I had a similar experience. While I love so much about SG, and it will always be proudly displayed on my shelf, I've never experienced a game where I've had such a high opinion of for the first handful of hours and my opinion on it drastically shifted after the next handful of hours. The sense of discovery and wonder is felt almost immediately, and that aspect of the game is truly exciting. However, in adventure games and dungeon crawlers, there's also a joy in discovering how the game's mechanics will evolve over time as well. I found that once you "discovered" how the mechanics of the game work, they never really change. Unfortunately for me, the mechanics just aren't all that interesting to begin with, so spending 20 hours or so with them without any sense of evolution made the game drag a bit for me. The narrative wasn't captivating enough to overcome the repetitive nature of those mechanics. So, while I sound negative on the game, it's still a strong 7 from me, and I'd even bump it to an 8 just because of the gorgeous production values and all the creativity baked into it. It's a massive achievement I'm sure Ryan and his team are immensely proud of. It is indeed a piece of art in a box. However, I just wish the mechanics were as interesting as the world they created.
ooooh a new lighting set up looking posh there mark... ive noticed that i have similar issues with campaign games in general tbh they rely heavily on narrative and often it means mechanics take a back seat... i also find that a lot of campaigns tend to spread the rewards too thinly... this is one of those games that for some reason my brain keeps telling me i want this but at the same time i feel uneasy about taking it off the store shelf... great review mark! Stay Hexy!
@@kosterix123 so far im finding the game leaving me unimpressed and an ultimate chore to save with no logical check points to break up the game into "chapters" the gameplay basically boils down to go to number read the book i have played the game for about 6 hours now over 2 sessions and the though of having to reload the save again for the review makes me anxious
Great review! We are still moving through our first campaign and you articulated many of the thoughts that I’ve had about our plays. Another aspect that I found that was a blearing issue was the rulebook. The lack of concise editing and referencing has felt like a huge oversight with the production; This is where the rot set in for us 😥
I like your closing discussion on not liking games. Myself I end up rating almost everything I play lately in the 5-7 range and feel we have been in a decade long slump. In particular I’ve noticed there have been tremendous strides in gameplay (how you move things around flip cards and notate results all the while “improving”) to the point where people are enjoying great gameplay games that have tarnish if you look at the actual how to win decision and problems it might have. In short broken or problematic games that are great fun. I feel we can do better...
Yours is the most accurate review I've known so far. I am totally blown away by the positive reviews of this game. We had an absolutely horrible experience with Sleeping Gods. Bad combat, repetitive gameplay, obviously designed for a solo player, and the whole thing is just a soulless book of side quests. We ended up selling the game after a few days play as we couldn't take it anymore, but I don't think I've ever been so disappointed by a board game since I got into the hobby. Before Sleeping Gods we would have been an instant preorder for Now or Never, but now we are nervous.
Thank you. I think the game can and absolutely does work for some people. To me, it’s a bit of an Emperor’s New Clothes scenario - which is compounded by the outstanding production values and the perceived amount of gameplay. However, once I dug below the surface just a little bit, the cracks really started to show.
Agree, it 100% OK to dislike some games, your channel is better because of your integrity! I can honestly say I dislike more game than I like nowadays (because of the sheer number of game that come out) and thank OK with me :)
This is the second time you have negatively reviewed a game that I pledged and am looking forward to playing. I really, really appreciate these reviews of yours, because they help me to better understand what I will be playing. I hope they will also help me understand how I react to these games. I knew from the first that Sleeping Gods is a game of sidequests. I've played lots of video games that are 99% sidequests, but now I realize: almost all of the time, I'm playing sidequests to gear up for advancing the main quest, and I know WHY i'm doing this. That main quest that one must prepare for, yes, it's missing in this game, and wonder how fast the sidequests will pale due to lack of a main goal such as, say, an enemy boss who is immune to fire but susceptible to, oh, poison. The failure to develop the 9 characters: wow, what a missed opportunity. I hope Ryan Luakat sees your review. You're telling him how to design a truly great game. - Toby Robison
Sleeping Gods was also one of my most anticipated games of 2021, but I sold it after playing it for a few hours for the same reasons highlighted in this video. Playing it felt like a chore. However, I haven’t encountered one negative review on it (Micheal Kelly was luke warm on it), so I figured I was alone on my opinion of the game. Evidently not.
