advice to people new to CDMD!!! imo, season 5 is the best season to start with because it will have relics and unknown monsters (introduced in season 3) and the campaign decks (new to season 5). and if you back, you also get the stretch goals, which, as Chris says, are worth it. that said... any single core box (season 1, 3, or 5) is PLENTY of content, so if you can't wait, just scoop up S1 or S3 right now at retail for around a hundred bucks. you can always add more content later, and there is NO NEED TO GET EVERYTHING. seriously. because of the modular nature of the game (you play one boss mixed with one scenario), as you add more content, the unique combinations grow multiplicatively. TLDR: get ONE core box, then STOP. play. enjoy. only add more stuff if it starts feeling stale. :)
I just checked Zatu and they have 3 items from season one and 2 for about 150£ all together minus stretch goals and minus one investigator , yet they're selling it on gamefound for 500$ plus tax and shipping , comes over 600$... how is it even worth it ?
@@Berndr i'm not sure what you're referring to when you say they're selling "it" on gamefound for $500. but to maybe try to answer your question: core boxes (seasons 1, 3, 5) will sell at retail (on regular sale) for about $100. expansion seasons (2, 4, 6) i think will go for anywhere from $50 to $75. the wild card is the stretch goals from each crowdfund, which are not available at retail, so your best (cheapest) chance to get them is during a crowdfunding campaign like right now, where the current one's are "free" (ie, baked into the core box + shipping price), and i think past stretch goals are about $120 for a full set from a single crowd fund. definitely expensive for the previous ones. worth it? imo, no, not for $120. you get more value from a core box. but if you're a completionist, it will be your best chance to snag 'em.
THANK YOU!! Last season DMD was finally delivered to me this week. I’m so over it that I haven’t even broken the seal on the shipping box! I’m disgusted with CMON for charging outrageous shipping for Kickstarter while providing retail outlets with the game MONTHS in advance of KS fulfillment (in the US).
This is what surprised me and is making me not want to back this. They even put the game on sale within a month or so of the most recent release... so backers not only paid way more than I did, I was able to get it earlier AND on a discount. It seems that it's only good if you want the extras. If you are only going for the base, I'd rather just wait for retail.
I've had good game play experiences with S1 and S2 content. I happen to have 5 reasons why buying "too much content" is a good thing for myself. 1. Multi-use. CMON minis are usually pretty good quality. Compare them to the cheapest run of Reaper "Bones" plastic minis at $4 to $8 a pop and CMON minis come in at less than $2 a piece (the rest of the game is free!). Where else am I going to get minis this quality and cost for my Call of Cthulhu TTRPG? Same reason I went all in on Zombicide Undead or Alive. Where else am I going to get that many minis for some Dead West or Down Darker Trails RPG at that cost? I like to maximize what I use my stuff for. It saves space and cost if I can use minis or components for more than just one game. 2. I love the theme. I'm a fan of cosmic horror and the Lovecraftian mythos. There are a lot of games that fit in this category, this is one that happens to use dungeon crawling and is mini heavy, which are design choices I am very fond of (I own a lot of dungeon crawlers). It's just more content of something I love. That's like telling me to stop eating pizza after just one slice. 3. I love the gameplay. My gameplay experiences with the S1 and S2 content seem to be very different than yours. Every person I've introduced to CDMD has loved it and this includes people that are at best casual in the hobby. I'm all for getting more content for something that not only I enjoy but my gaming group and friends enjoy as well. 4. Value. If I get tired of the game, I get most (or more) of my money back out on the second hand market by selling the exclusives alone. I'm not buying the game as an investment but I'm also not worried about being out too much money if I decide to unload it in the future. 5. I love painting the minis. Not every sculpt is that great and yes, painting tentacle after tentacle can become tedious but I also cannot think of a better or cheaper way to get so many cool minis to paint. As I said before, these are reasons for me and may not apply to you or others. I am surprised though at how many people don't seem to consider point number 1. They will complain about too many survivors/investigators/etc. in the exclusives and then complain about how expensive minis are for their TTRPGs. Well...
Totally disagree with your point 1. There is constantly moving pieces on the board, Weather the cultists or monsters chase you, become summoned, sure there is no "move these at the end of round trigger" but the board is very active, from the first 4 episodes of Season 1 that I played. Constant moving pieces and the threat, when 2-4 of them are in 1 room and I just get an unlucky roll... and dont take any of them out. Its brutal.
100% this comment. Either you have misread some Mythos cards (which I doubt) or the episodes you played didn't have as much movement OR it could be the when you reshuffle the mythos deck it just keeps burying the majority of the cards that move enemies. I haven't received my Season 3 box yet via fulfillment so I can't directly comment, but I did buy Season 4 in retail and did not encounter this issue yet. There are also movements that activate with some of the elder gods as the level up. Plus you know they follow you when you leave, right...?
@@dman13141314 Yeah, I also was playing with a character who had stealth, so didn't have to worry about them following when I left, and we really didn't see that much movement whatsoever with anything else. I'm hoping maybe it's just the scenarios that we played so far, but was just so wholly underwhelmed.
They can activate with the event cards. Cultists are more likely to move than anything else. But, it's pretty common for a big nasty monster to sit in a corner moving maybe 1-2 times for an entire game. It does come down to the draw, but the baddies are much less active than in similar games. It's kind of a randomizer problem. Since the event deck is never played all the way through (or even mostly through), you may never see events that activate certain monster types. It's not nearly as bad as Arcadia Quest where the monsters only react. But, the monster engagement is on the lower end for this style of game.
As someone that has played all the season 1 and 2 content plus lost episodes (as a US backer it looks like I will be waiting until January for my season 3-4 stuff) , I agree that there is quite a bit of monster movement. I wonder if he was misplaying the Mythos Cards. Yes, this is not a Zombicide with swarms of enemies smashing into you but it is nowhere near as static as presented.
