This one came out of nowhere for me. My friend Andy had a copy, and it looked intriguing, so i borrowed it. And damn, what a good decision that was. An exceptionally sharp solo game. My question for everyone is about the subject matter. Games like this that deal with really serious conflicts, how do you feel about them?
WW2 was long ago so most folks are fine with it, it's when things touch more recent stuff, like Labirynth or A Distant Plain (war on terrorism and Afghanistan respectively) people tend to get really upset.
I appreciate you giving a game with a heavy theme like this a spotlight. Generally speaking I think it depends on the mindset of the creators as well as the players, a respectful approach towards the topic of the game can make this a valueable experience - if it is laid out and played that way. While I read critism that Black Orchestra is white-washing some featured characters, I would still recommend playing it (found it on your channel). Days of Ire: Budapest 1956 is still on my radar. No pun intended.
The theme is actually familiar to me, I've played an online FPS game called Red Orchestra 2 where one map is centered around Pavlov's house. It's one of the most gruelling maps in the game imo. Deservedly so, I guess . :D
No issues with subject matter of any kind. There is no difference between a historic battle or a fantasy war, when being played as a game. We all know that war and death are not good or desired outcomes, but they make for good games. People who do mind this sort of content would benefit from taking a step back and looking at their own apprehensions to the theme. It will reveal a boogie man complex, where what the person is afraid of is simply in their own head and perceptions. Playing a game is simply that, playing a game, if the game also has historical content, you can learn history from it as well.
I agree Kristijan, as long as the historic lesson is taught well. One of my pet hates is games, especially colonial ones, that brush over things or abstract the ugly bits too much. As that teaches the wrong lesson.
Well, these types of games got me in the boardgaming hobby in the first place. For me, It started with wargames and branched out from that. I am interested in military history; finding these kind of games was an addition to that hobby. I started with some old Avalon Hill ww2 titles like panzer leader and -blitz, Patton's Best (awesome solitaire title...), from there to other ages, American civil war, napoleontische and classical age warfare, and finaly to games with other themes like advanced civ, Kremlin, Catan etc.
If you're a eurogamer and ever want to play a wargame, this one is the perfect start. It's a resource/card management game as it is a wargame. One the question of "really serious conflicts", this game shows how brutal war is and why you want to avoid it. I think this game treats the subject matter with respect while still providing a good gameplay experience.
If you want another WWII game, on the east front to boot, that's easy to learn and get into, while also fun and challenging to play, I recommend No Retreat! The Russian Front. You can play a whole 1941-1945 campaign, or one of the scenarios lasting only a few turns. It's easily accessible even if you've never played a similar game before.
Even just from hearing how the game is played I got the sense of it going from broad and strategic to zooming in to be more tactical in the different phases. Looks incredibly intruiguing. I know you have a playlist of soloable games, but do you have a top 10 solo games list? Would love to know what your favourites are.
Im planning on doing a series of vids for different player counts, counting down to an epic solo one. Top 6 was 2 weeks ago, and top 5 is coming soonish :)
Thanks for the recommendation, just got this for Tabletop Simulator for some corona virus self-isolation entertainment and loved it. I did this thing where I rang a bell whenever the Germans attacked. I noticed that the attacks scared my men. For science, I tried ringing the bell even when there was no attack forthcoming, and I found the men had been conditioned to be scared by the sound of the bell alone. I recorded my findings to HQ, who told me to stop with the psychological experiments and get on with winning the war. Seriously, though. I read the manual through once before playing, and got the hang on things very quickly, but still got curbstomped by the Germans. I lost when I had 46 Wermarcht left in the deck, so I almost made it a quarter of the way through the game. This seems to be one of those easy-to-learn, hard-to-master games. Only two issues I had was it wasn't that intuitive (for example, instructions for what to do when you draw a card wasn't printed on the card itself), and I wish there were summaries in the rulebook, as I found myself flipping back and forth through the pages a lot. Very gritty and challenging game, though, and I liked the fast pace, and how you have to juggle repairs, logistics, preparation of AA and other resources, and tactical action.
