How well do licensed board games compete? | Board Game Questions & Answers!
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Matthew Answers YOUR questions about board games and tabletop gaming!
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00:00 – Intro
00:19 – What components would you sacrifice to lower the cost of a game?
03:37 – What are the best IP games?
13:25 – Has a board game theme/story ever emotionally impacted you?
#watchitplayed #boardgames #Q&A
14.03.2023
I’m firmly in the camp of hating minis. They are easily the most expendable board game component. I have absolutely zero desire to paint anything, and they take up entirely too much space. If people want minis that much, they should be a separate purchase and not included in the game box. The only possible exception is if they are pre-painted, like Xia: Legends of a Drift System. Otherwise, the base game should always come with standees; ideally acrylic ones. The standees in Vagrantsong and/or Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor are examples of what should be industry standard.
Also, I know I’m likely in the minority here, but I really like the Fantasy Flight inserts. I get the impression people do not use them efficiently. I bag components and store them under the side compartments and in the center well, and the boards and rules can still lay nicely on top. Star Wars Outer Rim plus Unfinished Business both store perfectly in the base box, as do Civilization: A New Dawn plus Terra Incognita, and even Eldritch Horror plus several expansions.
Comic Hunters ❤️
I'm not sure if whimsy counts as an emotion but games like Burgle Bros and The Loop have definitely made me feel that.
Nightmare Horror Adventures has some lizard-brain targetting fear as it pushes the boundaries of the gaming space.
And I definitely feel the paranoia of social deduction games. Terrible at containing that.
But I agree with the discussion on the more sombre emotions. Tammany Hall has a nasty theme, but it's pretty abstracted and when things get a little more "real" my defense is to crack a joke the unfortunate realities of the politicking that went on (and still goes on) while leaning into that a little bit.
Yout comments about getting the emotions not from the game but from the community you are playing with is dead on. I will play games that maybe aren't up my alley in terms of games that I like just because I'm able to sit and play with the people I like. Gaming is such a social hobby to me. I lose games. A lot. But I have never once cared about losing because I'm playing with the people who make me happy. And that is where I find the emotions in my games.
My favourite insert is in Terraforming Mars (I’m sure there are other games that also do this) because it was just game artwork of the surface of mars inside the base of the box. It meant that very little material and weight/cost was added to the game and no space was lost. I have fitted all my expansions inside the base box, but I don’t have to look at ugly brown/grey cardboard (which I normally end up looking at when a useless plastic insert gets removed). What I do for the cardboard artwork inserts that do take up space is I recut and refold the inserts so they sit flat inside the base of the box so I still get to see the artwork inside the base of the box but I get to use the whole space inside the box. I did this for Downforce, for example, to fit all the expansion boards in!
Great video Matthew…..what's the chance of Comic Hunter coming out in English? Saw it being played at Airecon and I WANT it…
Full agree with you on the components being sacrificed Matthew, inserts – for the most part, terrible. Empty box the game can be enjoyed by cats everywhere but has a limited market past young children. On licensed games I would hold up Back to the Future – back in time as an example of a terrific licensed coop game. Also, good to meet you at Airecon, I hope you had a great time!
Endangered when you fail to save the animals. I really feel bad then, which is also the reason I refuse to play it solo although you can.
Honestly, if the question about IP games had been asked 10 years ago I’d have said none, maybe Battlestar Galactica if you have a good play group. But these days we have a lot of good IP based games and even companies specialising in these games.
I could easily change miniatures with standees in games with many figures.plus standees are already painted
For IP games: Marvel Champions, Jaws, Horrified, Dune Imperium, Battlestar Galactica, Disney Villanious, and Wonderland’s War are my personal favorites!
I’m a fan of Marvel Legendary, and even firefly legendary. My only issue with the video is the background sizing changes during edits where different videos are clipped in and it got distracting. But another great Matthew Answers video
Board game companies are getting smarter with providing bags with their games. I've frequently gotten plenty of games with a million pieces to lose. I'd pay more for more bags.
I agree about the tons and tons of resources adding to cost. I also find it overwhelming. I do like the idea of having less resources (but creative, high quality ones) and using some kind of track system.
I’ve never played it, but I’ve heard that Alice is Missing has generated strong emotions. I’m not interested in it. I can watch the news and be upset. But that’s just me. To each their own.
Votes for Women is the only game I've played that made me sad when I've won as the Opposition. It was frustrating to see all the true events as the flavor texts with overpowered actions and how it showed how difficult it was for women's suffrage to gain support in my country.
I know everyone loves the deluxe version of Flamecraft, but that's really a prime example where a resource track would not only reduce cost, but possibly improve gameplay. 6 different resources, and you can hold up to 7 of each? Times 5 players? That's a lot of bits!
If they made the game cheaper but sold upgrades you could buy. I think that would be the best for all.
If a boardgame has an upgrade, I try to get it. I end up replacing a lot of components in games with better ones. I have a few games that I have replaced the whole game. cards with larger ones I printed myself (I hate tiny cards) the board with a neoprene mat and all of the chits and bits with metal and/or 3d printed/acrylic pieces.
I had the fortune of finding LOTR Confrontation Deluxe edition like new at a very cheap price! Can't wait to get it to the table!
I have a very controversial opinion for component to get rid of: minis. I like well done minis, but I hate taking the time to paint or money to get them painted. And I hate looking at gray minis. I love acrylic standees or meeples instead.
