20 Strong: Tanglewoods Red preview play and impressions

Mike plays and discusses a prototype of the upcoming Tanglewoods Red set for the solo dice game 20 Strong.
Crowdfunding link - gamefound.com/en/projects/chi...
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Patreon - / onestop
Podcast - / onestopcoopshop
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0:00 - Introduction
0:31 - Game overview
5:59 - Playthrough
39:47 - Impressions

[@OneStopCoopShop]

Crowdfunding link - gamefound.com/en/projects/chip-theory-games/tanglewoods 0:00 - Introduction 0:31 - Game overview 5:59 - Playthrough 39:47 - Impressions

[@shinjial]

I like the mic change. A lot warmer and softer. I prefer that to the brighter brittle sound of the previous one.

[@OneStopCoopShop]

Glad to hear it! And I recently figured out a better pop filter solution, so the one thing I wasn’t loving (plosive pops) should be fixed on videos going forward 🤞

[@SamsGameCave]

@@OneStopCoopShophey Mike, I also do a board game channel(in Portuguese) and I wonder if you could share the link of your mic? Is it available at amazon?

[@OneStopCoopShop]

@SamsGameCave it’s a Shure WCM16. I got it from Sweetwater, but here’s an Amazon link - www.amazon.com/Shure-WCM16-Hypercardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0002INL4W/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=3K57WOB6FHKOX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.a2b36aaGRgjZ1H_oJslhLZ662HcuWpUeuAvK7v1hwuCnsfohawCp0B-dMQSL71I-jOxETKSPqYfJNT5lt11fI4l60i_mwHZ6eYi9IqDWJ-jBSsuY56WtaxowI5iO4IMcTHUJ6Wi5P2R_ZFLYV2Qgj6X0liUL7rApB-aTW2K5BICxymJsK_A5cKyXyxV7ajhMBDOY7BjFE99JiQadCD8bxA.fxoBx3iQJeJmwZzGqO67cR7Zt_6CD60P9YaoXPzBRLw&dib_tag=se&keywords=shure+wcm16&qid=1719680074&sprefix=shure+wcm16%2Caps%2C75&sr=8-1

[@SamsGameCave]

@@OneStopCoopShop thanks!

[@shinjial]

@@OneStopCoopShop was it compression settings? Sometimes it’s that; makes the “attack” of the voice pop more.

[@moo2k4]

Absolutely cannot wait for the new 20 Strong sets. 20 Strong is my favorite game of 2023 and just one of my general favorite game systems. This looks like it's going to be a great progression on the overall system. Plus Manny Trembley on art is an absolute A++++.

[@casey5542]

This looks great! I adore the art on this one. Can't wait to see Gold and White.

[@OneStopCoopShop]

Such great art! And SO MUCH OF IT, especially with all the fables on the back sides of the monsters

[@harmarize]

This feels like it has a little inspiration from slay the spire.

[@Paul-ro6py]

I was seeing that too.

[@vijaypanday7290]

I was looking for someone to say this. Still at 3.20min, but it gave me a big slay the spire fibe...which is not a bad thing though

[@Brend0ver]

On the CTG livestream with the designer showing the game off, he was wearing a Slay the Spire shirt and it was discussed how the map was influenced by that game.

[@MacScelaro]

"Little inspiration"

[@tabletop_road]

Only 5 seconds in but just got to say I appreciate the new mic

[@OneStopCoopShop]

Thanks! I’m very happy with it

[@MacScelaro]

Can't wait for this campaign. Actually, I can't wait to get this game, but I guess we have to do the campaign first. Let's get going with it!! 🎉

[@OneStopCoopShop]

Come on CTG!!

[@malkav1120]

Do the Wolves count as bosses? Some of those characters had abilities that specified "non-Boss or Wolf Pack" as though those were different things. But maybe they meant the minions that you might be fighting along the Wolves.

[@OneStopCoopShop]

Wolves are bosses, from the rules they sent me.

[@qwerty1234321leb]

When you pulled the spindle weave fable card, it says to reverse all explored cards wouldn't that be flipping it upside down not flipping them to their night/day sides?

[@OneStopCoopShop]

I don’t think so… but maybe? Though if granny’s cabin had been placed, it would get reversed and be impossible to reach. But hopefully they’ll clarify such things for the final release😅

[@qwerty1234321leb]

@OneStopCoopShop yea that's true. But when I paused and read what's in the parentheses. It said the path will be upside down.

[@Rominil]

Been looking forward to this one! The art looks great. Seems to walk the line of a little too simplistic, which I understand considering this is CTGs most accessible game, but it leaves heavier weight board gamers (or simply people who have played a lot of games) thinking “wish they had added this, this, and this.” Although I’m a CTG fanboy so I’ll be backing it, like everything else they launch. 😂

[@OneStopCoopShop]

Victorum is still the crunchiest 20 Strong set, for heavier gamers (although like you said it's never going to be SUPER heavy). This one feels about the same complexity-wise as the Too Many Bones 20 Strong set. Solar Sentinels remains the simplest.

[@orangetoucan148]

Good thing you have a disclaimer at the beginning because Piping Piper is now a stretch goal and not part of the core game.

[@OneStopCoopShop]

Yeah, they had mentioned that they sent me some stuff that wouldn’t be unlocked right away. I didn’t know which was which though

[@Josh3point0_CTG]

Any stretch goals unlocked will be a part of the decks even after the campaign.

[@Qombat989]

Just curious. Did you get the Piping Piper Into the River ability wrong? It says After activating enemies... Shouldn't you be activating them first before you defeat them from this ability? Each time you used it you just defeated all of the enemies without them activating. I think. I might have that wrong but if I interpret it correctly, this power doesn't seem very...powerful.

