Fishing Lessons

This was a fun and fast game to play yesterday, though you can see my break it down a bit at the end. The question I keep on having about the game is, what is it’s longevity? Because this is a small Button Shy Game, as all of them are, it is limited on the number of cards that you can have. You always have the same seven water cards, though their order changes. You also play with the same lessons, but their order changes.

The main thing that changes up the game, or isn’t as static, is the fact that you have a different person fishing. So one character might want to get two fish of one type and three of another. And your job is to solve the puzzle so only cards that are scoring are facing upright. This is also done from the lesson cards. And the game does give you varying levels of difficulty. Easy is, I’ll say, pretty easy. But I also was able to win, I believe, on medium one time without much issue.

For me the big question I have about the game is how engaging it’ll be long term? Is this a game where now that I’ve solved the puzzle three times that I’m going to be drawn to trying to solve it again? Or will it be a game where the puzzle feels similar each time? Though, now that I’m thinking about it, how much luck is there? I beat it easily and quickly twice. I’m not sure that is a great sign for the game, if it’s too lucky that way.

Upcoming Streams

Let’s run through the stream structure like I normally do. You might already know the schedule but in case you don’t. Wednesday at 8 PM Central I stream either a campaign game, or with this time of year it’s my Top 100 Games (of all time) 2023 Edition. And join me next Wednesday for games 60 through 51, so hitting the half way point. It goes so fast, and now I have so many games that I want to play.

Then on Monday I stream at 9 PM Central time. It’s generally a solo game. Though I’ll also do pack openings for things as well. But normally it’s a solo game and a one off for the game like a roll and write, or sometimes a game like Under Falling Skies which was on the list today.

But the best way, if you want to know when I go live or a new video goes up (it’s basically always live), please consider subscribing. You can do that here. And click that notification bell on the channel and you’ll always know when I go live.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

ISS Vanguard – Ship Phase

This, I think, could have gone faster had I been smarter about it. I did mess up once or twice and do a section that I really didn’t need to. Mainly because you can come back from the planet and do part of the ship phase, the elements that need to know the board state, and then save the game. So I went through those save steps.

So let’s talk about how and why that seems to work pretty well. I must say that I’m impressed with the simplicity of saving the state of the game. When you save the game it is simply putting things in the away bag. Now this is going to bug some people, drop cards into a bag and call it good. But it really does save the state of the game well for you.

The only downside and this is just something you need to pay attention to, is how you place your cards in. Certain things, like production and research need to face certain directions to not spoil what they do. That said, they aren’t hard to do that with, but I believe there might be a time where you have others of their cards facing the other direction. I’d be nice to have a separate pocket for those just so that you can remember which are completed or not.

It is also nice to get some of the story coming into the ship phase as well. I completed some research and got some story. That is one thing I was worried about, will I feel like I’m getting good story or will I feel like I’m just going through the motions after a bit. The answer is, I get story.

Upcoming Streams

So let’s start with Saturday. My wife is out of town so I’m thinking I’ll do a bonus stream. It’ll be a little bit different though and a chance to come and chat. But I recently started dabbling in Pokemon, just from a collection standpoint, not that I really need that. So I’ll have a few different products and packs to open up and see what I get, or even if I know what I get. The time on that is yet to be determined.

Then next Monday, at 8:30 PM Central, I’ll be unboxing The Isofarian Guard. I’m excited for this one and I really want to get it to the table. It’s a massive box, so hopefully some interesting stuff to look at. It won’t be minis, but what else is in there that’s interesting?

Finally, next Wednesday is going to be more ISS Vanguard. We’re onto the next planet, Brimstone, and I know people say planets take a while, so we’ll see if we get through this one. We’re coming in having landed on the planet with injured crew, and generally not a great spot to be in. But we have some supplies, will we be able to deal with the wind storm that is out there? Join me at 8 PM Central time. You can find that upcoming video here.

And if you want to know when I go live, checkout the channel page and subscribe. You can get notifications as to whenever I go live which is probably the simplest way to know. That link is here.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

ISS Vanguard Game Play

Let’s talk about the new things on this planet. The biggest things added were discoveries with leads and supplies. There are some more things, like charges and the lander, but let’s talk about them and see which ones add the most interesting element to the game.

Leads and Discoveries

This one I like quite well. It isn’t the best when it comes to the rules, but it is interesting. And I say the rules aren’t the best, they aren’t bad, but they could be better. It is interesting to see how leads and discoveries work.

What I like about it is how you push for leads. And then when you get it, you get something that you might use right away. So the discoveries can give you immediate benefit, or it it might be something that you add later in for the ship. It’s interesting to see what you can get and I like that aspect because it means you can get more than need or can take with you. This is how the lander influences you.

