Thanks for the passionate review of Planet Unknown! A small clarification on exclusives, and a couple of interaction comments from the design team. Exclusives: No gameplay content was KS exclusive. We don't like exclusive stuff either. We have a SKU releasing soon to include all of the remaining content, but noted that this makes it harder to acquire. Decisions about what goes into a version of the game are carefully considered. We think about new player experience and target pricing a lot and we find that games that throw everything in the box can sometimes feel overpriced or bloated. It's fair criticism that we could have removed the planets/corporations from the rulebook and instead had this on a separate insert but we try to do things lean and mean as a small business. Interaction: * Player interaction 1, don't forget the CIV cards! If you take one, somebody else cannot. This gets blown up even more with some of the asymmetric combos in multiplayer games. * Player interaction 2, choosing your tile definitely impacts other players from our experience. You don't need to big brain everybody at the table, but you should be looking to your neighbor objectives and what resources you're serving up to your neighbors. If that's too much to think about, then just look to send meteorites to your opponents (or not) depending on their proficiencies. * Player interaction 3. Neighbor objectives should not be downplayed from our experience. Our data shows that winners are often decided based on tight scoring margins delivered by these objectives. * Player interaction 4 (at 2 players with the 60 degree rotation of the Lazy Susan) your tile selection directly impacts what will be available to your opponent 3 turns later. For the depot indicators, noted the feedback that they weren't working perfectly for your group. We've heard they're very helpful for most groups, but agreed it can be a table shape thing. All in all glad you liked the game. Barenpark setup time and player count restrictions were part of the big inspirations for our approach with this game... as was the large group play style of 7 Wonders.
Glad you watched the vid and cheers for putting a word in on the exclusives. On the interaction front though: - Taking something before another player does is not proper interaction - every single Eurogame has some element of that and most of the Civ cards are either "score points for collecting" or "gain X cool stuff" - that's useful for any Corp regardless. - Meteorites can be avoided if need be and failing that, that's what the Rover is for. But because they can choose from two tiles you won't be able to force anyone into a meteor. Not to mention that with more players you ain't looking at every single player to see what's what and from a neighbour's perspective, other than the "have big area" objectives, there's not much to easily gauge. - We've found them pretty marginal overall, not inconsequential, but certainly they've never decided a game - the biggest shed load of points is doing well on the row/columns in the first place. - what do you mean on this one? The Lazy Susan rotates clockwise once each turn by default, you don't get to choose what tile station you're picking from. Certainly I'd play it over Barenpark mainly as the setup is quicker - but still capped at 3-4 players tops. But Barenpark never had a solo mode either so this would be a solo choice by default. But Alice's Garden is still a top choice for me.
That's a good point, Baren Park needs a solo mode. Lazy Susan 60 degree rotation at 2 players is a type of interaction similar to the interaction found with Civ cards, which is called indirect interaction. If I start taking all of the Civ and Energy tiles, it will be significantly harder for you to advance your Civ tracker. More generally, something that I do in the game impacts your available options. We really adore indirect interaction as a way to influence another player if you want, while still maximizing player satisfaction.
I really like Planet Unknown and have mainly played at 4p. I didn’t have any trouble with position on the SUSAN as people pick from sectors relative to each other. I also find indirect interactions are my favourite type of interactions so those elements in this game are fine. My small issue is that the simultaneous play means you can make mistakes and no one can correct you (though that also keeps the game moving well). Nice job and congrats on the Kinnerspiel (so?) nomination!
Thanks for the video. I'm glad my experiences at larger player counts were the opposite. I've had great times at 6 players. Not sure why your group struggled with the arrows. It is a good solution unless people are bumping the placement of their arrows during the game.
The arrows depend entirely on: - how many players playing - how you are seated around the table - not moving the lazy susan in any way shape or form All 3 of those aspects need to be perfect to avoid confusions...........assuming you have a patio big enough to house 6 players and plenty of time on your hands. . . .
@@TheBrokenMeeple how many arrows do you have in the retail copy? I have 2 of each color and that allows you to sit anywhere around the table without confusion. You just place your arrow on your board and the other designates the fraction of the Susan you want to pull from
Solo mode works great, but I do prefer multiplayer. Having to adapt to what the other players choose, and to be able to look at what they have and force them to take something they don’t want. When you do 1-6 players, the length is the same since it’s simultaneous. But I love this game!
The length is NOT the same. As stated you are only as fast as your lowest common denominator and not everyone moves at the same speed as everyone else. Adding more players adds more length just simply by having more likelihood of 1-2 people slowing it down. Also as mentioned on the video, there's no way you are peering at 3-5 other boards and deducing on top of your own turn what tiles they possible want or don't want. If so, that's the reason the game is dragging on and on.
Great review! Curious about one thing: at two players, would it work if we chose two tiles per turn (with each of them coming from two adjacent wedges)? Might add some AP, but seems like it would still cut the play time. Or maybe it would be too much to deal with on each turn?
Thanks for your review. Love polyomino games but I didn't add this one to my collection yet. Love the Susan and theme, but gee - which other game would need to make space for it, I dunno.
