Thank you for sharing your honest opinion, both what you liked as well as your thoughts on maybe what some people might not enjoy as much, such as the difficulty. We have seen the community go through some of the very same trial and error as you described but we love to see how you persevere and eventually find a way to survive. It is this very same ingenuity and determination that has propelled humanity forward and is what we would depend on in this sort of scenario. 💜
One of my favorite things in gaming is overcoming seemingly impossible odds through experience, study, and discovery. Learning enough to win Frostpunk on its easiest level was a difficult and rewarding journey. I know as I step up the difficulty, I'll gain an even deeper understanding. That will keep me coming back to the table again and again. I'm not sure why a segment of board gamers so quickly dismisses a game they can't immediately dominate, but they are doing themselves a disservice in my opinion. Your team has created something really special here and I thank you for it. And thank you for taking the time to check out my channel!
This video was very insightful, I'm not really a board game guy but the upcoming Don't Starve boardgame is being worked on by some of the people who made this, so it's good to hear such high praise for it. Gives me hope that the Don't Starve board game will be good.
While I’m not personally getting Don’t Starve, I can say that Glass Cannon Unplugged releases very good games from what I’ve seen. I’ve pledged for the Apex Legends and Dying Light board games, both made by them and can’t wait to play them
Didn't know this game existed until it was stocked at my LGS. Took a while to get down all the mechanics but its a very fun game. It doesn't emulate the source material a whole lot, save for the general concept and some basic mechanics, but I think that works in its favor. The game has it's own identity from the video game that better suits its format. As for solo vs. co-op, I found it fun to play with other people with politics. The role sheets tell you what you can do and manage, and the person with the turn marker gets final say on all decisions. It really does feel like you're managing a crumbling city in the post apocalypse, and each person might have a different idea on how the city should be run.
Nice. Yeah, I can see how that could be fun with the right group of people. I still think I'd bring out other co-ops and leave this game for myself. Might be a me thing, but I want all the control with this one. I still haven't played the video game, but honestly, I'm not sure I have any desire to at this point. The board game is too good. Thanks for watching!
I have it still in shrink. It arrived before Christmas. I never played solo boardgames, but love boardgames in general. I'm planning to start playing solo with Tiny Epic Dungeons but I'm really looking forward to play Frostpunk. It's the first Kickstarter campaign I backed.
I'd say you made a great choice! Frostpunk is very complex and difficult but with some patience the effort is really rewarded. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for watching!
The cop-out answer is there is absolutely room in your collection for both games, you won't regret it. I would say if you hate failing at dice checks then go with frostpunk. Frostpunk has a sandbox city building feel to it while Crusoe is more push your luck. Both games will stay in my collection forever.
Thanks for checking it out! Make sure you watch my full playthrough if you haven't already. That should give you all the info you need. Definitely not a game for everyone, but I have had a blast!
Me playing the pc game of this for the first time and attempting it many times before I finally survive the frost. My local hobby store has this board game and oh boy I am so keen to get my hands on it. So here I am watching reviews. I think I’ll go watch your solo play through as I do enjoy a good solo and multiplayer board game.
I hope you enjoy the solo playthrough. It is long, but I think it is a good video. The board game is epic, complex, and brutally hard but it is one of my favorites. It is more a board game for experienced board game players and not a great fit for casual gamers who are fans of the video game, but if you like meaty, heavy games it is a great one! I might also suggest checking out my playthroughs of Robinson Crusoe and This War of Mine. Thanks for watching!
@ oh I’m a hard core board gamer, I go every Friday to play them with myother board gamers. And I love games that have solo play, because I simply can set it up when every I like.
You mentioned the variability and while I agree that there's a lot of setup variability I would love some more scenario variability as well since 5 of the scenarios use the "New Home" deck. Once you know exactly what you need to survive on round 12 I imagine the game becomes quite a bit easier since half the difficulty is knowing what you have to protect and what you can let slide. For instance in my playthrough I made it by handily but didn't know my wood stockpiles would be useless for winning the game until round 11. If I was behind and had put that extra effort into wood it could have cost me. I don't mind the pseudo legacy game feel, where repeated playthroughs give more info, but since this one is so long just putting a few other "default" scenarios in the box would up that fresh time significantly (especially because a loss or two is likely).
