This is the best review of gaia project by far! Just bought it this week-end, cant wait to try it after i see this review! Keep up posting great video like this guys!
awesome! Thank you so much, glad you have a blast with the game! Something that tripped us up is remember to flip a federation token over for getting the final tier of tech! Also remembering that grabbing an adv. tech tile will cover up an existing one you own! Cheers! -Ashton
Incredibly thorough and well considered review. Thanks for your hard work on these videos. This is one of my favorite games of all time, and I do prefer it solo and at 2 player. If you’re up for it, you can even print out a second set of the Automa cards and play a 3 player game solo (search Gaia Project + “Automa (solo mode) rulebook and decision cards for Gaia Project” to find the pdf posting on BGG. You definitely do not want to try this until you have the single Automa deck solo game well in hand, but I do enjoy it as a change up from time from time.
Lovely indepth review, and I know I'm a year late buuuut... You don't just spend 0-3 vp's to power charge, it depends on what type of building you had within the neighbouring range when an opponent builds/upgrades. (the purple icons under the buildings dictate how much you charge. And how many vp's it costs -1) Also you can easily tell how many terraforming steps an opponent has to take by looking at their player colour and the 'wheel' of planets around the turn tracker/vp sideboard. Also we did our first playthrough last week, altough at 3 players in about 3h and we talk and goof around quite a bit and I think we still did pretty well. The recommended setup helps. And I watched like 3 how to play videos before the game. I superduper agree on finding the Lost planet in the rulebook was the most 'lost' thing about it, actually glad you pointed it out and probably saved a lot of people some headache xD
44:23 made me laugh out loud, hahaha hilarious!!!!!! 😂😂😂 Wow, what a great review, You just gained a committed subscriber! Your nuanced opinion and multiple angles of critiquing a game will make me come back to this channel FOR SURE!! I just spent several days studying the rulebook to really internalize it and be able to teach it flawlessly, so we'll be able to enjoy it fully this weekend, when we sit down as 3 and have no unnecessary downtime and confusion with studying the rulebook!! (The rulebook is good I must say) I think having one player being fully competent with the rules helps a lot, especially with a heavy game like this! When you're well prepared to teach it, then there is no time lost, so everyone can fully focus on the game!!
Hey cheers man! Definitely a fantastic game that is so rewarding! Still am impressed with the purple disc swirling around mechanic to this day :D -Ashton
Fantastic review! I love the distinction you make between recommender and personal score. This games been on my radar for a while, with the expectation to play mostly solo, despite me never playing a solo game, and it being intimidating. The perfect information and huge depth of strategy with seemingly little luck, make me curios to try it. Just waiting for a sale for it or digital version
Thank you! I would say that the solo playthrough is hindered by the large amount of components for setup/takedown, but once you have it setup... it is freaking awesome. And there is a digital version of Gaia Project out on steam right now if you wanna give it a go! Haven't tried it myself though -Ashton
I've had this game for a while, but haven't gotten it to the table. It seems like whenever I get people wanting to play a space game its either a light game of Roll for the Galaxy or if they want to make a day of it, Twilight Imperium. Maybe this will be the push for me to really push this to the table.
Excited to see it work out for ya! For your first game, I would actually recommend playing 2P so its not as long, and you can tackle all of the little rules. That way if you do decide to take the plunge and play it with more people for a dedicated half day or so, you have a smoother run overall -Ashton
39:50 To be fair about the terraforming costs of each faction, there is an easy and fast way to know this, just look at the board that keeps the round scoring tiles. If the planet you want to terraform is right by the side of your native planet there, you'll need to pay only one terraforming cost. If it's 2 planets away, you'll need to pay 2 and so on. I think that this information shoundnt even be in the player board. Iconography is great in this game, but it definitely isn't easy on newcomers.
The reason that the terraforming card is there is for solo play. This card was made just for the seven automa factions. You can tell because it has one of the Transdim planets in the two terraform step level, an option that’s not available to human players.