Must admit that I’m fairly basic in my polyomino game requirements - don’t need all the bells and whistles to get fun out the basic spatial puzzle that can be provided in simpler and cheaper options like Barenpark, Spring Meadow and Alice’s Garden (thanks for the recommendation on that one). I guess I’d enjoy Planet Unknown, but I’m only ever going to get to find out if someone else buys a copy (and hope that they’ve also shelled out for all the extra stuff as well).
Fair. Although if you didn’t know there were 6 other boards you’d probably think 6 asymmetric options plus the tracks was a great deal but I get what you mean
I often get 6 player game nights and they don't like to split unless we get to 8. I'm always looking for a larger variety of strategy games at 6. So not all drafting games or party games. Hoping 6 still works for this one.
Also... On the negative points : 1) Lady Susan got NO LID... Meaning you'll have to be careful when moving that messy box. 2) The box... Is too small... And Susan is destroying it quite fast... 3) basically a big mess inside the box that has (retail version) nothing to store the stuff properly instead of those plastic bags you try to store where you can (basically at the corners...) 4) Which could be OK if that retail version wasn't also missing all the "ks exclusives" planets and corporations... Like you said.. I'm not happy, when ks exclusive are touching to gameplay and replay ability. No problem if it was only 3d miniatures tokens, and cosmetic, trays and the likes. But NOT gameplay stuff... 5) NO LID for Susan! 6) i found the meteorites could be quite bad late game if you don't have any rover movements... It can just ruins your games and feels like random/bad luck. So be careful with that! 7) the CIV cards aren't all good in solo (especially the one that need several cards boosting each others) (solo wise I would even advice players to remove those) 8) I'm not sure about this game multi-player as there is so much assymetric aspects between the corps and planets.. In the end you can't really say that you played better as all the configurations where so different for all players.. 9) unsetting up the game and especially the tiles, Is quite a mess and goes on the longer side of the watch. Basically if you're not using all those tiles, you might just put the used tiles back on top of the other at the end of the game. Meaning you will play the same tiles next time you play the game... To "resolve" that, in solo, I play several game back to back without putting the used tiles back until I empty a tile slot. That way, after like 4 solo games, I don't have a lot left to remove from Susan to shuffle them up and have something different my next games. _ All in all the game, fortunately is fun enough (solo wise) to save most of the bad stuff going on (box, ks exclusives... Time to unsetup...) and makes it a funny experience. But at more players I would rather play 1) Alice's Garden if you want a polyominos that goes quick and is easy to play a lighter game. 2) isle of cats if you want a heavier polyp game with more interaction (drafting) 2bis) or isle of cats explore and draw if you want something in between those two games and yet a bit different (as it is a roll a'd write polyo game with no tiles but simulates quite well the polyotile type of game) _ Cheers from belgium
So I had this on retail pre-order for almost a year and received it just the other day. Really enjoying playing it but my personal bugbear is the time to randomly setup/ reset all the tiles between games vs the time it takes to play solo. But at 8/10 it's a keeper and I'm signed up for the upcoming crowdfunded expansion "Supermoon". Fingers crossed the deluxified re-print will have a box that actually fits SUSAN.😁
Great review again. Thanks a lot. This was the first time I ever came close to backing a kickstarter, but finally decided against it. I'll most likely pick up the retail version, if it ever becomes available in Mexico, though.
Great review. I was considering this game given all the love it has received, but your review has made me reconsider. Over time I'm losing interest in multi-player solitaire games and I don't feel a strong need to add more solo games. Thanks again!
I would reconsider your consideration, lol. This is a great game at multi-player, and is not multiplayer solitaire. Our group loves this game. This is not another Earth (which is solitaire). Player interaction is there. You have competing goals to the players on either side. There is a race to be the first to look at the civ cards ((which is in a common pool). If someone gets a big lead on one track, you can deny that person that color tile. And the game ends when anyone empties a stack of tiles, or cannot place a tile. So you have to be careful when you want the game end.
This has about as much interaction as Earth does honestly maybe a little more. On those individual points: - the competing goals, they are literally just "have more green area then them" type objectives and even then they aren't worth much points as you get a 2nd place also, and it only applies to your two neighbours, so above 3 players, they hold no extra benefit. - The civ cards is a common pool, but only relevant for you if you're levelilng up that track. If you're not, what do you care? And the decreasing pool could easily be simulated by removing one card every few rounds at random. SOme of the cards are auto-buys, others are "whatever, no big deal". - "deny someone that other tile" - so in a 5-6 player game you're going to be staring at all the other maps and player boards, checking to see what tracks they are high one and then determine not only what tile you need, but also what tiles it will give them and whether it's worth it or not? Say hello to a 3 hour game if that's the case. You don't have the scope to assess that kind of detail on 4-5 other boards, you need to be concerned with your tile primarily, why tank your own tile (which is one of the few choices you get to make yourself in this game) just to deny someone a red tile? - the game end, this is legit, there is that aspect, but after a 6 player game, you'll be likely rushing to make it end. There's snippets of interaction, but they are so barebones that calling this an interactive game just doesn't work. 100% multiplayer solitaire? No, but 90% is still enough to make me want to cap players at 3 max.
