I've enjoyed NPI for years. The fan-made calculator app shown is mine (also a labor of love as I really enjoy this game). Despite it being part of a moment of mild criticism, I was overjoyed to see something I made show up in an NPI video. You folks made my day today. :)
Awesome to hear, thanks! Also appreciated both the positives and negatives in the video. I've previously described Voidfall as "Complex Scythe in Space" so the points resonated with me and the folks I play with. I will say, I actually love the various modes and content. The ability to play under various circumstances and different groups, and having lots of scenarios to explore, make me feel like I'll get my crowdfunding money's worth. Not every delivered project I backed has given me that feeling. But I appreciate the alternative view. Thanks for what you guys do!@@NoPunIncluded
Well yeah that's kinda the problem. People get excited about a kickstarter, so they drop several hundred bucks in there, so now they feel they need to "get their money's worth" instead of just getting a well designed and well tested game. Crowdfunding was supposed to be about helping projects that wouldn't otherwise happen, you weren't necessarily meant to get your money's worth out of it. Now it's a weird pre-order system where you can go "hey I like this $50 game of yours, here's $200 so make it four times bigger than it needed to be, thanks".
@@pajander Sure I see that too. But I very rarely back a project, and I limit my collection, so I’m glad for the variety. So far, I haven’t seen any evidence that Voidfall in particular is poorly tested. All the modes and content seem to be working well, at least in my estimation.
Very well said, especially since i expect most people that spend 200€ on a boardgame to not be into a limited collection, so it's probably mostly about just feeling that they got their moneys worth, not actually using all of it.
This board game looks like it'll be a great videogame in about 2 years. The icons having rollover text would be just grand, as would skipping the hour of setup.
I think your point of 'contentification' is well made. Some board games now are so loaded with things to do that it can end up that only a subset of those activities end up being fun to play. But, that can vary based on play group, so realize that not all of a game's content suits any given playgroup. Good review, it contained the information I needed to determine if I want to purchase it. I would not turn down a play of it, if I had the time.
@@NoPunIncluded My problem with downtime as a criticism is that downtime is extremely subjective. I'm very tolerant of a lot of downtime if I am wrapped up in the drama anyway. But hey I get it. I know what I design.
Your take on complexity is so refreshing! Fabulously laid out! I am also now wanting to watch the multiverse show of you interacting with your neighbor while walking with your dog, where each new episode is a resulting outcome of the "how are you doing?" question. :) Keep being awesome!
I like it when games are confident in their vision; here is how you play, hope you like it. Don't ask me to try this module or that variant; finding the fun should not be offloaded onto the player, in my humble opinion.
Setup time is so important when it comes to games. Some games I'm simply reluctant to play because I don't want to deal with the hassle of setting everything up
100% agreed. I enjoy playing Gloomhaven but I've played it maybe 4 times since it came out because by the time I've spent an hour setting it up I don't even want to play anymore.
@@cowgbaI totally understand that feeling. GH was a real pain in the ass to set up. We started to use the app (called x-haven helper). That gets rid of: - monster cards - monster abilities cards - shuffling for monsters - status tokens - damage tokens - initiave tracking - element tracking 2nd biggest issue was the tiles. I started to keep them sorty by number in an empty shelv. Now setup takes ~5min
@@cowgba I only have Jaws of the Lion but getting sorting inserts in the box to organise everything reduced the setup time from around 45 minutes to less than 5 minutes. Total game changer!
"I think most publishers by now feel the same way about all this extra cruft, they just see it as a necessity to survive in the crowdfunding environment. They need to content-iy their board games. They need to make it so that everyone will like this one game forever... until they buy another one... one week later." Yes. Thank you.
On the Scythe comparison, I've described Voidfall as like piloting your game of Scythe with a Gloomhaven hand of cards. It's not adding much more rule complexity, but it's adding that extra mental complexity of analyzing a large pool of potential action combinations and picking which pairs create the optimal result while still leaving you cards in your hand you want for later turns.
Contentification is an evolution of that ancient practice where a game works well with 3-5 players but they put "1-7 players" on the box. The problem with kickstarter seems to be (I don't partcipate in it so this is an outside perspective) is that in traditional publishing sales are more dependent on word of mouth. Most board gamers buy games because they've played it and want to own it or off a recommendation from a friend or a reviewer. So it is better for a game to be excellent in a single mode/player count etc than to be merely good in a lot of them
Thanks for the review, I can feel the amount of hours spent on the game, learning the rules, making the script for the video and editing it! You and your team are amazing
I actually liked this game, which was a shock as the week before we played this, we played Trickerion, which is also by Mindclash, and it was 4 hours of mind-numbing tedium. The theme in Voidfall was actually present! I felt it was nowhere near as heavy as advertised, but I come from a background of complex wargames like Star Fleet Battles and Central America, so I find a lot of heavy Euros are rated as heavier than they actually are. We played it in 4 hours, and only 1 of us knew how to play. I would play again, but am still glad I didn't but it!
I really enjoyed the thrust of the point you make during "The Tangent"; especially the line about how a game has to appear as if it's the perfect game that you'll play forever, until a week for now until a new kickstarter drops that you buy thinking that that will be your True Forever Game. I do appreciate games adding solo modes to extend accessibility, but I have to wonder how much we need board games to be "Legacy-ized", with a campaign to play through in the base box. Brass Birmingham, Agricola, etc are games you can and should play for the rest of your life and they don't need any of these bells and whistles.
You did a great job of conveying what this game is. Also agree on content being too much. I think 3 scenarios for each mode would have been generous and what I can reasonably play with most of the factions over years.
I was recommended this video today in youtube, I really like that you are not only focusing on the board game alone, as if it exists in a vacuum. Truly a good channel you have going on, immediately subscribing and looking forward to any new reviews you guys make.
you're one of the few game culture channels that I've hung onto while the others burn themselves out or rent themselves out as freelance marketers. willingness to say things like this is a big reason why. I like NPI the essay channel more than NPI the review channel (but I like both). keep it up!
I enjoyed my plays of Voidfall. I _really_ appreciate the care taken in the packaging and documentation. Including having a separate detailed manual for how to use the inserts and what pieces go where.
Fantastic video. Thank you for the insights into the current board game scene which were aptly put but also the critique of the combat system is superb. I suppose because there isn't an intermediary result like lose only some of your ships, the combat doesn't allow for rushing on your decisions. But in my mind, that also gives a different type of tension in the form of "please don't go here, please don't go here, please don't go here". Not the actual combat provides the tension but the possibility of it.
