I LOVE slay the spire! I was gameplay all in on day one because my wife is willing to play it with me. I’ve beat everything on the digital game and having a chance to play the game with someone else is exactly what I was looking for.
Where in Western Washington? I'm in Snohomish County and similarly haven't found a good gaming group. For me the issue is that most gaming group scenarios involve meeting in public places and it's just not my vibe. Would prefer to find some individuals or couples where maybe we could rotate through each others' homes for game nights. Love your videos btw, so hope you keep it up (and just watched your mental health video - great stuff!)
Thank you for the kind words, I am in lynnwood. Yeah being pretty introverted I struggle with a new gaming group with people I don't know. The public board game cafe approach might help groups to initially form. What types of games do you play?
@@Neon_Gorilla 99% of my gameplay is with my wife, and for the two of us either cooperative or "light competitive" games since she's not fond of head-to-head competitive play. So, competitive games like Wingspan or Cascadia or Castles of Burgundy (as examples) work well for us. Like you with your wife, I've been exposing her to increasingly complex games (Lacerda games sometimes modified for coop, Burncycle, etc.). We do find that we can play more competitive games so long as it's more than 2 players so it's not head-to-head i.e. husband vs. wife. Personally I gravitate towards more complex games, so your list of games you wish you could play reads similar to mine. I avoid purchasing them because I know I can't table them, but oh I so yearn to try out Hegemony, Nemesis, etc. FYI, we're at the border of Everett and Mill Creek, so about 15 minutes from you. Consider an invite extended! 🙂
Funny to see a similar list of games for this topic. Cole Wehrle tends to creates a lot of games that fit this. John Company, Pax Pamir (2nd edition, which is one of my favorites together with Root), Root, Oath and now Arcs. you need a specific group to play these games.
I can definitely relate! I wish my group was into longer games and diving deeper into games. The weight I know we could manage, but anything longer than 90 minutes is just difficult to sell. And second plays are hard to come by even if we get the first in. Everyone wants to try a new game, which is understandable. So I just enjoy them solo for now.
Similarly, I find myself playing mostly at 2 players...or solo, and then mostly medium/medium -light games with an opponent. Luckily, I am at the stage where I do have a decent amount of very good games that work for those situations, but I do have those games that I just can't seem to get played, because they don't work at solo or immediately put off my family due to theme or complexity. My 5 are Princes of Florence, Lorenzo IL Magnifico, Round House, Caylus and Bora Bora.
Love that is a list not on my radar. Lorenzo is one I have been curious about. I need to check out the others. I am starting to explore more solo modes in non “solo” games lately myself. Nucleum is a recent winner there.
Love seeing timestamps now! (Been a while since I watched a video) And solid content. Worth mentioning Nemesis does have a full co-op mode, which is very fun (most semi-co op besides BSG are hated in my group). I Definitely have a bunch of wish to plays that are more than 2 people but it's mostly because I'm terrible at setting up the time to hit the backlog (Mostly for campaign co-ops). Fun fact, we desperately want to move to WA but my wife's job won't let her :(. We're thinking Olympia but time will tell.
Timestamps are my nemesis :) especially in a show like this (there are so many) but necessary. Co op nemesis interests me much less. The idea is the hidden traitor tension is what really gets me excited. I mentioned mission catastrophe which is great but you know everyone is trying to screw you. There is something about not knowing if it will happen or not that is really appealing.
Re move to WA, I felt that way a decade ago when we moved here and now I feel different. The most glorious place to be for 3 months out of the year and utterly depressing otherwise. I think it suits some well the problem is you don’t know if you are one of those people until you have spent an entire year. I used to say I loved the rain but that was when I was in SoCal and it never rained. I suppose it also depends where you are coming from. I know many people from places like Minnesota that easily will trade the dark snow for the dark and rain.
@@Neon_Gorilla Yeah folks are definitely 100% co-op or 100% semi and refuse to play it either other way; Amazing game regardless the way you choose though, hopefully you find folks soon!