@@gravecac9522 , thanks for sharing your thoughts. I've done a fair bit of research on this game and my reason for not buying it was a fear that it wasn't overly interactive. The review helped confirm my suspicions that this game isn't one I need to buy because of my taste in games. Not saying I wouldn't play it if given the chance just a lack of desire to buy it for my already too large collection.
Love this game. Only thing I disagree on was the player scaling I play with some pretty bad ap people and every player count we get this done in about an hour. Biggest test was a 5 player game with a guy who once took a solid few minutes in wonderlands war to decide whether or not to pull a tile during one of the fights hahaha. Biggest problem I’ve had with the alignment is when a player doesn’t fully spin it and just grabs and then you have to align it for them but the little triangles aren’t quite ideal for sure
No way a six player game with setup and teach is all within an hour, that's way too fast, players would literally not be thinking about their turns at all.
Great review, I had the same impression regarding the lack of player interaction in this game - it looks cool but just not a fan of games where everyone is just doing their own thing and you have no idea what everyone else is doing (and it looks really hard to track everyone else’s board) or whether they are doing things correctly.
Love this game. Only had the chance to play it solo, but I find it tons of fun. I'm a fairly new gamer, so i don't have the issue of comparing it to other games (as i've not really played many). I'd be up for more planets (I didn't get the Kickstarter), or the planet mats, and interested to see whatever they come up with for expansion. Nice review.
If you're only playing it solo you're in good hands. It just lacks any necessity to play it multiplayer. And I'm not sure I want to hang on to a game this big yet simple just for solo purposes .
Hi there, is the solo game a Beat your own score or do you fight against an IA that score aswell ? How long are you plays in solo ? Thanks in advance, have fun and take care ! Cheers
Game looks good but I already have 2 polyomino games (out of 40), Tenpenny Parks and Isle of Cats and 2 polyomino adjacent/mildly related games in Hall of the Mountain King and Whistle Mountain So not feeling like adding another to a pretty slim collection of games
I disagree. Our group plays it with six players and it’s fast. Everyone loves it. (We have played it over a dozen times at high player counts). There are multiple strategies to win. With veteran players you are mindful of what tiles you give other players. It has the right amount of player interaction not to slow the game down. For 6 players it’s a 9 for us and shines. It deserves its Spiel de Jarred nomination and one of the best games of 2022. The only knock I would agree with you on is the KS exclusives. Hopefully there will be a way to get them separately.
Define fast and player interaction. I would hate it if all six players were taking note of all other players tile wise, that would just bog the game down horrendously. I mean the boards would be unintelligible to the human eye at that distance
We knock a game out somewhere between 75-90 minutes. That for us is great for a 6 player game. Everyone helps with the setup/tear down. And nobody has AP. Everyones scores have risen since we first got it, as strategies have matured. It’s a real competitive group. And there is a lot of laughing and banter as we play. We have a lot of 5/6 player game sessions so we have to be closely on the lookout for great games that play fast at high player counts. Ethnos is another great one. The new 7 Wonders Architects is another. And Fantasy Realms. Naturally if you have a bad AP player that would drag the time up. The real trick for us is a person does not have many actions and the board game state does not change very much. I would hate to play Five Tribes at high player count.
For interaction, you mostly just keep an eye on the players to your right and left since those you are competing for goals. There is also the issue of the game ending quickly because someone cannot place a tile or a column of tiles run out. We usually call that situation out, if someone is close or a set of tiles is about to run out. Course some players want to end it fast if they are ahead, lol.
Appreciate your perspective, but I entirely disagree. I do not care for the solo (there are very few solo games I like to be fair) and I much prefer it at 4+ players than 2. I like the tactical nature where you can plan less in the higher player counts games since everyone else is basically picking your choice of tiles for you. And I don't agree that the playtime is significantly longer with more players either. Hasn't been my experience at all.
Six players I'm regularly at nail biting stage waiting for every other player to finish their turn and choose the next tile. And my tile selection is just random at that point, every other polyomino game I get to choose a lot more.
Interesting hearing your opinion, that i happen to share, its just good, ok. Even with the additional KS planets and corporations, they all are unique and offer a slightly different challenge but the central loop of play is essentially thw same. I'd maybe thought I was missing something after seeing rhe Spiel Des Jahres nomination as i dont deel its worthy of that level.
I really enjoy this game. However, have not played it with more than 4. One of my friends does have AP and his turns can be excruciating. I found the rulebook frustrating in parts, but that is not uncommon for me unfortunately. Reading is just not the best way for me to absorb information. We do not play the 2P variant, as I feel it takes away any agency that this game seems to have. I agree any more than 4P and it would just be a RNG-fest. I absolutely love moving the rover around the board and clearing items. All and all I really enjoy it and it has become my favorite polyomino game. I will say that I am bummed that I didn't get the other planets or the other corporations, absolutely sucks they were KS exclusives. It does look like your life pods and meteorites are premium versions at least, mine were not.
Useful review, thanks. Its a little annoying just how many multiplayer games these days really aren't, or shouldnt be, or at least certainly dont shine as multiplayer games. I am simple, so I like true solo and true multiplayer games. Anything that reduces my daily confusions level 🙂
I personally don't have a problem with low player interaction in games. I'm happy to sit there and puzzle out how I can get more points than other players and as long as players are enjoying that too than that is fine. But I'm also not a big fun of co-op game so maybe I just don't like people. lol
@@david6294 90 plus teach and setup so likely looking at two hours and for a game that should take much less it's too long. It's about the length relative to what the game is. A straightforward polyomino game should be short and why make something longer than it needs to be
Sadly not played worlds wonders, they wouldn't give me a review copy and it sold out instantly here. I would imagine WW is a lot quicker to get played, less bulky for the shelf, less expensive and easier to learn.
