Oathsworn is a game that constantly pulls me back in, when I have a lot of other games. Currently on chapter 7. I love dice rolling but sometimes I find myself using the cards instead. I am enjoying all aspects of the game, including painting the miniatures. I don't reveal the next one until I have played the story and then have a few days while I paint the boss. Love it!
I have the game, and nothing else I own comes anywhere near how much I love it. Gloomhaven sits there looking unloved along with KDM and a broad range of classic games. My kids hassle me to play the next chapter …. None of them have ever done this. It is the only genuine spinal tap score system rating I have 11/10 😇
@Patrick White I play with my wife my 13 year old daughter and 17 year old son. I played KDM pretty far in LY, but usually ended up getting distracted by other games. Oathsworns battle system just blows KDM away for me, as its just simply more fun. I love KDM btw. and have Aeons Trespass Odyssey coming soonish. The company have made it clear that they will be making more content for Oathsworn. KDM is lets say a little slow at doing that :P
@Patrick White Both to be honest. The story seeds some of the tokens you get for the fight as well as whether you start ambushed, or with some advantage etc. The actual boss battle section is fantastic though. The rules are tight, and the push your luck element is offset by a great system which allows you to gain bonuses on the next fight phase. The combat so far has always left us feeling we could have 'wiped' but didn't i.e. it was a very tight and solid experience. The AI system for the bosses is inspired by KDM, but I think is better as you essentially get reactions from the boss if you are hyper aggressive. This means you have to think about when to strike as much as how to strike. On the table if you have the mini version with scenery the game is a joy to look at (I paint mine). As others have said we do the story one night, then I paint up the boss for a later night. The story is all handled through the app (although you can do via a book) ... its read by James Cosmo and is very well written with plenty of choices and dice/condition checks. When I've finished this I'll still have a lot of unused characters for a later playthrough. I do suspect we will play all the way to the end :)
Agree. Got Gloomhaven and KDM too (we also once owned all-in sundrop Tainted Grail). Oathsworn overshadows all of them and we just won’t look back to games anymore that don’t meet this new standard.
@Patrick White We like both settlement and combat aspects. Oathsworn has a bit of the settlement aspect in the narrative, where you gather companions and return to your 'base', which is very alive and characters you interact with, save or who join interact with you in various ways in your base (tavern). But Oathsworn doesn't have the base building aspect, which is why we are interested in Darkest Dungeon. I'm aware Frosthaven has now included a base building aspect. However, the Gloomhaven franchise is narratively void and economically broken, so we won't bother giving it our time. I potentially regret not backing Darkest Dungeon, but the reviews are yet to come. The reason I didn't back Darkest Dungeon was that the pledge bundle options forced me to get things I didn't want and had to pay too much for what I wanted. It felt cash-grabby and not customer friendly. The lack of flexibility led me to abandon Darkest Dungeons all together.
I am probably going for the standee version (unpopular opinion I know) but the shelf space of the miniatures is not doable for me and the game/narration really pulls me in. I saw some standee photos and give me a Gloomhaven vibe (colored and nice drawings) which I like
I missed this game the first KS and I am so glad the second KS is coming soon. I am currently waiting for ISSV to ship and its been real interesting watching its rating. Its only has around 700 ratings at the moment(English Wave 1 still has several regions waiting on copies) but its setting at an average rating of 9.02. I think it's going to be interesting to see where these two games end up over the next several months.
I wonder how much more the second campaign will end up costing compared to the first. Inflation is insane right now. Guess we'll find out in a few days.
If the standee price is around $149 I will go for it. I could see the miniatures version being $250+. Then there's the extra new content to consider as well.
Some points I found very interesting with this game are as follow: - The stories AND the encounters feel very different each chapters (only played the first 4 chapters); - The rewards from encounters feel flavorful and exciting to get. They only have a little edge over the "common" items, nothing game breaking; - Encounters require a certain level of tactics, but the turns are not too long. ( I don't consider our group to be hardcore board gamers ); - (a bit of a follow-up from point 1) the encounters are super interesting and feel fresh each time. - The way they made lower amount of player not a burden. (their "companion" characters "simpler version of a full character controlled by a player" without making them weak); *** - This game make me care about what's happening and the characters (even the allies (very minor characters)); *** Some elements I feel are weird for companions, but I guess, at this point, house rulings could fix them for me. - Of course, there's some elements I don't like about this game, but what game is perfect right?
I’ve only played the first boss so far, but I’m fairly confident you could replay them a number of times and still have a lot of fun. For the story, there is so much we left uncovered in the mad dash to find the boss in the first mission. It felt like we had only visited maybe a sixth of the possible destinations.
I’m really curious about this one because of all the hype but the more I learn about it I still haven’t found anything that really hooks me. I think it’s what you said at the end, it’s everything we’ve seen before just maybe done better and it’s hard to get a feel for that without actually playing a session. One thing that’s pretty compelling is the reviewers that have come in with a bias against it and still came out with a positive review. Definitely keeping an eye out for the campaign this week, I think it may come down to pricing, shipping, etc. I may well end up waiting for Jaws of the Deepwood.
I feel the same. If people are still talking about it years down the line, I'll pick it up. I already have Tidal Blades 2 and Arydia coming, Oathsworn won't get tabled until those are done
we've played 3 scenarios so far, and its so incredibly well done, i agree with your sentiment, that its extremely polished. I've liked everything about it so far, everything except monster movement, and how they push characters/big circle bases on a hex board, wasn't the best choice IMO. but, that doesn't bring the overall experience down at all. One thing i'll say though, is while we love fighting the epic bosses and we are painting them as we go along, it feels like a lot of work, for one big fight and you might never see that mini in the game again, so the standee version might actually be better in that regard.
9 chapters in and I can honestly say this is the best boardgame I’ve ever played, it’s got elements of so many games I’ve enjoyed (Conan with the resource spend, Gloomhaven with the card play, KDM with the boss battles and also includes a great narrative story that equals many other titles)
@Patrick White I feel like that is a bit reductive. That is like saying "Aren't you just getting points to beat the other players?" for any other board game. The feel and experience of Oathsworn is SO well done. My one complaint is you don't unlock enough abilities for each class ass you level the way you do in Gloomhaven.