@@Neon_Gorilla Yeah I'm currently in FL, so pretty much anywhere without boatloads of snow and non awful taxes is ideal. Also definitely prefer West Coast but move costs are rough but we'll see.
The big four I’d like to play are John Company, Hegemony, Twilight Imperium, and Game of Thrones. I’d also like to play Modern Art, Concordia, Feast for Odin, Blood on the Clock Tower, Food Chain Magnate and a Lacerta game. W Washington has a vibrant and active gaming culture, especially Seattle, so it’s hopeful you’ll get to your aspirational games.
I´m lucky enough to have a board game group who trusts me to introduce them to new games. Knowing that they´re into player interaction and negotiations, they loved JoCo, and one of my friends even got his own copy. Hope you find a group soon, it´s a fantastic experience.
So you introduced people to joco who didn’t even know about it and they were down to play. I always assumed all involved would need to already be pumped on it. Sort of seems like a tough sell. I will get it to the table one day!!!!
@@Neon_Gorilla I told them what the game was about in a broad manner and mentioned that it was by the same designer of OATH, another game I introduced to them. I had to do the heavy lifting by learning and teaching the game but it was worth it.
My wife and I are strongly considering moving to either the Seattle area or Portland within the year. Not sure what part of WA you are in, but if we do end up in your area we would absolutely be down to play some games.
And judging by your profile pic I could take you on hikes. Another passion of mine for sure. I am north of Seattle about 20 minutes. Not sure where you are now but the 9 months of rain and grey is not for the faint of heart. The summers are certainly much more appreciated than when I lived in SoCal.
I've never played Hegemony or an 18XX game, but John Company, Root, and Nemesis are some of my favorites and have good Tabletop Simulator mods. John Company is an incredible piece of work, and it's honestly relatively easy to teach and play, provided one player is intimately familiar with the rulebook and comfortable doing the "rolling teach."
I have heard that of JC. The rules complexity isn’t necessarily the limiting factor. It’s the subject matter that will make my group yawn. I think if I can somehow sell it and get into it the table dynamics of negotiation will win many over.
@@Neon_Gorilla Yeah, my usual selling point for those friends that aren't into the theme is that it's a player-driven negotiation game with rapidly shifting power dynamics and insane amounts of push-your-luck elements at every corner.
Western Washington‽ I'm in Tacoma! When my husband and I first found out about this we had no one but each other to play with. Now we have some friends, but it's still difficult to find the right friends to play certain games with. Two games we still haven't played because of this are Oath and Unfathomable. Note on Root - we bought the base game one day, played it immediately, then went back the next day and bought every expansion we could!
There will always be some games that are harder to get to the table than others, especially if you don't have exactly same preferences. Most of my favourite games are complete or partial mismatches with my regular gaming group. I tend to like experimental and unusual games with lots of negotiation and interaction. My group mostly has a preference towards medium weight streamlined euros. We sometimes get weird games to the table, but they don't get as many repeat plays as I would have liked. Of the games you mentioned, I really like John Company, Root and Nemesis. I haven't played Hegemony (and most likely never will). 18xx is a mixed bag of fun and work. It's a chore to add up the revenue from your routes and dividing it up among the shareholders.
My extended group mostly has a problem with "new" they want to play the same games all the time. My wife's sweet spot is mid weight euros so we probably play many of the same games :). Negotiation gets me giddy....any recommendations?
@@Neon_Gorilla The only negotiation game I dare to recommend is Inis which you can classify as a dudes on a map game. My favourite negotiation games are Sidereal Confluence and Dune (not imperium). I also like Here I Stand and Maria.
Sidereal almost made this list. Very high on my wish I could play list. I have owned inis but never tabled but definitely on the list. Dune is really an incredible game to have stood the test of time after being released in 1979. I love that the bene gessieret has to predict who will win. Dice breaker just put out a nice article on its history.
1. Clank! Legacy - I can't play any campaign or legacy games since the people in my group keep rotating in and out, but Clank Legacy is the one that hurts. 2. Any Expansions - sounds weird, but due to people roating in and out I always seem to be teaching a new player so we always go back to base game. 3. Heavy Euros - My play group is light to mid weight, I dream of having people to try some heavier euros with. I do play solo to help with number 2 and 3, but it would be nice to do these things with others.
