G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game Solo REVIEW - Board Game Review - SBGK
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- Does this deck-building game live up to the G.I. Joe name? Let’s find out in my review of the G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game.
Song:
G.I. Joe Title Song by:
Spencer Michlin
Ford Kinder
Music Composed and Conducted by:
Johnny Douglas
Rob Walsh
Does this deck-building game live up to the G.I. Joe name? Let’s find out. Time stamps below:
0:42 How much table space does it use?
1:19 Issues with the rule book
2:05 1st error with rule book (Main Deck)
3:27 Mission card ongoing effects (lack of detail)
4:54 Huge error (example)
6:58 Rule book thoughts
7:35 Setup for solo play
9:30 Mission tip
9:50 Turn sequence
10:44 1st round, loss conditions and Threat Track
11:52 Start phase and understanding a mission
12:39 Mission setup
13:13 How to initiate and complete a mission
18:16 Mission success or failure
19:25 When to reveal/draw a story mission
19:55 After mission is over, how to discard cards
21:20 How to recruit cards and what happens when a card is destroyed
22:15 End of round effects
22:35 Final battle example
23:30 Types of missions Group/Side Missions
24:06 Dice randomness, mitigation and strategy
26:35 Where do recruited cards go?
27:24 Gameplay depth and some thoughts
28:06 Game session length
28:27 Mission variety
30:00 Were the missions any good? Final thoughts.
32:30 Knowing is half the…….
I hope you enjoyed this review. I put a lot of effort into it and tried to add as much information as I could. There’s more to the game (card intricacies that create added gameplay twists) but the review was running a bit long. If you have any questions about the game, just leave a comment and I will answer you. Thanks for watching!
Sincerely,
SBGK
THX for the front-loaded errata help! Glad I decided to watch the whole video through before my copy arrived! :) Def gets you a like and a subbie!
You’re welcome and thank you! Glad to have you aboard! Let me know what you think about G.I. Joe once you’ve played it. I think you’re going to enjoy it and if you’re a fan of the show, you’re REALLY going to enjoy it!
Whether it's their licensed board and card games or their licensed role-playing games, Renegade has amazing art, amazing licenses, great concepts, and *startlingly* bad editing and QA. It feels like a project goes directly from the writer to the press without an editorial pass.
You hit the nail on the head! Something about their rulebook process needs some extra attention. With that written, I agree, Renegade makes great quality products, overall. Wreckland Run was their most recent release that was extremely well done, however, continued their streak of bad QA when it comes to the rulebook and a few cards.
Great video! I had already ordered and am looking forward to getting this to the table.
Thanks! Let me know what you think about it after you’ve played it. Have fun! I think you’re really going to like it!
Snagged this because of your review and I'm having a great time with it so far. Excited to think of expansions.
Yeah!! I’m glad you liked it! It really captured the G.I. Joe feel. As soon as the expansion is announced, I will preorder it immediately. I still think about and play it even though I make videos and play other games, as well. Such a fun game!
Definitely a very fun game both solo and multiplayer. You’re hit it right on the nose about the rule book. One of my favorite games
I really love the missions, they’re so much fun to go on. Glad you liked it too! Take care.
The theme at the beginning got me pumped. I love deck builders, this one definitely interests me. Thanks for the look at it!
The intro pumps me up too and I’m the one that put it together! It’s a good one and you’re welcome!
Me too. I come to love deck building games thanks to attack on titan deck builder. I got this and I’m learning to play solo.
@@boardsandstuff5008 AoT is great! I have to check that deck-builder out!
@@SoloBoardGamingKnight is pretty good you have to defend the walls, battle titans while upgrading your equipment to prepare to battle an arch titan which includes the armor titan and beast titan as boss. Solo mode is pretty good and entrataining. It took two hours for a Two player game. It’s worth checking out. Thanks for your videos.
@@boardsandstuff5008 That actually sounds awesome! Can you tell me the name of it? I want to buy a copy. Thanks!
looking forward to playing this tomorrow
Thanks for this ability. The rule book has me very frustrated but your video really helped me
You’re welcome! Glad I could help!
I just got this game and thought of your video because you really like the game but dislike the rulebook haha This was a Humble Bundle thing but they kinda scammed us a bit because it wasn’t extremely obvious that we had to pay shipping separately doh! Anyways now I have this game.
@@soloflo The shipping scam stinks but I think you’ll like the game. So far, I’ve collected the entire set of expansions and they’ve even released a pure solo expansion that has you playing as Snake Eyes! It’s awesome!
I hope you’ve been well. I really want to get back to making video but I haven’t been able to play for a long time. I suffered a very severe back sprain and I just recently began walking again. I can’t even comfortably do something like playing a board game. It stinks because there are SO MANY games I’ve been wanting to review and show you guys.
This year has been a rough one but when I get back to normal, I’M GOING ALL OUT!!!! I’m really missing my board games but I got to heal first. Enjoy your new member of the board game collection and don’t spend too much! lol! Take care.