I recently released a review on this and came to similar conclusions but did not imagine a world in which this game existed for only one mode. Very interesting angle, I now wonder what it would have looked like if it had. I mention that is this game where just solo I would be buying, but at the same time what an amazing feat it was that these designers were able to accomplish this by adding the doom board. Now you leave me thirsting for a world of game design that did not worry about day one funding...thanks for this perspective.
I’m warming up to your style of reviews. You provide reviews at different depths, and the viewer, like a free diver, can decide if they can commit to go deeper into the darkness to see what is revealed or head back to the surface, hearing what they needed to make a decision. I find myself going into the abyss with you.
Absolutely nailed it 👏 Agree with everything said in this video, Voidfall is good, could have been great! Worth pointing out that it also takes a really enormous amount of table space (for a euro).
i love games with too many rules, they feel like big roomy cozy beds that i can roll around in with 3 other people who like rolling around a lot. unfortunately i might need this one
I agree with most of this. Voidfall at its core is that complicated. I do think learning the iconography is a leap, but it's so well done that by the 2nd cycle, most people know what everything means. I actually think the "Weight" rating on BGG is far too high. The actions themselves are actually not really complex, and super straightforward to perform. The complexity comes in when considering the cascading effects of those actions. I think most big box Lacerda Games, including "The Gallerist" are harder than this, as is Root, which both rank much lower weight wise. I only say this to say, don't let this video scare you away from the game. While it makes great points, Voidfall at its core is a FANTASTIC 4X game, and competes really well for the price/time allocated. Also, the downtime between turns operates as a great way to decide which actions you would like to do. Once you're a bit more familiar, the game plays in really reasonable times (Maybe 30-45 mins/player, maxing out at 3 hours depending which scenario and galactic events are in play. I think more importantly, and something that wasn't covered, Mindclash packaged and presented this as more complicated than it is, which, for the consumer is a good thing, but for optics is a bad thing.
Love your reviews in general and enjoy your content but I will say after getting comfortable with voidfall hour set up is a massive stretch. Its 20-25 minutes which is still enough but nowhere close to an hour and setting up the board and all the techs is incredible
Great video. This is the only boardgaming videos i watch for games i have no intention of buying , but to listen to the tangents 😊. I found that our group will usually play only one mode of a game, once we find a mode that works (usually the mode the game was initially designed for), so i can totally relate to the issue of contentification. Thanks for sharing your great thoughts and reflections!
Great review. Thank you for helping me to make better decisions on what I buy rather than the compulsion taking over. I find your views on contentification really interesting and it has made me look at why I buy games, what's important to me and do I really need all this stuff! Thank you. Keep up the great work.
This is the best board game review, and game review presentation I've seen in years. Extremely informative, great pacing, and FUN. I'll be back for sure!
I backed this, my main gripe initially was set up, it takes so long and packing it up. The iconography does get easier after a while to memorize but the book is definitely a go to. I'm currently painting the minis for this as got the galactic box which is enormous pretty much agree with everything u said. I'm happy I own it and will play it more
Love NPI and this video. I think it's possible that content heavy board games aren't somehow worse just because they have more stuff, they aren't just "content for the sake of crowdfunding", they deliver a different kind of experience. There's a joy to be found in navigating assets, and exploring and discovering cryptic acorns hidden in the nooks and crannies. It's an incredibly rewarding part of play. ;)
Just a big thank you for your great work! You have mastered the art of capturing the essence of a board game while putting it in a greater context and looking at it from a multitude of perspectives. Your reviews are informative, engaging, thought provoking and funny. That's why I hit that button a long time ago and would hit it again any time.
I actually really enjoy the combat. Even in competitive, the "complexity" isn't really that bad if you just understand the flow of how it works. I think having a background in tabletop war games helps because they have similar resolution flows. I do think that it actually flows very well with the rest of the game, in that you have hard choices you need to make. If you want to take that sector that has 2 sector defense and a carrier, you need to know what that's going to do before you even start building a fleet to take it on. That's just more of the massive decision space the game gives.
There isn't any complexity in combat. That's not his issue. His issue is that combat works via the machine of salvo resolutions so it's not worth seeing it unfold vs using the calculator. Furthermore, the deterministic nature of said combat eliminates all risk from the attacker meaning the defender is left with nothing anyways so why bother. Contrast with that with scythe where both players are bidding with combat power and cards and where multiple combats can happen in the same turn. With a system like that, both players need to make choices during combat which will actually matter.
@@brandonabrams6885 It's just a different way to approach the combat. By the time you get to attacking you shouldn't even need to run through the steps you already know what the result is gonna be. That means that the actual combat is taking place over multiple turns as players take actions to build up forces. the individual tech also makes a massive difference. I actually like it because combat doesn't have to be "even" or "fair", it's a strategic game where the combat is just a means to an end. Plenty of skirmish games out there where the combat is the focus of the game to scratch that itch for me.
After the first 15 minutes of playing, I turned to the owner of the game, and said "This is too complex for what it is", as you said, a euro dressed up as a 4X game. During the play it felt like each action I took as akin to throwing a pebble into body of water, and then working to see which ripple I liked, and then hoping the next action I picked could magnify that one particular ripple. It felt like the decision space was purposefully squeezed to try and ratchet up the tension to get to "I want to do things, but I can't do them all". I like games with that type of tension. But in Voidfall the tension felt artificial. I'd much rather play Gaia project over this.
This "our game does everything" point reminds me how I was selecting games for a weekender yesterday and could not trust the printed on the box player counts.
It's so wild to me to see board gaming and video games go in two opposite directions. Board gaming jams everything in (here's all the DLCs and options and modes and things!) and video games strip it all out, and sell it to you piecemeal or just don't include it. Both sides wanting the Goldilocks solution of just enough.
Another thing I think doesn't get talked about much is that complexity is a bit of a value proposition as well. The best games get a lot of strategic depth out of few rules (something like inis comes to mind), but realistically a more complex game is just usually going to offer you more replayability than something simple. For people who can bring stuff to the table frequently enough to wear some games out, then its something worth considering.
So pleased I didn't back thhis. I was quite excited till they mentioned the deterministic combat. Shortly after I saw a heavy cardboard playthrough. Half way through the rules explination I said, "no, time to move on". Here I am now waiting for Arcs and I very pleased with my choice!