Clank legacy is an interesting one. I love the original. Do you feel like it adds a ton to that? Re: expansions, what expansions do you love? I am thinking about doing an episode on good/bad expansions.
The design of Root is genius but more than any other game in my collection, it is the game I want to love but never want to play, and absolutely never want to teach again!
I'd love to hear how experienced players find the game. My groups found the game became more prescriptive with experience. Hit the wanderer twice early or they will win. Let the critters grow a bit but then hit them hard or they will score 20+ in one turn and win. Don't let the moles craft easily. Don't worry about the cats because they will lose anyway (unless they get absurdly lucky with dominance). Etc. This leads to forced moves - eg I didn't hit wanderer so now you have to. Anyone who does a clever play and gets an early lead is ganged up on by other players. It feels like you should be able to time a clever play to win but this rarely happens. The end game devolves into a situation much like the GoT board game where every player has to stop the player after them from winning, and the eventual winner is the one who scrapes across the line rather than the one who played best, meaning victories often feel 'unearned'. Other games have these same characteristics of course but in Root it seems to be the main game. So Root remains on the shelf collecting dust as the game I want to love. Anyway I hope you manage to find a group for it, and am interested in how you find it after more plays.
@@Neon_Gorilla As a Root veteran, let me tell you guys this: as you play Root, you may find yourself going through 3 phases. The first is when you're discovering the game and everything is so creative and it feels unpredictable and wild. The second is when you start to "get" the game and "see the matrix", and you can kinda start getting this vibe that the plays are prescriptive: never craft Tea or Hammer early or the Vagabond wins; never pick Crows in the draft unless you're first player; never play suited cards at either end of the decree as Eyrie; never let the Moles craft easy; never buy from the Otters. However, at some point you get to the third phase, which is what happens when someone sees how they can actually craft Tea or Hammer early *and get away with it*; when someone YOLOs two suited cards in the decree every turn, turmoils once or twice on their own terms *and wins*; when someone plays the Otters and masterminds a Prisoner's Dilemma every turn and sells even when everybody else agrees they shouldn't give the Otters any more money; when someone plays the Moles and then *just never even builds any buildings on purpose*. When this happens, the game becomes so creative, and it feels unpredictable and wild again. So, yeah, I think this "Root rut" is an illusion. Root can have a veneer of staleness when you think you have it figured out, but as you play it more you relax into a much truer feeling that you can never fully figure Root out.
This exact topic is a major reason why i have made some hard decisions on games to cull. Essentially right now if i dont have an emotional attachment, game is in print, and it doesnt have a legit solo its on the chopping block. Riding my CTG wave right now I would love to get in a multiplayer game of Cloudspire. A few others I keep hoping I can get it to a group game: Black Angel, Leaving Earth, Ark Nova. Yes these have solo modes but it misses out on the tension you mention playing it solo. If you make it to Gencon this year Im sure you can find some people to play some games with.
@@Neon_Gorilla Haha, the collector seems to get the best of us. I am kinda space limited. For some reason my wife doesnt want games stored in every room of the house. I cant complain though, the quality of games that are released, and with high quality solo modes is a pretty good time to be a fan of board games. Time is just hard to schedule with 3 little kids and life that gets in the way.
We we're 4 and I think as a first game it really was the best way to play it, allowed for a feel of all the different factions. Honestly, I didn't feel like it was overly daunting per say, sure there are rules to learn but everything makes sense. Our first play did take 5 hours or so, but this included a teach of 4 new players + the 1st round took a long time. @@Neon_Gorilla
really flew by to be honest. Again, 1st round with teach and setup took half the time we played. I believe we could play it under 3 hours now@@Neon_Gorilla
@@Neon_GorillaDon't laugh...it's great at the ENTIRE player count. Althouh I can only speak to up to 5p, I've heard legit the entire player count. That's....rare.
