BOARD GAMING MARATHON | 2 Players | 5 Games Playthrough

Hi Friends!
We have another MARATHON!
Join us on our 2 player gaming marathon. We have time-lapsed the footage, added some musical ambience, and voiced over to point out how the game kind of works and whatever else that came to my mind. The goal was to be able to play show you more games in a shorter amount of time than my traditional playthroughs. Let me know your thoughts! Also comment below if you want to see any of these games in a traditional playthrough format.
Hope you enjoy!
Baley
Foundations of Rome ‪@ArcaneWonders‬
Mandala
Hocus Pocus ‪@RavensburgerAG‬
Kites ‪@FloodgateGames‬
Let's Go To Japan ‪@alderac‬
Full Teach & Playthroughs of Games in this video:
None Yet!
Comment below if you want a certain game shown in a traditional playthrough!
#boardgames #boardgamer #boardgamegeek #botanyandboard #tabletopgaming #2playergame #2player #couple #gamenight #playthrough

[@greg_herhuth]

Wow, I have so much to catch up on! I love this format of video, the fast motion with the talking and playthrough. Awesome. And what a great list of games. Ah, I missed y'all. Good to be back though. And I know you'll be on here commenting soon Todd, so hey to you! Foundations of Rome is awesome. I love the expansions as well. And the solo works awesome. Also, love Let's go to Japan (though I haven't played it yet I have watched a ton of videos about it). To answer your question - My daughter reads all the rules and I buy all the games! She has mentioned that she would love to read the rules for you as well. =) I do the same as you though, I watch a ton of how to play videos and then go through the rules. Helps me to understand better.

[@travelinwithTODD]

Hello Greg. Good to see your responses. I don't like that you comment first. Lol. I am actually busy today at work so I'll post some comments later. I don't like when I am busy!

[@botanyandboard]

Crystal you are just the best!! 🤗 On your channel I expect some how to plays with Crystal! Then I can learn from her and never read rules again 😆 We missed you!! So happy you are back!!! The nice thing though is the videos never go anywhere so you can take time off and catch up and that works too! I need to try Foundations of Rome solo! Maybe I will do that on my next solo marathon. I've been playing a gentle rain like it's going out of style lol 😂 I just want to get 21 points so badly! I saw Jamie and Monique just released playthroughs of it as well but I still want to make one for my channel. I wanted to see if I could green screen my background and put a rainy window behind me. Really lean into the ambience.

[@botanyandboard]

🤣😂 when he said hi I was like Todd is going to be like Greg don't steal my thunder. I know what you mean though busy days are the worst! I'm like sorry I need some time to listen to some things in the background 😆

[@travelinwithTODD]

@@botanyandboard of course I will say that. I always have so much to say about your channel and he swoops right in and steals my words and i am left with nothing! Todds gettin angry over here!

[@greg_herhuth]

And also, great video quality and audio. You are becoming quite the master over there. I bow to your greatness. I am trying to find an affordable camera to start shooting video with. My phone works (as does my tablet) but neither does a great job of letting me change settings so I get the results that the phone wants not the results I want. It tries to add backlighting and all that too the image which in my opinion takes away the quality. But being a graphic designer doesn't help because I am usually never satisfied anyway. LOL. And now that I have just rambled, I am done.

[@botanyandboard]

We actually started with cell phone for the overhead camera as well! Our problem we ran into was Wyatt's phone would overheat 😂 we just used web cams for the face cam as well, but then we just took the plunge and bought two cameras to use specifically for the channel. Will it take me some time to pay ourselves back... Yes most definitely yes lol 😂 but we figured it was multipurpose for taking family photos and things like that as well.

[@travelinwithTODD]

i think the best i can do at the moment is use my phone or my GoPro. the GoPros aren't the best for this kind of stuff. i have some lighting from when i used to do photography but that's a skill i seem to have lost! i used to have every camera on the market. take photos everyday, get creative, loved it. but now all i have is my phone! lol.

