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Game Info
Year
2023
Players
3-7
Age
14+
Playtime
180 min
Collection
Your Tier
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Description
Congratulations! Humanity is dead! The bad news is that all they left behind is their garbage and a broken gig economy. That's why we need freelancers like you who are ready to take any job, no matter how loathsome. As a freelancer, you will delve into ruins, brave the wilds, and slay the hordes of hideous creatures that litter the dark forgotten corners of the world. All so you can gather loot and return home, ready to blow it all and start over again the next day. It's a lousy gig, so it's perfect for the likes of you.
Freelancers: A Crossroads Game condenses the fantasy RPG campaign experience into a single night of fun and mayhem. Create a character, roll funky dice, and blaze your way through multiple stories set in a world of magic, monsters, and murder. Better yet, no game master is required, as a magical companion app does all the storytelling for you! Immerse yourself in fully-voiced, industry-leading audio as you play. Explore hundreds of branching paths in five highly replayable campaigns. Mix and match a multitude of species and jobs to build your own unique character. Pick up and play, simple rules, low commitment and no prep.
—description from the publisher
Featured Videos
Rules Teach
Freelancers: A Crossroads Game - How To Play
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 12
This page: 12
Sentiment:
pos 8 ·
mix 2 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–12 of 12
Video hj6phgOUYdU
Watch It Played Discussion at 2:45 sentiment: positive
video_pk 88791 · mention_pk 234848
Click to watch at 2:45 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Condenses fantasy RPG campaign experience into a single night.
- Uses a fully voiced app for guidance.
Cons
- Filmed in a hotel room with dodgy Wi-Fi and no soundproofing.
Thematic elements
- Being a freelancer in a post-apocalyptic world, gathering loot.
- A world where humanity is dead, ruins, wilds
- Fully voiced app to help along.
Comparison games
- Dead of Winter
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Character creation — Players get to create a character.
- Crossroads system — Players are given a decision to make.
- Dice Rolling — Players roll dice.
- Modular Board — Trek through multiple stories.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Thankfully long gone are the days when we'd have to spread out our board games on a moist paper towel because that's all we had.
- So follow the link in this video's description to upgrade your gaming space and take advantage of their early bird special available right now but for limited time.
- I absolutely need to play this game it sounds wonderful and looks so bucolic even if it is about making cheese.
- I suppose I have enough dice said absolutely nobody ever and if you play role-playing or tabletop games then you know that you can never have too many dice it's what separates us from the animals.
- There is a tiny hat inside each die a tiny hat this actually isn't the first time that Arby's has rolled out a set of polyhedral components.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video jaY6cpJanGA
Drive Thru Games Review at 29:27 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 88014 · mention_pk 230887
Click to watch at 29:27 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- technically and production wise probably mechanically maybe better than forgotten Waters
- don't even read the rule book
- app is the best I've ever seen
- some of the like story writing moments of it were really funny
Cons
- adventures and the quests and stuff in forgotten Waters were much more interesting
- don't think I would ever replay any
- replayability was pretty low
- pathways are forking branches but it's like you know you just go left or right and then they both kind of circle back and meet in the middle
- took me too far out of the story
Thematic elements
- Role-playing game adventure
- Far future Earth with anthropomorphic animals
- Mad Libs style
Comparison games
- Forgotten Waters
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- app-driven — The app that walks you through the game I think is the best I've ever seen at that.
- character classes — You have like different classes like Fighters and wizards and stuff like that.
- Mad Libs — You mash up two parts of a character sheet write down some madlib stuff.
- Storybook game — This is kind of a followup... to forgotten Waters which is a game I really enjoyed a few years ago that one you kind of is a storybook game in a way.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is just a dice chuck fest with very, very, very little mitigation and it just constantly kicks you in the face.
- It's like a game from the 80s but good.
- The app that walks you through the game I think is the best I've ever seen at that.
