Earth - Board Game Review - Relentless Flora & Fungi

Earth - Board Game Review - Relentless Flora & Fungi
Earth, the soil that supports and sustains our beautiful planet, Earth. Over thousands of years of evolution and adaptation the flora and fauna of this unique planet have grown and developed into amazing life forms, creating symbiotic ecosystems and habitats.
It’s time to jump into these rich environments and create some amazing natural synergies that replicate and extrapolate on Earth’s amazing versatility and plethora of natural resources. Create a self-supporting engine of growth, expansion and supply where even your unused plants become compost for future growth.
Earth is an open world engine builder for 1 to 5 players with simple rules but tons of strategic possibilities. With its encyclopedic nature and the enormous number of unique cards and combinations, every single game will allow you to discover new synergies and connections, just as our vast and fascinating world allows us to do!
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Who Am I?
One single batchelor from the UK talking about his passion for board games and the people who play them! I support small content creators, board game cafes and go against the status quo when it comes to the board game industry. I give my honest opinions without bias towards any publishers or designers and will not hold back if I don't like a game.
The Broken Meeple is a variety channel that hosts all kinds of board game content from reviews to Top 10 lists to playthroughs to live stream collaborations with special guests (predominantly small channels who deserve more exposure).
I look forward to engaging with you, the community on my live streams or in the comments on my videos!
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and KIENDA Promo
01:07 - Background
02:25 - Basic Overview
04:07 - Other Similar Games
07:02 - Pros (Aesthetics, Respect Photography!)
09:04 - Pros (Rules Are Simple Without Being Text Heavy)
10:50 - Pros (A Ton of Variety)
12:17 - Pros (So Little Downtime When All Running Smooth)
14:07 - Cons (Not For Those Who Can't Process Abilities Fast)
16:30 - Cons (Almost Zero Multiplayer Interaction)
20:10 - Cons (A Decent Level of Luck Which Hurts Objectives)
23:00 - The Solo Mode (The True Way To Play Earth?)
26:10 - Summary, Verdict & Player Scaling
29:16 - Please Share and Support The Show
#brokenmeeple #earth #insideupgames #boardgames #boardgame #lukehector #supportsmallcreators #tabletop #tabletopgames #bgg #boardgamer #boardgamereview
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Full credit to BoardGameGeek and its members for any images used that aren't my own or part of the publisher press kit.

[@maxtardif4959]

Thanks for the great review and taking the time to play Earth, really glad you enjoyed it that much :)

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching!

[@Max-pj9km]

Max, you made such a great game. Congrats!

[@hairygnome1787]

I was going to say the box art for earth is the best looking thing around and then I see our fave reviewer has a suave new look with glasses and a fresh new hair cut. Looking good buddy!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ha ha, haircut is nothing new, that's a typical cut for me. But yeah the glasses are ones I used to wear 13 years back so I'm comfortable wearing them.

[@guandjs]

Great review! I love card driven games (including Terraforming Mars Ares) and I agree with your rating and insights here. If one gets flooded with cards with some actions that you have to then discard/compost, it can lead to AP but then people usually move usually to other actions where you are not so focused. Overall, it is great fun if you enjoy these kinds of games!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Fair enough!

[@TabletopRose]

OH YEAHH!! That's awesome. I can't wait to get this one to the table, hopefully this weekend. I also decided to be totally unnecessary and get the tableau neoprene player mats. Thanks, Luke!!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Have fun! Honestly the mats might not be entirely useless, certainly helps with picking them all up later!

[@barbaramazzocca4605]

I appreciate your reviews! I completely agree this isn't a game for families. When I see full time gamers on play throughs missing some of the actions they can take I know you have to be on top of this game every second. On a completely different note, I once took a class about how to use background music to enhance the environment and how it affects the people listening to it. You are using it perfectly, and I will bet most people have no idea music is running through the entire video! Bravo!

[@ralfn9629]

Thanks again for this great review. Having already most other games you mentioned, I was so far wary to get this one as well. The art is just sooo stunning, that I might have to buy a copy at some point in the future.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Photography has its purpose in games :-)

[@tonybowers9490]

Thanks for sharing. I have a copy on the way. After your review I'm even more excited about receiving it. Good to know about the solo rules. Will check and see if there's a faq or some such available.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@quesoblanco444]

I appreciated the different points you made in your review. I got hyped from the Dice Tower vid, but after watching this one, Earth is probably the type of game I would enjoy solo but might be too fast paced for me to enjoy with a group.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

The DT did over inflate this like crazy despite the goodness of it.

