I think you’re right about replayability. I enjoy the fact that there’s not a single main objective to follow and that you are just wandering and exploring throughout the campaign. I am holding on to this in the hopes that I could re-experience it again with my daughter, (maybe 3-4 years down the line). It’s such a grand adventure of a game! Thanks.
Nicely done and well put. Matched my feelings quite closely, especially over the last 5 minutes.
Now I need to find where to buy this game !
Thank you for your videos , your reviews are so great
Great review Maggie! Makes me want to get it back to the table.... once I eventually complete Middara that is!
Thanks Maggie, that was very informative and helpful for me making a decision that this is not a game for me. And greetings from Langwarrin!
Maggie your information was thoughtful and well received. My husband think this is the perfect game to play when we have a chunk of time over the Christmas 2 weeks we take off work. Cheers!
Thanks for this review!
well done!!!
Great video and well thought out reasoning. I was lucky to leave this out whilst I played, so could stop anytime I wanted which helped. The different stories and exploration are fantastic, it is really immersive.
Thank you! And completely agree that the game is super immersive and has sooo much to explore! I definitely left it out on the table for far too long though 😅 Poor Amy had to be fine with playing on tiny coffee tables for weeks! hahaha 😂 She's a very patient woman.
Great review! I feel there are so many board games/video games that offer SO much content, but sometimes it can be a challenge to find the really good parts and so you run into the wall that you described.
Absolutely. I would've loved an optional "core missions" guide or helper. Definitely would've made me play a lot more of it. I'm now thinking someone may have done something like it on BGG. Should've checked there first! haha
Love this series!!
Great job Maggie! When you mentioned you enjoyed the second game exploring the seas 🌊 that made me quite excited! 🤩
Thank you! And yeah, that second game was by far my favourite. It was when I found my groove with what I was doing for each turn and got to really just dig in and enjoy the story 🤗
I was wondering when this review would be published. I stumbled along in my first campaign as well with my partner. In hindsight, basic rules aren't too complicated and I feel it's easy to teach but there's just so many little rules and exceptions which was a bit of a slog to learn and remember, especially between play sessions.
I think the combat in this game was tactical and well designed. The skills and customisation for each character really made them feel unique. The story is still the obvious draw for the game and there it truly excels. I recall encountering a scary shadow creature and suggesting it take over a city instead of the boy I came to rescue, only to encounter it later having taken over the populace of a nearby city (should have seen that coming). The table just burst out laughing.
Or when we encountered a riddle that if solved in real time, would earn me a special totem (one of the objectives of a campaign). There is some direction with where to go as the game starts you out with 2 quest cards (not made clear in the rulebook) and generally gives you a direction for new quests. It relies on subsequent campaigns to reach the "better" endings as you rely on your previous map keywords to recall specific points to visit. I can see why it felt a bit aimless though.
Did you happen to try the Dungeons expansion included with your copy Maggie? It's a game I would recommend but the Kickstarter edition is not worth the aftermarket price. After playing through 4 campaigns with the expansion (which just adds more cards and more map) and most of the endings, I also feel I've seen what the game has to offer and will be moving on my copy.
Yeah, great points here. I haven't tried the dungeons expansions mostly because I'm not that into dungeons as a theme and also because I was so set on trying to use as much of my available gaming time to get through as much of the core game story. And I know what you mean with the quest cards. I only realised that they give you a bit more direction by the time I was going through it my 2nd time around, but I still found that as I completed some of them they resolved and there was no clue of what next. I think I would've loved it if, just like in a sandbox video game, once you resolve a core quest, you get pointed to the next quest(s) that will drive the main story forward. I still had a great time with it and like I said, I loved that it opened my eyes to what rich thematic games have to offer 😄
Great review
Love the look of this game, and super excited to find out it's a co-op! We have never played anything remotely so story driven like this, but Sleeping Gods might be where we start now! Thanks for the review!
