Archipelago - Shut Up & Sit Down Reviews

Support the Show: bit.ly/SupportSUSD / / shutupandsitdown
Buy Archipelago: bit.ly/BuyArchipelago
Visit SU&SD for more cardboard antics: bit.ly/SUSDArchipelago
~FOLLOW US AROUND, WHY DON'T YOU~
Podcast: anchor.fm/susd
Twitter: / shutupshow
Instagram: / shut.up.and.sit.down
Twitch: / shutupandsitdown
TikTok: / shutupshow
First published on April 18, 2013.

[@jergarmar]

This was the review that not only led me to Archipelago, one of my favorite games, but also made me appreciate SU&SD as something more than goofy Brits doing goofy skits. They have a clear vision to promote games that you can play with friends, games that get people laughing and interacting, while also being very good games. It's a great alternative to the "BGG mindset" that tends to prioritize heavy puzzley euros.

[@matthewbrown3981]

I really need an "Ordinary Sized Reference Pineapple™" in my life

[@wesleyswank1527]

For the low price of a pear, a scallion, and a box of toothpicks, you too can experience the miracle of the Ordinary-Sized Reference Pineapple™.

[@atheist_addict]

Rewatching this after the John Company review. Things have changed.

[@augustovanderley]

Why?

[@isaaclorrain9269]

@@augustovanderley The ironic allusion in the intro, perhaps? As well as the overall theme of colonialism across the entire game.

[@draconianlife]

This got their #1 spot for best game in 2013, I'd really like to know if they'd STILL recommend it with all the good games that have come out since.

[@shutupandsitdown]

Yes! Still great.

[@einhorn303]

Last night, I played two games (two!) of Archipelago with my room mate. It reminded me that it's my #1 all-time fav game.

[@MK-11111]

Good luck finding it!

[@toomanybarts]

Michael Kellett just got it on sale tonight at miniature market for $55 - result!

[@RulebooksForYou]

toomanybarts reprinted!

[@jkerm2727]

no way he got through the "ordinary-sized reference pineapple" on the first or fiftieth take

[@Derpplup]

Mmmm so many hexagons makes me wanna play civilization

[@Panquernic]

14:32 Paul's face reacting to the volcano lol, love it

[@miro375]

I never understood why Paul hits Quinn

[@PenguinOverlord4555]

@@miro375 Because Quinn spilled the beans about the table sets for the videos not being from real games. This is a huge betrayal of trust to Paul! You can't just tell someone that the video isn't real!!

[@alexhartan]

Well that came to a rather abrupt halt..

[@HubbiNashrullahM]

This is one of my most favourite games of all time! I recently played it and it made me want to rewatch this review

[@Caitlin_TheGreat]

I love this game, wish I had more opportunities to play it. This was the video that sold me on it. As an aside I've discovered I know a number of people who are really bad at "hidden roles". I don't want to insult them, but I do find them frustrating. Played a game of this with someone who turned out to be the sympathizer, but for some reason they thought it meant someone _else_ was the sympathizer. So they played opposite of their role. Another, different person who I was playing Resistance: Avalon with was Merlin and they played that part by 1. remaining almost dead silent the whole time and 2. purposefully failing missions in order to "disguise" themselves, so of course the good guys lost. Those people would then complain that "this game isn't any fun". And this happened despite the roles being explained at length before play. Everyone else at the table knew what was up. But even so... I love this game and need to find more excuses to play it.

[@ThatGuy53297]

Paul's face when Quinn said the boards aren't real. Such betrayal. Like the scooby-doo short with Scooby eating everyone over and over again.

[@andy4an]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT ISN'T REAL?!

[@corytoews5222]

Paul's gradually degrading pronunciation of archipelago is comedy gold.

[@Twineandribbon]

This was the game that made me realize games that require 3 players as a minimum are just never going to get played at my house. Either we have 3 players and no one is willing to put in the time to learn a new game, or we only have 2 players. Owned this for 5 years and never got a game in.