The complexity of this game is about memorizing the 200 icons (I dare you to count them), memorize the 178 pages of rules and to not forget that it takes one hour to set up. A delicate balance between memorizing and forgetting. However, memorizing is not complexity or depth, it's just a memory challenge. Compare that with Brass, GWT or a 18xx game and you'll understand what I'm talking about.
I agree: we should not confuse complexity with difficulty, which are not the same. On another note, regarding combat, Mindclash can claim is deterministic, but if you really need an app to resolve it, I feel the way to go is not to try to advance the results rather than just solve the combat, so to prevent AP: you just have an overall idea of your odds and go for it. I think part of the AP that can come of that part of the game is for trying to figure out your odds to ensure victory; but if one considers that cannot take into account every single thing...then becomes more rellistic, I would say. Any system, added enough complexity to it, stops being deterministic for our brains. ;)
I'd been thinking about board game play complexity, I think there's 2 axis, complexity in deciding what to do and complexity in how to do it. Some games that try to make how to do an action easy, but deciding what you need the tough part. Take a deck builder, you just buy a card, but deciding on the cards to buy is the game. Or there's ones like GH that make the task (killing monsters) obvious, but finding the efficient route to do so is the puzzle. And then there's one's like Voidfall that are high on both axis - sandboxy enough deciding what you want to do is tough and then you also have to puzzle out how to do it. Personally, I like the efficiency/how best to game the system type games, I like those puzzles. But, I know fewer people do and I think I get why: If you play a game where taking an action is simple, just pick the action/lay a tile/buy a card etc you're always getting to do something, even if oops, turns out you picked poorly. You got to play the game. When you play a game where how to do the action is a puzzle, you can get frustrated over and over by the game mechanics preventing you from doing what you want to do. You're stuck doing whatever it is that is allowed left to you. That's when people feel the game played them or the rules constantly got in the way.
NPI reviews are really _REALLY_ next level. Just 2 years ago, I was a big Dice Tower fan but honestly I just cannot watch those reviews anymore. Most of them feel shallow and rushed compared to the ones posted on this channel. ❤
Occasionally I get half-frustrated, half-impressed watching No Pun Included videos because I'll have a half-formed thought in my head about board games, then I'll watch a video on this channel and see you saying exactly what I was thinking but in a much more comprehensive and clear way. Anyways, that happened twice in this video, with both the complexity and the too many modes/every game needing to be everything for everyone topics, so hooray.
I do agree on the combat being rough. We played one of the high conflict scenarios and several were flying all over taking over neutral hexes. But when it came to fighting each other...We'd look at the pile of ships we each had, stare at the combat chart for a few min trying to figure it out...then mostly give up and take another action or neutral hex. Like, we can sit here for 10min to figure out this combat to determine if I can get 12pts or I just take this quick action for 10pts. That said, it's too heavy a game to want dice roll combat, the determinism seems important, even for multiplayer. I'm not sure how to keep it both simple and fun. I tend to find pure 'each player loses cubes at equal rate' deterministic combat rather dull and of course upgrades are the big piece that throw wrenches into simple.
To be fair. I sold Scythe because I didn't like it solo and much more disliked it competitive. And each new expansion made me question the game more. But I enjoy Voidfall ... except for the setup time.
Dude, I'm at minute 6 of the video and I'm already overwhelmed at the number of exceptions there are. I think I've never heard the word but so many times in so little time. Also, this game looks like a nightmare to learn with all those different icons that I just can't understand what the designers were thinking about. I hope we go back to simpler games. I played a bunch of games, but this euro trend of adding more systems to other systems is just too much.
Hey, most board game channels just review the games, the mechanics, and stuff. You review the industry itself. That's a BIG diferential that you have. Congratulations!
Looks like it suffers the same problem as Gaia Project: You really don't do much for the complexity it offers! I prefer games where you actually do something and are not brooding over every little small step, but you haven't done much at the end of the game! I really ask myself what these people think who develop these games! They probably think TOO MUCH! Take more inspiration from expert games like Ark Nova or Nucleum where you are actually doing stuff for the complexity it offers and you don't have to overthink every step! Thank You very much for this good review!!
Great part about contentification. In this game it seems people really enjoy the different modes (by the comments) but usually if you get sooo much scenarios and stuff to do it mainly feels like "Where's the focus. No way they managed to balance all of this to be good and fun." And realistically as a normal boardgame person we usually play our favorite games with family+friends like 10-20 times over the years. Less if setup takes the quarter of an evening.
Great points about complexity in games. I love complex games, but i don't like it when the massive amount of bits get in the way. The toys take away from the experience for me. I also love it when i can clearly see that a game is just not for me from a review. Keep up the good work!
Dreams of Contification! Finally that Review is Baked! Circumspect and precise. Well done Efka. As for massive tangent... NPI points once again to the truth. I agree with your opinion that content is a challenge that the Artists who build games must overcome so that we can have not just what our Machine overlords deem we should have but maybe what we as true game afficiandos truly deserve. PS God rest Sinead! ... NPI video chops still Improving! ....Chuck Taylor's are mankind's greatest Shoe ever!!! (And Hat)
I'm a proud owner of Anachrony and that game makes my brain bleed from my ears :) I can't even phantom anything like this. I'm just human... Thanks for your content!
I think Voidfall is a really great game! I think you captured the overall concept of the game and summarized it very effectively (without going into rules details). And I also understand and accept the critiques you've made. It's not perfect and it's definitely not a rollicking space conquest if that's what people are looking for. It's a really deep action optimization euro puzzle with a space empire theme/setting. To me it really gives the feeling of managing a nascent space empire where you determine a strategy and tactically execute actions in order to build up your influence while facing potential threats from an alien presence and rival empires. I think it is a complete success at being the type of game the designers intended and is exactly what I expected it to be. Also, appreciate your review and analysis which I think was well thought out and can certainly resonate with. And yes, I watched all the way to the end! Cheers!
I understand what you mean. I personally like a little easier and faster like recent releases Pirates of Maracaibo, Ticket to Ride Legacy, Faraway. But some people love Voidfall a lot.
Thank you so much for putting a voice to this criticism. I am sick of all these games that try to offer multiple games that should have been separate. I don't want to buy a game that: - can be competitive or cooperative (in the worst case its also semi cooperative) - have two different kinds of combat systems - be interactive and soloable - have a 12 game campaign or a free for all mode - have its content split over 4 boxes that I can only use a fraction of at a time - can be modularly expanded to offer everything and the kitchen sink (I don't want to figure out what to include to get the best experience, I want the designer to figure that out) For the past 3-ish years I have gone out of my way to avoid any game that does these. And I am so much happier for it. From time to time I still get a delayed kickstarter I backed before this decision and it just reinforces my believes.