It is absolutely stunning in terms of table presence. Can't speak to the co-op experience of it though, but I hear 2 might be the right balance and maybe 3 at a maximum.
Maggie, another awesome video. I’m also a solo gamer primarily,and based on your comments picked up Nusfjord, and have just ordered obsession. It’s back in print and should ship soon. I’ve been enjoying Fields of Arle solo, it’s a fun puzzle. You and Amy are exceptional game reviewers, clearly giving a lot of time and attention to reasons why you like or dislike a game. Greetings from Michigan.
Thank you so much Karen! Hope you're enjoying Nusfjord 🤗 I need to try Fields solo. Have only played it with Amy so far.
Hi Karen, how did you find Obsession? I saw Maggie and Amy's review and thought it sounded really good. I'm a solo gamer too, and am after a new one. I'm only allowed 2 games per year so I have to be very selective (that is two games without complaints of an ever growing collection).
I just don't know which one to choose 🤪
I haven’t gotten obsession yet, so no chance to play yet. I did recently get castles of burgundy 20th anniversary edition and was surprised to find a solo board in it, I thought it was quite fun and challenging. Wow, it’s tough to be limited to 2 games a year. I try not to get more than 2 games a month.😊
@@karenfischer7916 thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it 😀. Yes it is tough - I wish I could buy more! I will look into Castles and see if I can watch a solo play through.
I am a little late commenting but I did watch it as soon as it came out! Maggie, this was an awesome review! I love the detail and honesty you provided. I knew from the beginning that this game would not be for me due to all the Story and Campaigns, but I watched this all the way to the end because it was such a pleasure to watch and I love hearing your opinions. I have learned that Campaign games are not for me...but I don't mind Legacy games for some reason. I do a lot of solo gaming and hope to continue to see solo reviews. Great job Maggie!
Thank you so much Darlene!
Very excited to get this gorgeous box off the shelf and on to the table. Might be a project for the weekend!
Absolutely! Let me know how you go! 😊
Nice to hear your thoughts on this Maggie :) my wife and I played this during our time off in July and really enjoyed it. It was our first experience with a narrative rich game, and while I don't think narrative games are for us, I would like to play at least a couple more campaigns in the future (maybe once a year) before moving on from Sleeping Gods. Lovely immersive world for sure!
Absolutely! I'm super keen to check out more games with immersive campaigns after this one.
I can't wait for the German version getting published. I am really excited to get it to the table. Thank you for the inspiring review that only spanked my desire even more.
Oh that's wonderful! Great to hear 😊
Such a beautiful game!
Absolutely. Really stunning on the table.
You absolutely nailed it with your review. You articulated precisely my own experience. The reason I searched out your review was because so many reviews I had seen were pouring on the praise without the critique that I felt from my personal experiences with this game.
On paper this is (and nearly is ) a perfect match for what I want in a game except for the fact that there is no clear main path and I also found the combat to be overly punishing.
I liken it to Skyrim- the best video game I have ever played.
But Skyrim although providing seemingly endless quests does have storylines and quests which are clearly the main story which sometimes I would choose-and at other times I felt happy to ignore to explore side quests.
The combat too was easier in terms of picking batttles that were achievable whereas in Sleeping Gods I often felt my crew were usually I’ll equipped, under trained and frequently too exhausted to be able to cope. The win ratio was too negative for my enjoyment.
So I think I shall be moving this game on with hope that I may one day find the perfect solo open world adventure game.
Thanks keep up the great work you two produce.
I think I straddle the thinker themer interest and as such your channel is a perfect fit for my perspective.
Great review. You have to enjoy the journey in this game. If you are focused on the end goals, you will be disappointed and unfulfilled.
The “side adventures” essentially ARE the game.
Thank you! And completely agree. This is all about the side adventures and exploring away all the different areas of that massive map 🌊
If that were true then why is there a timer in the form of event deck ?