I absolutely LOVE this game! Currently we are in Chapter 10, just finished the story and will do the encounter next time we play. The variety of bosses, and how they fight, the excellent story, and the character options are incredible. This is one of my favorite games of all time and the best campaign I have ever played.
I think these things are innovative: companion system so game is balanced for 4 but you don't have to play 4 full characters, (also allows kids and non-gamers to join more easily), battleflow card system, letting players choose dice or cards and even count cards for those so inclined, and maybe the level of variety in the bosses and their AI.
The companion system is definitely innovative and should become fully industry standard. I’m waiting for Aeon Trespass: Odyssey, and now I’m sad that I’ll have to actually play all four characters the old fashioned way.
Disagree with number 1 slot for oathsworn, but I can't stand gloomhaven. I was bored out of my mind playing it (unpopular opinion, I know). So yeah anything on number 1 spot other than Gloomhaven will be great
The thing that turns me immediately off is that hex map where the miniatures seem kinda lost and floating around, seemingly very disconnected from the background graphic. It doesn't pull me in at all.
Hm… if this is a story driven dungeon crawler, I’m not sure I should go for it. One of the most important things in a story game (at least for me) is having some agency over what happens - according to the way you described it, it might not be that. Regarding the combat system, Gloomhaven is still the best of the bunch with the only caveat being late-game balance, which will hopefully be fixed in Frosthaven. Oathsworns design here seems interesting, but it kinda stops there. What I’m trying to say is, it’s hard to justify spending a LOT on a single game that seems to excel at neither of its two core aspects - especially when there are other games that to a similar thing arguably better for a cheaper price.
You can forget the ratings on Boardgamegeek, as there is way too much hype included in those ratings. I don't know, why BGG allows ratings prior to delivery/release of a game. This should be a simple fix for the website. The counter ratings of 1 due to too many 10s are just as silly/useless. I would like to see a more diversified rating system. One separate rating combining ratings done by professional reviewers like you. For community ratings: make these ratings searchable by age of people, other games they liked, ... This would be WAAAYYY better and more meaningful than any of the current rating systems out there.
I got interested in this when I started playing Too Many Bones over the summer (my first rpg style board game). How does the gameplay compare between Shadowborne and tmb, or is it apples and oranges? Also, I am inclined to go for the cheaper, space saving standee version. Is there any reason to go for the miniatures? (Less fiddly moving around the board, etc)
Thanks for sharing! Been anxiously awaiting to hear your opinion of Oathsworn. It was my most anticipated game for 2022. I have now played 9 chapters (solo, with 4 full heroes) and it has greatly exceeded my expectations. It hits on A LOT of the cylinders that personally make for a game fun for me. I greatly enjoy just about everything about Oathsworn. I would change, or enhance, a few things, but all are minor. Currently my favorite for 2022 and maybe my over all number one. Time will tell. (Also, it has already blown away Gloomhaven for me.)
@@francoisgodbout6835 I played 3-4 chapters with 2 full/2 companion heroes, until I had all of the rules correct. Playing 4 full characters maybe added 20 minutes to gameplay, but worth it to me. A couple of considerations, it takes mor table space and adds complexity. To help with table space, I put cards at stages 1-2-3 along the top of the player boards. Definitely saves space and works better too, IMHO.
@@BoardGameCo ditto this! (and thanks for a good review btw) Would love to hear your 2 cents on a quick comparison. I have backed all-in on Primal, and chose not to back Oathsworn because of this, as both were "boss-battlers". I am well aware that the story aspect of Oathsworn sets it apart, but as someone who have actually played the Primal prototype, how do you think the mechanics of the boss fights compare in terms of puzzliness, flow and overall enjoyment?
The game is really good, however I feel that their are several character classes that are similar and I am not sure the level ups are actually do anything for certain characters. Completely opposite how I felt about the character classes in Gloomhaven, were you were looking forward to that level and how you character evolved. On the other hand the Story is what I am looking forward too even time I play Oathsworne, were the Gloomhaven story was average at best.
How does this compare with Tainted Grail Kings of Ruin as far as gameplay, mechanics and story immersion? If you only could choose one, which would it be
I want to experience this one, but I'm really hoping they will offer the standee version this time around too. I'm not sure the minis are worth the storage space considering I have Stormsunder and a nearly all in of Marvel Zombicide headed my way.
Just to steer this pot, these minis are in a scale that I wish all other games would be. Stormsunder minis are cool and with lots of details, but I wish they were Oathsworn-sized. In that light, Ravaged Star (also LSG) looks even better, also riding on a larger scale.
@@bjhale Fully agreed. I'm considering this game but even if I get it, it will be with standees as the miniatures are in an off scale that doesn't fit with everything else I have...
I don't put much weight in the bgg rankings. Gloomhaven is good but nowhere close to best game ever (imo subjective for each player), Oathsworn is probably the same (maybe very good). The game is expensive, even with standees. The game is also too much for Solo. Too big, too much to table, etc. I'll probably pass on this again.
It's great that the game rates so highly, but considering the story-based nature of the game, is it replayable really? Or are you spending this much for one pass through it?
Thanks for the timely review. I have my eye on the crowdfunding campaign and am lucky that I get a chance to play the first scenario next weekend before making a decision. Maybe you said this and I didn’t catch it - do you prefer using the dice or the cards for combat?
I kept hearing how good the story was, and the people saying that meant "what a good story", not "what a good gaming experience the story is". But if I want a story I'll read a book. Tainted Grail had a much better integrated story, where the choices meant something. (It has other problems though.) We'll likely try the second chapter story too, then skip if it doesn't feel any better, and just do the encounter.
I actually tend to not like narrative games and usually game for the mechanisms, wanting a good puzzle and strategy. The story phase does really pull me in so they're definitely doing it well for me at least. You're right that so far I don't really feel the decisions there matter too much, but it's a great experience for me.
