Western Legends Review - An Amazing Sandbox Game Where I Just Want To Be Alone
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- Опубликовано: 30 июл 2024
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Western Legends is an open-world sandbox tabletop adventure for 2-6 players set in the American Wild West. Players assume the roles of historical figures of the era, earning their legendary status in a variety of ways: gamble, drive cattle, prospect for gold, rob the bank, fight bandits, pursue stories, become an outlaw, keep the peace. The possibilities are darn near endless.
Each player's turn starts with drawing poker cards and/or gaining cash. Then they choose three actions. Possible actions include: move on the map (how far depends on whether they have a mount), doing a location-specific action (such as mine for gold if they are at a gold mine, gamble if they're in a saloon, etc.), fight other players at the same location (either duel them, rob them, or arrest them if they're wanted), play poker cards that have action abilities, etc. Legendary Points (LPs) are earned based on the outcomes of many of these actions, and the winner is whoever has the most LPs at the end of the game.
BGG Link - boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2...
TimeStamps:
0:00:00 - Overview
0:05:43 - Ease of Play
0:06:26 - Player Count
0:07:22 - What I Like
0:10:03 - What I Don't Like
0:13:33 - What I Can See Others Not Liking
0:14:28 - Final Thoughts
0:16:29 - Recommendations
5.0 - My absolutely favorite games. You can pry them out of my cold dead hands.
4.5 - Love this game! At the same time missing something that would make it a 5. Could be hard to table, lacking variability, a little light, etc.
4.0 - Really great game, almost always keeping, although has meaningful complaints as to what takes away from the experience.
3.5 - Really enjoyed, don't love it, may lose out to better games but the idea of never playing again is a bit sad.
3.0 - A good game, would play and suggest with the right people, if I never played it again wouldn't lose any sleep.
2.5 - A game I'd play again , but will never suggest it myself
2.0 - A game I don't want to play again
1.5 - A game I can't find any reason to recommend
1.0 - A game that is just bad.
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For media inquiries, please email me at alex@boardgameco.com 
Игры
Despite there being downtime in between turns, which I do not like in games either, Western Legends is a more thematic experience with high player interaction. Someone could fight you when it isn't your turn, someone could fight the bandit when it isn't your turn and you would be in control of the NPC bandit player (the player who is on the right of the active player), someone is playing poker and you are the actual dealer when it isn't your turn, and the most important thing to do when it isn't your turn is to figure out what you want to do on your turn as the game state changes during other players' turns. For example, "Joe" went to the bank and is about ready to deposit all his gold nuggets...is there any chance I can rob him before he does that? A new story card flipped over after Joe's turn, can I achieve that on my next turn?
Players that take a break/disengage from the game in between turns and then their turn comes up and it takes twice as long is a frustrating experience for all players at the table. Western Legends unfortunately is a prime example of when this happens, which that downtime can then be very excruciating. Don't play this game with gamers who have serious AP.
As for specializing in one thing throughout the game, such as only mining for gold and circling back to bank, or only picking up and wrangling cattle...that seems kind of boring for what all else this game can offer if you are just doing this all game, and what a shame that the other players didn't stop/fight you for doing this most of the game. WL is all about player interaction, and so again, if someone disengages from the game when it isn't their turn, they probably don't know who the leader is or what they are doing, and will not attempt to stop that said leader from their focused strategy.
As for the great things about WL, kind of disappointed you didn't highlight how the poker cards are dual purpose cards for taking actions or using them as fight cards, which makes the decision on what card to play or not play so intriguing. Upgrading your character, choosing to be a Marshall or Wanted player and how to continue to improve that path, and achieving those story card objectives, along with all of the events and bandits on the board make this such a fun, thematic and unique experience every time it hits the table for me. Adding Blood Money expansion makes it even better :)
The video almost convinced me to not get the game, but this comment of yours did the opposite. Thanks!
Glad I could help! This is still in my top 3 of games of all time and had a blast playing it 8 times in 2023. Hope you enjoy it.
Haha this game is like my life, I need people in my life, but having them in my life makes the experience worse 😂 not entirely true, but I just had to say it 😁
Weird - during other players' turns, I always found it engaging. if they gamble and I'm near, I can participate. Are they hunting me down? Are they sending the Sheriff after me? Are they going to duel me just "because"? Mind you, I've just played base game so far and not Ante Up, but it's always made for a tight experience where everyone is in everyone else's face.
Glad it's working for you.