@@kosterix123 “If that were true” sounds like you think I am trying to deceive people or misrepresent the game.
If you would like to phrase the question politely, I’ll be happy to answer. I’ve played over twenty hours of it.
Please understand that a full explanation will also be a spoiler for things you are not supposed to know going into the game. Thanks
The “quick and dirty” answer to your question is that the designers decided the game had to end at some point. So it ends at some point.
@@chuckm1961 it was rhetorical. It's a style form.
Had the ks and sold it and good riddance. I loved the stories but found the sum of the parts just about zero.
i really wanted to like this game but i just found that saving it and putting it away between sessions to be a chore and after 2 or 3 sessions gave up on it as i just couldnt bare the idea of having to save the game again... plus that tic tac toe variant as a combat system left a lot to be desired. i tend to tell people to avoid it unless they can leave it set up... great video Maggie! Stay Hexy!
Thanks! And completely agree. It really would benefit from a more convenient save system, particularly for mid game as I often found it took me 3 late night, after work sessions leaving it out on the table to get through a game.
By the way you got a really rad hoodie.
Ahhh... I'm still waiting for my pre-ordered copy of "Sleeping Gods". It's taking ages to arrive. How I envy you. :-)
Hopefully you get your copy soon! Beautiful world to sail and adventure through 😄
Thanks Maggie - ive been wondering about buying this game but from what youve said its made me wonder how often we’d get it to the table. Ill have a think about some alternatives and see. Really hopeful review!
Well, Laukat created a huge world for us the themers to explore and to dive in. Glad you liked it. It's on my top five of games. It's an amazing experience that no other could give us. Neither the very good 7th continent.
Absolutely a themer's dream in there! Haven't tried 7th continent so can't compare it yet. But this game has got me very keen to try more narrative campaigns 😄
Great review, Maggie, it was a huge help in sorting out whether I'd want this one or not. It sounds like I'd enjoy a lot of it, but your good points about the sidequest/aimlessness/event deck limit tipped it over into "probably not". I like aimless wandering through a good narrative, but not if I feel a time limit looming that's going to cut it all short & require a new game to try again. There's too much other good stuff out there I want to try then!
Yeah, that was my main problem with this one Richard. I think I wouldn't have minded endless side-questing if there wasn't a timer that forced me to reset a lot of things. Felt like a big knock back or being punished for not being efficient, when it didn't at all help you to be efficient no matter how hard you try.
Thanks so much Maggie for this helpful review. I think my husband and I might enjoy playing this together as an "enjoy the journey" type of experience. Unfortunately, it seems difficult to find right now at a reasonable price. Hopefully there will be a reprint soon.
Yeah, we got our copy from someone else so might be worth keeping an eye out in the 2nd hand market. Nothing is destroyed (aside from the map/log sheets, but there's a pad with plenty of them in the box and most people won't use more than a handful at most.
I’ve been playing Solomon Kane and I feel you on all the reading. 😀 I’m trying to decide if I want the new one or both since it’s a stand alone.
Thank you Maggie! 🥰 I don't play solo but we do enjoy a lot of co-op games. However, Ryan Laukat hasn't been a big hit for us as a big game designer, much as I *adore* the look of his games. I always appreciate the creative work that has gone into them and what a labor of love they are, though.
I haven't played any of his other games. Definitely more keen to give them a go now. I do love the artwork and that goes a long way to bring me into the world of the game. Will report back on how I go with the other games 😄
A game I've had half an eye on. Your review was great.... and it's not a game for me, so I will now focus that eye elswhere 😃
Haha Well I'm glad it helped you make the decision. There's always sooo much to chose from! 😅
Nice review. And I agree on most points.
I bought Sleeping Gods after the No Pun Included review. I do marvel at the craftsmanship that went into it, but in the end the experience was too fiddly and passive for my taste. This is a case where the game makes me feel that the designer is clever and artistic but doesn't make me feel that I am clever or artistic.