[@thomassawicki6103]

Great review, mirrors a lot of my own feelings! You also really explained the at times frantic feeling of this game, you truly dont get a breather. Ive noticed the extremely fast pace seems to stop normally AP prone people from APing much.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yes and no, sometimes they aren't fussed about whether they are holding up players. Plus it can make the game frustrating for them if they feel they are forced to get a move on.

[@jamessherman7797]

Thanks for your thorough and honest review. I recently got Earth, since I know several people that have Wingspan. I agree, not a game for casual game players. I’ve only played a few times, and so far haven’t added ecosystems cards. We’ve gotten stuck on interpreting some of the card abilities and Fauna card objectives. So far, I’ve only played with two players and can see how it might be a bit much for 4 -5 players but that is one of the reasons I purchased this game. For the higher player count potential. I do look forward to a solo play. I wasn’t aware that Wyrmspan was coming soon or I may have considered that game instead. Will need to see how Earth and Wyrmspan compare.

[@wybird666]

Spot-on review. I've only played this solo but totally see this as MP solo. I can see that one may be able to be strategic and pick cards with abilities that trigger on other people's turns for more freebies, but the luck of the draw will probably dictate what you play more than anything else.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

For objectives it's wholly luck of draw, but certainly if you think someone is harvesting a lot of one colour it may be worth joining in or making your own awesome action!

[@wahjudi]

Your basic overview just explained to me what I'd been trying to understand for two days in text. Brief, covers the main goals and I know what I need to look for.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you, glad I can help you!

[@elainetyger]

Thank you for this review. I pre-ordered Earth through The Game Steward in the US. They expect to receive their boxes this month and then start shipping. It looks like Ares in that it will be easy to carry but still take up a lot of space on the table. Perhaps I will have a planet theme meetup one night and do both, though based on your review, Ares should come first and have this one be the main event.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Sounds great! I think we are due ours in UK retail by may.

[@jamescartwright1150]

Excellent review Luke, looking very studious with glasses on there 🙂 I think I have enough games with similar mechanisms to this one and although it's very pretty, I think I'll not be getting it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Makes sense, it's not a small genre for sure.

[@davidriemaker]

Great review. Thanks. Happy to hear the solo mode is entertaining.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

No problem!

[@VanessaG1229]

Fantastic review! I've played Earth twice so far, and really enjoyed it, even at five players. I love tableu builders. I agree, triggering a multitude of abilities at once just feels so satisfying. I only wish I would have backed it, but fingers crossed, I may be able to get a KS copy through a local gaming store. 🤞

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Happy to hear, though 5 players?! Yikes, I'll be avoiding that unless everyone knows the game inside out.

[@VanessaG1229]

@TheBrokenMeeple all players were avid gamers, so it really didn't take long. Maybe about hour, which isn't bad.

[@wiblick]

Sold! Your review clinched the deal on my decision between purchasing this and going the Viticulture route (I'm a newbie, and predominantly solo, and meh, wine...). I'd watched other run-throughs but none quite convinced me. Ordered from Zatu this morning.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad you found the video helpful!

[@mattp4719]

As always....well done. Keep up the good work

[@Castle4-1Games]

The solo in this game seems much better than the one in Ares Expedition. Another reason this will replace that game on my shelf. Thanks for the review Luke!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Good call!

[@Puzzu]

Thanks for the review! Very helpful to know this is very multiplayer solitaire, I don’t like games where I can’t even see if everyone is playing correctly.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad I could help!

[@c.w.2000]

Excellent review. I have had both Earth and Ares Expedition on order for awhile. I am in Canada, and Board Game Bliss had Ares Expedition on sale for $20 CAD, so maybe they are anticipating that Earth will decrease Ares Expedition sales. I suspect I will prefer Earth too, but I can't resist a good sale.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

IOt's a good price for sure and maybe the expansions will boost it, but then that's extra money spent. One thing I'll say for Earth, it won't need expansions for a long while.

[@revimfadli4666]

Good point about the low visibility of the icons. The contrast is somehow super low especially on dark effect bands. Some unsharp masking would've been nice

[@victorybhg]

great review, i might need to play the solo more, but in 5 games i have yet to lose to the bot, i might need to check my scoring. The solo rules are tough to follow. But my only strategy has been to complete my tableau as fast as possible coming in first place on most of the objectives.. that is hard as the objective ai card can come out at any time even at the beginning of the ais turn. But i usually try to complete in 8-10 turns which limits the ai scoring. usually that nets the win. It’s a bit like terraforming mars ares 25 turn limit. but this game takes an hour and the tableau triggering is so satisfying. me personally it’s good and my family and friends enjoy it ( they get the triggering and just play ) the playing time is what is so appealing. the photography is gorgeous. good stuff

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

It's a mix for me and the scores have been fairly close. I'm not the luckiest person in the world though!