Sorry for the delay in responding. I see what you mean, but I guess I don't feel like half the difficulty comes from not knowing the end goal. For me the challenge comes from all the variability and thus I find the scenarios to be very replayable. That said, I hope they keep new scenarios coming. Thanks for watching!
Ty for your videos! They really cool, it was so easy to understand the flow and rules of the games i was interested in! Keep going, very high quality content, love your voice
Thank you so much! I'm honored you would check out my video. Also, I absolutely adore This War of Mine. It is my favorite playthrough on my channel and one of my favorite games of all time. Thanks again and great work on Frostpunk!
I got destroyed by this game for my first several plays. Really brutal, but so thematic and interesting. Good luck and thanks for checking out my playthrough!
They needed to add just one mechanic to make it epic. - A public favourability function - that the "board" of directors (players) can lose public opinion for harsh decisions, and win public opinion for positive outcomes. This way you still have a winner and loser in the team. But if you refuse to make the harsh decisions, and the society starts to die, then you All Lose together. Would be a perfect addition and push the tension between winning against the other players, and killing everyone including yourself.
Hey mate :) love your videos! I just wanted to point one tiny thing out that the generator IS the die roll lol that being said your odds decrease with the amount of heat you generate each round. Anyway really appreciate your content :) best channel out at the moment!
I wouldn't call a game this heavy "a must have" but I hope a ton of people give it a try, because I think it could be a big hit. I do worry about bad first impression bias on this one, but I think the buzz has been good. Thanks for checking out the video!
@@TotallyTabled I don’t consider it a heavy game. It’s got a lot of moving parts but none of it is complicated. IMO. The first play of any solo game for me is slow as I look up rules or watch videos, that’s just life as a gamer. Fortunately the rules are very well written for this one.
I highly recommend watching my full playthrough (or at least watching some of it). That will give you a good feeling for what this game is. This is a favorite of mine, but I have a lot of heavy board games under my belt. I would never recommend this to novice board gamers. I think for most of them, they would rather just play the video game.
Here's why I won't get this, and it's a somewhat dumb/irrelevant reason for our hobby: because I own the video game. I played it dozens of times. A playthrough is about 5 hours once you get it. The animation and sound design (something the board game doesn't offer..) is top notch. I get the appeal, of course I do. I own (and love playing) Nemo's War (ultimate ed.), So really if the video game didn't exist I would be all over this physical version.
I don't think that is dumb at all. I totally get it. I cannot speak to how similar they are because I haven't really played the video game. The board game has made me curious to try it. But I prefer the turn-based nature of the board game to realtime + pause of the video game, so I'm not sure. Thanks!
I know i'm late to the party. I absolutely love the game on PC, very challenging yet rewarding. Can i expect the same game regarding experience and characteristics or does the boardgame has it's own feeling/identity ?
That's hard to say. This is turn based rather than real time with pause. That makes the board game feel very different for me, in a good way. I fear that fans of the video game will find the board game unnecessary, given its lengthy set up time. The board game is actually quicker to play than the video game, but you have to manage all the phases and systems. Honestly, this is a game I only recommend to hardcore board gamers. Does the thought of playing this game with cards and wooden bits and a giant plastic tower on your table fill you with joy? Does the tactile nature of board games mean something to you on a deep level? Are you experienced with the fiddliness of heavy games? If not, then probably pass on this one. Thanks for watching!
Great Content! BTW during the setup the storm marker should be set on space 9, I believe it goes on space 12 only after the first storm hits... I'm still struggling to survive after round 6/7 🥲
Thanks for watching. Yep, I address the storm marker mistake in Part Two of the playthrough. Luckily, the mistake didn't effect the outcome. It took me many plays before I was able to win my first game. This is a tough game!
