A Look at Darkest Night 2nd Edition

[@TheDungeonDive]

I spent time talking about the art, and totally forgot to mention the art director / artist: Clark Miller The game was designed by Jeremy Lennert

[@SuperDoggy99]

This is one of the best board games ever created. It has a great theme and immersive background story, an absurd amount of replay-ability, tight and elegant mechanics, and some of the finest artwork you could hope to see in a board game. Unfortunately, it was quickly overshadowed by the endless parade of "samey", over-the-top, miniature-heavy games that have come out in recent years. As others have mentioned, the 2nd edition is a masterpiece. Jeremy Lennert, the designer, deserves a lot of praise for this perfect little gem of a game.

[@TheDungeonDive]

It’s very good.

[@Mortikar]

I agree. I have loved this game for over a decade now. It will never leave the collection.

[@stevebillups9238]

1st edition Darkest Night was a game I got very early in my board game journeys. The 2nd edition basically compiled all of the expansions and put them into one gorgeous production with lots of new options. It's not a game I play all the time, but one that will never leave my collection. This edition really is a masterpiece as far as how to do a deluxe version of a game.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Sure is. It’s a game I should play more often.

[@astronomicafilms]

Was always iffy about this game and didn’t back it, but a few months ago I picked up 1E for cheap ($10) and LOVED it. The art, map, standees, DIY vibe, just incredible. As luck would have it, Amazon slashed 2E’s price to $50 so I grabbed it. Great game that sits on my Shelf of Quirky Excellence, right next to Cave Evil, Dungeon Degenerates, Escape the Dark Castle, and Secrets of the Lost Tomb. Excellent vid, sir!

[@snethss]

One of my favorite games that no one else likes. Makes me sad. This 2nd edition is a masterpiece.

[@TheDungeonDive]

It’s a great game. And a beautiful one too.

[@patriziopastore9895]

I also like it we are 3

[@Michael.Virtus]

4

[@BAD-Canon]

This game was my holy grail. Took me years to find a copy in Australia. I thought I’d never find one or be able to afford it. Happened to find one early this year and so glad that I did.

[@kevinfitzgerald9319]

Loved this review, you totally nailed what’s so special about it. The second edition came with every expansion and promo from the original and then doubled the size of some of the decks and added 3 new power cards to each of the 29 heroes. I doubt there has ever been such a generous product ever put out in this hobby. Have you ever seen the first edition? I like the way it looks even better. There’s a really good Ricky Royal playthrough with it

[@TheDungeonDive]

I have seen it! I prefer the look of 2nd edition. What about the 1st edition is it that you like more?

[@kevinfitzgerald9319]

@@TheDungeonDive I think the second edition has more of a high fantasy/LotR look, while the first edition has more of a melancholy, aged parchment thing going on. First edition art helps sell the feeling that the Necromancer has already won. Also I’m an absolute sucker for laser cut counters so that’s a big plus for me

[@TheDungeonDive]

I can see that!

[@nightbirdgames]

Keep up the good work! You're my favorite board game/RPG channel. You really show everything about a game. I've seen you cover a few game crafter games. Maybe one day I'll finish my RPG's, one a sandbox apocalyptic, and the other a print and play dungeon crawl.

[@Gallasl666]

I had my eye one this one during the Kickstarter but had to pass on it. I just found a used one at my LGS for $40 and promptly snapped it up. Looking at the BGG forum I started to think it was a mistake, but seeing this video and looking at what's under the hood has relieved that. Looks like my flavor of fun.

[@jupiterloner999]

One of my favourite game! Always solo! Highly recommend!

[@williammyles]

Nice review interesting game 😊

[@jaybuzz7703]

Love the coverage of games you do on this channel. The game your showing is my one of my favorite fantasy games of all time. It is my first solo game I purchased which was 1st edition. After I played the base game once I immediately bought the rest of expansions. Then few years ago I backed this masterpiece on Kickstarter the 2nd edition. If you don't own this game and like a dark fantasy story with a challenge, buy this game. Thanks Daniel for vids and time.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@frankhaselhorst9368]

Daniel, you get an absolute 10 for presentation. Hand gesture and camera (boom?) work is excellent this video. Impressive 👍

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thank you! :)

[@NefariousKoel]

Ahh, yes. Fantasy guerilla war, the game. Always enjoyed it, both editions.