[@tomhubbard1900]

18:40 You made a good point about the milestones, but I think it's worth pointing out another difference with TM. The benefits here do more for the second and third runners than the Martian Milestones that just get pinched once, or the Awards that are pursued throughout the game after getting funded, and only help two. Neither is quite what's happening here. You can pursue a goal, miss first and still get some benefit.

[@Buako111]

Excellent review!

[@Datasun7]

Ooh excited for this review!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Hope you like it!

[@argentryins1472]

Thank you for your takes. The caveats here have made it clear this isn't what I want. I've also got to thank you for praising Spirit Island as a Thematic game. I replayed it, loved it, and bought all the stuff. It's now our favorite game by a longshot!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad to hear on all counts! :D

[@mosterdpottv]

Thank you

[@Poiuytrew.Q]

Captain Planet!

[@ten_oclock_scholar4690]

I'm glad you enjoy it as much as I do! I agree that it's nothing like Ark Nova, and it doesn't replace Wingspan for me. For me it does do what Ares Expedition does but better, though I'm still interested in trying the cooperative mode for that one.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Coop mode feels like a tacked on thing for Ares - I mean what you gonna do, just combine resources to terraform the planet in X turns?

[@ten_oclock_scholar4690]

@@TheBrokenMeeple That's the basic idea - there are crisis cards that you have to resolve by meeting certain targets by a certain time, and if you don't, there will be a negative consequence like lowering the TR or oxygen. It's basically a put out the fires style co-op but in an engine-building context.

[@timknauer8906]

Tried today and it's really fun! Agree with your game comparisons too.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Nailed it!

[@timknauer8906]

@@TheBrokenMeeple you did :) and the structure of the tableau is known from Everdell in my opinion

[@BoroMirraCz]

Funnily enough, this review showed me that Earth is a really overhyped game... but it did also really sell it to me. Based on reactions from Dice Tower, I'd think this game is a miracle, a wonder... but it is not. It is a great game, that is actually quite simple and not even that innovative. It's more of a remix of Wingspan, TM Ares with the theme of Ark Nova. But apparently it works. But what sells this game to me is the comboing of various cards, based on how they trigger after each other. I love that mechanic, I love building complex engines. Another point where I really disagree with DT is that Earth doesn't really replace TM (the big one). Ares? Sure. Original TM? Nope. Just the fact that original TM wasn't even mentioned in this review in comparison to Earth shows how different the games are. Even the engine getting build in TM is really different.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah comparing this to Ark Nova or TM doesn't make sense. Wingspan and Ares Expedition are far closer in feel and yeah Ares is done with this around. DT did oversell it I feel even though I also gave it a 9.

[@revimfadli4666]

It might not be innovative, but it at least improved upon tried-and-true inspirations, which is preferable to innovative but poorly done

[@codym6376]

The zero interaction stops me from jumping on. I like cool combo puzzles and interesting decisions, but I want to interact with other people around the table in the game. You have a top ten games with non-combat player interaction? I enjoy Carcassonne, Castles of Burgundy, and The Quest for El Dorado because the other person matters.

[@revimfadli4666]

Interaction that is much less passive than this game's follow mechanic, you mean?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Don't have that list but those games you mentioned, Carc Burgundy wouldn't be my first thoughts for player interaction....

[@jonathan6009]

Hi Luke, have you reviewed Revive?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Haven't got a copy, no retail release and publisher have multiple times "forgotten" to send me a copy when asked.

[@iansutton7416]

No problem with photography if it doesn't look like disjointed cut & paste. A consistent style can work.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Very true!

[@vangelisevangelou]

Thanks for the honest review

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Always!

[@dilatedbeholder3865]

The thing I keep hearing about this is that there is almost zero player interaction, but I guess the same could be said about Ark Nova and many a Euro game 🤷‍♂️

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Here it's worse though. And in Ark I can actually gauge quickly what the opponent is likely to do next or what icons they have. You can't do that in earth unless you're on BGA.

[@revimfadli4666]

​@@TheBrokenMeeple such a shame, considering it's a great example of how a descendant of Race for the Galaxy could've just made the icons more intuitive rather than switch its unintuitiveness with the cons of text-heavy cards(like Wingspan and Everdell), yet ironically it lost the aspect of visual clarity for other players, which was a benefit of RftG's symbols At least we still have Ark Nova and Underwater Cities for good examples of both readability and intuitiveness

[@Yxvandoolu]

Glasses look good on you. At least those. 👍🏻

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I think so too! The only glasses that do!