@@RoomandBoardReviewsstealth only works on one enemy to start with….and new enemies spawn quite often…unless you managed to level up faster than enemies spawned, I agree with the others that it had to be your scenario (haven’t received my S3/S4 yet) or really bad RNG with the decks or something…
Thank you for your assessment :D (fully agree with anti-fomo and the ridiculus megatures ^^) Still getting the base pledge is always increadible value as the stretch goal box usually goes for more than the whole pledge in the aftermarket. Basically you get the base game for free if you sell the extras. It is a gamble and you have to be patient though ^^ Not sure how many scenarios you played and at which player count. Have the opposite experience to your gameplay conclusion. We played every season1&2&Extras&Comics scenario at least twice at 4/mostly 5 players. Recently started Season 3 and for us this is the best narrative 5 player game that ever existed. Everything moves and tries to overwhelm you. The mechanics of the Old ones are really and amazingly different. :D ... So this is no-brain backing for our group :P ... really look forward to new relics, base abilities, madnesses, scenarios and Old Ones. CMON managed to push CDmD to new levels with season 3&4 and I believe from seeing the tidbits of this campaign - they will do again :D Also quite sure we will be through all the season 3/4 content until the current campaign arrives. As fan of the Lovecraft mythos I think the designers captured the vibe of these stories really well. Love how the scenarios unfold and how they change if you use different Old Ones or Characters. Also can not fathom how you think this is too easy. Our win ratio is around 50%. It is always very tight and the matter of 1-2 player turns. It is a great puzzle of efficiency with a touch of randomness added in perfect measure. Scenarios feel very different the second time around even if the task stays the same. And a loss is never too disheartening because you always feel like you were just a nudge from winning and will pull through next time. Turns are quick with hardly any downtime. Also it plays in around 1.5-2 hrs at 5 players so you can easily play a round on normal weekday evenings. It feels like an interactive horror movie to us :) Of course, if a game works strongly depends on the group and possible your personal mood. So I do recommend to get one of the existing base boxes and try before buying. If you have not guessed by now: this is my favourite narrative game of all time and because of the amazing group interaction beats all other Arkham/Mythos products that I/we love as well ^^ Also as a painter I think the CDmD Minis are the worthiest CMON produces ^^ While obviously no comparison to GW they were so much fun to paint :D In which game can you have the likes of Merilyn Monroe or Albert Einstein :D
I really like Cthulhu: Death May Die. I only purchased everything available at retail, but a friend purchased all of the kickstarter stuff. What we found was the extra scenarios and characters that were kickstarter exclusives were less polished than the ones in the retail boxes. There is more than enough content when you combine season 1-4 and the extra elder gods. I will wait until this is available in retail with free shipping.
The excitement of CDMD is that fine line you walk between power and madness. Each game that I have played has come down to the wire where the one or two dice rolling the right or wrong way determines our fate. I have not noticed the static nature of the monsters being a detriment to the enjoyment, so I guess I have to disagree with reason #1. My game group loves it. That being said, I am one of those still waiting for the prior season to get shipped to me. I was a little miffed when I saw it sitting on the shelf at my local game store. Not cool to take my money to get the project funded then treat me as an afterthought when the project ships.
I think you too will turn to the madness soon. The dice tower review was also very critical of the game way back when it came out. A little later it was their top 1 or 2. Just give it a little longer, the madness will take hold!
After going all in on Season 1&2 and then 3&4 (which was only just received by me in the UK when this campaign launched) I decided to put on my big boy pants, adult (at 40...) and not back this! Your video as well as the mountain of content I have already (not played) just proves yet again CMON don't know when to stop and they pray on the FOMO. Not to mention US retail at least it seems getting Season 3 months ago before KS backers (I guess another reason KS kicked them off ....) Being so close to Christmas as well seemed such a silly idea from CMON, but it certainly isn't the first or last time they will run a campaign this close. However, given that this is GameFound and late pledge will be open in a few weeks I still yet sadly may succumb. But probably only to the core Season 5 box + SG's and hopefully get my free Godzilla.
I solo play CDMD with S1 and S2 and I have had some of the most memorable and epic moments while playing board games. I rarely find people to play with and because of that reason I appreciate to the solo mode. I don't suffer of FOMO so I will wait for now. I rather get more elder golds than the whole new expansions.
Chuckle. I watched this to talk myself out of rebuying a complete second set (less comics & board game promos) just to store it off-site in case my house catches fire. Man I love this game. 😂
Now, maybe this is just a US thing since we seem to have the cheapest shipping by far -- but if I buy the base pledge, I can easily sell the Kickstarter Box and essentially negate my entire total cost of about $150, so the core game is essentially free to me **shrug**
Hello, really great and clear video! Thanks👏👍😻 In your opinion, what is the better boss-battler game(s) in stores/ks right now ? Why? And what are your expectations for the 2 coming years? ... sorry I realise it's litteraly a whole video I'm asking you to sum-up here...🙄 If you can give me 2 (or 3) names from your prefered ones it would be relly great (because you are really telling the drawbacks of each game you speak of and your honnesty is really refreshing and of great value to me) Thx a lot
@@Aurore- it's tough, I'm not a huge huge fan of boss battler board games I've come to realize. There have been quite a few people in my discord who have been talking about enjoying Primal recently, but I haven't played it. Monster Hunter was one that I enjoyed (I have a review on that one). If you're looking for fun art and a unique theme, townsfolk tussle could be a potential, but I kind of only like that one at 2 people otherwise it's too easy, and it's going down in my rankings a bit, but have a review on that as well. For dungeon crawling style of games, I much prefer Massive Darkness 2 to DMD, I love the asymmetry of the characters, even though that's also a pretty easy game once you get over the curve.
The only thing making me hesitant is that they haven’t delivered the last crowdfund (to me). This is also confounding because I am not sure which promos I actually got already. Ultimately I will begrudgingly back because I love the game and I love Godzilla. Also for your point about not having the best experience, consider that this may be a game that depends on the right group. I have played with groups that love it and I have also played with groups that made the experience miserable. For me, it is currently bouncing in my top 3 games. (For context, I have been in the hobby since 1980 and I’ve experienced over 4000 unique games)
@@SenseiJae I think like anything it's all about expectations. I'm looking forward to going back into it with clearer expectations and could see it rising in my esteem because I know what to expect now. But when the experience doesn't match the expectations that's when disappointment happens.