For a negative review, this is incredibly positive overall. Its a matter of taste at the end of the day. No game is for everyone. This game relies heavily on engagement with the narrative, not everyone is going to like it.
Really good vid and you make some really interesting points . As I watched your closing discussion, I couldn’t help but think about the game scythe. I love scythe because of the theme , art and its ambitious attempt at a relatively quick playing 4x light style game. However, I can totally see the flaws in its design, specifically the issue of faction balance , Despite this, I can totally forgive it for its flaws whereas others consider them to be game breaking!
A very useful review, for a game I so very nearly backed, and am interested in views now it has arrived. FWIW my main concern was about how engaging the narrative would be, so although perhaps not how I envisaged it, your comments about the lack of continuity of story definitely touch on that concern. I personally would be a little more careful about use of the word 'flaw' e.g. lack of depth / connectivity of story - something that arguably is just what the game is, rather than a flaw of say a gap in the rules or an imbalance that results in half the content getting bypassed. Let me be clear though, I think you aren't attempting to deny the possibility of others enjoying it, nor mocking the stupidity of people who backed it / have it (as it feels NPI take pleasure in doing these days).
Well-stated stuff, Mark. "Honest" reviews are still just one person's opinion, not some magical "truth". I will join you in being unapologetic of my views on a game. I just picked up Sleeping Gods myself. One driving force (other than wanting to support my FLGS) was your IG comment, saying you weren't particularly liking it, while it seemed EVERYONE else is loving it. Too intriguing for me to pass up! ;)
Very good review. When you play Sg you will notice the design errors. I haven’t gotten yet to any sidequest affecting a crew member that wasn’t even nearby, but those are easily fixed. But that’s the problem. Everything in Sg is flawed, everything needs little fixes. For example the rulebook index doesn’t even cover half the key game terms. I had a great session after most fixes, but it burned me up so I haven’t touched the box in weeks. Do not buy SG in its current form. Wait for a better version.
Saying something is not for you is not apologizing, is recognize that not everyone likes the same things, and there may be good things you just don't like. I don't like caviar, but I don't think it's bad, and I'm not apologizing for that.
I haven't played my copy yet, so can't say whether or not I agree with the judgement on the game. However the incessant pussyfooting by reviewers of all sorts is something I absolutely abhor. Reviewers are there to tell you what they think, not to always explain away every flaw as a minor issue or call every game "great just not for me". So thanks for that bit 👍
Im glad to see someone else who didn’t find this game completely fantastic. Of course I had a lot of hope for this game. The game seems so great but it does feel like you are going no where. It is so punitive for my taste. My characters are always fatigued or wounded. Im always looking for ressources and getting hurt instead. I didn’t feel joy or accomplishment like I do normally when Im playing a board game. The quality is, of course, amazing, but Im thinking of selling it because I dont really feel like playing it again.
I couldn’t put my finger on why I wasn’t enjoying this game until I watched this review. I finished all three campaigns + expansion in tainted grail (with house rules) and loved it. Sleeping gods to me feels empty which is weird to say but it’s a game of side quests…
Perhaps you mean SG = 3 moving parts glued together, but don't form an unifying game. [CYOA] + [Ship figure, event race and challenges] + [Enemy&synergy & CATs] = not a complete game. NPI warned enough against TG.
As someone who’s interested in an adventure/campaign game, this was my top consideration, but I fear I’d be disappointed for the reasons you’ve detailed. Can you provide any superior suggestions that fit this genre?
Thank you for this. I completely agree that we should have the courage of our convictions and make claims of value. Postmodernism declares there is no objective truth - only your truth. Ultimately that viewpoint makes watching reviews redundant because if there isn't any truth then how can I learn from your experience? This is not to say that you will not have personal preferences but flaws in games - such as repetition or long downtime - will be common enough amongst players to be worth sharing. Its also literally a waste of time to continually state something is 'just my opinion' as some sop to postmodernism. If it is in fact just your opinion and you are unable to explain why then your not a very good reviewer. If it is your opinion (and whose else is it likely to be?) and you have justified it then there is no need to caveat it further. I'm a realist. I watch reviews because they get me closer to the truth and help me make more informed purchasing decisions. This one helped me enormously thanks.