- It just does more of the same, but slightly different.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video keYeekasjI8
The Dungeon Dive Top List at 24:33 sentiment: positive
video_pk 87523 · mention_pk 228873
Click to watch at 24:33 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- love this game
- love it
- one of Plaid Hat's best games
- writing is good
- app is good
- integration is good
- art is fantastic
- character creation is good
- nothing bad I can say about Freelancers
Cons
- just haven't played it enough
- not sure if the other scenarios that I haven't played are as good as the ones that I have
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Mice and Mystics
- Aftermath
- Familiar Tales
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Fallout with the expansions with the California expansion and the atomic bonds um Atomic bonds expansion the small expansion that basically fixes the game uh yeah out of the box wasn't a great game I liked it more than most people did but those expansions greatly Elevate the game it is a great great post-apocalyptic game that does have that unique Fallout feel
- The combat is a little fiddly and just never really feels natural I always forget uh how to solve combat in that game but uh everything else I really like the questing is super cool and just it's a neat world to be in and I think they did a really good job of capturing the uniqueness of Fallout
- But once you start adding in all of the incredible expansions for Defenders of the realm then the game really does feel like this Grand epic adventure game
- It's a cliffhanger game fortune and Glory the Cliffhanger game it has that old Cliffhanger serialized feel to it where you jump for a cliff and you fail that roll and you miss and then on your next turn you have to pick up on that Cliffhanger and you're hanging on by a thread
- This is probably the most unique game on this list and that is B in one aard game all about Brighton and that is the 2022 it's the uh 10th anniversary edition I believe it's the newest edition that he just put out and this is a game all about having a adventurous day in the city of Brighton and it's a modernday urban Adventure game and it is so Charming
- It really is it's impossible to keep up it's impossible to play all the games it's impossible to play the games I want to play enough to to satisfy me because there's just so many things coming out and so many things competing for for our hobby intention
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9yg2AIYdu6E
The Dungeon Dive Interview at 35:17 sentiment: positive
video_pk 87449 · mention_pk 228571
Click to watch at 35:17 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Brilliant app integration
- Humorous and memorable NPCs
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Adventure, jobs, space exploration
- App-based game
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- App-based gameplay — The game relies heavily on an app for its narrative and mechanics.
- Half Character System — For solo or two-player games, players control a main character and 'half characters' that provide utility.
- NPC Companion System — Includes NPCs like Lazy Bones that can assist players.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The Experience doesn't start when they start playing the game The First Time The Experience starts when you open the box
- I like Zone movement because if you if you think about it like I don't know why we have such tightly grided uh games where you're counting out your character's movement spaces
- The app really does for us is it um that barrier of Entry that I talked about earlier um the app really helps with that because what it does is it'll just walk you through the setup process which makes it really easy
- It's going to be more like a you know like a classic pulp sci-fi Adventure it's always going to be a lot of pew pew going on
- Your character starts off you have a deck of 10 cards it's a deck builder and so oh cool you have you start off with 10 cards
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9yg2AIYdu6E
The Dungeon Dive Interview at 1:07:17 sentiment: positive
video_pk 87449 · mention_pk 228574
Click to watch at 1:07:17 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Highly Positive
Pros
- Brilliant game design
- Excellent adventure game
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Pulp Sci-Fi Adventure
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- App-assisted gameplay — Utilizes an app for gameplay.
- Bite-sized Campaigns — Features smaller, manageable campaigns.
- NPC Companions — Includes NPCs that can be acquired, such as 'Lazy Bones', who provides a humorous, non-contributing presence.
- Spiral-Bound Book with Maps — Features a spiral-bound book containing maps, similar to Forgotten Waters.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The Experience doesn't start when they start playing the game The First Time The Experience starts when you open the box
- I like Zone movement because if you if you think about it like I don't know why we have such tightly grided uh games where you're counting out your character's movement spaces
- The app really does for us is it um that barrier of Entry that I talked about earlier um the app really helps with that because what it does is it'll just walk you through the setup process which makes it really easy
- It's going to be more like a you know like a classic pulp sci-fi Adventure it's always going to be a lot of pew pew going on
- Your character starts off you have a deck of 10 cards it's a deck builder and so oh cool you have you start off with 10 cards
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video jzTZeuWLops
Board Game Buzzz Top 10 List at 10:45 sentiment: positive
video_pk 86768 · mention_pk 225710
Click to watch at 10:45 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- 10 out of 10 recommend all of these games for the gamers in your life
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AXMTYwf-6ds
Board Games UnLocked Top List at 1:20:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 82869 · mention_pk 208217
Click to watch at 1:20:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
highly positive
Pros
- Best of the crossroads system games
- Genuinely hilarious writing
- Feels like traditional D&D
- Easy and quick to jump into
Cons
- Can be difficult, requiring skill tests and luck.
Thematic elements
- adventure and questing
- D&D themed world
- hilarious writing
Comparison games
- Forgotten Waters
- Wandering Galaxy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- app-driven — The game utilizes an app to manage the crossroads system and story progression.
- Dice Rolling — Utilizes traditional D&D dice (d20, d12, d10, d6, d4) for skill checks.
- mad libs style character creation — Described as an awesome way to do character creation in board games.
- Pick-Up and Deliver — Characters move on a map to encounter locations and perform actions.
- scenario-based — Players choose a scenario that determines the map and objectives.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Sky Team is absolutely phenomenal.
- This game is just awesome.
- the gameplay itself is is super fun.
- this was a super big surprise for me because I mean I never played Whistle Stop.
- Second edition because it's just improved in literally every way.
- This one is just absolutely fantastic.
- This one is the simplest of the three games.