Have everything else from retail so far. Have never backed a DMD campaign, but planning on backing S5 and also grabbing the exclusives I have missed out on so far. Not getting the bigatures. I would use them primarily for decor and imagine I could go get a large Cthulhu and Godzilla sculpt online to be delivered asap that would cost less. Favorite game in my collection though so I’m fine spending a lot on this campaign. Could be too much stuff, but that’s a chance I’m willing to take.
Just wanted to say that I was set on ignoring your video in favor of jumping on the hype train on the day of project launch. After thinking it through over a few days I've come back and I completely agree with your points (and loving your sense of humor - 10/10). It felt really good taking down a $800+ USD pledge down to about $100 and might reconsider that depending on how the campaign goes. There are so many other things to do with that much money including buying the game in retail and enjoying it immediately! Thanks for being the critical voice and antidote to the crowdfunding craze/addiction.
@@xz5709 Thanks! Hey I'm glad it's helpful:) I've totally been in the all in boat many times before haha. But I really find the idea of going to a store and getting it now to be a really good test if excitement
I said I would never back another CMON project unless it was Godzilla related... Never thought it was gonna happen but here we are haha. I didnt though... But I may pick it up at retail just because.
Hey! I'm one of those backers you're talking about (haven't received my pledge yet). I hate the FOMO of "missing out" on the stretch goals. They way they price things, it's like a "free" $100.
Hmm not sure i agree with static monsters situation.... I do agree that you probably dont need more than box. There is a lot of replayability with one box and have replayed certain scenarios several times
Mmm yeah yeah I hear you… but I’m weak and I’m all in anyway. My buddy and I love CDMD, and my nephew loves Godzilla. I have played all of retail s1 and 2s, and have been working on playing all the combinations of elder ones and scenarios - but I’m excited to get s3 and 4 eventually, and feel confident I’ll have it done by the time they deliver this campaign in 2027. The megature is probably a waste, but they seem to hold good second hand value based on the old Cthulhu bigature… But I agree that CMON is notorious with their FOMO.
Good assessment. I’m still waiting for my pledge to arrive in Alberta so I pledged US$1 to this campaign just to follow it but given that I have the COMPLETE all in from the first campaign and am still waiting on my last pledge I think this one is a pass and those $$$ will be better spent on perhaps MOO
Thanks for posting this Chris. I know you love MD2 and Zombicide. This is very different, its all about walking that fine line of controlling your sanity. The tension in this game is amazing as most games come down to the wire. I just don't think this game is for you as most of what you said is true though I do fine the enemies move almost every turn.
For #5 - I agree that no one really needs everything that is C:DMD. Even if you love the game, it’s too much content. Almost no one will play it all enough to justify it. However, I think 2 seasons are a reasonable about of content if you really love the game. I bought retail season 1, and got all the new stuff from fear of the unknown and I have 0 desire to ever back anything C:DMD ever again. It will like at least 10 years to play though all the content that I have now. I like the variability with lots of investigators, episodes, and elder gods, but my current collection of it feels like too much (especially the number of investigators)
The 2 biggest problem for me (having season 1 to 4) its that you are mostly buying minis. I still think there's a great game here and I like matching elder gods and scenario... But season 1 had enough minis... They could just be printing elder gods and scenario at this point but they keep releasing ''stand alone'' expansion and add tons of minis. Also don't need more than 5 investigator scuplt (still need the variants to switch things up) but why the hell have 100 investigator minis. I am sure painters are thrilled but still... Second complaints is that building scenario map with tiles is annoying as hell after a while. I wouldn't mind as much if it was massive tiles like Massive Darkness but going through 20-30 tiles is not fun.
@@clanechelon incredibly valid points. I've printed out additional content for the Others, and just have the base box components and am SOO much happier than having all the extra bloat
I'm glad you have yours but your definitely in the minority. Most west coast backeareare just now receiving their pledges and most east coast backers won't get theirs until after the new year. The tone deaf nature of CMON - who pays zero attention to backers both during and after a campaign - really should be your number 1 reason not to back.
I want the game, but i mostly want the Godzilla figures. Hopefully, the Game Steward or a different vendor gets extras and dont sell them for stupid high prices
i have s1 to s4, both kickstarter sg and comics 2. this is content for ruthly 10 years or more. more than 350 different combinations of elder one and scenario and 90 or so investigators. there is realy no need for more. i do love this game and it is so much fun, but i dont need more boxes of it. maybe in 10 years when i have finished every possible combination. if you are new to the game get yourself the box s1 and test the game. if you realy like it you may get into gamefound late pledge and get the rest. but be prepared that its horribly expensive. you may spend above a thousand dollars and more. and beware it may take up to 3 years to finish producing. cmon is getting lazy these days and you dont know if the make the mythic move and you end up with nothing.
As someone whose taste often aligns with Alex Radcliffe's taste (except that I like area control less), this game was also a disappointment for me. It's fine (played through Season 1) but not great - the variation from the scenarios felt more like (reading) work rather than changing the game a lot.
Yeah Haven't got my stuff from the last campaign yet so I'm not interested in spending more money. I've got too many games already so I'm sure what I have coming will be plenty.
Just FYI: The promo, smaller Godzilla is not an Elder God. It fights the Elder God. I’m shocked to hear that you think it’s too easy and the monsters are stagnant. That’s not something you normally hear about this game. I’ve finished seasons 1 & 2, still waiting on 3&4. Most all of my wins have been on the last possible move or we lose. I’ve had plenty of losses. The games are usually a nail-biter. Sorry this one was a miss for you.
