Every Game is Awesome 45: Great Western Trail

[@alexxpfister]

Thanks Tom and Jason for the great review and your nice words!

[@johnrochester1419]

Thank you for making amazing games.

[@alexxpfister]

Thanks Shawn. Mombasa is a heavy game too. The other two are middle weight games. Broom Service is quite emotional, has no luck but lots of player interaction, some love it, some hate it. Isle of Sky does not "hurt" so much. I would be glad if you take a closer look on them if they fit your taste.

[@jamesinnes8129]

Alexander Pfister Finally got a copy of your game sir and haven't stopped playing it. Already looking forward to your next game.

[@westlin3]

Don't feel bad Jason. Kid Rock doesn't sing Kid Rock very well either.

[@smoothcriminal28]

lmao

[@halhammons9705]

Tell Jason not to use "rustle" as a verb to describe cowboy behavior. Cattle rustling is thievery. Cowboys herd cattle. Outlaws rustle cattle.

[@squ3lch956]

I was going to say the same. Jason you can say herd or wrangle. Anyway. I enjoyed the review.

[@derwoodbowen5954]

Think it has been covered, but wrangling is the correct term for what the cowboys do on cattle drives.

[@sarahlanger2605]

Mombasa won the German Gaming Award (Deutscher Spielepreis), which is voted on by the people. So I'd say it did win a major award...

[@MrRadialdrift]

must have been a bad year for board games if mombasa won an award

[@justinfarkas]

Looks interesting and looks like the replay ability for this is really high. I really enjoyed Mombasa and this feels like another clever game, can't wait to try it out.

[@davidw3281]

Missed a perfect opportunity with, "you can see as we mooooove along".

[@wroot_lt]

Love special sound effects by Jason in every episode :D

[@TripleGMS]

I got really excited when you listed the player count. Unfortunately, your game summary is mistaken on the number of players. It is listed as a 2-4 player game on both BGG and Stronghold's website.

[@carlrobinson3571]

"At the beginning of your turn you get to 'moove' " Can't unhear that. Every time you say moove...

[@sidneyleejohnson]

Perhaps it was a bit early for them to notice the Dominion like mad cow race deck (or similar to the Halifax Hammer in A Few Acres of Snow). While there are some counters to this fast big cow approach, the odds may still be heavily stacked in the favor of the mad cow deck ...perhaps not enough to outright call the game "broken" but it still means you won't experience a good chunk of the game options if one or more players are racing around and around.

[@Steve-L]

Looks like another Euro I will enjoy. The theme helps a lot here.

[@11167KevA]

Are the guys on the cover hypnotized or are they trying to hypnotize you?

[@dabearz27]

A remix of Cowboy and Everything is Awesome needs to happen!

[@musicjunkie20]

I like the game a lot but it's one of those that's best played with those who are familiar with it as there's quite a steep learning curve, it's not easy to teach and there's a ton of iconography to explain.

[@thegameacademy1]

If Jason says its great, I'll definitely pick it up

[@samiamagaimagain]

Better than Mombasa? Sold!

[@lasttruegypsy]

On the board you mentioned that you have to add the extra tile if there are four players. Normally it shows the option for three players. Does this game allow play with two players? I like that this is a more realistic take on a western theme instead of a focus on the sensational shoot-outs or something like that.

[@alexxpfister]

Yes, it plays with 2-4 players.

[@lasttruegypsy]

Thanks for the reply! I often play with just my wife games that are euro mechanics like this one. Definitely checking it out. This theme is very interesting to me and the mechanics look like a lot of fun to learn.

[@smoothcriminal28]

Let the machine sing! He's earned it. Am undecided about this game. Something about it isn't clicking for me.

[@JonSolo85]

It's technically a spaghetti western because it's a euro..... I'll see myself out.

[@wolflarson71]

Curious how this compares to Railroad Revolution, another new Essen game.

[@XShrike0]

Thank you for getting him to stop singing.