@@MichaliSarris Yeah, I'm not into narrative games. Which is why although Tainted Grail has a good story, it didn't keep me playing it: the mechanisms are too repetitive and not interesting enough.
If that's your jam, why don't you try the instant action mode instead? It provides a much shorter version of the story, with linear branching, and allows you to collect tokens, take dmg bf each encounter, and have some understanding regarding the overarching campaign.
If you have multiple campaign games in your library that you haven't played yet. Is it better to start with one that has the best rating/reviews or the lesser rated/reviewed games? Does playing the "better" game first make you not start and/or finish the other games? (I use quotes for better because it's mostly subjective.) For me, playing HeroQuest after playing Descent, Sword & Sorcery, and others that are similar makes me not want to finish HeroQuest. Just curious if that's the same sentiments if playing Oathsworn before Dungeon Universalis or Chronicles of Drunagor. (And yes, I know they all bring different things to the table.) Just wondering what your experiences have been when you play a "better" game.
I think not everyone will have the exact same sorting of what the best to worst is. But even so I don’t have much interest in re-playing campaigns. So a new 8 is better than going through a 9 again.
(TLDR) Ignore the FOMO, enjoy what you have, and move on when you are ready. Unless you have unlimited funds or time, this will be waiting for you when you are done. Someone will be happy to take your money for a copy of the game, but you might get a much better deal second hand, you might change your mind, and, in the end, YOU might prefer those games already on your shelf anyhow. You won't know until you play them all, but you can't play them all at once... I would say that you should play what you have. I don't have that many campaign games on the go (I've backed the standee version of this, and am now pushing to finish my 2 handed solo run of gloomhaven.. which I really like...I played jotl twice before getting the monster og), BUT, I have a lot of other good games, and love (and consistently replay) my ahlcg campaigns. What I have learned (in my relatively short, 4 year, board game career), is that there is only so much time to play so many good games. Amd there are LOT of really good games. This will be available again, or second hand when you are done with what you have.
Im actually at encounter 6 with my friend and i drove to him every time with 3 boxes + encouter that we playing and the next one (my wife gives me numbers and symbols if needed from encouter book). Anyway i gave it for now 10/10. Only Sleeping Gods and Kings dilemma got this rating.
I have played the game solo to end of chapter 9 with full 4-characters without much difficulty. I am perfectly happy with the core/standee version and my only complaint has been some of the push to fit miniatures full apart given slightest excuse. I am currently taking a break to glue and paint my four Oathsworn. The heroes are very large (~60mm) and joy to paint.
Fantastic game. currently on chapter 14. Love every second of it and such the huge variety in the story modes. Easily best story mode in any campaign game I played. quite a lot of different mechanics from (slight spoilers) invesigating around a city to find a cult, infiltrating a camp by invading from four different directions, trying to navigate the deepwood with your party with limited rations trying not to have your allies starve to death. Yeah a lot of the choices end up in the same spot, but depending on what you p ick you could be a different of losing an hp or getting some combat tokens. There are some chapters that have 2 paths where they are actually completely different (two chapters I tried both paths just to see how different they are, and it is completely.) The voice acting in the app is incredible. I would highly recommend doing the story and not the preset one. I think you would be missing out of a lot. Also I hijghly recommend gluing the oathsworn minis together (minus the arms). I found the push fit kept falling out, but after gluing it they no longer fall out and works as intended.
we are on chapter 13 now and right not its my top one game out of the 200 games I own(or did play) and I have only the standee version with 3D printed terrain. the story and the dark world is just my thing as it so much brings Berserk to mind.
The easy response for me as a former "gamer". I love rpg type games like this because of the feel of the experience throughout and I feel less and less excited about holding "the sticks" and quickly jumping through cut scenes and text I don't care about. Board games give me what I want more than video games
Looks like a great game... for people into that genre of games but I already thought Gloomhaven was just ok (great card play hampered by pretty much everything else) so this looks also ok to me.
I will say, I’m not really into these types of games. I absolutely bounced off Gloomhaven. Generally speaking other large miniature games haven’t grabbed me yet. It’s good enough that I love it even though I don’t love other games like it.
@@shanerion For sure, there is always a chance I would too but I'm not willing to take that risk based on cost :p Like I'm pretty I will not love zombicide but I will take that chance on that heroes resistance box at $35
I wouldnt say it is better no. KDM probably has some of the best AI ive played in a board game. It is still really good though. And there is a mechnic in the game where the next ability card is always visible so you know what the boss is going to do and you can try to avoid the attack / mitigate it as best as you can.
I have a question. I love dungeon crawlers and have a lot of them. KDM, Descent, Jaws of the Lion, Gloomhaven, LOTR Journeys in Middle Earth, Middara, Mansion of Madness, Destinies, Dark Tower, Return to Dark Tower 7th continent, Tainted grail and a bunch of others. I'm interested in this game - but unfortunately (despite really trying) I hate Gloomhaven. I just am not good at it and constantly run out of cards and end up just getting frustrated. The people I play with feel the same - way too much thinking and way too punishing when running out of cards. So I have to ask - is this game like that? It sounds like it. Card management to an extent is fine, but it goes way too far with Gloomhaven. But I love all the other games I listed. I particularly love Middara.
I’ve played the entire campaign. In my opinion, your choices matter. Even ones you think do not. Didn’t you get to Chapter 5 yet? That’s when I had my first inkling.
I’m gonna wait on this. Most reviews complain of the figures falling apart, the bosses being too big, and the terrain getting in the way. They need a middle of the road version with less toys but more than standees
By knocking BGG for their ranking system you are knocking yourself. I am thankful that BGG uses their own experience as a function of the ranking and I give their number more weight than a nebulous mass of people that make up the average ranking. Just as I would give your opinion much more weight than the average person. I assume that to ensure that the rankings remain legitimate they weigh in on the game as experts. Putting in zeros??.... come on Alex.... you have no idea how BGG calculates their rankings. BGG input is important because so many people that like a game will give it a 10 which is lazy and throws off the scoring for those who carefully consider their ranking. The same happens if someone doesn't like a game they might give it a zero which is again very lazy. I believe that is an accurate assumption that most people don't want to put in the work which requires careful consideration and considerable experience with games in general.
