What i love most about FFG's current line of APP driven games is that it removes the 'GM' element from player responsibility, to computer responsibility, allowing everyone who's playing to work cooperatively and enjoy the game! I love it, can't tell you how much.
I agree 100%.-All too often in the past, I was ALWAYS having to take the role of DM/Keeper/Referee etc... because I was the one that owned the game and knew the rules best. Now with this app, the one for Star Wars Imperial Assault, and the one for Descent, I can actually be part of the adventure itself with all the other players (or even play by myself when no one is around to play). I just recently moved to a different state and my wife was away on business for a month and I hadn't met a new gaming group yet so there were plenty of nights when I played the FFG app driven stuff in order to get my gaming fix in. Also; with this game in particular, i think the puzzles work WAAAY better in the app than they did as physical props.
This is probably the game of the year. I understand you preferences, but it is kind of difficult to make an horror game on a euro-game basis. You need luck to have a good horror genre game I think. I have the first edition also, but having to do the setup was asking for other to wait 15 minutes and 'complexified' a lot the bringing of the game to the table. Now it just take 2 minutes and we can get our horror itch satisfied. :) As you say more scenario is needed, but the 2 'expansion' are suppose to have one more each. They are reprint of the tiles and miniatures of the first edition and following expansions. Thank you for you video, always good
Well he is franc about and it is good enough for me. I don't ask him to accept my red pill philosophy and I accept his strange relation with his wife because he is good at what he does. He is still a little boy somewhere amazed at games and do love them so much. So few people are still able to be that way without turning cynic as they get older, It is a very rare quality in this trouble time we live in :)
Maybe it's because we ( the wife and I ) haven't played many/any heavily story-driven and thematic games, but we are having a blast. Not to spoiler the first game, but it ended absolutely insanely and it really made a fond memory. I'll say that I do wish there were more control/puzzly elements, but it's just a different kind of game. I do think it won't be infinitely repayable like something like Keyflower or Battlecon or the like, but it's also kind of cool to do a mystery game. Now, maybe there are better versions of this game for 2p, more Euro driven folk, but I'm pretty happy with it. Just to give another view.
FFG should release a human Keeper expansion for this game. They should also release an expansion that was a campaign, like a legacy game, one story over several plays.
This is the only review I've seen for this game that has real value. The hype around this games makes all reviewers just say "it's great", completely ignoring the problems, especially the small replay value (not to mention the false advertising about procedural map generation).
Isn't it possible that the other reviewers just liked the game? It's strange to dismiss every other opinion as based on hype because it differs from yours.
+Tom Heath It's not about liking or disliking the game. It's about including real criticism in the review about what should be improved. I actually really like the game and considered buying it, but gave up after understanding that there was false advertising about the replay value. And seeing how many reviewers ignore that aspect, it makes their reviews partial and misleading.
actually i was predisposed to like this one, because i liked the 1st edition, and i love digital app integration. but like runebound 3rd edition, FF has made more changes that weaken the original experience than strengthen it, IMO. ymmv though :)
People in this conversation really miss the point. It doesn't matter if a reviewer likes or dislikes the game, since this is a result of his personal preference in games. I consider this review good because Rahdo talked about issues that people who are interested in the game should be aware of - will they get replay value? will they be able to use the app on their phone? etc. People might like the game but have second thoughts after considering these aspects. A reviewer should discuss many aspects of the game so we could decide for ourselves if we like it or not. And specifically for that game, most reviews are quite shallow and therefore just aren't useful.
Rahdo, thanks for the run through. Does the app provide any background mood music or sounds? Is there an option for the app to read the answers or questions aloud? Have you played any of the expansions? What is your favorite horror game?
when i played it, there was very little atmosphere building, iirc. but it's been quite awhile, you might want to ask on bgg. or just download the app and check :)
Good Final Thoughts. I didn't watch the runthrough, because I own the game and have played it a few times. I just wanted to hear what you thought about it. I'm wondering if you enjoyed your experience with the game since you said you played all 4 adventures. Or were you just doing it for research.
If a monster is in a different room, during the mythos phase what verbiage allows the monster to leave the room and chase a player in a different room?
sorry it's been so many years since i played so i don't remember specifics. but if you ask here: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/205059/mansions-of-madness-second-edition/forums/0 you're sure to get a quick and solid answer :)
Hi Richard, I've been following your channel for a while and have a small question. Why change the links to open in a new tab? I've already finished the video and end up with a ton of rahdo tabs of watched videos :P Just a small curiosity.
well, annotation links are a real PITA to set up, while the (i) card system is really smooth and simple. plus, the (i) appear when viewed on youtube mobile apps and the like, so more people can use them. it is a shame that they open new tabs, if i could override that I would :)
Nice review - we differ in that this is definitely a game for me, but I love all of the FFG Lovecraft games. Love having the story unfold as we play it. Sorry it doesn't work for you, but I'll be buying it and playing it a lot.
yeah, i was disappointed to be sure. i guess i'll get a copy at Essen. but tbh, if arle and caverna are anything to go by, i might not enjoy it anyway... :(
I have really enjoyed this version. At least for me I agree that the first version was better if the GM played their role well. I always had the problem of getting this game to the table. With the second edition, the elimination of the GM, I will be able to get to play a lot more. The app also does a really great job if you want to play solo. I know I wont be able to get anyone to play the six hr story, so solo play is now a viable alternative for me.
