Well done! Recently (past year or so), it seems to me that NPI has really hit the sweet spot between describing and reviewing the game, and talking about the wider context of the game. Other reviewers seem to do one or the other, but in this case, for example, I came away with both an understanding of the game and some ideas about where it fits in the genre that are grist for further thought and consideration.
Got my copy for free as a prize draw for the playtesters and will certainly be keeping hold of it but almost agree with you on everything here. In playtesting, at one point there were neutral signals in the star tracks to make filling them quicker but I'm not sure why that went away. It could very easily be house-ruled back in but what I actually like with SETI is there's not the usual string of things to remember when you're adjusting the game for 2. I've found it plays fine at 2-4 (haven't solo'd yet) but it's just a different game at each count. Four is pretty chaotic as the players race to each objective. 2-player is almost semi co-op as you have to fill the tracks together to some extent but probably puts the emphasis on the probe actions over telescope. My main concerns with the game are length (it was 3 hours with three, admittedly the other two were new) and the downtime. If one player just isn't getting the right cards, then they can potentially have an uncomfortable wait watching their opponents keep going long after they've passed
I truly appreciate the artful way that here, in recent installments, and also on the podcast, NPI's fatigue with stale patterns is made apparent. We need this kind of tonic to the treadmill of "hotness".
"And the Communal processing power of all the Pentium 2s" really got me. I remember seeing the SETI screen-saver running on my Dad's Windows ME machine while we waited for Y2K. Yes I feel old
Not even close. His point is Ark Nova is a tactical game in a shell of a strategy game, but where does he get the idea that it is a strategy game? That's his own misconception. The game didn't misled him, it just didn't hold his hand and tell him directly "Don't force bear synergy" - and well that's a bit too much to ask for a inanimate object ain't it? I understand in the first few games you might be disappointed, but then you learn and become a better player
@@DuelingMaru I guess we're just built different because I tend to feel like when a product is designed to be one thing, and displays many, many cues to indicate it is that thing, and then it is in fact not that thing at all, I think that's bad. You can love it for what it is and that's all well and fine, but if a game is actively miscommunicating how you should play it you're simply in the wrong to blame the players for wanting to play it that way.
@DuelingMaru Yeah, I'm a big fan of NPI (and this review!), but his Ark Nova critique remains off base. The game absolutely does not present strategies that are always bad. I'm not sure what those commenters were on about in the first video, but bears can be very strong. Ark Nova is a game about adapting to game state. There's reasons to dislike that kind of gameplay: you can not pre-plan an "opening" like you can with a more static game, the learning curve is longer than other games, there's more chance involved than other games. But "presents unviable strategies as an option" is not a fair take on Ark.
@@NickKinsman3D the fact that a game has over 200 cards and a card river should indicate it is more tactical than strategic. What cues did you see that indicate the opposite?
@@petereg3749 Absolutely, bear is very very strong in the right situation, just like almost everything else in Ark Nova, and that's what make it an excellent game. The fun and skills come from being able to identify what's the most advantageous card to go for in your position! Ark Nova will be much more boring with less cards
I have a feeling this game is going to suffer majorly from the cult of the new, just going by the issues i've seen specifically addressing the player count conundrum. They should probably pump out an expansion dealing with the player count shortfalls ASAP before the fire burns out. It's a tough fight jostling for the Euro game leaderboard when there are SO many great games out there.
Nice! That is absolutely the intention. Me and Elaine pick games to review that have something about them, whether we like them or not and it is always our goal to highlight those hooks in the video. Pampero is one of those complicated cases were we (both me and Elaine) liked it but also didn't like it.
I’m so distracted by Efka’s fantastic outfit. I’ll have to watch this again and actually pay attention 😂 (Seriously, I love the t-shirt and knitted cap.)
I agree on the point about certain strategies being dead because the right cards aren’t available in games like Ark Nova. Maybe something where you have a lot of cards but they’re broken into packets or smaller decks by strategy, and at the start of each game you add X (4 maybe) of those strategy decks to a small core deck. Setup would be a pain to resort everything, but you would get more reliable engine building.
Can’t tell if I would like this game. Seems like it would either be a huge hit or a huge miss for me. I just can’t tell lol I guess I’ll need to watch a play through to really know. Great review
I love arc nova and bears are a hard strat but if you sprinkle in two bears into any other theme you can get massive scores and I almost win every game of arc nova at my game group lol. Hey great bear puns though I should have paw them coming
Thanks for the review. This game looks pretty fun to me, but not something I feel strongly drawn to wanting to try out right away, so maybe something that I'll try picking up second-hand down the line.