You can organize your game group in a way that you end your game session between story and encounter. That way you can paint after reveal the secret and before meeting the group again.
Is the gameplay in Oathsworm the standee version limited or constricted in any way when compared the the minis version? like with the swapping of the armor and weapons for example?
I liked gloomhaven but the long set up, class changing and the standee enemies eventually turned me off from the game and caused me to sell it. However I find myself liking MD2 due to the visual aspect and the fairly simple play style. Im trying to expand my catalog on campaign/story games and have recently ordered descent legends of the dark. Do you feel that Descent is a game that can hold its weight against a behemoth like Oathsworn if I’m craving for something deeper than MD2? Oathsworn is giving off Gloomhaven vibes which is a mixed bag for me, but I’m also just wanting another game that has a bit more “player driven choice” aspect than MD2 with an enjoyable combat system.
Glad you got round to playing this one Alex! Have to completely agree with you here, I'm 10 chapters in and this has shot to the top of my favourite board games. It's completely killed gloomhaven for me to the point that I sold my copy of Gloomhaven and don't regret it.
I did not know Oathsworn, so when I saw 'Perhaps the best board game of all time' I wanted to know what it was, but unfortunately your review only confirmed that these kinds of games are not my thing, I even got bored listening to you talking about the game and that is not because of you talking, you are a great reviewer. Story-driven games and Dungeon-Crawlers are not my thing, though I admire and respect all the effort the creators put in creating those stories. I tried Gloomhaven and I just did not have the feeling I was playing a board game, I sold Near and Far because I got bored having to look through that book the whole time, the same with This War of Mine, but in my younger years I also did not like Final Fantasy because I did not have the feeling I was playing a computergame.
Hey everyone anyone looking for a complete set of CMON’s Hate board game??? nEW condition I am looking for the complete set of 2021 hero quest and all the expansions. Willing to trade!
@@mattyouyou2590 yes it is!!! I got Oathsworn with expectation of it replacing KDM for me, but this are major issues with this game for me that will prevent that from happening. I enjoy Oathsworn, but KDM and Shadows of Brimstone riegn supreme.
Totally respect that, at the same time everyone is different. I have yet to play an RPG that I actually enjoyed, and I think that's just my own preferences.
This game is so good that even my 2y olds keep asking for it.
Well... almost... they run to my desk and ask for the bear.
Oathsworn is a game that constantly pulls me back in, when I have a lot of other games. Currently on chapter 7. I love dice rolling but sometimes I find myself using the cards instead. I am enjoying all aspects of the game, including painting the miniatures. I don't reveal the next one until I have played the story and then have a few days while I paint the boss. Love it!
I have the game, and nothing else I own comes anywhere near how much I love it. Gloomhaven sits there looking unloved along with KDM and a broad range of classic games. My kids hassle me to play the next chapter …. None of them have ever done this. It is the only genuine spinal tap score system rating I have 11/10 😇
@Patrick White I play with my wife my 13 year old daughter and 17 year old son. I played KDM pretty far in LY, but usually ended up getting distracted by other games. Oathsworns battle system just blows KDM away for me, as its just simply more fun. I love KDM btw. and have Aeons Trespass Odyssey coming soonish. The company have made it clear that they will be making more content for Oathsworn. KDM is lets say a little slow at doing that :P
@Patrick White Both to be honest. The story seeds some of the tokens you get for the fight as well as whether you start ambushed, or with some advantage etc. The actual boss battle section is fantastic though. The rules are tight, and the push your luck element is offset by a great system which allows you to gain bonuses on the next fight phase. The combat so far has always left us feeling we could have 'wiped' but didn't i.e. it was a very tight and solid experience. The AI system for the bosses is inspired by KDM, but I think is better as you essentially get reactions from the boss if you are hyper aggressive. This means you have to think about when to strike as much as how to strike. On the table if you have the mini version with scenery the game is a joy to look at (I paint mine). As others have said we do the story one night, then I paint up the boss for a later night. The story is all handled through the app (although you can do via a book) ... its read by James Cosmo and is very well written with plenty of choices and dice/condition checks. When I've finished this I'll still have a lot of unused characters for a later playthrough. I do suspect we will play all the way to the end :)
Agree. Got Gloomhaven and KDM too (we also once owned all-in sundrop Tainted Grail). Oathsworn overshadows all of them and we just won’t look back to games anymore that don’t meet this new standard.
Lol. K
@Patrick White We like both settlement and combat aspects. Oathsworn has a bit of the settlement aspect in the narrative, where you gather companions and return to your 'base', which is very alive and characters you interact with, save or who join interact with you in various ways in your base (tavern). But Oathsworn doesn't have the base building aspect, which is why we are interested in Darkest Dungeon. I'm aware Frosthaven has now included a base building aspect. However, the Gloomhaven franchise is narratively void and economically broken, so we won't bother giving it our time. I potentially regret not backing Darkest Dungeon, but the reviews are yet to come. The reason I didn't back Darkest Dungeon was that the pledge bundle options forced me to get things I didn't want and had to pay too much for what I wanted. It felt cash-grabby and not customer friendly. The lack of flexibility led me to abandon Darkest Dungeons all together.
I am probably going for the standee version (unpopular opinion I know) but the shelf space of the miniatures is not doable for me and the game/narration really pulls me in.
I saw some standee photos and give me a Gloomhaven vibe (colored and nice drawings) which I like
I missed this game the first KS and I am so glad the second KS is coming soon. I am currently waiting for ISSV to ship and its been real interesting watching its rating. Its only has around 700 ratings at the moment(English Wave 1 still has several regions waiting on copies) but its setting at an average rating of 9.02.
I think it's going to be interesting to see where these two games end up over the next several months.
