Every Game is Awesome 1 - Nippon

[@KnightOwl23]

Great new series. Nice to see Jason sharing his depth of knowledge on Euro games. I used to avoid them finding many to dry or fiddly but more recently have played a number of them that I really enjoyed. This series will hopefully help make good choices for games for myself and group. :)

[@Syncopator]

+Alan Forsyth (TMUK) Yeah, I'm with you-- the way I figure it, there's probably a couple of Euros that I'd really like, but possibly not all that many, as I usually prefer a little lighter games with more theme. So I spend a bit more time deciding on the Euros, to try to spot the ones that work for me. At the moment I'm leaning towards Marco Polo as my next foray into that area, even though I don't find the theme as exciting as some of the others, the mechanics look to be more interesting with the variable player powers.

[@samiamagaimagain]

Paraphrase of Jason's comments: I'd like to play it again with people who know how to play it ;) It's nice to have someone who appreciates mechanism-driven games with the Dice Tower! This is a great idea and I think I will follow this closely.

[@HITFORDCYCLE1]

This series looks wonderful wonderful wonderful

[@MatthewMSanchez]

I love this format of two people discussing the game. Both Miami Dice and this series are great giving pros and cons. I will watch every episode of this.

[@ianoble]

This format works perfect for you and Jason. I'm a fan already.

[@Bassishify]

This is a great addition to the Dice Tower family of reviews. I really like what Jason brings to the table, and just the added depth this sort of thing could add to the channel. Great work everybody!

[@landmarkforum3652]

Are you sure you were playing the same game I was? Because with a limited amount of area control tokens, and the requirement of using three goods to get the top rated marker in each spot, we found it quite difficult for one person to run out and permanently dominate the board. You just run out of markers. I think the area control in this one if phenomenal. You can't simply play on the board - you have to build up your production first, and there's agonizing decisions about whether to play lesser or fewer tokens right away or wait until you've built up enough to play multiple, maximum strength tokens in the same spot. Combined with the trains and the unpredictability of when rounds will end, the area control here is very challenging, in a great way. Finally, while I disagree with you guys about the game, (I think it's excellent) I'm really glad that you are branching out and doing this series - thanks guys!

[@WonderCreationStudios]

This is such an awesome series you guys are starting and no pun intended! I really am glad to see this.

[@LouisAzor]

Great start guys, look forward to many more!

[@smoothcriminal28]

I got a feeling that this will be my favorite segment from this channel. Good stuff.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

Currently my favourite game of 2015 (though I've not played them all) :)

[@ernobhuvan]

I'd encourage you all to watch +Gaming Rules's video on this if you're at all interested.

[@puracy3452]

Like someone already mentioned, check the rules regarding the area control part. You guys say you can get control of an area by suplying it first. That is why i'm not sure, you used the rule that if you have a higher scoring tile, you can replace the lower one already there. (Or you have to produce the max goods directly for that spot, but that would be a big investment if you want to race people to that)

[@JefferyHunt]

I love the concept of this show! I listen to heavy cardboard as well but am a huge fan of the Dice Tower and am glad to see this since Ryan has been doing less.

[@garymountford5828]

Really looking forward to more in this series.

[@steveo1046]

I think this series is a great fit for Jason. Don't think I've ever seen him come to life so much in a video series before. Great work Jason !

[@henrikbrynildsen1387]

I love this new series! Thanks for letting Jason share his views on different kinds of games than DiceTower's usual favorites :) I'm eager to see more Eurogames

[@miranl7140]

Great new series! A great addition to the Dice Tower lineup. Love seeing more Euro style games being reviewed ;)

[@JasonHuebel]

You had me at the title. How can I not love a show called "Every Game is Awesome"? Also, Jason Levine rules.

[@adx7473]

Watch Jason's top 100 games. He describes nearly every game as 'awesome'. It's a word he uses a lot :)

[@jedatlh2512]

Looks like a good series with a good format, enjoyed it. Thanks for reviewing this game!

