Five game reviews in 20 minutes!
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Transcript
Hello everyone. This is Johannes
and this is Cinema
and you are watching Board Gaming Ramblings
and today we are taking a look at a pile of games.
Yes, five upcoming speed releases. All of these were sent to us from the publisher. Thank you so much for that. We haven't done one of these in a while. No, we did like these kind of compilation reviews or rambling reviews uh for a while. Then we have mostly done Keeper Kell. We're not doing Keeper Cell for these because these are upcoming games. So, we wanted to just do like a review for them. Uh, so that's now you know it's we're going to talk about them. We're going to rate them and we're going to let you know all about these games. Not all about them. We're going to let you know a little bit about the games.
And maybe they should get to know a little bit about them first before we do the ranking or
Oh, yeah. Yes. So, these are Yes. It's not that was not the order. That was just like things people will do. Another thing you will do is you will subscribe.
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What? Doesn't cost you anything. Helps us more than you think. And now, spiel. If you're going to spiel, please see us. If you do see us with your eyes, you can give us the secret sign, which look like this.
And if you don't see us, do not do the secret sign. It will look kind of weird if you just randomly walk around like this for the whole fair. Just in case we see you like you like if and if we see you do the secret sign even though you don't see us so no this doesn't work out but we would love to see you there. If you are going to spiel the easiest way to see us is to come by the shield fox allian a porta booth. We're going to be there on Saturday from 10 to 14 and on Sunday from 13 to 17 or 1 to 5 which is the normal way of saying it some places in the world and also 10 to 2 on Saturday. So we hope to see you there. We would love that you come by or if you just see us wandering around, please stop us and say hi. And now let's talk about these games. We're going to start off with this game, Carnival of Sims.
And this is a dice rolling game kind of. You're rolling some dice and then you're going to play a card. So every player has seven cards, which are like the seven cardinal sins. Thematically here, I don't know. It's not it's a party game. Hey, you will play one of the cards face down and then the leader will flip their card, do what the card says, which is mostly like take the die that's closest to you physically or not like the one you feel closest to. Like I really feel close to this emotionally.
Yes. And there's different there's a D6, there's D4, there's the all the different ones up to 20. H or you can have like take the highest number or you can have it take an odd and an even or you can have it take two familiar or two two similar two two of the same number stuff like that. And you can do that. You want to flip the card next flipping the card. There's a couple of things where you can take things from other players, but it is a 15-minute game. So, or 10 to 20, it says. So, it's it is between 10 and 20 minutes. I had zero hope for this game.
Yes, you had
zero. Uh because it didn't sound like a game for me. It didn't sound like a bad game, but it didn't sound like a game for me. But then we played it. Did you like it?
Yeah, I did. uh these games that are very short but had some have some take that element um is sometimes a hit or miss for us or mostly a hit or miss. But what I do like in this
aren't aren't all games either a hit or a miss
maybe
it's like oh this game is a hit or miss. Sorry.
Yes. But but either I really like them or I do not like them at all kind of with
or in the middle.
Yes.
It's kind of like all other games.
Yes.
But yeah, back to this one. Colonel Sense. Sorry. It's this one is like Hit or miss.
Yes, it is. Well, um what I do enjoy about a carnival of sins is that you're trying to outmaneuver your opponent by thinking, okay, the D the D pool is like this at the moment. I think you're going to play that card or that would be a good card now, but I know that you have already played that and you're trying to get get the best out of the situation. And also there's a die that nobody could take that gives the player with the least points
for that round.
Yeah. Some some extra points which I also enjoyed. So you at least get something if you got really outmaneuvered.
I was really surprised by this because I and it's of course when you have no expectations it's easier to be surprised positively. It's harder to be surprised negatively when you have very low like expectations. But this is this does what it's supposed to do very well.
Y
I couldn't see it doing this thing in a better way. if you enjoy and and I I I'm going to keep this.
Yeah, absolutely.