Hey Daniel, the 2nd kickstarter is live. Just backed it myself, don't miss out!
@@adam551982 Thanks already backed, not a mini person so I went standee.
What is Issv?
@@Alloniya ISS Vanguard by Awakens Realms
I wonder how much more the second campaign will end up costing compared to the first. Inflation is insane right now. Guess we'll find out in a few days.
0:39 Ok thank you sir, video concluded right here
Thanks for the review.
I'm so excited for the 2. printing. I hope the price does not increase too much.
This has me worried too!
I'm expecting a huge jump especially since they had to ask backers for more money the first time around
If the standee price is around $149 I will go for it. I could see the miniatures version being $250+. Then there's the extra new content to consider as well.
Some points I found very interesting with this game are as follow:
- The stories AND the encounters feel very different each chapters (only played the first 4 chapters);
- The rewards from encounters feel flavorful and exciting to get. They only have a little edge over the "common" items, nothing game breaking;
- Encounters require a certain level of tactics, but the turns are not too long. ( I don't consider our group to be hardcore board gamers );
- (a bit of a follow-up from point 1) the encounters are super interesting and feel fresh each time.
- The way they made lower amount of player not a burden. (their "companion" characters "simpler version of a full character controlled by a player" without making them weak); ***
- This game make me care about what's happening and the characters (even the allies (very minor characters));
*** Some elements I feel are weird for companions, but I guess, at this point, house rulings could fix them for me.
- Of course, there's some elements I don't like about this game, but what game is perfect right?
How many bosses do you fight in Oathsworn? Do you beat them once and that's it? Or can you fight with them again and still have fun?
I’ve only played the first boss so far, but I’m fairly confident you could replay them a number of times and still have a lot of fun.
For the story, there is so much we left uncovered in the mad dash to find the boss in the first mission. It felt like we had only visited maybe a sixth of the possible destinations.
I’m really curious about this one because of all the hype but the more I learn about it I still haven’t found anything that really hooks me. I think it’s what you said at the end, it’s everything we’ve seen before just maybe done better and it’s hard to get a feel for that without actually playing a session.
One thing that’s pretty compelling is the reviewers that have come in with a bias against it and still came out with a positive review. Definitely keeping an eye out for the campaign this week, I think it may come down to pricing, shipping, etc.
I may well end up waiting for Jaws of the Deepwood.
Don’t wait for “Jaws of the Deepwood”. You’ll be waiting a long time. If you’re really skeptical, get the standee version. It really is good.
@@shanerion the FOMO is real
I feel the same. If people are still talking about it years down the line, I'll pick it up. I already have Tidal Blades 2 and Arydia coming, Oathsworn won't get tabled until those are done
Also don't buy into the fomo (easier said than done I know). It's fine to wait, play games for you not for others.
Iss vanguard is building up momentum as well. Think i wil join late pledge on Oathsworn this Tuesday. Great video 👍
we've played 3 scenarios so far, and its so incredibly well done, i agree with your sentiment, that its extremely polished. I've liked everything about it so far, everything except monster movement, and how they push characters/big circle bases on a hex board, wasn't the best choice IMO. but, that doesn't bring the overall experience down at all. One thing i'll say though, is while we love fighting the epic bosses and we are painting them as we go along, it feels like a lot of work, for one big fight and you might never see that mini in the game again, so the standee version might actually be better in that regard.
Wow. That's quite the title. Can't wait to watch this one
Lol, when it fits it fits...
Struggling to decide on this one still. Mostly because of time vs number of campaign games.
I’m 3 chapters in and I’ve never had this much fun or immersion in a game before.
Glad to hear :)
9 chapters in and I can honestly say this is the best boardgame I’ve ever played, it’s got elements of so many games I’ve enjoyed (Conan with the resource spend, Gloomhaven with the card play, KDM with the boss battles and also includes a great narrative story that equals many other titles)
@Patrick White I feel like that is a bit reductive. That is like saying "Aren't you just getting points to beat the other players?" for any other board game. The feel and experience of Oathsworn is SO well done. My one complaint is you don't unlock enough abilities for each class ass you level the way you do in Gloomhaven.
Thanks for the review, Alex 😊
Happy to help :)
I absolutely LOVE this game! Currently we are in Chapter 10, just finished the story and will do the encounter next time we play. The variety of bosses, and how they fight, the excellent story, and the character options are incredible. This is one of my favorite games of all time and the best campaign I have ever played.
Agree, the best narrative and campaign in a boardgame I’ve ever played.
I think these things are innovative: companion system so game is balanced for 4 but you don't have to play 4 full characters, (also allows kids and non-gamers to join more easily), battleflow card system, letting players choose dice or cards and even count cards for those so inclined, and maybe the level of variety in the bosses and their AI.
The companion system is definitely innovative and should become fully industry standard. I’m waiting for Aeon Trespass: Odyssey, and now I’m sad that I’ll have to actually play all four characters the old fashioned way.
Oathsworn really does deserve to take the number one slot from Gloomhaven. I hope it does.
Disagree with number 1 slot for oathsworn, but I can't stand gloomhaven. I was bored out of my mind playing it (unpopular opinion, I know). So yeah anything on number 1 spot other than Gloomhaven will be great
@Alex
Even though they are different genres, which game do you like better: Assassins Creed Brotherhood of Venice or Oathsworn?
The thing that turns me immediately off is that hex map where the miniatures seem kinda lost and floating around, seemingly very disconnected from the background graphic. It doesn't pull me in at all.
You mentioned it in passing during the video, but how would you compare this and wild assent lavon rising? Which do you prefer?
Ooh...too soon to tell... possibly this...
Hm… if this is a story driven dungeon crawler, I’m not sure I should go for it.
One of the most important things in a story game (at least for me) is having some agency over what happens - according to the way you described it, it might not be that.
Regarding the combat system, Gloomhaven is still the best of the bunch with the only caveat being late-game balance, which will hopefully be fixed in Frosthaven. Oathsworns design here seems interesting, but it kinda stops there.