Ah great, I didn't know about this! I do wish the game was more clear on terraforming costs overall though, since I don't remember seeing this mentioned in the rulebook. In our playthroughs, we were frequently getting up and looking at other people's terraforming costs- yet I imagine once you have played this game many many times, the terraforming costs become second nature. -Ashton
I haven't played this, but I think the down time would be a big struggle for me. In other games I usually enjoy coming up with the plan for my next turn immediately after finishing my current turn, spending 5 mins thinking it over (depending on complexity of the game) then waiting for my turn to come back around. But if the down time is too much I end up forgetting part or all of the plan I had and have to frustratingly work through it again. Great review, this is one I was interested in but probably will give it a miss now.
Totally feel you on that one. There have been plenty of times people in our group (including me) just lost their train of thought in the large amounts of downtime, even at 2P. But remember, solo has no downtime mwahahhahaha. Glad this helped inform your decision though! -Ashton
The creators of GaIa Project were EVE online fans, Steep Learning curve, and if dont do a tutorial, or in this case watch a playthru, you WILL BE LOST!!!. I normally do not have any problem with rulebooks, but this one was different, I HAD to watch a tutorial playthru on RUclips to understand WTF that "Z" icon was. And I am a person that does not swear :). I picked up this game because I am a solo player. And once I have the energy to play this game again I have a feeling that I will really enjoy it. Great video!!
Ohh, EVE online, that makes a lot of sense now. We were SO lost in our first playthrough, even with a friend that has played a LOT of heavy euro games in college. The second game was so much smoother. I would actually recommend 2P for your first game if possible, so you have someone else to bounce off rulebook annoyances off of, and so you won't have to read the additional automa rulebook off the bat :) -Ashton
I have not! Hopefully I get to play it on digital one day. One of my friends has pointed out that Gaia project got rid of the cult track in TM, which felt unthematic apparently? -Ashton
I've never played GP, but the tracks in GP do more than the one in TM. TM's cult track is just a side mini game. Whoever is furthest along it gets points at the end of the game, so it's basically a race. You get a little extra power (the little purple pieces) to add to your bowl too. I think it's fun, but some people find it dull since it doesn't actually do much outside of scoring at the end. They are very similar games with GP being more complex. Seems to be a case of choosing the theming you like better. I wonder if GP is just a longer game due to its extra systems. I can't imagine TM taking over five hours. Lol. Probably with some groups, but I can do a 2 player game in an hour.
@@judgemario aah, yeah I think the extra systems are likely the length, A LONG time is actually just spent on your turn debating between all of these different things to do. It actually feels pretty well paced in terms of rounds throughout. Will let you guys know if I get to try TM! -Ashton
While I've not played Gaia Project to compare directly, it does come across very much as a complete remake of Terra Mystica, retheming to space/SF rather than the ground-bound fantasy of the original. If I didn't already have Terra Mystica, I'd probably opt for Gaia Project of the two, but since I have Terra Mystica, I don't think I need Gaia Project too.
Make sure you play solo or with another that has played until you can take an action card and describe every action without looking through the manual. Otherwise your new players might have a bad time and it would be a shame with such a great game.
It's never quite a multi-player solitaire, since you're competing over spaces for federating, and charging your power (purple discs) really matters. But lots of downtime, I would agree with! -Ashton
GREAT review, subbed. Some of your cons are pros for heavy gamers. Personally I love games that take several plays to open up. I don't want to be able to solve a game on the first play, because what would bring me back? I want there to be a journey of discovery, and a big skill gap between experienced and inexperienced players. I get it that those can be cons for some people - but as I said before, they are pros for others. I also don't think there is much downtime thanks to there being 1 action per turn. Compare this to e.g. Oath, where you can have like 20 minutes between turns...