You're being very nice in your review. And very polite. I was not so nice in my videos. And after watching your review, I want to revisit SG. What SG misses is a goal. I mean, I played Diablo 2 for years, and I didn't mind the grinding "goddamn repetitiveness" b/c of the loot, loot that would help my characters push through quicker - through the main quest. Especially with plugymod very addictive, stay away! SG has no clearly defined main quest, but you can fix that: Whenever you're instructed to do battle, instead discard the top event card and declare the battle victorious. Benefit is more focus on story, drawback is that you're racing for getting 8 totems. I played that way, and when I got halfway I still had a staggering total of 0 totems. That makes the game far more engaging. You might want to give it a try. You're wrong about the character progression though - there are crew level upgrades and you keep these. After your first playthrough you also unlock cards. You quit before you got there. I'm a bit worried about the disconnect you mentioned between your sidequests, and the crew involved, and SG needs a fix for that as well, as in: add to each section REQ {crew}, where crew is the member that must be in the active party. In multiplayer, if your crew does not have that member, swap one of your members with the required one. The problem however is that you only play sections once, so nobody would write in their story book REQ {crew}. When I find one I'll add it, and post it, for future players. It's sad to see how much lack of care RRG put into SG, and I believe in the potential of SG, so if you have SG, it's too late for you; you will need to address the flaws and invest time to fix them. For those considering purchase: don't. Just don't.
This was our biggest problem with Sleeping Gods. We felt like there was no big goal to follow, no main threat to overcome or a victory prize to reach. We were just aimlessly moving from one side quest to the next. It genuinely baffles me those who praise the writing in this game. As far as we could tell the writers forgot to include an actual story!
Good video :) Been wondering if I should get this as I found 7th Continent to be a repetitive grind with little cohesive and intresting narrative and had the feeling this could also turn out to be another disapointment despite the many good reviews. I think perhaps with reviews the important thing is to be honest about any flaws and allow people to make up their own mind. Being apologetic about not liking something is pointless if you are able to clearly explain the reasons for your dislike. Perhaps its just a reaction to how sensitive some people can be if you demean their precious :)
I was looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this game especially after watching NPIs video the other day basically calling it a masterpiece. You should never have to apologize for not liking a game that others do. I like watching your reviews because they are honest and thorough. I will unfortunately have to wait until September to try this game due to supply issues in Canada but I can't wait to see how I feel about this game.
NPI have an unconventional view of what are good and bad games (see their review of Star Wars Rebellion for example). I would not advise ever taking their opinion seriously.
I am torn between this game and 7th Continent. My main concern is replayability value. Being a solo player, I have hundreds of games that can be played solo or played as more characters ( eg: Andor) and I play for hours every day....variety is important. Thank you and kind regards from the UK.
Personally I’m glad to see a sobering review instead of largely positive review of this game. There seems to be some rules problems but many reviewers are more then willing to overlook and still willing to give the game a high mark. I have this game and I’m worry if it would see table time...anyway thanks for your candid thoughts.
I personally didnt find the quests to be side quests. When you recover from the storm the old lady basically tells you that you have to figure it out on your own and to me that means you basically have to stumble around figure things out on your own by helping people out or by other means. Yeah, dont apologize for not liking games that dont click for you.
Mark, my friend, it seems that you don’t like narrative campaign games as there is a lot of grinding in each of these games and repetitiveness. Which is totally fine!, truth be told I am not sure if I like these games, waiting for all-in of Etherfields and I am a bit anxious, this may be a miss for me too. Thanks for your point of view, really appreciate it!
@Bart the critique of Mark was the lack of main quest, not the narration. Without main quest there is no incentive to do side quests, and hence to read narration.
I actually loved the game, but I did had to make it a play with friends mode with more digestable experience. Solo is fun, but it's more like a nice game you want to play in the winter while being snowed it. Game is really at its best with two players. 1. Dice Varient 2. Cut the game down to a 1/3rd of Event deck and give the game a better sense of urgency. 3. Really push my friends to play with pace. 4. Tweak the combat again to have more excitement with the dice varient. 5. Essentially have a Totem master to guide the adventure better.
really like your review, even though you didn't like the game and I still haven't played it yet.. :) but I think you could have done this review in 15-20 minutes, it gets repetitive (sorry!).. ;)
Great review. Any chance you are getting destinies? Would love the opinion on that from someone who didnt like Sleeping Gods. Destinies looks more interesting to me, sleeping gods did nothing for me either.