[@matissmatiss3126]

Earth is really great 🎉

[@elqord.1118]

Holy hell, 9/10. I liked it but it didn’t blow me at all. Decent, well done but really forgot it the moment I finished my session.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Won't be for everyone for sure! But I enjoy the tableau combo building, just assuming I caveat the player counts.

[@marcuswilliams8762]

So close to 20k subs... are you planning anything when you reach 20K? Best to luck getting there.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Not sure yet! Will likely be a little while before I get to 20,000 but yeah I'll need to think of something. Maybe like a side tiermaker video like the MCU movies or something.

[@evannadeau3938]

I own Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition, Ark Nova, and Wingspan. I mostly play solo. Is this worth getting? I love all those other games and this looks right up my alley but could be too similar maybe? Edit: oops sorry commented too soon!! My bad

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ha ha not a problem, but yes Earth is definitely worth getting and I think it replaces Ares Expedition hands down.

[@DumahAtreides]

I wasn't a fan of Ares Expedition, but the expansions Crisis & Discovery (think of these more like Prelude size expansions) have flipped me completely around. The solo mode (and coop) beats out every other one of the big deck tableau builders for me. How much I liked it has put a damper on what I think about Earth after two plays. My wife was just ok with the game. It's odd that with as many choices as it can flood you with, sometimes you really have no good options for what you want to do. I like that it plays quick and for my plays 2 players was just about as good as 4 players. I like that the setup was a breeze. But for competitive multiplayers, I'm more likely to want to play the bigger Terraforming Mars or Ark Nova...and at the casual gamer level this competes too much with Wingspan and you are right that Wingspan is the more streamlined version.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Like you I found Ares too long, too fiddly and not that worth it. I would at least like to try it again with those expansions in mind if it's as much of a flip as you say.

[@0megaD]

The photography looks great, but aesthetically combined with the flat/pastel looking design it just doesn't look that 'hot' to me on first glance. Might be something I'd need to grow into appreciating, but right now it gives me a bit of a 'supermarket collectible stickers' vibe. That said, it does look like a good game. The whole 'take an action and trigger cards' does sound very wingspanny, but I feel the building and triggering here might be a bit more exciting than it is in wingspan.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Both games can be owned separately, certainly in my case, but yes, there are some similarities. The game is built on a budget for sure, bear in mind it was a 55 euro delivered kickstarter which is well cheap for KS. But yet it can still look this pretty!

[@boros55]

What about sleeves? You said you will come to it later. Maybe I missed that part. I also think it is great game. Not Ark Nova ofc.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah I had to cut it out for length, but I put a message in the video. Basically sleeving the fauna/start cards is fine and good to distinguish them from the rest, but sleeving the normal cards is too unwieldy - you go through cards and make a big pile on your board etc and it would just be a pain to have them sleeved.

[@boros55]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Thx for reply

[@RistoPisto615]

I am pretty new to the gaming, bare in mind for what i am about to say...but seeing a lot of board game creators and it seems that the trend goes, new game comes, best game like that, 6 months later comes next game and this is the best game ever...and so on...can i be jsut happy with ares expedition or wingspan and not worry about that? :D

[@RistoPisto615]

(i did try earth on BGA, and probably should play it again, i do like Ares and Wingspan(last one i have only played on XBOX)

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

If it makes you happy then by all means stick to what you enjoy. Wingspan is a great game.

[@markusbiewer2756]

New games are being released every day. You don't need to buy/own/play them all. If you're happy with the games you have then there's no need to get new ones.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

1 dislike huh? Come on then boy, what don't like you? Bring it on!!

[@elainetyger]

Who knows it might have been inadvertent. Especially on the phone, trying to click description can sometimes lead to clicking one of the thumbs by accident.

[@shovahkais7671]

Balanced and thorough review, proof that one can give a game some credit without falling into hype bandwagons. For me the first game which came to mind as a parallel was Everdell, same grid and overall goals, slight twist with worker placement, wgich is a stricter form of action selection. Photography as art is magnificent, if done well although it doesnt lend itself to other themes than Nature.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Honesty and objectivity - that's how I like to roll, many thanks!