I love Root and barely get it to the table. I tried clockwork, but like you I found it was way too much work. I bought the underworld and marauder expansions so I have more factions for lower player counts. My other favourite I wish I could play more is Scythe. I’m not in western Washington but I’m only twenty minutes across the border in BC, just keep ripping up the I5/Pacific Hwy. 😅 Nemesis looks so cool but I haven’t played it yet.
@@Neon_Gorilla sad to say but uh... marauders and underworld are both on the shelf of shame. My wife won't play Root with me. I've got one friend pretty keen to play and another who's lukewarm on it. Haven't played it in person in over a year. I did get the app though, I'm hoping they add marauders there so I can learn the factions that way. I've heard the hirelings make a positive difference.
Yeah another comment recommend them. I think I might try them out. The app is good but I have had a hard time finding online games. It is slightly less exciting playing the AI. I have always loved the idea of the riverfolk company and the table talk they produce. Just can’t happen on the app. Heck even some gameplays I have seen with the corvid conspiracy have some really entertaining table talk moments on if these decided to plant a bomb or not.
The games that I can't get to the table (anymore) are the big 1v1 conflict games, like War of the Ring or Star Wars: Rebellion. My main gaming partners for those games are either focused more on mulitplayer nowadays or they have young children and my wife will not play games with direct conflict. Also, I have a toddler and I'm not even sure I can muster up the hours needed to play these games again. Not at least for the next 10 years when I can finally start teaching these games to my kid. Also, I don't own it, but the time demands definitely will prohibit me from playing Twilight Imperium again at least until my kid is older. And the playgroup that used to get together like 1-2 times a year to play that... everyone has babies now, so no more Twilight Imperium for any of us I'm guessing. The game's owner hasn't been playing anything that's not on Board Game Arena since he had his kids.
That is so funny I was just looking at doing a series of reviews on top 10 games and all those mentioned made me this I would never get them played to review them.
Thanks for the invite Quack. I wish I were. I remember watching all of your Root playthroughs late into the night when I first started obsessing over the game.
really appreciate the offer! Unfortunately, I have a hard time ever getting away for "me" stuff. Time off typically is allocated to the kiddos. I haven't even been to a convention yet. That is something I NEED to do soon. I do hope to play a game or two with you and Shira someday though.
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Nevakenezah is a treasure of the Root community!
Literally the best.
I LOVE slay the spire! I was gameplay all in on day one because my wife is willing to play it with me. I’ve beat everything on the digital game and having a chance to play the game with someone else is exactly what I was looking for.
yeah the co op is really the seller. I am really interested in if that combotastic feeling will exist
ah sleeping gods, any of its versions. always good to hear it talked about
I just dropped a primeval peril video :)
"Episode 3, I think it's the longest I have ever done something consistently in my life" - ah, yes, I too have lived years with undiagnosed ADHD.
Yeah the more and more I think about I think I should get treatment then I get distracted.
Where in Western Washington? I'm in Snohomish County and similarly haven't found a good gaming group. For me the issue is that most gaming group scenarios involve meeting in public places and it's just not my vibe. Would prefer to find some individuals or couples where maybe we could rotate through each others' homes for game nights. Love your videos btw, so hope you keep it up (and just watched your mental health video - great stuff!)
Thank you for the kind words, I am in lynnwood. Yeah being pretty introverted I struggle with a new gaming group with people I don't know. The public board game cafe approach might help groups to initially form. What types of games do you play?
@@Neon_Gorilla 99% of my gameplay is with my wife, and for the two of us either cooperative or "light competitive" games since she's not fond of head-to-head competitive play. So, competitive games like Wingspan or Cascadia or Castles of Burgundy (as examples) work well for us. Like you with your wife, I've been exposing her to increasingly complex games (Lacerda games sometimes modified for coop, Burncycle, etc.). We do find that we can play more competitive games so long as it's more than 2 players so it's not head-to-head i.e. husband vs. wife. Personally I gravitate towards more complex games, so your list of games you wish you could play reads similar to mine. I avoid purchasing them because I know I can't table them, but oh I so yearn to try out Hegemony, Nemesis, etc. FYI, we're at the border of Everett and Mill Creek, so about 15 minutes from you. Consider an invite extended! 🙂
Funny to see a similar list of games for this topic. Cole Wehrle tends to creates a lot of games that fit this. John Company, Pax Pamir (2nd edition, which is one of my favorites together with Root), Root, Oath and now Arcs. you need a specific group to play these games.
