About solo gaming - if someone says "get some friends", well, I have friends. We go hiking and to plays and movies and concerts. We talk about books. We talk about our lives and pet-sit for each other. They are not gamers. I can sometimes get some of them to try a board game, but they are used to more party-level games, which are less interesting to me. It is hard to develop a gaming group as an older single person, or when going to a gaming meet-up, to get into a game at the right level. So I appreciate solo gaming! I love Liz Davidson's podcast Beyond Solitaire.
My brother told me about your channel. That’s how I found you! I really enjoy your play through videos with the reviews. They do help me figure out if a game might be for me. Or even move a “thinking about it” game to “like to have”.
2-hour video! Glad I had my popcorn. This was just what I needed during this busy week at work. SO many games you put on my radar: March of the Ants and Lands of the Mesozoic especially look up my alley. I really loved the conversation about solo gaming. I actually was listening to that BGG podcast episode with Alan Moon and legitimately scoffed when I heard him make that joke about "get some friends". But, tbh I think that's a natural feeling at first. Now, I just have so much desire to play board games but not always the people or preparation to do it as a group. Library games!!!
Thanks for sticking with it! I kept looking for ways to shorten it, but I was just overambitious in how much I wanted to talk about! September is less than half as long. 😂 Lands of the Mesozoic was so good! Once this semester is over, I will definitely be getting it back to the table. I'm sad Tom Vasel gave it a poor review, because that will probably tank any chance it had to get in front of more people. But I think Tom must have got a rule wrong, because he described never having enough cards and seemed to base his whole review off of that. I think he might have been discarding cards from his board when he should have been exhausting them, but that is only a guess. Hope your school year is treating you well! I bet you're looking forward to the winter break as much as I am!
Of your top games for the month, I have Ark Nova, which is in my top two, Wingspan, which is in my top 10, Verdant which I love,Seven Wonders which I like, and Grand Carnival, which I like OK but not sure it will stay on my shelf. I have other tile laying games and card laying games which feel more satisfying at the end. If I had a young child though, like you do, it would probably be a different story, because of the fun theme and art. I did get Caverna from someone who had only punched out a few pieces and then said this is too much, and then I punched out a few more pieces before deciding it's too much for me. it sounds like one of those games that's great but that is just not going to be my cup of tea.
It took me almost 2 years to get Caverna to the table, even though I was very excited to get it when I bought it! I actually punched it right away. Over the next almost 2 years I would take it off the shelf periodically, open the box, get overwhelmed by all of the baggies, tiles, and game boards, and put it back on the shelf. Thankfully, we got a 3d printer last Christmas, so I printed an insert for it that makes it easy to table. Once it's on the table, it's a pretty straightforward worker placement game, not anywhere near as complicated as it seems like it should be with all of those pieces. If you like worker placement games you would probably enjoy it, but it definitely needs bits boxes or an insert that makes it easy to table, otherwise it's just way too many plastic baggies!
Thanks Liz! Another great video (as others have indicated). Trying to play catch-up on my podcast watching. Made notes to check out the “wallet” games you noted (especially Numbsters and Food Chain Island!). Appreciate your thoughts and explanations!
Add on: RE Reviews - appreciate your honesty and “truthfulness”. I agree with you that I take a reviewer’s, even those I like very much, with a grain of salt. My process: listen to reviewer’s that I have found that I have some items in common; look at game through and/or rules; and think about those I will play with (even if solo). Thanks.
@@stevemyers8588 Your process sounds similar to mine. And you can be assured I will always be honest! It's also nice to get to know people through these comments, so that over time I might have a sense of the types of games people tend to like and those they don't care for as much. 🙂
Ticket to Ride was one of my first modern games too! 😃 I was a little late to the party, we discovered modern board games around 2016ish, largely because of Target's positioning of the games near the toys 😆
About solo gaming - if someone says "get some friends", well, I have friends. We go hiking and to plays and movies and concerts. We talk about books. We talk about our lives and pet-sit for each other. They are not gamers. I can sometimes get some of them to try a board game, but they are used to more party-level games, which are less interesting to me. It is hard to develop a gaming group as an older single person, or when going to a gaming meet-up, to get into a game at the right level. So I appreciate solo gaming! I love Liz Davidson's podcast Beyond Solitaire.
Well said! I can't possibly "heart" this comment enough! I also love Liz Davidson's content - she's fantastic. 😊
I don’t know if our library has games. I’ll have to check it out!
