Upcoming Games We’re Anticipating! | 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 – Do board games need a printed rule book?
03:40 – Is the term Filler Game insulting?
05:45 – What games are you anticipating for 2023?
#watchitplayed #boardgames #FavoriteBoardGames
28.02.2023
I purchased the special edition castles of burgundy. I have never played this game but I am extremely excited to get it when it is done
After thinking about it, I guess I am one of the people who see filler game as an "insult", at least a bit. In the past, I tried several filler games, but they did not stay long. Our game groups just like to talk or go full game mode, diving into deeper tactic games. So when I come across a game and someone tells me it is a filler, my interest instantly drops. But still looking through my collection, I have the crew, Jekyll & Hyde (one of my favorite games), Air, Land & Sea Critters at war, Spicy,… which some might see as a filler game.
In the end, it always comes down to the gaming group. Especially for beginners, filler games might be a great start into the hobby, just because they allow casually talking, while enjoying a board game.
Hey, Matthew! Dylan here, and I wanted to say great video! I totally agree with your thoughts on physical rulebooks. You can expect them to keep coming in our board games, even though we always supply PDF rulebooks too. And your thoughts on filler make a lot of sense. To me – someone who struggles to design as elegant and simple as possible – being called a filler game would be a big compliment! Lastly, your constantly positive words about Philosophy are just unbelievable to me and the team. Thank you so much for all the support. 🙂
I backed thunderroad vendetta the first time it launched on kickstarter. Then they shut that one down. So I waited eagerly for the next time restoration games would launch the new kickstarter. They did, and now I'm waiting eagerly for the game to ship over to me! Can't wait to try out all of the expansions and the mayhem it will make in the game 😁
In 20 years AI will be at the point where you can just ask it to find the rulebook in an archive somewhere, which it will promptly do, read completely, then build an app with an included tutorial and dummy player that beats the pants off you.
I'd really like publishers to give us an easy way to check if we are using the latest rules. A QR code that gives us an easy way to check for errata would be great.
I'm wondering if a better version of the question would be… "It's 2023 why can't online rule books take advantage of online features and not just be a document file?" Using a digital file is not the best experience but if it was formatted to suit our devices with links, searchable, animated examples etc it could be a better experience. Still should be included physically because it should always be accessible.
I think of LEGO and they now have quite good digital instructions with extra features. I still can't imagine getting a Lego set without a manual but it could happen. I also wouldn't be too worried about them not been available in the future with Lego unlike boardgame publishers.
Great to hear a shout out for Adam In Wales top 100 fillers, I loved that series!
I agree with the rulebook deal.
Upon thinking, I would love to see the industry have a reference book online and a video rule book official ready. Saving energy and paper.
I can't believe that I agree with you so much on so many points. Like all of that… and yes, that too. Oh my God! Yes! And besides games don't have feelings and we already killed some trees for that cardboard why not print a rule book? Exactly! I don't even know what game I'm designing! Keep getting it done, buddy… great job!
Call my niece… lol
I am looking forward;
Jerusalem Anno Domini
The White Castle
El Burro
Books of time
Whatever Tascini and or Suchy release.
Filler-friendly = may function as a filler game
To be as sassy as possible, saying you can just print out the rulebook is like saying you can just buy the meples.
And I am so looking forward to Ascending Empires. Wasn't in the hobby when it originally came out. But I love dexterity games. And it looks fantastic.
Why physical rule books are important: Senet
*Q1 – Do board games need a printed rule book?*
Sadly, they do. Having a physical copy of the rules nearby is like preparing an "essentials" bag when you move house. If you need to dig through two boxes labeled "bathroom" to find your toothbrush, you just might skip brushing your teeth, but if you can just reach into the essentials bag, then there's no annoying delay and you're good. Can I find the rules on my phone? Yes. But will it hurt the momentum of the evening? Also probably yes.
*Q2 – Is the term Filler Game insulting?*
No. calling a food an appetizer does not diminish its flavor. it just helps the person who's about to experience have a better idea of the commitment they're about to make.
*Q3 – What games are you anticipating for 2023?*
Zoo Vadis is looking really interesting. I'm always surprised by games with no dice or cards.
Agree that Adam in Wales' Top 100 Fillers list is amazing!
The White Castle
Expeditions – Liked Scythe except for the combat, love the Century/Concorida hand management and have always said it needs to be in more games.
Empire's End – JDC
Dead Reckoning Letters of Marque – JDC too
Shogun No Katana, apparently 2022 but people only receiving it now, I'm looking forward to this one.
Slay the Spire – Hopefully this year but probably next.
I am sure there are more I am forgetting and/or don't know about, don't @me my wallet will not like it.
Actually you have me intrigued by El Burro…
My most anticipated games coming out in 2023:
Tang Garden: Seasons
Illiterati
Skyrise
Septima
Age of Comics: The Golden Years
Unconscious Mind
Hollywood 1947
Santa's Workshop
I think the use if the internet for game components like rulebooks or as a "required app" for games is a little unfair to later generations UNLESS you're allowed to mirror the websites and locally host them for yourself should the publisher go out of business. In the case of a rulebook, you could just print it off, but that's a level of inconvenience that I don't think is necessary for most cases.
Fit to Print! I’m looking forward to Fit To Print!
I am having a hard time understanding why "filler" implies anything bad. It means games that are shorter so you can fit them in between other games. That's all. People aren't going to stop playing shorter playing games in-between other games just because you stop calling them fillers. The name is descriptive. It neither means NOR IMPLIES anything negative and if you see it as an insult it's because you are intent on looking for reasons to be insulted.
Hey, Matthew, I just wanted to say that I appreciate the pop-up graphics when you mention a related/comparable title. It really helps me follow along.