I mixed the base game with the blood money only, and yes, I had to change and customize some cards, leave some out but this just works perfectly to me. 3-4 players is great and now it's one of my favorite and most immersive games in my collection, next to Nemesis, which also takes so long ... It's something for the weekends 🙂
When we pull out this game we say: We are going to talk and have conversation while we are playing. Not playing the game and have conversation.
For us it is just social experience when sometimes it is your turn and you play it and talk again.
Nobody is trying to win. It just happens
This game is amazing. I do have a few minor knocks on it but nothing too harsh. The downtime can be bad if you play 5-6 players. Sweet spot for our group is about 4. We just played this one again recently and I had forgotten how much fun it was. Quickly climbing the charts for one of my top favorite games of all time. Quoting western movies such as Tombstone and others is a blast.
Glad you like it :) and tombstone is amazing.
Yes! Been looking for a review of this from you. I just went all in on the big box set, without having ever played it lol. Because this game speaks to me on multiple levels. So at the outset of this review, I'm already biased. Looking forward to it.
I'm looking forward to Bantam West. Thank you for the review!
Absolutely :)
Ooh interesting to see your perspective! I own everything there is for this game, expansion wise, and have painted it all too - its a big hit with my group you could say lol XD We get really into each others turns, and often help each other make decisions and discuss options, but the downtime can be long I agree - I think 3 players is my preferred player count because of it!
Glad you're enjoying it :)
I'm looking forward to Earth for the reason everyone seems to be involved throughout everyone's turn. What other games do you feel do this well that you enjoy?
There is a solo variant for the game. RUclips wl solo variants and the ch does a playthrough and also offers the link for the rules
Nice, not enough for me to keep it but tempting.
Hey Alex - I’ve heard you mention your Twitch channel a few times. What’s the channel called?
Camp_coop :)
Thanks for the review. I wanted to know more about it without diving into it myself.
Happy to help :)
Good review, thanks Alex!
Absolutely :)
Seems like a more laid back game. It's true most games I want to be engaged in the game but this game has a place my collection for that pure adventure and focus on enjoying your company during the downtime.
Glad it works for you :)
Great review Alex!
Thanks Steve :)
Does this game have any similarities - theme aside - wit Great Western Trail? I just know everyone raves about GWT but I have no idea what it is about so hence the question 🤔
Just theme, nothing else.
Western Legends is a sandbox game about pretending you are a rootin' tootin' cowboy. GWT is a medium-heavy Euro game about efficiency and optimization, that happens to have a theme of moving cattle.
When you said sand box did you mean that everything you do is for the vp anyway?
I discovered your channel through Crimson Scales and I’m really enjoying it, but man you talk fast - especially when you’re reading! I had to check I didn’t have it on double speed!
Thanks for the great review, been thinking about picking this one up
I do go fast :) but then in my live stream I had people saying I wasn't fast enough.
I was trying to choose between this and Xia and went with Xia (through the Arydia pledge manager)! I might possibly think think about picking this up some time in the future.
That's easily my choice
I think you made the right call. I would choose to play Xia, Outer Rim, and Firefly before this.
I wonder how Western Legends would play with having simultaneous turns (borrowing from how it’s implemented in Last Light).
Honestly...I think that would be great. You'd have to make some changes though.
So when do we get the Xia review and/or playthrough?
Playthrough unsure, it's on quacks channel, filmed a few weeks back. Review prob within two weeks.
BGG file section, someone made a Theatre cards that replace the boring $30 for 1 LP. In the Cabaret. It's brilliant!
Which game do you think is better Western Legends or Bantam West?
Bantam west
Firefly is the best sandbox. It's loses on ship mods to Xia because you can only have 3 mods. But the crew customization is awesome and it's loaded with narrative which Xia only has light amounts of.
But you do need the movement house rule or you will have dead space travel turns.
Have you played Star Wars outer rim? I hear that is a streamline version of Zaya (XIA)
Not yet but now you make me want to
At 3 hours.... how is it streamlined?
@@laartwork Have you played XIA?! 😆
Yeah I haven't gotten a chance to play my copy yet, too many games coming in right now that they have to wait to get to the table. I find it funny that I watched two other reviews of this and for them 5-6 players was the sweet spot, and 2-3 were bad games because for them more player interaction made the game better. They also both said they were more invested in other peoples turns more so their own turn when playing the game.
Thanks for the review.
Absolutely :)
You got me pumped in under 3 minutes, you're good.
Lol thanks :)
Thanks for these comments, Alex!
