Best Games of the Month VLOG - July 2024

[@KBrandes]

your passion for games is infectious Paul, Just watching you talk about games gets me amped to play!

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Thanks!

[@klaus3856]

September sounds incredible, hope to find a purchase or two for 2024.

[@tttopolis]

Happy Birthweek!!!! MageKnight is so excellent! Wow, played a friend's copy of Hoplomocus with a friend and it was really great! Glad you were able to knock out the campaign!

[@GamingRulesVideos]

The best!

[@georgioschalikias4883]

I really love that you are playing games from 20 and 30 years ago !!! You are a Legend in the hobby !

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Games almost as old as I am! lol

[@Justin-MeepleMountain]

Hey Paul! I'm a reviewer in the US and I just finished my first three-player game of Shackleton Base. I'm desperately looking around to see what others think about this because our group thought it was one of the best games of the year. My main concern is that it will be better at four players than three, but otherwise this was great! Excited to hear additional thoughts on this later, but glad to hear that someone out there has given this a run and enjoyed themselves.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

We played at 4 players, and it was great. I can see how it would be better with more.

[@Filthyanimal9]

Never heard of CFR, thx for sharing! Glad you enjoyed your week off! Definitely in same boat in terms of having too many games, not enough time.

[@frankhechtner3156]

Paul, thanks a lot for the nice VLOG. I am really looking forward to watching your unconscious Video :-) Keep up the great work. All the best, Frank

[@jamescartwright1150]

Excellent stuff as always.

[@sadekhanna]

I can't wait for your videos on Shackleton Base and Minos! 43-minute UM tutorial? My fiancé (and gaming partner) will kill me 😂

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Yeah, but I'm quite thorough. Other people could rush it and do it in 25 probably.

[@tigletpiglet]

Ha! Me fumbling through Roads and Boats is a bang on description 😂 Really enjoyed playing it though, and absolutely want to play it again.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

You and me both. I think you will be able to find people who will be up for a game at GridCon

[@IosifStalin2]

Always one of the highlights of my month

[@bjornlindberg8181]

Always interesting hearing your thoughts on games played. Will be extra interesting to hear your thoughts on the game on the table.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Find out soon!

[@StewartEnnew]

Looking forward to Board and Dice month 😂

[@sir_sooroosh]

We love you man,keep up the good work...💙

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Thank you!

[@lizmari7042]

Agree that the 'more players than characters' rule for The Mandalorian: Adventures sounds weird. Spectacular has me intrigued - looking forward to your coverage! Happy Anniversary! 🎉

[@laurencesingh3948]

Dice Masters!!! I was NOT expecting to see that come up in this video. My brother, best friend, and I were really into Dice Masters for a while a few years ago. It was our new Heroclix. I still have my collection - Marvel, DC, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Wow what a throwback.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

I’m really keen to play more. Even though I only have this one starter!

[@JohnClem56]

I own and have played Speed Circuit 40+ years ago. Bought a copy of CFR for son-in-law without realizing it was a reimplementation of Speed Circuit. Haven't had a chance to play it yet but expect to do so soon(ish). Having read through the rulebook I agree that some improvements / additional clarifications would be helpful. I also think that there could be some design improvements to a couple of areas like slipstreaming and forcing a pass. For example, I don't think the car in front of you that you use for slipstreaming should have to be going >= to your speed. They should just need to be going >= a speed fast enough to punch an adequate hole in the air (say 120 mph). I also think the car that is slipstreaming should actually increase their speed as opposed to the game rule which just has them move an extra space without changing speed. Slipstreaming allows cars to achieve actual increased speed without additional wear on the engine but does mean you have to be ready to brake from a higher speed than you would without the benefit of slipstream. That's more in line with the actual physics of the situation than the way the rules are currently written. Don't know if anything like that will be considered when working with the designer to refine the rules or not. Also, as I said, I haven't played yet so my thoughts are purely from reading the rules vs how I would have expected the physics and cars to work in actuality.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

I'll keep you up to date with my rules rewrite. The slipstreaming rules need the most work as they currently make absolutely zero sense at all :)

[@michaeledmonds4849]

I have no problem supporting great content!

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Thanks!

[@SheikYoboddi]

Was an odd game of Voidfall. I was Thegwyn who naturally turtle up but would be really interesting the replay the same scenario and focus on aggression. Does make me question the scenario ratings but still a thoroughly enjoyable play and awesome to get it played in 2.5 hours minus setup

[@deborahpate3238]

Completely agree about Pathfinder, I'm not going to repeat stuff, and I honestly don't see why that would stop me trying to win. I'm not trying because I fear some penalty, I'm trying because it's fun!

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Exactly!

[@a-c-m]

Gaia Project is an awesome game with some awful artwork… Would be keen to know what Ian O‘Toole thinks about it. Wouldn’t he be tempted in doing a graphic redesign ?

[@GamingRulesVideos]

I meant to ask Ian this during the live stream.