[@botanyandboard]

honestly phone cameras these days are so good, and I think they are good at doing the focus here blur the background and just kind of get you the image you are wanting when (personally speaking lol) I don't actually know how to do what I want on the nice cameras. Too many settings I'm like idk where to go from here lol. I lean on Wyatt for cameraing. I bring the love of the games and the plants lol. And I love chatting with all of you!!

[@DonnyRam1961]

My wife & I really enjoy Mandala (I recommended it a while ago in the comments after watching your Jaipur playthrough - another terrific 2 player game) We like to play best of 3 (or 5, or 7!) Lovely relaxing game despite it being a battle. One thing to note - I noticed in your speeded up playthrough that you didn't seed the mountain with 2 face up cards at the start of the game & each time after destroying a mandala. I don't think it massively changes anything - just to note for future plays maybe : Extract from the rules page 5: 'Finally, unless the game is over (see next page), draw 2 cards from the deck and place them face up in the Mountain of the empty Mandala (just as you did during setup). Then proceed with the game as normal' There is a Solo version but I find it way too difficult! Another game you might like to try (that has a great Solo mode) is Trekking Through History and for Solo only For Northwood! is really good.

[@botanyandboard]

Oh whoa I must have completely read over that part 🤣🤣😂 thank you so much for pointing that out!!! And aha!! It must have been you when I mentioned someone had told me I needed to get it!! So thank you!! I'm so happy to have it in my collection! I agree though so relaxing even though it's a battle. I've heard good things about For Northwood! I couldn't decide if the art was too cutesy but you know if it's a good solo game who probably cares lol. I will have to look at Trekking! I know I've seen the box! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!! And for the recommendations - all very much appreciated Donny! 😁🤗

[@chrisb2129]

Nice follow up to your solo marathon! Again, a really good format with the speed plays and voiceover. I went to do the late pledge for Foundations of Rome multiple times and could never go through with it because of the cost and space it would take up. I think we’ll go for Foundations of Metropolis when it comes out in August, but those big chunky minis…so tempting…and we now have space for something like that. But I think I’d get disowned if I got it 😅. I’m always the one buying the games here and reading the rules. I try to get a game figured out, maybe even played once, before introducing it to my wife. I’ve been a board gamer all my life and definitely the nerd of the pair 🤓 Mandala is also one of our favorite small box games! We got out the follow-up Patterns to try out sometime this month. We just played Let’s Go! To Japan again too, our 6th play. I’m still trying to figure out the strategy around the walks. It would be neat if they come out with a series of Let’s Go games with a different twist of the rules for each one. Although maybe not so good for the collectors in us 😅

[@travelinwithTODD]

hopefully they will have expansions for Lets go and just keep adding locations. have you played with the passport and day expansions yet?

[@chrisb2129]

@@travelinwithTODD I didn’t know there were expansions! I must look this up…I bought mine at retail and would have missed any KS extras.

[@botanyandboard]

did you back it on KS Todd? I don't think I have the passport.

[@botanyandboard]

Thanks Chris!! 🤗It got me on the price too! That's why I waited and late pledged instead, but then I heard enough good reviews I was like okay okay they say simple yet strategic which is our sweet spot so I couldn't resist!! I did see Foundations of Metropolis in the GenCon preview on board game geek I was like what's this?? haha. Ooooh you will have to let us know what you guys end up thinking about Patterns if I need to pick that one up too. Maybe on your Instagram hahaha. Ya the walks are interesting. I found them where I didn't want to do them unless I was just really not going to get anything otherwise I'm like what are the odds this random card when I flip it over will actually score. It is nice though if you were in a situation where no cards helped to be able to lay the facedown card, but I just didn't find myself leaning into that very much. I would love love though if they did expansion packs for different destinations. Same rule set so it's quick to get to the table still, but then more play variety based on where the destination is.

[@travelinwithTODD]

@@chrisb2129 there are 2 expansions out so far. Passport and Day Trip. the Passport adds a card that you score points from. and the Day Trip lets you travel one day to another city with ways to score more points. it also adds a SUNDAY marker. so you have all 7 days. i bought mine off the publisher web site. i bought5 the retail version also.

