Thank you for creating this review. Very clear, with excellent images as usual! I like you compare Harmonies with Reef and Aqua. I played all three of them and can see the similarities. I guess it comes down to personal preferences. I found Aqua frustrating, because I don’t ‘see’ the patterns. I literally have to try the 3 coloured hexes before I know if they fit. It is very pretty and original though! I played Reef a few times, but it doesn’t excite me. I guess it seems a bit too easy to get points in Reef? Still like it, of course. I played Harmonies solo and with 2 players and the game keeps pulling me in. I love how it is quick and thinky and pretty.
Thanks for your input! I do realize some people will have trouble seeing those 3 tile layouts in Aqua and I did mention that as a negative in my review. Although even though I had trouble with that too on my first couple of plays, after more that issue went away for me as I got better at seeing them before playing the tiles next to each other. My whole group felt the same with with the comparisons but that’s why there are so many games out! We are all different!
Reef is too clean and too abstract, I think that's why it flew under the radar. It's a simple score system where you only think short term : what you do is what you get. Basically, the gameplay comes out as this : draw up to 4 cards, and play them in the order that suits you best, rinse and repeat. Harmonies, on the other hand, forces you to plan long term strategies, some the same each game and some randomly given to you, but with an imperfect way of drafting your ressources à la Azul. With the gorgeous artwork and the somewhat thematic aspect of the game, it is understandable that the game could turn into a banger.
Interesting that you say Reef just grabbed you. I've had the opposite experience. A big tell for me for how much a game has worked with players is the conversation after the game ends. With each of my plays of Harmonies, the conversation continues. When I have played Reef there is a brief conversation about missed points but nothing about the experience. In Harmonies players are looking at what others are going for and talking about animals that work for them. When I played Reef it was very quiet. I think in the end that is the big difference for the people I play with. In Harmonies everyone is engaged with the experience of building. With Reef, it is so streamlined that there is no soul-everyone finishes their puzzle the best they can and then counts up points.
In Reef you’re finally looking at what they are working on and drafting the cards they need to score frequently. Everyone in my group liked Reef much better
I gotta be honest man. Harmonies is a straight up upgrade from Reef in every aspect. You might be the only person I have seen that seems to think Reef has a space on their shelf after Harmonies.
Reef is a rather ugly looking (Fisher-Price tokens) total abstract game, whereas Harmonies just pops on the table. Seems a lot of people in the comments also disagree with you, but you’re focusing on the ones that agree?
@@DenisBrkhusThat's just the beauty of having so many games to choose from. I have not played Reef or Harmonies but the art of Harmonies def draws me in to play it. Probably one of the reasons it is getting all this hype. However, looking at my collection, if a game is not great mechanically, then no matter how pretty it looks, it will eventually leave especially if there's another game that plays similarly. I kinda got that feel from Dan's review.
@@LeeKenshin7 Yeah, same for me really. I’m often drawn to the well produced games, and if they’re good I’ll stick to them. But the masterpiece ugly ducklings are of course well worth the time.
Really surprised by this video, a video of this type could be made every week if we base it on the hotness and the hype, right now Sand is at Nº1 and with a rate of 8 although still few ratings (but hey, it's not even for sale in stores) and Devir always manages to create expectation with their games (either with money or sending emails to their buyers and friends to ask for likes ( like on the Essen list). So it really catches my attention that you chose Harmonies to do it. Is it because you like Reef a lot and you wanted to give it a little tribute? I bought and played Reef and Azul back in the day and although I liked them both I decided to get rid of Reef, now I was able to play Harmonies and I see the similarities with Reef although but I like it more. Harmonies In fact, I don't think it's a perfect game or that it does everything well, but I do enjoy it more than Cascadia ,Calico and reef. If the game were from a publisher that is a friend of yours or that sponsors you, would you also have made this video? It's simply curiosity.
That’s interesting you like reef more, I played reef and hated it. I personally give harmonies a 10! I also don’t compare it to cascadia, i compare it to deep vents which is another game I love, but a game that mostly everyone hated. And as for aqua i think deep vents Is better than AQUA. But since I haven’t played aqua that might change if I ever decide to buy it.
