Food Chain Magnate - Is it... Monopoly?

#boardgames #foodchainmagnate
Music by:
Kevin MacLeod - incompetech.com
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Website - nopunincluded.com
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Twitter - Efka - / nopunincluded Elaine - / nixedpun
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BGG Review list - boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/17...

[@snakesoldier902]

Both this channel and SU&SD are fairly new additions to my life. I've always been heavily into video games, but starting about 4 years ago a group of co-workers started getting together for board game nights, and one of the group always brought different games from his large collection to try out. That helped show me just how much of a renaissance board gaming has been going through in recent years. More and more, video games and the monetization schemes embedded into them are beginning to sour on me. I've fallen back to mostly playing older games now. And then... I find you guys. And the enthusiasm, creativity, and sincerity you put into your videos galvanized that interest in board games that's been building up in recent years into something more substantial. I've started building up my collection based on your videos, and so far they've proven very accurate. Captain Sonar, several of the FFG Star Wars games , Railroad Ink, Gloomhaven... all purchases I've been very happy with. And this is looking like another game I'm going to enjoy. I just want to say thanks, Elaine and Efka. You've helped me to actually focus more on a hobby that had been sitting on the sidelines for years, waiting for it's turn. I hope you guys enjoy your work as much as we enjoy watching it, and I hope you know we appreciate the genuineness that comes through in your videos, whether it be joy or the more sombre notes like the one you shared near the end of this video about your dad. You do such a good job of provoking thought and showing how games are so much more than just simple time wasters. Cheers!

[@NoPunIncluded]

*big hug*

[@c.w.2000]

What a lovely and well-written comment! I discovered the world of modern board games a year ago. Perhaps even more amazing to me than the games themselves is the calibre of board game reviewers. Not only do they produce high-quality videos and podcasts, but they generally seem like decent human beings. It's no exaggeration that knowing these people exist, and that there are other people who appreciate them and fund them, has partially restored my faith humanity. I consume a lot of board game content, and it's hard for me to pick a favourite, but Efka and Elaine are certainly among the best in their class.

[@danspencer1281]

I found this channel through SUASD and I am enjoying it thoroughly. As you mentioned you were a fan of SUASD and of video games ( although for very good reasons not as much now) may I recommend SUASD sister channel Cool Ghosts. It's full of great reviews and the last three vids have been masterpieces , a real elevation of what is possible in a KZbin video. I apologise to NPI for hijacking your comments about another channel, but it is criminally under viewed.

[@rmcunningham3874]

VIDEO ESSAYS GOOD! Please don't be afraid to do more. This was so interesting!

[@kaffykathy8729]

"I'm sorry, we can't pay you. So you're fired"

[@RandomPerson-nd2ey]

I actually lost a job like that once... family thought it was just a line. You know, the company saying that instead of explaining why I had failed or whatever. Then the owner closed the doors and left the country with the books.

[@Medsas]

Accurate

[@number3729]

One thing about food chain is that everything your opponent does is available to you especially if you start last in turn order. Which gives you a chance of being competitive from the get go. Monopoly uses dice for movement, which also gives you the chance to buy or pay rent. You could be extremely unlucky from throughout the game and it would have nothing to do with your economic decisions. Also in monopoly you can wheel and deal and depending on your financial prowess you can really squeeze out someone in a good deal. In food chain you can price someone out of the market but it's within the well defined rules/mechanics of the game. Ultimately what I'm trying to say is that you can bet destroyed early on in the game, there is nothing stopping you from analyzing how you lost and emulate the winning decisions making yourself a better player and leveling the playing field. I lost countless games of food chain online but didn't forfeit I kept playing until I I had no moves left, saw what other were doing and eventually saw the beauty and balance of the game. Anyway my 2 cents. Thanks for the video I enjoy the format as well!

[@theONLYfudjud]

This was a fantastic video. One of your best in my mind. I would love more discussion and exploration of mechanics from you guys. Keep up the great work!

[@BeingFriends]

theONLYfudjud Same! I thought it was so interesting! The way it was compared to monopoly really sold me on getting it some day, seems like it is a perfect replacement for an old, horrible classic 😜

[@michaelbudden4799]

Really thoughtful and thought-provoking stuff.

