Furnace - Is This a Hot Hot Box?

[@zosoknight]

Matt went so deep into Furnace that it sounds like this review was recorded from inside one.

[@mattlees9342]

I USED THE WRONG MICROPHONE :'(

[@DecentFarts]

@@mattlees9342 atleast you had something instead of having to redo it or dub yourself. Thanks for the video!

[@gomezthechimp1116]

I really enjoy this game, but those capitalist cards should be consigned to the bin.

[@FalkFlak]

I didn't even notice it anymore 30 sec. into the video. Just like with 3D Movies and 4K TVs ;D

[@Daktangle]

@@DecentFarts More "foreign film dubs" of SU&SD would be good though. :D

[@housecaldwell]

That opening bit was brilliant and really made the explanation of how the game works much easier to follow. Well done!

[@AutumnReel4444]

New variant on the building use order mechanic: Start with the static buildings mode, where they stick in place. Then, each round you may remove one building and place it elsewhere in the order. You get the smoothness of making decisions and saving huge mistakes, without backloading the decisions. Boom.

[@countecristo2579]

Ooh team momo fan. Interesting to see I’m not the only crossover here

[@AutumnReel4444]

@@countecristo2579 Most injured team in history baby. Hype.

[@rubesqubes1997]

There's 3 of us!

[@박찬우-q5m]

@@countecristo2579 sorry cause I'm an O'rangers fan

[@countecristo2579]

@@박찬우-q5m actually I’m a Green ducks fan. Just happy to see fellow Jelles fans here.

[@MrStevenvanL]

“Oh, fff…urnace!” is going straight into my personal lexicon.

[@vuuvovuuv]

"furnace, usually pronounced with a borat voice" and then NOT doing the voice is my favorite kind of humor. i honestly love getting led 90% of the way to the punchline and then being stranded, left alone in the wilderness with nothing but my wits to try and find the yuks

[@swimon]

That opening sketch was one of the most absurd and funny things ever !

[@tberceau70]

Played this game last weekend. It slaps. All the asymmetric powers seem broken, but if everyone is broken nobody is.

[@brianlong9100]

The Marco Polo Method

[@coolishtiger8831]

Also the Cosmic Encounter method

[@revimfadli4666]

That is, until some are more broken and/or less situational than others

[@TwoToneTrumpet]

"The Victorian industrialist's equivalent of having a job that's mostly emails" Ouch, I need some water for that burn, but brilliant joke

[@Antoine-1793]

"Sound is off" "I know, I USED THE WRONG MICROPHONE!" = Matt's next 3 weeks. Thanks for the reviews Matt & SU&SD team!

[@GamingWithShowtime]

"I will now spend the next 7-10 seconds pretending to be a magpie." [Mr. Bean Noises Intensify]

[@Cosmitzian]

Me, a studio tech, fifty seconds in: "aww, his lav battery died without him noticing and he had to use the cam's ambient". But using the wrong input can be equally easy to miss.

[@absol1975]

It's Mr. Matt Lees! Hi Mr. Matt Lees! We've missed you. I hope you're doing well =) .

[@aztecjaguar6571]

After another awesome boardgame review, the magpie wearing that Matt Lees costume, gives the Shut Up and Sit Down community a few bonus squawks on the subject of Victorian capitalist industrial engine-building. And, as „Matt Lees“ knows all too well, according to Wikipedia: „The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's smartest creatures, and is one of the few non-mammal species able to recognize itself in a mirror test.“ (For evidence of the mirror test, see the magenta-coloured-trousers-auction near the beginning).

[@Churro_Douglas]

Someone needs to invite these industrialists to the Sidereal Confluence

[@indianajon7980]

I wish Matt did more of these! I miss him. The others are great and quirky in their own way and I love you all but Matt brings just a little something unique! Also tomorrow's challenge for me now is going to be slipping "oh....Furnace!" Into a chat somehow 🤔 thanks for a great review.

[@Likely_Chindoku]

I love this guy and love his reviews. The world needs more of him. Please, let’s start a write-in campaign to get him his own weekly network series. I will bid 4 on that.

[@harmweber9848]

So...if I bid 3, what's my compensation?

