The Greatest WW2 Board Game, Ever – Undaunted: Stalingrad Review
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02.12.2022
I bounced off of Undaunted: Normandy harder than I've ever bounced off of a game. Truthfully I felt like the positioning on the map was not particularly important especially in the smaller maps. Most of the "winning" in the game would come from playing a card to roll a die. The dice rolls felt supremely unfair (I hit 4 shots in a row while my opponent missed all 4 of his). And while I love randomness in games, I don't want that randomness to feel like too big of a part of the game. It almost felt like we should just roll the dice back and forth because a lot of this game is just trading shots. The deckbuilding felt weak because the diversity between decks was not that strong.
Am I wrong? My opponent and I slogged through 2 games and then decided to quit. It was nothing like what I thought I would be playing based off of Quinn's review of Normandy.
Please tell me what I'm missing.
Most of the Wehrmacht were not nazis they were just soldiers, would be nice if you stop refering as all german soldiers from that period as nazis.
I admit, I did not anticipate NGE in WW2. Now if this was WW1? Well, that's just Scythe, innit?
My only concern after this review is that if the campaign is only 15 games/missions/scenarios (if you played multiple scenarios per session then this concern might go out the window), that's doesn't feel significantly longer than the previous iterations (I just looked, Normandy is 12, N.Africa was 11). I get there are additional (physical) bits due to the legacy components, but I wonder if you feel the value proposition isn't quite the same as prior titles? Great review, as always!
A let’s play please!
I only have one comment at this time. What the heck is a stote?!
I'd rather buy a washing machine for 90€. I don't like taking a shower with my clothes on much.
So do we think the undaunted system work in a different setting?
Where's Stalingrad '42?
Make it a fantasy or sci-fi theme and it would sold 10 times as much 🙂
I could never bring myself to play a WW2 game (family history), but still watched this video with interest, amusement and delight. That's just suasd for you. Keep it up!
Weird how this isn’t a review for War Room. Considering you’re talking about the best WWII board game.
I love your videos, the reviews are so good, because we don't just get the insight on how the game plays, we also find out how you felt during it, what were your thoughts on it throughout the playthroughs, not just after it. It shows us not only if we will like how the game plays, but how it will feel to play the game, captures that thing that I thought you could only get by playing the game on your own. And it also has entertainment value because of the narrative you put into it, you know when your friend talks so passionately about something, and you get excited as a result, that's the feeling I get from watching this video, truly a masterpiece, I will be buying this game for sure, and looking forward to more videos from SU&SD!
Quinns admitted to Asuka from Eva being his waifu
Undaunted: Normandy was one of the worst wargames I have ever played. The mechanics of deckbuilding do not fit, and the game usually ends with two sides hiding in some +3 cover building and shooting at each other for an hour. It's both boring and frustrating.
And Combat Commander is one of the best games ever made.
Not russian soldiers but soviet soldiers
there's a boomy bass frequency in your mic, something to be fixed in the next video 😉
Wow. We are humbled. Thank you to Shut Up & Sit Down for taking the time to Play Undaunted: Stalingrad. It's our proudest achievement and we are so excited to share it with the world.
Oh Zoomers
SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN, AND UNDAUNTED!
"- I want the light to be gone from their eyes".
Best line in the review ♡
Theres no debate the core system of Undaunted is genius. But games like this live and die on their scenario design so those critisms have me hesitant to pick this up.
I found North Africa scenarios really hit and miss The opening scenario for instance both sides could take multiple strategic approaches and would be forced to make tactical adjustments as they suffer casualties. Sometimes when left unable to win being forced to play for the initiative tie-break. I thought this was brilliant.
Then there were scenarios were as one side you basically had to nothing besides let the enemy come to you. The game was decided by how many long range pop shots looking for lucky 10s paid off. This way my last experience with game and left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth.
Title needs "that we've bothered to play"
Warning – mild rant ahead.
Disclaimer – despite the following statements I do respect and enjoy SUSDs output and have nothing against any of them.
Yes undaunted is good but in all honestly check out other reviewers for wargames. Over the last 10 years none of SUSD have really sung wargamings praises and while I have a great respect for SUSD, whenever they discuss any historical games (war-themed or otherwise) I want to bash my head against a wall.
Quinns and Ava whilst having a deeper knowledge of the history do have a tendency to ignore any nuance and rely on virtue signalling and slogans such as white man bad or naughty capitalism
Tom doesn't care about the past, he just knows to say "war is bad" occasionally but I get the feeling he only really cares about the mechanics and experiences offered by a game. In that respect I actual value his judgements when he enjoys something, which reminds me, I must buy a copy of Bonanza!