Great review. Couldn't agree more on publishers and designers cramming way too much into games that don't need it, especially when you consider how much more expensive they become as a result. Voidfall looks great, but I'm definitely not interested in dropping $100 on a box that's trying to be 3-4 other games when I could just buy those 3-4 other games. If variety and personal choice is the goal here, I'm getting more of that by playing other games with their own themes, art styles, and mechanics anyway. It's like choosing between purchasing the ingredients you need to make a few nice meals for the week vs. buying a whole farm that could in theory provide all the food you'll need for the rest of your life.
The problem I have with Scythe is the scripted openings and the "I finished on Turn X" presentations. I would disagree about combat being a minimal part of Scythe though - it is quite important whether for stars or for slowing an opponent down. My hope is that this game avoids the scripted openings, or at least introduces enough decision space afterward (much like Gaia Project or Food Chain Magnate) to justify some scripting, though of course FCM does this by being extremely interactive.
When you started talking about the amount of scenarios I directly got the feeling that it was too much stuff in the box. And then the contentification tangent happened. From the sound of it there could have been a great base game and some expansions on top of it. Separate out everything to do with co-op and some groups of scenarios. Give everything to the backers and start selling the base game to the general public.
I backed this but haven't had the nerve to unpop the cardboard yet... your review has left me with a wee bit more confidence to give it a try. I do love TI4 POK, but after 20 games of that, there is still so much to learn and recall. I'll likely start with the solo versions to get familiar with the iconography before trying it with some friends. Thanks for the insightful review!
A great review of one of my most favourite games. I’ve enjoyed all of the modes with different people at different times. I’m glad they spent the extra effort on building different modes - if it was only good for a group of 3-4 I might have missed out on a lot of fun
Thank you so much for this great review. Even though this isn't my jam (I didn't enjoy Scythe the once I played) I'm glad that there are people that do and also it's great to see the argument of complexity of board games vs what your taste are and trying to differentiate the two.
I cannot see a world in there are better board game reviews than the one of NPI! Need to explain a little deeper: after many years of being in the hobby I have „collected“ more TH-cam Board Game channels than Pokémon when I was a kid. And after all those years of watching this content I absolutely know the taste of the people. Which is good in general. But the downside is, I realised that I am often just watching a board game review to have someone giving praise to a game I might enjoy to push me in the direction of buying it. This is fine. But it is nothing of true value. NPI reviews are different. They are so thoughtful, so entertaining, so funny, and they are simply amazing. I am watching these reviews for hundreds of reasons not just to decide wether I want to buy a game or not. These reviews/videos are invaluable. Outstanding content made by passion and love
I really like this game. But i would pay real money for a redesign of combat/conflict so i could play a better cuttroat competitive game and play the awesome solo mode by my self.
Thanks for the commentary on modern board games. Lucky for you, it was together with a positive review, so people might spare you 😂. That said, I agree that it's the (sad?) reality.
I love this game, and I've never played competitive, only coop and solo. The special coop actions and the need to lift the lowest scoring player up over the void's target score (hello Uprising) make for a good time.
Angry comment to boost visibility of the video 😬 Also, fun fact: the crisis board ("doom board") was a part of the competitive game to begin with before the designers decided the result of fighting on so many fronts might melt too many brains.
There's a thread on BGG asking exactly that and is how I know about the crisis board's mode change. Looks like you're not the only one thinking of dialing it up to 11 😆
As a board gamer with no friends, I buy games as objet d'art. That is an insta-buy. It will look amazing stacked in the cupboard with the rest of them. Smashed that like button.... c'mon Efka. Everyone knows that if you want your video to be a success, you don't hit the like button. You have to smash it.
This was a great review, and i think you are right that at its core, Voidfall is a 4X game for when the power is out. When the apocalypse comes and you want to play a space 4X, your Mentat is the computer so you can Imortan Joe this game. Which isn't terrible? I LOVE THOSE DIALS! My board game has 6 tracks of 20 spaces, and I considered dials, but they were hella expensive, so I defaulted to cubes. I also talked to the dev of this one on his AMA and just asked, "how do you feel about games that end in the suffix -fall," and he was like, "never heard of one, like what?" And I have a rant about games that end in the suffix fall for just that kind of question. :p DARKVOID: WARFALL STARFALL: VOIDWAR It just drives me nuts and I can't take it seriously. Much like the name, it is COOL, but it could have done without several features and been better for it. Doing more with less is not a weakness.
One thing to note for competitive play and House balance - you are limited to a specific pool of Houses for each scenario. So when it comes to 'soundness' I think they've got that covered?
I've enjoyed NPI for years. The fan-made calculator app shown is mine (also a labor of love as I really enjoy this game). Despite it being part of a moment of mild criticism, I was overjoyed to see something I made show up in an NPI video. You folks made my day today. :)
Hey, I used it, it was very helpful and you did a great job.
Awesome to hear, thanks! Also appreciated both the positives and negatives in the video. I've previously described Voidfall as "Complex Scythe in Space" so the points resonated with me and the folks I play with. I will say, I actually love the various modes and content. The ability to play under various circumstances and different groups, and having lots of scenarios to explore, make me feel like I'll get my crowdfunding money's worth. Not every delivered project I backed has given me that feeling. But I appreciate the alternative view. Thanks for what you guys do!@@NoPunIncluded
Well yeah that's kinda the problem. People get excited about a kickstarter, so they drop several hundred bucks in there, so now they feel they need to "get their money's worth" instead of just getting a well designed and well tested game. Crowdfunding was supposed to be about helping projects that wouldn't otherwise happen, you weren't necessarily meant to get your money's worth out of it. Now it's a weird pre-order system where you can go "hey I like this $50 game of yours, here's $200 so make it four times bigger than it needed to be, thanks".
@@pajander Sure I see that too. But I very rarely back a project, and I limit my collection, so I’m glad for the variety. So far, I haven’t seen any evidence that Voidfall in particular is poorly tested. All the modes and content seem to be working well, at least in my estimation.
Very well said, especially since i expect most people that spend 200€ on a boardgame to not be into a limited collection, so it's probably mostly about just feeling that they got their moneys worth, not actually using all of it.
This board game looks like it'll be a great videogame in about 2 years. The icons having rollover text would be just grand, as would skipping the hour of setup.
So Stellaris with extra cardboard?