- this one does a really cool system of like you actually lose.
- It just they knew they knew the assignment with their writing.
- this was I mean I know you like S. Corey if it wasn't so long. I think we both kind of settle on this one in current state being the best of the three.
- it's a 7.3. I could have sworn this was at like a four at one point, which is fair cuz I think uh Portal Games kind of shat the bed on the game.
- the actual gameplay of this one is one of the best uh cooperative survival games out there.
- Awesome thing of like a good example is oh hey you actually when you're exploring you come across a shack that has some preserved food
- this one remastered, they they condensed it down
- The expansions for it um, Well, because now it's all cross compatible.
- it literally is role to resolve. like you can be as strategic and tactile as you want. If dice if you roll blanks, you roll blanks and [censored] off.
- This one's absolutely fantastic.
- It's actually a digestible campaign game. Like you can finish it and feel satisfied
- My only hiccup with this is its expansion. while as good as an expansion is a continuation of the main campaign story except you don't play with the characters that you were playing with.
- The Cloud Spire one, I think you'll like though.
- This game is literally luck the game
- the Tangle Woods ones, I'm like, do I hate this game?
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video iDmc2xLeXko
Neon Gorilla Interview at 21:35 sentiment: negative
video_pk 81223 · mention_pk 200545
Click to watch at 21:35 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
none
Cons
- scathing review
- screwed up some thing so insanely majorly
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Forgotten Waters
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love Spirit Island. One of my top games of all time. Amazing design, but it's a game that will often have a boring ending...
- if you make your game fun enough, like it's just a blast to play, you can forgive a lot.
- Pandemic has a lot of problems with this. Alpha player will creep in.
- I do think some games like you can design against alpha player without like totally hiding everything.
- The biggest one is like the more your game is a puzzle and there are sudden must-win like moves that need to be made.
- The only way the only reason it was uh beneficial was because of the asymmetry. If we both could do the same thing, it would just be kind of annoying to sit there and have a discussion on strategy past, you know, a couple minutes.
- I love the idea that this is a new starting point. We're going to be going they yes yes they want me to keep buying more stuff but we're going to go through what seasons essentially
- I mean Arkham is my favorite Arkham is my favorite game that I tell people not to buy.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video m-PPdOrImtk
Watch It Played Rules Teach at 0:00
video_pk 68125 · mention_pk 164483
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the game is really more about the adventure that you go on together than it is about declaring a winner
- you can download and print them for free from the Freelancers website
- The world is a wide weird place
- Freelancers a Crossroads game
- you can save your game as we'll learn about later
- the app will read aloud to you by professional actors
- five different maps to play through
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3iXoGbYDsHU
kovray Review at 0:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 64599 · mention_pk 158097
Click to watch at 0:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- App integration is smooth and enhances storytelling
- Setup can be done through the app; the rulebook is not required for the first session
- Narrative integration and character-driven decisions feel immersive
- Cooperative play fosters camaraderie and dynamic discussions
- Accessible RPG-lite experience with one-day campaigns and save functionality
- Thematic presence is strong and bridges board games with RPG elements
Cons
- The app is described as beta and may differ in the final version
- Some administration aspects rely on the app, which may not appeal to all players
Thematic elements
- cooperative adventuring and freelance-style storytelling within a fantasy setting
- A magical mystical world with multiple species and occupations where characters aim to become freelancers
- story-driven with app-guided storytelling and character creation
Comparison games
- Forgotten Waters
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action selection with timer — Players place standees on actions in order of influence while a timer runs; timing constraints influence choices.
- Character creation and role assignment — Players build a character from a random job sheet and species, including naming and background questions.
- End conditions — The game can end from wounds, disbanding due to threat, or quest completion.
- Map exploration and location book — Progression occurs via the app-directed location map and action resolutions read by the bookkeeper.
- Saving progress via app — The app saves game state, allowing sessions to be paused and resumed.
- Skill checks with dice — Roll a 20-sided die plus a bonus die based on skill, add modifiers from treasures, stories, and followers; possible re-rolls via tokens or help.
- Titles and experience — Gaining titles can modify outcomes and provide paths to experience for character development.