Well, while I respect your viewpoint on sandbox games, you seem not to like them at all, so this makes you to give a non objective review. Yes I understand you don't like them, but what is the point to play them and then give an a negative review. For me its like eating cabbage and then saying I didn't like the food cause it has cabbage inside. Do not misunderstand me, what I m saying is that this genre is not for you as the 3 best of the genre still Can't convince you to continue playing story driven games. And if I m wrong can you please tell me which one hits the soft spot for you? Let's say aftermath or forgotten waters? Tales of the Arabian nights? Staffed fables? There are not too much of them, and imho sleeping gods is the best that the genre can give us so far. It s not perfect at all but at least I think it's way better than the others. Personally. I love this style of games, it's sth new and refreshing and I support the designers to keep going this way instead of standard worker placement etc.
@@NotBoredGaming I edited my comment. Well I don't know Xia, but for me tainted grail is too harsh and keeps you behind the story. 7th continent has its flaws but I wait for 7th citadel to see how they managed to overcome them. I ve read good reviews about seafall despite its awful rulebook. Have you tried it?
So glad you’re honest and respectful with your opinions! 😀
I had a similar experience. While I love so much about SG, and it will always be proudly displayed on my shelf, I've never experienced a game where I've had such a high opinion of for the first handful of hours and my opinion on it drastically shifted after the next handful of hours. The sense of discovery and wonder is felt almost immediately, and that aspect of the game is truly exciting. However, in adventure games and dungeon crawlers, there's also a joy in discovering how the game's mechanics will evolve over time as well. I found that once you "discovered" how the mechanics of the game work, they never really change. Unfortunately for me, the mechanics just aren't all that interesting to begin with, so spending 20 hours or so with them without any sense of evolution made the game drag a bit for me. The narrative wasn't captivating enough to overcome the repetitive nature of those mechanics.
So, while I sound negative on the game, it's still a strong 7 from me, and I'd even bump it to an 8 just because of the gorgeous production values and all the creativity baked into it. It's a massive achievement I'm sure Ryan and his team are immensely proud of. It is indeed a piece of art in a box. However, I just wish the mechanics were as interesting as the world they created.
ooooh a new lighting set up looking posh there mark... ive noticed that i have similar issues with campaign games in general tbh they rely heavily on narrative and often it means mechanics take a back seat... i also find that a lot of campaigns tend to spread the rewards too thinly... this is one of those games that for some reason my brain keeps telling me i want this but at the same time i feel uneasy about taking it off the store shelf... great review mark! Stay Hexy!
+1 same here. I still fall for campaign games like Zerywia and Isofar.
@@kosterix123 so far im finding the game leaving me unimpressed and an ultimate chore to save with no logical check points to break up the game into "chapters" the gameplay basically boils down to go to number read the book i have played the game for about 6 hours now over 2 sessions and the though of having to reload the save again for the review makes me anxious
i propose a new genre title... Move and read lol
Great review! We are still moving through our first campaign and you articulated many of the thoughts that I’ve had about our plays. Another aspect that I found that was a blearing issue was the rulebook. The lack of concise editing and referencing has felt like a huge oversight with the production; This is where the rot set in for us 😥
I like your closing discussion on not liking games. Myself I end up rating almost everything I play lately in the 5-7 range and feel we have been in a decade long slump. In particular I’ve noticed there have been tremendous strides in gameplay (how you move things around flip cards and notate results all the while “improving”) to the point where people are enjoying great gameplay games that have tarnish if you look at the actual how to win decision and problems it might have. In short broken or problematic games that are great fun. I feel we can do better...
Yours is the most accurate review I've known so far. I am totally blown away by the positive reviews of this game. We had an absolutely horrible experience with Sleeping Gods. Bad combat, repetitive gameplay, obviously designed for a solo player, and the whole thing is just a soulless book of side quests.
We ended up selling the game after a few days play as we couldn't take it anymore, but I don't think I've ever been so disappointed by a board game since I got into the hobby. Before Sleeping Gods we would have been an instant preorder for Now or Never, but now we are nervous.