Surprised you didn't mention Bantam West as a possible alternative. You did actually compare the two in your (not) review of BW.
I specifically try not to cross reference back and forth, meaning if in one game I recommend another, then the other, I like to recommend something else entirely. Otherwise it gets too boring. But otherwise yes.
@@BoardGameCo I only mentioned it because it was pretty long while ago that you discussed BW and it might not be on the radar of some of your (especially newer) viewers. Love Xia tho.
So, are you saying that he should recommend games which haven't even been released yet?
And also, just to be pedantic, Bantam West isn't a western in the traditional sense of the word, considering that its setting is on an entirely different planet.
I do enjoy a game of Western Legends from time to time, but Alex hit the nail on the head here. The player downtime is a significant drawback in my experience. I do really like the multi-use poker cards and the sandbox nature of the game. I've played with Ante-Up once, and could take it or leave it.
I can relate to your worries about downtime. But still it has enough fun to give.
I would agree if I didn't have alternatives.
@@BoardGameCo yup, with your collection it will be an alternatives galore!
Off topic but... I was just scrolling through random crap on BGG and found... Quacks and Co. An expansion to Quacks of Quedlinburg(sp).
Yep :) very aware of it :)
First at all: Thanks for your great videos! I really like you channel and the content you create abou one of the best hobbys in the world.
I have to disagree with you at the point, that you have to specialise your character actions from the beginning. We played this game multiple times and it turned out more like a rock paper scissors mechanic. For example: If you go mining all the day, the other players have to counter that play by robbing you on the way. If they do, you can not really win the game if you stick to one action the whole game.
If the table is vigilant about other players actions, you have to adapt your gameplay on the behavior of the others in order to win.
Thanks for the video. It was good to know the game (got it) AND as a test of English. If you can understand this super fast speaking man, there won’t be anything stopping you. 😂 no cheating messing up with the playing speed is allowed!
I like Western Legends. I agree that 3-4 players at the most for this, and I'd never play it with Ante Up - it makes for too many sprawling options on the board and reduces interactions.
I think there's a lot of fun to be had, I just wish it was a bit better at some things
Eh, i felt like theres not enough things to do and the best line of play was usually pretty obvious. Also being outlaw in 5 or 6 player games is just not worth it which sucks
Ya higher played counts makes this game just worse.
exactly what I felt in my first game (with 5 players). Now I'm tempted to sell the game
This is a game that we disagree on. It comes in at a 4 or 4.5 on your scale for me. Part of what I love about this game is the way that those I've played it with get into character. We roleplay what our character would do and while we may not be involved in the game element on other player's turns we are laughing and joking about that player's cheesy accent and phraseology. I could definitely see this being not quite as much fun without this element and definitely understand your criticisms. Still appreciate your insights.
I absolutely agree with that. My best moments with western legends has been with us all having fun with the game driving it...but mechanically not the source.
A game with cards and poker chips? Me wanna try it.
Go for it :)
rollin rollin rollin, keep dem doggies rollin
You don't stop those cattle moving, you get wrecked.
:)
I don't disagree with this. It's a bit too long for me which makes it hard to table. I think it's a good game but maybe not a great game. That being said I backed the big box and picked up all the expansions. I like it enough to keep it around, especially since my nephew asks when we are going to play it again.
If you're looking for another western themed sandbox game, but not as bloated as Western Legends, I suggest 'Spurs: A Tale in the Old West'. It came out sometime between 2013-15, and is obviously the inspiration for Western Legends. They have much in similar. And some things, WL does better. But others, Spurs does better, such as gold mining and shooting (which uses a fun bag draw/bag building mechanic). Plus 'Spurs' let's you keep your activities broad instead of incentivizing you to stay on one path.
This is a great game BUT unless every single person at the table can take extremely quick turns and you're only playing with about three people this game is immensely long unfortunately. I've played it at two players, three players, and six players! Do not play it at six players!!!! I don't even know why they added a six player expansion to the game 🤦🏻♂️. I think three and four is The Sweet spot but even then, the down time is bad.
Yep. This. So much this.
Why I got rid of it. Felt to much like a race game and less of a sandbox game. I am really intrigued by dead reckoning tho.
Dead reckoning is great, really enjoy that one although not without complaints
@@BoardGameCo What are your biggest complaints?
Alex PSA best PSA
:)
The turns are so quick. 🤷♂️ if the problem is it’s not your turn quick enough maybe just play games solo because it’s sounds like someone has little to no patience. How good this game is depends on you. You make the choice to just roll dice (mining) the whole time than that’s your choice. And at 4 player it takes less than two hours easily.