I completely agree with you on the replayability suffering with the way they programmed the app vs the system in the first edition. They could've put more on the app and developed it more than just randomizing the item drops and a slight change to the layout of the mansion. Still, the best thing this does is allow people to play MoM as a purely cooperative game which the popularity of Descent 2nd ed Road to Legend app and their future Imperial Assault supports. And despite how i agree with you that runthroughs allow the viewer to form their own opinion, a well thought out analysis of pros and cons of final thoughts improves the content for the perspective viewer. All too often a lot of reviews, especially written ones, end up too positive or too negative and come off as too biased. Those types of reviews feel a lot more like marketing/smear material than critical analysis pieces. tl;dr GJ with final thoughts Rahdo. This game really is Lovecraft Time Stories with FFG dice rolling fun (or unfun for you).
Hi Rahdo, can you please tell me how you see the replayability of this game, I mean can each mission be palyed with a different gameplay?, even having a similar ending... Im affraid this game is more like an APP that needs a few dice rolling and a board game to be played, not a boardgame that needs an APP... thank you for your videos and hope you answer this question...Cheers from Spain
Im watching the video and hearing the explanation for my questions... hahaha It happens when you ask before watching the video...Thank you...Appreciate your reply ;-)
I was really hoping the app would add a little more. No human keeper wants to deal with hundreds of pages for layouts and stories etc and that is why I was hoping the app would shake things up a little and randomise layouts or at least have multiple layouts to pick from. As it is I just don't see the point.
I am puzzled by your complaint. The app does randomise layouts. It does so based on what content you own. The more expansions you have the more variety it can offer. Rahdo talks about this in the video. There are now 19 scenarios if you have everything.
I am really happy you did a runthrough of MoM 2nd. ed. Rahdo, as I am looking forward to buying it. I assume the 2nd ed. will be a treat for owners of the 1st edition, as they already have miniatures and tiles which can be used in the 2nd. ed. as well. The two expansions you mentioned are the exact tiles and monsters you get from the 1st ed. + expansions. Moreover, from what has already been announced there is a new scenario coming out especially for people, who purchase the 2nd ed. expansions. Please note, that this scenario will be free of charge for owners of the 1st edition, which is a nice gesture from FFG. I also hope FFG will keep making scenarios for the base game without charging people, as 4/5 scenarios for this price is not too satysfying...Really enjoying the videos you make and I hope we can meet at Essen this year.Cheers!
Hey +rahdo, I just had to come here and say (since this video was linked in a reddit thread today which brought me here); thank you. I know you say disregard your final thoughts but I think they're great. Dominant Species is one of my favorite games that I bought based on your runthrough and final thoughts. The runthroughs give you a good overview of the gameplay which is fantastic, but I think it's also really great that the final thoughts can be a good way to consider how/when/and with you to play these games.
Just bought this game i like it because i love hp lovecraft, being a new Englander myself and just being a general fan of horror. I also like Narrative driven things that I can really get in too, its almost like a book that your part of. My girlfriend and I's favorite game so far is pandemic. Have you played the fury of Dracula yet?
I don't think this game is significantly different than Time Stories, to the point that a don't grasp how someone could love one and dislike another. That being said, there's lots of things I don't get! I was curious about your opinion on this one, (I love some of the games you love, and love some of the games you dislike), thanks for putting your opinion in the first minute! And thank you, for the many games you've pointed me to!
To date all the reviews I have seen on this game have been unanimous in their praise. I really appreciated then listening to a different perspective on this game, which has given me cause to pause before getting this. I think I would weary pretty quickly of the dice chucking. So maybe a try before I buy scenario. Thanks. Good stuff.
We really liked this game, enough to play through the first three scenarios over the weekend :) I've never played the first edition, so I wasn't sure what to expect. For us, Mansions was incredibly atmospheric, especially with the creepy music playing through the app. Building the setting as you go was exciting, and searching different areas of the board created a lot of tension and mystery. The second scenario was the weakest for us, as it was more focused on combat that solving a mystery and getting clues. Good to know the fourth scenario is more like a murder mystery, which appeals to our style. This weekend, we also played the last two TIME Stories expansions (Dragon & Under the Mask) - which brings me to my question for you. My boyfriend and I hated all the dice rolling and combat in the Marcy Case, especially compared to the base game story. Yet you seemed to enjoy The Marcy Case a lot, which kind of goes against your final thoughts here. Why do you think you enjoyed The Marcy Case, but this fell flat for you?
well we don't particuarily like the dice rolling in time stories - we just tolerate it because we LOVE the rest of the game, for reasons I talked about when I did the marcy case final thoughts. MoM 2nd edition didn't give us enough of interest to put up with all the dice rolling. MoM 1st edition did, but on the whole, I think the design changes of 2nd edition weakened the core game. i talked about some of them in this vid (the codified structure which is less compelling than 1st ed), but there's other changes i dislike too: the action system for heroes is weaker, IMO, in 2nd edition, and I really miss the building threat system from 1st edition as well for creating more dread.