Thank you. I think the game can and absolutely does work for some people. To me, it’s a bit of an Emperor’s New Clothes scenario - which is compounded by the outstanding production values and the perceived amount of gameplay. However, once I dug below the surface just a little bit, the cracks really started to show.
Agree, it 100% OK to dislike some games, your channel is better because of your integrity! I can honestly say I dislike more game than I like nowadays (because of the sheer number of game that come out) and thank OK with me :)
This is the second time you have negatively reviewed a game that I pledged and am looking forward to playing. I really, really appreciate these reviews of yours, because they help me to better understand what I will be playing. I hope they will also help me understand how I react to these games.
I knew from the first that Sleeping Gods is a game of sidequests. I've played lots of video games that are 99% sidequests, but now I realize: almost all of the time, I'm playing sidequests to gear up for advancing the main quest, and I know WHY i'm doing this. That main quest that one must prepare for, yes, it's missing in this game, and wonder how fast the sidequests will pale due to lack of a main goal such as, say, an enemy boss who is immune to fire but susceptible to, oh, poison.
The failure to develop the 9 characters: wow, what a missed opportunity. I hope Ryan Luakat sees your review. You're telling him how to design a truly great game. - Toby Robison
Thank you - I genuinely hope you enjoy it as there is a lot to like. 👍
Sleeping Gods was also one of my most anticipated games of 2021, but I sold it after playing it for a few hours for the same reasons highlighted in this video. Playing it felt like a chore. However, I haven’t encountered one negative review on it (Micheal Kelly was luke warm on it), so I figured I was alone on my opinion of the game. Evidently not.
For a negative review, this is incredibly positive overall. Its a matter of taste at the end of the day. No game is for everyone. This game relies heavily on engagement with the narrative, not everyone is going to like it.
The narrative is the least of your problems.
I would also add: what narrative?
Really good vid and you make some really interesting points . As I watched your closing discussion, I couldn’t help but think about the game scythe. I love scythe because of the theme , art and its ambitious attempt at a relatively quick playing 4x light style game. However, I can totally see the flaws in its design, specifically the issue of faction balance , Despite this, I can totally forgive it for its flaws whereas others consider them to be game breaking!
I really enjoyed Sleeping Gods but I agree with pretty much everything you said and don't think I would have enjoyed it if I'd played it solo.
A very useful review, for a game I so very nearly backed, and am interested in views now it has arrived. FWIW my main concern was about how engaging the narrative would be, so although perhaps not how I envisaged it, your comments about the lack of continuity of story definitely touch on that concern.
I personally would be a little more careful about use of the word 'flaw' e.g. lack of depth / connectivity of story - something that arguably is just what the game is, rather than a flaw of say a gap in the rules or an imbalance that results in half the content getting bypassed.
Let me be clear though, I think you aren't attempting to deny the possibility of others enjoying it, nor mocking the stupidity of people who backed it / have it (as it feels NPI take pleasure in doing these days).
Great review. I love the bit where you explain the "codeword system" in great detail, around 15 minutes in - a system that was invented in the 1980s.
Well-stated stuff, Mark. "Honest" reviews are still just one person's opinion, not some magical "truth". I will join you in being unapologetic of my views on a game.
I just picked up Sleeping Gods myself. One driving force (other than wanting to support my FLGS) was your IG comment, saying you weren't particularly liking it, while it seemed EVERYONE else is loving it. Too intriguing for me to pass up! ;)
Thanks Jeff, I genuinely hope you enjoy the game 👍
Very good review. When you play Sg you will notice the design errors.
I haven’t gotten yet to any sidequest affecting a crew member that wasn’t even nearby, but those are easily fixed.
But that’s the problem. Everything in Sg is flawed, everything needs little fixes. For example the rulebook index doesn’t even cover half the key game terms.
I had a great session after most fixes, but it burned me up so I haven’t touched the box in weeks.
Do not buy SG in its current form. Wait for a better version.
Saying something is not for you is not apologizing, is recognize that not everyone likes the same things, and there may be good things you just don't like.
I don't like caviar, but I don't think it's bad, and I'm not apologizing for that.
Well said. 💯
I haven't played my copy yet, so can't say whether or not I agree with the judgement on the game.
