I remember reading an autobiography of a man with Asperger's Syndrome, and he mentioned how he worked on the original Dark Tower, trying to work out the kinks in the electronics.
@@RobertWF42 That was it! Can't remember what I did with my copy, but that's the book! I particularly remember the anecdote about when he and his friend accidentally set a steel/magnesium engine block on fire, and the Fire Department showed up and sprayed it with water, ignoring the shouted warnings about adding water to a magnesium fire. "Sir, stand back, we know what we're doing! We're professionals!" So in short, the engine exploded and sent a shower of little blue fireballs all over the house and lawn. About six more fire trucks had to be called in, and they used foam this time.
I got this game a month ago for my bday and it is a total blast! The game is amazing so entertaining. I own many games and this one is for sure my number one. No game is perfect, but this one is as good as it can get. Totally recommend👍🏻
Looks really awesome. Loved the original, and this looks like a great evolution of the concept. It seems to have some of the added depth I yearned for in the 1980 game. Great artwork here as well. Reminiscent of the original art style, but still bringing something new and cool to the table. Nicely done! Kind of bummed about the whole BYOP ("bring your own phone") scenario that the inclusion of an app requires. I recognize it may be necessary for a computerized board game to have this sort of interface, but I still wonder if any other solution could have been thought of.
My only concern is what will happen when the app is no longer supported? We will have an expensive set of cardboard and plastic. They should have an analog update with a tower that works on its own and one deck for all minor enemies, and random events card. Is a great game and design just concern about the future.
I've been following it since the Kickstarter started and yes, the app is required. It does all the processing for fights and keeps track of everything while also connecting to the tower itself via Bluetooth because the tower is a working part of the game as well.
Simply no way to make this game without an app. Either it wouldn't have the processing power or it would cost $500 to eschew an app. We need to leverage the billions of dollars Apple and other phone companies have spent to make your smartphone the best power-to-price ratio product in the world.
@@RestorationGames yeah I mean the original dark town if you convert the original price to today currency is literally 400$ so I’d rather just use my phone. If you can afford the board game then you probably have a phone. I bought akols fortune I’m super excited to get it
@@RestorationGames I think you will find that the App idea isn't popular. It's contrary to the basic design of the dark tower which is that it's a magical gizmo that plays the entire game and illustrates your quest through stained glass windows that appear in the tower. passing around a tablet or phone as an interface is a different thing.
@@go-go-rilla4405 Do you happen to know the original price of dark Tower? I remember it being around 130 dollars which was a very high price at the time. Im so glad i got one
Cool, but I wish it didn't require an app, as that limits whether we'll be playing this edition in 40 years and violates the no-phone-zone of tabletop gaming.
I'm the same way in the app sense. I'm always worried about an app need to run / play a board game. Just think of the older board games you still have from around 30 years ago. 30 years from now we might not have a device that can run the app.
Don’t even have to think about it, the original has the tower and most are now sadly non functional. At least that was one point of failure, not it’s super expensive and has multiple points of failure. I’m gonna be that guy: The point of a table top or board game is NOT to require electronics. That’s why all variations of DnD are playable as long as you have the players manual. Everything else is icing/garnish.
I totally understand your worries but on the upside, Restoration Games have promised that if they ever stop supporting the game they will release the source code for the app. So that's a plus
Lame that you have to use an app. It's nice to play a board game when u can disconnect from "the machine" for awhile. Looks like no chance of that here either.
The original dark tower was an amazing gizmo that played the entire game, It kept track it of all , rolled the dice ,played the music and illustrated the entire quest through stained glass windows that magically appeared on the Tower. Can you imagine having a toy like that in a world where you had to go to an arcade to play "space Invaders" ? This new version has a whole lot of carboard tidbits and card decks and plastic pieces etc.. Yet , you mostly play the game on a tablet app. That design idea disappoints me. My iPad is already overloaded with apps we never play
Yeah and what will happen when the company shuts down and the app is no longer supported. I am looking for cheap android devices to keep the apps of my apps enabled games just incase.