Looks interesting. Thinking of grabbing a solo game given COVID, I believe this is a Dan Verssen game and that name has came up a few times in searches, thunderbolt/Apache leader sounds intriguing and is on my list too.
Ambush! from 1983 is one of the oldest solo games I can think of. There is a long tradition of solo modes in wargames, probably more so than in more mainstream gaming.
Well, Technically France was still fighting the whole way through. Just a very small percentage of them and the main government became collaborators. But yes, you are correct.
Great review. Am personally a huge fan of WWII history. Also gaming. Another pretty good WWII game is D-Day Dice, which can also be played solo (1-4 players). Have you heard of/played it? Also, back to the focus of this review, if you are interested in a top read on the subject of the Battle of Stalingrad, you should definitely check out Antony Beevor's 'Stalingrad'. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalingrad_(book) G'day from Aus.
G'day mate. Hope you're in a nice safe place atm. I've not read that one, but will consider reading it. I did read a bunch on stalingrad many years ago when i was on my WWII history binge ) Not played D-Day dice, but a friend of mine and I are tossing around an idea for a Dunkirk game with a similar level of complexity to pavlovs house, also solo/co-op
@@3MBG thanks, mate. I'm in suburbia but close to the Blue Mountains, so watching closely. Although, we've finally had a few days of much needed rain, which has put out some fires. However, with summer barely half way through, fires could spark up again. Scary times. Back on topic, would very much love to see your plans for a game come to fruition. Was particularly sold on your review of Pavlov's House and will definitely be picking up a copy, if one is available. Just got a copy of Osprey Games' "Escape From Colditz". Despite the revision, it's a bit dated, but still enjoyable. Being a fellow WWII buff, I recommend checking it out.
Dude, you're killing me here with these "I'm going to speaking intelligently and offer trenchant insights into an obscure corner of your beloved hobby...but only for 180 seconds." This is a game I would almost certainly never give a second glance at, but your thoughts on a highly tactical but still highly strategy game have me intrigued. I'm as much interested in YOUR perspective as I am about the game itself. More longer-form video essays in the future, please! :-)
I love the 3 minute concept myself, it's the main reason why I love this channel. There are enough 35-60+ minute videos where someone "reviews" a game by giving you a detailed rundown of every tiniest rule in the game. It's like explaining to someone what a film is about. If someone asks me what Gravity is, I'll say it's about an astronaut who gets lost from her space shuttle and has to find a way to get back down to Earth, and I'll tell them why I love the film. I won't give them a scene-by-scene dissection of the whole movie and what the director intended to convey with each shot.
Pretty much every wargame features death, and usually on a much larger scale, so do always caution about it or is this the "virtue signalling" I've heard talked about?
Every game i review I say who it would be for and who it wouldn't. Some people don't like war as a theme, so the game isn't for them. It's basic information. I'm gonna guess you turned up here because Indy talked about Pavlov's house on WWII in real time in this weeks video and that you are not a regular. If you were a channel regular you would know I'm a wargame designer. And if you were really into board games, you would know 95% of board gamers do not play them, they are a niche within a niche. I love pavlov's house as a game, but games about Stalingrad aren't for everyone.
@@3MBG Yeah, it's interesting how wargames essentially started the whole "designer board game" thing, but how non-miniature-based wargames are now the smallest niche. Side-note : I'm interested to see how "Undaunted : Stalingrad" turns out
This one came out of nowhere for me. My friend Andy had a copy, and it looked intriguing, so i borrowed it. And damn, what a good decision that was. An exceptionally sharp solo game. My question for everyone is about the subject matter. Games like this that deal with really serious conflicts, how do you feel about them?
WW2 was long ago so most folks are fine with it, it's when things touch more recent stuff, like Labirynth or A Distant Plain (war on terrorism and Afghanistan respectively) people tend to get really upset.
I appreciate you giving a game with a heavy theme like this a spotlight. Generally speaking I think it depends on the mindset of the creators as well as the players, a respectful approach towards the topic of the game can make this a valueable experience - if it is laid out and played that way. While I read critism that Black Orchestra is white-washing some featured characters, I would still recommend playing it (found it on your channel). Days of Ire: Budapest 1956 is still on my radar. No pun intended.