However the incessant pussyfooting by reviewers of all sorts is something I absolutely abhor. Reviewers are there to tell you what they think, not to always explain away every flaw as a minor issue or call every game "great just not for me". So thanks for that bit 👍
Im glad to see someone else who didn’t find this game completely fantastic. Of course I had a lot of hope for this game. The game seems so great but it does feel like you are going no where. It is so punitive for my taste. My characters are always fatigued or wounded. Im always looking for ressources and getting hurt instead. I didn’t feel joy or accomplishment like I do normally when Im playing a board game. The quality is, of course, amazing, but Im thinking of selling it because I dont really feel like playing it again.
I couldn’t put my finger on why I wasn’t enjoying this game until I watched this review.
I finished all three campaigns + expansion in tainted grail (with house rules) and loved it.
Sleeping gods to me feels empty which is weird to say but it’s a game of side quests…
Perhaps you mean SG = 3 moving parts glued together, but don't form an unifying game.
[CYOA] + [Ship figure, event race and challenges] + [Enemy&synergy & CATs] = not a complete game.
NPI warned enough against TG.
As someone who’s interested in an adventure/campaign game, this was my top consideration, but I fear I’d be disappointed for the reasons you’ve detailed. Can you provide any superior suggestions that fit this genre?
Thank you for this. I completely agree that we should have the courage of our convictions and make claims of value. Postmodernism declares there is no objective truth - only your truth. Ultimately that viewpoint makes watching reviews redundant because if there isn't any truth then how can I learn from your experience? This is not to say that you will not have personal preferences but flaws in games - such as repetition or long downtime - will be common enough amongst players to be worth sharing.
Its also literally a waste of time to continually state something is 'just my opinion' as some sop to postmodernism. If it is in fact just your opinion and you are unable to explain why then your not a very good reviewer. If it is your opinion (and whose else is it likely to be?) and you have justified it then there is no need to caveat it further.
I'm a realist. I watch reviews because they get me closer to the truth and help me make more informed purchasing decisions. This one helped me enormously thanks.
You're being very nice in your review. And very polite. I was not so nice in my videos.
And after watching your review, I want to revisit SG.
What SG misses is a goal. I mean, I played Diablo 2 for years, and I didn't mind the grinding "goddamn repetitiveness" b/c of the loot, loot that would help my characters push through quicker - through the main quest. Especially with plugymod very addictive, stay away!
SG has no clearly defined main quest, but you can fix that:
Whenever you're instructed to do battle, instead discard the top event card and declare the battle victorious. Benefit is more focus on story, drawback is that you're racing for getting 8 totems. I played that way, and when I got halfway I still had a staggering total of 0 totems. That makes the game far more engaging. You might want to give it a try.
You're wrong about the character progression though - there are crew level upgrades and you keep these. After your first playthrough you also unlock cards. You quit before you got there.
I'm a bit worried about the disconnect you mentioned between your sidequests, and the crew involved, and SG needs a fix for that as well, as in: add to each section REQ {crew}, where crew is the member that must be in the active party. In multiplayer, if your crew does not have that member, swap one of your members with the required one.
The problem however is that you only play sections once, so nobody would write in their story book REQ {crew}. When I find one I'll add it, and post it, for future players.
It's sad to see how much lack of care RRG put into SG, and I believe in the potential of SG, so if you have SG, it's too late for you; you will need to address the flaws and invest time to fix them.
For those considering purchase: don't. Just don't.
This was our biggest problem with Sleeping Gods. We felt like there was no big goal to follow, no main threat to overcome or a victory prize to reach. We were just aimlessly moving from one side quest to the next.
It genuinely baffles me those who praise the writing in this game. As far as we could tell the writers forgot to include an actual story!
Good video :) Been wondering if I should get this as I found 7th Continent to be a repetitive grind with little cohesive and intresting narrative and had the feeling this could also turn out to be another disapointment despite the many good reviews.
I think perhaps with reviews the important thing is to be honest about any flaws and allow people to make up their own mind. Being apologetic about not liking something is pointless if you are able to clearly explain the reasons for your dislike. Perhaps its just a reaction to how sensitive some people can be if you demean their precious :)
He keeps saying 19, but then finally saw he put in a correction of 13...also, this gentlemen seems like more of a mechanical interest in games
Game mechanics are what makes it a game and not just a bunch of components in a box.