Thanks for taking the time to answer. I get what you mean - sometimes a game is so good that it overshadows the negatives. We felt that way about TIME Stories, too. Hate the combat aspect, but the storytelling and mechanics are what keep us hooked and going back for more.
I have the old games you can include them with a free expansion and it gives you all you need in the box too. brilliant game get the expansions fantastic
I had just assumed that this app would be exactly the same as the Descent one but clearly it's not. Sounds like the Descent app is better than this one in many regards, mainly in that it does know what monsters are there and adjusts itself based on how easy or hard it is for you to fight them. If you're not doing well, it'll make it easier. If you're blowing through them, it will make them harder. I quite like the new Descent app, although it's not perfect. The Descent app lets you load multiple campaigns as well, although it does not do a great job of saving where you are in a particular encounter.
I love it when you remind viewers that your opinions are immaterial. :P But I fear I will feel the same way you do about this. So much fear. It's sitting there, waiting for me to play it, but fear.
I was kinda surprised that you did a run through for this one. This one really didn't scream 'Rahdo' to me. We really enjoy these games, but we're role players, I think that helps. We like the stories. I totally understand that it's not for you, though.
I think this could be a game for me and my partner but I am not sure of paying that money just for 4 scenarios. If they had new scenarios for 5€ like Chronicles of crime it would be fine but it does not look it is going to be like that. Thanks for the review. Take care.
rahdo Wow, I'm surprised you replied to a video from August 2016 and after only 2 hours of me making the comment! Thank you and keep up the awesome work.
You came on this game because of your appreciation towards the first edition: it would be cool to have a review of that one as well. What do you think?
i haven't played the first edition in a decade, so i don't remember a lot of specifics. i was a big fan of the player run puzzle system, and how a player could basically be a dungeon master and taylor the game to be fun and thematically consistent for everyone. 2nd ed by comparison, being run by the app, feels much more clinical and videogame like - it loses that human touch
Betrayal at House on the Hill gives you a similar experience, includes significantly more scenarios (there are around 50 "haunts" in the game), plays in less time, and is less expensive.
Finally someone took a moment to mention some of the negatives this game has. I do not mind positive reviews from other channels, but really, there is nothing negative to say about this? I think this game is quite overhyped and for 2016 the app is a nightmare of bad design and implementation. It's very rough. Also, the miniatures are very bad, not at a Fantasy Flight standard. Quite disappointed with this one, I recommend waiting a while for the prices to drop.
If you only ever play with 2 people, thematic games are definitely not for your. Those games shine in larger groups. That being said, I hate mansions 2nd edition. I love Eldritch Horror and I really enjoyed the previous mansions because it was asymmetrical and had the keeper which kind of played like Dracula (love Fury of Dracula as well) but in this version I feel like the app does most of the work. If I wanted to play a video game I have League of Legends.
This Ameritreasure loving gamer would be quite happy to buy that off of you at Essen in a few weeks! Final Fantasy never seems to have English editions at the Spiel.
from my perspective, there's nothing "free" about it. it's a lot of work to make these vids... filming this vid took me about 4 hours all told to make, plus i've now spent another 2 or 3 hours answering questions about it on BGG and youtube (and will continue to do so for years to come), plus there was the time spent playing it, studying it, reading up about other parts of it I didn't experience so I could give a more well rounded take on everything in the box, etc. etc.
I am quite happy Rahdo is willing to auction off the games that don't work for his circumstances (and I am happy to support him a wee bit by purchasing a game or two from him). It is not likely I will be able to find a Fantasy Flight game in English at Essen, so he's doing a service by making that a possibility.
Remember, the money Rahdo gets from the auction usually goes to buying even more games he can film, some that he may like more and actually keep. Watching runthroughs has kept my buying spree at a minimum since I started watching. There is very little chance for me to "play before pay" where I live so this is the closest thing I have. So, more game reviews, the better!
Horror checks are way to much repetitive. After a game ends you should feel exited but in this game our energy is drained and are happy it ended. Also, 5 star games really mean you just have to play them multiple times to be victorious. And you know you won`t make it, even early in the scenario. LOTR journey in middle earth is said to deal with the issue`s Mansions have although it has a completely different theme.
I feel like this guy shouldn't even attempt to play these kind of games.. I could just hear him complain the entire time. On a real note, he did bring up good points tho 👌
What are you smoking? You obviously don't like this kind of game but this 2nd edition is leaps and bounds above the first. .Also the maps are different every time as are the outcomes.