If I would advice someone else I almost always say go for the tried and tested game. Robinson have stood the test of time and you have the advantage of all the forums, fan made reference sheets, variants and whatever that comes from a game being out for some years. I think it's great, the biggest downside being the less than stellar rulebook, but you can figure it out. Though you could wait until the content from the last kickstarter starts circulating around. But as someone that rarely takes my own advice I'd probably get Frostpunk anyway because it's new and exciting. ;) (I'm still waiting for my copy, so can't speak for Frostpunk gameplay)
I've played both and I like Frostpunk a lot more. The reason I think is that between the laws, the morning cards and the dusk deck, I feel more theme and am involved in creating the theme and story as it emerges. I get more immersion from this game.
That is a great point and I agree with you, Christina. Robinson Crusoe feels more personal to me, but I feel like my decisions are driving the narrative more in Frostpunk, which leads to immersion.
I'm having a really hard time deciding between Frostpunk and This war of mine (for 100% solo). I'm a huge fan of both PC games and I've played them a lot, (not the extra scenarios which I will do in the board games/expansions). I'm afraid that the main gameplay loop of frostpunk will get repetitive after a while since in it's core is a building game. Not repetitive as in boring, but I'm afraid I will find a META strategy and will eventually optimize my playthroughs and win a lot*. This war of mine with its evil dice can be unpredictable and constantly brutal. How wrong am I ? *I really like to lose in games. If I win more than 1 out of 5 times I play, I get bored.
I think This War of Mine would fit your needs better. And if you enjoy the base game, there are plenty of expansions to change up and add to the game. Hope you enjoy it if you decide to get it. Thanks for checking out the video!
Still not sure if I should go for this one. I'm a big fan of both This War of Mine and Robinson Crusoe but I specifically hated that pure luck factor in TWoM. Frostpunk seems much deeper than TWoM though.
Yes, Frostpunk is definitely a strategic city building survival game with a touch of story in the form of events that tie in nicely with the central morale system. TWoM is its own thing -- a survival game designed to take you there, which means a fair bit of luck, but also rich and harrowing storytelling. To me, Frostpunk has mostly Robinson Crusoe DNA with a great theme and fun city building mechanisms. A fantastic game all around. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this awesome review, this has become easily my favourite board game. I watched your playthrough and that helped me a lot, won after 7 devastating runs 😂 can I ask how many times did you lose before winning?
I believe I lost 4 times before getting my first win. After my first 2 games I thought it might be unwinnable. I was getting crushed. My third play was much better but still not great. Fourth play I switched to Society 2 and got to the end, but lost. And then I finally won. It is a brutally difficult game. I think with a random setup I could win 1/4 of the time. Something like that. But I love it as well. Thanks for watching!
Just had a random off-topic question: How much do you like playing multi-player games? I'm guessing you do since you like galaxy trucker etc. which are multi-player games, but since we never get to see you play these games with someone, I wasn't really sure.
I probably play more multiplayer than solo, if you count my weekly Board Game Arena group. Pre-pandemic it was much more multiplayer. But now it is closer to even. I play with my kids and wife as well and occasionally with an in person group, but schedules have been hard. This channel helps motivate me to get solo games to the table and I'm really glad it does. I always have a great time.
@@TotallyTabled I'm glad to hear that you enjoy multiplayer as well. RUclips can be a little impersonal sometimes, and it's nice to know the person behind the voice (and masterful gameplay 😉)
I completely agree! I tend to feature games on the channel that work both solo and multiplayer because that really appeals to me and my gaming lifestyle. How about you? Do you mostly solo?
@@TotallyTabled I like multiplayer more, but I don't really have a good boardgaming group, and my collection isn't that expanded either. I mostly do cardgames with my mom xD
It is a very complex and long board game with many moving parts. If you have not had experience with heavy modern board games before (Mage Knight, Robinson Crusoe, This War of Mine, Lacerda games, Mindclash games, Chip Theory games, etc) then I would not start with Frostpunk. If you do have some prior experience with those games, and you don't mind a brutal survival game, then you will probably enjoy it. It is one of my favorites. But this game was definitely made for hardcore hobby board gamers to enjoy and not for video gamers who are casually into board games. That's how I see it anyway. Thanks!