[@jeffmcleod3829]

This is awesome! The first Board Game Critique I've seen in any media. Not critique as in the typical transposition with the word reviewer, but an honest actual critique that explores where the game fits in it's period of time, it's place among other pieces of art like it, and how the experience both molds AND is molded by the people experiencing it. Or, in this case, playing it. Seriously, keep up this amazing and scholarly work. (Side note: I realize the podcast Ludology comes close to this in some podcasts, but tends to look more at broad strokes across several games as opposed to one game in particular)

[@alexortiz9777]

Monocle man has never had a monocle

[@Deaddinoproductions]

Some good ol’ Mandela effect there.

[@egg68]

Efka this video essay changed my worldview. How many pieces of art really do that? Board games & values: way to go. And yes also the 18xx epic is awesome for different reasons You and Elaine are making the world a better place. Thank you

[@NoPunIncluded]

Thank you, that's an incredibly lovely thing to say.

[@ngajoe]

Well done, sir. Watched your content for years, but this is particularly great. Appreciate your honesty and insight, and thanks for your contribution to this niche society!

[@elliotthedman3244]

Food Chain Magnate is definitely my favorite game. A group of 5 of us play it almost every weekend. Monopoly, not quite up there :-)

[@number3729]

Wow you are one lucky person. I have trouble getting this game out to my bg group and now looking to sell it.

[@BethorInvictus]

Here i started out thinking this was another boardgame review but it was so much more. Thank you for that, what a great video

[@Username20248]

Thanks for putting the time an energy into this thoughtful and interesting video. Love your content, and love even more thinking about it for days afterwards :)

[@TrenceA]

Great video, I hope you'll have time and opportunity for more of these as they are a welcome break from the normal style of reviews while still giving a good insight into what a game is about.

[@ToddGretencord]

Dude. This is a fantastic video. Wow. Mate, really appreciate the work in this. Next level.

[@AsiNinju]

I watched this video a while back but I still keep coming back to that commentary about what makes board games a unique form of art. Such an interesting topic to discuss that I never considered before. I love the answer you gave; its just so poignant. Fantastic content brother.

[@DrMCbelov]

This is one of the most insightful reviews I have ever watched. Well done!

[@opsallen]

Excellent, excellent, excellent, video Efka. Appreciate the deviation from the normal board game videos that are out there.

[@barrettvelker198]

This is an example of a video which creates permanent fans.

[@-boardgamesanook6590]

Best video essay on boardgames. So profound, so well-presented. Thanks for making such a good video.

[@sirpercivale]

Wow that was surprisingly deep! More like this please Efka, brilliant!

[@gabrieldomocos7570]

I am not a board game connaisseur, but perfect information games just seem like a nightmare to design cause your competition is chess.

[@herodotos484]

Such an entertaining story, such a dark ending. Interesting how differently you can feel about a game. I've played it several times and I've never seen such darkness, even as the notorious looser I am.

[@DjiDruid]

Very interesting video. Refreshing to see board game content that isn't a review or how to play. Keep it up!

[@ungodly_athorist]

The cinematography in this is amazing! And how awesome is it that I can say that on a board game review!!!

[@DriveThruReview]

Well done.

[@NoPunIncluded]

Thanks Joel!

[@Eidenhoek]

@@NoPunIncluded He was ordering his burger c'mon man.

[@Salworth]

Keep it up Efka, loving the tone and passion you and Elaine have been constantly providing.

[@UlquiorraKanishka]

This is my favourite video you guys have done.

[@stuartcoyle1626]

Thanks for an enlightening exploration of this game.

[@profparm]

I really enjoyed this video, and it didn't say what I was expecting it to. I've heard so many reviews of this game that are so polarized as either "I love it!" or "I couldn't stand it!" This is a game that has never particularly interested me, but before you brought it up, I felt similar to your Pax Pamir review; another game that I would never play and from your video am certain I would hate, but I really enjoy the message of. I have always enjoyed the videos you put out, but this one struck a powerful chord with me.

[@BeingFriends]

Fantastic video! Is ANYBODY else convinced they want this game?? Makes us want to buy this game even more! I love a game that challenges your thinking and puts you directly in the shoes of the subject. And it seems this game takes quite a deal of mastery, which is so intriguing!