Figure of speech obviously. This version crushes the 1st edition.. If you made one mistake setting it up before the whole session was ruined. Also you could't play co-op.. otherwise there are no other changes.
After watching a couple of reviews and playing with the app, I can't help wonder what's the point of this being a board game? Since everything is done on the app, why would you bother with all the game pieces? Wouldn't it just be more efficient to have everything done in the app and make this a video game? I can understand using an app to enhance the experience, but this just seems like video game with a lot of unnecessary, cumbersome pieces.
I think you were far more lenient on this game than I was and I am not going to bother spending the hours it would take to film a review. $100 for 4 adventures and a bare bones application is quite honestly underwhelming. You started to hit the main points towards the end of your video but I don't think it can be mentioned enough. 4 adventures with minimal replay value as you said "Look I got the 2x4 instead of the Ax this time," doesn't equate to replay variety.The application was also excessively bare bones. One save file and it doesn't really save anything. The app should allow you to input your current possessions, stats, and monster locations before closing out the save file. I shouldn't be required to also take photos of the game board and each players stuff on top of that. We are paying $100 for probably at most 7 plays and that is assuming you are willing to play the 4th 4-6 hour adventure which I doubt many are willing to do. Most owners will take the time for adventure 1 and 2 which leaves the box collecting dust quite quickly.While I am all for new frontiers of co-operative games where an app controls the overlord, Mansions of Madness 2nd edition was a swing and a miss. At least 1st edition had 15 adventures for $80.Thanks for all your hard work and contributions to the hobby for you and your wife, Richard, be well.
maybe just do a "commentary" video where you just talk about your experiences with the game without doing the whole game/rules demo portion? more voices out there is always better! :)
rahdo Ah, I see. And yet, the name for the oh so sophisticated European styled games is simply "Eurogames". What I don't understand is why such a derogatory term rather than just, oh let's say, Amerigames? Just seems silly to me.
once upon a time, punk was a derogatory term, but it was worn like a bad of honor amongst those punks and now, decades later has pretty much lost its pegorative. the same thing is happening here, as the 'trash' in ameritrash refers to destruction and violence (as in "trashing the place") rather than rubbish
real boring dice rolling game (not a board game at all) mainly due to the problems you mention from 16:00 going on. All the fun (keeper!) from part 1 taken out and replaced with a shitty scripted app (once again not supposed to be in a board game as there can't be the same immersion because you constantly have to switch between the physical component and the app...) total bummer
You are a subjective gamer. Just go play chess if you want to play strategy. That is why dice tower reviews are much superior to yours. Every game has it's own pros and cons. Learn to embrace them. For people like me, I dont like azul but that doesnt make it a crappy game. It is brilliant in it's own design. How about you review the goods and then review the things it can improve on. Also speak slower and calm.
What i love most about FFG's current line of APP driven games is that it removes the 'GM' element from player responsibility, to computer responsibility, allowing everyone who's playing to work cooperatively and enjoy the game! I love it, can't tell you how much.
I agree 100%.-All too often in the past, I was ALWAYS having to take the role of DM/Keeper/Referee etc... because I was the one that owned the game and knew the rules best. Now with this app, the one for Star Wars Imperial Assault, and the one for Descent, I can actually be part of the adventure itself with all the other players (or even play by myself when no one is around to play). I just recently moved to a different state and my wife was away on business for a month and I hadn't met a new gaming group yet so there were plenty of nights when I played the FFG app driven stuff in order to get my gaming fix in. Also; with this game in particular, i think the puzzles work WAAAY better in the app than they did as physical props.
I bought it to play solo.And i love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rahdo, it is Final Thoughts like this that validate backing you on Kickstarter. I appreciate your insights. Thank you.
Bit late to this, played the first scenario last night, I thought it was great!
This is probably the game of the year.
I understand you preferences, but it is kind of difficult to make an horror game on a euro-game basis.
You need luck to have a good horror genre game I think.
I have the first edition also, but having to do the setup was asking for other to wait 15 minutes and 'complexified' a lot the bringing of the game to the table.
Now it just take 2 minutes and we can get our horror itch satisfied. :)
As you say more scenario is needed, but the 2 'expansion' are suppose to have one more each. They are reprint of the tiles and miniatures of the first edition and following expansions.
Thank you for you video, always good
HE shouldn't do games he doesn't like
Well he is franc about and it is good enough for me.
I don't ask him to accept my red pill philosophy and I accept his strange relation with his wife because he is good at what he does.
He is still a little boy somewhere amazed at games and do love them so much. So few people are still able to be that way without turning cynic as they get older, It is a very rare quality in this trouble time we live in :)
If you think that, you should check out Perdition's Mouth (a Kickstarter from last year). Horror-based dungeon crawl with zero dice and little luck.