I'm about to fly out of Europe for the first time and I'm heading to Australia. It's a 24h journey so would love recommendations for easy to take games for the plane and airport!
I agree that most inserts, including plastic ones, are horrible. The only ones that are good are the GameTrayz ones, they have always seemed well designed and thought out.
I 3D print inserts for games. You can pick out the ones that are well designed and meet your needs.
The correct answer for best IP game is Dune Imperium. Although the theme doesn't matter, it's a mechanical euro that could have another theme.
If it's game that takes an IP and best translates it's theme into a board game, that's probably Star Wars Rebellion.
Oh.
I'd 100% buy Legendary: Fast & Furious.
Family.
Marvel Champions…great IP game.
0:32 The wasted space in boardgame boxes, for starters.
Most board game inserts dont work well for us. We sleeve our cards and many times the inserts dont work anymore.
My thoughts exactly for inserts. 🙂 In many games, they seem to take up a lot of unnecessary space, which works against our other goal of smaller boxes. I very much prefer no insert but plenty of bags, which is what most good games I like tend to do anyway. One insert that might make me change my mind is the one that will be in Expeditions, the new Stonemaier Scythe sequel, because it looks incredibly practical. However, I’m still going to see if I can just empty my smaller Rise of Fenris box and just stuff all of the Expeditions components in there instead. 🙂
My sister and brother-in-law gave me Beowulf: The Movie Board Game this past Xmas. When i opened the gift i was … confused. Still am a bit as i don't know what inspired that particular choice. But i played it and really liked it. Still think the pasted on IP is hilarious, and if i ever bring it to a meetup i'll have to explain myself. "No, really, this is a good game…."
Best IP Game – Battlestar Galactica hands down
My wife and I felt bad playing SmallWorld. It felt like exterminating races and it's just not a theme we like.
A game of Arkham (LCG) with ambient music, low lighting, and friends who relish role playing games, certainly added to the anxiety of the story and dread of the dangers therein.
So long, minis!! And, covering two questions at once, my favourite IP game, BSG, was released before the era of Kickstarter plastic mini bloat, and I'm delighted for it. I don't need a mini for every character. The cardboard standee works perfectly. Give me Nemesis with cardboard standees.
[Edit] Oh! Yay! More love for Dark Moon!! Also, the Dark Moon expansion turns it into Alien/Aliens!
What about Dune Imperium?
IP games are a net negative for me and date the game for me.
I will look for the non IP version if it is available.
Marvel Remix vs. Fantasy Realms for example.
Can't wait for Legendary Matrix
Ive heard about Alice Is Missing is an emotionally impactful game. it is definitely a game that comes with many trigger warnings so its not going to work out for everyone
Track based resources makes so much sense! Yes, it has the downside of being bumped, but I think it has a lot more up-sides.
I would get rid of most components. There should be versions of the games with no components. Most non casual boardgame players already have a box with components or can use them from different games anyway. I mean: how many dice, wood, grain, etc components do we have among our collections?
Great video, Matthew! Great questions and answers!
This War of Mine is a beautiful, yet brutal board game masterpiece, and it is wrenching. Would you play Betrayal Legacy to see if you become invested in your familial lineage? 🤔
My favorite game that I currently own based on an IP is, and I stand by this, is Dinosaur World. It is so obviously a Jurassic Park game that any arguments against it are just flat out wrong. Not only that, it’s so much better than the other games with the IP. It captures the feel that you want of building a park so well. Such a fun game!
The first thing I would consider getting rid of to lower costs: miniatures. Most games that have them don't really need them, and many that do have them have too many. Besides the minis themselves it makes the box bigger and heavier so shipping costs more. And I say this as someone who enjoys painting miniatures.
3:50 Dune, GoT The Board Game, those are my top 2 off the top of my head 🤣
Battlestar Galactica is an incredible achievement in IP design. Even the length of the game, which is possibly a design flaw, benefits the overall experience by building trust and adds weight to the experience of betrayal. Games that do a similar thing but faster (like Dark Moon, which I enjoy) fail to capture the overall impact because you know it's going to be over soon anyway. Like any game, you need to play it in the right head space with the right people, but in its proper element there is nothing that reaches its grand heights.
One of the problems with smaller boxes is the resulting smaller rulebook. How small of a rulebook are you willing to live with? Smaller print, small diagrams etc become a problem for those without great eyesight.
Favorite top 3 ip games star trek ascendency (gale force nine), firefly(gale force nine), and dune (gale force nine). I know it's all gf9 game but I really think they nail the universes that these game operate in. You feel like you are actually there in those universes.
A game theme that hits the feels is Alice is Missing. It's a silent role playing game. And yes, SILENT role playing, it's a game where u text ur friends as different characters to find ur friend Alice.
Excellent stuff as always Matthew. I think a lot of miniatures and flashy components could be removed from games to make them cheaper. I would really like to see a game based on the world of the Drenai by David Gemmell.
Wait…. There's a Cowboy Bebop game?! And a Legendary Matrix edition?! Guess I need to update my wish list…..
Top 10 IP Games: 10.) Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Board Game
9.) Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade
8.) A Game of Thrones The Board Game (2nd Edition)
7.) Star Wars Rebellion
6.) Doctor Who: Time of the Daleks
5.) Dune: Imperium
4.) Horrified
3.) Disney's Villanous
2.) Godzilla: Tokyo Clash
Honorable Mentions: The Batman Who Laughs Rising & Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game
1.) Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid
owboy Bebop: Space Serenade