[@pierrewhite2062]

Good stuff. Glad I found your channel.

[@NafmiSanicharvanHerwijnen]

Darn this was a great video! Well done! Loving the new graphic style and camera work as well, my compliments to your now full time art director and filmographer...;)

[@daveb1101]

One of my favourite reviews so far with super slick production... Is this what full time Elaine feels like?

[@NoPunIncluded]

It absolutely is.

[@NeverTheSame]

I've played dozens of games of Food Chain Magnate, and I can tell you that once you learn the deeper strategies, coming back from behind is absolutely possible. I've seen games where on turn 8 the winner seemed certain, and then they ended up losing all their sales and ending up third. There is a lot to this game, and people misunderstand what is meant by "no catch up mechanisms". It's not that you can't come back from behind, it's that the game doesn't hand you consolation prizes for being in last place. The Ketchup Mechanism is a facetious name that they gave to the expansion to thumb their noses at people who complained about the lack of a catchup mechanism. That's just not how Splotter do.

[@jarvomiester1]

Great video one of my favourite boardgame reviews.

[@David-ym2vk]

You will arrive at the same two conclusions hours later that you had at the ten minute mark. 1 Steven's going to win yet again. And 2, fuck Steven. Laughed out loud when I heard this because it reminds me of my experience with blood rage. The outcome was usually apparent just after halfway through the game which made the last half extremely tedious to play when someone was so obviously ahead. This made it feel like such a waste of time to go on playing for another 30-45mins just to reveal that they were indeed the winner. Ended up selling blood rage.

[@tinstargames]

Beautiful work efka

[@davidgustafsson5559]

Now this is a review! Keep up the good work!!

[@tonybowers9490]

Thanks for sharing. Very well done.

[@cdel771]

1 of your best videos thx for the work

[@mzy115]

Well like most Euro games, the formation of strategy starts, and finishes, before the start of the first round. The map layout alone would determine the viable strategies (and map layout is the only random factor in this game). The rest of the game would be to implement that strategy with reference to other players' moves. The new modular expansion adds more stuff where you can effectively disrupt others' strategies, which I think adds more fun to the game.

[@downtimegaming5655]

Great video! An obviously 'unpopular opinion' headline, but with a well thought out idea that is well articulated behind it all. More of this style of videos please!

[@sevencoloredmage8726]

This was very well written. Enjoyed watching this very much. I really like the idea to have an big "violent economy" game in my collection, but they typically have the problem of being brutal to players making mistakes early on and then being delegated to become a non-factor, but still having to sit through a really long game. And the long game length making it difficult to give everybody enough chances to play with different strategies.

[@FenrisChosen]

Very cool video. Thank you!

[@davidchervony]

Thank you for this. These are the important conversations we should be having!!!

[@notme222]

8:30 I was hanging on every word and you got me. You did. :)

[@cthulhudreams1246]

This is a great piece of critique

[@Zakmoir1]

Fantastic video. Well done

[@TheSnapshotKing]

I just bought this game! It should be arriving today. I've been playing a ton of A Feast for Odin with a friend who is obsessed with economic games, but I felt like we should crack open a new one soon : )

[@grahamgentz3580]

Hurray, thanks Efka

[@duivvv]

This was absolutely brilliant.

[@AlexTheUruguayan]

Excellent game that can't satisfy most gamers. You need to like/love cutthroat play, lots of interaction, no catch-up mechanisms, and difficult decisions from turn one. It also helps if you don't mind not having excuses baked in for a bad showing ("the dice really favored you tonight", "I just couldn't draw the right card to save my life", etc.).

[@ericbond5276]

Fast Food Franchise has a Monopoly feel to it because when you move around the board, you can land on someone elses space and vice-versa.

[@thamzhb]

Are those BGG's bits holders? I'm wondering what size they are

[@skipx5858]

brilliant. well done

[@redsands1001]

Very nice. I thought you might go somewhere like that

[@TrevorJr26]

Love the king of limbs t-shirt Efka

[@TrevorusPrime]

Efka I know you said FCM is more manageable timewise at 2 or 3 player. Is it recommendable at 2? does it lose anything important gameplay wise?

