When playing a full game how much of your phone battery did the app use up? I can see where you would at least want to have a descent charge on your phone before starting this game. Looks really cool thanks for the review.
+Ray Phay I was worried about that too, but 3 of us played for over 2 hrs on the narrative campaign and my charge only dropped 20%. This was our first time playing so we were all using the tutorials which upped the play time. We all enjoyed the experience and look forward to playing again.
+The Dice Tower this one looks like a gimmick. It seems like you could play the game entirely without the board. The devices are clearly communicating with each other. All that would be missing is a "zoom out" view so you could see other players positions on the phone instead of the board. You move your ship by pressing the arrows on the edges of the screen. If anything the board hinders the actual game because without it you could have different sized "boards" for different numbers of players and maybe even allow simultaneous play. Have you tried playing without the board? Tell the app where the ship is manually and track the player positions with pawns on the board. The battle animations of the game aren't made for that, but you begin to see my point. There is no external "game" or components or like in X-Com or Alchemists. The whole game is in the app. The app takes over card play, dice rolling, and for the most part player position. I'm not saying the game isn't fun or the app isn't good. Those things seem to be true. I'm saying it's not board game with an app, it's a video game with a board.
Looks great, stops people from screwing with their phones while playing! P.S. what was that weird sound over Eric's outro, and the "best treehouse ever"at the start?
Just wondering,how does this work out with different phose sizes as it seems to be developed for Iphones size :-) Big phones are going to have issies when they are next to another ship while small phones might not get everything on their screen?
Tom, I really wish you talked about the narrative mode more. Once you play through narrative mode once is it spoiled for you for further plays? Does it randomize the story that happens or is it always the same story missions from narrative game to narrative game? In other words would you play through narrative mode multiple times?
Finally played my copy. This hybrid is a simple game and yet it's fun and uses the smartphone in a smart and interacting way. The scale tips a little towards the videogame, but it's very cool, as Tom said.
I like the idea of using the phones as pieces that track stats and whatnot but i don't like how much this game requires you to pick the phone up off the board :o
Tom does the dicetower website have a list of all the seal of excellence winners? There's some cool games like Champions of Midgard, which I almost missed.
Dear @TheDiceTower, is the Game in English ? i want to buy but I live in Denmark and I can only find the French version :/ I would appreciate any reply =) Thanks in Advance =)
I think that this is interesting. While my knee-jerk reaction was to want more elements that aren't/can't be done on the phone, to force it to be a board-game, I think that this actually looks like it gets the balance right. By forcing you to put your phones on the board and be the ships, that's where it makes you interact like you're in a board-game. When I think about the times I've played, say, Ticket to Ride in the app form, even though we've been in the same room, we don't socialize properly and we all just sit back and stare at our phones. Despite being the exact same game, it looses the magic that makes playing a board-game great. By having the board, and putting the phones on the board as playing pieces, you get the advantages of having the phone managing everything, but it looks like you'd still get the same 'feel' / environment that we all enjoy and makes us want to play board-games more than video-games. I'd still want to look into this more before I considered making a purchase, but I appreciate this creative method to integrate smart technology with the experience of board-gaming. Looks like a good implementation too.
As someone that loves XCom and has no problem with it requiring an app, this game does seem strange in how little the board is needed and could just be a phone game. Or with a deck of cards for random events. People getting texts while playing seems like an issue and an even bigger problem is if you want to play with everyone using their phones, is an android phone able to talk to an iPhone? Also, you need to convince everyone to download the app. It's a neat idea and I'm NOT against apps in board games. I just see this one as a lot of trouble. I feel like I would have a hard time getting it to the table and nearly impossible to get it to the table a month later. "Oh I have to download the app again? Eh, let's play something else"
+Steve Mayne Probably will need to use one of those cardboard ships on the board since a tablet is going to take up like 8 spaces. Seems like your inventory management would still be doable on a tablet though.
Generally speaking I don't think I like the idea of using a phone as part of the game. But after thinking about it I think my objection is mostly the idea that this could be a trend taking over the industry. In reality there are plenty of games that don't do it. And This is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. So with that I don't mind it once in a while. This one sounds good.Good enough I might look it up.
+chuckm1961 I don't think it's absurd so much as it is unlikely. I much prefer offline multiplayer video games to online and that took over. my point was that I was trying to explain the irrational fears of those who balk at app based board games. that aside I also tried to explain how that fear (like that time when I only bought black box non Players Choice video games for months) is likely unfounded.