This also seems like a game I would put away for a while, my friends and I don't get together enough to heavily invest in just one game enough to get into heavy mechanics and engines. I like all the pros but the cons slightly outweigh the pros for me. I have dealt with the Automa from Automa Factory before and they do quite a good job yes. Great review again, love the 'perfect info' you gave.
heyo! The game definitely benefits from playing it OVER and OVER again, I was thinking if you did want to play multiplayer, to have smaller play sessions of 1-2 people beforehand to work your way up. Glad the vid helped :D -Ashton
Despite appearances, this one looks to be the polar opposite of TI in terms of player interaction. While playing with others, were you ever longing to be able to put down a fleet like in 10:50? lol
I would say in terms of table talk it definitely feels like the other end of the spectrum compared to TI4 :) But seriously, when playing the game, I got so wrapped up in all the systems, I didn't even think about putting down fleets and what-not, I was just completely zoned in on gameplay efficiency -Ashton
if you're color blind I feel like this game will be quite hard to play. Though some of the colors contrast decently well (yellow vs. red), they are tied to the alien factions, so you can't just switch out colors easily if soeone is color blind. As for length, cannot speak in comparison to TM, but man this game is really long on your first playthrough, likely 3+ hours -Ashton
Awesome vid guys! Just wanna let you know that maybe a board game steril type could be “the war gamer” like a guy who ONLY has war games no other games and he refuses to play non war games there has to be fighting and tactics also he LOVES axis and allies :)
heeyo bastian! I may have to dive in this one day, especially with some experience on GMT games as of recently :) He loves all of those chits, doesn't shy away at gigantic rulebooks, loves war simulations, etc. etc. -Ashton
Both games will get quicker after repeated plays. The system in TM is made of many simple systems. It will "click" and going forward once it clicks will make the game go quicker. It is a game worth learning, in my opinion. It isn't a game where even a regular board gamer will be immediately successful which is a big turn off for them wanting to play again.
Thanks for saving me the time and money! 😂 I mainly enjoy board games for the social interaction it provides, so this is an easy pass. Excellent review though!
I actually thought the rulebook was pretty well made and clearly explained most everything. I did think the automa rulebook was a little confusing tho.
I'm not a big sci-fi fan and the most space related board game I've played is Terraforming Mars, which seems like the beginner version of Gaia Project. I've had GP on my shelf for almost a year now and have been too scared to play it considering how complicated it is. But one of these days, I'm definitely going to play solo and see how it is. If it's as good as solo TM, then it might be worth taking the plunge!
@@Shelfside 2023 now :( Tough times for game companies with all the cancelled events and crazy cost of shipping. But yes they are adding portals that go in the outer parts of the space map. A portal mission board, 6 new advanced tiles, 3 new endgame scoring, 5 round boosters, 3 portal techs, and 4 new factions :) Sounds epic!
Come on, this is a german game. Talking really is not needed at the table. ;P Nah, just kidding. For me personally, it is one of my favourite games. What you can also do to have a more competitive expansion while keeping a low downtime for the players is to play a 2 player with the automa as a third player. Of course, someone has to manage the automa, but that's also needed in the solo mode. This way, you have more buildings on the map while the automa turn can be handled relatively fast...
So manny minus points, and still it gets a 9 out of 10 ?? 😂 You were right about all the flaws. Played it 3 times and didn’t like it at all for the same reasons you mentioned. It’s crap.