[@Hey_Fab]

Interesting essay! Not all videos have to be traditional reviews. :)

[@rat488]

your actions wont lead to a nuclear meltdown... (engineer player sweats profusely when the captain says east for the 4th time in a row)

[@MrStevenvanL]

Between this and SU&SD’s Undaunted review, it is truly a bad time to be a Steven.

[@BeingFriends]

Steven van Lijnden Do you thing Ste(ph)ens are safe?

[@MrStevenvanL]

Being Friends We had an emergency meeting about this and additional security is being considered.

[@ubiquidade]

Wonderful video!

[@ShadyNetworker]

ALSO: WHERE can i get those colored foldable trays?

[@TheShapingSickness]

I loved this video because just recently I found out about the irony in monopoly's birth.

[@chriswood3077]

Great video essay 👍

[@whatsabandicoot]

Hear hear. Archipelago is another for me that provides excellent (and fun) mechanisms, yet forces you into uncomfortable roles and situations as you help your "protagonist" exploit, plunder, abuse, and other awful things for a quick buck. It also features an ingenious way of demonstrating absolutely why it is in the best interest of the wealthiest to pay more tax. Without ever uttering the word. Truly, a work of art. And it's pretty looking too.

[@ludwigamadeushaydn706]

Whenever I see your channel name I think of No Phun Intended.

[@vzuzukin]

This is wonderful! It’s a real op-ed.

[@adamchilton5776]

Excellent video :)

[@benlauson555]

Great work NPI.... as usual.

[@joecrook3519]

This is a very very very very. VERY. good video.

[@timmowarner]

A lot of good points but I see no relation between the smooth very 1950's art style of FCM and the much scratchier, stuffier style used on Monopoly cards. To me the Monopoly cards evoke the 1890s or 1900s much more. The only thing they have in common is they happen to both be black and white ink art. I know it was just meant to point out a similarity between them, but I think it's sort of the equivalent of saying The Matrix and 2001: A Space Odyssey are similar in that they're both science fiction movies filmed in colour. It's true, but there's not a lot of meaning behind it. ETA: Actually, looks like Go To Jail may be the only survivor of the older Monopoly art style in modern copies of Monopoly. Newer ones do, indeed, have a much cleaner, 50's look, especially to Mr. Monopoly. I retract/stand by my statement depending on which version NPI had in mind. =o)

[@tinstargames]

Wait what? We played a four player game of FCM in ninety minutes

[@Bobaflott]

Nice Enemy of the State reference :)

[@toddrobinson8449]

Oh, new logo! After spending 24 hours avoiding this click bait video in my feed like the plague I suddenly realise it’s NPI. Thanks for everything you do!

[@broskiumenyiora]

I think it's worth mentioning that $500 in 1904 is about the same as $15,000 today due to inflation. For reference, the median annual income in the United States in 2016 was $31,099 according to the US Census Bureau. Also, keep in mind that leisure time was a pretty new concept in 1904, and capitalism was probably pretty popular at that time (especially among the people who would be able to afford spending money on leisure items like a board game). You could certainly argue that, in hindsight, the Landlord's game has been worth way more than what the patent sold for. But selling a prototype of a satirical leisure item for ~6 month's income was probably not that bad of a payoff at the time.

[@NoPunIncluded]

I think these are all good points, but The Landlord's Game was an absolute sensation at the time. They weren't paying her $500 on a punt, this was at least an obsession of an entire decade.

[@broskiumenyiora]

​@@NoPunIncluded Let me pause real quick to say that this is a cool video. I appreciate creating new discussions about board games, so thank you for that! I see now that I took that part of the video as a more complete view of the history than it was intended. My bad. While she created the version depicted in 1904, she sold the patent in 1935. I'm having a hard time finding the details I'm looking for regarding the history of the game (though I'm admittedly fighting a mild post-work headache lol). Did she sell copies of her own during that 20-year period? In either case, I think it's still important to acknowledge that getting $500 for a board game patent in the middle of the Great Depression is not nothing. It's slightly misleading to an audience that is accustomed to 21st century dollars, and "capitalism" (without much clarification or nuance) seems to get bashed quite a bit in board game circles.