Because it's like when you need like a game that everyone can play like and that is just like fun and it is a bit of you will laugh, you will be like, "No, you took the die I wanted or the one I already took. You stole it from me." These kind of things. I don't like that in longer games, but in a 10 to 15 minute game, it is really good. I'm going to rate this now. I'm going to give this a seven. I think it's a good game and I recommend if you're looking for these kind of games to check it out.
Yeah, I agree. I'm gonna land on a seven as well.
Next up, we are gonna have Mustache. It's a very cute game. I actually have to show a couple of the cards. This is a trick taking game where you are on teams. Every round you're going to get a
You're not on teams.
No, it can also be played on soup. Okay.
It's just that the way we say in in teams on in Norwegian, we say it like that. But but you're playing in teams.
You're playing there's it's a team based game. And look at this.
Not a team based game.
Shiny little pigeon.
And all the all the animals have mustaches.
Mustaches. And the higher the numbered car, the
bigger the mustache. And they shine. So for a person who doesn't care about artwork, I love this. Oh, I care about artwork, but I this makes the game more fun. So, it is a in many ways a very straightforward trick- takingaking game. You are in teams, not on teams. You are not We did that joke already, but uh the teams are random. So, you're going to get a card that tells you which team you're on. And then you're going to play a tricking game. It's a must follow. And if there's not a trump, but basically the bigger animal wins over the smaller animal. So, if you don't have a card and I play a whale or a walrus, it's a walrus. I think I will then probably win if somebody not other player doesn't have and I play a bigger walrus. And what makes this game fun uh is the Now I'm going into thinking because this is like blur overview and stuff. Yes. H is the rule cards for every round.
Yep. I agree. Oh, you that's over to me. Okay, cool.
I was trying to give you because I was speaking and then I was trying to give it to you.
I really like that. That's kind of what I do enjoy a lot about uh Rebel Princesses as well. So, this felt kind of like that, but I like that you're adding a new role each round. So, the existing rule that you already played with, you're still playing with that.
So, we have some have played some rounds that have felt like, oh, now we want to do this. And then the last or the next to last round rule is just like no you want to do something complete opposite and you have to rethink the way you were thinking which I think it's really fun. It's a cool trick trick taking twist.
I love that the rules stay. Yeah
because as you said and it going to it makes the game feel very different
also because the next time you play it's going to be the rules are that basically then it's going to be like we turn this rule upside down or this rule upside down. it's going to be a completely different game. So, I really I really enjoyed this one. I think this is a very good trick taking game and it is very good and it is one of those it's not one of those weird trick taking games that we have a lot of that we love. I love a lot of game trick games since like I couldn't introduce this to somebody who haven't played tricking games. This one you could I wouldn't maybe do it as like the first trick taking game because there's like a bit too many twists. But if you're used to playing card games, for example, and introduce this to people, and since it's a team game, I really like this. I'm going to give it a 7.5. Recommend it if you're looking for another a lighter trick taking game with some great twists and also amazing armoring.
Yes, I'm going to land on the 7.5 as well. You have to be okay with that when you win. I forgot to say that. Uh, you get to draw like a random amount of points. They get higher and higher, so you kind of know there's just like a three points difference, but you have to be okay with that.
Yes. So, yeah, it has that. Should I do another overview? You're not a big fan of overviews. This is Pondscape where you will be building up a pond of frogs. Uh, it's a card game where you will build all the frogs. You will play the frogs. You will draft, not build the frogs, you will draft the frogs, and all the frogs have different scoring conditions, but to be able to score them, they also have to be the same frog adjacent to each other. You're playing a 5 by3, so it's 15 cards. You also have pawns that you will play, and then you can tuck cards. uh when you tuck cards, it will give points for different insects at the end of the game. So, you're basically drafting a card every round into your hand, playing a card from your hand. So, it's not like the card you draft you have to play. You'll have a couple of cards in your hand as well. And you're trying to do this in the best possible way. It's it's tactical because you don't know exactly what's coming out, but it's also strategic because you're trying to to do this setup of placing and and many case like for example um not to to to compare them in a lot of ways but like for example in Calico it's like you're waiting for this thing and you're waiting and waiting and waiting until the points where you can't wait anymore.