I agree with Chris that it's on the easier end. I have an 80% win rate (only that low due to a Leeroy Jenkins player) and my wife has a 90% win rate (she's never played with that person). Black Goat is the only difficulty spike for S1/S2, and it's the difference between a high 90% win rate and around an 80% win rate. The game is designed to feel close. The tracks to lose (HP, sanity, ritual) create pressure, but the investigators become powerhouses that typically defeat a phase of the Elder God on their turn. In my experience, once an Elder God can be killed, then it only has 3-5 player turns left to live. Again, the exception is Black Goat due to her using Dark Young as a body shield. The biggest issue S1/S2 had was an inability to tune the difficulty. S3/S4 are supposed to bring tools to help with that, but I don't know when my copies will arrive. Chris played S3 which has relics, and that could also contribute to the game being even easier.
@RoomandBoardReviews 🤣 I almost didn't click the video on the side bar. It was small and it didn't look like you. I ended up clicking on it because I thought "okay, I need to know who's copying his 5 reasons not to..."
3rd campaign is a lot, 9 huge boxes (not counting the bigatures) plus a number of small boxes is way too much of any game. And at least 900€ spent on 1 simple and silly dice chucking game (again not counting the bigatures) is crazy!
I'll never understand the people that need EVERYTHING if they back something. Especially in a case like this, where you can go out and buy a lot the current content at retail to figure out IF you like it, or even try it on TTS. Like, people can do what they wanna do, but I can't imagine dropping that much money on a system that I've no idea if I'll like. But also I'll never back a CMON pledge. They frequently don't get pledges to the backers before it hits retail and their shipping costs are ALWAYS egregious. I'll happily wait for retail on any of their stuff, even if I'm missing out on a bunch of stuff. The added cost just isn't worth it to me.
For US, there's also the potential for egregious CMON shipping prices plus having to pay extra due to tariffs. No one knows what'll actually happen in regards to the tariffs, but anyone backing board games should be budgeting for it. If nothing comes of it, then you've got some extra cash to spend.
I agree Zatu has 3 items from season one and 2 for about 150£ , minus the stretch goal you can get on ebay ... Gamefound is selling it all for 500$ plus shipping and tax on the top... its ridicolous
For me DMD feels like a mix of Zombicide and Mansions of Madness, some dice chucking and investigation, but on the more lighter and slapstick side of it. I also had missions where monsters didn't really move, but also missions where they did. So I think it might depend on the mission/episode and or old one. I bought season 1-4 retail, and was looking forward to this campaign because I didn't want to miss all the "free stuff" in the stretch goals, but it's really getting out of hand. I have 4 boxes and they take way to much space on my shelf. Great for storing those miniatures, but cards and tokens are just scattered in the boxes and I don't know what to do lol Most of the investigators aren't really that different, so I don't feel like another 10 investigators are gonna change the game much for me. Great video as always, thank you.
The monsters doing nothing during a scenario is one of the things that bug me most about the game. It's more whether the monster is in your way that you fight it, and not that they're actively trying to stop you. The Elder Gods are even worse, because they're often just statues. I also agree on the investigators. The investigators aren't that unique, so more investigators don't add much in regards to gameplay. I think the game is a fun system, and probably the best option for a light dungeon crawler experience. For me, it basically killed Zombicide, HeroQuest, D&D Adventure System, etc. for that light dungeon crawler experience.
@@VaultBoy13 Lol yes, I haven't played Zombicide since I got DMD. Even though the monsters don't do much, or the Elder Gods are mostly statues you bash, I have loads of fun with the game.
This past Black Friday I acquired S1 + S3 + S4 + The Black Goat for USD 246 total! That was a great deal, I think. 😊 I will pass on the current campaign.
Here are 5+ reasons to not back S5+S6 campaign I'd give: - It's just a simple dice chucker! - too expensive (900+€, almost 1000$) - too much content - too many huge boxes, It takes so much space!! - S5 compares poorly to S1 and S3 - too many investigators
Honestly DMD , compared to MD2 & Zombicide is so so lacking ... Played all 3, and DMD is just meh. Even as a huge Godzilla fan I won`t give in and get this
I feel like with CMON there’s really no reason to back the game because you are likely to get the game at retail before backers get it, there’s no shipping costs, and the kickstarter exclusives are just a marketing tactic to get you to purchase it there instead of your FLGS so that they optimize revenue by cutting out multiple middle men. I’m definitely getting it when it comes to retail, I love all the game offers.
$US210 + 150 shipping for the big boy, nope. Like Marvel United, this is the probably the most comprehensive list of creatures from Lovecraft's world (vs Cthulhu Wars & Mansions of Madness). Instead of the Zombicde rpg, they could make the Death May Die skirmish book.
advice to people new to CDMD!!!
imo, season 5 is the best season to start with because it will have relics and unknown monsters (introduced in season 3) and the campaign decks (new to season 5). and if you back, you also get the stretch goals, which, as Chris says, are worth it.
that said... any single core box (season 1, 3, or 5) is PLENTY of content, so if you can't wait, just scoop up S1 or S3 right now at retail for around a hundred bucks. you can always add more content later, and there is NO NEED TO GET EVERYTHING. seriously. because of the modular nature of the game (you play one boss mixed with one scenario), as you add more content, the unique combinations grow multiplicatively.
TLDR: get ONE core box, then STOP. play. enjoy. only add more stuff if it starts feeling stale. :)
Thanks for the thoughtful advice. Why do you not mention season 2? Thanks
I just checked Zatu and they have 3 items from season one and 2 for about 150£ all together minus stretch goals and minus one investigator , yet they're selling it on gamefound for 500$ plus tax and shipping , comes over 600$... how is it even worth it ?
@@12600Grey season 2 isn't a core box. It's an expansion to season 1
@@robertmcrae3443thank you for explaining this and a sort of buyers guide. Cheers!
@@Berndr i'm not sure what you're referring to when you say they're selling "it" on gamefound for $500. but to maybe try to answer your question:
core boxes (seasons 1, 3, 5) will sell at retail (on regular sale) for about $100. expansion seasons (2, 4, 6) i think will go for anywhere from $50 to $75. the wild card is the stretch goals from each crowdfund, which are not available at retail, so your best (cheapest) chance to get them is during a crowdfunding campaign like right now, where the current one's are "free" (ie, baked into the core box + shipping price), and i think past stretch goals are about $120 for a full set from a single crowd fund. definitely expensive for the previous ones. worth it? imo, no, not for $120. you get more value from a core box. but if you're a completionist, it will be your best chance to snag 'em.