[@patriziopastore9895]

I'm so happy to have this game in my collection and the second edition is really well done. I found a second hand copy that was basically new and i didn't pay too much

[@kyur3813]

What always held me back from the 1st edition was the fact that there is always a minimum of 4 characters on the board, even if you play with less people. I personally dislike controlling more than 1 character, as it breaks the immersion for me, because I can identify with 1 character, but not so much with 2+. Whenever I control 2+ characters, I feel more detached from the game and more like a general giving orders to my characters from a safe distance. I think the 2nd edition solved this by allowing 2 characters having access to another character's skill card deck, meaning that class hybrids are no possible, which is in itself an interesting idea. I have not played the game yet, but would like to give it a try one day, preferable with someone else's copy, as I am still not too hyped up to risk buying it blindly ... The 2nd edition looks great, and it was a great idea to make the quests now part of the base game, as they were part of an expansion before, making the game really seem more static. On a personal note, I really wish they would have kept the illustraions on the back of the character skill cards from the 1st edition, as they just showed a kind of class icon which was really cool-looking. I understand that they switched over to the illustration of the character itself, featuring also his/her unique silhouette for easier recognition. Still, I really love the illustrations here of the 1st edition. Thanks for the video and your shared thoughts !

[@TheDungeonDive]

It can be a lot to play all 4 heroes because of all of their powers. A bit brain burny. But the rest of the game is so simple that I don’t have too much trouble with it.

[@NefariousKoel]

Yeah, it's simple enough that 4 characters is manageable. Also helps that each character basically only gets one action per turn, unlike many games these days, so it is much easier keeping track of where and who you were at any moment.

[@SL1M73]

I love Victory Point Games and own several of their titles. If you love emergent narratives then I would absolutely recommend Dawn Of The Zeds second edition which is one of the most cinematic games I ever played and for me is the best game by VPG and in my all time top 5.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I've got 3rd edition of DOZ.

[@wishmeheaven]

@@TheDungeonDive What are your thoughts about it..?

[@volker842]

Very nice look at a fantastic game, well done!!!!!

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thank you 👍

[@tomzebro1956]

I have the 1st edition with all expansions including the upgrade pack to 2nd edition. Really like this game.

[@NefariousKoel]

I have both 1st and 2nd editions. While 2nd edition made some welcomed layout changes, I still have a soft spot for some of the components in 1st edition. Especially those thick, heavy laser cut pieces which just feel better in the hands.

[@frankhaselhorst9368]

A beloved game of mine. Thanks!

[@NikoTeaJay]

Watching this to hype myself up for some gaming in the coming week. I've got 1st edition with expansions. Basically 2e with different graphics. Both look great. Great game but dang it's been unwieldy to store. You nailed it with the colossal decks. There's so much to have happen in the game. Loads of fun fantasy archetypes.

[@TheDungeonDive]

2nd edition has a great insert that makes storing a set up a breeze! :)

[@NikoTeaJay]

@@TheDungeonDive Insert and a consolidated rulebook probably make the 2nd edition an objectively better pick. Thankfully VPG offered a "compatibility expansion" for 1st edition players. I get to enjoy the same kickass gameplay. As I'm typing this I'm cutting up some dividers for a DIY storage solution. It'll get the job done. My love of 1st edition aside, 2nd edition is a beautiful thing to behold.

[@wishmeheaven]

Thank you for this video. Enjoying so much of a game doesn't makes you feel as if you like to share the experience with more people..? (Not by filming a review, but by playing with more people) Have you tried it in higher count..? (Yes , I've heard it best as solo, and yet... I was wondering...)

[@TheDungeonDive]

Nope. Usually playing with others makes me like a game less.

[@retretlol]

One of my favorites, games like this are the reason I really miss Victory Point Games. I've got the designers commentary book that was offered alongside the kickstarter and it's something I highly recommend if you can find it. My only negative on 2nd edition is the miniatures, which are really poor quality and far inferior to the standees.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Never seen the minis. :). For me, standees are always better.

[@NefariousKoel]

I wasn't terribly impressed with the minis either, but I didn't pay much for the set.

[@dirks9816]

This game has such a great theme, cool abilities and an enormous amount of different classes to play. But no one beside me liked it because of the 1 action restriction. It just felt like you get nothing done especially as you sometimes waited for your turn to show up only to just move one space.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I think it’s best to play lower player counts with each playing controlling more than one character.

[@rahmat1234]

Just buy this yesterday via tabletop simulator, I love the art and theme as well but oh boy the difficulty is kinda brutal at later stage, it make me hard to enjoy the game