I am more curious here about why do you need a board anyway. Or any physical components, all could be in an app and you could play online. This is one of those games that isn't really a board game anymore :)
Hit the phone! It will survive, if you don't hit too hard. And another thing. What is it with these strange melodies that overlay the final voice-over in the recent videos?
Not for me. Its more of a video game than a board game. The interaction with the phone is overwhelming, might as well just play the whole game on the phone. I think its something the board gaming world doesn't need.
+limp lamp That's very dismissive of innovation I would say. If the board gaming world does not need it, it will show in a lack of sales, the fate of many other games that do nothing new...
+Tor Iver Wilhelmsen The may buy it because everyone likes video games, as it seems it could be played as a video game without any real components but it can`t be played without a phone (or phones!). Limp doesn`t say that it`s not a good game, but if you will play a board game to hang out with others and take your eyes finally out from a device/screen this is not the game for you. Seems a fun game to play, but i would prefer a game that would mix the two worlds in a more interactive way between them.
+TheGreatHamEl I'm a fan of incorporating tech, but I sort of wish the ships were miniatures or there was another tactile element. I love X-Com and I really want Alchemists, so I wouldn't say I'm anti tech.
I think this one should've been just a digital game. The board was the only "board game" element in this example and the phones on the board look ugly.
+chuckm1961 Sorry if I somehow offended you, but I wasn't really "bashing" anything. I just wrote what I thought while watching the video . Also I'd love to see innovation in board games without digital medium. I'm okay with people creating / enjoying games with apps but personally I'm not interested in those external gimmicks because I like board games for things like unique game mechanics and cool strategies. Using apps for mechanics or things like rolling dice is not a good idea in my opinion but I don't feel like starting a discussion in the comment section , so please ignore that.
+Jean Laurant The reason I jumped on you was because you clearly have decided that board games and apps/electronics should not mix. And I think that's a strange and archaic way to think. Nothing horrible will happen ... there will still be pure board games with complexity. I love ALL types of board games and love to see the pallette of possibilities expand.
+chuckm1961 Cool. I'll just keep enjoying games in the style that haven't changed since hundreds of years ago. I just love the style as well as the contents (mechanics, strategies, etc) and things like playing cards / moving wooden pieces make me happy.
+TheMrE you physical interact with people anyway and all the action takes place on screen. The board doesn't enhance that. You could get the same effect sitting next to each other with two phones
+Scott3387 No, it would ruin the immersion and theme. (Does e.g. King of Tokyo need the board and standees? No, it's a simple dice and card game, you could indicate which player is in Tokyo with a simple token. But the board and standees makes it more immersive for the players.)
+TheMrE For some games that might be true, but this game looked way too much like a videogame with a board instead of a button you'd press to view the map. As a boardgame it'd probably be too complex with all the randomness that being an app provides, but there was very little that made this a boardgame other than the box coming with a board.
+larflabergasted It has a board. You move on the board, pick up loot, encounter monsters and fight battles. Sounds similar to a TON of boardgames that simply use cards to do the same and to keep track of defense, attacks, health, etc. No difference whatsoever.
I see Tom's love of hats is genetic.
+Andy Doane ... or are the hats infectious?
When playing a full game how much of your phone battery did the app use up? I can see where you would at least want to have a descent charge on your phone before starting this game.
Looks really cool thanks for the review.
+Ray Phay I was worried about that too, but 3 of us played for over 2 hrs on the narrative campaign and my charge only dropped 20%. This was our first time playing so we were all using the tutorials which upped the play time. We all enjoyed the experience and look forward to playing again.
+The Dice Tower this one looks like a gimmick.
It seems like you could play the game entirely without the board. The devices are clearly communicating with each other. All that would be missing is a "zoom out" view so you could see other players positions on the phone instead of the board. You move your ship by pressing the arrows on the edges of the screen. If anything the board hinders the actual game because without it you could have different sized "boards" for different numbers of players and maybe even allow simultaneous play.
Have you tried playing without the board? Tell the app where the ship is manually and track the player positions with pawns on the board. The battle animations of the game aren't made for that, but you begin to see my point.
There is no external "game" or components or like in X-Com or Alchemists. The whole game is in the app. The app takes over card play, dice rolling, and for the most part player position. I'm not saying the game isn't fun or the app isn't good. Those things seem to be true. I'm saying it's not board game with an app, it's a video game with a board.
Looks great, stops people from screwing with their phones while playing!