This, to me, was a good not great game. It is fine, it works well, everything about it is smooth. Having said that, there isn't too much going on. I agree the player interaction is small, but I found the different corps and maps to be somewhat underwhelming.
Omg thank you for booing the KS exclusives. I literally am not buying this game in retail because getting only half the planets feels like getting ripped off.
@@nipzie On the campaign they were exclusives, and you can only purchase direct.. And even then this is a 60-70£ game, adding another £20 plus puts this into dangerously expensive territory.
Other than agreeing with you have less control in higher player counts, your negatives I completely disagree with. There is nothing wrong with multiplayer solo games. You're fighting over objectives for points, your competing for a high score, did you min/max your turns and play your corporation to its fullest potential. You complain that games with less interaction are somehow inferior games. I don't understand the vitriol. It is still a game you play together and compare scores. There is still a winner in the end. THERE IS NOOOO TIME INCREASE AT HIGHER PLAYER COUNTS! its literally simultaneous actions. and even if I have less control of the tiles I want at higher player counts, the puzzle is still there on how to best play with the options given. A 5 out of 10 is just ridiculous for your reasonings. KS exclusives are rewards for those who helped the game fund and earn upgrades. You want the exclusives, be a part of the campaign, simple. Don't complain because you didn't get something you didn't help create. Your annoyance with the lazy Susan is laughable. Its literally a non-issue, a simple adjustment to the placement of your arrow, or the Susan fixes that problem, just a silly complaint. This comment may come over hostile, but its merely strong disagreement. 90% of the time your takes are spot on, but sometimes like games such as wonderlands war and this, you get so lost in the weeds of finding nit picks or flat out misrepresenting some aspects, you dock the game for truly non issues. Anyways, I still always appreciate the content, glad your voice is healed.
Ha ha, interesting! 👍 But simultaneous doesn't mean exactly that in gaming. You can't go further until everyone is done, so if anyone is slower, that's your game speed. Same goes for stuff like 7 Wonders, I usually cap that at 4-5 tops. A 3P game took about 90 for us with two new people, I've seen a 6 take 2 hours. If it were truly simultaneous then why does a six player game not take 30 minutes like a solo game does? A couple of little piffly objectives between neighbours is really barebones for having a full count and the Round Table to actually hold it all v🤣
@@TheBrokenMeeple never had a game go over an hour so I have no idea what your doing to make a game take 2 hours.... And a game is a slow as the slowest player. You can have that same slow player in a 2 player game so I am not really seeing your point. The game ends when 2 slots are empty or a player can't play a tile legally. The game actually is faster at higher player counts due to more tiles being taken more often. Thus the end game trigger happening quicker.
I really like this game and wish I had it. 🫠 I love it for 5 or 6.🤷🏻♂️ I agree with you Luke, in that I would personally break a group into 3 and 3. However, some of my game groups like to keep all 6 together. 😑 This game checks alot of boxes. It's a great medium weight strategy game that accommodates 6 with little downtime. Yes, it will take a little longer at that count, and there's not a ton of interaction, but it's still great fun, and it's still competitive. And I still haven't even gotten to try the other boards yet. If you have a group of 6 then you start getting into "roll and writes" (usually zero interaction) or like 7 wonders, maybe Between Two Cities or you're going into more drafting or party games usually. This game fits a very unique niche and does it beautifully. 😌
Thanks for the passionate review of Planet Unknown! A small clarification on exclusives, and a couple of interaction comments from the design team.
Exclusives:
No gameplay content was KS exclusive. We don't like exclusive stuff either. We have a SKU releasing soon to include all of the remaining content, but noted that this makes it harder to acquire. Decisions about what goes into a version of the game are carefully considered. We think about new player experience and target pricing a lot and we find that games that throw everything in the box can sometimes feel overpriced or bloated. It's fair criticism that we could have removed the planets/corporations from the rulebook and instead had this on a separate insert but we try to do things lean and mean as a small business.
Interaction:
* Player interaction 1, don't forget the CIV cards! If you take one, somebody else cannot. This gets blown up even more with some of the asymmetric combos in multiplayer games.
* Player interaction 2, choosing your tile definitely impacts other players from our experience. You don't need to big brain everybody at the table, but you should be looking to your neighbor objectives and what resources you're serving up to your neighbors. If that's too much to think about, then just look to send meteorites to your opponents (or not) depending on their proficiencies.
* Player interaction 3. Neighbor objectives should not be downplayed from our experience. Our data shows that winners are often decided based on tight scoring margins delivered by these objectives.
* Player interaction 4 (at 2 players with the 60 degree rotation of the Lazy Susan) your tile selection directly impacts what will be available to your opponent 3 turns later.
For the depot indicators, noted the feedback that they weren't working perfectly for your group. We've heard they're very helpful for most groups, but agreed it can be a table shape thing.
