Dead of Winter Review - with Tim Jennette

[@anthonymedves6736]

In my play group it's almost 50/50 with the Betrayer, that is, if we have a Betrayer. It all depends on how well you know the people in your group, you'll eventually get used to their mannerisms. Oh, and for the red die, I once had both my characters instantly die on turn one hahaha. But this was a great review and I hope Plaid Hat gets more copies out there. I was lucky enough to get a first press of it, one of the better games I've played.

[@veldhuizenhenk]

Good review man! I ordered my copy. Still have to wait for it though. It's sold out just about everywhere

[@TimJennette502]

Thanks! It's a great game! I was lucky enough to pick it up first day of GenCon! Hope you enjoy it!

[@MrShooter72]

Really well done run through and review! My wife loves the zombies, George Romero, that kind of thing. I am into the board games. I was initially looking at getting Last Night on Earth as a game we could both enjoy, but this looks a little more involved and I think would really fit the bill. Now, I just have to see if it's actually in stock anywhere, looks like there was a run on product for Christmas.

[@nikkis.2066]

Thanks for the in depth look at Dead of Winter! I'm all about thematics and I am an unapologetic Zombie fanatic :p! Love Zombie movies, zombie video games, merchandise (Shirts, plushes etc) and of course board games! That said, I'm not a blind lover of the genre or theme, some products can pull it off well (Zpocalypse, Dead of Winter) and some just don't pull it off all that well (low artwork quality or just unappealing ). I also do cherish how a game plays out and it's mechanics as well. I def like what I'm seeing here with Dead of Winter. I especially like the idea of sabotage, searching for supplies and having a die for handling wounds and danger :p! The theme looks like it really shines and I think it has just enough going for it in it's components & pieces. What really draws me in aside from the great artwork is that feeling of "hey guys/gals, we need to work together and get this objective done. We need X person to maybe handle the trash, Y person to maybe search out for resources and Z person to take care of the zombies" It really is a strong pull to getting sucked into the game, setting and perils! My only question/concern is handling the multiple survivors under each player and just how they play out along all the other characters. Do you utilize each character per turn or do you have to use one and then give up your turn? Def gonna get a per-order in from their main website in a little bit, it says 1-2 months estimated before the game arrives (being shipped across the sea) so there isn't a made rush to get it, but I think it could be one of my favorite "let's work together" games. I love Zpocalypse but I have to say, it just get bumped off my favorite Zombie theme game! Unsurprisingly, this looks like a perfect game to play on a dark, cold night to really get extra ambience :D

[@bobgabriels8456]

I don't like this game for the same reasons that i dislike arkham horror : a lot of player downtime, and as a player you have little to no impact on what happens, because the cards are too random.

[@MrTaylork1]

meh, most or at least all of the cooperative games I've ever seen and played have had a lot of luck. You're not supposed to win every time or it would be boring. The thing about co-op games is it doesn't matter if you win or lose. If the game is good you'll have had fun and laughs along the way. That's what matters. It's kind of juvenile to just think "it's only fun if i win." The luck of the draw adds to the tension and you can always make noise to get what you need. I've played tons with my fiance and friends and never lost because of a deck. I did kill my fiance's sparky by flooding the grocery store with noise tokens one time, but she still ended up being one of the winners along side me. Player downtime is a non-issue in co-op games. You should be engaging on every turn. whether you're watching for a crossroads to happen or you're helping the player decide what they could do. It's imperative that you do that too because if you come up with a good move and everyone agrees, but they don't do it. That's a way to find a betrayer potentially. It's pretty clear what you should do every turn if you keep in mind your goal and the main objective, so turns go really fast. Our games go super quick now.

[@bobgabriels8456]

MrTaylork1 first you draw a random card, and THEN you roll dice, which adds another layer of randomness ...

[@1klakak]

Bob Gabriels Life itself is random. You can only control what you do. What game has zero randomness?

[@TapCat]

1klakak There are a number of games without random elements including Chess and Hive. That said, I personally prefer games that do include some luck to increase variability in game play as well as make it possible for people of varying skill levels to enjoy playing together.

[@yes4me]

I heard that there are a lot of hype on this game, but some people were disappointed after playing it as the story was bland. Regarding the downtime, I am not a fan of that too. If you play with new players (aka me), they can be bored very fast and no matter how great the story is. Regarding the randomness, a bit is cool but too much is bad. Nevertheless, I hope I get to try it once. I have been in 2 groups of very hardcore players who have probably 1000 games, and so far "dead of winter" was not played.

[@Demovamon]

This game looks awesome! Me want! :)

[@MisterAbysmul]

To me, it is a pile of mechanics with a zombie survival theme pasted on to ride the zombie pop wave. Uninspired and bland. Oh, don't forget to take out the trash!

[@TimJennette502]

I am going to bet that the theme was decided before any mechanics were put in place haha. Reading the card titles and flavor text seems to support the mechanics though, and living in trash does lower moral and humanity, pretty realistic touch I thought. Though if you don't like the theme then it really is a "move around and collect cards" type of game. Its not for everyone I suppose.