Thanks for the head's up I'll go take a look this look very interesting. Thank you :)
hmm, PM systems would apply brilliantly to MoM
Maybe it's because we ( the wife and I ) haven't played many/any heavily story-driven and thematic games, but we are having a blast. Not to spoiler the first game, but it ended absolutely insanely and it really made a fond memory.
I'll say that I do wish there were more control/puzzly elements, but it's just a different kind of game. I do think it won't be infinitely repayable like something like Keyflower or Battlecon or the like, but it's also kind of cool to do a mystery game.
Now, maybe there are better versions of this game for 2p, more Euro driven folk, but I'm pretty happy with it. Just to give another view.
FFG should release a human Keeper expansion for this game. They should also release an expansion that was a campaign, like a legacy game, one story over several plays.
This is the only review I've seen for this game that has real value.
The hype around this games makes all reviewers just say "it's great", completely ignoring the problems, especially the small replay value (not to mention the false advertising about procedural map generation).
This review is way off
Isn't it possible that the other reviewers just liked the game? It's strange to dismiss every other opinion as based on hype because it differs from yours.
+Tom Heath It's not about liking or disliking the game. It's about including real criticism in the review about what should be improved.
I actually really like the game and considered buying it, but gave up after understanding that there was false advertising about the replay value.
And seeing how many reviewers ignore that aspect, it makes their reviews partial and misleading.
actually i was predisposed to like this one, because i liked the 1st edition, and i love digital app integration. but like runebound 3rd edition, FF has made more changes that weaken the original experience than strengthen it, IMO. ymmv though :)
People in this conversation really miss the point. It doesn't matter if a reviewer likes or dislikes the game, since this is a result of his personal preference in games.
I consider this review good because Rahdo talked about issues that people who are interested in the game should be aware of - will they get replay value? will they be able to use the app on their phone? etc.
People might like the game but have second thoughts after considering these aspects.
A reviewer should discuss many aspects of the game so we could decide for ourselves if we like it or not. And specifically for that game, most reviews are quite shallow and therefore just aren't useful.
Rahdo, thanks for the run through. Does the app provide any background mood music or sounds? Is there an option for the app to read the answers or questions aloud? Have you played any of the expansions? What is your favorite horror game?
when i played it, there was very little atmosphere building, iirc. but it's been quite awhile, you might want to ask on bgg. or just download the app and check :)
Good Final Thoughts. I didn't watch the runthrough, because I own the game and have played it a few times. I just wanted to hear what you thought about it. I'm wondering if you enjoyed your experience with the game since you said you played all 4 adventures. Or were you just doing it for research.
i only played 1 and 3 actually, and just kind of poked around 2 and 4 on the app. didn't really enjoy it though...
If a monster is in a different room, during the mythos phase what verbiage allows the monster to leave the room and chase a player in a different room?
sorry it's been so many years since i played so i don't remember specifics. but if you ask here: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/205059/mansions-of-madness-second-edition/forums/0 you're sure to get a quick and solid answer :)
Hi Richard, I've been following your channel for a while and have a small question. Why change the links to open in a new tab? I've already finished the video and end up with a ton of rahdo tabs of watched videos :P Just a small curiosity.
well, annotation links are a real PITA to set up, while the (i) card system is really smooth and simple. plus, the (i) appear when viewed on youtube mobile apps and the like, so more people can use them. it is a shame that they open new tabs, if i could override that I would :)
I saw mansions of Madeness first edition is also usable with this- charcters etc can be used.
So I should keep the 1 ed adventures too it seems :-)
Nice review - we differ in that this is definitely a game for me, but I love all of the FFG Lovecraft games. Love having the story unfold as we play it. Sorry it doesn't work for you, but I'll be buying it and playing it a lot.
Hi rahdo!
Have you received a review copy of the feast of odin ?
nope, i asked zman about it and they said they weren't likely to send me one :(
Z-man is not the only publisher.
yeah, but there's a fair bit of text on the cards, so i really don't want to mess with the german or dutch versions...
@ rahdo That's surprising. You're definitely a major reviewer in my opinion and it seems like your kind of game.
yeah, i was disappointed to be sure. i guess i'll get a copy at Essen. but tbh, if arle and caverna are anything to go by, i might not enjoy it anyway... :(
I have really enjoyed this version. At least for me I agree that the first version was better if the GM played their role well. I always had the problem of getting this game to the table. With the second edition, the elimination of the GM, I will be able to get to play a lot more. The app also does a really great job if you want to play solo. I know I wont be able to get anyone to play the six hr story, so solo play is now a viable alternative for me.
I completely agree with you on the replayability suffering with the way they programmed the app vs the system in the first edition. They could've put more on the app and developed it more than just randomizing the item drops and a slight change to the layout of the mansion. Still, the best thing this does is allow people to play MoM as a purely cooperative game which the popularity of Descent 2nd ed Road to Legend app and their future Imperial Assault supports.