@@TotallyTabled I have tried a few board games but none of the very complex ones, the video game alone is hard and of course a lot of the mechanics are automatic, that tells me this one is complicated..and yes the game is hard, I lost several times before getting far into the game. But it is a very good game
@@Cons2911 Yeah, this is one of the more rules heavy and complex board games, especially if it is your first of this weight. If you are willing to put in the work to get comfortable with the mechanisms, then it actually isn't that confusing. But it is long and brutal. I would recommend starting with something easier and working up to this one. But if the playthrough looks fun, it could be worth a try. Good luck!
Yeah, I understand that. For me, the board game replaces the video game, especially solo. Also, I much prefer turn based. Anyway, to each their own. Thanks for watching.
Eh, I'm not convinced. It seems like they tried too hard to replicate the exact experience of the video game. If you only play solo, why get this for $100+ when you can get the original for $30 on Steam? To deal with a ludicrous amount of components and bookkeeping that make the game slower? What will make or break the game for me is if its coop is fun. So far, I don't think I'll be able to convince any of my friends to play a game that is so difficult to set up, has so many rules and components, and takes such a long time to play. I was really excited when this game was announced because Frostpunk is one of my favorite video games. Maybe I'm wrong, but the outlook isn't good.
Sounds like the game isn't for you, which is great for you to learn. I wouldn't try to convince you otherwise. You have solid reasons. Hopefully you enjoyed the playthrough anyway? Personally, I vastly prefer board games to video games, especially solo but also multiplayer. I've not played the Frostpunk video game, so I don't know how similar they feel, but I like turn-based play so much more than real-time with pause. To generalize: board games tend to offer concentrated impactful decision-making, while video games tend to feel more watered down to me, with more decisions but each decision matters less. It is why I prefer board game civilization games. It is why This War of Mine the board game is better than the video game. I fear this is the case for Frostpunk as well and I suspect I will enjoy the board game experience more, but I could be wrong. And while the game is big and heavy and difficult, once you get it under your belt, there is an elegance and intelligence to the design that makes it easy to jump back into. The rules just make sense and are easy to remember and follow. For better or worse, Frostpunk is a game for board game hobbyists, not for everyone who enjoys the video game. And for that, I am grateful. Thanks so much for watching my videos, Apollo!
@@TotallyTabled I see what you mean, particularly with the bit about "concentrated impactful decision-making". People talk about decision fatigue in strategy video games where you have to stop and think about so many small decisions that will ultimately have little impact, eventually making the player disengage with strategic decisions (which is me every time I play Civ into the late game). Let me ask you, do you think the game would benefit from any of its current mechanics streamlined/cut or do you think everything has its place and contributes to a good gameplay experience?
To be fair, a lot of people enjoy this multiplayer. I wouldn't be interested in that but YMMV. And personally the board game experience is vastly better for me. But this game isn't for everyone. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for sharing your honest opinion, both what you liked as well as your thoughts on maybe what some people might not enjoy as much, such as the difficulty. We have seen the community go through some of the very same trial and error as you described but we love to see how you persevere and eventually find a way to survive. It is this very same ingenuity and determination that has propelled humanity forward and is what we would depend on in this sort of scenario. 💜
One of my favorite things in gaming is overcoming seemingly impossible odds through experience, study, and discovery. Learning enough to win Frostpunk on its easiest level was a difficult and rewarding journey. I know as I step up the difficulty, I'll gain an even deeper understanding. That will keep me coming back to the table again and again.
I'm not sure why a segment of board gamers so quickly dismisses a game they can't immediately dominate, but they are doing themselves a disservice in my opinion. Your team has created something really special here and I thank you for it. And thank you for taking the time to check out my channel!
@@TotallyTabled I quickly lose interest in solo games that are easy to beat. I need a challenge to maintain interest.
Yep, I'm definitely the same way. Good thing I'm so bad at games. It is easy for me to find a challenge. 🙂
This video was very insightful, I'm not really a board game guy but the upcoming Don't Starve boardgame is being worked on by some of the people who made this, so it's good to hear such high praise for it. Gives me hope that the Don't Starve board game will be good.