@@basdevries2459 yeah his designs are pretty polarizing you either love them or hate them.
I can definitely relate! I wish my group was into longer games and diving deeper into games. The weight I know we could manage, but anything longer than 90 minutes is just difficult to sell. And second plays are hard to come by even if we get the first in. Everyone wants to try a new game, which is understandable. So I just enjoy them solo for now.
That is the difficulty. Finding people obsessed enough to spend that much time around a table engrossed in one thing.
Similarly, I find myself playing mostly at 2 players...or solo, and then mostly medium/medium -light games with an opponent. Luckily, I am at the stage where I do have a decent amount of very good games that work for those situations, but I do have those games that I just can't seem to get played, because they don't work at solo or immediately put off my family due to theme or complexity. My 5 are Princes of Florence, Lorenzo IL Magnifico, Round House, Caylus and Bora Bora.
Love that is a list not on my radar. Lorenzo is one I have been curious about. I need to check out the others. I am starting to explore more solo modes in non “solo” games lately myself. Nucleum is a recent winner there.
@@Neon_Gorilla Thanks! Good to know about Nucleum.
Love seeing timestamps now! (Been a while since I watched a video) And solid content. Worth mentioning Nemesis does have a full co-op mode, which is very fun (most semi-co op besides BSG are hated in my group).
I Definitely have a bunch of wish to plays that are more than 2 people but it's mostly because I'm terrible at setting up the time to hit the backlog (Mostly for campaign co-ops).
Fun fact, we desperately want to move to WA but my wife's job won't let her :(. We're thinking Olympia but time will tell.
Timestamps are my nemesis :) especially in a show like this (there are so many) but necessary. Co op nemesis interests me much less. The idea is the hidden traitor tension is what really gets me excited. I mentioned mission catastrophe which is great but you know everyone is trying to screw you. There is something about not knowing if it will happen or not that is really appealing.
Re move to WA, I felt that way a decade ago when we moved here and now I feel different. The most glorious place to be for 3 months out of the year and utterly depressing otherwise. I think it suits some well the problem is you don’t know if you are one of those people until you have spent an entire year. I used to say I loved the rain but that was when I was in SoCal and it never rained. I suppose it also depends where you are coming from. I know many people from places like Minnesota that easily will trade the dark snow for the dark and rain.
@@Neon_Gorilla Yeah folks are definitely 100% co-op or 100% semi and refuse to play it either other way; Amazing game regardless the way you choose though, hopefully you find folks soon!
@@Neon_Gorilla Yeah I'm currently in FL, so pretty much anywhere without boatloads of snow and non awful taxes is ideal. Also definitely prefer West Coast but move costs are rough but we'll see.
@@Yauchy so state tax is a plus. Housing is still incredibly inflated though negating the tax boon.
The big four I’d like to play are John Company, Hegemony, Twilight Imperium, and Game of Thrones. I’d also like to play Modern Art, Concordia, Feast for Odin, Blood on the Clock Tower, Food Chain Magnate and a Lacerta game.
W Washington has a vibrant and active gaming culture, especially Seattle, so it’s hopeful you’ll get to your aspirational games.
Agree with all your picks. Yeah western Washington only has rain and dark for 9 months so Boardgames are crucial for survival.
I´m lucky enough to have a board game group who trusts me to introduce them to new games. Knowing that they´re into player interaction and negotiations, they loved JoCo, and one of my friends even got his own copy. Hope you find a group soon, it´s a fantastic experience.
So you introduced people to joco who didn’t even know about it and they were down to play. I always assumed all involved would need to already be pumped on it. Sort of seems like a tough sell. I will get it to the table one day!!!!