Supplies

The other big thing is the supplies. You saw h ow I played where I actually was working on the premise that I would need to get back. So I was exerting myself versus resting. That was to make sure I had enough supplies to get back.

Now, this is one of those things where I wish I held my hand less. If I try only to go out and not worry about coming back, I play it differently. Instead I could really have spent a whole lot more to get dice back faster, I could have kept my other character around. But it is a good show how it will affect the game in the future.

Charges

This is the last one we’re going to talk about. The lander influences more in other areas like supplies and discoveries with how much you have. But with charges that comes down to your character. I like that it is determined that way. And I like it as a system to activate powers. The more generic the power is, it had more charges. I didn’t even use the one with three. I could have drawn cards, which I should have done to start.

But then it was an odd situation with the other one where I wanted to spread around discovery tokens. I did like being able to get a mineral discovery, I believe. And that was because I forgot the activate that one location, but also because I needed to spread tokens around. It make for an interesting experience with those, but I can see how some would be really strong or useful.

Upcoming Streams

What I will talk about every time is that for a little while longer at least I’ll be playing ISS Vanguard on Wednesdays. That is at 8 PM Central time. You can always subscribe to know when I go live. But I do have the next video up that you can join and watch. You can find the video link here.

Then on Monday, I plan to stream a solo game. What is that game going to be, probably Planet Unknown. I want to try that one again. But the link will go up when I officially decide the game. So keep an eye out for that on Monday. On Monday I stream at 8:30 PM Central time.

Thank you so much for watching. The easiest way to know if I am streaming is to subscribe and click that notification bell. And you can do that here.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

Roll to the Top! by AllPlay

Let me start out by saying, sometimes it’s worth looking to see what Board Game Geek recommends for player count. I don’t know that I agree with their ratings, though it does ballpark how good a game is. But when it comes to player count, it’s generally pretty solid.

Roll to the Top! is recommended for 2-6 players through it plays 1-6. I went 0-5 with the solo version of the game. And I see why people don’t recommend it as a solo game. Now, is it because it is too hard, yes, but it’s also not that interesting.

There is luck and randomness in the game. You roll dice and are filling in spots on your board with numbers. The number above a previously placed number needs to either be higher than that one or equal to it. And the variety of dice go from a four sided die to a twenty sided die, or 1 to 4 compared to 1 to 20. You roll a 20 on the first turn in a multiplayer game, everyone skips it. You roll a 20 in a solo game, the game holds it against you.

So, my initial impressions are that the game is just okay. Why, because the solo mode is hard. But also because the solo mode isn’t interesting. It forces you to use everything. And I was trying to read through the solo rules again, but it feels like it misses something in what you are doing. It makes it too hard to beat, and maybe I need to review them again. But either way the solo mode just isn’t that interesting to play.

Upcoming Streams

So on Wednesday we’re back to ISS Vanguard where we are going to be tackling a new planet. Join me as I explore and probably crash and burn. I do need to make sure that I did one thing right as I get setup. And I’ll explain what that was on the stream. You can find that upcoming stream here. My Wednesday streams are at 8 PM Central time.

And on Monday, next week, I am not sure what game I will stream. I have a couple of solo roll and writes I’m considering. Motor City or Three Sisters. Plus I am tempted to get back to Planet Unknown again. I need to correct a rules mistake there as well. But it’s a big game that I really love and it’s a fun one to show off. Monday streams are at 8:30 PM Central time.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

ISS Vanguard Ship Phase

This one is interesting to talk about because I have some thoughts on it. Mainly about how it’s taught. Mostly the thoughts are good on it, but a few times I went looking for clarifications. So let’s get into that negative right now.

The ship phase of the game doesn’t really have a rule book. So you just go through the ship phase and are trying to figure it out from reading on that page. They do a very good job of explaining everything. But it’d be nice, especially for the first time, to run through it differently. Or to have a slightly better walkthrough of what is going on. The ship phase is supposed to be a tutorial itself, but it works, but on ly so well.

Once it became clear as to how it was working, then it moved smoother. And I think in the future it’ll go very smoothly. The system works well. I like that there are elements you are required to do, and then other things that you pick and choose. I know with the areas of the ship, you used to do them all when the game was originally on Gamefound. But I am glad that it changed.

It is also a meaningful section. I think being limited in what you can do is meaningful because now I wonder, what did I miss out on? I did production and research, those were two cool things. But are they worth passing on other areas that will help the ship as well? Or are they worth it for other things that might affect the sips morale that I’ll need to deal with eventually? It is a good question.