Well, there's an official "tabletop simulator" version of Voidfall available as a workshop item
this review is a masterpiece of all boardgame reviews, covering exactly what matters the most
I think your point of 'contentification' is well made. Some board games now are so loaded with things to do that it can end up that only a subset of those activities end up being fun to play. But, that can vary based on play group, so realize that not all of a game's content suits any given playgroup. Good review, it contained the information I needed to determine if I want to purchase it. I would not turn down a play of it, if I had the time.
Complexity is a strange thing. Do downtime next!
Oh my, I do actually have thoughts and feelings about that.
Yeah tell people to take their turn faster.
@@NoPunIncludedplease share!
And THANK YOU too!!!
@@NoPunIncluded My problem with downtime as a criticism is that downtime is extremely subjective. I'm very tolerant of a lot of downtime if I am wrapped up in the drama anyway. But hey I get it. I know what I design.
Your take on complexity is so refreshing! Fabulously laid out! I am also now wanting to watch the multiverse show of you interacting with your neighbor while walking with your dog, where each new episode is a resulting outcome of the "how are you doing?" question. :) Keep being awesome!
I like it when games are confident in their vision; here is how you play, hope you like it. Don't ask me to try this module or that variant; finding the fun should not be offloaded onto the player, in my humble opinion.
Setup time is so important when it comes to games. Some games I'm simply reluctant to play because I don't want to deal with the hassle of setting everything up
100% agreed. I enjoy playing Gloomhaven but I've played it maybe 4 times since it came out because by the time I've spent an hour setting it up I don't even want to play anymore.
@@cowgbaI totally understand that feeling. GH was a real pain in the ass to set up.
We started to use the app (called x-haven helper).
That gets rid of:
- monster cards
- monster abilities cards
- shuffling for monsters
- status tokens
- damage tokens
- initiave tracking
- element tracking
2nd biggest issue was the tiles. I started to keep them sorty by number in an empty shelv.
Now setup takes ~5min
@@cowgba Try Jaws of the Lion, the map book does a LOT of work to keep setup light.
@@cowgba I only have Jaws of the Lion but getting sorting inserts in the box to organise everything reduced the setup time from around 45 minutes to less than 5 minutes. Total game changer!
Soo many games I have set up then needed a break, and then moved on only to pack them up a week after once the dust starts to set in.
Thank you sooooo much for your interlude dedicated to complex games and their criticism!
Great review as always.
"I think most publishers by now feel the same way about all this extra cruft, they just see it as a necessity to survive in the crowdfunding environment. They need to content-iy their board games. They need to make it so that everyone will like this one game forever... until they buy another one... one week later."
Yes. Thank you.
Most honest comment ever.
On the Scythe comparison, I've described Voidfall as like piloting your game of Scythe with a Gloomhaven hand of cards. It's not adding much more rule complexity, but it's adding that extra mental complexity of analyzing a large pool of potential action combinations and picking which pairs create the optimal result while still leaving you cards in your hand you want for later turns.
Contentification is an evolution of that ancient practice where a game works well with 3-5 players but they put "1-7 players" on the box. The problem with kickstarter seems to be (I don't partcipate in it so this is an outside perspective) is that in traditional publishing sales are more dependent on word of mouth. Most board gamers buy games because they've played it and want to own it or off a recommendation from a friend or a reviewer. So it is better for a game to be excellent in a single mode/player count etc than to be merely good in a lot of them
Thanks for the review, I can feel the amount of hours spent on the game, learning the rules, making the script for the video and editing it!
You and your team are amazing
I actually liked this game, which was a shock as the week before we played this, we played Trickerion, which is also by Mindclash, and it was 4 hours of mind-numbing tedium. The theme in Voidfall was actually present! I felt it was nowhere near as heavy as advertised, but I come from a background of complex wargames like Star Fleet Battles and Central America, so I find a lot of heavy Euros are rated as heavier than they actually are. We played it in 4 hours, and only 1 of us knew how to play. I would play again, but am still glad I didn't but it!
Thanks for bringing up the combat. It's the whole reason I'm lukewarm on this game after a couple of plays.
I really enjoyed the thrust of the point you make during "The Tangent"; especially the line about how a game has to appear as if it's the perfect game that you'll play forever, until a week for now until a new kickstarter drops that you buy thinking that that will be your True Forever Game.
I do appreciate games adding solo modes to extend accessibility, but I have to wonder how much we need board games to be "Legacy-ized", with a campaign to play through in the base box. Brass Birmingham, Agricola, etc are games you can and should play for the rest of your life and they don't need any of these bells and whistles.
You did a great job of conveying what this game is. Also agree on content being too much. I think 3 scenarios for each mode would have been generous and what I can reasonably play with most of the factions over years.
I was recommended this video today in youtube, I really like that you are not only focusing on the board game alone, as if it exists in a vacuum. Truly a good channel you have going on, immediately subscribing and looking forward to any new reviews you guys make.
you're one of the few game culture channels that I've hung onto while the others burn themselves out or rent themselves out as freelance marketers. willingness to say things like this is a big reason why. I like NPI the essay channel more than NPI the review channel (but I like both). keep it up!
there is a second channel? What is it called?
I enjoyed my plays of Voidfall. I _really_ appreciate the care taken in the packaging and documentation. Including having a separate detailed manual for how to use the inserts and what pieces go where.
Fantastic video. Thank you for the insights into the current board game scene which were aptly put but also the critique of the combat system is superb. I suppose because there isn't an intermediary result like lose only some of your ships, the combat doesn't allow for rushing on your decisions. But in my mind, that also gives a different type of tension in the form of "please don't go here, please don't go here, please don't go here". Not the actual combat provides the tension but the possibility of it.
I recently released a review on this and came to similar conclusions but did not imagine a world in which this game existed for only one mode. Very interesting angle, I now wonder what it would have looked like if it had. I mention that is this game where just solo I would be buying, but at the same time what an amazing feat it was that these designers were able to accomplish this by adding the doom board. Now you leave me thirsting for a world of game design that did not worry about day one funding...thanks for this perspective.
I’m warming up to your style of reviews. You provide reviews at different depths, and the viewer, like a free diver, can decide if they can commit to go deeper into the darkness to see what is revealed or head back to the surface, hearing what they needed to make a decision. I find myself going into the abyss with you.
Absolutely nailed it 👏 Agree with everything said in this video, Voidfall is good, could have been great! Worth pointing out that it also takes a really enormous amount of table space (for a euro).
i love games with too many rules, they feel like big roomy cozy beds that i can roll around in with 3 other people who like rolling around a lot. unfortunately i might need this one
Great video. What a relief to see those honest en thorough toughts about this game. !!