So the app just drops skulls..? It’s a missed opportunity to not have a place to put your phone in the tower itself to at least give the illusion that the tower did more. It seems to me that it’s a Tower game with a round board that has nothing to do with the original Dark Tower. This game is using the license to sell itself and I fear that without that connection it will fall short of expectations...
The original dark tower was an amazing gizmo that played the entire game, It kept track it of all , rolled the dice ,played the music and illustrated the entire quest through stained glass windows that magically appeared on the Tower. Can you imagine having a toy like that in a world where you had to go to an arcade to play "space Invaders" ? This new version has a whole lot of carboard tidbits and card decks and plastic pieces etc.. Yet , you mostly play the game on a tablet app. That design idea disappoints me. My iPad is already overloaded with apps we never play
I love the original and was hoping for just a more advanced version that kept the core gameplay similar enough that it felt like the original and advanced enough that it felt fresh and more fun. They completely changed everything. It’s compelling, but I’m not pumped about the app instead of a screen on the tower. I would have loved a new updated modern touch screen with amazing imagery that could be updated over WiFi. It just doesn’t feel like a real board game with apps running everything. Everyone in my family, young and old, could play the original one and this looks much more complex and may be too much for certain generations. Also it’s collaborative vs. playing against each other and thats a bit of a bummer. The original had an outstanding balance of simple fun gameplay with a decent amount of strategy and very cool imagery...this just seems like they went too far. Regardless, I’m still interested and open minded about trying it, and I’m thrilled they are creating this new version of the game, just a bit disappointed right now.
Took a fun and accessible game, made it too complex for non-gamers, added tons of unnecessary miniatures, took the brain out of the tower, added a required smartphone app, and made it $250 with shipping if you want everything. I've been following the project for a year or so. I was looking forward to essentially playing Dark Tower again with my dad, whose copy's tower broke years ago. I'm really into complex tabletop experiences, but my old Dad and the rest of my family aren't going to sit down and reunite over this overblown monstrosity. I would think these guys would know a big part of their audience better: 50 something year-olds who want their childhood game resurrected.
Dallas Terry you said all I thought! I stumbled on this but it’s not really like the old dark tower at all. A real update would have been a tower with lcd screens and the brains. An app is bad but passing a phone around is badder! I guess it appeals to people wanting complexity.
Sorry it didn't meet your expectations. I'll start by saying that we never do straight reprints. We try to update the original games to modern gamer sensibilities. I'd like to think our track record shows that we do know "our audience" pretty well and that the success of the Kickstarter reinforces that. Of course, we can't make a game that will satisfy everybody's expectations, because not everybody has the same expectations. And for every person such as yourself, who thinks it's an "overblown monstrosity", there's someone who's really pleased to be able to play a deeper, more satisfying modern game while still getting their Dark Tower fix.
@@RestorationGames I am imagining casting the app on a big screen while playing with the lights dimmed. If you want the old game (which was awesome) you can find them on EBay. I am your exact client, not 50...but getting close!
0:38 You missed Floor. Those skulls are ejected from the tower sometimes quite far. XD
I remember reading an autobiography of a man with Asperger's Syndrome, and he mentioned how he worked on the original Dark Tower, trying to work out the kinks in the electronics.
Oh yea, "Look Me In the Eye: My Life with Asperger's" by John Elder Robison.
@@RobertWF42 That was it!
Can't remember what I did with my copy, but that's the book!
I particularly remember the anecdote about when he and his friend accidentally set a steel/magnesium engine block on fire, and the Fire Department showed up and sprayed it with water, ignoring the shouted warnings about adding water to a magnesium fire.
"Sir, stand back, we know what we're doing! We're professionals!"
So in short, the engine exploded and sent a shower of little blue fireballs all over the house and lawn. About six more fire trucks had to be called in, and they used foam this time.