I was in doubt about which one to buy SETI or an used version about Carnegie with exp but your video convinced me to turn on Carnegie. What's your opinion? Thanks
"Two interruptions out of a possible five means there's ten different metagames that could be" Proper use of possible combinations instead of possible permutations, nice
Hey I remember watching your ark nova video and wanted to ask if your thoughts changed on it after the marine world xpac. I’ve been looking into it and essentially the only things you didn’t like about it seemed to get addressed in marine world. I was wondering if you played it and what you thought of it
@ ok, reason I asked is because I’m also not a fan of massive decks where I can’t get the cards I need. I have a feeling I’m getting it for Xmas ever since I got the email that ark nova is out for delivery 😂. I’ve looked into the expansion a bit seeing it got rave reviews and added a way to cycle through the deck for specific cards.
Speaking on the not owning a euro then suddenly owning one, the game I randomly came across was An Age Contrived. It’s been growing a lot on me and I want to get it to the table more
"Do I Bob or do I Odenkirk" caught me almost as hard as a chance to say widdershins in context. Also: I too resent Ark Nova and TM and Wingspan for having a cludge of strategies that never manifest. I like playing them... I just wish they didn't have cludge in the decks.
Arc Nova I feel is the worst offender at this, because there are fewer ways to manipulate the cards to look for the synergies. Wingspan feels like blackjack you can load the dice in your favour, but Arc Nova feels like a single spin of “everything on black” roulette.
about the bear-incident. I totally agree with finding it very annoying if a rule, card or event hints towards doing something, only to later find out that there are no further support for that strategy. Recently, I've found myself growing more and more hesitant towards games that have any form of hidden information, where the one who knows more about the game beforehand has an advantage compared to the new player. I do not like introducing those kind of games to newer players, nor like to play them myself. I find games with 100% open information, such as Dominion or Flamme Rouge much better designed in that matter. Or games that have so few cards, so few dice or rules in general that they are all printed on the board for everyone to see beforehand, so there are no unknown bad surprises for the new player. My latest game I designed myself was a card game with only 5 cards, easy enough for a new player to get a grasp over immediately :)
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
thumbnail is 10/10. Amazing!!
Amazing thumbnail!
The "It spins" made me chuckle and wake my wife up. Thanks for getting me in trouble.
4:32 Proxima Centauri, Vega or M. Bison... almost missed that :D
Love your review and the effort you put into Bon Jovi analogies!
Well done! Recently (past year or so), it seems to me that NPI has really hit the sweet spot between describing and reviewing the game, and talking about the wider context of the game. Other reviewers seem to do one or the other, but in this case, for example, I came away with both an understanding of the game and some ideas about where it fits in the genre that are grist for further thought and consideration.
Got my copy for free as a prize draw for the playtesters and will certainly be keeping hold of it but almost agree with you on everything here. In playtesting, at one point there were neutral signals in the star tracks to make filling them quicker but I'm not sure why that went away. It could very easily be house-ruled back in but what I actually like with SETI is there's not the usual string of things to remember when you're adjusting the game for 2. I've found it plays fine at 2-4 (haven't solo'd yet) but it's just a different game at each count. Four is pretty chaotic as the players race to each objective. 2-player is almost semi co-op as you have to fill the tracks together to some extent but probably puts the emphasis on the probe actions over telescope. My main concerns with the game are length (it was 3 hours with three, admittedly the other two were new) and the downtime. If one player just isn't getting the right cards, then they can potentially have an uncomfortable wait watching their opponents keep going long after they've passed
Literally your intros and PUNs MAKE these videos and I love it. Thanks for your in-depth reviews!
FANTASTIC thumbnail!!!
I truly appreciate the artful way that here, in recent installments, and also on the podcast, NPI's fatigue with stale patterns is made apparent. We need this kind of tonic to the treadmill of "hotness".
On a channel filled with great thumbs- this is wonderful. Great review as ever 😊
Thanks for posting this review. Definitely helped me understand the game better. The humour sold me on the channel. Just hit subscribe.
Flashing that Europa Clipper card at 12:55 right about a week or so out from the launch was so cool. God I love Europa Clipper man...
As usual, a fun, and informative review.
Fantastic thumbnail!
Outstanding review! Keep speaking truth to power. About Ark Nova or anything else for that matter. Thx!
"And the Communal processing power of all the Pentium 2s" really got me. I remember seeing the SETI screen-saver running on my Dad's Windows ME machine while we waited for Y2K. Yes I feel old
that thumbnail is absolute perfection.
I totally relate to making a strong, well argumented opinion that something sucks and then loving another occurence of that something.
Don't worry, Efka: You're right about the cards in Ark Nova.