While I’m not personally getting Don’t Starve, I can say that Glass Cannon Unplugged releases very good games from what I’ve seen. I’ve pledged for the Apex Legends and Dying Light board games, both made by them and can’t wait to play them
Didn't know this game existed until it was stocked at my LGS. Took a while to get down all the mechanics but its a very fun game. It doesn't emulate the source material a whole lot, save for the general concept and some basic mechanics, but I think that works in its favor. The game has it's own identity from the video game that better suits its format. As for solo vs. co-op, I found it fun to play with other people with politics. The role sheets tell you what you can do and manage, and the person with the turn marker gets final say on all decisions. It really does feel like you're managing a crumbling city in the post apocalypse, and each person might have a different idea on how the city should be run.
Nice. Yeah, I can see how that could be fun with the right group of people. I still think I'd bring out other co-ops and leave this game for myself. Might be a me thing, but I want all the control with this one. I still haven't played the video game, but honestly, I'm not sure I have any desire to at this point. The board game is too good. Thanks for watching!
I have it still in shrink. It arrived before Christmas. I never played solo boardgames, but love boardgames in general. I'm planning to start playing solo with Tiny Epic Dungeons but I'm really looking forward to play Frostpunk. It's the first Kickstarter campaign I backed.
I'd say you made a great choice! Frostpunk is very complex and difficult but with some patience the effort is really rewarded. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for watching!
Well, watching your content, I also backed the last Robinson Crusoe campaign! 😅
I think I have enough now! 😆
@@AtreyuCityLive That is enough content to last a long time.
Do it!!! I have mine set up in a table in my garage. And because it’s cold right now it adds to the immersion.
@@Wew42 This is an amazing idea!
The cop-out answer is there is absolutely room in your collection for both games, you won't regret it. I would say if you hate failing at dice checks then go with frostpunk. Frostpunk has a sandbox city building feel to it while Crusoe is more push your luck. Both games will stay in my collection forever.
thank you for your review! Frostpunk wasn't even on my radar but now I will have to look into it more 😊
Thanks for checking it out! Make sure you watch my full playthrough if you haven't already. That should give you all the info you need. Definitely not a game for everyone, but I have had a blast!
Me playing the pc game of this for the first time and attempting it many times before I finally survive the frost.
My local hobby store has this board game and oh boy I am so keen to get my hands on it. So here I am watching reviews. I think I’ll go watch your solo play through as I do enjoy a good solo and multiplayer board game.
I hope you enjoy the solo playthrough. It is long, but I think it is a good video. The board game is epic, complex, and brutally hard but it is one of my favorites. It is more a board game for experienced board game players and not a great fit for casual gamers who are fans of the video game, but if you like meaty, heavy games it is a great one! I might also suggest checking out my playthroughs of Robinson Crusoe and This War of Mine. Thanks for watching!
@ oh I’m a hard core board gamer, I go every Friday to play them with myother board gamers. And I love games that have solo play, because I simply can set it up when every I like.
@@violettiplady3113 Then I highly recommend this one! One of my favorite epic solos.
That's certainly one of my best recent games, and for the same reasons. A great challenge, a lot of suffer... but what an experience !
Totally agree! I hope it gets the success it deserves. Such a great design and beautifully produced game. Thanks so much for watching!
You mentioned the variability and while I agree that there's a lot of setup variability I would love some more scenario variability as well since 5 of the scenarios use the "New Home" deck. Once you know exactly what you need to survive on round 12 I imagine the game becomes quite a bit easier since half the difficulty is knowing what you have to protect and what you can let slide. For instance in my playthrough I made it by handily but didn't know my wood stockpiles would be useless for winning the game until round 11. If I was behind and had put that extra effort into wood it could have cost me. I don't mind the pseudo legacy game feel, where repeated playthroughs give more info, but since this one is so long just putting a few other "default" scenarios in the box would up that fresh time significantly (especially because a loss or two is likely).