The theme is actually familiar to me, I've played an online FPS game called Red Orchestra 2 where one map is centered around Pavlov's house. It's one of the most gruelling maps in the game imo. Deservedly so, I guess . :D
No issues with subject matter of any kind. There is no difference between a historic battle or a fantasy war, when being played as a game. We all know that war and death are not good or desired outcomes, but they make for good games. People who do mind this sort of content would benefit from taking a step back and looking at their own apprehensions to the theme. It will reveal a boogie man complex, where what the person is afraid of is simply in their own head and perceptions. Playing a game is simply that, playing a game, if the game also has historical content, you can learn history from it as well.
I agree Kristijan, as long as the historic lesson is taught well. One of my pet hates is games, especially colonial ones, that brush over things or abstract the ugly bits too much. As that teaches the wrong lesson.
Well, these types of games got me in the boardgaming hobby in the first place. For me, It started with wargames and branched out from that. I am interested in military history; finding these kind of games was an addition to that hobby. I started with some old Avalon Hill ww2 titles like panzer leader and -blitz, Patton's Best (awesome solitaire title...), from there to other ages, American civil war, napoleontische and classical age warfare, and finaly to games with other themes like advanced civ, Kremlin, Catan etc.
I love how these topics are possible in boardgaming today. Games like this, or This War of mine tell incredible stories. Really wonderful!
If you're a eurogamer and ever want to play a wargame, this one is the perfect start. It's a resource/card management game as it is a wargame.
One the question of "really serious conflicts", this game shows how brutal war is and why you want to avoid it. I think this game treats the subject matter with respect while still providing a good gameplay experience.
If you want another WWII game, on the east front to boot, that's easy to learn and get into, while also fun and challenging to play, I recommend No Retreat! The Russian Front. You can play a whole 1941-1945 campaign, or one of the scenarios lasting only a few turns. It's easily accessible even if you've never played a similar game before.
Nice, cheers
Great review. I’m gonna look into it.
I would have backed this on KS if your video on it had existed back at that time. You do a great job!
Love the soviets national anthem at the end lol 👍
Cheers. it seemed appropriate. Pavlovs house is a bit of a Soviet legend.
Even just from hearing how the game is played I got the sense of it going from broad and strategic to zooming in to be more tactical in the different phases. Looks incredibly intruiguing.
I know you have a playlist of soloable games, but do you have a top 10 solo games list? Would love to know what your favourites are.
Im planning on doing a series of vids for different player counts, counting down to an epic solo one. Top 6 was 2 weeks ago, and top 5 is coming soonish :)
Thanks for the recommendation, just got this for Tabletop Simulator for some corona virus self-isolation entertainment and loved it.
I did this thing where I rang a bell whenever the Germans attacked. I noticed that the attacks scared my men. For science, I tried ringing the bell even when there was no attack forthcoming, and I found the men had been conditioned to be scared by the sound of the bell alone. I recorded my findings to HQ, who told me to stop with the psychological experiments and get on with winning the war.
Seriously, though. I read the manual through once before playing, and got the hang on things very quickly, but still got curbstomped by the Germans. I lost when I had 46 Wermarcht left in the deck, so I almost made it a quarter of the way through the game. This seems to be one of those easy-to-learn, hard-to-master games. Only two issues I had was it wasn't that intuitive (for example, instructions for what to do when you draw a card wasn't printed on the card itself), and I wish there were summaries in the rulebook, as I found myself flipping back and forth through the pages a lot.
Very gritty and challenging game, though, and I liked the fast pace, and how you have to juggle repairs, logistics, preparation of AA and other resources, and tactical action.
My advice, get suppression fire weapons into the house ASAP and use suppression a lot.
Looks interesting. Thinking of grabbing a solo game given COVID, I believe this is a Dan Verssen game and that name has came up a few times in searches, thunderbolt/Apache leader sounds intriguing and is on my list too.