I have Earth and Inside Job pre-ordered so I'm with you there; I'm also really looking forward to (USA) releases of Federation, Harrow County, Septima, and Thunder Road: Vendetta.
I think people who dislike the term "filler game" can be related to how the term "filler" is used in other media such as anime. There it is used to refer to episodes or plots that don't mean more than to take up space and time before getting back to the "real" or "important" plot (usually because the show caught up to the source material and need to give it time to get ahead again). As such, filler episodes or plots in such shows are seen negatively.
So I can see people who are recent enough to the board game hobby to have heard the negative meaning of the word first, feel it's a negative phrase applied to great short games.
Circles looks really interesting! Thanks for the great video Matthew
Great list! I've added a couple of them to my wishlist for the year. I'm very excited in 2023 for Empire's End, Illiterati, and Tesseract.
I would agree with Matthew. Yes there are app assisted board games. However, boardgames are analog. So you need to have some form of physical rule book. Example: a grandmother that doesn't go online other than to see photos of her grandchildren on Facebook. She is going to need a document in her hands before she feels comfortable playing the game with her family.
My wife and I recently had the pleasure of playing Last Light in a group of eight with Roy teaching with one of his prototypes. Even with that large group playing for the first time the game was fairly easy to pick up and only went slightly over an hour. We all had a great time. We did think that four might be the sweet spot but more would still work very well with other experienced players. The game immediately went onto to our highly anticipated list.
Earth recently came out in Beta on BGA, and its quite a great gameplay. so many different strategies to go with and ways to score points
two unique ones im looking forward to: Teathered (a unique lightweight numbers card game with a theme of astronaughts adrift in space. the theme is just for the fun of it, its more about the mechanics kinda like Scout) and Agueda City of Umbrellas
Filler, as in it will fill a slot of time not long enough for a longer game and longer than the amount of time we want to actually sit and talk to each other about something other than games. Second part was a joke but really they just fill an specific time frame, nothing else, not they are bad so I’ll fill my time with a bad experience instead of you know anything else. Come on.
Directly from the “Games I’m Targeting” note on my phone with an “o” for I own it, “p” I’ve played it and want to play it again.
Juicy Fruits – o
Iki (2015) – o
Faiyum – o
Yspahan – o & p
Bus – o & p
Yokohama – o & p
Formosa Tea – o
Lagerstätten – o
Burgundy – p
Charterstone
Dominion – o & p
Fields of arle
Arnak
Unicorn fever
Wingspan (Asia) – p
Asking for Trobil – o
oh !! white castle .!! if the red cathedrale was a really good game , i hope this one two ! Devir make a good game , thank for the video
Yes, a rulebook needs to be in the game box! If a game didn't have a rulebook included, I wouldn't buy it.
Spark Riders 3000, Earth, Tidal Blades 2, Colab and Unconcious Mind are 5 of my most anticipated games. Thanks for all of Your videos at Watch it Played. Always a pleasure.
I definitely think games should always contain a paper rulebook for all the reasons Matthew mentioned. But I wish all publishers provide their rulebooks in PDF on their websites. I like downloading them to read on my iPad and able to mark them up and write notes without defacing the paper version. The markups and my notes allow me to refresh my memory of the rules much more quickly especially for a game I haven’t played them for awhile. Wonder of anyone else does the same…
I backed last light deluxe. I’m not going to hold my breath getting it this year. But who knows 🤷♂️ can’t wait to give it a spin.
Can you insult a game that is an inanimate object?
About rulebooks: I agree they should be included in every game.
But I'd also love them to have a version number! Know what I mean?
And I'm also bummed at players of "big games" who look down on "filler" or "small" games.
Earth is intriguing me – looks nice and sounds interesting
You're gonna love Inside Job!
I'm looking forward to Micro Architects, it should be launching on Gamefound in March.
100% agree with the physical rulebook. If I am playing something on a pc I don't mind, but sitting at the table I need a physical rulebook and paging through a well written and illustrated rulebook is a pleasure all on its own.
Bot Factory
I’m actually looking forward to Forbidden Jungle.
My daughter coined the term, "Morsel" rather than filler. I like that.
Once you’re in a hobby long enough you start to forget what the words you are using sound like out of context for people new to the hobby or outside the hobby. I had no idea what worker placement meant during my first few months in the hobby or why games were referred to as Euros.
As such I do think that to the uninitiated two terms in the hobby sound offensive. Ameritrash is the big one which I don’t hear as often anymore, but not everyone is going to take a word with “trash” in it to be a term of endearment. And I do think Filler Game sounds offensive, it implies the game is only good because it fills the space between “real” games and for new players who are only playing light and short games it can feel like elitism. Filler Game starts to make sense once you’ve been to some board game nights and see that the games that “fill that space” are just as good in many gamers’ eyes.
Some people also get offended by Gateway Games because of the connotation to drugs, but gateway is widely used in many hobbies and circles. As long as you don’t imply that people must move on from gateways to be a “true gamer,” I don’t think that one’s as bad.
But ultimately we don’t get to decide if our language is offensive, it ultimately depends on the audience. I try to be conscientious and not use hobby jargon to people outside the hobby. I want to always remember what it was like to be new, the good and the bad, so I can help others that are new!
Really, really good video! Thank you!
Great video! Love these. I think what Matthew said about how you say something and what you mean by it is meta true! Words are largely defined, informally, by what we imply about them.
I NEED my printed rulebook!!!! 100%
You are absolutely correct regarding Rulebooks and Filler games! I actually think that there should be both a physical version of the rulebook in the box as well as a digital (PDF) version for download (especially for bigger/more complex rulebooks). The digital version is searchable and can be annotated without "defacing" the physical copy which is very useful but I'd much rather initially learn a game from a physical rulebook. Keep up the great work at sorting through all these hard hitting issues!