Upcoming Streams

Next stream is going to likely be either Roll to the Top or Planet Unknown again on Monday. I really liked Planet Unknown solo so I kind of want to get back to that. But Roll to the Top is a new game in my collection that I want to try. Either way at 8:30 PM Central time on Monday I will be streaming a board game. Who knows, by then it might be a different game that I pick.

And then next Wednesday, it is down to the planet in ISS Vanguard again. You can click the notification bell for the stream here. That is at 8 PM Central like normal. I want to see what a new planet will look like, or the remains of one.

And if you want to know when I go live or a new video goes up (it’s basically always live), please consider subscribing. You can do that here. And click that notification bell on the channel and you’ll always know when I go live.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

You can catch up on part 1 here.

ISS Vanguard

Now that we’re done with the first planet we’ve experienced about half the game. I say about half the game, but I do expect the planet exploration is going to be the largest section of the game. We go out and explore and each planet is going to have something different and unique to explore. We might even come back to planets and explore them more quickly a second time.

The other part of the game which I really didn’t get into yet was the ship phase of the game. In the ship phase you do a number of things. Research new technology, travel to new planets, build or get new landers, heal up crew members, or deal with unrest or issues with the crew. It’s an interesting element to the game. It reminds me of how Tainted Grail has resource management in it, but this seems bigger but less punishing.

But that part of the game is going to be less. I play maybe two or three hours on a planet and then 30 to 45 minutes on the ship. That ratio is going to be around there somewhere, but I’m not sure where. I expect that it’ll be a lesser part of my journey though. And while it is impactful, it likely will have less of the overall story for the game.

I like how it is setup though. Instead of needing 10 sheets to keep track of it and marking and erasing everything, it is a book. Not just a book, though, it is a binder with card sleeves and other things in it. So the state is easy to save and you don’t need to worry about erasing through the paper or not getting everything cleared.

Upcoming Streams

So next Wednesday at 8 PM Central time I am going to be playing more ISS Vanguard. That is going to be the game of choice for at least another eight weeks, and it might be longer. There are too many campaign games so I want to get to them as they come in. But if I really am enjoying ISS Vanguard, which I am so far, I might not want to quit.

Then my other streaming day is at 8:30 PM on Monday, again central time. But join me then for random board games, and I might even start to mix in some painting. I have an idea for next week that I want to play Planet Unknown. So expect to see what as next weeks streaming game. It’s one that I have played a few times now and I want to play more and see how it goes solo.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

Clever Board Games

I really enjoy this series of roll and write games. I think I’ve played on the app all of the games at least 30-40 times and well more than that for Ganz Schon Clever. And the apps for these games are solid. It is odd to me that there aren’t asynchronous games or other options to play with people, but it’s a solo game. Not even pass and play.

The upside is that you only play a couple of minutes when you play the game. Which I think that works really well. It is also a very good way to learn the game(s). Not just because the rules are in English. I expect most people will get rules in their language. But I bought two German versions so the app is a great spot for rules.

It is also nice because it shows off the moves that you can do. That means that you don’t need to think what is possible. You click on a die and it shows you where it is going to go. That also makes it very good for learning how to play all of the games.

Upcoming Streams

Next week I am back to my normal time. That means Wednesday stream will be at 8 PM Central time. You can find the link for that here. The plan is to wrap up exploration if possible. Though, while I suspect I’ll be able to this time. In future streams some of the planetary exploration might take longer to complete. But join me for that and for the ship phase as well as I stream.

And then next Monday, I keep on promising smaller games. I have a couple new roll and writes I could try or other smaller games to get to the table. So that’s going to be the plan, it might even be revisiting a roll and write which I’ve already enjoyed. The next game that I want to try I mentioned yesterday, Planet Unknown and see how the solo play goes with that game.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

The Game – Lands of Galzyr

I will be doing a review of this game coming out shortly, probably next week, so I don’t want to dive into that too much. Plus over the past couple of months I basically have written a review on it. But just some final thoughts after playing Lands of Galzyr weekly for 10 weeks in a row.

I enjoy this game a lot. It is a peaceful and relaxing game. And you can see how it speeds up over time as I play it. But with that said, I’m not sad to be putting it aside. Why? I think that Lands of Galzyr is probably best as a once every two weeks or once a month game. And probably even one that is done with a larger group.

Solo vs Group

The solo mode is good and easy to do. So don’t get me wrong, I like that. But I see the story that is missed and I want it. Plus there are times where it would be nice to have someone to help you doing stuff. So that is why I think it might work better with more. Basically, you share the experience.

Complexity

As for why less often, I like how I stream. But Lands of Galzyr is not the most complex game. In fact, it is always more reading than it is checks or moving on the board. Not a knock on the game, it is what it is. But because of that commitment to playing and reading, it is not one that works best to binge. The variety in the game is lower because of the type of game it is. The variety in the story is high, but in the decision making space is lower.