Matt and Paul (remember him?) both seemed to enjoy the learning, narrative and emotion experienced from playing historical wargames when immersed in the themes and context of the setting. I remember Paul's emotive comments after his playing of Conflict of Heroes Guadalcanal (I think it was) and when Matt discussed the theatre of the mind that plays out from something as simple as a cardboard counter in a wargame or plastic land raider from Forbidden stars.
And yes, Combat Commander is pretty great, as Is Dominant species. Both games Quinns has said he dislikes, both wargames of sorts and both from the late, great Chad Jenson.
Rant over, sorry x
Hey! One of the play testers here. Love the review. It was really good to hear you loved no stickers and no damage to components due to the campaign mode – this was something a number of the play testers advocated for and was adopted!
Greatest wargame ever screams the actual number of "wargames" played. Going balls to the wall all in about how great it is – to the very end almost 180 degrees – enjoyable on occasion but utterly predictable.
I wish they made a retheme of this game. Maybe something like X-Com Enemy Unknown. I really dislike having nazis in my boardgames.
This game sounds really incredible good! I just wished it was a different setting and not ww2. I cannot play a game where a player (or even me) plays the nazis and i would not feel good playing the soviets either because of the real crimes and massacres both committed. I just hope they make a fantasy war version in a different setting, where noone still lives who suffered from the war. Like a sci-fi or alternate reality or cyberpunk setting for this game would be a instant buy. Thank you for the review.
I'm only in for the sick German lore
Can I also just play this skirmish style once done with the campaign? I would want to play with the full card pool
1:47 I HOWLED!
Please don't call Soviet soldiers "Russians". In the Stalingrad battle and on the Eastern front all the nations occupied by Russians took part. They suffered no less, had not fewer casualties and made no less contribution to Nazi Germany's elimination.
6:08 Pavlov's House! I do hope someone remembered to feed his dog…
Hey i know its been through kickstarter hell, but will you ever review the Darkest Dungeon boardgame?
Tom is such a gaming philistine. Always goes for the base pleasure.
Brexit britain = Stalingrad – get that!
Welcome to the infantry.
Great cut at 11:02
Review excellent. Not my kind of game at all, but just my kind of review.
You guys are just the best!
I thought you reviewed this already.
I consume to much of your content 😉
Blitzkreig
Oops. You are dead wrong about Dune Imperium – THE greatest deck building game.
Maybe you need to reset your mind and give it another go this time by sitting around same table with other players.
This looks an interesting take on a wargame, going to check out the others. Thanks for the video!
The Greatest WW2? Never 😀 Company of Heroes Boardgame is the best. IMHO 😉
Great review guys. Just one question here. For someone like me, who just loves board games but has never played Undaunted before, should I go for Stalingrad or Normandy?
I would pay in gold to see Undaunted: Battle of Helm's Deep
Gah!! Still have to wait until Dec 13th for this to ship from amazon! Last i checked, was supposed to be the 6th. Grrr.
You should play crossfire, it looks like one of the least traditional wargames, could be an interesting play
Honestly, the cons Quinns lists are basically pros for me – I'll gladly sacrifice balance for more variability, and lopsided scenarios where things resolve in a completely unexpected fashion sound pretty fun. What I would consider a flaw would be if the scenarios get unbalanced in such a way that one side gets a permanent disadvantage though, so I hope the game doesn't suffer from that problem…. otherwise, bring on the chaos! 🙂
Although it's maybe considered more wargame than boardgame, if you're going to start throwing around phrases like "greatest WW2 board game ever", you can't leave Advanced Squad Leader out of the conversation. More like WWII dungeon master vs. dungeon master than a regular board game (with a rulebook that comes in a binder), the narratives evoked by the super-intricate rule system and scenarios is unprecedented. Tanks can burst aflame, then spread to other locations to provide much-needed cover through smoke (assuming the wind doesn't change direction); a heavily fortified building can finally be breached by a demolition charge to let flamethrowers in, where cover provides no benefit; nighttime rules cause your units to potentially fire on themselves (especially if they are using a captured gun); a hero can come from a seemingly desperate situation and go Rambo on the enemy, carrying a machine gun through firelanes with barely a scratch; sewers and caves provide a way for you to pop up underneath the enemy or make a quick escape (if you don't get lost). Every map is like a puzzle with trying to figure out how best to use the environment while considering sightlines, guessing where your opponent placed their units, placing your leader with a radio in the best position to call in artillery, and having to make daring maneuvers lest you run out of time by trying to be too defensive.
If you ever need a teacher I guess I could fly out there to help 🙂