What I’m trying to say is, it’s hard to justify spending a LOT on a single game that seems to excel at neither of its two core aspects - especially when there are other games that to a similar thing arguably better for a cheaper price.
Can't decide which KS to pledge: Oathsworn or Heroes of Might & Magic III board game. I can't get both 😬
You can forget the ratings on Boardgamegeek, as there is way too much hype included in those ratings. I don't know, why BGG allows ratings prior to delivery/release of a game. This should be a simple fix for the website. The counter ratings of 1 due to too many 10s are just as silly/useless.
I would like to see a more diversified rating system.
One separate rating combining ratings done by professional reviewers like you. For community ratings: make these ratings searchable by age of people, other games they liked, ...
This would be WAAAYYY better and more meaningful than any of the current rating systems out there.
*probably best rated on BGG so far
Yep :)
I got interested in this when I started playing Too Many Bones over the summer (my first rpg style board game). How does the gameplay compare between Shadowborne and tmb, or is it apples and oranges? Also, I am inclined to go for the cheaper, space saving standee version. Is there any reason to go for the miniatures? (Less fiddly moving around the board, etc)
Apples and oranges, I prefer tmb :)
Thanks for sharing! Been anxiously awaiting to hear your opinion of Oathsworn.
It was my most anticipated game for 2022. I have now played 9 chapters (solo, with 4 full heroes) and it has greatly exceeded my expectations. It hits on A LOT of the cylinders that personally make for a game fun for me. I greatly enjoy just about everything about Oathsworn. I would change, or enhance, a few things, but all are minor. Currently my favorite for 2022 and maybe my over all number one. Time will tell. (Also, it has already blown away Gloomhaven for me.)
With 4 full heroes?? How is the experience? What is your average playtime for a boss encounter? Thanks :D
@@francoisgodbout6835 I played 3-4 chapters with 2 full/2 companion heroes, until I had all of the rules correct. Playing 4 full characters maybe added 20 minutes to gameplay, but worth it to me. A couple of considerations, it takes mor table space and adds complexity. To help with table space, I put cards at stages 1-2-3 along the top of the player boards. Definitely saves space and works better too, IMHO.
12 chapters done. 12 different encounters (boss fights) mechanism… real tactics and wonderful adventures with choices and stress, emotions…
I agree with the title! Will watch later today
1:44 Nobody knows BGG’s exact system. It is a secret.
Yep :)
Thank you!
Would looove a comparison with Primal, why are you so high on that game
I love Primal :) From what I saw at least :)
@@BoardGameCo ditto this! (and thanks for a good review btw) Would love to hear your 2 cents on a quick comparison. I have backed all-in on Primal, and chose not to back Oathsworn because of this, as both were "boss-battlers". I am well aware that the story aspect of Oathsworn sets it apart, but as someone who have actually played the Primal prototype, how do you think the mechanics of the boss fights compare in terms of puzzliness, flow and overall enjoyment?
Ty for the video!
The game is really good, however I feel that their are several character classes that are similar and I am not sure the level ups are actually do anything for certain characters. Completely opposite how I felt about the character classes in Gloomhaven, were you were looking forward to that level and how you character evolved. On the other hand the Story is what I am looking forward too even time I play Oathsworne, were the Gloomhaven story was average at best.
Only classes that I recognize as similar where Warden and Penitent at low levels.
Still need to start it… jees need more time but this one looks fantastic
How does this compare with Tainted Grail Kings of Ruin as far as gameplay, mechanics and story immersion? If you only could choose one, which would it be
After 2 months of constant HC playing and 3 weeks pause we are back in and hungry for 2nd playthrough. Hands down my favorite board game.
Glad to hear :)
I want to experience this one, but I'm really hoping they will offer the standee version this time around too. I'm not sure the minis are worth the storage space considering I have Stormsunder and a nearly all in of Marvel Zombicide headed my way.
They have confirmed they are, so good news!
Just to steer this pot, these minis are in a scale that I wish all other games would be. Stormsunder minis are cool and with lots of details, but I wish they were Oathsworn-sized. In that light, Ravaged Star (also LSG) looks even better, also riding on a larger scale.
@@JohnHoliver Whereas I wish the opposite. I want my minis 28-30mm to better fit with my D&D minis and terrain.
@@bjhale Fully agreed. I'm considering this game but even if I get it, it will be with standees as the miniatures are in an off scale that doesn't fit with everything else I have...
I don't put much weight in the bgg rankings. Gloomhaven is good but nowhere close to best game ever (imo subjective for each player), Oathsworn is probably the same (maybe very good). The game is expensive, even with standees. The game is also too much for Solo. Too big, too much to table, etc. I'll probably pass on this again.
It's great that the game rates so highly, but considering the story-based nature of the game, is it replayable really? Or are you spending this much for one pass through it?
I find replay value in this game very low personally. It is 0 replay value for me. I know a lot would disagree.
Does the game play well with a single main character with 2 or 3 companion characters, for solo play?
Yes
Thanks for the timely review. I have my eye on the crowdfunding campaign and am lucky that I get a chance to play the first scenario next weekend before making a decision.
Maybe you said this and I didn’t catch it - do you prefer using the dice or the cards for combat?
I kept hearing how good the story was, and the people saying that meant "what a good story", not "what a good gaming experience the story is". But if I want a story I'll read a book. Tainted Grail had a much better integrated story, where the choices meant something. (It has other problems though.) We'll likely try the second chapter story too, then skip if it doesn't feel any better, and just do the encounter.
I actually tend to not like narrative games and usually game for the mechanisms, wanting a good puzzle and strategy. The story phase does really pull me in so they're definitely doing it well for me at least. You're right that so far I don't really feel the decisions there matter too much, but it's a great experience for me.
@@MichaliSarris Yeah, I'm not into narrative games. Which is why although Tainted Grail has a good story, it didn't keep me playing it: the mechanisms are too repetitive and not interesting enough.