- Wound/Threat tokens — Wound tokens track health; risk/threat tokens progress the threat; tokens manage resources and consequences.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's published by plaid Hat games who helped sponsor this video
- Freelancers is a Cooperative game for three to seven players
- the app integration in to this game is quite quite awesome and it's very smooth
- it's an introduction to an RPG type game
- the setup can be done entirely through the app so you don't even have to open the rulebook you can simply go to the app get the game set up and it'll guide you through that first session
- you don't even have to download any app it's all web-based so you just go to a website
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video graqLSvNk0g
Neon Gorilla Review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 59515 · mention_pk 152080
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Impressive app integration with high-quality visuals and voice acting
- Engaging, witty, and well-written narrative that appeals to family play
- Excellent production quality and art style
- Two-player variant works well and enables shared storytelling with depth
- Multiple adventures and replay potential; strong onboarding with narrative hooks
Cons
- Initial tutorial and onboarding could be confusing or missed if not prompted by app
- The game is highly narrative-driven and not crunchy mechanically; may not satisfy min-max players
- Some players may feel the app or rulebook require reading for full comprehension
- Certain encounters and equipment may not strongly synergize with character builds
Thematic elements
- Story-driven exploration, role-based collaboration, and fantasy fantasy-adventure lore
- Fantasy-adventure in a narrative-driven boxed campaign with identity-driven character creation and in-world storytelling via an app
- App-forward, branching narrative with readable dialogue, humor, and dialog-driven encounters
Comparison games
- Too Many Bones
- Barcelona
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- App-driven narration and decisions — An accompanying app presents encounters, prompts skill checks, and resolves consequences, sometimes guiding branching outcomes
- Character creation — Two stacks of sheets (species and jobs) are chosen independently and combined to form a character; players name their character and answer Mad Lib–style prompts to seed story cues
- Followers and narrative triggers — Followers enter the bag and trigger narrative snippets or additional card effects that drive story forward
- Locations, actions, and timer-based resolutions — Location book lists actions with symbols; players place standees within a 45-second window and resolve outcomes via the app
- Map exploration with timer — Cartographer tracks the map while time is measured via chips; the Scout manages time flow and threat progression
- Resource Management — Threat tokens accumulate on a board; drawing threats increases difficulty, requiring higher dice or special actions to counteract
- Role actions and turn order — Players assume specific roles (e.g., Cartographer, Scout, Lookout, Influencer) that drive actions and influence turn order
- Skill checks and die luck — Character skills drive checks; as skills improve, players gain bonus dice to enhance chances of success
- Story and treasure decks — Decks provide narrative cards and treasure that augment dice and provide story-specific rewards
- Storytelling — Decks provide narrative cards and treasure that augment dice and provide story-specific rewards
- Threat and resource management — Threat tokens accumulate on a board; drawing threats increases difficulty, requiring higher dice or special actions to counteract
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the app is Stellar
- the visuals on the app are wonderful
- the interface is how elegant and easy
- the app will run you through a tutorial
- it's eight out of ten and I'm gonna call that a win
- neon gorilla stamp of approval
- this game is mostly a narrative driven game where you as a player are dealing with what's thrown at you
- not a gameplay where you're Min maxing a character and specializing
- it's not the first thing I'm gonna pull off the shelf for my tastes
- I will totally play again
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video HdcAL41LJuw
Before You Play Preview at 0:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5372 · mention_pk 15971
Click to watch at 0:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Cooperative gameplay with meaningful personal incentives
- Strong character customization and distinct roles
- Web app integration provides guided, streamlined play
- Five replayable campaigns add longevity
- Tension from planning phase and timed actions
Cons
- Complex setup and learning curve due to app integration
- Some actions require careful attention to app/web flow
- Spoiler risk during preview; full experience requires playing the game
Thematic elements
- cooperative adventure with personal incentives and individual endings
- A fringe-world setting centered on a hub marketplace with travel to the rim across five campaigns
- app-guided, campaign-driven narrative
Comparison games
- Forgotten Waters
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Camp actions and rest — Camping actions to heal stress/HP and manage risk
- campaign structure — Five replayable campaigns, each playable in a single night
- Character creation — Choose species and job, generate backstory
- End-of-round codes and endings — Codes mark round ends; endings depend on influence and XP
- Influence-based turn order — Turn order determined by influence; can gain/lose influence over the campaign
- Location book actions and map — Location actions with blue single-use vs green multi-use options; map-based travel
- Planning phase with timer — 45-second planning phase with actions selected in influence order
- Role-based cooperative play — Distinct roles with unique duties (GM, Bookkeeper, Cartographer, Medic, Influencer, Lookout, Scout)
- Skill checks and dice — Skills with bonuses; dice rolls (20-sided plus bonus dice) and app-entered codes
- Story deck and Hermit/dragon quest — Story deck provides events; final quest involves dragon on the map
- Treasure deck and equipment — Treasure cards, armor, trinkets, and weapon augmentations; top treasure card drawn
- Web app integration — App guides setup, maps, and events; fully audio narrated
- Wounds and risk — HP, wounds tracked; risk tokens and a bag draw that cascades effects
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Welcome to our three player game of Freelancers a Crossroads game
- we are Freelancers and we're trying to make some money
- it's a fully Cooperative campaign style game
- the app guides you through each of the five different campaigns
- each campaign is replayable
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–12 of 12