i don’t see why the rulebook should tell you how to play each faction. you can read their special ability and the rest is for the player to find out. games shouldn’t treat their players like they are idiots
I remember the gripe coming as there wasn't a single headline explaining what the faction does/specializes in. It's totally ok, that's why this is in the nitpicks, but we feel it lacking after coming from other asymmetric games. Cheers! -Ashton
@@Shelfside Terra Nova does a lot of simplifacations including some faction cards for every player. Does a great job at simplifying Terra Mystica while keeping the feel
Conquer the universe peaceful??? Forget that who wants to be peaceful lol Warrrrrrrr..... 🤣🤣🤣. This why I am not a fan of Euro games - fiddly and nobody interacts - might as well play a non Euro game solo lol. At least this Euro has a theme of sorts lol
As a board gamer, but also a body builder, lower your shoulders and raise your head. You gotta play board games, but also thinking about your posture. Or else that nerd neck will get worse. Life is about Balance! 🙂
As cool as this game is I would rather use my money on twilight imperium 4 for a space game But it is definitely unique for sure especially the terraforming
Heyo! Yeah they're definitely different beasts altogether in terms of interaction. Gaia Project has no dice whatsoever, complete perfect information, and really has no politics. TI4 on the other hand, has tons of dice rolling, lots of secret cards, a literal voting phase, and of course fleets and fleets of ships warping around the universe constantly -Ashton
I just like how ti4 has more social interaction And the area control And my collection right now is Catan Catan cities and knights Catan explorers and pirates Ticket to ride Europe Monopoly I’m ready interested in dominion -the person that found out about the hobby 2 months ago
This is definitely a game for people who prefer less player interaction. It’s more my style of game, and one of my absolute favourites. But it doesn’t really lend itself to those big memorable gaming moment like some games do. The one time I played TI I was able to drop a huge bomb on Mecatol Rex, completely screwing over the player in the lead. Huge fun, except for that one fellow.
@@ratguy69 I agree with this completely- the game just excels in many different ways compared to TI4, where there is certainly more uncertainty from turn to turn. Judging off of @Dec Boy's collection, TI4 base game may be a better jumping point into bigger games! -Ashton
@@Shelfside I wouldn't even say that Gaia Project is a better game than TI. It's just that it suits me better. I can totally understand why people would enjoy TI more, and for that style of game I thought it was excellent. The 9 hours I spent playing it was one of the most memorable days I've had gaming. I'm just not sure I'd do it again. And for Dec Boy: If you enjoy the social aspect of TI be sure to check out Cosmic Encounter. It's the grand daddy of asymetric player powers and negoting with others in order to take over the galaxy.
The production quality of your reviews is amazing! Not to mention how in-depth they are, as well as humorous!
cheers! This one was a huge project I'm glad to have finished :D -Ashton
This is the DEFINITIVE review of GP. Outstanding attention to detail.
This is off the charts a very thorough review. Thanks so much.
This is the best review of gaia project by far! Just bought it this week-end, cant wait to try it after i see this review! Keep up posting great video like this guys!
awesome! Thank you so much, glad you have a blast with the game! Something that tripped us up is remember to flip a federation token over for getting the final tier of tech! Also remembering that grabbing an adv. tech tile will cover up an existing one you own! Cheers! -Ashton
One of my favorite games. Thanks for pointing out the high quality components. I love how squishy the trading posts are.
squishy without being fragile, really a interesting blend isn't it!? Putting down those planetary institutes is extremely satisfying -Ashton
I agree with this completely
Incredibly thorough and well considered review. Thanks for your hard work on these videos. This is one of my favorite games of all time, and I do prefer it solo and at 2 player. If you’re up for it, you can even print out a second set of the Automa cards and play a 3 player game solo (search Gaia Project + “Automa (solo mode) rulebook and decision cards for Gaia Project” to find the pdf posting on BGG. You definitely do not want to try this until you have the single Automa deck solo game well in hand, but I do enjoy it as a change up from time from time.
Thank you! I really did not know there was a 3 player solo mode, that adds a lot of replayability :) Cheers! -Ashton
Great review. Honestly one of the best board reviews I have ever watched.
Lovely indepth review, and I know I'm a year late buuuut... You don't just spend 0-3 vp's to power charge, it depends on what type of building you had within the neighbouring range when an opponent builds/upgrades. (the purple icons under the buildings dictate how much you charge. And how many vp's it costs -1)
Also you can easily tell how many terraforming steps an opponent has to take by looking at their player colour and the 'wheel' of planets around the turn tracker/vp sideboard.
Also we did our first playthrough last week, altough at 3 players in about 3h and we talk and goof around quite a bit and I think we still did pretty well. The recommended setup helps. And I watched like 3 how to play videos before the game.