@@Neon_Gorilla I told them what the game was about in a broad manner and mentioned that it was by the same designer of OATH, another game I introduced to them. I had to do the heavy lifting by learning and teaching the game but it was worth it.
the question is did you play it a second time?
@@Neon_Gorilla Yes! So far we´ve played it 4 times in the 1710 scenario and 2 in the 1758 scenario. It was a lot more succesfull than Root and Oath.
@@gabrielkuma8220 ah interesting. I would imagine root would be more easily tabled if anything for the theme.
My wife and I are strongly considering moving to either the Seattle area or Portland within the year. Not sure what part of WA you are in, but if we do end up in your area we would absolutely be down to play some games.
And judging by your profile pic I could take you on hikes. Another passion of mine for sure. I am north of Seattle about 20 minutes. Not sure where you are now but the 9 months of rain and grey is not for the faint of heart. The summers are certainly much more appreciated than when I lived in SoCal.
I've never played Hegemony or an 18XX game, but John Company, Root, and Nemesis are some of my favorites and have good Tabletop Simulator mods. John Company is an incredible piece of work, and it's honestly relatively easy to teach and play, provided one player is intimately familiar with the rulebook and comfortable doing the "rolling teach."
I have heard that of JC. The rules complexity isn’t necessarily the limiting factor. It’s the subject matter that will make my group yawn. I think if I can somehow sell it and get into it the table dynamics of negotiation will win many over.
@@Neon_Gorilla Yeah, my usual selling point for those friends that aren't into the theme is that it's a player-driven negotiation game with rapidly shifting power dynamics and insane amounts of push-your-luck elements at every corner.
@@brandonjubbjubb1 I love that description. Might have to borrow it if I every get it to the table :)
Western Washington‽ I'm in Tacoma! When my husband and I first found out about this we had no one but each other to play with. Now we have some friends, but it's still difficult to find the right friends to play certain games with. Two games we still haven't played because of this are Oath and Unfathomable.
Note on Root - we bought the base game one day, played it immediately, then went back the next day and bought every expansion we could!
So close but yet so far ;) I am going to try out hirelings and marauders expansion which looks to help lower player counts. We will see.
Easy fix...come to Boston and play with us!;)
sounds great im in booking now :)
There will always be some games that are harder to get to the table than others, especially if you don't have exactly same preferences. Most of my favourite games are complete or partial mismatches with my regular gaming group. I tend to like experimental and unusual games with lots of negotiation and interaction. My group mostly has a preference towards medium weight streamlined euros. We sometimes get weird games to the table, but they don't get as many repeat plays as I would have liked.
Of the games you mentioned, I really like John Company, Root and Nemesis. I haven't played Hegemony (and most likely never will). 18xx is a mixed bag of fun and work. It's a chore to add up the revenue from your routes and dividing it up among the shareholders.
My extended group mostly has a problem with "new" they want to play the same games all the time. My wife's sweet spot is mid weight euros so we probably play many of the same games :). Negotiation gets me giddy....any recommendations?
@@Neon_Gorilla The only negotiation game I dare to recommend is Inis which you can classify as a dudes on a map game. My favourite negotiation games are Sidereal Confluence and Dune (not imperium). I also like Here I Stand and Maria.
Sidereal almost made this list. Very high on my wish I could play list. I have owned inis but never tabled but definitely on the list. Dune is really an incredible game to have stood the test of time after being released in 1979. I love that the bene gessieret has to predict who will win. Dice breaker just put out a nice article on its history.
1. Clank! Legacy - I can't play any campaign or legacy games since the people in my group keep rotating in and out, but Clank Legacy is the one that hurts. 2. Any Expansions - sounds weird, but due to people roating in and out I always seem to be teaching a new player so we always go back to base game. 3. Heavy Euros - My play group is light to mid weight, I dream of having people to try some heavier euros with. I do play solo to help with number 2 and 3, but it would be nice to do these things with others.
Clank legacy is an interesting one. I love the original. Do you feel like it adds a ton to that? Re: expansions, what expansions do you love? I am thinking about doing an episode on good/bad expansions.