Dan Vessen is the publisher, yep. David Thompson is the designer, he has a few more games in this series and the undaunted games to his credit
Looks like a very interesting solo war game, I don't think i have seen a solo war game before.
Ambush! from 1983 is one of the oldest solo games I can think of. There is a long tradition of solo modes in wargames, probably more so than in more mainstream gaming.
3 Minute Board Games wow i had no idea it went back that far!
Cool!
fun fact: Pavlov’s house lasted longer than France
Well, Technically France was still fighting the whole way through. Just a very small percentage of them and the main government became collaborators. But yes, you are correct.
Great review. Am personally a huge fan of WWII history. Also gaming. Another pretty good WWII game is D-Day Dice, which can also be played solo (1-4 players). Have you heard of/played it?
Also, back to the focus of this review, if you are interested in a top read on the subject of the Battle of Stalingrad, you should definitely check out Antony Beevor's 'Stalingrad'.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalingrad_(book)
G'day from Aus.
G'day mate. Hope you're in a nice safe place atm.
I've not read that one, but will consider reading it. I did read a bunch on stalingrad many years ago when i was on my WWII history binge )
Not played D-Day dice, but a friend of mine and I are tossing around an idea for a Dunkirk game with a similar level of complexity to pavlovs house, also solo/co-op
@@3MBG thanks, mate. I'm in suburbia but close to the Blue Mountains, so watching closely. Although, we've finally had a few days of much needed rain, which has put out some fires. However, with summer barely half way through, fires could spark up again. Scary times.
Back on topic, would very much love to see your plans for a game come to fruition. Was particularly sold on your review of Pavlov's House and will definitely be picking up a copy, if one is available. Just got a copy of Osprey Games' "Escape From Colditz". Despite the revision, it's a bit dated, but still enjoyable. Being a fellow WWII buff, I recommend checking it out.
Damn, I wish I could find a copy of this (or have a play of it anyway)
Is it out of print now?
3 Minute Board Games - I can see a copy on Fishpond for $200 - which is a touch high for me - I’ll have to search a bit wider.
Fishpond is the worst
You can get a computer game version at a good price
@@snakeplisken4119 thank you! I have just gone on steam and purchased it. Great suggestion
Dude, you're killing me here with these "I'm going to speaking intelligently and offer trenchant insights into an obscure corner of your beloved hobby...but only for 180 seconds." This is a game I would almost certainly never give a second glance at, but your thoughts on a highly tactical but still highly strategy game have me intrigued. I'm as much interested in YOUR perspective as I am about the game itself. More longer-form video essays in the future, please! :-)
Cheers Jim, much appreciated. This is one of the reasons we've started doing the podcast. I love my 3 minute format, but it has its limits.
I love the 3 minute concept myself, it's the main reason why I love this channel. There are enough 35-60+ minute videos where someone "reviews" a game by giving you a detailed rundown of every tiniest rule in the game. It's like explaining to someone what a film is about. If someone asks me what Gravity is, I'll say it's about an astronaut who gets lost from her space shuttle and has to find a way to get back down to Earth, and I'll tell them why I love the film. I won't give them a scene-by-scene dissection of the whole movie and what the director intended to convey with each shot.
Lost me at dice resolved combat
Fair enough. There is plenty of mitigation in the game though. And the suppression fire system is clever for that
Pretty much every wargame features death, and usually on a much larger scale, so do always caution about it or is this the "virtue signalling" I've heard talked about?
Every game i review I say who it would be for and who it wouldn't. Some people don't like war as a theme, so the game isn't for them. It's basic information. I'm gonna guess you turned up here because Indy talked about Pavlov's house on WWII in real time in this weeks video and that you are not a regular. If you were a channel regular you would know I'm a wargame designer. And if you were really into board games, you would know 95% of board gamers do not play them, they are a niche within a niche.
I love pavlov's house as a game, but games about Stalingrad aren't for everyone.
@@3MBG Yeah, it's interesting how wargames essentially started the whole "designer board game" thing, but how non-miniature-based wargames are now the smallest niche. Side-note : I'm interested to see how "Undaunted : Stalingrad" turns out