Then you have like a plan B or at least I'm going to get some points for that. Um a lot of different scoring conditions. There's also another frog that doesn't want to be in a group that just like on its own. So, there's a lot of different things in here. Let's talk about it. Pawnscape.
Yeah, I I liked it. I think it was fun to try to see because you what you're doing in this game really depends a little of what's available to you. Yes. Not a little, a lot.
Yes. Uh so what kind of uh cards you're starting with, what kind of frogs and what frogs are available to you in the beginning kind of you start doing something and maybe you have to pivot and do something else. But a lot of times you're also using cards to you're taking some cards that you know that I'm not going to play this. I'm going to tuck this so I get to score points for some insects instead. And then it also allows the opportunity to kind of hate draft. Um,
oh yeah, take away cards that you see that my opponents really want these cards because they have already a big group of frogs in this category. I need to snag that. I don't need it, but it will give my opponent a lot of points. So, I will tuck this instead. So, I I like the different variations in this game really depending on making the best of what's available to you. Yeah, there is abilities that let you draw a card, which I felt was pretty powerful because if you have a bigger hand, there's a higher chance that you have something you want to play and but you can set yourself in positions where you have almost no cards in hand and you're very
but that's like you choose that for yourself. H there is a lot of like here. It's not my favorite game of this. We really enjoy these kind of spatial puzzles. This one is good. I will not say that it is like very very good, but I would say that it is a fun filler style. It's not too long. H 30 minutes it says. I think you can play it in 30 minutes, especially if you play it a couple of times. H it has fun things in it, but it's not my favorite. I'm going to land on a 6.5.
I'm going to land on a six for this.
Okay. Next up, we have Alice. I think it is True the Looking Glass. It's called in English. Um, I think there's only like a French BG in um, entry for this so far. Uh, but there's going to be the rules are available in English and there's no actual there's no there's not a lot of text any text I think in the game. That's not neither here nor there.
It is a roll and right game or a
flip and right.
Yes. Yes, it is. And you have to explain how it works.
I thought you were going to do it now. Yes. It's a kind of try to stop.
I forgot that I had to explain it before I had opinions.
So, basically, you you will have opinions, right? Later, not not any opinions yet. Just remove your opinions and now we talk about it. There's going to be, I think, three piles of cards. When you see the back of them, you know that it's going to be one of those two things on the front. So, when it's your turn to choose, you choose one and you, everybody have to fill in that shape. So, it's a shape. Two shapes on the back. You fill in that shape, which we've seen in a lot of games. You will fill in, you will get bonuses, you will try to do different things, you get different bonuses. All of these things we have seen. What I haven't seen is that in this game there is a four different mirrors and when you fill in that mirror, you will flip over your your your sheet and you will start playing on that side of the of the board. And basically things you do on one side and things to do on the other side will help you score at the end of the game. The other thing that is a big difference in this game is that there's a team mode where you play two players each team and you have or maybe it goes up to six. I don't know if you can play the I think you can only play the the team mode with four players.
Yeah, that makes sense.
H because you have one player have a a a sheet and one player have a b sheet. They're both double-sided, but you will do different things. So you will have things you I do can help you on your side and you we try to communicate. Okay, so we really want to fill in the blue uh part for example because that will help us score more points in that category. So a lot of these things that you will do, but basically you flip a card, you fill in that, you get bonuses like a a normal flip and right now you can have opinions.
Yes, I do have opinions. I really like this game. I think it was cool that what you did on one side of your sheet, it really didn't give you a lot of points on its own. you had to do things on the other side as well. And then there's a balance. Do I want to switch to the other side right now or do I want to stay here a little more or when do I want to go back and oh, this is the last time I will pass through the looking glass. Am I ready to do that now? Because you kind of see that the game's nearing its end and you think, okay, what is really most important to me? Do do I'm thinking that I will get this specific shape that I really need or should I forget about this and move on? And I I both like the individual
competitive mode.