The design of Root is genius but more than any other game in my collection, it is the game I want to love but never want to play, and absolutely never want to teach again!
yeah I think for many it thrives as an online game and if you have the right group it really shines with the same players playing over and over.
I'd love to hear how experienced players find the game. My groups found the game became more prescriptive with experience. Hit the wanderer twice early or they will win. Let the critters grow a bit but then hit them hard or they will score 20+ in one turn and win. Don't let the moles craft easily. Don't worry about the cats because they will lose anyway (unless they get absurdly lucky with dominance). Etc. This leads to forced moves - eg I didn't hit wanderer so now you have to. Anyone who does a clever play and gets an early lead is ganged up on by other players. It feels like you should be able to time a clever play to win but this rarely happens. The end game devolves into a situation much like the GoT board game where every player has to stop the player after them from winning, and the eventual winner is the one who scrapes across the line rather than the one who played best, meaning victories often feel 'unearned'. Other games have these same characteristics of course but in Root it seems to be the main game. So Root remains on the shelf collecting dust as the game I want to love. Anyway I hope you manage to find a group for it, and am interested in how you find it after more plays.
@@lordgrok I play alot online and have not had those experiences...I wonder if a game group can find root ruts that don't allow for creativity.
@@Neon_Gorilla As a Root veteran, let me tell you guys this: as you play Root, you may find yourself going through 3 phases.
The first is when you're discovering the game and everything is so creative and it feels unpredictable and wild. The second is when you start to "get" the game and "see the matrix", and you can kinda start getting this vibe that the plays are prescriptive: never craft Tea or Hammer early or the Vagabond wins; never pick Crows in the draft unless you're first player; never play suited cards at either end of the decree as Eyrie; never let the Moles craft easy; never buy from the Otters.
However, at some point you get to the third phase, which is what happens when someone sees how they can actually craft Tea or Hammer early *and get away with it*; when someone YOLOs two suited cards in the decree every turn, turmoils once or twice on their own terms *and wins*; when someone plays the Otters and masterminds a Prisoner's Dilemma every turn and sells even when everybody else agrees they shouldn't give the Otters any more money; when someone plays the Moles and then *just never even builds any buildings on purpose*.
When this happens, the game becomes so creative, and it feels unpredictable and wild again.
So, yeah, I think this "Root rut" is an illusion. Root can have a veneer of staleness when you think you have it figured out, but as you play it more you relax into a much truer feeling that you can never fully figure Root out.
This exact topic is a major reason why i have made some hard decisions on games to cull. Essentially right now if i dont have an emotional attachment, game is in print, and it doesnt have a legit solo its on the chopping block.
Riding my CTG wave right now I would love to get in a multiplayer game of Cloudspire. A few others I keep hoping I can get it to a group game: Black Angel, Leaving Earth, Ark Nova. Yes these have solo modes but it misses out on the tension you mention playing it solo.
If you make it to Gencon this year Im sure you can find some people to play some games with.
I haven't had the heart to cull some of the game group aspirational games yet. They just stain at me and taunt me:)
@@Neon_Gorilla Haha, the collector seems to get the best of us. I am kinda space limited. For some reason my wife doesnt want games stored in every room of the house. I cant complain though, the quality of games that are released, and with high quality solo modes is a pretty good time to be a fan of board games. Time is just hard to schedule with 3 little kids and life that gets in the way.
@@Frodo- space and kids the two biggest impediments to the board game hobby :)
Yep. I have the exacy same problem. Mostly play games with my wife and don't get out enough to play games that I still want to play.
What is the #1 game you wish you could play?
I was lucky to play Hegemony a few weekends ago. It is only 1 play, but I think it might be my favorite game of all time.
this is exactly why I need to get it to the table. I have heard this alot. How many players did you play with?