[@madend]

Would be curious to hear how it compares to the recently released Android: New Angeles. Have heard them mentioned at the same time before, but haven't had the chance to play either myself yet.

[@zubeerek]

After this review I bought Archipelago and I'm really happy with it great game. I wonder if you make a video about great western trail too?

[@jmalmis]

Either that milk paket is weirdly small or Quentin's hands are monstruous...

[@brandonblack5499]

I've never heard anyone pernounce archipelago correct but you guys nailed it!

[@BensonBPH]

How do you pernounce "pernounce"?

[@brandonblack5499]

BensonBPH I'm not sure how autocorrect made it autoincorrect. but thanks for letting me know!

[@MerlinsJester]

You forgot to settle the topic of recommending the game

[@Brax1982]

This is from their "Innuendo Sells" phase.

[@hozonov7995]

Nice game, nice Asuka poster.

[@andersklausen]

I realy want to buy this game! Realy ! But it seams to be out of Stock everywhere... do you know any place to buy on the internet or if its to be reprinted?

[@matthewmcneany]

Only copy of this I could find in the UK was £350

[@eschsoapy2809]

archipelago is a fantastic game. We mock the imperialist glossing over, but there do seem to be some counters to this stuff in the expansion. And the fact that there are "revolt" mechanisms and that there are separate populations of "real people" and "angry people" can leave one to draw one's own conclusions about what is going on beneath all the gloss and stuff. This game does take a while to learn and it doesn't seem to make it to table as much as I'd want, but it can also be super frustrating when one person has a good turn on the market board and an explore while another person gets zilch and a crap explore. Sometimes a chance game where a successful explore (dice roll with a high level of failure pretty much) can leave one player really pissed off and the rest feeling awkward that they are really into how their colonies are doing, so there might be some balance issues with the game there. The sympathizer and pacifist secret mission things increase the "semi" bit quite a lot.

[@foyoGames]

this gaming session was pretty ackward ...was glad I played as the traitor

[@matejzganec6183]

most underrated boardgame of all time?

[@314per]

This is a great review, but I am surprised you liked Archipelago so much. The central mechanic means that any player can force a tie by behaving badly (barring the unlikely event of someone having the Sympathizer card). I don't think I've ever had a more anticlimactic experience playing a board game.

[@fy8798]

Not a tie - a loss.

[@DrMFoster7]

Rare to see Paul being the annoying one.

[@ADKearney2112]

I love this game. It doesn't get played enough.

[@drewbauer9721]

Quinn's hair is too well groomed in this episode

[@Alex-sj9uq]

Drew Bauer truuu

[@elios4592]

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with this game. I love the material, the tiles are fantastic, and even though I've had it for 4 years, I like to bring out archipelago once or twice a year for a game. And yet every time I play it I get a certain frustration, I hate the randomness of exploration, which causes some to end up with crappy tiles while others have monopolies over precious resources. I hate the abrupt way every game ends, when you get cut right in the middle of your strategy because a player who you haven't even paid attention to has finished his objectives. Archipelago is an incredible game, that makes you dream at its start and leave you alone with your bitterness at the end, and still I continue to play it again and again.

[@miro375]

Why Paul hits Quin?

[@andycollins6148]

I like this game!

[@TheGullywully]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZarhp6jmcSHZ9Um15s Quinn's or Paul's tea?

[@drewbauer9721]

Uploaded one minute ago nice

[@TheMagicianLiam]

Getting wood.

[@thelastmotel]

Love Archipelago. Shame the "spiritual successor" to it was bollocks.

[@chain-wallet]

sometime su&sd is just plain weird

[@apertotes]

We have played 5 times. We have ended 1 short game (the first we played), that lasted about 2 hours and was enjoyable but felt incomplete. Many buildings were built and were barely used because the game ended too quickly. The other 4 games ended in less than 30 minutes because nobody wanted to contribute to crisis. Only in one of those games was the sympathizer role in play. It's one of the biggest gaming disappointments of the last five years for us. In contrast, we enjoy immensely every game of Batllestar Galactica, another game of hidden roles and semi-cooperation.