I love this game, unfortunately my wife hated it. Solo is pretty much the only way I can play it lol.
That's the best way :)
I would love to play this solo. That's what's stopping me from getting it - no solo mode. How do you solo it???
If you are playing with other players who are all about the arresting, fighting, gambling, you definately become invested in their turns...
Tiny Epic Western might break your run of enjoying but not excited by Tiny Epic games... debatably it's the worst of the Tiny Epics. Some people will say Defender is worse, and I'm sure some people will say it's their favourite, but for me I do think it is the worst one: I have all of them and I find it the least enjoyable.
This game has been on my to play list for ages. I really should get round to buying it. :)
I actually liked defender....not enough to keep. Western haven't tried
I have four of the Tiny Epic games (and yes Galaxies is one of them), and 'Western' is my favorite by far. It's so different from the others, and does it's multiple mechanics thing very well. So different strokes for different folks. I also have 'Pirates', but haven't really played it yet.
If only I had medium weight players in my regular group.
I'm fortunate to have different players for different types of games
@@BoardGameCo they would be open to a medium weight tile laying game, they like isle of cats and would be open to planet unknown(still hurts that I missed the Kickstarter). But tile laying is naturally more casual friendly.
Quite similar issues.
Yep, this one is fascinating, lots of people on both sides.
My one experience with this felt really lackluster. I got dealt a role related specifically to mining and so my turn was spent rolling dice and collecting (or not collecting) gold or heading back to town to gamble my profits. Three hours spent waiting for a turn to either roll some dice or walk back to town -- or play a half-hearted hand of Poker once I arrived. Sure, I could have played differently -- it is a sandbox after all -- but when everything I was dealt gave me benefits for mining why wouldn't I do that?
Three of the four remaining players all played the good side, so the one "outlaw" was pretty well hemmed in. Most of the emergent gameplay fell pretty flat and during the after game discussion (it was all our first game except for one player) no one felt they had a particularly good time.
I should note that this was solely with the base game. I hear the "Ante Up" expansion adds a lot more excitement and more variability.
Three hours between turns? You need new players in your group. How your game turned out was because of your choices. You chose to only mine and gamble. Don’t blame the game for your choices.
@@joshfrench5858 Are you for serious? You read that and thought: "wow, there was three hours spent between one turn and another at one point?". Let me be clear, I spent three hours playing a game where the primary thing I was doing was waiting for a turn which was comprised almost exclusively of rolling some dice or walking back to town.
And I absolutely can blame the game. What, every one has to play cops and robbers? The whole point of a sandbox like this is the calamity that can ensure from the collisions of different roles. It's not my fault that the proposition of being a miner in the game -- an entirely valid role with special powers made for it and everything -- is just rolling dice and looking at results.
You want someone playing a miner so the bandits have someone carrying a bunch of loot to rob. And yet, who would want to play as a miner when it's a totally braindead affair?
Furthermore the game needs to account for player agency. The game should be fun if everyone plays a miner primarily. The game should be fun if everyone is a sheriff. But it's not. In my game there were three lawmen bounty hunters and one bandit. The bandit stayed away from me, the guy holding a bunch of gold, because all the lawmen were hovering around me or circling him in. So I never got accosted, the bandit got stuck on the other side of the map with little to do but participate in duel after duel, and the lawmen were fighting over the one outlaw crumb.
No one had a good time. No one wanted to play it again. But yes, it's our fault, not the game.
@@jonah3985 well it sounds like it was how your group played. 🤷♂️ at least you could admit it in your final sentence out of that short story you wrote. 😂
@@joshfrench5858 If a game allows for people to play it in such a way that everyone is bored, that's the game's fault every time. Period.
@@jonah3985 I would suggest a new hobby like knitting but you’ll just blame the yarn and needles 😂
A comment for the algorithm ;)
Appreciated
I'm sorry but how did you think your conclusions through? A thing inherent about turn based board games is that you have to wait your turn. Adding that you have a genre of games where min-maxing is not the point but should be focused on writing stories and making memories. There's enough euro's to scratch the min-maxing itch. This game goes out of it's way to give off-turn interaction by letting players stand in for the AI and allows participation in for example gambling. A game where you are on the edge of your seat when seeing the wanted player getting attacked by the sherrif. Apparently you enjoy the game so much when you play it you criticize it for being a board game. I really don't understand this conclusion.