[@travelinwithTODD]

ok, my turn. first off...greg...stealing my thunder yet again. yes, i said it. i dont mean it, but i said it. i love these videos. great selection of games. i like that i can see multiple games and what they are about. you can watch a playthrough a lot of places. which of course are good to. i find watching playthroughs from different people helps. but watching your playthroughs, i can learn about the game and retain it. some channels there is just too much in their playthroughs and after i am done I'm like....ah, what! but you make it fun and that's the key thing that brings back viewers. and watching Wyatts "pants" video doesn't hurt either! I'm glad you liked Lets go to Japan. i enjoy that game so much. i am on my 6th playthrough. the narration part is the best. thanks for the shoutout. means a lot. i think i could do videos like this where I'm not on cam and just to overdubs cause i hit the record button and then forget what i want to say. it ends up being "umm, yeah, welll, um, um". i sound like an dumbass! i am one of those watch a video and then read the rules. makes learning the game easier. some of the rule books for these games are over complicated. I had more to say and now i forgot all of it! I will post more when i remember. have you tried "draft and write records"? that is another one of my top games at the moment. but it changes weekly i think!

[@botanyandboard]

hahahaha my turn - move over Greg! Awww thank you for saying that Todd! That means so much!!! 🥰 ahaahah and yes there is always Wyatt's pant skit 😂 Yes!! I'm excited to do the full narrative story and lean in to that aspect when we do the full playthrough! Lol listen to me I stumble over my words all the time but I"m like ehh I can't be perfect no matter if I rerecorded it time and again. We are going with "natural" ahahaha. I haven't tried Draft and Write Records!! Is that the one where you created the very famous NunBus?! lol I will have to look at that one! Oh I know there are so many games I go from obsession to obsession. I also like to get out a game and play it like 5 times and then put it away, so I essentially routinely am just into whatever I'm playing for that month. I think playing it multiple times helps me only have to reference the rules on the first 2 and have 3 really good playthroughs where I don't have to revisit the rules. I hate having to do that it takes me out of the game. I think that is also why I keep seeming to slot into a medium-lightweight gamer. Heavy games have REALLY got to speak to me in order to want to sign up for that much to learn and remember each time.

[@travelinwithTODD]

@@botanyandboard i think the heaviest game i have played would be A Feast for Odin. so much fun but a table hog and learning it, i have the rulebook handy all the time. but damn is it fun. i have been reading the rules for Kanban EV also. i want to get that to the grid this year. they say that's a heavy game also. if or when you think about Draft and Write Records, DON'T buy it. i have an unopened version that i backed on kickstarter. i totally forgot i did and seen it at my local game store. bought it and then 2 days later my kickstarter was delivered! i am such a dumbass. that's like the 3rd time I've did that. i will gift it to you. its yours. take it. i don't want it. its in the shrink wrap still. record a playthrough with it. NunBus rules! also, speaking of NunBus, lol. i have been dabbling in AI music generation. OMG and i was messing around and made up a song about my channel. put my own lyrics in it, genre of music, key points and the AI made the song with vocals. i laugh every time i listen to it. i made a second one about eating a salad! lol. that one makes me laugh every time. i have a lot of time on my hands! lol. i need to upload them. i want you to listen to them.

[@botanyandboard]

Omg upload immediately!!!! 😂🤣😂🤣 I can't wait to listen!!! Okay deal!! Maybe we can make a tradesy and I can send you something you don't already have a copy of hahaha. I'm laughing so hard at ordering and then accidentally buying. I guess that solidified you really wanted it you know. 😂 I've heard really good things about Kanban! We have a feast for Odin as well and Wyatt liked it more than me, but it was just so many rules and so many spaces where I get almost overwhelmed with possibilities lol

[@kelly_kpb]

Love Mandala. And I see someone already pointed out the forgotten step. Hocus Pocus we ended up getting rid of. Love the IP, just didn’t like the game.

[@botanyandboard]

Yes I clearly wasn't focused while reading Mandalas rulebook 😂 leave it to me!