Sorry for the delay in responding. I see what you mean, but I guess I don't feel like half the difficulty comes from not knowing the end goal. For me the challenge comes from all the variability and thus I find the scenarios to be very replayable. That said, I hope they keep new scenarios coming. Thanks for watching!
Ty for your videos! They really cool, it was so easy to understand the flow and rules of the games i was interested in! Keep going, very high quality content, love your voice
Thanks so much! So glad you enjoyed the videos and I really appreciate the compliments. I hope you continue to enjoy the channel!
Thank you! The whole Glass Cannon Unplugged team enjoyed watching this 👌:)
Thank you so much! I'm honored you would check out my video. Also, I absolutely adore This War of Mine. It is my favorite playthrough on my channel and one of my favorite games of all time. Thanks again and great work on Frostpunk!
Just finished my first playthrough. So hard! 😨 But, seeing you win, I think I may try again. 🥶Love your videos!💖
I got destroyed by this game for my first several plays. Really brutal, but so thematic and interesting. Good luck and thanks for checking out my playthrough!
They needed to add just one mechanic to make it epic. -
A public favourability function - that the "board" of directors (players) can lose public opinion for harsh decisions, and win public opinion for positive outcomes. This way you still have a winner and loser in the team. But if you refuse to make the harsh decisions, and the society starts to die, then you All Lose together. Would be a perfect addition and push the tension between winning against the other players, and killing everyone including yourself.
Hey mate :) love your videos! I just wanted to point one tiny thing out that the generator IS the die roll lol that being said your odds decrease with the amount of heat you generate each round. Anyway really appreciate your content :) best channel out at the moment!
I really appreciate your compliments, Winston. I'm glad you enjoy the channel.
Great review, thanks!
Thanks so much for checking it out, Simone!
I agree! Best game of the year and imo a must have for any solo player.
I wouldn't call a game this heavy "a must have" but I hope a ton of people give it a try, because I think it could be a big hit. I do worry about bad first impression bias on this one, but I think the buzz has been good. Thanks for checking out the video!
@@TotallyTabled I don’t consider it a heavy game. It’s got a lot of moving parts but none of it is complicated. IMO.
The first play of any solo game for me is slow as I look up rules or watch videos, that’s just life as a gamer. Fortunately the rules are very well written for this one.
What’s your favorite strategic solo coop game? Frostpunk or Voidfall?
In the video game, I lost a lot of times so I can’t imagine this being a board game, I do love the game though. Wife loves it too, which is rare
I highly recommend watching my full playthrough (or at least watching some of it). That will give you a good feeling for what this game is. This is a favorite of mine, but I have a lot of heavy board games under my belt. I would never recommend this to novice board gamers. I think for most of them, they would rather just play the video game.
Here's why I won't get this, and it's a somewhat dumb/irrelevant reason for our hobby: because I own the video game. I played it dozens of times. A playthrough is about 5 hours once you get it. The animation and sound design (something the board game doesn't offer..) is top notch.
I get the appeal, of course I do. I own (and love playing) Nemo's War (ultimate ed.), So really if the video game didn't exist I would be all over this physical version.
I don't think that is dumb at all. I totally get it. I cannot speak to how similar they are because I haven't really played the video game. The board game has made me curious to try it. But I prefer the turn-based nature of the board game to realtime + pause of the video game, so I'm not sure. Thanks!
I know i'm late to the party. I absolutely love the game on PC, very challenging yet rewarding. Can i expect the same game regarding experience and characteristics or does the boardgame has it's own feeling/identity ?
That's hard to say. This is turn based rather than real time with pause. That makes the board game feel very different for me, in a good way. I fear that fans of the video game will find the board game unnecessary, given its lengthy set up time. The board game is actually quicker to play than the video game, but you have to manage all the phases and systems. Honestly, this is a game I only recommend to hardcore board gamers. Does the thought of playing this game with cards and wooden bits and a giant plastic tower on your table fill you with joy? Does the tactile nature of board games mean something to you on a deep level? Are you experienced with the fiddliness of heavy games? If not, then probably pass on this one. Thanks for watching!