Yes, competitive the normal one.
And also I really like the team variant as well. And
I'm looking forward to play with like the different teams.
Different teams. Yeah. And uh what I kind of didn't like a lot with the teams variant
was that one player is in charge of being like the first player. Yes.
And we had a game where the one team got to pick the cards almost the entire game because of Yes. I think that I'm not sure if I like that too much.
I think it it's not like a huge positive to be the first player because you basically just choose the card. you have like a little bit of an edge. But I think that it I think it's very interesting because then you have to choose like if it's important for me to be first, I have to go to that side of my board so I can fill in that kind of symbols that we be first
because that is like the another layer of choices. H
I haven't played like we don't play too many of these games anymore like the accent rights because usually we play them like that was a game. Uh, but this looked interesting and I'm happy we played it because I haven't played a game like this in a long time where I felt like I want to play this again or I want to keep this.
So, for me, this was a big surprise. I really enjoyed it. I'm going to land on a seven for this. Highly recommend it if you are looking for a excellent, right? And I I think I want to keep this as well in the collection.
Yeah, I'm going to land on a 7.5 for this.
Okay, next up, lost game of the day. I think this is called the Lost Droids in English. It is a card draftingish. Uh not really drafting, but you're getting cards. Mechanically works like this. Let's say it's my turn with three players in the game. I'm going to draw three droids. I'm going to choose one for me, one for you, and one for the other. The rule book is saying like the players can say which one they want and do like I don't understand that because it's not like you could turn it into like a oh but if you get that now then you have to give me the one I want next time but I don't that's not
if I see you want something I'm not going to give it to you.
Yeah, that is that is usually how it goes. And basically with that card you can do one of three things. You can either discard it to get some resources. You can build it or you can basically discard it to build one of the house cards that are laid out. So in a three-player game, for example, I'm going to have two cards on my right and two cards on my left. And then it's going to be two cards over here that I cannot play of those host cards, which is basically a final scoring. The other cards you play will give you instant bonuses. They will give you points. They will give you abilities and stuff like that. But you are basically getting resources, playing cards, and the game will end either when there's no more cards left or when there's no more of these house cards left.
Yeah.
What did you think about The Lost Droids?
Uh, I'm not a fan. Um, I thought
No, you're a human being.
Well, I thought it wasn't that exciting. Uh, I would have wished those abilities on the cards to be more like, "Oh, I really need that ability. That's super good right now." A lot of the times when I was the one drafting, I was just like, I'm gonna probably throw away these anything for for the resources anyway. So then I'm going to look at what you guys need.
I like that.
Um yeah, that's that's all right. I just didn't get excited by it. And so I found it not very um yeah, interesting. I enjoyed the uh the house cards, like looking at them and trying to get like a cool final scoring and building up that it's a quick game. Yeah. Uh I feel like it's it's a bit too light for me. I feel like that might be your thing as well. Like the things I did, it was not like for me that the things I did in the game were boring. I just didn't feel like it was like, "Oh, cool. Now I got this card. I get to play that." It was like, "This is a good card. I'm going to I have the resources for it. The things I get for it, I don't have space for that. So, I'm going to build it and get some points and maybe a bonus. That was more like it was going through the motions, but it was not a bad game.
No, I think I'm going to land on a 5.5. It is not
not for me, but not bad.
Yeah, I found it totally average, so I'm going to land on a five.
And that's it. Five games reviewed. We hope you enjoyed it and that that gave you a feeling on some of these smaller games that are coming out at Spiel. If you're going to spiel, please come and see us at the Lion Shield Fox. uh aorta booth area Saturday 10 to2 and Sunday 1 to 5. We hope to see you there. Show us a secret sign if you see us wandering around and please say hi if you see us. We are not scary and if we are in a rush we will tell you but we are very happy to say hi anyway. Thank you so much for watching. I'm Johannes and you've been watching Board Gaming Ramblings and bye-bye.