I superduper agree on finding the Lost planet in the rulebook was the most 'lost' thing about it, actually glad you pointed it out and probably saved a lot of people some headache xD
44:23 made me laugh out loud, hahaha hilarious!!!!!! 😂😂😂 Wow, what a great review, You just gained a committed subscriber! Your nuanced opinion and multiple angles of critiquing a game will make me come back to this channel FOR SURE!! I just spent several days studying the rulebook to really internalize it and be able to teach it flawlessly, so we'll be able to enjoy it fully this weekend, when we sit down as 3 and have no unnecessary downtime and confusion with studying the rulebook!! (The rulebook is good I must say) I think having one player being fully competent with the rules helps a lot, especially with a heavy game like this! When you're well prepared to teach it, then there is no time lost, so everyone can fully focus on the game!!
Hey cheers man! Definitely a fantastic game that is so rewarding! Still am impressed with the purple disc swirling around mechanic to this day :D -Ashton
Fantastic review! I love the distinction you make between recommender and personal score. This games been on my radar for a while, with the expectation to play mostly solo, despite me never playing a solo game, and it being intimidating. The perfect information and huge depth of strategy with seemingly little luck, make me curios to try it. Just waiting for a sale for it or digital version
Thank you! I would say that the solo playthrough is hindered by the large amount of components for setup/takedown, but once you have it setup... it is freaking awesome. And there is a digital version of Gaia Project out on steam right now if you wanna give it a go! Haven't tried it myself though -Ashton
The Steam version has had a few updates since launch and is running quite well now. It’s well worth it.
My favourite Euro Game, it's interesting how much I couldn't like Terra Mystica but love this game. Theme is a big thing for me.
Great discussion, many different perspectives and points well covered!
Great review! Ver informative, and funny without trying too hard to be funny like some reviewers these days. Thanks.
ahaha thanks for this feedback! More coming :) -Ashton
I've had this game for a while, but haven't gotten it to the table. It seems like whenever I get people wanting to play a space game its either a light game of Roll for the Galaxy or if they want to make a day of it, Twilight Imperium. Maybe this will be the push for me to really push this to the table.
Excited to see it work out for ya! For your first game, I would actually recommend playing 2P so its not as long, and you can tackle all of the little rules. That way if you do decide to take the plunge and play it with more people for a dedicated half day or so, you have a smoother run overall -Ashton
39:50 To be fair about the terraforming costs of each faction, there is an easy and fast way to know this, just look at the board that keeps the round scoring tiles. If the planet you want to terraform is right by the side of your native planet there, you'll need to pay only one terraforming cost. If it's 2 planets away, you'll need to pay 2 and so on.
I think that this information shoundnt even be in the player board.
Iconography is great in this game, but it definitely isn't easy on newcomers.
The reason that the terraforming card is there is for solo play. This card was made just for the seven automa factions. You can tell because it has one of the Transdim planets in the two terraform step level, an option that’s not available to human players.
@@ratguy69 Oh, I see. I never played the automa so I wouldn't know, it makes sense.
Ah great, I didn't know about this! I do wish the game was more clear on terraforming costs overall though, since I don't remember seeing this mentioned in the rulebook. In our playthroughs, we were frequently getting up and looking at other people's terraforming costs- yet I imagine once you have played this game many many times, the terraforming costs become second nature. -Ashton
@@Shelfside It probably could do a better job of showing the terraforming costs. At least TerraMystica has the shovels on each player board.
@@ratguy69 Gaia does too
I haven't played this, but I think the down time would be a big struggle for me. In other games I usually enjoy coming up with the plan for my next turn immediately after finishing my current turn, spending 5 mins thinking it over (depending on complexity of the game) then waiting for my turn to come back around. But if the down time is too much I end up forgetting part or all of the plan I had and have to frustratingly work through it again. Great review, this is one I was interested in but probably will give it a miss now.