Yeah, this is a good observation. It😂's almost like the designer is the much more powerful, world-knowing, yet elusive sleeping god underneath it all and us players are the mere mortals trying to figure out what is going on and what we're meant to be doing 😅 I guess that's kinda thematic then.. though I may be over-reaching again haha
I love this game...haven't soloed it yet.
Less downtime and no discussion going through it solo 😂Since most of it is really about the story I feel it'd be largely a similar experience overall.
@@ThinkerThemer Lisa and I love all his games and are excited for Now or Never.
Thanks for doing this video. I have this game on pre-order since last June and I've been wondering how much theme was really there. I'm sure when I get mine I'll be playing alone too. My wife will probably do the same as Amy LOL. Maybe we could trade games when you're done with it, I'm sure my pre-order won't be in by then!
Hahaha Well, I had a great time for my 2nd game after Amy abandoned me in the middle of the Wandering Seas so hopefully you enjoy your time with the game as well 😄
I know my girlfriend was interested in this one, she has had the honor of meeting the designer, but we have too many campaign games that we have currently backed or not played. Tho some mechanics look really enticing to explore, but the lack of guidance to a main goal could potentially be an issue for myself. Plus it seems like it's a difficult game to get our hands on.
Thanks for such a lovely comprehensive review and can't wait till the next video!
Aw Thank you Ania! Glad you enjoyed it. And completely agree. I think if there was an optional way to guide me through the main story and main goal I would've played this way more. Looking forward to all the upcoming campaign-based games we've been backing! 😅 So hopefully lots of videos in the future 😊
I haven't liked any of the Red Raven games that ive played (Near and Far was torture for me). My friend is really excited and loved this one but I still don't think it's for me. Especially if I can't take it down. Toddler and cats don't exactly allow for that lol. Thanks for the video Maggie, well done!
Agreed that this is absolutely not the type of game you want to leave out at the mercy of cats and toddler 😅
I didn’t like any red Raven games either, until this one. For me, they finally found the right combination of strategy and story. I printed out an aid from BGG, that helps notate information, so I can put the game away between sessions. My least favorite part of the game is that it takes 5 to 10 minutes to set up and teardown, the rest is wonderful.
Thank you for the review. For the price, I think I'll pass on Sleeping Gods.
Hi Maggie. Wonderful you got onto this one. Have you also got the expansion(s). I see you've got the metal-coins. My favorite solo campaign game even before the 7th continent. Great review/overview! This needs a lot of table space with 9+ crew!
Interesting thought: "The payoff of some of the side-quest was not really great enough to warrant the amount of hours..." I found it is good to just get back from time to time (with all the already gotten upgrades and float on to other areas to explore further. I thought especially Solo-pack-up-and-restore was easy. I didn't care if I redistributed the right amount of fatigue tokens to the specific team member, as long as the amount was right. The team members become highly specialized anyway. Some I hardly use, or only as a savior to sail to the next port... Of course - the goal is not ONE win-condition, but resolve as many quests possible. I wonder why you would be so much more excited about Mythwind then?
Looks like Ami did a great paint-job on the ship-mini.