Not even close. His point is Ark Nova is a tactical game in a shell of a strategy game, but where does he get the idea that it is a strategy game? That's his own misconception. The game didn't misled him, it just didn't hold his hand and tell him directly "Don't force bear synergy" - and well that's a bit too much to ask for a inanimate object ain't it? I understand in the first few games you might be disappointed, but then you learn and become a better player
@@DuelingMaru I guess we're just built different because I tend to feel like when a product is designed to be one thing, and displays many, many cues to indicate it is that thing, and then it is in fact not that thing at all, I think that's bad. You can love it for what it is and that's all well and fine, but if a game is actively miscommunicating how you should play it you're simply in the wrong to blame the players for wanting to play it that way.
@DuelingMaru Yeah, I'm a big fan of NPI (and this review!), but his Ark Nova critique remains off base. The game absolutely does not present strategies that are always bad. I'm not sure what those commenters were on about in the first video, but bears can be very strong. Ark Nova is a game about adapting to game state. There's reasons to dislike that kind of gameplay: you can not pre-plan an "opening" like you can with a more static game, the learning curve is longer than other games, there's more chance involved than other games. But "presents unviable strategies as an option" is not a fair take on Ark.
@@NickKinsman3D the fact that a game has over 200 cards and a card river should indicate it is more tactical than strategic. What cues did you see that indicate the opposite?
@@petereg3749 Absolutely, bear is very very strong in the right situation, just like almost everything else in Ark Nova, and that's what make it an excellent game. The fun and skills come from being able to identify what's the most advantageous card to go for in your position! Ark Nova will be much more boring with less cards
Had to pause and laugh for a full 30 seconds at "It Spins"
I read your comment before watching the video and still wasn't ready for this!
the thumbnail of this video was pure perfection, made me laugh so hard!!
My only problem: I can’t afford a bigger flat that could include a rugby field sized table for that game board.
Great video. Sad I didn't watch it until now, but really enjoyed it!
day = made. love y'all 💛
8:30 "I hope now, a different picture of SETI is emerging - "
Ah. Dogs are aliens. All is made clear.
I have a feeling this game is going to suffer majorly from the cult of the new, just going by the issues i've seen specifically addressing the player count conundrum. They should probably pump out an expansion dealing with the player count shortfalls ASAP before the fire burns out. It's a tough fight jostling for the Euro game leaderboard when there are SO many great games out there.
Love your reviews Efka!
Love the analogy
Just to mention, the way you talked about Pampero made really curious about that game, even though it's heavy and all-too-euro
Nice! That is absolutely the intention. Me and Elaine pick games to review that have something about them, whether we like them or not and it is always our goal to highlight those hooks in the video. Pampero is one of those complicated cases were we (both me and Elaine) liked it but also didn't like it.
I’m so distracted by Efka’s fantastic outfit. I’ll have to watch this again and actually pay attention 😂 (Seriously, I love the t-shirt and knitted cap.)
The thumbnail is genius 😂
loved the bon jovi ending! Few people talk about them these days (couldn't resist)
Excellent analysis.
Love the Bon Jovi references.
Wow. What a brilliant, funny and helpful review.
And may I add on a personal note, R2-D2, we wish you a merry Christmas.
haha my first ever CD was These Days, because a friend of mine gave me Crossroads on a cassette 😂
incredible thumbnail Efka.
We love ! Anchovy, Efka!
i always appreciate a street fighter pun!
I agree on the point about certain strategies being dead because the right cards aren’t available in games like Ark Nova. Maybe something where you have a lot of cards but they’re broken into packets or smaller decks by strategy, and at the start of each game you add X (4 maybe) of those strategy decks to a small core deck. Setup would be a pain to resort everything, but you would get more reliable engine building.
At 45 seconds into this, I was thinking ‘Wow, that’s some amazing drum set by Elaine.. ‘
The bon jovi ending was master class 😂
Fargo reference for the intro lol
Came here for the thumbnail. Couldn't stop laughing.
"NO, FOOL! THERE'S ALIENS IN THE BOX! YOU FIND ALIENS!!!"
Idk why that made me laugh so hard
Can’t tell if I would like this game. Seems like it would either be a huge hit or a huge miss for me. I just can’t tell lol I guess I’ll need to watch a play through to really know. Great review
I love arc nova and bears are a hard strat but if you sprinkle in two bears into any other theme you can get massive scores and I almost win every game of arc nova at my game group lol. Hey great bear puns though I should have paw them coming
It is a remarkable euro game. One that will be played and talked about in years still
Spotted the alien in the box.
I'm here for landing probes on planets!
I used all my game playing energy looking at the board
This Bon Jovi you speak of sounds like a great Eurogame.