THANK YOU!! Last season DMD was finally delivered to me this week. I’m so over it that I haven’t even broken the seal on the shipping box! I’m disgusted with CMON for charging outrageous shipping for Kickstarter while providing retail outlets with the game MONTHS in advance of KS fulfillment (in the US).
This is what surprised me and is making me not want to back this. They even put the game on sale within a month or so of the most recent release... so backers not only paid way more than I did, I was able to get it earlier AND on a discount. It seems that it's only good if you want the extras. If you are only going for the base, I'd rather just wait for retail.
I've had good game play experiences with S1 and S2 content. I happen to have 5 reasons why buying "too much content" is a good thing for myself.
1. Multi-use. CMON minis are usually pretty good quality. Compare them to the cheapest run of Reaper "Bones" plastic minis at $4 to $8 a pop and CMON minis come in at less than $2 a piece (the rest of the game is free!). Where else am I going to get minis this quality and cost for my Call of Cthulhu TTRPG? Same reason I went all in on Zombicide Undead or Alive. Where else am I going to get that many minis for some Dead West or Down Darker Trails RPG at that cost? I like to maximize what I use my stuff for. It saves space and cost if I can use minis or components for more than just one game.
2. I love the theme. I'm a fan of cosmic horror and the Lovecraftian mythos. There are a lot of games that fit in this category, this is one that happens to use dungeon crawling and is mini heavy, which are design choices I am very fond of (I own a lot of dungeon crawlers). It's just more content of something I love. That's like telling me to stop eating pizza after just one slice.
3. I love the gameplay. My gameplay experiences with the S1 and S2 content seem to be very different than yours. Every person I've introduced to CDMD has loved it and this includes people that are at best casual in the hobby. I'm all for getting more content for something that not only I enjoy but my gaming group and friends enjoy as well.
4. Value. If I get tired of the game, I get most (or more) of my money back out on the second hand market by selling the exclusives alone. I'm not buying the game as an investment but I'm also not worried about being out too much money if I decide to unload it in the future.
5. I love painting the minis. Not every sculpt is that great and yes, painting tentacle after tentacle can become tedious but I also cannot think of a better or cheaper way to get so many cool minis to paint.
As I said before, these are reasons for me and may not apply to you or others. I am surprised though at how many people don't seem to consider point number 1. They will complain about too many survivors/investigators/etc. in the exclusives and then complain about how expensive minis are for their TTRPGs. Well...
Totally disagree with your point 1. There is constantly moving pieces on the board, Weather the cultists or monsters chase you, become summoned, sure there is no "move these at the end of round trigger" but the board is very active, from the first 4 episodes of Season 1 that I played. Constant moving pieces and the threat, when 2-4 of them are in 1 room and I just get an unlucky roll... and dont take any of them out. Its brutal.
100% this comment. Either you have misread some Mythos cards (which I doubt) or the episodes you played didn't have as much movement OR it could be the when you reshuffle the mythos deck it just keeps burying the majority of the cards that move enemies. I haven't received my Season 3 box yet via fulfillment so I can't directly comment, but I did buy Season 4 in retail and did not encounter this issue yet. There are also movements that activate with some of the elder gods as the level up. Plus you know they follow you when you leave, right...?
@@dman13141314 Yeah, I also was playing with a character who had stealth, so didn't have to worry about them following when I left, and we really didn't see that much movement whatsoever with anything else. I'm hoping maybe it's just the scenarios that we played so far, but was just so wholly underwhelmed.
They can activate with the event cards. Cultists are more likely to move than anything else. But, it's pretty common for a big nasty monster to sit in a corner moving maybe 1-2 times for an entire game. It does come down to the draw, but the baddies are much less active than in similar games.
It's kind of a randomizer problem. Since the event deck is never played all the way through (or even mostly through), you may never see events that activate certain monster types. It's not nearly as bad as Arcadia Quest where the monsters only react. But, the monster engagement is on the lower end for this style of game.
As someone that has played all the season 1 and 2 content plus lost episodes (as a US backer it looks like I will be waiting until January for my season 3-4 stuff) , I agree that there is quite a bit of monster movement. I wonder if he was misplaying the Mythos Cards. Yes, this is not a Zombicide with swarms of enemies smashing into you but it is nowhere near as static as presented.
@@RoomandBoardReviewsstealth only works on one enemy to start with….and new enemies spawn quite often…unless you managed to level up faster than enemies spawned, I agree with the others that it had to be your scenario (haven’t received my S3/S4 yet) or really bad RNG with the decks or something…
Thank you for your assessment :D (fully agree with anti-fomo and the ridiculus megatures ^^) Still getting the base pledge is always increadible value as the stretch goal box usually goes for more than the whole pledge in the aftermarket. Basically you get the base game for free if you sell the extras. It is a gamble and you have to be patient though ^^
Not sure how many scenarios you played and at which player count. Have the opposite experience to your gameplay conclusion.
We played every season1&2&Extras&Comics scenario at least twice at 4/mostly 5 players. Recently started Season 3 and for us this is the best narrative 5 player game that ever existed. Everything moves and tries to overwhelm you. The mechanics of the Old ones are really and amazingly different. :D ... So this is no-brain backing for our group :P ... really look forward to new relics, base abilities, madnesses, scenarios and Old Ones. CMON managed to push CDmD to new levels with season 3&4 and I believe from seeing the tidbits of this campaign - they will do again :D Also quite sure we will be through all the season 3/4 content until the current campaign arrives.
As fan of the Lovecraft mythos I think the designers captured the vibe of these stories really well. Love how the scenarios unfold and how they change if you use different Old Ones or Characters. Also can not fathom how you think this is too easy. Our win ratio is around 50%. It is always very tight and the matter of 1-2 player turns. It is a great puzzle of efficiency with a touch of randomness added in perfect measure. Scenarios feel very different the second time around even if the task stays the same. And a loss is never too disheartening because you always feel like you were just a nudge from winning and will pull through next time.