[@DerRentner818]

brilliant

[@pixxelwizzard]

Great writing in this episode. Loved the logical development of the theme while covering the game mechanisms at the same time. There's one thing I disagree with, though. Not only is this a review, it is a fantastic one. I bought FCM during Nerdz Day this year based on its reputation alone. I'm not sure I'm going to enjoy it either, based on what I saw here, but I'm gonna give it a good ol' college try. :)

[@fokos11]

What a great video!

[@Notorietypulp]

This is the best board game video I've ever seen.

[@cartermaxwell2358]

This is the comment I came here to make. Loved it.

[@dustinnygard3076]

I loved the video and the comparison with art. So true we all don't have to like the same pieces of art

[@rantidev3489]

This review is art

[@peterdickinson4599]

Excellent.

[@ceromadera3233]

jajajajaj a you make me laugh out loud watching this video, i dont care of the review i´ll give it a like!

[@leighfoulkes7297]

Looks like you have a similar guitar to mine (Ibanez).

[@j3tsai89]

What are those colorful piece containers?

[@NoPunIncluded]

GeekUp bit bowls from the BGG store

[@stepanxol]

They're nice, but you can very easily just make them yourself with a "button gun" (don't know the real name, I just made it up) and some felt. I got a gun with 400 buttons and 40 sheets of felt on Amazon for a pittance (like 20 bucks total?). Then I found out the felt was too thin, but I just used two sheets to make dual-colored, more rigid trays! Here's some pics: [NOTE: You have to add manually before those, since youtube ate my URLs! Don't include the signs anywhere! ]

[@richgarc84]

This was my first NPI video I'd ever seen, and I kept thinking, "This dude seems really familiar..." then I realized it's Efka from the five hour long SU&SD Twilight Imperium playthrough! I became a NPI subscriber! Great video!

[@SeeJayMac]

great essay

[@peterfiser]

Deep.

[@alekshewitt]

Pennybags has never had a monocle. That's a common Mandela effect.

[@LeviathanMech]

I always thought Indonesia was also very similar to Monopoly

[@jozefzero9618]

Yes. Well played Efka. Where the heck is Elaine/Bessi3?

[@tomw4955]

though I gotta go for the matt for the Art. Like. I also thought it was meh and ugly before I got it. But damn the quality of the components really shows. Its like night and day from a game made in China. Plus the barebones Map is NEEDED. there is so much information to process any more clutter and flair would get in the way in my opinion. But the Cards and theme are incredible.

[@MattCrawley_Music]

Monopoly man NEVER had a monocle. It's a mandela effect.

[@Heldermaior]

Awesome video! Really well done. I think food chain magnate is the same kind of game as Imperium (or imperium 2030). A cynical gane that does a too good a job at representing reality.

[@Juegosmontt]

After 4 games, my conclusion, FCM is Monopoly on steroids. The feeling is the same. An old-fashioned game. When there was no other option than Monopoly, as an economic game, there was no alternative but to be a masochist and hope to be lucky next time. The same happens in FCM, but worse. You pick a bad combination of cards, and the misery is the same as in Monopoly, but now it is your direct fault. Tras 4 partidas, mi conclusión, FCM es Monopoly en esteroides. La sensación es la misma. Un juego al estilo antiguo. Cuando no había otra opción que Monopoly, como juego económico, no quedaba más alternativa que ser masoquista y esperar tener suerte la próxima vez. Lo mismo sucede en FCM, pero peor. Escoges una mala combinación de cartas, y la miseria es la misma que en Monopoly, pero ahora por tu culpa directa.

[@alwaysplaythegame]

That was the perfect mix of explaining the game while not teaching every rule/combo.

[@davidenania7386]

So they just announced the italian version of this game (finally!) and I was looking for some reviews to see if it's worth the money. And then... I just watched a video analysis on capitalism in board games. Wow, good job.

[@malexander4094]

@16:20 Remember an "afghani" is a unit of currency: a person is "Afghan" or "an Afghan." Calling Afghans afghani or afghanis can be offensive, as you might imagine.

[@NoPunIncluded]

Oh crap, I had no idea! Lesson learned.