[@smoothcriminal28]

Nonsense. We should get an entire episode of Jay singing Am a cowboy babaaaay!!!!

[@johnrochester1419]

Thought the singing was the best part. Shows they had fun while playing, and got into the theme.

[@johnmichael642]

lol

[@wroot_lt]

I wonder how it is tied thematically that you move faster in the beginning and then slower as you build buildings on your way. Is this as towns start to popup on the map cowboys have to visit every of them and spend more time? The whole concept mechanically seems interesting (though every time i see a review of such a heavy game, it fascinates me, but i know i probably would never play it:D), but it felt a bit weird thematically.

[@hiphop5743]

wroot maybe because you have more cows you have to took with you

[@arandombard1197]

AS the operation grows in size, it requires more bureaucracy to keep it going. One man transporting a few cows between two town is easy. 100 people transporting 1000 cows to 10 different locations is much harder.

[@O.G.Alphaborn]

Hello Carson City Vs Great Western trail. Have to keep 1 which 1?

[@twoflower9239]

Tom is looking his best in that Cowboy hat

[@jonathandodd7682]

Do the turns tend to go slowly or quickly? Lots of room for AP? How long have your games taken? Better at any particular player count? (I have lots of questions :) )

[@thedicetower]

Turns are VERY fast, but the game is two hours. Seems best at 3?

[@jonathandodd7682]

The Dice Tower Thanks! I enjoy long games as long as there's not a lot of downtime. This looks great.

[@johnrochester1419]

It really does look like a cool game.

[@HITFORDCYCLE1]

I saw the scorecard. Looks like Jason won?

[@mogelyCowboyUp]

Great review guys! Thank you so much!!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Theme isn't one I'm that keen on but if someone brings it to a game night I'll try it. I get a bit wary when I hear a game has taped on a deck building mechanic because they detract a lot theme wise. But it looks a hundred times better than Mombasa!

[@jtfike]

Luke Hector if they gave you cow tokens instead of cards and said you need to collect sets instead of calling it deckbuilding.....it is all the same.

[@flol.1741]

Played it for the first time last night and I have to agree with Jason and Tom, it is awesome! However, is it just me or do the dudes on the box art live deep, deep in the uncanny valley? It is horrible...

[@mbl26]

it's my only problem with the game as well.

[@meechibell9602]

Great review! Y'all are awesome! Yee haw! :)

[@jiffkb]

Jason says it a couple of times but I'm pretty sure there's not actually any mechanic for cattle rustling in this.

[@KabukiKid]

Yeah, cattle rustling is when you steal the cows... he must think it just means herding the cows or something. That's my only guess.

[@carlstevenwilletts]

If I remember correctly, you are driving the cattle in this game. As you say KabukiKid, cattle rustling is the theft of cattle. I think Jason just used the wrong term.

[@PhilHenDrums]

Yep, he means cattle driving, not cattle rustling.

[@soren123]

Howdy Jason!

[@Judgedredd1973]

"I want to be a cowboy baby"

[@clumsydad7158]

i'm about as excited about this as about mombasa... which ain't that much partner

[@MrRadialdrift]

Yeah, mombasa is a boring stock market game

[@NycLogics]

I wasn’t sold. Seems to long. Won’t be buying. Oh well I’ll keep on searching for my next game.

[@gamingtv6275]

I'm starting to dislike Tom's reviews. I understand that he's played a billion games, but he tends to focus on the negatives of each game he plays. Maybe he's just played too many games at this point. The odd thing is that he actually likes this game, but most of his review was negative toned.. just my observation...

[@MrRadialdrift]

This game seems generic

[@jaxommm]

That's pretty much the dullest theme ever.

[@CopperLontra]

jaxommm I'll take a new mundane theme over another ancient Mediterranean or generic sci-fi theme any day. Just being a different theme makes it interesting.

[@arandombard1197]

Cowboys in the wild west is a dull theme to you? Would you prefer another generic fantasy/farming/renaissance trading theme?