Great Content! BTW during the setup the storm marker should be set on space 9, I believe it goes on space 12 only after the first storm hits... I'm still struggling to survive after round 6/7 🥲
Thanks for watching. Yep, I address the storm marker mistake in Part Two of the playthrough. Luckily, the mistake didn't effect the outcome. It took me many plays before I was able to win my first game. This is a tough game!
Robinson Crusoe or Frostpunk? I think I can only justify 1 survival game. Which would you recommend most
If I would advice someone else I almost always say go for the tried and tested game. Robinson have stood the test of time and you have the advantage of all the forums, fan made reference sheets, variants and whatever that comes from a game being out for some years. I think it's great, the biggest downside being the less than stellar rulebook, but you can figure it out. Though you could wait until the content from the last kickstarter starts circulating around.
But as someone that rarely takes my own advice I'd probably get Frostpunk anyway because it's new and exciting. ;) (I'm still waiting for my copy, so can't speak for Frostpunk gameplay)
I've played both and I like Frostpunk a lot more. The reason I think is that between the laws, the morning cards and the dusk deck, I feel more theme and am involved in creating the theme and story as it emerges. I get more immersion from this game.
That is a great point and I agree with you, Christina. Robinson Crusoe feels more personal to me, but I feel like my decisions are driving the narrative more in Frostpunk, which leads to immersion.
I'm having a really hard time deciding between Frostpunk and This war of mine (for 100% solo).
I'm a huge fan of both PC games and I've played them a lot, (not the extra scenarios which I will do in the board games/expansions).
I'm afraid that the main gameplay loop of frostpunk will get repetitive after a while since in it's core is a building game.
Not repetitive as in boring, but I'm afraid I will find a META strategy and will eventually optimize my playthroughs and win a lot*.
This war of mine with its evil dice can be unpredictable and constantly brutal.
How wrong am I ?
*I really like to lose in games. If I win more than 1 out of 5 times I play, I get bored.
I think This War of Mine would fit your needs better. And if you enjoy the base game, there are plenty of expansions to change up and add to the game. Hope you enjoy it if you decide to get it. Thanks for checking out the video!
@@TotallyTabled Thank you for your time and playthroughs.
You pretty much are my to buy list :D
ps. try Hegemony, it rocks (w/ solo expansion)
Still not sure if I should go for this one. I'm a big fan of both This War of Mine and Robinson Crusoe but I specifically hated that pure luck factor in TWoM. Frostpunk seems much deeper than TWoM though.
Yes, Frostpunk is definitely a strategic city building survival game with a touch of story in the form of events that tie in nicely with the central morale system. TWoM is its own thing -- a survival game designed to take you there, which means a fair bit of luck, but also rich and harrowing storytelling. To me, Frostpunk has mostly Robinson Crusoe DNA with a great theme and fun city building mechanisms. A fantastic game all around. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this awesome review, this has become easily my favourite board game. I watched your playthrough and that helped me a lot, won after 7 devastating runs 😂 can I ask how many times did you lose before winning?
I believe I lost 4 times before getting my first win. After my first 2 games I thought it might be unwinnable. I was getting crushed. My third play was much better but still not great. Fourth play I switched to Society 2 and got to the end, but lost. And then I finally won. It is a brutally difficult game. I think with a random setup I could win 1/4 of the time. Something like that. But I love it as well. Thanks for watching!
Just had a random off-topic question: How much do you like playing multi-player games? I'm guessing you do since you like galaxy trucker etc. which are multi-player games, but since we never get to see you play these games with someone, I wasn't really sure.
I probably play more multiplayer than solo, if you count my weekly Board Game Arena group. Pre-pandemic it was much more multiplayer. But now it is closer to even. I play with my kids and wife as well and occasionally with an in person group, but schedules have been hard. This channel helps motivate me to get solo games to the table and I'm really glad it does. I always have a great time.
@@TotallyTabled I'm glad to hear that you enjoy multiplayer as well. RUclips can be a little impersonal sometimes, and it's nice to know the person behind the voice (and masterful gameplay 😉)
I completely agree! I tend to feature games on the channel that work both solo and multiplayer because that really appeals to me and my gaming lifestyle. How about you? Do you mostly solo?