[@NoPunIncluded]

If I had to pick one thing I disagree on, it would have to be the statement that the theme isn't strong. The game is based on a historical period, and represents it really well. Aside from the meeple selection mechanic, everything felt like it was there for a reason, especially the area control part. Haven't gained enough influence as a zaibatsu to monopolise the production of silk? Move aside, as you're yesterday's news. But I don't have to pick one thing and I'll say that I really don't think meeple selection is any more random than worker placement. Can you get boxed out of doing something you want in worker placement? Of course you can, all it takes is for another player to take the action you want to do and you're done. It's a new, elegant, innovative mechanic and it gets many points from me. Nice to see that you're branching out Tom! And Jason was very much on point in the video.

[@JavaApp]

I really, really enjoyed this show. Tom's excellent rules explanation was wonderfully complemented by Jason's discussion of gameplay, which is something he is very good at, I think. Zee, would have been snarky, while making a general point, and Sam would probably never play this game. But because Jason is so earnest, he can delve into gameplay without irony at a more thorough level, which I appreciate quite a bit. I would love to see you guys tackle some of the classics (say Agricola, or Caylus) from this angle, as well.

[@C4Explosion00]

Great new series. Can't wait to see more!

[@akkvik]

Great start of an anticipated series! Jason is superb!

[@ericthomas5694]

Sounds like you guys played the area control wrong. You don't block other players for good by going to a spot, they can later displace you with a higher numbered tile. Definitely ups the level of interaction in the game.

[@Judge021979]

This is one of my games of the year for 2015. A truly excellent med-heavy Euro with loads of depth and replayability.

[@TheFamilyShowdownHRKN]

I love seeing the Dice Tower branching out. Great new series! I have always had a "morbid" curiosity with heavy euros. I do not think they would be my cup of tea but I would be willing to try one.

[@andrewstrickland8800]

Yes! More reviews with Jason. This will be a good year.

[@carlstevenwilletts]

Excellent idea for a new series and a perfect platform for Jason. I haven't played too many heavy Euros but they are my favourite type of game and this series will really influence my future purchases. This is an excellent counterpart to Miami Dice.

[@rcitaliano]

7:47 the multiplier multiples the number of stars in the "ship track", and not the number of ships, the same apply for trains

[@gamera2351]

Wow! I really like the idea of this new series. You can use this segment with Jason for Euros and Sam for Amerithrash on Miami Dice. It's great that you surround yourself with such diverse opinions Tom. Two thumbs up.

[@aweso]

You know that you can knock out an opponent's influence tile if you'd put one in of a higher number right? Based on your comments it's not clear that you did this, it sounds like you're saying that once someone got an influence tile in then it's there forever. Unless Jason managed to do the triple good into every spot before Tom could do anything? If you neglected this rule then yeah I can see why the area majority would have been pretty boring. Anyway, glad to see more of Jason and glad to see a more serious euro game on the dice tower.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

+aweso I got that impression too. Not sure the best way to get this feedback to Tom / Jason, as I'm not sure if the comments are read. But yeah, being able to replace other people's influence tiles is a key part of the game. It isn't "who gets there first stays" unless you are using the highest number tiles for each good, and you just dont have enough of them.

[@NerdIncorrect]

+Gaming Rules! He has said in the past that all the comments get read, he doesn't respond.

[@ricke1732]

Great new series!! Jason has come into his own and I'm excited to see more euro games getting love on the Dice Tower!

[@Thulsa13]

Great video. Love the in depth look at the game. Keep up the good work.

[@studleygamer]

I think that Jason is proving to be a great asset to the Dice Tower. This program is another great idea. Keep up the good work guys!

[@rainerahlfors]

I think the combination of Tom and Jason is perfect for these types of games! You guys are so different in your likes. So when both of you like/dislike something, it matters more to me than if it was either of you reviewing the game by yourselves, or a Miami Dice episode, where Tom and Sam are typically more on the same page when it comes to games.

[@kkgray666]

Thanks guys, this was AWESOME.

[@avansponsen]

I had high hopes for this series but I think Tom's big personality over powers Jason. As a medium to heavy Euro fan this is a brilliant game with theme and very clever mechanics. Fingers crossed for improvement because I think there is definitely room for a strong, heavy euro voice from the Dice Tower.

[@gheilers]

+Andrew VanSpronsen Exactly. I think Jason's true calling is in *writing* reviews, and providing in-depth analysis. Such a format would be an enjoyable read.

Love the title to this new series!

[@homelessjoe]

I don't even like Euro games particularly, but I like watching the both of you talk about it. Strange, but awesome!