P.S. what was that weird sound over Eric's outro, and the "best treehouse ever"at the start?
Just wondering,how does this work out with different phose sizes as it seems to be developed for Iphones size :-)
Big phones are going to have issies when they are next to another ship while small phones might not get everything on their screen?
Tom, I really wish you talked about the narrative mode more. Once you play through narrative mode once is it spoiled for you for further plays? Does it randomize the story that happens or is it always the same story missions from narrative game to narrative game? In other words would you play through narrative mode multiple times?
Finally played my copy. This hybrid is a simple game and yet it's fun and uses the smartphone in a smart and interacting way.
The scale tips a little towards the videogame, but it's very cool, as Tom said.
I like the idea of using the phones as pieces that track stats and whatnot but i don't like how much this game requires you to pick the phone up off the board :o
Tom does the dicetower website have a list of all the seal of excellence winners? There's some cool games like Champions of Midgard, which I almost missed.
Dear @TheDiceTower, is the Game in English ? i want to buy but I live in Denmark and I can only find the French version :/ I would appreciate any reply =) Thanks in Advance =)
Loved the hammer joke at the end :)
Does anyone know if this also works with big screen phones like iphone 6s plus?
I think that this is interesting. While my knee-jerk reaction was to want more elements that aren't/can't be done on the phone, to force it to be a board-game, I think that this actually looks like it gets the balance right.
By forcing you to put your phones on the board and be the ships, that's where it makes you interact like you're in a board-game. When I think about the times I've played, say, Ticket to Ride in the app form, even though we've been in the same room, we don't socialize properly and we all just sit back and stare at our phones. Despite being the exact same game, it looses the magic that makes playing a board-game great.
By having the board, and putting the phones on the board as playing pieces, you get the advantages of having the phone managing everything, but it looks like you'd still get the same 'feel' / environment that we all enjoy and makes us want to play board-games more than video-games.
I'd still want to look into this more before I considered making a purchase, but I appreciate this creative method to integrate smart technology with the experience of board-gaming. Looks like a good implementation too.
I love the idea, but sadly I don't have a phone and it doesn't seem to work with a kindle fire tablet.
As someone that loves XCom and has no problem with it requiring an app, this game does seem strange in how little the board is needed and could just be a phone game. Or with a deck of cards for random events.
People getting texts while playing seems like an issue and an even bigger problem is if you want to play with everyone using their phones, is an android phone able to talk to an iPhone? Also, you need to convince everyone to download the app.
It's a neat idea and I'm NOT against apps in board games. I just see this one as a lot of trouble.
I feel like I would have a hard time getting it to the table and nearly impossible to get it to the table a month later. "Oh I have to download the app again? Eh, let's play something else"
Man, I was waiting for the hammer slam....
thanks for the review, I can't wait to receive my copy!
Woot! I just bought it. Thanks for the review. It got me pumped up to play.
I'm curious how it plays with a tablet, not everyone I know has a smart phone.
+Steve Mayne Probably will need to use one of those cardboard ships on the board since a tablet is going to take up like 8 spaces. Seems like your inventory management would still be doable on a tablet though.
The game looks gorgeous. I know you play it with your kids but does it work equally well with other adults?
My kids would absolutely love this game. Thanks for the great introduction to this!
hey dice towe my favorite game show on you tube hopw you all are fine !
that game looks nice !
wich cubicle you use for your games ?
It looks like a videogame with the inconvenience of having to pick up and put down your phone all the time.
+Dario Odde As opposed to picking up a hand of cards? Or a pile of other pieces?
Generally speaking I don't think I like the idea of using a phone as part of the game. But after thinking about it I think my objection is mostly the idea that this could be a trend taking over the industry. In reality there are plenty of games that don't do it. And This is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
So with that I don't mind it once in a while. This one sounds good.Good enough I might look it up.
+SuperWolfkin Of course it won't "take over the industry." That's absurd.
+chuckm1961 I don't think it's absurd so much as it is unlikely. I much prefer offline multiplayer video games to online and that took over. my point was that I was trying to explain the irrational fears of those who balk at app based board games. that aside I also tried to explain how that fear (like that time when I only bought black box non Players Choice video games for months) is likely unfounded.
Tom: did you mention how much time it takes to play?
+TheMrE the boardgamegeek page says 45-90mins. Probably depending if it's a 2, 3 or 4 player game.
I am more curious here about why do you need a board anyway. Or any physical components, all could be in an app and you could play online.