@@TotallyTabled I like multiplayer more, but I don't really have a good boardgaming group, and my collection isn't that expanded either. I mostly do cardgames with my mom xD
I’m asking before watching, I love the video game, but thinking about the board game I’m thinking it would be tedious..is it?
It is a very complex and long board game with many moving parts. If you have not had experience with heavy modern board games before (Mage Knight, Robinson Crusoe, This War of Mine, Lacerda games, Mindclash games, Chip Theory games, etc) then I would not start with Frostpunk. If you do have some prior experience with those games, and you don't mind a brutal survival game, then you will probably enjoy it. It is one of my favorites. But this game was definitely made for hardcore hobby board gamers to enjoy and not for video gamers who are casually into board games. That's how I see it anyway. Thanks!
@@TotallyTabled I have tried a few board games but none of the very complex ones, the video game alone is hard and of course a lot of the mechanics are automatic, that tells me this one is complicated..and yes the game is hard, I lost several times before getting far into the game. But it is a very good game
@@Cons2911 Yeah, this is one of the more rules heavy and complex board games, especially if it is your first of this weight. If you are willing to put in the work to get comfortable with the mechanisms, then it actually isn't that confusing. But it is long and brutal. I would recommend starting with something easier and working up to this one. But if the playthrough looks fun, it could be worth a try. Good luck!
My beef with this game is that, if I am going to want to play it solo more than with other, then I may as well just play the video game.
Yeah, I understand that. For me, the board game replaces the video game, especially solo. Also, I much prefer turn based. Anyway, to each their own. Thanks for watching.
Eh, I'm not convinced. It seems like they tried too hard to replicate the exact experience of the video game. If you only play solo, why get this for $100+ when you can get the original for $30 on Steam? To deal with a ludicrous amount of components and bookkeeping that make the game slower?
What will make or break the game for me is if its coop is fun. So far, I don't think I'll be able to convince any of my friends to play a game that is so difficult to set up, has so many rules and components, and takes such a long time to play. I was really excited when this game was announced because Frostpunk is one of my favorite video games. Maybe I'm wrong, but the outlook isn't good.
Sounds like the game isn't for you, which is great for you to learn. I wouldn't try to convince you otherwise. You have solid reasons. Hopefully you enjoyed the playthrough anyway?
Personally, I vastly prefer board games to video games, especially solo but also multiplayer. I've not played the Frostpunk video game, so I don't know how similar they feel, but I like turn-based play so much more than real-time with pause. To generalize: board games tend to offer concentrated impactful decision-making, while video games tend to feel more watered down to me, with more decisions but each decision matters less. It is why I prefer board game civilization games. It is why This War of Mine the board game is better than the video game. I fear this is the case for Frostpunk as well and I suspect I will enjoy the board game experience more, but I could be wrong. And while the game is big and heavy and difficult, once you get it under your belt, there is an elegance and intelligence to the design that makes it easy to jump back into. The rules just make sense and are easy to remember and follow.
For better or worse, Frostpunk is a game for board game hobbyists, not for everyone who enjoys the video game. And for that, I am grateful. Thanks so much for watching my videos, Apollo!
@@TotallyTabled I see what you mean, particularly with the bit about "concentrated impactful decision-making". People talk about decision fatigue in strategy video games where you have to stop and think about so many small decisions that will ultimately have little impact, eventually making the player disengage with strategic decisions (which is me every time I play Civ into the late game).
Let me ask you, do you think the game would benefit from any of its current mechanics streamlined/cut or do you think everything has its place and contributes to a good gameplay experience?
If you play this solo, why not just play the PC game at that point? Its much cheaper and most likely more immerse as well ;-)
The negative that turned me off was the "solo only" comment. Just buy the PC version folks.
To be fair, a lot of people enjoy this multiplayer. I wouldn't be interested in that but YMMV. And personally the board game experience is vastly better for me. But this game isn't for everyone. Thanks for watching.