Reef is a favorite. People are also comparing it to Tiny Towns which I like. Still deciding if I should buy Cascadia. Haven't played that yet, but I usually like the spiel winners. Anyway, great review. I had wondered about this game.
We played Aqua and Harmonies back to back last night. It will take a while to articulate but Harmonies was vastly more fun. I think the main things are the wider decision tree and more enjoyable payoffs in Harmonies. Well, and the horribly worded scoring in Aqua
Can't thank you enough for your review of Harmonies the board game. I am a huge fan of Cascadia and your review helped clarify the difference between them. Another board Game channel also referred to reef in comparison to Neontopia. I was interested in both Harmonies and Neontopia and now 2 boardgames channels mentioned Reef in comparison enjoying game play more.
I just got this game and will remove Cascadia from my collection. Harmonies feels so much more satisfying to play (I love the look of it and the tactile aspect of it). Also, there is a great variant for solo players with scenarios on bgg.
Great review as always! Just a question from my own personal taste: I’ve been trying to move away from games that have less player interaction. I found each time I played Sagrada-which I love as a 2-player game-with 4-6 players everyone was quiet, not interacting, and laser focused on their own boards. Do you find Harmonies/Reef/Aqua to be like this with higher player counts? It’s fine when they’re simple shorter games like Point Salad (where you have a good view of what everyone has) but I found games that have a lot more to consider when placing made it a little boring with 4-6 players and a much longer playing and wait time. I realize this is the new norm of mainstream boardgames where you’re drafting from a community pool and then working on your own individual puzzle in front of you.
This is a big trend. But ask yourself. Why? What does "more player interaction" actually do for everyones enjoyment of the game? Not in a vacuum, not conceptually. But IRL with your ACTUAL friends. Does anyone actually enjoy themselves more? I have never seen this to be the case. Its just trend chasers chasing trends because someone says something that seems logical but doesn't apply at all irl. You already said it yourself, things to consider doing down time is a big thing. People get bored don't enjoy it. Has anyone ever actually asked: Can I have more "real" player interaction?
That’s a tough one as I love them both. Aqua has the ability to change the scoring each game, but in Reef everyone is scoring directly based on the cards to Take and Play. Right now I think maybe a nudge to Reef but that might just be because it’s really fresh in my head having just played it.
@@TheGameBoyGeeks I might change my opinion when I actually play it, but from your video I felt the Point Salad vibe when I pictured myself choosing the VP card (recipe card) based on the wooden pieces (salad ingredients) I've already placed in front of me. In any case, I appreciate your video because I'm interested in this game now. I've watched your video twice now and I still see a direct connection to Cascadia, which isn't good or bad for me.
Reef is too clean and too abstract, I think that's why it flew under the radar. It's a simple score system where you only think short term : what you do is what you get. Basically, the gameplay comes out as this : draw up to 4 cards, and play them in the order that suits you best, rinse and repeat.
@@TheGameBoyGeeks Sure, if you know the game by heart, any game can become this kind of competitive and fun. But it's not the experience of 95% of the people playing this kind of gateway game. Besides, if you know the game from the back of your head, the opponent does too, and will most likely hatepick the cards you're setting yourself for.
I hope you like the reivew!
Thank you for creating this review. Very clear, with excellent images as usual! I like you compare Harmonies with Reef and Aqua.
I played all three of them and can see the similarities. I guess it comes down to personal preferences. I found Aqua frustrating, because I don’t ‘see’ the patterns. I literally have to try the 3 coloured hexes before I know if they fit. It is very pretty and original though!
I played Reef a few times, but it doesn’t excite me. I guess it seems a bit too easy to get points in Reef? Still like it, of course.
I played Harmonies solo and with 2 players and the game keeps pulling me in. I love how it is quick and thinky and pretty.
Thanks for your input! I do realize some people will have trouble seeing those 3 tile layouts in Aqua and I did mention that as a negative in my review. Although even though I had trouble with that too on my first couple of plays, after more that issue went away for me as I got better at seeing them before playing the tiles next to each other. My whole group felt the same with with the comparisons but that’s why there are so many games out! We are all different!