[@shortydancer]

I think Gaia Project has good art.

[@shaneannigans]

Man I LOVE Battleore Second Edition. I desperately hope it gets a reprint so more people can enjoy all the content I have. I love it so much I play it solo using Grim6's solo variant (on BGG). If anyone readin this has a copy, give it a go!!! The core box alone has a tonne of replayability so you don't need the expansions, but they're great to have too! 😊

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Wait! What? Solo mode!!!

[@Darthcarp]

Hoplomachus was superb Paul. Really enjoyed watching it through

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Thanks!

[@AugmentedAugust]

Huge agree on replaying pathfinder scenarios. I've played through every set and I just can't imagine the tremendous time sink it would be playing by the rules as written. Iirc if a character dies, you're supposedly to permanantly remove them and make a new character who does not get any skills or feats unless you go back and play through every previous scenario and I've always been extremely baffled by that decision.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

I need to go back and read the rules on character death. I've played the app a lot, and I know when characters run out of cards, they are removed from the adventure but not killed. Maybe it is different in the Core set. I vaguely remember reading something about using Hero points to come back to life. Otherwise, yeah, you need to start again, which would be harsh.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

Tom Lehman is great! From 1846 to Race for the Galaxy to Res Arcana. Great designer. Gaia Project is so so good. The Terra Mystica games are my third favorite (after 18xx and Mage Knight). As a TTRPG player I love the option of permadeath as long as you can recruit more. Neat that ISS Vanguard does that. I LOVE Roads and Boats. It’s so insane. The solo puzzles are amazing!! Turtling is a common valid strategy in 4x. Not my preference, but if no-one challenges you can definitely do that.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

I must try the solo challenges from Roads&Boats

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

@@GamingRulesVideos I have found them delightful puzzles. And there are so many community made puzzles as well that I would never be able to play through all of the quality content there.

[@peterkarlsson1825]

I visited Orcs nest on my holiday in 1990 to London. The only thing a bought was a 30 sided die. I had never seen such a die before. Still got the die here in front of me.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Awesome stuff. I’ve got an old Orc’s Nest T-shirt I bought too

[@browe]

Happy (belated) birthday from a fellow July birthday chap! Also--MONKEY! I have the same one, which is probably strange from someone in the US. 🫖😄

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Monkey gets everywhere!

[@Sajatzsiraf]

Just my two cents for lower subscriber count - big sporting events. I have good friends in the tourism sector, if your place/service is a not good fit for it, this has been a rough summer. And if someone is watching sports, they are watching other content less. I am frankly surprised if this is not more of a seasonal thing each year. :)

[@vloche11]

Never heard of CFR till now Paul

[@GamingRulesVideos]

It's quite an under the radar game.

[@lonewolfvc3575]

Roads & Boats is a wonderful game. Looking forward to see your solo play.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

I really want to, but I've got a busy few months ahead. Maybe December.

[@boardgameboy9938]

The knowledge, fortitude and resilience of this Master Gamer is an inspiration to us all. 💪Wish I had the planning capability to get this many games from my collection played on my week off in July. 🙏

[@GamingRulesVideos]

In retrospect, it wasn’t that many, but I’m happy with what I played. I’d probably need at least a month to get through all the ones I really want to play and haven’t done yet.

[@saintpumpkin]

cfr is fantastic but I can't play it solo because of the rules. would love a new revised edition with new tracks

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Rewriting the rules is on my list of things to do. The game deserves it.

[@scoops2001]

I owned and played Speed Circuit back in the day (it got lost somewhere along the line 😢) and I own CFR. But. I read the rulebook for CFR and it's all over the place, like a car on slicks in the rain, so my copy, to date, is unplayed.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Yeah, the CFR rulebook is not the best. Leave it with, I know a retired rulebook writer who might be able to help!

[@ibjeepr]

Hi! New to the channel! I look forward to catching up on your content!

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Welcome! There’s 10 years of content :)

[@Dell999950]

I'm in to continue the PACG Crimson Throne! Make it so!!

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Need more free time :)

[@garyduddell3224]

If a game has 5-8 scenarios and they take 30 minutes or less I would be inclined to replay them, anymore than that and no chance. I don't have time to play all my games at the moment so when I do get one tabled I am not going around in circles playing the same thing again I want to see as much as possible. Pathfinder would certainly be a fail forward.

[@RvLeshrac]

To answer your ISS Vanguard question: I have an ISS Vanguard all-in, and it is easily the single most hated game I have ever owned, or even played, short of a party game, due to a specific mission in the game, but more because that mission exposed every terrible piece of Awaken Realms design than even the mission itself.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

I think I know the mission you mean. It happened to us about 8 games in - I spoke about it in either the previous job, or the one before that. I'm aware it was quite decisive and that a lot of people hated it and stopped playing. We just accepted it as an important part of the story and found it very epic, but I can appreciate how not everyone can get past it. As for it highlighting any flaws in the design of the game itself, I disagree. I'm not finding any issues with the game mechanisms itself, and find that a separate thing to the narrative.