My brother told me about your channel. That’s how I found you! I really enjoy your play through videos with the reviews. They do help me figure out if a game might be for me. Or even move a “thinking about it” game to “like to have”.
Thanks so much for your kind words! And thank your brother for me!
I'm so glad to hear the playthrough and review videos are helpful. 🙂
У вас очень уютные видео, с удовольствием смотрю через озвучку перевода❤
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoy them! 😊
2-hour video! Glad I had my popcorn. This was just what I needed during this busy week at work. SO many games you put on my radar: March of the Ants and Lands of the Mesozoic especially look up my alley.
I really loved the conversation about solo gaming. I actually was listening to that BGG podcast episode with Alan Moon and legitimately scoffed when I heard him make that joke about "get some friends". But, tbh I think that's a natural feeling at first. Now, I just have so much desire to play board games but not always the people or preparation to do it as a group.
Library games!!!
Thanks for sticking with it! I kept looking for ways to shorten it, but I was just overambitious in how much I wanted to talk about! September is less than half as long. 😂
Lands of the Mesozoic was so good! Once this semester is over, I will definitely be getting it back to the table. I'm sad Tom Vasel gave it a poor review, because that will probably tank any chance it had to get in front of more people. But I think Tom must have got a rule wrong, because he described never having enough cards and seemed to base his whole review off of that. I think he might have been discarding cards from his board when he should have been exhausting them, but that is only a guess.
Hope your school year is treating you well! I bet you're looking forward to the winter break as much as I am!
Thank you for another terrific video! And a special thank you for being so supportive of the solo gaming community.
Thanks for your kind words! 🤗
I thinks it was just a RUclips recommendation. I enjoyed the chat, and updates. Keep making great videos.
Thanks! I'm glad you found the channel! 🙂
Terraforming Mars was also my first SOLO tries.
That's awesome!
Of your top games for the month, I have Ark Nova, which is in my top two, Wingspan, which is in my top 10, Verdant which I love,Seven Wonders which I like, and Grand Carnival, which I like OK but not sure it will stay on my shelf. I have other tile laying games and card laying games which feel more satisfying at the end. If I had a young child though, like you do, it would probably be a different story, because of the fun theme and art. I did get Caverna from someone who had only punched out a few pieces and then said this is too much, and then I punched out a few more pieces before deciding it's too much for me. it sounds like one of those games that's great but that is just not going to be my cup of tea.
It took me almost 2 years to get Caverna to the table, even though I was very excited to get it when I bought it! I actually punched it right away. Over the next almost 2 years I would take it off the shelf periodically, open the box, get overwhelmed by all of the baggies, tiles, and game boards, and put it back on the shelf. Thankfully, we got a 3d printer last Christmas, so I printed an insert for it that makes it easy to table. Once it's on the table, it's a pretty straightforward worker placement game, not anywhere near as complicated as it seems like it should be with all of those pieces.
If you like worker placement games you would probably enjoy it, but it definitely needs bits boxes or an insert that makes it easy to table, otherwise it's just way too many plastic baggies!
Definitely include games with cats - and any animal! 💜😻
@@afrank525 Yes - my wife and daughters are BIG cat fans!
Thanks Liz! Another great video (as others have indicated). Trying to play catch-up on my podcast watching. Made notes to check out the “wallet” games you noted (especially Numbsters and Food Chain Island!). Appreciate your thoughts and explanations!
Add on: RE Reviews - appreciate your honesty and “truthfulness”. I agree with you that I take a reviewer’s, even those I like very much, with a grain of salt. My process: listen to reviewer’s that I have found that I have some items in common; look at game through and/or rules; and think about those I will play with (even if solo). Thanks.
Thanks Steve! I'm glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
@@stevemyers8588 Your process sounds similar to mine. And you can be assured I will always be honest! It's also nice to get to know people through these comments, so that over time I might have a sense of the types of games people tend to like and those they don't care for as much. 🙂
@@bitsandbiology :) And btw, I am liking what am I reading about Earth 2053: Tipping Point that you introduced me to! (Thanks!)
I got into the hobby about 17 years ago and Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride were my first games.
Ticket to Ride was one of my first modern games too! 😃 I was a little late to the party, we discovered modern board games around 2016ish, largely because of Target's positioning of the games near the toys 😆
I really enjoyed all of your thoughts at the end! Especially regarding solo gaming 🙂
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!☺