Reef is too clean and too abstract, I think that's why it flew under the radar. It's a simple score system where you only think short term : what you do is what you get. Basically, the gameplay comes out as this : draw up to 4 cards, and play them in the order that suits you best, rinse and repeat.
Harmonies, on the other hand, forces you to plan long term strategies, some the same each game and some randomly given to you, but with an imperfect way of drafting your ressources à la Azul. With the gorgeous artwork and the somewhat thematic aspect of the game, it is understandable that the game could turn into a banger.
i ordered it today lets hope it will deliver the gameplay i am seeking.
Interesting that you say Reef just grabbed you. I've had the opposite experience. A big tell for me for how much a game has worked with players is the conversation after the game ends. With each of my plays of Harmonies, the conversation continues. When I have played Reef there is a brief conversation about missed points but nothing about the experience.
In Harmonies players are looking at what others are going for and talking about animals that work for them. When I played Reef it was very quiet. I think in the end that is the big difference for the people I play with. In Harmonies everyone is engaged with the experience of building. With Reef, it is so streamlined that there is no soul-everyone finishes their puzzle the best they can and then counts up points.
In Reef you’re finally looking at what they are working on and drafting the cards they need to score frequently. Everyone in my group liked Reef much better
I was surprised not to hear other reviewers mention Reef when comparing Harmonies. Agreed. Reef is just so good. So clean.
Clean as a whistle!
yessss, I was just coming to the comments for this. I don't think I would play this over Reef or over Cascadia
I gotta be honest man. Harmonies is a straight up upgrade from Reef in every aspect. You might be the only person I have seen that seems to think Reef has a space on their shelf after Harmonies.
Every person who I played this with that had played Reef had the same feelings I did (as well as others in the comments)
.
Reef is a rather ugly looking (Fisher-Price tokens) total abstract game, whereas Harmonies just pops on the table.
Seems a lot of people in the comments also disagree with you, but you’re focusing on the ones that agree?
@@DenisBrkhusThat's just the beauty of having so many games to choose from. I have not played Reef or Harmonies but the art of Harmonies def draws me in to play it. Probably one of the reasons it is getting all this hype. However, looking at my collection, if a game is not great mechanically, then no matter how pretty it looks, it will eventually leave especially if there's another game that plays similarly. I kinda got that feel from Dan's review.
@@LeeKenshin7 Yeah, same for me really. I’m often drawn to the well produced games, and if they’re good I’ll stick to them. But the masterpiece ugly ducklings are of course well worth the time.
Really surprised by this video, a video of this type could be made every week if we base it on the hotness and the hype, right now Sand is at Nº1 and with a rate of 8 although still few ratings (but hey, it's not even for sale in stores) and Devir always manages to create expectation with their games (either with money or sending emails to their buyers and friends to ask for likes ( like on the Essen list). So it really catches my attention that you chose Harmonies to do it. Is it because you like Reef a lot and you wanted to give it a little tribute? I bought and played Reef and Azul back in the day and although I liked them both I decided to get rid of Reef, now I was able to play Harmonies and I see the similarities with Reef although but I like it more. Harmonies In fact, I don't think it's a perfect game or that it does everything well, but I do enjoy it more than Cascadia ,Calico and reef. If the game were from a publisher that is a friend of yours or that sponsors you, would you also have made this video? It's simply curiosity.
That’s interesting you like reef more, I played reef and hated it. I personally give harmonies a 10! I also don’t compare it to cascadia, i compare it to deep vents which is another game I love, but a game that mostly everyone hated.
And as for aqua i think deep vents Is better than AQUA. But since I haven’t played aqua that might change if I ever decide to buy it.
My first thought when I heard of this game was ... "Sounds like reef"
Reef is a favorite. People are also comparing it to Tiny Towns which I like. Still deciding if I should buy Cascadia. Haven't played that yet, but I usually like the spiel winners. Anyway, great review. I had wondered about this game.
Cascadia is definitely very good!