[@Bloodydane]

Great great series! The combined opinion of you two is actually something I would consider quite a bit before deciding whether to purchase or not! Seal of Excellence for you! :)

[@BrokenHelix79]

Even though I'm drawn more to Ameritrash and card games, I'm very much looking forward to other videos in this new series. Jason is earning his spot, and it's nice that The Dice Tower is expanding their lineup. Keep it up!

[@citmod]

Even thought, I am completely uninterested in those heavy euro games, I think it's a great idea to do such segment on the channel. Especially with Jason who is into these kind of games. Good Job!

[@smoothcriminal28]

I really hope you guys cover Grand Austria Hotel next. Would love to see the contrast between your two perspectives.

[@sethhale235]

I know the designers say they designed from theme for this. I wasn't very knowledgeable of Zaibatsu during the Meiji period but I watched a video they did at Essen with BGG and they explained everything and the theme seemed to match well. I've not played yet though. You might be right. Interesting point in history. Might have to buy this. Thanks for the review, it helped.

[@StrayFire]

mooooore! i love jason! his opinion in games is very important to me. he should do more Q&As.

[@optimind]

It would be nice to also know Tom Vasel's number rating in this Series.

[@ddmalarkey]

Awesome new series!

[@Kajotex]

While I had my differences with jasons "style" in the past, this is looking great Its like miami dice with a Euro-focus, which i really like. I would love to hear Jasons thoughts on my favorite Euro Tzolk'in, which Tom seemed to have his problems with. :)

[@JasperHayward]

Great new show!

[@raymyers700]

wow...when I first saw the title, I thought it was going to be something completely different. but I really like this focus. I primarily enjoy Euros now and really appreciate Jason's perspective. My only suggestion is maybe a direct question from Tom to Jason: what DIDN'T you like about this game? I appreciate finding enjoyment in every game, but when I hear that your opinion is that the game is good, but won't stand the test of time...I'd like to hear a concise reason why. Tom did that, but Jason was a bit unclear. Please do more of these with these awesome crunchy Euros! Great job to you both!

[@JChalant]

I saw the name of this new series and skipped every thing else in my subscription feed to see the tom foolery!

[@Draffut2003]

I need an awesomenessrating visual reference guide.

[@errolwilde1656]

nice to Jason more, but man I think this is the first time I fell asleep during one if your reviews, lol. I hope future reviews with Jason are for more exciting games.

[@AnaIvanovic4ever]

A very underestimated game in my opinion. Easy to teach and understand but with lots of depth. Available on Board Game Arena.

[@antonyc2307]

I like this new series!

[@SarliW]

This series is awesome :)

[@wishmeheaven]

Where did Jason disappear ?

[@thenostalgiafactor5023]

Jason is the man!

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

Chairman of the Board really likes this one. I think it's around #50-60 in his top 100

[@evgenidimitrov7790]

could this be a series just for HEAVY Eurogame, if not , then maybe Jason and Ryan can make one.

[@jeromevuarand3768]

I've watched Rahdo's runthrough a few days ago, and my first reaction in your video was that your game presentation format feels wrong for a game of that weight. There are so many mechanics that you barely scratch the surface of each, and it feels messy and expedited. I'm not sure how that can be improved, but if you want to keep it as short as for regular games you probably need to spend a lot more time in crafting a good short synthesis, which might not be a good use of your time.

[@TheGrooves]

+Jérôme Vuarand Well, as for his other videos, I don't think Tom's objective is to give an all-encompasing view of all the mechanics and rules. Besides, after just a couple of plays, it's hard to really figure out a synthesis for a game of this weight.

[@Syncopator]