And despite how i agree with you that runthroughs allow the viewer to form their own opinion, a well thought out analysis of pros and cons of final thoughts improves the content for the perspective viewer. All too often a lot of reviews, especially written ones, end up too positive or too negative and come off as too biased. Those types of reviews feel a lot more like marketing/smear material than critical analysis pieces.
tl;dr GJ with final thoughts Rahdo. This game really is Lovecraft Time Stories with FFG dice rolling fun (or unfun for you).
Hi Rahdo, can you please tell me how you see the replayability of this game, I mean can each mission be palyed with a different gameplay?, even having a similar ending... Im affraid this game is more like an APP that needs a few dice rolling and a board game to be played, not a boardgame that needs an APP... thank you for your videos and hope you answer this question...Cheers from Spain
i actually talked about that quite a bit in the final thoughts, giving specific examples and everything :)
Im watching the video and hearing the explanation for my questions... hahaha It happens when you ask before watching the video...Thank you...Appreciate your reply ;-)
I was really hoping the app would add a little more. No human keeper wants to deal with hundreds of pages for layouts and stories etc and that is why I was hoping the app would shake things up a little and randomise layouts or at least have multiple layouts to pick from. As it is I just don't see the point.
I am puzzled by your complaint. The app does randomise layouts. It does so based on what content you own. The more expansions you have the more variety it can offer. Rahdo talks about this in the video. There are now 19 scenarios if you have everything.
it draws you in and immediately grabs you as a team its brilliant
I am really happy you did a runthrough of MoM 2nd. ed. Rahdo, as I am looking forward to buying it. I assume the 2nd ed. will be a treat for owners of the 1st edition, as they already have miniatures and tiles which can be used in the 2nd. ed. as well. The two expansions you mentioned are the exact tiles and monsters you get from the 1st ed. + expansions. Moreover, from what has already been announced there is a new scenario coming out especially for people, who purchase the 2nd ed. expansions. Please note, that this scenario will be free of charge for owners of the 1st edition, which is a nice gesture from FFG. I also hope FFG will keep making scenarios for the base game without charging people, as 4/5 scenarios for this price is not too satysfying...Really enjoying the videos you make and I hope we can meet at Essen this year.Cheers!
Hi, can you recommend a video of yours to watch where you talk about the kind of strategy games you prefer instead? - thanks in advance :)
well, i've done dozens of top10 lists, maybe you'll find something there? ruclips.net/p/PLmQverenaaqIR4TovRQCIvedgdWbjzfa7
Hey +rahdo, I just had to come here and say (since this video was linked in a reddit thread today which brought me here); thank you. I know you say disregard your final thoughts but I think they're great. Dominant Species is one of my favorite games that I bought based on your runthrough and final thoughts. The runthroughs give you a good overview of the gameplay which is fantastic, but I think it's also really great that the final thoughts can be a good way to consider how/when/and with you to play these games.
Just bought this game i like it because i love hp lovecraft, being a new Englander myself and just being a general fan of horror. I also like Narrative driven things that I can really get in too, its almost like a book that your part of. My girlfriend and I's favorite game so far is pandemic. Have you played the fury of Dracula yet?
Huh. So far many games I consider Game of the Year material, you don't like.
different strokes :)
To be fair, he does say it’s personal preference. He doesn’t go crazy for ameritrash as he says. I on the other hand, enjoy them.
I don't think this game is significantly different than Time Stories, to the point that a don't grasp how someone could love one and dislike another. That being said, there's lots of things I don't get! I was curious about your opinion on this one, (I love some of the games you love, and love some of the games you dislike), thanks for putting your opinion in the first minute! And thank you, for the many games you've pointed me to!
To date all the reviews I have seen on this game have been unanimous in their praise. I really appreciated then listening to a different perspective on this game, which has given me cause to pause before getting this. I think I would weary pretty quickly of the dice chucking. So maybe a try before I buy scenario. Thanks. Good stuff.
We really liked this game, enough to play through the first three scenarios over the weekend :) I've never played the first edition, so I wasn't sure what to expect. For us, Mansions was incredibly atmospheric, especially with the creepy music playing through the app. Building the setting as you go was exciting, and searching different areas of the board created a lot of tension and mystery. The second scenario was the weakest for us, as it was more focused on combat that solving a mystery and getting clues. Good to know the fourth scenario is more like a murder mystery, which appeals to our style.
This weekend, we also played the last two TIME Stories expansions (Dragon & Under the Mask) - which brings me to my question for you. My boyfriend and I hated all the dice rolling and combat in the Marcy Case, especially compared to the base game story. Yet you seemed to enjoy The Marcy Case a lot, which kind of goes against your final thoughts here. Why do you think you enjoyed The Marcy Case, but this fell flat for you?
well we don't particuarily like the dice rolling in time stories - we just tolerate it because we LOVE the rest of the game, for reasons I talked about when I did the marcy case final thoughts.