I got this game a month ago for my bday and it is a total blast! The game is amazing so entertaining. I own many games and this one is for sure my number one. No game is perfect, but this one is as good as it can get. Totally recommend👍🏻
Looks really awesome. Loved the original, and this looks like a great evolution of the concept. It seems to have some of the added depth I yearned for in the 1980 game. Great artwork here as well. Reminiscent of the original art style, but still bringing something new and cool to the table. Nicely done!
Kind of bummed about the whole BYOP ("bring your own phone") scenario that the inclusion of an app requires. I recognize it may be necessary for a computerized board game to have this sort of interface, but I still wonder if any other solution could have been thought of.
My only concern is what will happen when the app is no longer supported? We will have an expensive set of cardboard and plastic. They should have an analog update with a tower that works on its own and one deck for all minor enemies, and random events card. Is a great game and design just concern about the future.
Same here.
Absolutely loved the original game! This looks so fun
Got the tower, I will get the alliance expansion. It's a hard game but I love it. I can't wait for the Covenant Expansion.👍👍
Is the cellphone app required for all the scenarios? If so, not good news.
I've been following it since the Kickstarter started and yes, the app is required. It does all the processing for fights and keeps track of everything while also connecting to the tower itself via Bluetooth because the tower is a working part of the game as well.
Lol. "...and table." Gets me every time.
I backed this project but I question the mechanics breaking down in the tower. Howxwill they hold up in time.
Looks great! Awesome job on the day one success!! I look so disappointed in the video on what the tower has to say hahaha
Restoration Games, will the app have any spoken voice or music for thematic purposes?
I want one now!!!!
Needs more Orson Welles.
was the original coop? i thought it was a race lol
No, the original wasn’t cooperative. It was all about racing against the other players.
@@star_blazer thats what i was thinking...
Still have the original. The app is a good idea instead of big C batteries
This looks super sweet! I really wish it didn't require an app though.
Simply no way to make this game without an app. Either it wouldn't have the processing power or it would cost $500 to eschew an app. We need to leverage the billions of dollars Apple and other phone companies have spent to make your smartphone the best power-to-price ratio product in the world.
@@RestorationGames yeah I mean the original dark town if you convert the original price to today currency is literally 400$ so I’d rather just use my phone. If you can afford the board game then you probably have a phone. I bought akols fortune I’m super excited to get it
@@RestorationGames I think you will find that the App idea isn't popular. It's contrary to the basic design of the dark tower which is that it's a magical gizmo that plays the entire game and illustrates your quest through stained glass windows that appear in the tower. passing around a tablet or phone as an interface is a different thing.
@@go-go-rilla4405 Do you happen to know the original price of dark Tower? I remember it being around 130 dollars which was a very high price at the time. Im so glad i got one
After playing Mansions of Madness version 2 which does require an app, I've become favorable to it as it does a lot of the work for you.
Cool, but I wish it didn't require an app, as that limits whether we'll be playing this edition in 40 years and violates the no-phone-zone of tabletop gaming.
Keithustus the what?
The rule that says you are tabletop gaming so no one can touch their phone.
I'm the same way in the app sense. I'm always worried about an app need to run / play a board game. Just think of the older board games you still have from around 30 years ago. 30 years from now we might not have a device that can run the app.
Don’t even have to think about it, the original has the tower and most are now sadly non functional. At least that was one point of failure, not it’s super expensive and has multiple points of failure. I’m gonna be that guy: The point of a table top or board game is NOT to require electronics. That’s why all variations of DnD are playable as long as you have the players manual. Everything else is icing/garnish.
I totally understand your worries but on the upside, Restoration Games have promised that if they ever stop supporting the game they will release the source code for the app. So that's a plus
Lame that you have to use an app. It's nice to play a board game when u can disconnect from "the machine" for awhile. Looks like no chance of that here either.
The original dark tower was an amazing gizmo that played the entire game, It kept track it of all , rolled the dice ,played the music and illustrated the entire quest through stained glass windows that magically appeared on the Tower. Can you imagine having a toy like that in a world where you had to go to an arcade to play "space Invaders" ? This new version has a whole lot of carboard tidbits and card decks and plastic pieces etc.. Yet , you mostly play the game on a tablet app. That design idea disappoints me. My iPad is already overloaded with apps we never play
Yeah and what will happen when the company shuts down and the app is no longer supported. I am looking for cheap android devices to keep the apps of my apps enabled games just incase.