Thanks Ralf! Wish I could give the credit to Amy, but the ship came painted out of the box, which is lucky since she has a queue of minis so this one might've taken a while to paint had it needed it 😂 It came with a dungeons expansion, but I'm not a huge fan of dungeons so I haven't explored them. And yeah, I actually found myself feeling quite disheartened by some of the side quests, which took a long time and then even when things turned out well.. only had some materials as the reward, so it felt anticlimactic and not worth the time investment (both in-game time based on turns it took to resolve, and real life time spent trying. to resolve it). You make a great point about Mythwind. I'll have to see how I find it once I play it. My thinking is that knowing that it's just an open exploration without a specific end, means I relax into the story for story sake. I think with this one there is a definite sense of time is ticking (or deck is progressing/ticking) and the feeling in the game is that we are looking for 'a way out of here and back home' so the set up does make it feel like there's a clear objective, but then there wasn't much guidance to stay on course if one wanted to. I get the thematic element of being lost and having to stumble upon relevant stuff, but I just wished there had been a way to focus the journey a bit more (even if this were still optional) so there was a more effective way to get to that objective. I did absolutely love the story element though, so that's what I'm super keen to check out in all the story rich games we've been backing! 😅
@@ThinkerThemer Thanks for the reply. The Dungeons expansion I don't even have yet. But the fact that the Tides of Ruin exp. completes 1/3 of the map - which should be in the core game - is actually a Minus. Interesting point though about your feeling to becoming lost and away from the main goal to get home (that would end the game too early then though). Did you watch Jamie Stegmaier talking about his top ten games with no win condition. I always wonder about the open world vs. story-end goal and going back aspect in games. The early Far Cry (2,3,4) video games got it right!
...well not that Far Cry would be for you, but I loved FPS-games
@@ralfn9629 I haven't tried any of the Far Cry games, but I do enjoy sandbox games in general. It's really been more of a lack of time thing. I always play a GTA when released and have really loved my time with Fallout & Assassins Creed. I'll need to check out the Jamie video as well!
Thanks for this review! I played through a bunch of campaigns of Nir&Far, but I recognise some stuff you mentioned; the endless side-quests and aimlessness are really not for me. Glad to hear the writing is good; N&F was just crinchy cliche upon cliche IMO.
Haha I haven't tried N&F, but keen to check it out now. I'll report back on how I find the writing there
awesome content! wondering which camera makes such high quality. Could you please share the setup you are using? Thx
20:29 is the actual review.
I’m happy to have the Kickstarter version but I’m actually considering playing entirely without the event deck at all. Just endlessly wandering around finding all the artifacts or whatever you’re supposed to be gathering.
Not sure why I watched this video like 4 times.
Maybe because you make a lot of sense, unburdened by unnecessary hype.
I backed the SG DS project and hope this time Ryan will get it right.
The first time I also was like, but wait where is that main quest?
The point is to enjoy the sidequests, we’re just not wired to do that.
And so much table space needed!
Yeah, this is a great idea. It would definitely be a smoother way of just being able to explore away the world they've created here.
@@ThinkerThemer endlessly wandering won't work because some artifacts can only be gotten by finishing the game. So I sold the whole thing at zero loss.
right before xmas was a good selling date. Lots of stories that go nowhere, all the while messing around with smallish fate cards, command tokens, exhaust tokens, blergh. It saddens me how good this game COULD have been. Maybe a second edition, some day.
Thanks for the video, it confirmed my own experiences.
It's an interesting game but I just don't have the time for it. I am looking forward to Maquis (little solo game) that is on the way. Its a much shorter game with a bunch of different missions and difficulty settings. Have you tried it?
Yeah, this one is a considerable time investment. I haven't tried Maquis. When the campaign was live we didn't back it because the theme didn't pull me in as much. I will definitely try someone else's copy to check it out. I feel like there's a lot more chance of that now we're able to meet back again with our playing group.
@@ThinkerThemer I got my copy of Maquis yesterday and played a few times. It might be a bit too repetitive and luck dependant for me. But probably enjoyable in short sessions.
Do you ever played 7th Continent. Def. the second best one.
I think I really want to play this. Do you think it is worth it for a person that is not so much of a themer?
Hi Malvina! Great question. I'd say if you're not a themer, it will really depend on how much you enjoy narrative-driven games. There's lots of story reading which is what put Amy off this game. I think if you like a game with beautiful table presence (this one is stunning) and lots of exploring and discovery, then definitely try this. But if you're more into cracking mechanical puzzles or feeling a sense of progression and personal achievement, this one may not be the best for it. Hope that helps! 😃
So... It's Side Quest: The Game. I hard pass for me.