[@jergarmar]

If 80% of the time your games ends in rebellion... yeah, that might not be a good fit for your group. That sounds like a group NOT interested in the negotiation portion of this game.

[@matt_selby]

Just popped in to say it's ok to be a white maple.

[@stumbling]

It's pronounced "Archie Pergola".

[@erfanashkan5925]

the barbaric card makes me uncomfortable

[@russman738]

No, not offensive.

[@massfarmer818]

Daddies so young

[@ForgottenNoble]

More offensive the better

[@legolasegb]

lol, every board game abstracts from the ugly side. Gaia Project never addresses the planets you terraform. Axis & Allies doesn't touch on Unit 731 or what the Red Army did in Berlin. Brass doesn't touch on the horrible living conditions of the factory workers. Village doesn't address child mortality. It's kind of cringe to hear people make a big deal out of today's-trendy-to-be-outraged-about-stuff. Lots of war games and horrible things happen in board games, but people aren't endorsing any of it! If you fight as Germany in WWII, how would you do it? That's an interesting question to explore tactically, but please, get off your soap box. No one is saying WWII should have happened.

[@musagetes23]

Love you guys, but please stop re-releasing old videos! It makes me think you're done filming new content forever every time I see a notification and it's a review I've already watched several times.

[@shutupandsitdown]

For KZbin to make sense we really have to have all our videos here. It's a big job so not happening over night. Some people also seem to enjoy the trip down memory lane, and lots of folks are finding these videos for the first time. This playlist is for you! kzbin.info/aero/PLuhACAvGwzxe-PztXhNpcmNZxLzhVel3S

[@musagetes23]

Oh gosh, thanks! I'm glad to get a reply from you, and even more glad to know about this playlist. Appreciate it!

[@go_rilla262]

Not to mention those who just discovered SU&SD, like myself. Love the channel, thanks for the new releases and golden oldies. It's all new to me!

[@StuartHetzler]

gotta love the crippling white guilt that so many board game review channels have.

[@MarcusTullman]

StewieSwan They briefly mentioned the thematic issue and said they were fine with it and moved on ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ hardly crippling

[@thelastmotel]

This video wwas from 2013 originally. They are much more ridden with the white guilt now than they were when they filmed this. Their review of Chinatown was atrocious because of it. Gotta love people who go around being offended on behalf of other people, especially when those other people aren't offended.

[@Keesvanloomacklin]

It’s exhausting to constantly have to prostrate one’s self at the ‘Altar of Apology’ of some sort or another at the extreme end; or, at the other end like here, still have to make an aside for it no matter how brief.

[@Sith90lord]

the apologetic start to the video is annoying -_- it's a game ffs.

[@theoneandonlyjs19]

Criticism of things that you enjoy is important and understandable to everyone above the age of 12

[@phxcppdvlazi]

games inform attitudes and attitudes inform society. it is just a game, but it's part of our culture. there's no need for you to get offended, the point is simply to remain mindful of the past.

[@Keesvanloomacklin]

I love watching this channel, but it’s funny to me how games I really like are the ones they’re luke-warm on or don’t even like themselves; but then, a game like this, which doesn’t appeal to me at all, they rave about. Ah, different strokes I guess.

[@cazmaestro]

The problem is, some people may play this game and due to personal ties with particular events, may not enjoy or feel upset by the depictions and artwork in the game. A review site like this is to inform people about the game and whether they will enjoy it or not. Them informing us that there are certain themes in the game and that it may not appeal to all is good information to have so we can decide whether we're going to buy it or not. Obviously it hasn't affected your decision, but others may feel differently. And it's just 10-20 seconds of a video that you have to sit through.