Turns are quick with hardly any downtime. Also it plays in around 1.5-2 hrs at 5 players so you can easily play a round on normal weekday evenings. It feels like an interactive horror movie to us :)
Of course, if a game works strongly depends on the group and possible your personal mood. So I do recommend to get one of the existing base boxes and try before buying.
If you have not guessed by now: this is my favourite narrative game of all time and because of the amazing group interaction beats all other Arkham/Mythos products that I/we love as well ^^
Also as a painter I think the CDmD Minis are the worthiest CMON produces ^^ While obviously no comparison to GW they were so much fun to paint :D In which game can you have the likes of Merilyn Monroe or Albert Einstein :D
I really like Cthulhu: Death May Die. I only purchased everything available at retail, but a friend purchased all of the kickstarter stuff. What we found was the extra scenarios and characters that were kickstarter exclusives were less polished than the ones in the retail boxes. There is more than enough content when you combine season 1-4 and the extra elder gods. I will wait until this is available in retail with free shipping.
The excitement of CDMD is that fine line you walk between power and madness. Each game that I have played has come down to the wire where the one or two dice rolling the right or wrong way determines our fate. I have not noticed the static nature of the monsters being a detriment to the enjoyment, so I guess I have to disagree with reason #1. My game group loves it.
That being said, I am one of those still waiting for the prior season to get shipped to me. I was a little miffed when I saw it sitting on the shelf at my local game store. Not cool to take my money to get the project funded then treat me as an afterthought when the project ships.
I think you too will turn to the madness soon. The dice tower review was also very critical of the game way back when it came out. A little later it was their top 1 or 2. Just give it a little longer, the madness will take hold!
After going all in on Season 1&2 and then 3&4 (which was only just received by me in the UK when this campaign launched) I decided to put on my big boy pants, adult (at 40...) and not back this!
Your video as well as the mountain of content I have already (not played) just proves yet again CMON don't know when to stop and they pray on the FOMO. Not to mention US retail at least it seems getting Season 3 months ago before KS backers (I guess another reason KS kicked them off ....)
Being so close to Christmas as well seemed such a silly idea from CMON, but it certainly isn't the first or last time they will run a campaign this close.
However, given that this is GameFound and late pledge will be open in a few weeks I still yet sadly may succumb. But probably only to the core Season 5 box + SG's and hopefully get my free Godzilla.
I solo play CDMD with S1 and S2 and I have had some of the most memorable and epic moments while playing board games. I rarely find people to play with and because of that reason I appreciate to the solo mode. I don't suffer of FOMO so I will wait for now. I rather get more elder golds than the whole new expansions.
The small Godzilla promo expansion seems to be available in retail soon.
The gifted one won't arrive before summer 2026.
Chuckle. I watched this to talk myself out of rebuying a complete second set (less comics & board game promos) just to store it off-site in case my house catches fire.
Man I love this game. 😂
Haha, one of the more valid reasons!
Also, really loved that “awards show” you did some time ago. Crap was hilarious. Do it again!
thought was a totally diferent channel without the beard and the wierd tumbnail XD.
Now, maybe this is just a US thing since we seem to have the cheapest shipping by far -- but if I buy the base pledge, I can easily sell the Kickstarter Box and essentially negate my entire total cost of about $150, so the core game is essentially free to me **shrug**
Hello, really great and clear video! Thanks👏👍😻
In your opinion, what is the better boss-battler game(s) in stores/ks right now ? Why?
And what are your expectations for the 2 coming years?
... sorry I realise it's litteraly a whole video I'm asking you to sum-up here...🙄
If you can give me 2 (or 3) names from your prefered ones it would be relly great (because you are really telling the drawbacks of each game you speak of and your honnesty is really refreshing and of great value to me)
Thx a lot
@@Aurore- it's tough, I'm not a huge huge fan of boss battler board games I've come to realize. There have been quite a few people in my discord who have been talking about enjoying Primal recently, but I haven't played it.
Monster Hunter was one that I enjoyed (I have a review on that one). If you're looking for fun art and a unique theme, townsfolk tussle could be a potential, but I kind of only like that one at 2 people otherwise it's too easy, and it's going down in my rankings a bit, but have a review on that as well.
For dungeon crawling style of games, I much prefer Massive Darkness 2 to DMD, I love the asymmetry of the characters, even though that's also a pretty easy game once you get over the curve.
The only thing making me hesitant is that they haven’t delivered the last crowdfund (to me). This is also confounding because I am not sure which promos I actually got already.
Ultimately I will begrudgingly back because I love the game and I love Godzilla.
Also for your point about not having the best experience, consider that this may be a game that depends on the right group. I have played with groups that love it and I have also played with groups that made the experience miserable. For me, it is currently bouncing in my top 3 games. (For context, I have been in the hobby since 1980 and I’ve experienced over 4000 unique games)
@@SenseiJae I think like anything it's all about expectations. I'm looking forward to going back into it with clearer expectations and could see it rising in my esteem because I know what to expect now. But when the experience doesn't match the expectations that's when disappointment happens.
Have everything else from retail so far. Have never backed a DMD campaign, but planning on backing S5 and also grabbing the exclusives I have missed out on so far.
Not getting the bigatures. I would use them primarily for decor and imagine I could go get a large Cthulhu and Godzilla sculpt online to be delivered asap that would cost less.
Favorite game in my collection though so I’m fine spending a lot on this campaign. Could be too much stuff, but that’s a chance I’m willing to take.
Just wanted to say that I was set on ignoring your video in favor of jumping on the hype train on the day of project launch. After thinking it through over a few days I've come back and I completely agree with your points (and loving your sense of humor - 10/10). It felt really good taking down a $800+ USD pledge down to about $100 and might reconsider that depending on how the campaign goes. There are so many other things to do with that much money including buying the game in retail and enjoying it immediately! Thanks for being the critical voice and antidote to the crowdfunding craze/addiction.