I agree with most of this. Voidfall at its core is that complicated. I do think learning the iconography is a leap, but it's so well done that by the 2nd cycle, most people know what everything means. I actually think the "Weight" rating on BGG is far too high. The actions themselves are actually not really complex, and super straightforward to perform. The complexity comes in when considering the cascading effects of those actions. I think most big box Lacerda Games, including "The Gallerist" are harder than this, as is Root, which both rank much lower weight wise.
I only say this to say, don't let this video scare you away from the game. While it makes great points, Voidfall at its core is a FANTASTIC 4X game, and competes really well for the price/time allocated. Also, the downtime between turns operates as a great way to decide which actions you would like to do. Once you're a bit more familiar, the game plays in really reasonable times (Maybe 30-45 mins/player, maxing out at 3 hours depending which scenario and galactic events are in play.
I think more importantly, and something that wasn't covered, Mindclash packaged and presented this as more complicated than it is, which, for the consumer is a good thing, but for optics is a bad thing.
Every video you make is just board gaming perfection. Thanks! This must have been a ton of work, but you really nailed it!
"Scythe in space and twice as complicated"
Sold!
Love your reviews in general and enjoy your content but I will say after getting comfortable with voidfall hour set up is a massive stretch. Its 20-25 minutes which is still enough but nowhere close to an hour and setting up the board and all the techs is incredible
Great video. This is the only boardgaming videos i watch for games i have no intention of buying , but to listen to the tangents 😊. I found that our group will usually play only one mode of a game, once we find a mode that works (usually the mode the game was initially designed for), so i can totally relate to the issue of contentification.
Thanks for sharing your great thoughts and reflections!
Great review. Thank you for helping me to make better decisions on what I buy rather than the compulsion taking over. I find your views on contentification really interesting and it has made me look at why I buy games, what's important to me and do I really need all this stuff! Thank you. Keep up the great work.
This is the best board game review, and game review presentation I've seen in years. Extremely informative, great pacing, and FUN. I'll be back for sure!
I backed this, my main gripe initially was set up, it takes so long and packing it up. The iconography does get easier after a while to memorize but the book is definitely a go to. I'm currently painting the minis for this as got the galactic box which is enormous pretty much agree with everything u said. I'm happy I own it and will play it more
I don't even play boardgames, but your videos are reallly entertaining/fun to have on.
Thanks!
Love NPI and this video.
I think it's possible that content heavy board games aren't somehow worse just because they have more stuff, they aren't just "content for the sake of crowdfunding", they deliver a different kind of experience. There's a joy to be found in navigating assets, and exploring and discovering cryptic acorns hidden in the nooks and crannies. It's an incredibly rewarding part of play. ;)
The answer is yes. I like games. Period. Agreed.
Such good commentary on games and contentification. SO MUCH FLUFF these days... Thanks for the videos :)
Absolutely spot-on tangent. It's a blight!
Just a big thank you for your great work! You have mastered the art of capturing the essence of a board game while putting it in a greater context and looking at it from a multitude of perspectives. Your reviews are informative, engaging, thought provoking and funny.
That's why I hit that button a long time ago and would hit it again any time.
I actually really enjoy the combat. Even in competitive, the "complexity" isn't really that bad if you just understand the flow of how it works. I think having a background in tabletop war games helps because they have similar resolution flows. I do think that it actually flows very well with the rest of the game, in that you have hard choices you need to make. If you want to take that sector that has 2 sector defense and a carrier, you need to know what that's going to do before you even start building a fleet to take it on. That's just more of the massive decision space the game gives.
There isn't any complexity in combat. That's not his issue. His issue is that combat works via the machine of salvo resolutions so it's not worth seeing it unfold vs using the calculator. Furthermore, the deterministic nature of said combat eliminates all risk from the attacker meaning the defender is left with nothing anyways so why bother. Contrast with that with scythe where both players are bidding with combat power and cards and where multiple combats can happen in the same turn. With a system like that, both players need to make choices during combat which will actually matter.
@@brandonabrams6885 It's just a different way to approach the combat. By the time you get to attacking you shouldn't even need to run through the steps you already know what the result is gonna be. That means that the actual combat is taking place over multiple turns as players take actions to build up forces. the individual tech also makes a massive difference. I actually like it because combat doesn't have to be "even" or "fair", it's a strategic game where the combat is just a means to an end. Plenty of skirmish games out there where the combat is the focus of the game to scratch that itch for me.
After the first 15 minutes of playing, I turned to the owner of the game, and said "This is too complex for what it is", as you said, a euro dressed up as a 4X game. During the play it felt like each action I took as akin to throwing a pebble into body of water, and then working to see which ripple I liked, and then hoping the next action I picked could magnify that one particular ripple. It felt like the decision space was purposefully squeezed to try and ratchet up the tension to get to "I want to do things, but I can't do them all". I like games with that type of tension. But in Voidfall the tension felt artificial. I'd much rather play Gaia project over this.
“And if you ask me which if these I prefer, the answer is yes. I like board games. Period.”
This "our game does everything" point reminds me how I was selecting games for a weekender yesterday and could not trust the printed on the box player counts.
I really love that tangent and your take on tha "complexity issue"
As a design-enthusiast, my head hurts just looking at your table..
It's so wild to me to see board gaming and video games go in two opposite directions. Board gaming jams everything in (here's all the DLCs and options and modes and things!) and video games strip it all out, and sell it to you piecemeal or just don't include it. Both sides wanting the Goldilocks solution of just enough.
Another thing I think doesn't get talked about much is that complexity is a bit of a value proposition as well. The best games get a lot of strategic depth out of few rules (something like inis comes to mind), but realistically a more complex game is just usually going to offer you more replayability than something simple. For people who can bring stuff to the table frequently enough to wear some games out, then its something worth considering.
So pleased I didn't back thhis. I was quite excited till they mentioned the deterministic combat. Shortly after I saw a heavy cardboard playthrough. Half way through the rules explination I said, "no, time to move on".
Here I am now waiting for Arcs and I very pleased with my choice!
Arcs looks intensely good.
Scythe in space but twice as complicated. -woof. Appreciate the video essay! 😆
The complexity of this game is about memorizing the 200 icons (I dare you to count them), memorize the 178 pages of rules and to not forget that it takes one hour to set up. A delicate balance between memorizing and forgetting.
However, memorizing is not complexity or depth, it's just a memory challenge. Compare that with Brass, GWT or a 18xx game and you'll understand what I'm talking about.