All in all glad you liked the game. Barenpark setup time and player count restrictions were part of the big inspirations for our approach with this game... as was the large group play style of 7 Wonders.
Glad you watched the vid and cheers for putting a word in on the exclusives. On the interaction front though:
- Taking something before another player does is not proper interaction - every single Eurogame has some element of that and most of the Civ cards are either "score points for collecting" or "gain X cool stuff" - that's useful for any Corp regardless.
- Meteorites can be avoided if need be and failing that, that's what the Rover is for. But because they can choose from two tiles you won't be able to force anyone into a meteor. Not to mention that with more players you ain't looking at every single player to see what's what and from a neighbour's perspective, other than the "have big area" objectives, there's not much to easily gauge.
- We've found them pretty marginal overall, not inconsequential, but certainly they've never decided a game - the biggest shed load of points is doing well on the row/columns in the first place.
- what do you mean on this one? The Lazy Susan rotates clockwise once each turn by default, you don't get to choose what tile station you're picking from.
Certainly I'd play it over Barenpark mainly as the setup is quicker - but still capped at 3-4 players tops. But Barenpark never had a solo mode either so this would be a solo choice by default. But Alice's Garden is still a top choice for me.
That's a good point, Baren Park needs a solo mode.
Lazy Susan 60 degree rotation at 2 players is a type of interaction similar to the interaction found with Civ cards, which is called indirect interaction. If I start taking all of the Civ and Energy tiles, it will be significantly harder for you to advance your Civ tracker. More generally, something that I do in the game impacts your available options. We really adore indirect interaction as a way to influence another player if you want, while still maximizing player satisfaction.
I really like Planet Unknown and have mainly played at 4p. I didn’t have any trouble with position on the SUSAN as people pick from sectors relative to each other. I also find indirect interactions are my favourite type of interactions so those elements in this game are fine. My small issue is that the simultaneous play means you can make mistakes and no one can correct you (though that also keeps the game moving well). Nice job and congrats on the Kinnerspiel (so?) nomination!
In my opinion, you're one of the most objective boardgame reviewer on platforms. Thanks for your opinions. :)
Thank you so much!!
Agreed
I like luke. But by biggest gripe is how he knocks Viticulture and Hallertau or card draws, when Ark Nova is the same or even worse.
Thanks for the video. I'm glad my experiences at larger player counts were the opposite. I've had great times at 6 players.
Not sure why your group struggled with the arrows. It is a good solution unless people are bumping the placement of their arrows during the game.
The arrows depend entirely on:
- how many players playing
- how you are seated around the table
- not moving the lazy susan in any way shape or form
All 3 of those aspects need to be perfect to avoid confusions...........assuming you have a patio big enough to house 6 players and plenty of time on your hands. . . .
@@TheBrokenMeeple how many arrows do you have in the retail copy?
I have 2 of each color and that allows you to sit anywhere around the table without confusion.
You just place your arrow on your board and the other designates the fraction of the Susan you want to pull from
Great review as always!
As for the arrow thing, simply agree beforehand whether to go left or right when it's unsure
Solo mode works great, but I do prefer multiplayer. Having to adapt to what the other players choose, and to be able to look at what they have and force them to take something they don’t want. When you do 1-6 players, the length is the same since it’s simultaneous.
But I love this game!
The length is NOT the same. As stated you are only as fast as your lowest common denominator and not everyone moves at the same speed as everyone else. Adding more players adds more length just simply by having more likelihood of 1-2 people slowing it down.
Also as mentioned on the video, there's no way you are peering at 3-5 other boards and deducing on top of your own turn what tiles they possible want or don't want. If so, that's the reason the game is dragging on and on.
Great review!
Curious about one thing: at two players, would it work if we chose two tiles per turn (with each of them coming from two adjacent wedges)? Might add some AP, but seems like it would still cut the play time. Or maybe it would be too much to deal with on each turn?
Probably too much on one turn - the playtime is relatively short with only 2 though.
Thanks for your review. Love polyomino games but I didn't add this one to my collection yet. Love the Susan and theme, but gee - which other game would need to make space for it, I dunno.
Get Alice's Garden instead!
Must admit that I’m fairly basic in my polyomino game requirements - don’t need all the bells and whistles to get fun out the basic spatial puzzle that can be provided in simpler and cheaper options like Barenpark, Spring Meadow and Alice’s Garden (thanks for the recommendation on that one).
I guess I’d enjoy Planet Unknown, but I’m only ever going to get to find out if someone else buys a copy (and hope that they’ve also shelled out for all the extra stuff as well).
Glad that Alice's Garden worked for you - yeah this game pales to what Alice's offered for the price and size.
Fair. Although if you didn’t know there were 6 other boards you’d probably think 6 asymmetric options plus the tracks was a great deal but I get what you mean
The variety isn't bad per say, but you can't "not know" they exist, it's most of the back of the rulebook.
@@TheBrokenMeeple fair point
I often get 6 player game nights and they don't like to split unless we get to 8. I'm always looking for a larger variety of strategy games at 6. So not all drafting games or party games. Hoping 6 still works for this one.
It will function fine, but don't expect to have any control over your map!
Thanks Luke wanted to get this at Expo but missed out now I really want to get it
Next KS I guess?