@@xz5709 Thanks! Hey I'm glad it's helpful:) I've totally been in the all in boat many times before haha. But I really find the idea of going to a store and getting it now to be a really good test if excitement
I love this game.
I have a lot of this game.
My group also loves this game.
Do I need more of this game?
Leaning towards yes!!
I said I would never back another CMON project unless it was Godzilla related... Never thought it was gonna happen but here we are haha.
I didnt though... But I may pick it up at retail just because.
Hey! I'm one of those backers you're talking about (haven't received my pledge yet). I hate the FOMO of "missing out" on the stretch goals. They way they price things, it's like a "free" $100.
Hmm not sure i agree with static monsters situation....
I do agree that you probably dont need more than box. There is a lot of replayability with one box and have replayed certain scenarios several times
-The Unknown Monster cards for S1+S2 monsters are in the Unknowable Box, not in the S3 Box.-
EDIT: I stand corrected, they are actually in the S3 box.
@joeferreti9442 ah good looking out!
@@RoomandBoardReviews No, sorry, I was mistaken. I got fooled by the KS campaign website. I should have looked into the real box.
@joeferreti9442 oh great thanks for the correction :) Glad I remembered correctly then
Mmm yeah yeah I hear you… but I’m weak and I’m all in anyway. My buddy and I love CDMD, and my nephew loves Godzilla. I have played all of retail s1 and 2s, and have been working on playing all the combinations of elder ones and scenarios - but I’m excited to get s3 and 4 eventually, and feel confident I’ll have it done by the time they deliver this campaign in 2027. The megature is probably a waste, but they seem to hold good second hand value based on the old Cthulhu bigature…
But I agree that CMON is notorious with their FOMO.
Good assessment. I’m still waiting for my pledge to arrive in Alberta so I pledged US$1 to this campaign just to follow it but given that I have the COMPLETE all in from the first campaign and am still waiting on my last pledge I think this one is a pass and those $$$ will be better spent on perhaps MOO
Thanks for posting this Chris. I know you love MD2 and Zombicide. This is very different, its all about walking that fine line of controlling your sanity. The tension in this game is amazing as most games come down to the wire. I just don't think this game is for you as most of what you said is true though I do fine the enemies move almost every turn.
Did you receive Arydia yet? Looking forward to your unboxing and review!
@@ADosSantos92 not yet but hopefully soon!
going all in. buying everything
@@1981troyboy hope you love every single morsel :)
"untold levels of excitement"
lol
For #5 - I agree that no one really needs everything that is C:DMD. Even if you love the game, it’s too much content. Almost no one will play it all enough to justify it. However, I think 2 seasons are a reasonable about of content if you really love the game. I bought retail season 1, and got all the new stuff from fear of the unknown and I have 0 desire to ever back anything C:DMD ever again. It will like at least 10 years to play though all the content that I have now. I like the variability with lots of investigators, episodes, and elder gods, but my current collection of it feels like too much (especially the number of investigators)
Don’t forget CMON might double the shipping price in the pledge manager #MarvelZombies. Never forget, never forgive.
Zombicide > CDMD is a hot take if I’ve ever heard one
The 2 biggest problem for me (having season 1 to 4) its that you are mostly buying minis. I still think there's a great game here and I like matching elder gods and scenario... But season 1 had enough minis... They could just be printing elder gods and scenario at this point but they keep releasing ''stand alone'' expansion and add tons of minis. Also don't need more than 5 investigator scuplt (still need the variants to switch things up) but why the hell have 100 investigator minis. I am sure painters are thrilled but still...
Second complaints is that building scenario map with tiles is annoying as hell after a while. I wouldn't mind as much if it was massive tiles like Massive Darkness but going through 20-30 tiles is not fun.
@@clanechelon incredibly valid points. I've printed out additional content for the Others, and just have the base box components and am SOO much happier than having all the extra bloat
I'm glad you have yours but your definitely in the minority. Most west coast backeareare just now receiving their pledges and most east coast backers won't get theirs until after the new year.
The tone deaf nature of CMON - who pays zero attention to backers both during and after a campaign - really should be your number 1 reason not to back.
I want the game, but i mostly want the Godzilla figures.
Hopefully, the Game Steward or a different vendor gets extras and dont sell them for stupid high prices
The bad guys are somewhat static. For me, not an issue
i have s1 to s4, both kickstarter sg and comics 2. this is content for ruthly 10 years or more. more than 350 different combinations of elder one and scenario and 90 or so investigators. there is realy no need for more. i do love this game and it is so much fun, but i dont need more boxes of it. maybe in 10 years when i have finished every possible combination.
if you are new to the game get yourself the box s1 and test the game. if you realy like it you may get into gamefound late pledge and get the rest. but be prepared that its horribly expensive. you may spend above a thousand dollars and more.
and beware it may take up to 3 years to finish producing. cmon is getting lazy these days and you dont know if the make the mythic move and you end up with nothing.
As someone whose taste often aligns with Alex Radcliffe's taste (except that I like area control less), this game was also a disappointment for me. It's fine (played through Season 1) but not great - the variation from the scenarios felt more like (reading) work rather than changing the game a lot.
@@m.schwarz yeah Alex and I tend to gel on a lot of stuff as well, so was definitely having him propelling my expectations forward too.
Sounds like you're playing it wrong. If you are ever in Alberta, swing by. me and the boys will convince you it is the best of the CMoN games
Yeah Haven't got my stuff from the last campaign yet so I'm not interested in spending more money. I've got too many games already so I'm sure what I have coming will be plenty.
Just FYI: The promo, smaller Godzilla is not an Elder God. It fights the Elder God.
I’m shocked to hear that you think it’s too easy and the monsters are stagnant. That’s not something you normally hear about this game. I’ve finished seasons 1 & 2, still waiting on 3&4. Most all of my wins have been on the last possible move or we lose. I’ve had plenty of losses. The games are usually a nail-biter. Sorry this one was a miss for you.