MoM 2nd edition didn't give us enough of interest to put up with all the dice rolling. MoM 1st edition did, but on the whole, I think the design changes of 2nd edition weakened the core game. i talked about some of them in this vid (the codified structure which is less compelling than 1st ed), but there's other changes i dislike too: the action system for heroes is weaker, IMO, in 2nd edition, and I really miss the building threat system from 1st edition as well for creating more dread.
Thanks for taking the time to answer. I get what you mean - sometimes a game is so good that it overshadows the negatives. We felt that way about TIME Stories, too. Hate the combat aspect, but the storytelling and mechanics are what keep us hooked and going back for more.
I have the old games you can include them with a free expansion and it gives you all you need in the box too. brilliant game get the expansions fantastic
I had just assumed that this app would be exactly the same as the Descent one but clearly it's not. Sounds like the Descent app is better than this one in many regards, mainly in that it does know what monsters are there and adjusts itself based on how easy or hard it is for you to fight them. If you're not doing well, it'll make it easier. If you're blowing through them, it will make them harder. I quite like the new Descent app, although it's not perfect.
The Descent app lets you load multiple campaigns as well, although it does not do a great job of saving where you are in a particular encounter.
Great video and thanks for your honesty. I'm looking forward to playing this one day to see how I feel about it.
I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see you not raving about a game.
I love it when you remind viewers that your opinions are immaterial. :P But I fear I will feel the same way you do about this. So much fear. It's sitting there, waiting for me to play it, but fear.
You can do it!!!! :)
I like your videos and the way you talk. Keep up the good work. Take care my friend!
I was kinda surprised that you did a run through for this one. This one really didn't scream 'Rahdo' to me. We really enjoy these games, but we're role players, I think that helps. We like the stories. I totally understand that it's not for you, though.
I think this could be a game for me and my partner but I am not sure of paying that money just for 4 scenarios. If they had new scenarios for 5€ like Chronicles of crime it would be fine but it does not look it is going to be like that. Thanks for the review. Take care.
Would you like this game more if you could mitigate the dice a little more?
maybe a bit, but not much more :)
rahdo Wow, I'm surprised you replied to a video from August 2016 and after only 2 hours of me making the comment! Thank you and keep up the awesome work.
You came on this game because of your appreciation towards the first edition: it would be cool to have a review of that one as well. What do you think?
i haven't played the first edition in a decade, so i don't remember a lot of specifics. i was a big fan of the player run puzzle system, and how a player could basically be a dungeon master and taylor the game to be fun and thematically consistent for everyone. 2nd ed by comparison, being run by the app, feels much more clinical and videogame like - it loses that human touch
Yeah, everything they did in 1st Ed. had me saying "just play an RPG". Looks like same here.
yep, same here..
Betrayal at House on the Hill gives you a similar experience, includes significantly more scenarios (there are around 50 "haunts" in the game), plays in less time, and is less expensive.
Finally someone took a moment to mention some of the negatives this game has. I do not mind positive reviews from other channels, but really, there is nothing negative to say about this? I think this game is quite overhyped and for 2016 the app is a nightmare of bad design and implementation. It's very rough.
Also, the miniatures are very bad, not at a Fantasy Flight standard. Quite disappointed with this one, I recommend waiting a while for the prices to drop.
the game changes different every time
Really helpful summary of the pros and cons - thank you
If you only ever play with 2 people, thematic games are definitely not for your. Those games shine in larger groups. That being said, I hate mansions 2nd edition. I love Eldritch Horror and I really enjoyed the previous mansions because it was asymmetrical and had the keeper which kind of played like Dracula (love Fury of Dracula as well) but in this version I feel like the app does most of the work. If I wanted to play a video game I have League of Legends.
We only play with two and disagree, thematic games are great with two and this one is no different.
This Ameritreasure loving gamer would be quite happy to buy that off of you at Essen in a few weeks! Final Fantasy never seems to have English editions at the Spiel.
www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/211885/item/4815126#item4815126 :)
from my perspective, there's nothing "free" about it. it's a lot of work to make these vids... filming this vid took me about 4 hours all told to make, plus i've now spent another 2 or 3 hours answering questions about it on BGG and youtube (and will continue to do so for years to come), plus there was the time spent playing it, studying it, reading up about other parts of it I didn't experience so I could give a more well rounded take on everything in the box, etc. etc.
Thanks Richard! I'll keep an eye on that entry!
I am quite happy Rahdo is willing to auction off the games that don't work for his circumstances (and I am happy to support him a wee bit by purchasing a game or two from him). It is not likely I will be able to find a Fantasy Flight game in English at Essen, so he's doing a service by making that a possibility.
Remember, the money Rahdo gets from the auction usually goes to buying even more games he can film, some that he may like more and actually keep.
Watching runthroughs has kept my buying spree at a minimum since I started watching. There is very little chance for me to "play before pay" where I live so this is the closest thing I have. So, more game reviews, the better!