+Jérôme Vuarand For me, Rahdo's runthroughs are excruciating, like being stuck in a game with a totally AP player, and I don't find them realistic-- they're only simulated playthroughs.. What I like about the Dice Tower is they keep it moving so that it doesn't bog down and get boring. Does that mean some of the details fall through the cracks? Quite possibly, but it's enough for me to tell if I might be interested-- and perhaps at that point I'll suffer through some Rahdo or other reviewers who provide more detail to make a final decision. But there's far too many games out there to not have a simplified overview to help sort through them. And often I don't need every last detail to decide-- these aren't complete playthroughs, they're opinions, and I'm glad to see Jason included on the heavier Euros because he's a big fan of those and knowledgeable of them, so he can spot weaknesses more quickly and I respect his opinion on them. I respect Tom's opinions too, what you have to do is keep them in the context of what each reviewer likes-- I've been watching the Dice Tower for a good year now, and have a pretty good idea of what the different reviewer's preferences are and how they match or oppose mine, so I can evaluate the opinions accordingly. Also, they have done some full real playthroughs, the Blood Rage one really helped me to decide it's a game for me as I'm not usually a fan of "war" games, but given you can lose the battle and still win with glory points, and the mechanisms in the game such as the card drafting, in an actual playthrough showed me it's a game I would like. I look for real playthroughs, such as those done by the Dice Tower crew, or the Game Night crew, because I can really get a sense of how the interaction of the game is. I also skip the overproduced Tabletop sessions, as even if the game is good, I don't think I'd ever actually want to play it with those people, and those interview inserts are totally annoying, like some inane reality show full of people who's opinions you could care less about (as pretty much every reality show is). So even though these heavier games could stand a longer evaluation period by the reviewers, I appreciate the brevity here. And Tom may appear to be a little excited and rushed, possibly because he is to some degree at least this week, there's a boatload of games in their review queue, the Kickstarter just funded and they're prepping to do a marathon 24-hour playthrough session this week. I'm not surprised he's blasting through a review a bit-- but his sense of keeping things moving is a big part of what makes the Dice Tower great. Tom might benefit from taking a few more deep breaths before starting a video on exciting weeks such as this, but as far as I'm concerned, it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[@atlanteantapir]

+Jérôme Vuarand I love both Rahdo and Dice Tower. But to be very honest, I came out more confused watching Rahdo's runthrough of this. Maybe because I didn't have the patience to sit through all 41 minutes of it. When I look to buy a game, I want a good understanding of what that game does, it's special features, but not necessarily every nitty gritty detail. Highlights are what I need. And when I watch Rahdo's videos I always watch final thoughts first. This is because I want to hear the highlights first, before I actually want to invest detail into it. In this video, Tom does a quick overview of the game, yes he does gloss over parts of the game, but does it really matter? Not really, because I want to make that decision for myself at the end of the day. And if I really wanted a runthrough, I would go watch Rahdo. But this video is not a runthrough, which is why the game is presented in the way that it is here.

[@GamingRulesVideos]

+atlanteantapir what you need is maybe the official how to play rules video, commissioned by the publisher and 100% accurate and only 20 minutes long :)

[@atlanteantapir]

+Gaming Rules! that wouldn't be bad! wait, does such video exist 0_0

[@ktrehearne]

What is a good family weight Euro game?

[@ianoble]

+Kent Trehearne Stone Age. boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/34635/stone-age

[@taegukki]

+Kent Treherne Gold West is great

[@ktrehearne]

+Ian Noble I was thinking Stone Age also, but I just was on the fence.

[@ktrehearne]

+Brandon Palmer I was also looking at Puerto Rico but I don't think my family would enjoy that game.

[@x1teDota]

+Kent Trehearne I would say Fresco has similar weight to Stone Age.

[@andrewplaysyellow]

Confused by Jason saying you race to get the whites out because then others can’t go there, with the exception of the 7 tiles, all others can be overbuilt by a higher tile....

[@derwoodbowen5954]

It certainly makes sense to include someone who is really in to heavy euro games to counterbalance Tom. Both guys came to the same conclusion, with Jason being only slightly more enthused about the game. Probably an ok game to try but not one to bust your butt to get.

[@TheGrooves]

I haven't played the game ( yet ). That being said, while I do think the game has some smart mechanics, it just doesn't seem fun to me. Thematically, regarding the multiple-colored meeples, the way I see it is that they are foreign experts from different countries ( a la Keyflower ), which Japan did hire during the industrial revolution ( around 3000 people, according to historians ). So it's normal that you pay more for different colours / countries, since it would cost you more to make travel arrangements, hire translators, and so on. Other than that, this is an awesome series, and I'm looking forward to new episodes. Kudos!

[@turks1966]

This is Awesome!

[@AndAlltheNerdyFun]

this series wins on title alone

[@wroot_lt]

Awesomeness Rating is Awesome! :)

Hurts So Good?

[@philsheep9926]

Great feature name =8)

[@MicaelSousa]

The colours means experts from diferent foreign countries.