Also... On the negative points :
1) Lady Susan got NO LID...
Meaning you'll have to be careful when moving that messy box.
2) The box... Is too small... And Susan is destroying it quite fast...
3) basically a big mess inside the box that has (retail version) nothing to store the stuff properly instead of those plastic bags you try to store where you can (basically at the corners...)
4) Which could be OK if that retail version wasn't also missing all the "ks exclusives" planets and corporations...
Like you said.. I'm not happy, when ks exclusive are touching to gameplay and replay ability.
No problem if it was only 3d miniatures tokens, and cosmetic, trays and the likes.
But NOT gameplay stuff...
5) NO LID for Susan!
6) i found the meteorites could be quite bad late game if you don't have any rover movements... It can just ruins your games and feels like random/bad luck. So be careful with that!
7) the CIV cards aren't all good in solo (especially the one that need several cards boosting each others) (solo wise I would even advice players to remove those)
8) I'm not sure about this game multi-player as there is so much assymetric aspects between the corps and planets.. In the end you can't really say that you played better as all the configurations where so different for all players..
9) unsetting up the game and especially the tiles, Is quite a mess and goes on the longer side of the watch. Basically if you're not using all those tiles, you might just put the used tiles back on top of the other at the end of the game. Meaning you will play the same tiles next time you play the game...
To "resolve" that, in solo, I play several game back to back without putting the used tiles back until I empty a tile slot.
That way, after like 4 solo games, I don't have a lot left to remove from Susan to shuffle them up and have something different my next games.
_
All in all the game, fortunately is fun enough (solo wise) to save most of the bad stuff going on (box, ks exclusives... Time to unsetup...) and makes it a funny experience.
But at more players I would rather play
1) Alice's Garden if you want a polyominos that goes quick and is easy to play a lighter game.
2) isle of cats if you want a heavier polyp game with more interaction (drafting)
2bis) or isle of cats explore and draw if you want something in between those two games and yet a bit different (as it is a roll a'd write polyo game with no tiles but simulates quite well the polyotile type of game)
_
Cheers from belgium
Ha ha cheers! I had a few issues with Planet Unknown.
So I had this on retail pre-order for almost a year and received it just the other day. Really enjoying playing it but my personal bugbear is the time to randomly setup/ reset all the tiles between games vs the time it takes to play solo. But at 8/10 it's a keeper and I'm signed up for the upcoming crowdfunded expansion "Supermoon". Fingers crossed the deluxified re-print will have a box that actually fits SUSAN.😁
I'm debating whether to hang on to it or not, but I don't feel like grabbing an expansion.
Great review again. Thanks a lot. This was the first time I ever came close to backing a kickstarter, but finally decided against it. I'll most likely pick up the retail version, if it ever becomes available in Mexico, though.
Fingers crossed!
11:50 sorry, what is solid water? Ice, isn't it?
And why not back the ks?
Price and desire for the game.
Great review. I was considering this game given all the love it has received, but your review has made me reconsider. Over time I'm losing interest in multi-player solitaire games and I don't feel a strong need to add more solo games. Thanks again!
Glad I could help!
I would reconsider your consideration, lol. This is a great game at multi-player, and is not multiplayer solitaire. Our group loves this game. This is not another Earth (which is solitaire). Player interaction is there. You have competing goals to the players on either side. There is a race to be the first to look at the civ cards ((which is in a common pool). If someone gets a big lead on one track, you can deny that person that color tile. And the game ends when anyone empties a stack of tiles, or cannot place a tile. So you have to be careful when you want the game end.
This has about as much interaction as Earth does honestly maybe a little more. On those individual points:
- the competing goals, they are literally just "have more green area then them" type objectives and even then they aren't worth much points as you get a 2nd place also, and it only applies to your two neighbours, so above 3 players, they hold no extra benefit.
- The civ cards is a common pool, but only relevant for you if you're levelilng up that track. If you're not, what do you care? And the decreasing pool could easily be simulated by removing one card every few rounds at random. SOme of the cards are auto-buys, others are "whatever, no big deal".
- "deny someone that other tile" - so in a 5-6 player game you're going to be staring at all the other maps and player boards, checking to see what tracks they are high one and then determine not only what tile you need, but also what tiles it will give them and whether it's worth it or not? Say hello to a 3 hour game if that's the case. You don't have the scope to assess that kind of detail on 4-5 other boards, you need to be concerned with your tile primarily, why tank your own tile (which is one of the few choices you get to make yourself in this game) just to deny someone a red tile?
- the game end, this is legit, there is that aspect, but after a 6 player game, you'll be likely rushing to make it end.
There's snippets of interaction, but they are so barebones that calling this an interactive game just doesn't work. 100% multiplayer solitaire? No, but 90% is still enough to make me want to cap players at 3 max.
@@gravecac9522 , thanks for sharing your thoughts. I've done a fair bit of research on this game and my reason for not buying it was a fear that it wasn't overly interactive. The review helped confirm my suspicions that this game isn't one I need to buy because of my taste in games. Not saying I wouldn't play it if given the chance just a lack of desire to buy it for my already too large collection.