@@SoloBoardGamingKnight Oh you can also consider this for organizing the games. I got the tip off Totally Tabled. "IRIS USA Portable Board Game Organizer Plastic Project Storage Case Box with Snap-Tight Latch, 10-Pack, Fits 8.5" x 11" Papers, for Games Puzzle Magazine Document Craft Hobby Art Supplies, Slim, Clear"
Can you do a play through video?
I wouldn’t mind. I have a few videos that are on the way but I think I could squeeze that into the schedule afterwards.
So I drastically changed my opinion on this one, and I am proudly selling it off. Here is the Amazon review that I just made (pending approval):
Five games in and I lost them all, very badly. There are serious SERIOUS issues with this game, and I've played dozens of deckbuilders. This one is among the worst. Very poorly designed with respect to difficulty. It's the hardest, and most unreasonable, deckbuilder in existence, bar none. No difficulty adjustments to make the game easier are offered, aside from the fact that you could include less story missions per Act, but why would you want a shortened narrative experience? Crazy.
Between the end of turn, start of turn, and end of round effects on everything, it's all against you. Couple that with very random dice and you have a recipe for sheer disaster. Now don't get me wrong...I normally love dice in my games, but in this one, they are a very bad addition because of the overall difficulty of the game. Things tend to spiral totally out of control as you progress through the acts of the mission, and incorporating dice just makes an already ridiculous hard game that much more ridiculously hard.
I don't recommend this one, folks. Not by a long shot. The poorly written rulebook is just the tip of the iceberg. Inappropriately playtested for sure.
@@realdealastrology9 Someone really didn’t like the game! lol! That’s okay, not every game will be enjoyed by everyone. The first few games were a little rough for me as well but the game just resonated with me.
The callbacks to the episodes of way back in the day were a treat with expansions making it even more of a treat for long time fans. When it comes to story, I believe it was meant to be taken as an episode of the cartoon series. It worked for me.
The vehicles is what really won the day, for me. Getting an O.P. vehicle and filling it with Joe’s that were strong against the intended mission, always feels satisfying to me. The missions never get old to me.
I do understand that the dice can mess up some nicely placed plans but some of the cards available in the market really help with that. Sometimes the bad guys win a battle and sometimes the Joe’s win a battle but the war is far from done. The final mission will be easier or more difficult depending on the outcomes of those battles.
The game really works for me. Too bad it wasn’t a fun experience for you.
@ yeah. I just didn’t like how the game spirals out of control as the acts go on, and the dice makes it worse. To each his own, but this would make the list of worst solo deckbuilders. Just my opinion. Glad you enjoy it though.
I believe for Low Light you need to meet the skill requirement to activate his skills, hence why it says it doesn't activate.
It activates when the threat level is on red. The problem came from the rule book just briefly mentioning that icon in an example and giving an incorrect example of how it’s activated. The game is great with its only flaw being a poorly written rule book.
I've played both too and I disagree. I think the Transformers Deck Building Game is much better than this. I've never been a fan of any dice rolling in my card games, this how way to much that hinges on that.
There’s fun to be had with both. Personally, Transformers didn’t quite do it for me but that’s what’s great about this hobby, there’s something for everyone. When it comes to the dice rolls, I usually don’t like that myself. Before reviewing G.I. Joe, I even had my reservations about it. However, after playing it and seeing the amount of control given to me by mitigating the dice using cards and abilities, I enjoyed it a lot!
going to play Joe tomorrow and TF Saturday so going to see, think I'll like them both more than PR mainly because of the co-op
@@GettinJiggly I think you’ll like them, as well. Come back and let me know what you think once you’ve played them both.
@@SoloBoardGamingKnight I just got both and have played one solo game of each and had fun in both cases. I liked the whole work to build your dice pool element of G.I. Joe. I do wish they had included at least 2 more dice, probably 4. I mean given how the rules basically make a point of telling you just roll some of the dice again if you don't have enough that means they know they haven't included as many as you need. I do think Joe was nice in it had a lot more of the Joes included in the cards and I found the load your vehicle idea fun.
I liked the hidden market design of Transformers but feel since it has a competitive mode they should have had some big player cards and pawns for being Decepticons so you can have a head-to-head case. I also felt that they had way fewer characters represented in Transformers but I'm sure that's so they can do a Dinobots or Cybertron or whatever expansions.
@@jimzecca3961 When it comes to Transformers, they will definitely expand its character roster with expansions.
If you needed more dice when rolling in G.I. Joe (that happened to me several times, as well) that means you were building your deck really well and setting out on missions with the optimal Joes! You’re right, they should’ve included at least a few more dice but it is satisfying when you have a handful of dice and know that you’re able to roll some more afterwards.
I’m glad you enjoyed them! They both offer something different enough to warrant owning both. Thanks for letting me know about your experience. I hope you get to play a lot of great games this year! Take care.