We played Aqua and Harmonies back to back last night. It will take a while to articulate but Harmonies was vastly more fun. I think the main things are the wider decision tree and more enjoyable payoffs in Harmonies. Well, and the horribly worded scoring in Aqua
Can't thank you enough for your review of Harmonies the board game. I am a huge fan of Cascadia and your review helped clarify the difference between them. Another board Game channel also referred to reef in comparison to Neontopia. I was interested in both Harmonies and Neontopia and now 2 boardgames channels mentioned Reef in comparison enjoying game play more.
You’re welcome!
I just got this game and will remove Cascadia from my collection. Harmonies feels so much more satisfying to play (I love the look of it and the tactile aspect of it). Also, there is a great variant for solo players with scenarios on bgg.
Quick, easy to play, and looks good. A recipe for hype for sure.
a thoughtful, honest, well reasoned review. just your usual GameBoyGeek mic drop. thanks for this and all your work. gotta go check out Reef.
Thanks glad you enjoyed the review
Great review as always!
Just a question from my own personal taste: I’ve been trying to move away from games that have less player interaction. I found each time I played Sagrada-which I love as a 2-player game-with 4-6 players everyone was quiet, not interacting, and laser focused on their own boards. Do you find Harmonies/Reef/Aqua to be like this with higher player counts? It’s fine when they’re simple shorter games like Point Salad (where you have a good view of what everyone has) but I found games that have a lot more to consider when placing made it a little boring with 4-6 players and a much longer playing and wait time. I realize this is the new norm of mainstream boardgames where you’re drafting from a community pool and then working on your own individual puzzle in front of you.
I think all 3 that you mentioned yes you’re mostly focusing on your own puzzle with the interaction being drafting from a common pool.
This is a big trend.
But ask yourself. Why? What does "more player interaction" actually do for everyones enjoyment of the game? Not in a vacuum, not conceptually. But IRL with your ACTUAL friends. Does anyone actually enjoy themselves more?
I have never seen this to be the case. Its just trend chasers chasing trends because someone says something that seems logical but doesn't apply at all irl.
You already said it yourself, things to consider doing down time is a big thing. People get bored don't enjoy it. Has anyone ever actually asked: Can I have more "real" player interaction?
Love Reef!
Thanks for comparing it to other games. I love Reef!
Great! I have Reef and I love to play it with my parents. No need for this one for now.
The game reminds me of Dreamscape, love it❤
Which you like better of Aqua and Reef then?
That’s a tough one as I love them both. Aqua has the ability to change the scoring each game, but in Reef everyone is scoring directly based on the cards to Take and Play. Right now I think maybe a nudge to Reef but that might just be because it’s really fresh in my head having just played it.
This sure does feel like a Cascadia clone. Or a cross between Cascadia, Point Salad and Akropolis. I might sell Cascadia to get this one.
I didn’t think about Akropolis but I can see that! I don’t get the Point Salad reference though?
@@TheGameBoyGeeks I might change my opinion when I actually play it, but from your video I felt the Point Salad vibe when I pictured myself choosing the VP card (recipe card) based on the wooden pieces (salad ingredients) I've already placed in front of me. In any case, I appreciate your video because I'm interested in this game now. I've watched your video twice now and I still see a direct connection to Cascadia, which isn't good or bad for me.
Ah ok yeah I can see that Point Salad comparison now
Reef all the way. I’ll never understand why people keep over looking that game.
Me neither!
Reef is too clean and too abstract, I think that's why it flew under the radar. It's a simple score system where you only think short term : what you do is what you get. Basically, the gameplay comes out as this : draw up to 4 cards, and play them in the order that suits you best, rinse and repeat.
@@vonwoolf9963 definitely not true. Once you know the cards and how the score you set yourself up for the larger scoring cards for later i. the game.
@@TheGameBoyGeeks Sure, if you know the game by heart, any game can become this kind of competitive and fun. But it's not the experience of 95% of the people playing this kind of gateway game.
Besides, if you know the game from the back of your head, the opponent does too, and will most likely hatepick the cards you're setting yourself for.
Aqua is so boring, for me.
Take swimming lessons? :-)