Best Bon Jovi songs were Jon Bon Jovi solo soundtrack of Young Guns II and Im dying on that hill (which would fit the movie)
Oh, the thumbnail HAHAHAHA
“In and Out of Love”
Nice whiplash soundtrack!
That was so many Bon Jovi puns
Not enough bear puns.
The moment when Efka spins it
Best youtube picture, perfect.
SETI: Show Efka's Tabletop Irritations.
In life, it is rarely advisable to bob when you can instead odenkirk.
Aliens.....
@Lordborg909 I am not saying it is, but...
Thanks for the review. This game looks pretty fun to me, but not something I feel strongly drawn to wanting to try out right away, so maybe something that I'll try picking up second-hand down the line.
nice video...just a shame its not available for sale yet!
I was in doubt about which one to buy SETI or an used version about Carnegie with exp but your video convinced me to turn on Carnegie. What's your opinion? Thanks
I like Carnegie, they're different beasts. Carnegie is quite opportunistic, and its tactics are quite opaque. But enjoyable play overall.
I love this video and the dog
Yes
It spins.
I would just like to clarify that the SETI project was around way before the Pentium chip
That thumbnail though
Do I "bob" or do I "odenkirk." Classic!
Game looks super fun, sadly the theming will not work for my gaming group :(
"Two interruptions out of a possible five means there's ten different metagames that could be"
Proper use of possible combinations instead of possible permutations, nice
S tier thumbnail. Nuff' said.
Alien sighting at 8:25
Hey I remember watching your ark nova video and wanted to ask if your thoughts changed on it after the marine world xpac. I’ve been looking into it and essentially the only things you didn’t like about it seemed to get addressed in marine world. I was wondering if you played it and what you thought of it
I have not played the expansion, sorry :(
@ ok, reason I asked is because I’m also not a fan of massive decks where I can’t get the cards I need. I have a feeling I’m getting it for Xmas ever since I got the email that ark nova is out for delivery 😂.
I’ve looked into the expansion a bit seeing it got rave reviews and added a way to cycle through the deck for specific cards.
Bestov Rocks!
Speaking on the not owning a euro then suddenly owning one, the game I randomly came across was An Age Contrived. It’s been growing a lot on me and I want to get it to the table more
What is the name of the song playing from the 7 second onward? I was not able to find it.
I’m still unclear on if Efka likes Bon Jovi or not…
Sometimes you just want dopamine to go brrrr
lol very fun on the usage of bon jovi songs
“Proxima Centari, or Vega or M. Bison” 😂😂😂
Cool game, but where can I get your shirt?
Art by a good friend of mine, Luke Ridge. He has them available via this link: www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/30608281-pride-goose?store_id=1185411
What are good euros for 4 players?
Demoed at Gencon. Didn’t like the teach but I did like the game. I am eagerly awaiting for my preorder to arrive!
I did not expect this review to go down in this blaze of glory! This is cinema.
I was more interested in Tea Garden anyway
Sans preserved alien skeletons?? Makes perfect sense. Boney types gotta stick together.
But its SETI Intelligence not SETA Aliens ... [plays game] ... oh, your right 😂❤
"Do I Bob or do I Odenkirk" caught me almost as hard as a chance to say widdershins in context. Also: I too resent Ark Nova and TM and Wingspan for having a cludge of strategies that never manifest. I like playing them... I just wish they didn't have cludge in the decks.
Arc Nova I feel is the worst offender at this, because there are fewer ways to manipulate the cards to look for the synergies. Wingspan feels like blackjack you can load the dice in your favour, but Arc Nova feels like a single spin of “everything on black” roulette.
The song title outro won a like from me. Keep up the great work!
LoLR: laugh out loud review! (Great work as usual)
P2-400. That tracks
Does Euro Game mean anything anymore? Maybe I'm confused, but so many of them now seem to have the hallmarks of Ameri-trash that I love.
about the bear-incident. I totally agree with finding it very annoying if a rule, card or event hints towards doing something, only to later find out that there are no further support for that strategy. Recently, I've found myself growing more and more hesitant towards games that have any form of hidden information, where the one who knows more about the game beforehand has an advantage compared to the new player. I do not like introducing those kind of games to newer players, nor like to play them myself.
I find games with 100% open information, such as Dominion or Flamme Rouge much better designed in that matter. Or games that have so few cards, so few dice or rules in general that they are all printed on the board for everyone to see beforehand, so there are no unknown bad surprises for the new player. My latest game I designed myself was a card game with only 5 cards, easy enough for a new player to get a grasp over immediately :)
looks like a crossbreed of NCC1701 and a roulette table…..
IT SPINS.
Wow, that’s a lot of Bon Jovi, lol.😂