Totally feel you on that one. There have been plenty of times people in our group (including me) just lost their train of thought in the large amounts of downtime, even at 2P. But remember, solo has no downtime mwahahhahaha. Glad this helped inform your decision though! -Ashton
Amazing review! Subscribed
cheers! Glad you enjoyed :) -Ashton
The creators of GaIa Project were EVE online fans, Steep Learning curve, and if dont do a tutorial, or in this case watch a playthru, you WILL BE LOST!!!.
I normally do not have any problem with rulebooks, but this one was different, I HAD to watch a tutorial playthru on RUclips to understand WTF that "Z" icon was. And I am a person that does not swear :).
I picked up this game because I am a solo player. And once I have the energy to play this game again I have a feeling that I will really enjoy it.
Great video!!
Ohh, EVE online, that makes a lot of sense now. We were SO lost in our first playthrough, even with a friend that has played a LOT of heavy euro games in college. The second game was so much smoother. I would actually recommend 2P for your first game if possible, so you have someone else to bounce off rulebook annoyances off of, and so you won't have to read the additional automa rulebook off the bat :) -Ashton
i am considering buying this game and buy the way you explained a lot of stuff helped me getting convinced by the beauty of this game. Tx alot !
Great Video! Thank you. Just bought the game and looking forward to playing solo!
awesome! Hope it is an sweet solo play for you as well -Ashton
Great video. Love the analysis. Saw this on sale for 60. Im a sucker for sales, so I bought it.
Have you played Terra Mystica? Just curious which you like better.
I have not! Hopefully I get to play it on digital one day. One of my friends has pointed out that Gaia project got rid of the cult track in TM, which felt unthematic apparently? -Ashton
I've never played GP, but the tracks in GP do more than the one in TM. TM's cult track is just a side mini game. Whoever is furthest along it gets points at the end of the game, so it's basically a race. You get a little extra power (the little purple pieces) to add to your bowl too. I think it's fun, but some people find it dull since it doesn't actually do much outside of scoring at the end.
They are very similar games with GP being more complex. Seems to be a case of choosing the theming you like better. I wonder if GP is just a longer game due to its extra systems. I can't imagine TM taking over five hours. Lol. Probably with some groups, but I can do a 2 player game in an hour.
@@judgemario aah, yeah I think the extra systems are likely the length, A LONG time is actually just spent on your turn debating between all of these different things to do. It actually feels pretty well paced in terms of rounds throughout. Will let you guys know if I get to try TM! -Ashton
While I've not played Gaia Project to compare directly, it does come across very much as a complete remake of Terra Mystica, retheming to space/SF rather than the ground-bound fantasy of the original.
If I didn't already have Terra Mystica, I'd probably opt for Gaia Project of the two, but since I have Terra Mystica, I don't think I need Gaia Project too.
Amazing review. Thank you! Love your guys' work
Thank you man! More reviews coming out soon :) -Ashton
Grateful for your videos!!
cheers, always more coming -Ashton
Thanks for the thorough review! I'm still on the fence about introducing my group to this game but the video definitely helped.
Cheers! Glad this video helped inform your decision! -Ashton
Make sure you play solo or with another that has played until you can take an action card and describe every action without looking through the manual.
Otherwise your new players might have a bad time and it would be a shame with such a great game.
I'm waiting for Terra Mystica 10th Anniversary Edition next year to jump into this gaming system.
Get on Gaia Project if you have a solid 4 person game group. Its just the definition of what a Euro game should be.
At higher player count, would it feel like a multi-player solitaire? Since there's not a lot of player interaction and more down time?
It's never quite a multi-player solitaire, since you're competing over spaces for federating, and charging your power (purple discs) really matters. But lots of downtime, I would agree with! -Ashton
GREAT review, subbed. Some of your cons are pros for heavy gamers. Personally I love games that take several plays to open up. I don't want to be able to solve a game on the first play, because what would bring me back? I want there to be a journey of discovery, and a big skill gap between experienced and inexperienced players. I get it that those can be cons for some people - but as I said before, they are pros for others. I also don't think there is much downtime thanks to there being 1 action per turn. Compare this to e.g. Oath, where you can have like 20 minutes between turns...