If that's your jam, why don't you try the instant action mode instead? It provides a much shorter version of the story, with linear branching, and allows you to collect tokens, take dmg bf each encounter, and have some understanding regarding the overarching campaign.
If you have multiple campaign games in your library that you haven't played yet. Is it better to start with one that has the best rating/reviews or the lesser rated/reviewed games? Does playing the "better" game first make you not start and/or finish the other games? (I use quotes for better because it's mostly subjective.) For me, playing HeroQuest after playing Descent, Sword & Sorcery, and others that are similar makes me not want to finish HeroQuest. Just curious if that's the same sentiments if playing Oathsworn before Dungeon Universalis or Chronicles of Drunagor. (And yes, I know they all bring different things to the table.) Just wondering what your experiences have been when you play a "better" game.
I think not everyone will have the exact same sorting of what the best to worst is. But even so I don’t have much interest in re-playing campaigns. So a new 8 is better than going through a 9 again.
(TLDR) Ignore the FOMO, enjoy what you have, and move on when you are ready. Unless you have unlimited funds or time, this will be waiting for you when you are done. Someone will be happy to take your money for a copy of the game, but you might get a much better deal second hand, you might change your mind, and, in the end, YOU might prefer those games already on your shelf anyhow. You won't know until you play them all, but you can't play them all at once...
I would say that you should play what you have. I don't have that many campaign games on the go (I've backed the standee version of this, and am now pushing to finish my 2 handed solo run of gloomhaven.. which I really like...I played jotl twice before getting the monster og), BUT, I have a lot of other good games, and love (and consistently replay) my ahlcg campaigns.
What I have learned (in my relatively short, 4 year, board game career), is that there is only so much time to play so many good games. Amd there are LOT of really good games. This will be available again, or second hand when you are done with what you have.
@BoardGameCo: Great review, but…
Where could I get your Cthulhu Sailing t-shirt?
Teeturtle :)
@@BoardGameCo TY!
What chapter are you up to? Your story mode choices definitely DO MATTER. Don’t want to spoil anything…
What the. Wow, quite the title Alex
Lol yep :) Gotta use those infrequently :)
Im actually at encounter 6 with my friend and i drove to him every time with 3 boxes + encouter that we playing and the next one (my wife gives me numbers and symbols if needed from encouter book). Anyway i gave it for now 10/10. Only Sleeping Gods and Kings dilemma got this rating.
I see. You too are a man of culture (fellow kings dilemma and sleeping gods connoisseur).
@@reidthomson7527 dont miss todays queens dilemma on KS :D
@@WojoO just backed it!! Thanks!
Ummm, I got the miniatures version and only have three boxes. Am I missing one?
Terrain box? Armory?
I have played the game solo to end of chapter 9 with full 4-characters without much difficulty. I am perfectly happy with the core/standee version and my only complaint has been some of the push to fit miniatures full apart given slightest excuse. I am currently taking a break to glue and paint my four Oathsworn. The heroes are very large (~60mm) and joy to paint.
Alex, out of curiosity, where do you recognize the Battleflow system from?
Duuno what anyone else has seen but it's pretty similar to Giga-Robo's cooldown system.
I don't recall playing another game with it, could well be that it exists.
stop my wallet can’t take this anymore
Sorry...
Fantastic game. currently on chapter 14. Love every second of it and such the huge variety in the story modes. Easily best story mode in any campaign game I played. quite a lot of different mechanics from (slight spoilers) invesigating around a city to find a cult, infiltrating a camp by invading from four different directions, trying to navigate the deepwood with your party with limited rations trying not to have your allies starve to death. Yeah a lot of the choices end up in the same spot, but depending on what you p ick you could be a different of losing an hp or getting some combat tokens. There are some chapters that have 2 paths where they are actually completely different (two chapters I tried both paths just to see how different they are, and it is completely.)
The voice acting in the app is incredible. I would highly recommend doing the story and not the preset one. I think you would be missing out of a lot.
Also I hijghly recommend gluing the oathsworn minis together (minus the arms). I found the push fit kept falling out, but after gluing it they no longer fall out and works as intended.
Oh boy, my wallet is bleeding, and you Alex, are not helping! :p
Solo play have to controll 2 main and 2 mini?
You can control any variance, even all 4 mini :)
we are on chapter 13 now and right not its my top one game out of the 200 games I own(or did play) and I have only the standee version with 3D printed terrain. the story and the dark world is just my thing as it so much brings Berserk to mind.
When it comes to games like this, at what point is it better to just play a video game?
When you prefer to :)
The easy response for me as a former "gamer". I love rpg type games like this because of the feel of the experience throughout and I feel less and less excited about holding "the sticks" and quickly jumping through cut scenes and text I don't care about. Board games give me what I want more than video games
I’m torn now. I was thinking of pulling out of my unsettled backing (don’t have 2 players) to either do kings of ruin or oathsworn. Any suggestions?
Unsettled is so fantastic and it’s narrative scenarios are such a highlight, really good puzzles
Looks like a great game... for people into that genre of games but I already thought Gloomhaven was just ok (great card play hampered by pretty much everything else) so this looks also ok to me.
Awesome, play to your tastes for sure!
I will say, I’m not really into these types of games. I absolutely bounced off Gloomhaven. Generally speaking other large miniature games haven’t grabbed me yet. It’s good enough that I love it even though I don’t love other games like it.
@@shanerion For sure, there is always a chance I would too but I'm not willing to take that risk based on cost :p Like I'm pretty I will not love zombicide but I will take that chance on that heroes resistance box at $35
@@aSyphodias Yeah not worth dropping $200+ on a "maybe" lol
interesting to see how this compares once Aeon Trespass delivers. Is the enemy AI better than KDM?
I wouldnt say it is better no. KDM probably has some of the best AI ive played in a board game. It is still really good though. And there is a mechnic in the game where the next ability card is always visible so you know what the boss is going to do and you can try to avoid the attack / mitigate it as best as you can.
@@harmarize Cool, thank you for the reply.