I agree: we should not confuse complexity with difficulty, which are not the same. On another note, regarding combat, Mindclash can claim is deterministic, but if you really need an app to resolve it, I feel the way to go is not to try to advance the results rather than just solve the combat, so to prevent AP: you just have an overall idea of your odds and go for it. I think part of the AP that can come of that part of the game is for trying to figure out your odds to ensure victory; but if one considers that cannot take into account every single thing...then becomes more rellistic, I would say. Any system, added enough complexity to it, stops being deterministic for our brains. ;)
I'd been thinking about board game play complexity, I think there's 2 axis, complexity in deciding what to do and complexity in how to do it. Some games that try to make how to do an action easy, but deciding what you need the tough part. Take a deck builder, you just buy a card, but deciding on the cards to buy is the game. Or there's ones like GH that make the task (killing monsters) obvious, but finding the efficient route to do so is the puzzle. And then there's one's like Voidfall that are high on both axis - sandboxy enough deciding what you want to do is tough and then you also have to puzzle out how to do it.
Personally, I like the efficiency/how best to game the system type games, I like those puzzles. But, I know fewer people do and I think I get why: If you play a game where taking an action is simple, just pick the action/lay a tile/buy a card etc you're always getting to do something, even if oops, turns out you picked poorly. You got to play the game. When you play a game where how to do the action is a puzzle, you can get frustrated over and over by the game mechanics preventing you from doing what you want to do. You're stuck doing whatever it is that is allowed left to you. That's when people feel the game played them or the rules constantly got in the way.
NPI reviews are really _REALLY_ next level. Just 2 years ago, I was a big Dice Tower fan but honestly I just cannot watch those reviews anymore.
Most of them feel shallow and rushed compared to the ones posted on this channel. ❤
Occasionally I get half-frustrated, half-impressed watching No Pun Included videos because I'll have a half-formed thought in my head about board games, then I'll watch a video on this channel and see you saying exactly what I was thinking but in a much more comprehensive and clear way. Anyways, that happened twice in this video, with both the complexity and the too many modes/every game needing to be everything for everyone topics, so hooray.
I do agree on the combat being rough. We played one of the high conflict scenarios and several were flying all over taking over neutral hexes. But when it came to fighting each other...We'd look at the pile of ships we each had, stare at the combat chart for a few min trying to figure it out...then mostly give up and take another action or neutral hex. Like, we can sit here for 10min to figure out this combat to determine if I can get 12pts or I just take this quick action for 10pts. That said, it's too heavy a game to want dice roll combat, the determinism seems important, even for multiplayer. I'm not sure how to keep it both simple and fun. I tend to find pure 'each player loses cubes at equal rate' deterministic combat rather dull and of course upgrades are the big piece that throw wrenches into simple.
great review - thanks! Your comparison with Scythe was exactly what I needed to evaluate the game for me (nah...) and my group (yeah!)
To be fair. I sold Scythe because I didn't like it solo and much more disliked it competitive. And each new expansion made me question the game more. But I enjoy Voidfall ... except for the setup time.
Dude, I'm at minute 6 of the video and I'm already overwhelmed at the number of exceptions there are. I think I've never heard the word but so many times in so little time. Also, this game looks like a nightmare to learn with all those different icons that I just can't understand what the designers were thinking about. I hope we go back to simpler games. I played a bunch of games, but this euro trend of adding more systems to other systems is just too much.
Hey, most board game channels just review the games, the mechanics, and stuff. You review the industry itself. That's a BIG diferential that you have. Congratulations!
Looks like it suffers the same problem as Gaia Project: You really don't do much for the complexity it offers! I prefer games where you actually do something and are not brooding over every little small step, but you haven't done much at the end of the game! I really ask myself what these people think who develop these games! They probably think TOO MUCH! Take more inspiration from expert games like Ark Nova or Nucleum where you are actually doing stuff for the complexity it offers and you don't have to overthink every step! Thank You very much for this good review!!
We have it unopened on the shelf still. The conversation goes like this... "Do you want to open Voidfall?" "No, let's play Eclipse"
I feel like this game could have done with someone warning the designers about a little thing called scope creep.
I love your tangents, they're consistently my favorite part of your videos.
Great part about contentification. In this game it seems people really enjoy the different modes (by the comments) but usually if you get sooo much scenarios and stuff to do it mainly feels like "Where's the focus. No way they managed to balance all of this to be good and fun."
And realistically as a normal boardgame person we usually play our favorite games with family+friends like 10-20 times over the years. Less if setup takes the quarter of an evening.
Great points about complexity in games. I love complex games, but i don't like it when the massive amount of bits get in the way. The toys take away from the experience for me. I also love it when i can clearly see that a game is just not for me from a review. Keep up the good work!
Dreams of Contification!
Finally that Review is Baked!
Circumspect and precise. Well done Efka. As for massive tangent... NPI points once again to the truth. I agree with your opinion that content is a challenge that the Artists who build games must overcome so that we can have not just what our Machine overlords deem we should have but maybe what we as true game afficiandos truly deserve.
PS God rest Sinead!
... NPI video chops still Improving!
....Chuck Taylor's are mankind's greatest Shoe ever!!!
(And Hat)
I'm a proud owner of Anachrony and that game makes my brain bleed from my ears :) I can't even phantom anything like this. I'm just human... Thanks for your content!
I think Voidfall is a really great game! I think you captured the overall concept of the game and summarized it very effectively (without going into rules details). And I also understand and accept the critiques you've made. It's not perfect and it's definitely not a rollicking space conquest if that's what people are looking for. It's a really deep action optimization euro puzzle with a space empire theme/setting. To me it really gives the feeling of managing a nascent space empire where you determine a strategy and tactically execute actions in order to build up your influence while facing potential threats from an alien presence and rival empires. I think it is a complete success at being the type of game the designers intended and is exactly what I expected it to be. Also, appreciate your review and analysis which I think was well thought out and can certainly resonate with. And yes, I watched all the way to the end! Cheers!
The whole existential dread of unbounded decisions thing in the middle was one of the top asides in the history of board games
Best review you done by now (Sleeping gods, would be 2.). 100% agree on the crowdfunding problem.
I understand what you mean. I personally like a little easier and faster like recent releases Pirates of Maracaibo, Ticket to Ride Legacy, Faraway. But some people love Voidfall a lot.