This also seems like a game I would put away for a while, my friends and I don't get together enough to heavily invest in just one game enough to get into heavy mechanics and engines. I like all the pros but the cons slightly outweigh the pros for me.
I have dealt with the Automa from Automa Factory before and they do quite a good job yes.
Great review again, love the 'perfect info' you gave.
heyo! The game definitely benefits from playing it OVER and OVER again, I was thinking if you did want to play multiplayer, to have smaller play sessions of 1-2 people beforehand to work your way up. Glad the vid helped :D -Ashton
Despite appearances, this one looks to be the polar opposite of TI in terms of player interaction. While playing with others, were you ever longing to be able to put down a fleet like in 10:50? lol
I would say in terms of table talk it definitely feels like the other end of the spectrum compared to TI4 :)
But seriously, when playing the game, I got so wrapped up in all the systems, I didn't even think about putting down fleets and what-not, I was just completely zoned in on gameplay efficiency -Ashton
What Daniel think about it?
he hasn't played it yet, one day! one day! -Ashton
Is this the new capstone version?
Yeah. I don’t think anything has changed except for the logo on the box and manual.
it is! Daniel bought it a couple months back -Ashton
@@Shelfside just hoped maybe new publisher threw in a reference card. Oh well.
Good review! Y'all should get leaving earth or high frontier.
Oh man, Daniel told me he once played high frontier in college, and it was absolutely crazy. Will keep my eyes peeled for these! -Ashton
i was wondering a few things, is gaia project longer or shorter than terra mystica and what if you are colour blind? can you still play the game ?
if you're color blind I feel like this game will be quite hard to play. Though some of the colors contrast decently well (yellow vs. red), they are tied to the alien factions, so you can't just switch out colors easily if soeone is color blind.
As for length, cannot speak in comparison to TM, but man this game is really long on your first playthrough, likely 3+ hours -Ashton
Awesome vid guys! Just wanna let you know that maybe a board game steril type could be “the war gamer” like a guy who ONLY has war games no other games and he refuses to play non war games there has to be fighting and tactics also he LOVES axis and allies :)
heeyo bastian! I may have to dive in this one day, especially with some experience on GMT games as of recently :)
He loves all of those chits, doesn't shy away at gigantic rulebooks, loves war simulations, etc. etc. -Ashton
@@Shelfside precisely! Im Glad to hear that :)
how long is gaia project. i have played terra mystica and its way too long.
Both games will get quicker after repeated plays. The system in TM is made of many simple systems. It will "click" and going forward once it clicks will make the game go quicker. It is a game worth learning, in my opinion. It isn't a game where even a regular board gamer will be immediately successful which is a big turn off for them wanting to play again.
This awesome
cheers! Awesome game -Ashton
@@Shelfside I'm bought it cuz you after seeing this lol. Excited to play it soon
@@notavailable6460 yo that is super sick. Hope ya like it even more than I did :D -Ashton
Best game everrrrr….!!!!
Thanks for saving me the time and money! 😂 I mainly enjoy board games for the social interaction it provides, so this is an easy pass. Excellent review though!
no problem! Its definitely not interactive in the sense that most people going into board game night expect. Cheers! -Ashton
I actually thought the rulebook was pretty well made and clearly explained most everything. I did think the automa rulebook was a little confusing tho.
I'm not a big sci-fi fan and the most space related board game I've played is Terraforming Mars, which seems like the beginner version of Gaia Project. I've had GP on my shelf for almost a year now and have been too scared to play it considering how complicated it is. But one of these days, I'm definitely going to play solo and see how it is. If it's as good as solo TM, then it might be worth taking the plunge!
lol'd @ 44:23
Best euro game period. Expansion coming out in 2022 too.
dang really? Man that's hype, I wanna try it out :D -Ashton
@@Shelfside 2023 now :( Tough times for game companies with all the cancelled events and crazy cost of shipping. But yes they are adding portals that go in the outer parts of the space map. A portal mission board, 6 new advanced tiles, 3 new endgame scoring, 5 round boosters, 3 portal techs, and 4 new factions :) Sounds epic!