This is one of those games that isn't really a board game anymore :)
I am not sure this would fit on my table. How big is that board? It looks huge.
Hit the phone! It will survive, if you don't hit too hard.
And another thing. What is it with these strange melodies that overlay the final voice-over in the recent videos?
Backed on Kickstarter :)
I think this looks like a fantastic game! The mix with the phones dont impair the game it enhances it
Not for me. Its more of a video game than a board game. The interaction with the phone is overwhelming, might as well just play the whole game on the phone. I think its something the board gaming world doesn't need.
+limp lamp That's very dismissive of innovation I would say. If the board gaming world does not need it, it will show in a lack of sales, the fate of many other games that do nothing new...
+Tor Iver Wilhelmsen The may buy it because everyone likes video games, as it seems it could be played as a video game without any real components but it can`t be played without a phone (or phones!). Limp doesn`t say that it`s not a good game, but if you will play a board game to hang out with others and take your eyes finally out from a device/screen this is not the game for you. Seems a fun game to play, but i would prefer a game that would mix the two worlds in a more interactive way between them.
Someone else complaining about apps in board games. How banal.
+TheGreatHamEl I'm a fan of incorporating tech, but I sort of wish the ships were miniatures or there was another tactile element. I love X-Com and I really want Alchemists, so I wouldn't say I'm anti tech.
I wouldn’t discount the social interaction aspect. Many of the pluses from both genres, especially when interacting with younger players.
Yohohoho, yohohoho
Yohohoho, yohohoho
Yohohoho, yohohoho
Yohohoho, yohohoho
Binkusu no sake wo todoke ni yuku yo...
I think this one should've been just a digital game.
The board was the only "board game" element in this example and the phones on the board look ugly.
+Jean Laurant Not much into innovation are you? They are trying a new hybrid of electronics and board games. Why bash it without even experiencing it?
+chuckm1961 Sorry if I somehow offended you, but I wasn't really "bashing" anything.
I just wrote what I thought while watching the video .
Also I'd love to see innovation in board games without digital medium.
I'm okay with people creating / enjoying games with apps but personally I'm not interested in those external gimmicks because I like board games for things like unique game mechanics and cool strategies.
Using apps for mechanics or things like rolling dice is not a good idea in my opinion but I don't feel like starting a discussion in the comment section , so please ignore that.
+Jean Laurant The reason I jumped on you was because you clearly have decided that board games and apps/electronics should not mix. And I think that's a strange and archaic way to think. Nothing horrible will happen ... there will still be pure board games with complexity. I love ALL types of board games and love to see the pallette of possibilities expand.
+chuckm1961 Cool. I'll just keep enjoying games in the style that haven't changed since hundreds of years ago.
I just love the style as well as the contents (mechanics, strategies, etc) and things like playing cards / moving wooden pieces make me happy.
Really don't see the point of the board. It would be much simpler and less gimmicky to just have it as an online app game.
Don't you think this is a lot more interactive? You physically interact with the players, on a board, via the phone. It's totally different.
+TheMrE you physical interact with people anyway and all the action takes place on screen. The board doesn't enhance that. You could get the same effect sitting next to each other with two phones
+Scott3387 No, it would ruin the immersion and theme. (Does e.g. King of Tokyo need the board and standees? No, it's a simple dice and card game, you could indicate which player is in Tokyo with a simple token. But the board and standees makes it more immersive for the players.)
no component drop and no gavel strike.... im disappointed in you, Tom! ;)
Why not just play a video game?
Because it's a different game?
+TheMrE For some games that might be true, but this game looked way too much like a videogame with a board instead of a button you'd press to view the map. As a boardgame it'd probably be too complex with all the randomness that being an app provides, but there was very little that made this a boardgame other than the box coming with a board.
+larflabergasted It has a board. You move on the board, pick up loot, encounter monsters and fight battles. Sounds similar to a TON of boardgames that simply use cards to do the same and to keep track of defense, attacks, health, etc. No difference whatsoever.
+Blaine Hubbard Cause you can play with some other guys, look at their face, see a smile...
+Blaine Hubbard think of a kid that is always with his/her smartphone.
This would be a way to make him/her use it in a very social way.
Ah, great, I was wondering what happened to that game.
This is so cool.
What a gimmiky game. Basically its an excuse to sell a box with a map in it. No wonder this was in the bargain bin.
I wish i could find it in the bargin bin here in the uk..