Horror checks are way to much repetitive. After a game ends you should feel exited but in this game our energy is drained and are happy it ended. Also, 5 star games really mean you just have to play them multiple times to be victorious. And you know you won`t make it, even early in the scenario. LOTR journey in middle earth is said to deal with the issue`s Mansions have although it has a completely different theme.
I bet my life Radho you won't like Zombicide !
i... would not take that bet
I feel like this guy shouldn't even attempt to play these kind of games..
I could just hear him complain the entire time.
On a real note, he did bring up good points tho 👌
absolutely not $99 of replayability
Can u play without the app and is it just as fun ?
nope, app is required
Completely disagree, but have an upvote for your passion ;-) Thanks for sharing!
What are you smoking? You obviously don't like this kind of game but this 2nd edition is leaps and bounds above the first. .Also the maps are different every time as are the outcomes.
sorry, i don't smoke, or drink for that matter
Figure of speech obviously. This version crushes the 1st edition.. If you made one mistake setting it up before the whole session was ruined. Also you could't play co-op.. otherwise there are no other changes.
there are other changes, and in my opinion, they are significant, and in some cases (the ones that matter to me) for the worse :)
I'm not sure why an obvious Ameritrash game is being reviewed by Rahdo. We all know you don't like these types of games, so why bother?
because i liked the previous edition, and i like apps in games
Daniel James There's also many players on the fence about games like these, and we appreciate having additional opinions to compare
After watching a couple of reviews and playing with the app, I can't help wonder what's the point of this being a board game? Since everything is done on the app, why would you bother with all the game pieces? Wouldn't it just be more efficient to have everything done in the app and make this a video game? I can understand using an app to enhance the experience, but this just seems like video game with a lot of unnecessary, cumbersome pieces.
i talked about this in the final thoughts
The App for this game is pretty lack luster in features, but I do love this game. I just wish the would redo the app and improve it.
Can I have your copy?
sorry it's long gone...
What you describe is die and retry. This concept of game might be interesting for video game. But it's lame and dumb I find for board games.
Did this Review made in soberness....????????????
I think you were far more lenient on this game than I was and I am not going to bother spending the hours it would take to film a review. $100 for 4 adventures and a bare bones application is quite honestly underwhelming. You started to hit the main points towards the end of your video but I don't think it can be mentioned enough. 4 adventures with minimal replay value as you said "Look I got the 2x4 instead of the Ax this time," doesn't equate to replay variety.The application was also excessively bare bones. One save file and it doesn't really save anything. The app should allow you to input your current possessions, stats, and monster locations before closing out the save file. I shouldn't be required to also take photos of the game board and each players stuff on top of that. We are paying $100 for probably at most 7 plays and that is assuming you are willing to play the 4th 4-6 hour adventure which I doubt many are willing to do. Most owners will take the time for adventure 1 and 2 which leaves the box collecting dust quite quickly.While I am all for new frontiers of co-operative games where an app controls the overlord, Mansions of Madness 2nd edition was a swing and a miss. At least 1st edition had 15 adventures for $80.Thanks for all your hard work and contributions to the hobby for you and your wife, Richard, be well.
maybe just do a "commentary" video where you just talk about your experiences with the game without doing the whole game/rules demo portion? more voices out there is always better! :)
Good point, I might have to do just that. Thanks for all you do for the hobby Richard.
lol. you play the boring board games rahdo. this game is solid. great game. worth every penny.
Why the hat every episode now, Rahdo?
epically bad haircut... something similar to what was seen in the final thoughts vid for kanban a couple years ago :)
shave it !
that was kind of the problem! :)
You made me go find that vid. Yes, epically bad. Chia pet bad. Fortunately it grows back. You should try opposite. Grow it really long!! Haha.
Ameritrash?....
boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Ameritrash
rahdo Ah, I see. And yet, the name for the oh so sophisticated European styled games is simply "Eurogames". What I don't understand is why such a derogatory term rather than just, oh let's say, Amerigames? Just seems silly to me.
once upon a time, punk was a derogatory term, but it was worn like a bad of honor amongst those punks and now, decades later has pretty much lost its pegorative. the same thing is happening here, as the 'trash' in ameritrash refers to destruction and violence (as in "trashing the place") rather than rubbish
real boring dice rolling game (not a board game at all) mainly due to the problems you mention from 16:00 going on. All the fun (keeper!) from part 1 taken out and replaced with a shitty scripted app (once again not supposed to be in a board game as there can't be the same immersion because you constantly have to switch between the physical component and the app...) total bummer
You are a subjective gamer. Just go play chess if you want to play strategy. That is why dice tower reviews are much superior to yours. Every game has it's own pros and cons. Learn to embrace them. For people like me, I dont like azul but that doesnt make it a crappy game. It is brilliant in it's own design. How about you review the goods and then review the things it can improve on. Also speak slower and calm.
i think you need to watch the first 30 seconds of this video again...