Dude, I’m skint. Don’t do this to me 😭😭😭
Lol sorry
I have a question. I love dungeon crawlers and have a lot of them. KDM, Descent, Jaws of the Lion, Gloomhaven, LOTR Journeys in Middle Earth, Middara, Mansion of Madness, Destinies, Dark Tower, Return to Dark Tower 7th continent, Tainted grail and a bunch of others. I'm interested in this game - but unfortunately (despite really trying) I hate Gloomhaven. I just am not good at it and constantly run out of cards and end up just getting frustrated. The people I play with feel the same - way too much thinking and way too punishing when running out of cards. So I have to ask - is this game like that? It sounds like it. Card management to an extent is fine, but it goes way too far with Gloomhaven. But I love all the other games I listed. I particularly love Middara.
I’ve played the entire campaign. In my opinion, your choices matter. Even ones you think do not. Didn’t you get to Chapter 5 yet? That’s when I had my first inkling.
Hopefully one day they ll release a cheaper retail version with standees
There isn't a retail version, but there already is a cheaper standee version.
What would you rate gloomhaven?
That will be coming eventually...but high.
that t-shirt!
To think I could have backed this instead of Darkest Dungeon
oh 2nd edition. nevermind yay
I finally spent some time today learning what all the fuss is about. Now I'm $325 poorer, FML 😛
Lol sorry
I really tried to like this one…. But I didn’t. Felt so boring and the decisions not meaningful at all… also felt bloated far more than it had to be.
I’m gonna wait on this. Most reviews complain of the figures falling apart, the bosses being too big, and the terrain getting in the way. They need a middle of the road version with less toys but more than standees
What's more than standees but less toys?
@@BoardGameCo a lower quantity of toys was my meaning. Not a different product
Any spoilers in this review?
Nope
I don't believe so.
I have trouble deciding, why buy Gloomhave, KDM, Oathsworn when you can get D&D, Pathfinder, and so on?
By knocking BGG for their ranking system you are knocking yourself.
I am thankful that BGG uses their own experience as a function of the ranking and I give their number more weight than a nebulous mass of people that make up the average ranking. Just as I would give your opinion much more weight than the average person. I assume that to ensure that the rankings remain legitimate they weigh in on the game as experts. Putting in zeros??.... come on Alex.... you have no idea how BGG calculates their rankings. BGG input is important because so many people that like a game will give it a 10 which is lazy and throws off the scoring for those who carefully consider their ranking. The same happens if someone doesn't like a game they might give it a zero which is again very lazy. I believe that is an accurate assumption that most people don't want to put in the work which requires careful consideration and considerable experience with games in general.
Dare I watch? A big claim, will my wallet cope?
Who knows...
If you compare this to primal. Which one do you prefer and why?
Hey, can the miniatures be painted upfront without spoiling the game?
I think not because they come in their own little boxes with the scenario. If you open the box you then know in which scenario it will come
You can organize your game group in a way that you end your game session between story and encounter. That way you can paint after reveal the secret and before meeting the group again.
Game of the Year?
Is the gameplay in Oathsworm the standee version limited or constricted in any way when compared the the minis version? like with the swapping of the armor and weapons for example?
Nope, the main characters are still mini's and you can still swap their equipment if you have the armory
@@AngryCheezburger303 Thank you!
I still don't understand what's the fuzz about gloomhaven. I really don't like that game 😋 guess its not my type of game.
Gloomhaven is an overrated euro for sure
We played half way through and it started to feel very relative … like the first 5-10 sceneries were fun because we were learning our characters.
Thank you for a fantastic review!
I liked gloomhaven but the long set up, class changing and the standee enemies eventually turned me off from the game and caused me to sell it. However I find myself liking MD2 due to the visual aspect and the fairly simple play style. Im trying to expand my catalog on campaign/story games and have recently ordered descent legends of the dark. Do you feel that Descent is a game that can hold its weight against a behemoth like Oathsworn if I’m craving for something deeper than MD2? Oathsworn is giving off Gloomhaven vibes which is a mixed bag for me, but I’m also just wanting another game that has a bit more “player driven choice” aspect than MD2 with an enjoyable combat system.
Glad you got round to playing this one Alex! Have to completely agree with you here, I'm 10 chapters in and this has shot to the top of my favourite board games. It's completely killed gloomhaven for me to the point that I sold my copy of Gloomhaven and don't regret it.
Same here. RIP Gloomhaven
I did not know Oathsworn, so when I saw 'Perhaps the best board game of all time' I wanted to know what it was, but unfortunately your review only confirmed that these kinds of games are not my thing, I even got bored listening to you talking about the game and that is not because of you talking, you are a great reviewer. Story-driven games and Dungeon-Crawlers are not my thing, though I admire and respect all the effort the creators put in creating those stories. I tried Gloomhaven and I just did not have the feeling I was playing a board game, I sold Near and Far because I got bored having to look through that book the whole time, the same with This War of Mine, but in my younger years I also did not like Final Fantasy because I did not have the feeling I was playing a computergame.
Frosthaven: Hold my loot.
Hey everyone anyone looking for a complete set of CMON’s Hate board game??? nEW condition
I am looking for the complete set of 2021 hero quest and all the expansions.
Willing to trade!
Nah..the game is great, but not even in my top 10...
KDM ? 😊
@@mattyouyou2590 yes it is!!! I got Oathsworn with expectation of it replacing KDM for me, but this are major issues with this game for me that will prevent that from happening. I enjoy Oathsworn, but KDM and Shadows of Brimstone riegn supreme.
You talk too fast and you are being nervous. Not a good review unfortunately.
For me I rather play a fantasy RPG focusing on fighting and dungeons etc. A boardgame has to be faster for me to be relevant.
Totally respect that, at the same time everyone is different. I have yet to play an RPG that I actually enjoyed, and I think that's just my own preferences.
Kingdom death monster is the best of all time
My man
I just hope this hits retail 🥲
No plans for retail as far as I know. There is another Kickstarter launching Oct. 18th so you can still get it without paying scalper prices