Blackout: Hong Kong Review - with Tom Vasel

[@alexxpfister]

Very happy you liked my game, Tom!

[@HaviccB]

Great western trail is the best game to come along in years.

[@alexxpfister]

@@HaviccB Thank you! I try to make different games. Out of my 3 big games, some think Mombasa is the best. Allthough Blackout is not that long on the market, some already say that Blackout ist the best. And many say, that Great Western Trail is the best. Thats the way I like it, if everybody finds their favourite game. Still people want variation, therefore the world needs new games :-) Good for me as a designer.

[@matthewellison5492]

Love Isle of Skye! You're one of my fav designers along with Phil walker-harding :)

[@alexxpfister]

@@matthewellison5492 Thank you! Yes, Phil is a fantastic designer, like his games as well. If you love Isle of Skye, maybe Blackout does not suit you that much, it is much heavier and longer.

[@matthewellison5492]

@@alexxpfister Yes I thought so too, I don't have GWT or Mombasa for the same reasons. But I have Port Royal and Broom Service ;) both are great!! Keep up the good work.

[@garrettfrick9120]

Tom and company, keep up the amazing work. If it weren’t for great people like you guys I’d be buying blind lol

[@dearmrdw]

The theme is there! There were a lot of comments of how the theme is irrelevant or not there... yet my first play was full of events and card combos that made perfect sense to me, with all the crisis management, black market dealings, heroics etc etc. This is much more thematic than GWT or most other euro games at that.

[@dearmrdw]

btw, the components are totally fine - they are better than in most euro games, except for some super overpriced over-delixified games, but unlike those in Blackout everything is functional as well.

[@d.aardent9382]

The characters being different colors really hit me with a big nostalgia from when I was a kid and in elementary school we used to have learning methods of matching colors and reading stories in text books that used vivid colors in the graphic art that went with the stories.

[@RedEyedGhost1]

Very excited for this one. GWT is my favorite game, so everything by Pfister gets a look from me.

[@homelessjoe]

Artwork looks like it was done on the Hong Kong black market.

[@adamli9767]

this game somehow becoming a realism game

[@gabrielfanti86]

Does it run ok for two players?

[@Wigdogger]

Definitely a shame that the production/theme didn't come through a little stronger in this one, but I'm glad the gameplay seems to be there (as it always is with AP... oh no, what unfortunate initials!). I'll probably grab it.

[@BenrockyAA]

As a Network Electrician and a board gamer this game intrigues me! (Also dad is from Hong Kong) If only a blackout in real life was as easy to solve as this...

[@alexxpfister]

However I must say, that in this game we don't restore electricity. Instead we try to be the team, which helps the people the most.

[@rat7963]

Came here because there was actually a massive blackout in Hong Kong today.

[@scurry2175]

Wouldn't be surprised if this is based on a "future" real story of another timeline now.

[@tsimpkins43228]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this game. Pfister's games are always great!

[@Efrendil]

It's 2019, cut the 18 sec intro!

[@stevensum2011]

Gameplay look great! shame about board artwork. Really need a better art designer for a AAA game. Look at Brass Birmingham board, now that great artwork of the night.

[@benlauson555]

What! Approved?! I'd expect nothing less than excellent from the great Pfister!!!

[@DanieleMazzoni]

I think that saying it's not as good looking as you'd like it to be it's the most positive way you can describe the production of this game. It is a very very ugly production, this however is not a big problem if the game is as fun as you say

[@chriswinston1223]

If it was a $30.00 game you might have a point. I expect a lot more for $50.00+ than this!

[@DanieleMazzoni]

@@chriswinston1223 I may have not been clear enough. I think the way Tom describes the production is very generous. It's a very ugly production for 2018

[@Atlas-FM8]

@@chriswinston1223 Yeah hard to believe this game has a $70 MSRP.

[@barrybadranath]

Tom, the amish board game reviewer. XP

[@liquidpaper128]

For a game that uses electricity and Hong Kong as themes, the art is a huge disappointment for me.

[@whatboardgame]

What a brilliant game this is!