So that is sounding negative. When you read the full review, it is not going to sound that negative. I love the story and the world in this game. It’s engaging, it’s fun, and while I like dark, I don’t always need dark. So it is a nice refreshing experience that is relaxing to play. And that doesn’t sound like high praise, but not that many games can say that.

Upcoming Streams

So this is a weird week to talk about what is coming next. I don’t know what is coming next. I might decide what I want to play prior to next Monday. If I do, next Monday I plan to play a game. If I don’t, then I plan to go over five games and try and make a decision on which to play. Either way, I will stream at 8:30 PM Central on Monday.

Then on Wednesday, I hopefully will be playing a new campaign game. But that depends on me having time to learn the rules and mess around with the game. You notice that I read rules more to start, or check on them, before I am humming along towards the end of my streaming. That is going to happen, I want to know how to play but also show that not everything is easy. So I hope to play a new campaign game. If I don’t, expect to see a revisit of a roll and write or something like that. 8 PM Central time on Wednesday is when I will stream.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

The Game – Lands of Galzyr

So let’s talk about how I’ve gotten repeated story. And why I’ve gotten repeated story. The first time was because I was doing a quest that allowed you to go back and try again. A bit annoying to have to do everything again. It could have been shortened by when you hopped back into the quest. But it’s a quest so there is promise of more that you’ve missed to come.

The other time, most recently in last nights game, was when an event happened to me again. And I don’t think it was the third time, but it might have been. In my play, I think I’ve had two, maybe three of the daily events repeated.

Now, some of this is how I am playing the game. When I play Lands of Galzyr, I play every week. Most people won’t play that often. But, I think Lands of Galzyr does encourage people to play maybe a few games in a row, or a few games, say 3-4 in a shorter time frame. And with more players, you are more apt to repeat events, but maybe not for the same person.

This is just part of the game. I don’t think it is a too much of a negative or detractor. To get some events shuffled into the event pile, it means events you’ve had show up again. The evens you have, still, though, do require you to be on the same terrain type where it happened before. So, a minor issue, in my opinion.

Upcoming Streams

More Lands of Galzyr is coming up next Wednesday at 8:00 PM Central Time. If you want to join me, you can find the link to that upcoming video here. Click that notification bell and you’ll know when I go live. And keep in mind some upcoming campaign games as I’m getting close to wrapping up my time with Lands of Galzyr. Pick from the list I have here.

And on Monday at 8:30 PM Central Time I am going to be streaming a game. Last week it was Fleet The Dice Game. A game that I need to play more to see if I can do better. I don’t know what it will be, but expect a smaller game that maybe even you can play along with. But I hope to see you then as well.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Characters

Let’s talk a bit about the characters and picking characters. What we’ve seen in these few scenarios thus far is that I maybe am not going with the most ideal team of characters. Why, because we are seeing a lot of things that are looking for diplomacy, crafting, acrobatics, things along those lines. But, that isn’t an issue with the game.

Yes, it seems like there are certain skills are a bit more prevalent in what I am doing. But I do not mind it. Why, because it is a challenge for me to beat. It means that I have a different puzzle to figure out than a higher player count game. If I play with four characters, I probably have someone who is good at a skill. So I send them to a specific location to deal with it. Now, instead, I need to figure out how to deal with it in a creative way.

For example, closing or guarding a location. Seoni carries a blessing and an ally that allow her to close things easier. I believe it is a bless, so 2 of the skill die, and an extra D8 from her ally. And the boots she got allow her to gain even more dice at certain types of locations. So I keep those cards with her as much as I can. However, she is not the best at attacking, which means they often can get lost when she takes damage. It is a fun balancing act, puzzle, that between her and Amiri I need to figure out.

Upcoming Streams

So let’s talk about what we are streaming next week. On Monday my plan is to stream an unboxing, or a first look at Stars of Akarios from OOMM Games. It is coming tomorrow, so I might look at it before then, but plan will be the show off some stuff from the game and talk about it. Plus, I might have other packages coming in to look at as well. And I will pick a topic to chat about as well, in the style of BoardGameCo.

Wednesday is going to be another game of the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. I will, of course, need to play through the scenario again. Hopefully it’ll go better this time and I will know what I am doing more so. I do have my plan, which I lay out above, for Seoni for that one location.

And I plan on streaming on Thursday as well. I keep on teasing it, but Crowdfunding BIG and little. Right now there isn’t much that is too big, but I’m sure there will be more interesting things coming to crowdfunding next Tuesday. That is a lot of content and I hope to get Crowdfunding BIG and little done. Though, it might not end up being a live show, if it looks like it doesn’t fit into my schedule. I might record it and then release it on Thursday.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here