Love this game. Only thing I disagree on was the player scaling I play with some pretty bad ap people and every player count we get this done in about an hour. Biggest test was a 5 player game with a guy who once took a solid few minutes in wonderlands war to decide whether or not to pull a tile during one of the fights hahaha. Biggest problem I’ve had with the alignment is when a player doesn’t fully spin it and just grabs and then you have to align it for them but the little triangles aren’t quite ideal for sure
No way a six player game with setup and teach is all within an hour, that's way too fast, players would literally not be thinking about their turns at all.
Great review, I had the same impression regarding the lack of player interaction in this game - it looks cool but just not a fan of games where everyone is just doing their own thing and you have no idea what everyone else is doing (and it looks really hard to track everyone else’s board) or whether they are doing things correctly.
Agree, you have to hope they are playing the game correctly!
Love this game. Only had the chance to play it solo, but I find it tons of fun. I'm a fairly new gamer, so i don't have the issue of comparing it to other games (as i've not really played many). I'd be up for more planets (I didn't get the Kickstarter), or the planet mats, and interested to see whatever they come up with for expansion. Nice review.
If you're only playing it solo you're in good hands. It just lacks any necessity to play it multiplayer. And I'm not sure I want to hang on to a game this big yet simple just for solo purposes .
Hi there, is the solo game a Beat your own score or do you fight against an IA that score aswell ?
How long are you plays in solo ?
Thanks in advance, have fun and take care !
Cheers
5:42 I totally agree!
Game looks good but I already have 2 polyomino games (out of 40), Tenpenny Parks and Isle of Cats and 2 polyomino adjacent/mildly related games in Hall of the Mountain King and Whistle Mountain
So not feeling like adding another to a pretty slim collection of games
Alice's Garden - you'll ditch Tenpenny Parks and Isle of Cats after that I suspect.
An 8? … were you stretching to find an 8… with the solo perspective? Good review (except for final score) , thank you
It's a decent game if played solo, but multiplayer doesn't cut it.
I disagree. Our group plays it with six players and it’s fast. Everyone loves it. (We have played it over a dozen times at high player counts).
There are multiple strategies to win. With veteran players you are mindful of what tiles you give other players. It has the right amount of player interaction not to slow the game down. For 6 players it’s a 9 for us and shines. It deserves its Spiel de Jarred nomination and one of the best games of 2022. The only knock I would agree with you on is the KS exclusives. Hopefully there will be a way to get them separately.
Define fast and player interaction. I would hate it if all six players were taking note of all other players tile wise, that would just bog the game down horrendously. I mean the boards would be unintelligible to the human eye at that distance
We knock a game out somewhere between 75-90 minutes. That for us is great for a 6 player game. Everyone helps with the setup/tear down. And nobody has AP. Everyones scores have risen since we first got it, as strategies have matured. It’s a real competitive group. And there is a lot of laughing and banter as we play.
We have a lot of 5/6 player game sessions so we have to be closely on the lookout for great games that play fast at high player counts. Ethnos is another great one. The new 7 Wonders Architects is another. And Fantasy Realms. Naturally if you have a bad AP player that would drag the time up. The real trick for us is a person does not have many actions and the board game state does not change very much. I would hate to play Five Tribes at high player count.
For interaction, you mostly just keep an eye on the players to your right and left since those you are competing for goals. There is also the issue of the game ending quickly because someone cannot place a tile or a column of tiles run out. We usually call that situation out, if someone is close or a set of tiles is about to run out. Course some players want to end it fast if they are ahead, lol.
Appreciate your perspective, but I entirely disagree. I do not care for the solo (there are very few solo games I like to be fair) and I much prefer it at 4+ players than 2. I like the tactical nature where you can plan less in the higher player counts games since everyone else is basically picking your choice of tiles for you. And I don't agree that the playtime is significantly longer with more players either. Hasn't been my experience at all.
Six players I'm regularly at nail biting stage waiting for every other player to finish their turn and choose the next tile. And my tile selection is just random at that point, every other polyomino game I get to choose a lot more.
Interesting hearing your opinion, that i happen to share, its just good, ok. Even with the additional KS planets and corporations, they all are unique and offer a slightly different challenge but the central loop of play is essentially thw same.
I'd maybe thought I was missing something after seeing rhe Spiel Des Jahres nomination as i dont deel its worthy of that level.
Yeah I wouldn't put it as Kennerspiel worthy.
@@TheBrokenMeepleit's almost as if the scarcity of the product has created crazy demand and that's been misconstrued as a special special game
I really enjoy this game. However, have not played it with more than 4. One of my friends does have AP and his turns can be excruciating. I found the rulebook frustrating in parts, but that is not uncommon for me unfortunately. Reading is just not the best way for me to absorb information. We do not play the 2P variant, as I feel it takes away any agency that this game seems to have. I agree any more than 4P and it would just be a RNG-fest. I absolutely love moving the rover around the board and clearing items. All and all I really enjoy it and it has become my favorite polyomino game. I will say that I am bummed that I didn't get the other planets or the other corporations, absolutely sucks they were KS exclusives. It does look like your life pods and meteorites are premium versions at least, mine were not.
Mine aren't premium, those are retail - wooden pieces and that's it. One picture might have had deluxe stuff in it, but the retail box is just wood.