We we're 4 and I think as a first game it really was the best way to play it, allowed for a feel of all the different factions. Honestly, I didn't feel like it was overly daunting per say, sure there are rules to learn but everything makes sense. Our first play did take 5 hours or so, but this included a teach of 4 new players + the 1st round took a long time. @@Neon_Gorilla
@@brianl6151 oooo weeee 5 hours. You have a patient game group. Suppose it is a testament to how good it is.
really flew by to be honest. Again, 1st round with teach and setup took half the time we played. I believe we could play it under 3 hours now@@Neon_Gorilla
BTW, 1862 is a legitimate GREAT solo 18xx. Really. I'm serious.
Enough said, it's on the way appreciate the recommendation!...it looks like it's well regarded at 2 as well.
@@Neon_GorillaDon't laugh...it's great at the ENTIRE player count. Althouh I can only speak to up to 5p, I've heard legit the entire player count. That's....rare.
If you have TTS - there is always people looking to play nemesis online. Its not the same, but its still fun because you can actually play.
I didn't know it was on TTS, good option I just wonder how fun it is playing with randoms.
I love Root and barely get it to the table. I tried clockwork, but like you I found it was way too much work. I bought the underworld and marauder expansions so I have more factions for lower player counts. My other favourite I wish I could play more is Scythe. I’m not in western Washington but I’m only twenty minutes across the border in BC, just keep ripping up the I5/Pacific Hwy. 😅 Nemesis looks so cool but I haven’t played it yet.
You are the closest yet! One thing I have been thinking about is the hirelings to fill out a 2 player game. How low have you played the marauders at?
@@Neon_Gorilla sad to say but uh... marauders and underworld are both on the shelf of shame. My wife won't play Root with me. I've got one friend pretty keen to play and another who's lukewarm on it. Haven't played it in person in over a year. I did get the app though, I'm hoping they add marauders there so I can learn the factions that way. I've heard the hirelings make a positive difference.
Yeah another comment recommend them. I think I might try them out. The app is good but I have had a hard time finding online games. It is slightly less exciting playing the AI. I have always loved the idea of the riverfolk company and the table talk they produce. Just can’t happen on the app. Heck even some gameplays I have seen with the corvid conspiracy have some really entertaining table talk moments on if these decided to plant a bomb or not.
@@Neon_Gorilla I knew enough not to get the riverfolk expansion because both factions need a higher player count.
Root works very well 2p. Just add some Hirelings and Landmarks. My #1 game.
Oooh glad you commented. I am very curious about the hirelings. Do you have them all? Any recommendations on your favorites?
The games that I can't get to the table (anymore) are the big 1v1 conflict games, like War of the Ring or Star Wars: Rebellion. My main gaming partners for those games are either focused more on mulitplayer nowadays or they have young children and my wife will not play games with direct conflict. Also, I have a toddler and I'm not even sure I can muster up the hours needed to play these games again. Not at least for the next 10 years when I can finally start teaching these games to my kid.
Also, I don't own it, but the time demands definitely will prohibit me from playing Twilight Imperium again at least until my kid is older. And the playgroup that used to get together like 1-2 times a year to play that... everyone has babies now, so no more Twilight Imperium for any of us I'm guessing. The game's owner hasn't been playing anything that's not on Board Game Arena since he had his kids.
That is so funny I was just looking at doing a series of reviews on top 10 games and all those mentioned made me this I would never get them played to review them.
I have one of three kiddos still mildly interested in playing with me.
All of my games is in this list
What do you want to play the most?
Come vist me in Cleveland and let's play :)
Thanks for the invite Quack. I wish I were. I remember watching all of your Root playthroughs late into the night when I first started obsessing over the game.
@@Neon_Gorilla Make the drive :) we would be happy to host you for a few days! Just saying :)
really appreciate the offer! Unfortunately, I have a hard time ever getting away for "me" stuff. Time off typically is allocated to the kiddos. I haven't even been to a convention yet. That is something I NEED to do soon. I do hope to play a game or two with you and Shira someday though.
yup.. your wife is just like my wife. the moment i sit down to start explaining the rule, she would yawn. every single time. lol..
Yeah it is a bit of a meme at this point. She can’t help it. Even with a game she is excited to play.
Holy cow how many times do you have to say you don't have any friends...
That is the point of the video