[@revimfadli4666]

Makes sense, considering both were inspired by Race for the Galaxy

[@windyhillbomber]

I was expecting the worse for Earth on Broken Meeple….really expecting it to get hammered. Glad it got the thumbs up as I am awaiting its arrival.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Tell it how it is, both good and bad! :D

[@clearyourthirdeye]

You had me until "they're still only games"-

[@TheLuminousCleric]

Thanks, again, for another honest review. I've been following this game, but I'm not sure we really want it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Fair enough!

[@Coffeemaker1978]

Before: this video decides wether or not I buy this game 😁

[@Coffeemaker1978]

Better get it 😂🎉

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ha ha, was it the prediction you hoped for?

[@Coffeemaker1978]

@@TheBrokenMeeple it was a fine review and combined with other friends recommendations it will be added to my buy list 🍻

[@revimfadli4666]

But I _can_ give this game less grief for its randomness, because the useless cards here at least can always be composted :p Don't have to rely on drawing certain cards which would allow tucking, selling etc

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah I mean drawing 15 cards into your hand is fine if you have a means to compost all the ones you don't want. You don't get attached to the cards like you do in other games.

[@justanerd1138]

Very much appreciate the grumpy old man review. :) I dislike multi-player solitare games so can pass.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Fair enough!

[@hanslamal5632]

I cannot help it, but I don't like games with photography pics, so no Earth, no Ark Nova for me (even being a nature lover, nature themed games lover!) Yes, photography is an art, but graphic art can create more accents on little cards... Imagine Wingspan with photography pics, it would look very messy with different colored backgrounds... It's not for nothing that nature guide books (birds, insects...) with determination details mostly use graphic art. With photography pics it's much more difficult to create a kind of unity and transparency...

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Wingspan does suit artwork better, I guess maybe because it's all birds and nothing else. Ark Nova and Earth have all sorts of different things so photography works better. Ark Nova uses a filter on a lot of their photos as well to make them look better, but I don't know any bad photos in that game.

[@revimfadli4666]

Those busy backgrounds might’ve contributed to the difficulty of reading everyone's tableau, along with lack of icon contrast/visibility

[@CK-mi3sd]

I like Forest Shuffle better because Forest Shuffle plays quicker than Earth and both games are point salad. In addition, Forest Shuffle has more interactions than Earth.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

The only main interaction is the display in the middle. Which is fine but the balance problem dominates too much. Also it's about the same in time length when you go over 3 players.

[@chrismurphy9932]

Seems like I'd have the same problem with this that I have with Ark Nova, Wingspan, and Terraforming Mars - too much luck on the card draw. If you can get what you're looking for out of the deck, great, but if you can't, then too bad for you I guess, you lose. I get that a lot of people like games like that, but it just drives me nuts. I thought that I might have issues with this game due to this, thanks to your balanced review, it has been confirmed for me. I'll definitely be passing on this one, much appreciated!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad it was a useful aid! :D

[@thomaswolf2391]

"not like ark nova, but more similar to wingspan" Cool. Heard all I need to know. Trash then. 😂 Not for me.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

A shame, but at least you got some useful information! ;-)

[@thomaswolf2391]

@@TheBrokenMeeple of course. You're the man!

[@CarlosRodriguez-ez3ls]

Fabulous review Luke! I was mildly interested in this game due to the hype. Now I have zero interest. Not for me. Thx!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Interesting - what put you off the game?

[@EngMadison]

Played this for the first time this week...wasnt exoecting to find my least favorite game of the year so soon. Bleargh this game is everything wrong with modern euros.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

A shame! But could have been worse you might have played Apiary!

[@EngMadison]

@@TheBrokenMeepleThankfully our group isn't likely to chase new games. We generally find modern euro games to be a bit dull compared to euro games from the 90's - 00's. But every once in a while one sneaks through the defenses! :D

[@shortydancer]

First!

[@ElGrandoCaymano]

I thought your review was good and I get that you're targeting it to gamers, but you keep mentioning Wingspan and Ark Nova (and Aries) and assume viewers are both familiar with them and have watched your reviews. You mention DT, and if they do comparison videos, they title it's a comparison. I'm not sure in this video if this is a full review or a comparison video, but I recommend you stop mentioning the other games (or leave that to the end) and just focus on the game at hand, it's issues and features. Also knock off the memes - why do you really need these? It's like someone adding umpteen emojis to a text. You don't need them, they create work for you and are for GenZ and waste time for viewers. Other than that, your points and analysis are good, but if it's a comparison video, please mention that in the title. Thanks.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

The comparisons are useful because the game is relentlessly compared to those games - if you don't mention it, they'll get questioned in the comments. And sorry but the memes stay, it's a unique touch and 99.9% of people like them. Otherwise the video is just point a camera and talk like many others which gets boring.