[@OneStopCoopShop]

“Activating” enemies just means moving them from the scouting line to the actual combat area. It doesn’t mean them attacking you

[@ShmavinShmenhouse]

My dice are still super off-gas-smelly, months later 😂 I’m hoping CT offer some replacement dice add-on during the campaign, at cost… 🤞🏻

[@OneStopCoopShop]

They specified that they are using a new manufacturer for everything, and yeah I hope they have good options for people

[@pkarguth]

They mentioned in a recent stream that buying the new Tanglewoods coreset would be cheaper than a dice add on even at cost. So you would get the red deck, new Tanglewood themed dice and a new tracker as well. (All from the new manufacturer like Mike mentioned. They are using the same crew who make their tmb stuff) They will also be an alloy dice add on if you want to replace your dice that way but will be the costliest way to do that probably.

[@Clark_aka_Beerknurd]

You can wash your dice with Dawn dish soap and it will remove the strong petroleum smell. The bag, on the other hand would need to be replaced. I washed it twice which cut down the smell, but did not get rid of it entirely.

[@Josh3point0_CTG]

There is an original dice set available in the campaign from the new manufacturer!

[@aaronstark5060]

I know it’s just a prototype, but it’s so weird seeing cardboard Chip Theory cards.

[@OneStopCoopShop]

Haha, yeah, they made a point of promising the normal plastic cards for the real release in the sheet that came with the prototype.

[@siriactuallysara]

This game is a much cheaper slay the spire. Much much better then the base deck if 20 strong. I will get this one.

[@OneStopCoopShop]

I didn't think of that comparison!

[@davidautinify]

having only the one boss per deck is pretty disappointing, at least for my tastes. game still looks neat, but knowing how i play -- try to win until i do, then never play it again -- i'm not sure it would have the replayability i prefer (ie, multiple bosses).

[@ChipTheoryGames]

FWIW - Every deck has multiple difficulty levels to pass, and a ton of heroes to try (including universal heroes from other decks). We're also looking at the possibility of a couple Big Bad Wolf variants based on some of this feedback, but no promises there 🙂

[@davidautinify]

@@ChipTheoryGames thanks for the response. :) i'll cross my fingers for variants, but the game looks fun either way!

[@brooklyns11b44]

so this is a roguelite?...

[@OneStopCoopShop]

Yeah, basically all of the 20 Strong series are.

[@Biodelic]

My dice still stink. 🤢🤣

[@OneStopCoopShop]

They wouldn't replace them?

[@Biodelic]

@@OneStopCoopShop Nope they wouldn't. They claimed that the odor would evapore quickly. When insisted on this not being the case, they reacted with a stern claim of me exaggerating and that was it. The German publisher even ordered a chemical analysis, because they had so many concerned customers. They also did exchanges for the German version / customers. (unfortunately I backed the campaign) When BotSE will be delivered, I am done with CTG. After Hoplomachus Victorum, 20 Strong was the second product with hefty material flaws.

[@Biodelic]

Correction, the German publisher had 5 separate tests done on the dice. They were all negative or just below the mark of harmful substances.

[@pkarguth]

I've heard people having success letting the box air out for a few days and replacing the plastic bag the dice came in. The plastic bag really absorbs a lot of the scent so reusing it doesn't let your dice air out.

[@Biodelic]

@@pkarguth Had all the material airing out in my garden shed for several weeks. Didn't help. Not one bit. The dice so not only stink like hell, the odor transfers also to the skin when you hold them for longer.

[@morgaknightgames]

I'm going to be in the minority that I'm really not a fan of this art style, specifically in how the humans are drawn. I'll probably pass on this campaign, but mainly because of how disappointed I was with the dice in the set. 13 of my dice had to be replaced and the smell lasted for 3 months. Kudos to the company for replacing the dice, but I went from being very excited to literally being unable to play my game for quite awhile after it delivered. Not a good first impression of the company, nor the 20 strong series.

[@ChipTheoryGames]

Appreciate the feedback, and totally understand the concern. FWIW - we made 20 Strong with a new-to-us manufacturer (Hopes Games). They do some huge productions (including Frosthaven). They chose to go with a new dice supplier on the first 20 Strong run, and everybody (Hopes included) were appalled at how the big print run turned out. Though we expect another go around with Hopes would likely yield great results and everyone would learn from the past mistakes, we were concerned enough that we have decided to pull the entire project from them and move it to our most trusted and longest standing partner, Gameland, moving forward. They have been printing Too Many Bones and Cloudspire forever, and are also doing The Elder Scrolls. We know first impressions are important, and there's no clawing that back at this point, but as it relates to dice, there will be no issues this go around. We're still smarting from the fact that despite 20 Strong's tremendous critical and backer reception from a gameplay standpoint, the biggest story on release was how bad it smelled. Not something we're ever willing to put up with again when we put such a high value on our componentry. All that to say, would love to win back your business, but definitely get where you're coming from.

[@hermesnoel]

You are not alone. I only like his art in radlands. I got rid of 20 strong because of the quality of the dice. So happy to hear that's changing.

[@TheDankFarmer]

Loved the first batch of 20 strong games (minus the smell ofc), this theme and art is a miss for me in this set unfortunately, looks like something a group of 5 year olds would sit down and play

[@OneStopCoopShop]

A group of 5 year-olds? I have literally no idea what you are talking about, but you’re entitled to your opinion of course 😂

[@TheDankFarmer]

@@OneStopCoopShop Well the artist has said numerous times his 7 year old daughter helps playtest his games (even calling her his co-developer). so I'm assuming the art and style is to her favor? Doesn't seem that crazy of an observation lol. Its not for me, I can appreciate that, I'm hoping the next 20 strong offerings are more gritty in the theme/art.