@@TheBrokenMeeple Must've been the picture of something that threw me off. You certainly had premium components shown at one time or another.
Useful review, thanks.
Its a little annoying just how many multiplayer games these days really aren't, or shouldnt be, or at least certainly dont shine as multiplayer games. I am simple, so I like true solo and true multiplayer games. Anything that reduces my daily confusions level 🙂
Couldn't agree more
I personally don't have a problem with low player interaction in games. I'm happy to sit there and puzzle out how I can get more points than other players and as long as players are enjoying that too than that is fine. But I'm also not a big fun of co-op game so maybe I just don't like people. lol
But then in solo I can play my puzzle in 30 minutes not 90.
@@TheBrokenMeeple Not as fun as trying to outdo real people. And 90 minutes for a game should not be a problem.
@@david6294 90 plus teach and setup so likely looking at two hours and for a game that should take much less it's too long. It's about the length relative to what the game is. A straightforward polyomino game should be short and why make something longer than it needs to be
The only reason I don't like the solo is because I don't like the events deck. I might play with it only as a timer.
Yeah events decks I find to be a usually lazy or undeveloped addition
How is this game compared to World Wonders?
Sadly not played worlds wonders, they wouldn't give me a review copy and it sold out instantly here. I would imagine WW is a lot quicker to get played, less bulky for the shelf, less expensive and easier to learn.
Haha it's still on my shelf of shame, but when I read the rules, I knew the "which piece is mine" was going to be an issue 😬
Yeah it keeps cropping up,
Cheers
This, to me, was a good not great game. It is fine, it works well, everything about it is smooth. Having said that, there isn't too much going on. I agree the player interaction is small, but I found the different corps and maps to be somewhat underwhelming.
Not helped by the lack of the KS exclusive ones.
Omg thank you for booing the KS exclusives. I literally am not buying this game in retail because getting only half the planets feels like getting ripped off.
I'll boo away, I hate KS exclusives that affect gameplay value.
They're not exclusive, can be purchased separately
@@nipzie On the campaign they were exclusives, and you can only purchase direct.. And even then this is a 60-70£ game, adding another £20 plus puts this into dangerously expensive territory.
Other than agreeing with you have less control in higher player counts, your negatives I completely disagree with. There is nothing wrong with multiplayer solo games. You're fighting over objectives for points, your competing for a high score, did you min/max your turns and play your corporation to its fullest potential. You complain that games with less interaction are somehow inferior games. I don't understand the vitriol. It is still a game you play together and compare scores. There is still a winner in the end. THERE IS NOOOO TIME INCREASE AT HIGHER PLAYER COUNTS! its literally simultaneous actions. and even if I have less control of the tiles I want at higher player counts, the puzzle is still there on how to best play with the options given. A 5 out of 10 is just ridiculous for your reasonings. KS exclusives are rewards for those who helped the game fund and earn upgrades. You want the exclusives, be a part of the campaign, simple. Don't complain because you didn't get something you didn't help create. Your annoyance with the lazy Susan is laughable. Its literally a non-issue, a simple adjustment to the placement of your arrow, or the Susan fixes that problem, just a silly complaint. This comment may come over hostile, but its merely strong disagreement. 90% of the time your takes are spot on, but sometimes like games such as wonderlands war and this, you get so lost in the weeds of finding nit picks or flat out misrepresenting some aspects, you dock the game for truly non issues. Anyways, I still always appreciate the content, glad your voice is healed.
Ha ha, interesting! 👍 But simultaneous doesn't mean exactly that in gaming. You can't go further until everyone is done, so if anyone is slower, that's your game speed. Same goes for stuff like 7 Wonders, I usually cap that at 4-5 tops.
A 3P game took about 90 for us with two new people, I've seen a 6 take 2 hours. If it were truly simultaneous then why does a six player game not take 30 minutes like a solo game does?
A couple of little piffly objectives between neighbours is really barebones for having a full count and the Round Table to actually hold it all v🤣
@@TheBrokenMeeple never had a game go over an hour so I have no idea what your doing to make a game take 2 hours.... And a game is a slow as the slowest player. You can have that same slow player in a 2 player game so I am not really seeing your point.
The game ends when 2 slots are empty or a player can't play a tile legally. The game actually is faster at higher player counts due to more tiles being taken more often. Thus the end game trigger happening quicker.
I just don't care for any space-themed game. Generic fantasy? Sure. Space sucks. This is irrational, but I just can't get into space junk.
It's generic space themed anyway!
I really like this game and wish I had it. 🫠 I love it for 5 or 6.🤷🏻♂️ I agree with you Luke, in that I would personally break a group into 3 and 3. However, some of my game groups like to keep all 6 together. 😑 This game checks alot of boxes. It's a great medium weight strategy game that accommodates 6 with little downtime. Yes, it will take a little longer at that count, and there's not a ton of interaction, but it's still great fun, and it's still competitive. And I still haven't even gotten to try the other boards yet. If you have a group of 6 then you start getting into "roll and writes" (usually zero interaction) or like 7 wonders, maybe Between Two Cities or you're going into more drafting or party games usually. This game fits a very unique niche and does it beautifully. 😌
6+ and I'm going to party games mainly with a few choice exceptions (New Angeles) but those games require pre planning.