Played this on TTS a few times and absolutely love the asymmetry but I haven't pulled the trigger on getting it yet. I'm kind of concerned each role has a fairly direct optimal path which will make the gameplay on rails after a bit, but maybe I just haven't played it enough to see the deeper end. I love it as a whole though, the theme, art, different roles, all of it. Great video as always!
I feel that I am in the same boat as you. Everything about this game pulls me in.. I just feel hung up that each merchant will only warrant a few plays each before they get stale. Even with that being true that will still provide dozens of plays.
I literally only logged to my main account to give this a like and to write this Absolutely love this review, 3 minute review instead of 30 minute ones, you've covered everything I wanted to know and you've saved me loads of hassle and time...seriously, this just instantly became my go to channel before buying new games Great job
In a way, i feel this game is sometimes less than the sum of its parts. Which bothers me, as i love asymmetry and really really wanted to like this more than i do. As a game, its fine, i'd play it again, but its also just that to me, fine.
The key for me was that the assymetry isn't shared between players. The output from the asymmetry ends up as a common "symmetric" game. Your engine to play the game is assymetric, but the game itself is not. You're not involved in the other minigames, so the end result ends up feeling very non-interactive.
Thanks for the review! Sorry it didn't resonate with you. We wanted something light enough that the game was more about how you respond to and sculpt a shared market than knowing the intricacies of how your neighbor's shop works.
Some of my favourite games of all time are asymmetric yet it is so tough to get right. Rebellion or Netrunner works well for me because there is a common frame of reference - I understand inherently the nature of the interaction between players. One is a big bad corp/empire with all the tools, the other is a plucky runner/rebellion looking to hit and run and incrementally gain an advantage. The interaction throughout the respective games feels fair and justified. It possibly helps that they are two player only games too.
Cheers Drake, as i said in the video, i love the ambition in the design and what you did here. it didn't click with me, but that's fine. It will click with many others
I am so on the fence with this game.. I absolutely love the gimmick. I also don't see this hitting the table anywhere near the amount that justifies the cost. Just so difficult to ignore the love letter to mechanisms.. being a fanboy of mechanisms myself. I just can't help but feel I will want a little more bite to each merchant.. and will only want to play each faction a few times. Granted with that will provide dozens of plays of the game.
@@3MBG This is true.. Was hoping the expansion added some interaction.. however it appears they doubled down on the lack thereof. I love The Mico as well.. being a HUGE West Kingdom fan adds to my confusion of wanting this game or not as well.
Yep, I've filmed it, its just in the editing process at the moment. It's been delayed due to our house move and other life stuff. Aiming to get it out hopefully next week.
We are doing a giveaway on this one along with board game atlas, enter here, ends Dec 1 US time. gleam.io/bMNDn/merchants-cove-giveaway-111821
And pick up a copy from miniature market here when it is back in stock: www.miniaturemarket.com/ffn5001.html
‘This time about forest violence’ really made me laugh
Am i wrong though :)
Played this on TTS a few times and absolutely love the asymmetry but I haven't pulled the trigger on getting it yet. I'm kind of concerned each role has a fairly direct optimal path which will make the gameplay on rails after a bit, but maybe I just haven't played it enough to see the deeper end. I love it as a whole though, the theme, art, different roles, all of it. Great video as always!
I feel that I am in the same boat as you. Everything about this game pulls me in.. I just feel hung up that each merchant will only warrant a few plays each before they get stale. Even with that being true that will still provide dozens of plays.
I literally only logged to my main account to give this a like and to write this
Absolutely love this review, 3 minute review instead of 30 minute ones, you've covered everything I wanted to know and you've saved me loads of hassle and time...seriously, this just instantly became my go to channel before buying new games
Great job
And hopefully it also helps in not buying some as well. (as in the 3 min review tells you enough for you to go "thats nots for me")
This is my most wanted game next to Xia
In a way, i feel this game is sometimes less than the sum of its parts. Which bothers me, as i love asymmetry and really really wanted to like this more than i do. As a game, its fine, i'd play it again, but its also just that to me, fine.
The key for me was that the assymetry isn't shared between players. The output from the asymmetry ends up as a common "symmetric" game.
Your engine to play the game is assymetric, but the game itself is not. You're not involved in the other minigames, so the end result ends up feeling very non-interactive.
I think this is the core of it. So much time spent not interacting.
Thanks for the review! Sorry it didn't resonate with you. We wanted something light enough that the game was more about how you respond to and sculpt a shared market than knowing the intricacies of how your neighbor's shop works.
Some of my favourite games of all time are asymmetric yet it is so tough to get right. Rebellion or Netrunner works well for me because there is a common frame of reference - I understand inherently the nature of the interaction between players. One is a big bad corp/empire with all the tools, the other is a plucky runner/rebellion looking to hit and run and incrementally gain an advantage. The interaction throughout the respective games feels fair and justified. It possibly helps that they are two player only games too.
Cheers Drake, as i said in the video, i love the ambition in the design and what you did here. it didn't click with me, but that's fine. It will click with many others
Fantastic, first I’ve heard of this. I do love a bit of asymmetry, but they are a bugger to get right (in both design and teach).
I am so on the fence with this game.. I absolutely love the gimmick. I also don't see this hitting the table anywhere near the amount that justifies the cost. Just so difficult to ignore the love letter to mechanisms.. being a fanboy of mechanisms myself. I just can't help but feel I will want a little more bite to each merchant.. and will only want to play each faction a few times. Granted with that will provide dozens of plays of the game.
The falling down for me was not the mini games, those are cool. Its the main interactions that felt weak.
@@3MBG This is true.. Was hoping the expansion added some interaction.. however it appears they doubled down on the lack thereof.
I love The Mico as well.. being a HUGE West Kingdom fan adds to my confusion of wanting this game or not as well.
Lovely.
This looks more complex than I thought at first blush
Will there be a top 100 games of all time this year?
Yep, I've filmed it, its just in the editing process at the moment. It's been delayed due to our house move and other life stuff. Aiming to get it out hopefully next week.
Hey, guess what just went live!
1:39 why would blue be zero? That's not a blue token? Because it looks blue.
Ah, might have been unclear, that's a grey rogue meeple and they aren't good for much at all.
I actually think the game is kind of hokey looking. I appreciate the vision but there's nothing really drawing me to this.
graphic design doesnt work for me unfortunately