[@TheMaskedGaymer]

I need you to do an intervention with my friend who always wants us to redo gooomhaven and oathsworn scenarios and I’m like no one has time for that 😂

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Send them the link to this video and tell them they are wrong :)

[@TheMaskedGaymer]

You seem to think they check the links I send them. (For example. We’ve been planning for MONTHS to start Agemonia after oathsworn. I’ve sent them many links. On Wednesday ‘i watched a bunch of videos on midarra so I’m ready’ 🤐

[@GamingRulesVideos]

@@TheMaskedGaymer Agemonia > Middara. #justsaying. Definitely watch my playthroughs on Agemonia AFTER you play each scenario to avoid spoilers. There are a few tricky rules which we spell out. Some other channels did playthroughs with VERY wrong rules and put no corrections on the video, so best to avoid those :)

[@TheMaskedGaymer]

There’s SO many confusing rules later on. When i was testing it out after the tutorial i got frequently lost. Midarra deserves all the cobwebs it’s getting in my closet of shame 😂

[@KMReviews]

Are you planning on doing any videos for Andromedas Edge in the future?

[@GamingRulesVideos]

I'd love to, but my messages to Lucky Duck are not getting through :(

[@KMReviews]

@@GamingRulesVideos I just double checked to make sure I’m not crazy lol. But andromedas edge isn’t a lucky duck game, it’s a cardboard alchemy game! Maybe that’s the issue? Lol

[@GamingRulesVideos]

@@KMReviews Cardboard Alchemy did the KS. I've spoken to them. The retail version is Lucky Duck, so I've been speaking to them, but unsuccessfully.

[@KMReviews]

@@GamingRulesVideos oh I guess I’m just following all the content for the deluxe version. The Facebook page and KZbin channel is all cardboard alchemy! So I guess I’m just suggesting trying them, because they are responsive to everyone!

[@GamingRulesVideos]

@@KMReviews yep. I’ve spoken to them. They passed me onto Lucky Duck.

[@smallsirkel5379]

This sadly has not been added on spotify.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Oops. Sorting it today. Thanks for letting me know.

[@shinjial]

I do think it's a shame having so many great games and not enough time. I only feel something negative if we had chosen a new game over an old one we know is great, and it turns out the new game is mediocre; I feel it's a waste of time and my motivation to play overall plummets. As for failing scenarios, I'm with you. I play as well as possible and if I fail I'll move on. Depending on what happened we might deduct something from the rewards, something like that. It has only happened once to the best of my memory. A Gloomhaven scenario ended in defeat over a terrible card flip for an enemy (it was a slime that duplicated on 1 card); I would've been able to finish the last 2, but was overwhelmed by 4 (my brother's character had been defeated a bit earlier).

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Very good point. But we need to try new games, because some are great. But I get it, not all of them are. I’ve had to learn games and play them a few times to cover them on the channel and never want to play them again afterwards. Even the ones that are “good”

[@shinjial]

@@GamingRulesVideos Definetely worth it to try new ones. There's just so many great games out there, and many more coming out. This year alone, though, the best ones I tried were older titles (Zhanguo, Madeira, Nippon, Shipyard), and a few recent titles (Sankore was a standout, Nucleum and Barcelona). Septima, Pest and Kutna Hora were disappointments that left me cold. A Mindclash game, a euro-economic game that should be right up my alley, and the "judge a game by its cover".

[@manuelkooijman5757]

I will try the same with Expedition to Newdale as you did with Pathfinder, just move on. At some point playing a scenario 4 or 5 times is not going to endear you to a game. That is what I respect about Arkham LCG as you move on win or loose.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

AHLCG does it the best. I wish more games did it that way.

[@BlazeIgnis]

I don't think it's weird that you can play tall in Voidfall. Playing wide or tall is pretty much a standard approach to 4x games like Civ or Stellaris.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

But I’m only 5’8” :)

[@michaeledmonds4849]

What game is on your table in this video? (or are you not allowed to say ;) )

[@GamingRulesVideos]

See the unboxing I did on the Wednesday :)

[@RvLeshrac]

War of the Ring Card Game solo/co-op: This was one of my highly anticipated things, and the rules are just miserably poorly written. I desperately hope that they do something about the terrible rulebook(s). I felt the same way you did, then boxed it up and haven't been back to it. I simply don't like solo rules that just go "do what you think is appropriate for the bot," because that's a huge cop-out on the part of the designer.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

On reflection, the rules are actually ok. They could have been worded a bit better, but I don't think they say "do what you think is appropriate" - the rules are very specific on what it would do and what it wouldn't do. What I was trying to say is that those decisions try to mirror what a human player would do. It's still a bit much for me, but I'm glad they added this mode for those people who want to do that.