I agree with Chris that it's on the easier end. I have an 80% win rate (only that low due to a Leeroy Jenkins player) and my wife has a 90% win rate (she's never played with that person). Black Goat is the only difficulty spike for S1/S2, and it's the difference between a high 90% win rate and around an 80% win rate.
The game is designed to feel close. The tracks to lose (HP, sanity, ritual) create pressure, but the investigators become powerhouses that typically defeat a phase of the Elder God on their turn. In my experience, once an Elder God can be killed, then it only has 3-5 player turns left to live. Again, the exception is Black Goat due to her using Dark Young as a body shield.
The biggest issue S1/S2 had was an inability to tune the difficulty. S3/S4 are supposed to bring tools to help with that, but I don't know when my copies will arrive. Chris played S3 which has relics, and that could also contribute to the game being even easier.
I wouldn't be surprised if the shipping cost would go up by $25 if you add the 'free' godzilla worth $25 to your pledge
You shaved and it's scary!!! Undo it undo it!!!!
@@discard8168 that's just to be on theme with the Fear of the Unknown and the forbidden reaches!
@RoomandBoardReviews 🤣 I almost didn't click the video on the side bar. It was small and it didn't look like you. I ended up clicking on it because I thought "okay, I need to know who's copying his 5 reasons not to..."
3rd campaign is a lot, 9 huge boxes (not counting the bigatures) plus a number of small boxes is way too much of any game.
And at least 900€ spent on 1 simple and silly dice chucking game (again not counting the bigatures) is crazy!
I'll never understand the people that need EVERYTHING if they back something. Especially in a case like this, where you can go out and buy a lot the current content at retail to figure out IF you like it, or even try it on TTS. Like, people can do what they wanna do, but I can't imagine dropping that much money on a system that I've no idea if I'll like.
But also I'll never back a CMON pledge. They frequently don't get pledges to the backers before it hits retail and their shipping costs are ALWAYS egregious. I'll happily wait for retail on any of their stuff, even if I'm missing out on a bunch of stuff. The added cost just isn't worth it to me.
For US, there's also the potential for egregious CMON shipping prices plus having to pay extra due to tariffs. No one knows what'll actually happen in regards to the tariffs, but anyone backing board games should be budgeting for it. If nothing comes of it, then you've got some extra cash to spend.
I agree Zatu has 3 items from season one and 2 for about 150£ , minus the stretch goal you can get on ebay ... Gamefound is selling it all for 500$ plus shipping and tax on the top... its ridicolous
The tariffs are more than likely a red herring. In 2024, tariffs are a diplomatic tool, not an economic one.
Gee, I get swarmed all the time by the Mythos cards
Could be I haven't played it all that much yet, but my initial impressions I was like, oh... nothing ever does anything.
This is too much. Way too much. Like they just can't stop : it's like force-feeding.
For me DMD feels like a mix of Zombicide and Mansions of Madness, some dice chucking and investigation, but on the more lighter and slapstick side of it.
I also had missions where monsters didn't really move, but also missions where they did. So I think it might depend on the mission/episode and or old one.
I bought season 1-4 retail, and was looking forward to this campaign because I didn't want to miss all the "free stuff" in the stretch goals, but it's really getting out of hand. I have 4 boxes and they take way to much space on my shelf. Great for storing those miniatures, but cards and tokens are just scattered in the boxes and I don't know what to do lol
Most of the investigators aren't really that different, so I don't feel like another 10 investigators are gonna change the game much for me.
Great video as always, thank you.
The monsters doing nothing during a scenario is one of the things that bug me most about the game. It's more whether the monster is in your way that you fight it, and not that they're actively trying to stop you. The Elder Gods are even worse, because they're often just statues.
I also agree on the investigators. The investigators aren't that unique, so more investigators don't add much in regards to gameplay.
I think the game is a fun system, and probably the best option for a light dungeon crawler experience. For me, it basically killed Zombicide, HeroQuest, D&D Adventure System, etc. for that light dungeon crawler experience.
@@VaultBoy13 Lol yes, I haven't played Zombicide since I got DMD.
Even though the monsters don't do much, or the Elder Gods are mostly statues you bash, I have loads of fun with the game.
Oh Sarbæk, you know you’re going to back it
This past Black Friday I acquired S1 + S3 + S4 + The Black Goat for USD 246 total! That was a great deal, I think. 😊
I will pass on the current campaign.
@@monoludico6166 oh nice yeah great deal!
19:48 :)
Here are 5+ reasons to not back S5+S6 campaign I'd give:
- It's just a simple dice chucker!
- too expensive (900+€, almost 1000$)
- too much content
- too many huge boxes, It takes so much space!!
- S5 compares poorly to S1 and S3
- too many investigators
Honestly DMD , compared to MD2 & Zombicide is so so lacking ... Played all 3, and DMD is just meh. Even as a huge Godzilla fan I won`t give in and get this
@@kentrillbg1 currently where I'm at but will at least play through all the stuff I have now with better expectations and see if things change for me.
You look different every three months lol
@@williamgarcia-medina9989 haha occupational hazard
I feel like with CMON there’s really no reason to back the game because you are likely to get the game at retail before backers get it, there’s no shipping costs, and the kickstarter exclusives are just a marketing tactic to get you to purchase it there instead of your FLGS so that they optimize revenue by cutting out multiple middle men.
I’m definitely getting it when it comes to retail, I love all the game offers.
If only I had my S3&4 content. Not that I'll back another CMON Campaign. CMON treats their backers like garbage... Well, if garbage had money to burn?
Blasphemy
Yawn. Couldn’t make it past 8 minutes.
@@williamsimokaitis9684 yeah I managed to get past 8 minutes in the game but you're right it's tough!!
$US210 + 150 shipping for the big boy, nope.
Like Marvel United, this is the probably the most comprehensive list of creatures from Lovecraft's world (vs Cthulhu Wars & Mansions of Madness).
Instead of the Zombicde rpg, they could make the Death May Die skirmish book.