But there are games. And there are adventures.
I was looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this game especially after watching NPIs video the other day basically calling it a masterpiece. You should never have to apologize for not liking a game that others do. I like watching your reviews because they are honest and thorough. I will unfortunately have to wait until September to try this game due to supply issues in Canada but I can't wait to see how I feel about this game.
NPIs review of SG was extremely poor, a pity, because I generally find their reviews amusing.
NPI have an unconventional view of what are good and bad games (see their review of Star Wars Rebellion for example). I would not advise ever taking their opinion seriously.
@@dilatedbeholder3865 Actually I do. And conventional by whose standards? Bgg?
@@kosterix123 I feel sorry for you
@@dilatedbeholder3865 what a weird comment this is.
I am torn between this game and 7th Continent.
My main concern is replayability value.
Being a solo player, I have hundreds of games that can be played solo or played as more characters ( eg: Andor) and I play for hours every day....variety is important.
Thank you and kind regards from the UK.
PS: Subscribed.
Personally I’m glad to see a sobering review instead of largely positive review of this game. There seems to be some rules problems but many reviewers are more then willing to overlook and still willing to give the game a high mark. I have this game and I’m worry if it would see table time...anyway thanks for your candid thoughts.
Thanks buddy. You may have a great time with it and the flaws I see may not affect you as much. I hope you do👍
If a boardgame (or anything really) reviewer likes EVERYTHING i kinda get suspicious.
I personally didnt find the quests to be side quests. When you recover from the storm the old lady basically tells you that you have to figure it out on your own and to me that means you basically have to stumble around figure things out on your own by helping people out or by other means. Yeah, dont apologize for not liking games that dont click for you.
It started off great like that. But afterward, it just fizzled out.
Mark, my friend, it seems that you don’t like narrative campaign games as there is a lot of grinding in each of these games and repetitiveness. Which is totally fine!, truth be told I am not sure if I like these games, waiting for all-in of Etherfields and I am a bit anxious, this may be a miss for me too. Thanks for your point of view, really appreciate it!
@Bart the critique of Mark was the lack of main quest, not the narration. Without main quest there is no incentive to do side quests, and hence to read narration.
I actually loved the game, but I did had to make it a play with friends mode with more digestable experience. Solo is fun, but it's more like a nice game you want to play in the winter while being snowed it. Game is really at its best with two players.
1. Dice Varient
2. Cut the game down to a 1/3rd of Event deck and give the game a better sense of urgency.
3. Really push my friends to play with pace.
4. Tweak the combat again to have more excitement with the dice varient.
5. Essentially have a Totem master to guide the adventure better.
+credibility for none hype review
really like your review, even though you didn't like the game and I still haven't played it yet.. :) but I think you could have done this review in 15-20 minutes, it gets repetitive (sorry!).. ;)
Great review. Any chance you are getting destinies? Would love the opinion on that from someone who didnt like Sleeping Gods. Destinies looks more interesting to me, sleeping gods did nothing for me either.
I have Destinies but haven’t really had a chance to play it yet.
Well, while I respect your viewpoint on sandbox games, you seem not to like them at all, so this makes you to give a non objective review. Yes I understand you don't like them, but what is the point to play them and then give an a negative review. For me its like eating cabbage and then saying I didn't like the food cause it has cabbage inside. Do not misunderstand me, what I m saying is that this genre is not for you as the 3 best of the genre still Can't convince you to continue playing story driven games. And if I m wrong can you please tell me which one hits the soft spot for you? Let's say aftermath or forgotten waters? Tales of the Arabian nights? Staffed fables? There are not too much of them, and imho sleeping gods is the best that the genre can give us so far. It s not perfect at all but at least I think it's way better than the others. Personally. I love this style of games, it's sth new and refreshing and I support the designers to keep going this way instead of standard worker placement etc.
Not at all. I quite liked Tainted Grail (despite its obvious flaws) and I love Xia - which definitely provides a sandbox like experience).
@@NotBoredGaming I edited my comment. Well I don't know Xia, but for me tainted grail is too harsh and keeps you behind the story. 7th continent has its flaws but I wait for 7th citadel to see how they managed to overcome them. I ve read good reviews about seafall despite its awful rulebook. Have you tried it?