Thank you so much for putting a voice to this criticism. I am sick of all these games that try to offer multiple games that should have been separate. I don't want to buy a game that:
- can be competitive or cooperative (in the worst case its also semi cooperative)
- have two different kinds of combat systems
- be interactive and soloable
- have a 12 game campaign or a free for all mode
- have its content split over 4 boxes that I can only use a fraction of at a time
- can be modularly expanded to offer everything and the kitchen sink (I don't want to figure out what to include to get the best experience, I want the designer to figure that out)
For the past 3-ish years I have gone out of my way to avoid any game that does these. And I am so much happier for it. From time to time I still get a delayed kickstarter I backed before this decision and it just reinforces my believes.
Great review. Couldn't agree more on publishers and designers cramming way too much into games that don't need it, especially when you consider how much more expensive they become as a result. Voidfall looks great, but I'm definitely not interested in dropping $100 on a box that's trying to be 3-4 other games when I could just buy those 3-4 other games. If variety and personal choice is the goal here, I'm getting more of that by playing other games with their own themes, art styles, and mechanics anyway. It's like choosing between purchasing the ingredients you need to make a few nice meals for the week vs. buying a whole farm that could in theory provide all the food you'll need for the rest of your life.
The problem I have with Scythe is the scripted openings and the "I finished on Turn X" presentations. I would disagree about combat being a minimal part of Scythe though - it is quite important whether for stars or for slowing an opponent down. My hope is that this game avoids the scripted openings, or at least introduces enough decision space afterward (much like Gaia Project or Food Chain Magnate) to justify some scripting, though of course FCM does this by being extremely interactive.
When you started talking about the amount of scenarios I directly got the feeling that it was too much stuff in the box. And then the contentification tangent happened. From the sound of it there could have been a great base game and some expansions on top of it. Separate out everything to do with co-op and some groups of scenarios. Give everything to the backers and start selling the base game to the general public.
Great...i love the way the review just launched itself into itself... got me hooked from the first...well done😊
I agree - Voidfall is not complex.
It's amazing if you would like to solve a big puzzle in space.
Had a blast each time playing competitive and solo.
Easily my favorite game of the year. There's a lot of little rules here and there but it's still a straightforward game
I backed this but haven't had the nerve to unpop the cardboard yet... your review has left me with a wee bit more confidence to give it a try. I do love TI4 POK, but after 20 games of that, there is still so much to learn and recall. I'll likely start with the solo versions to get familiar with the iconography before trying it with some friends. Thanks for the insightful review!
That was a great 16 minute review, thanks efka
will continue listening, but had to comment quickly: Thank you for the Sinead O'Connor tribute. What a bright soul she was.
A great review of one of my most favourite games. I’ve enjoyed all of the modes with different people at different times. I’m glad they spent the extra effort on building different modes - if it was only good for a group of 3-4 I might have missed out on a lot of fun
Thank you so much for this great review. Even though this isn't my jam (I didn't enjoy Scythe the once I played) I'm glad that there are people that do and also it's great to see the argument of complexity of board games vs what your taste are and trying to differentiate the two.
I cannot see a world in there are better board game reviews than the one of NPI! Need to explain a little deeper: after many years of being in the hobby I have „collected“ more TH-cam Board Game channels than Pokémon when I was a kid. And after all those years of watching this content I absolutely know the taste of the people. Which is good in general. But the downside is, I realised that I am often just watching a board game review to have someone giving praise to a game I might enjoy to push me in the direction of buying it. This is fine. But it is nothing of true value. NPI reviews are different. They are so thoughtful, so entertaining, so funny, and they are simply amazing. I am watching these reviews for hundreds of reasons not just to decide wether I want to buy a game or not. These reviews/videos are invaluable. Outstanding content made by passion and love
This was an incredibly insightful review! Thanks for your hard work on this!
I really like this game. But i would pay real money for a redesign of combat/conflict so i could play a better cuttroat competitive game and play the awesome solo mode by my self.
thanks for adding one more item to my list of arguments why to avoid crowdfunding! Great video
Whenever I see something designed by Ian, it's like yeah it's my type of game and it guarantee to be some fun of untanglin, great video!
Really keen insights, which I hear from few others. Thanks for this.
Trying to decide between Voidfall, Eclipse, and Fractal. When you said it's like Scythe in space weirdly for me that sold me. 🤷♂️
So glad they finally made the Aunty Donna Game!
100% agree on the contentification. Its rife on KS now.
11:00 Thank you for reminding me why I like No Pun Included. Also, I agree with you about contentification.
Thanks for the commentary on modern board games. Lucky for you, it was together with a positive review, so people might spare you 😂.
That said, I agree that it's the (sad?) reality.
Best review for Voidfall! Agree with all Points
I love this game, and I've never played competitive, only coop and solo. The special coop actions and the need to lift the lowest scoring player up over the void's target score (hello Uprising) make for a good time.
Angry comment to boost visibility of the video 😬
Also, fun fact: the crisis board ("doom board") was a part of the competitive game to begin with before the designers decided the result of fighting on so many fronts might melt too many brains.
Very interesting, thank you.
So can we add it for further difficulty to a regular game with the same rules? Yeah...call me a masochist... xD
There's a thread on BGG asking exactly that and is how I know about the crisis board's mode change. Looks like you're not the only one thinking of dialing it up to 11 😆
As a board gamer with no friends, I buy games as objet d'art.
That is an insta-buy. It will look amazing stacked in the cupboard with the rest of them.
Smashed that like button.... c'mon Efka. Everyone knows that if you want your video to be a success, you don't hit the like button.
You have to smash it.
This was a great review, and i think you are right that at its core, Voidfall is a 4X game for when the power is out. When the apocalypse comes and you want to play a space 4X, your Mentat is the computer so you can Imortan Joe this game. Which isn't terrible? I LOVE THOSE DIALS! My board game has 6 tracks of 20 spaces, and I considered dials, but they were hella expensive, so I defaulted to cubes.
I also talked to the dev of this one on his AMA and just asked, "how do you feel about games that end in the suffix -fall," and he was like, "never heard of one, like what?" And I have a rant about games that end in the suffix fall for just that kind of question. :p
DARKVOID: WARFALL
STARFALL: VOIDWAR
It just drives me nuts and I can't take it seriously. Much like the name, it is COOL, but it could have done without several features and been better for it. Doing more with less is not a weakness.
One thing to note for competitive play and House balance - you are limited to a specific pool of Houses for each scenario. So when it comes to 'soundness' I think they've got that covered?
A generally positive review that contains positive and negative aspects to carefully consider? What a concept!!! You are onto something here