@@135Pandemonium oh man, the new round boosters and portals really got me excited! Will have to patiently wait x) -Ashton
I hope they will make Lantids better with the expansion.
@@jonasvohrna They will :)
Comprehensive
Come on, this is a german game. Talking really is not needed at the table. ;P Nah, just kidding. For me personally, it is one of my favourite games. What you can also do to have a more competitive expansion while keeping a low downtime for the players is to play a 2 player with the automa as a third player. Of course, someone has to manage the automa, but that's also needed in the solo mode. This way, you have more buildings on the map while the automa turn can be handled relatively fast...
oh that's a great idea! Will have to try that one day, will make the board more interesting and give more charging! cheers! -Ashton
GP
So manny minus points, and still it gets a 9 out of 10 ?? 😂 You were right about all the flaws. Played it 3 times and didn’t like it at all for the same reasons you mentioned. It’s crap.
i don’t see why the rulebook should tell you how to play each faction. you can read their special ability and the rest is for the player to find out. games shouldn’t treat their players like they are idiots
I remember the gripe coming as there wasn't a single headline explaining what the faction does/specializes in. It's totally ok, that's why this is in the nitpicks, but we feel it lacking after coming from other asymmetric games. Cheers! -Ashton
@@Shelfside Terra Nova does a lot of simplifacations including some faction cards for every player. Does a great job at simplifying Terra Mystica while keeping the feel
Conquer the universe peaceful??? Forget that who wants to be peaceful lol Warrrrrrrr..... 🤣🤣🤣. This why I am not a fan of Euro games - fiddly and nobody interacts - might as well play a non Euro game solo lol. At least this Euro has a theme of sorts lol
As a board gamer, but also a body builder, lower your shoulders and raise your head. You gotta play board games, but also thinking about your posture. Or else that nerd neck will get worse. Life is about Balance! 🙂
As cool as this game is
I would rather use my money on twilight imperium 4 for a space game
But it is definitely unique for sure especially the terraforming
Heyo! Yeah they're definitely different beasts altogether in terms of interaction. Gaia Project has no dice whatsoever, complete perfect information, and really has no politics. TI4 on the other hand, has tons of dice rolling, lots of secret cards, a literal voting phase, and of course fleets and fleets of ships warping around the universe constantly -Ashton
I just like how ti4 has more social interaction
And the area control
And my collection right now is
Catan
Catan cities and knights
Catan explorers and pirates
Ticket to ride Europe
Monopoly
I’m ready interested in dominion
-the person that found out about the hobby 2 months ago
This is definitely a game for people who prefer less player interaction. It’s more my style of game, and one of my absolute favourites. But it doesn’t really lend itself to those big memorable gaming moment like some games do. The one time I played TI I was able to drop a huge bomb on Mecatol Rex, completely screwing over the player in the lead. Huge fun, except for that one fellow.
@@ratguy69 I agree with this completely- the game just excels in many different ways compared to TI4, where there is certainly more uncertainty from turn to turn. Judging off of @Dec Boy's collection, TI4 base game may be a better jumping point into bigger games! -Ashton
@@Shelfside I wouldn't even say that Gaia Project is a better game than TI. It's just that it suits me better. I can totally understand why people would enjoy TI more, and for that style of game I thought it was excellent. The 9 hours I spent playing it was one of the most memorable days I've had gaming. I'm just not sure I'd do it again.
And for Dec Boy: If you enjoy the social aspect of TI be sure to check out Cosmic Encounter. It's the grand daddy of asymetric player powers and negoting with others in order to take over the galaxy.