[@willbeplayin]

GWT is my favourite game for a few years now but this one looks like a big miss. Luckily the new GWT expansion is coming out soon.

[@osiriszoran2304]

Love GWT. The Theme for this one just doesn't do it for me.

[@sweeneytodd473]

I don't know why I thought it was co-op and I got hyped. But now I know it is not game for me. I guess there will be fans of this game, it seems to me euroish, sounds cool, and mechanics seems nice, but I sadly won't like it...bummer ^^

[@Moxbox99]

Reciclerishu I was so sure about it being co-op that I told people that and found out it wasn’t >> it really feels like this should be a game about cooperation honestly. I would prefer a retheme and a good solo/co-op mode included 😎 I saw it had a solo option, so I’m curious if that could be changed to add a second player.

[@GirlyGamer-BoardGameGran]

I thought it was co-op as well, less excited about it now. Also bummed.

[@larflabergasted]

I thought it was co-op up until the last line when Tom said most points wins. I had to re-watch the play through to understand the game in that new frame.

[@lokihve6591]

Mind you not excelent! Which means a score of under 8

[@thedicetower]

No I rank it an "8"

[@theblart4196]

8.5 is the new scoring for excellence

[@VRjustin]

I can't understand how designer can go so wrong after making such master piece like GWT... Plz make another edition with good artwork like GWT. And btw I like GWT cover! That game is just amazing all around!

[@alexxpfister]

Art is always a matter of taste. Some like it, some not. However agreed, there are many critical voices about the art here. By the way, I don't even see the art work, everything is done by the publisher.

[@darrenq1067]

The production issues saw me pass in purchasing this at Essen. Also doesn't look very colour blind friendly. Glad it didn't pick up now. Mombasa looks far superior.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

It’s getting the plays this weekend though I’m not a fan of his work besides Isle of Skye. Thank god it’s not like GWT. But not played Mombasa, the game didn’t tell me what you were doing on the box, that’s a put off! Lol! But the mechanics of this sound interesting but I’ll be one step harsher and say the production quality and art style in this is bad, just bad!

[@Traumtheater0]

Easily ugliest game I have seen in a long time. Making Blackout a theme so you don't need board artwork, great idea. One of those Euros that don't even pretend anymore. Massive pass.

[@nikolagacar544]

If it is an ugly game, than that's a sign of a great game :). Read Castles of Burgundy, Gaia Project, Great Western Trail, Pulsar 2849.

[@d.b.4910]

@@nikolagacar544 Great Western Trail has an ugly cover, but the game isn't ugly.

[@Sonniface]

Ugly? Try Carpe Diem :D

[@nikolagacar544]

@@@d.b.4910 Hey Daniel! :) I agree with you, the cover of GWT is just crazy :)

[@kaussstorm]

I am trying really hard to imagine a theme here. I can't, it is just a series of mechanics linked to one another. This is about as exciting as reading through a phone book trying to get a story. This is going to be a hard pass from me.

[@Puzzu]

Meh.. won’t mind trying it if someone else wanted to try it but it looks more like work than fun...

[@tonik9724]

Don't like this at all, can't see the Blackout theme in the play action. Not on my list.

[@bonescollector5367]

Where’s all the minis?!! Everyone knows if the box isn’t bulging with minis, then it’s just not a good game!

[@draco949]

I absolutely hate the theme on this game. I am glad its good though.

[@draco949]

Also I think the art and graphic design is terrible and lifeless.

[@EmrysTernal]

Like "Terraforming Mars" and "Paramedics: Clear", I just can't back a game idea where you would think the players should be working together cooperatively but for some inexplicable reason they're not. It makes no sense. While theme isn't always everything for me, if the theme doesn't even remotely match up with the game type, I have to give it a pass. Bad game designer, no twinkie!

[@alexxpfister]

As a player we try to help the people. The team, who helps best, wins. I can see why you can also think it could be co-op. The solo-play is co-op :-)

[@themagicbeatle]

In TM you play as Corporation. Last time I checked they usually don't like to cooperate with each other. instead they tend to try and gain as much money as possible. So it fits perfectly for me.