Gizmos - A Couple Of Fixable Issues Make It Unplayable for Me // Board Game Review
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- Опубликовано: 16 окт 2024
- Gizmos has a lot of positives - great engine-building mechanics, marbles, quick play time, interesting theme BUT a couple of fixable issues make it unplayable for me - a dispenser that does not work; iconography, card and player board design that I do not like. Fix those, and I would recommend this game.
CORRECTION: @EzequielGenender stated in the comments that 4-7 on the level III cards refers to the cost, not the victory points, as I assumed in the video. I believe this must be the correct interpretation. I made a mistake; my apologies.
BGD BADGES:
GEM - 9,10 Rating - Excellent/Outstanding - Love - Want to Play it
Light Weight [GREEN] - Medium [CYAN/AQUA] - Heavy [BLUE]
CRYSTAL - 7,8 Rating - Good/ Very Good - Like - Willing to Play it
Light Weight [YELLOW] - Medium [CORAL] - Heavy [MAGENTA]
*All Other- 1-6 Rating - [RED]
I believe the numbers on the back of the Gizmos cards refer to the amount of energy required, although I do not find it stated on the rulebook
I think you are right! My mistake.
Thank you for your input!
I added the correction in the description. Thanks again for pointing that out!
Hi! I’m a critic at heart so I loved this video. I’m willing to listen to any nitpick. With that being said, the one issue you bring up that I personally had an issue with is the board organization. I agree with your assessment that the spacing feels bad.
With that being said, I play this online so the marbles getting stuck isn’t an issue, and the iconography isn’t really either, though I 100% agree that the printed cards should have reminder text to help newer players.
Good to see fellow critics enjoying my videos! :) lol
Yeah, the online version definitely solves the dispenser problem, so I guess, my review is not applicable there.
Thank you for watching and your kind words!
It's a fun game on BGA, most of the issues are solved using the online interface.
Oh, that would work! :) Thanks for the reco!
Gizmos do need a little be of effort to understand at the beginning, but after the first play, the vast majority of players know how what each icon do. For those that don't, it's most probably du to either the player themselves having cognitive issues, not liking this kind of game, or the teacher not doing their job properly.
Thank you for your input! As mentioned in the video, it is definitely the teacher, who is not willing to do his job, because he is frustrated with the dispenser, and with the confirmation bias kicked in, is not happy with the iconography either. The teacher does not like playing games that frustrate him, so he just moves on to the ones that work flawlessly.
Also, in my opinion, there is close to zero effort required to understand the game mechanics. I would definitely buy the next version of Gizmos with upgraded dispensers, card and player board design. This would be a perfect game for new players.
Thank you,
Cheers!
Perhaps your table isn't quite level and that's why the marbles get stuck more often? Or there's a bit of extra plastic from manufacturing causing extra friction/an extra bump? Easy enough to stick something underneath to give a steeper angle to help overcome it, but yes, they should have just designed it with a steeper ramp in the first place. This game is already on its 2nd edition btw, the 1st edition had a cardboard dispenser.
Yes, that was my very first attempt to fix this by putting something underneath for a steeper angle - does not help. Marbles stuck in ANY dispenser position. No visible extra plastic, everting is smooth.
My inevitable conclusion - it has never been tested before the production. It bugs me enough to not be willing to play this game.
Is it Perfectionism? OCD? Or just being spoiled by so many other good games on my shelves? Or harsh reality of limited space where I need to get rid of something to buy something new? A mix of all four perhaps.
Thank you for your suggestions!
Cheers!
I'm not sure if I agree enough for those issues be a huge problem where it would be unplayable for me. I agree there are a lot of ICONS in GIZMOS that for a family weight game, i probably wouldn't introduce this straight away to someone new to this genre. However, I do think the iconography is quite clear once you get used to it. However, almost all the small nitpicks you told me definitely make sense, but I just don't think it's enough for it to be ground breaking. If anything, the main issue of the game is that the game ends 1-2 turns earlier which might frustrate some people who have worked all game making this engine but ends just before it takes off but I do think it works within the balancing economy of this game.
Thank you for your feedback! I do like the arch, and feel the 16-card limit is enough. By that time my engine is firing on all four cylinders! Two more turns would send it into the space! :)
As with all other reviews on the internet, this is my subjective opinion, which is heavily influenced by the fact that I have hundreds of games to choose from. Why would I play a game that frustrates me, if I could spend the time with the ones that provide me with better immersion.
Again, I will happily buy a new version with an updated dispenser, card and player board design. It would be a perfect game to introduce new players to engine building.
Thank you,
Cheers!
@@BoardGameDetectives I totally get it :) Just for me those small nitpicks I don't feel at least in my personal tastes is enough to give it the rating you gave it but that's what makes our hobby great :) I will say component wise (which I forgot to add), what actually annoys me is they have a plastic Despenser but the thing that covers the marbles is made of real cheap cardboard, which actually makes me want to take out the game less despite have already played it 5-6 times (oh well, there's always BGA)
Good point! That part also greatly annoys me! Totally forgot about that!
Anyway, I am spoiled by perfect games, and I don't want to spend my time playing games that frustrate me (hence the rating).
Recent example - played LE HAVRE two days ago - a ton of cards, 4 pages of references in small font, BUT you will never have to read them, because the iconography + text on the cards are perfect.
Such a joy to play a well made and PLAY-TESTED game - there are literally over a 100 play-testers mentioned in the rulebook!
Thank you for watching and your feedback!
Have a blessed day!
I enjoy it.
Great mechanics that do deserve to be enjoyed! About 10K people ranked this game high on BGG, so this game does get a lot of love.
Thank you for your input!
Have a blessed day!
@@BoardGameDetectives I think part of it for me is I don't really do "family game night" so it is a filler short game at a boardgame meet up with people that play more complicated games. So that negative isn't really a thing for me.
Fair enough! Have you tried BABYLONIA? An amazing filler-ish game (plays in under an hour) for people who play more complicated games.
MILLE FIORI is another great relatively short game that can be played in about an hour (if everyone knows what they are doing).
@@BoardGameDetectives have not tried either, added to the lust
Sounds good! I hope you can let me know if your group likes those.
RENATURE is another frequent filler for our board game nights.
The 4-7 is the cost, not the victory points
Thank you, yes, this has been brought up in the earlier comments and I have added a correction note in the description. Cheers!