Take my money!
So the app just drops skulls..? It’s a missed opportunity to not have a place to put your phone in the tower itself to at least give the illusion that the tower did more. It seems to me that it’s a Tower game with a round board that has nothing to do with the original Dark Tower. This game is using the license to sell itself and I fear that without that connection it will fall short of expectations...
The original dark tower was an amazing gizmo that played the entire game, It kept track it of all , rolled the dice ,played the music and illustrated the entire quest through stained glass windows that magically appeared on the Tower. Can you imagine having a toy like that in a world where you had to go to an arcade to play "space Invaders" ? This new version has a whole lot of carboard tidbits and card decks and plastic pieces etc.. Yet , you mostly play the game on a tablet app. That design idea disappoints me. My iPad is already overloaded with apps we never play
Still waiting....
Can you play with yourself?
I do it all the time. Lol.
I love the original and was hoping for just a more advanced version that kept the core gameplay similar enough that it felt like the original and advanced enough that it felt fresh and more fun. They completely changed everything. It’s compelling, but I’m not pumped about the app instead of a screen on the tower. I would have loved a new updated modern touch screen with amazing imagery that could be updated over WiFi. It just doesn’t feel like a real board game with apps running everything. Everyone in my family, young and old, could play the original one and this looks much more complex and may be too much for certain generations. Also it’s collaborative vs. playing against each other and thats a bit of a bummer. The original had an outstanding balance of simple fun gameplay with a decent amount of strategy and very cool imagery...this just seems like they went too far. Regardless, I’m still interested and open minded about trying it, and I’m thrilled they are creating this new version of the game, just a bit disappointed right now.
That's what everyone is saying
I got it, played it, lot of fun. So, dunno. Check out Drive Thru Review (Joel Eddy), see what you think of the actually released game.
If it has an app it will outdate at some time and be useless. Needs to be stand alone tower to get my money.
Take my money now please
Took a fun and accessible game, made it too complex for non-gamers, added tons of unnecessary miniatures, took the brain out of the tower, added a required smartphone app, and made it $250 with shipping if you want everything. I've been following the project for a year or so. I was looking forward to essentially playing Dark Tower again with my dad, whose copy's tower broke years ago. I'm really into complex tabletop experiences, but my old Dad and the rest of my family aren't going to sit down and reunite over this overblown monstrosity. I would think these guys would know a big part of their audience better: 50 something year-olds who want their childhood game resurrected.
Dallas Terry you said all I thought! I stumbled on this but it’s not really like the old dark tower at all.
A real update would have been a tower with lcd screens and the brains. An app is bad but passing a phone around is badder! I guess it appeals to people wanting complexity.
Sorry it didn't meet your expectations. I'll start by saying that we never do straight reprints. We try to update the original games to modern gamer sensibilities. I'd like to think our track record shows that we do know "our audience" pretty well and that the success of the Kickstarter reinforces that. Of course, we can't make a game that will satisfy everybody's expectations, because not everybody has the same expectations. And for every person such as yourself, who thinks it's an "overblown monstrosity", there's someone who's really pleased to be able to play a deeper, more satisfying modern game while still getting their Dark Tower fix.
Restoration Games no doubting the success. I think the dark tower name pulled in old fans outside your audience! I found it by mistake
@@RestorationGames I am imagining casting the app on a big screen while playing with the lights dimmed. If you want the old game (which was awesome) you can find them on EBay. I am your exact client, not 50...but getting close!
I found Droid Tower a recreation of the original Dark Tower game for android.
An app? Really? Hard pass.
exactly. why set up a bunch of little plastic pieces and carboard tidbits just to play a tablet app
That's actually the best part honestly
The app is a complementary part of the game, not the main gameplay, I have the game and is a blast!!!