[@christopherleffler4096]

"Board games! Who knew?" could be SUSD's strap line.

[@colinfinkel7587]

When Matt said that #2 joke you could tell that he just realized how childish it is. I love it.

[@jeffreykahrs6310]

that was so worth it

[@nogohoho]

I played Furnace at a friend's place before seeing this video. It's one of the most condensed engine builders and bidders I've ever played. It's something you can't just play once in an evening, because you'll be thinking about how you would do it differently next time.

[@necogreendragon]

That feeling when your magpie game isn't near what you expected.

[@NemesisEG]

The Matt(?)pie made me laugh quite merrily. Well played.

[@BoardGames3000]

Matt trying to hold it together around the dropping a number 2. Pure gold. Not sure why the algorithm pulled this video but it was worth. Btw I love game can’t wait to tare into the expansion that has been on my shelf for too long.

[@MrBongoking]

Friendship ended with worm. Sick magpie is my new best friend.

[@johncollins8511]

I love the round counter!

[@jamesodwyer4181]

This review puts the fact into factory. 10/10

[@itai4ever16]

I still watch the intro from time to time. Just brilliant

[@NazgulGamer1]

“I might win with my tidily one” “I might” the evil laughs from Matt and someone else completely knowing that you will win that card because you wanted to lose your bid. I want this game!

[@assalandererdholian1990]

Great review! A bit surprised though that Brass Birmingham didn't make it to the alternative recommendations despite its tight box?

[@bearhustler]

That game has so much in such a little, densely packed box that I have inappropriate feelings about it.

[@joelface]

I tend not to be into these deep, thinky games... but the auction phase, the limited components, and the multiple play modes (including using the asymmetrical player powers or not) actually really intrigues me. I'll put this in the "would play" category, for sure.

[@revimfadli4666]

The auction & tableau engine building reminds me of Keyflower, though that one's thinkier

[@Wylie288]

I don't think this is even a deep thinky game. The grandparents test determined this isn't about the middle of the pack of my collection and my hardest game is curious cargo.

[@vladkalinovych934]

14:10 "You get a brand new number 2 that can drop on something at your will... This is a family show" Number two'd myself a bit while laughing

[@connorjensen9699]

Why is Matt not a worm at any point in this one?

[@danhenry9108]

Because he's a magpie. Magpies are not worms.

[@Duiker36]

@@danhenry9108 Are we not what we eat.

[@revimfadli4666]

Because furnaces aren't exactly hospitable to worms

[@citizenmake]

Actually many of the rich industrialists of that era in Russia were very poor on the beginning, some of the protagonists of this game were basically slaves (in serfdom) who managed to buy their freedom, establish their manufactures, and were remembered not because of the amount of money they had, but because of their support for arts (art nouveau particularly). You can read about Savva Morozov, for example. It would be like if in the middle of the last century in the US a black man would became the 5th rich man of the country and the main supporter of American Avant Garde art.

[@StuartHetzler]

i got a furnace (actual furnace) ad before this vid. algorithm, i appreciate your'e trying, but not quite right.

[@rysonsynic]

"Five past four." It is, in fact, fifteen past four, Matt, but eerily close

[@darthd3615]

The only thing I find somewhat interesting about this game, is how it got translated from индустрия (industry) to furnace .. why?)

[@TOcheesehead]

Had to try saying Furnace in the Borat voice out loud before it completely cracked me up, thanks for that

[@michaelwindsor882]

Same. The delay between him saying the joke and me understanding it made it 10x funnier.

[@henribcosta]

Totally agree with the variant. The first game someone was winning all the auctions and spend almost 20 minutes figuring out which order to do things and it would be better to just run the line

[@DasReverend]

This feels like Sidereal Confluence with all of the weight ripped out to make it go fast

[@brianbowles4385]

You guys are crazy, the magpie bit at the end had me laughing out loud!

[@SpartanGamingPlayz]

14:11 Had me in stitches! Don't ever change Matt!

[@THESP-rz3hg]

Sick Matt Magpie- new favorite post credit character in the extended SUSD-YT-CU

[@naughtyzoot1]

Great review audio notwithstanding. Clever, funny, informative. Good stuff

[@Navinkumar42]

Fun fact: The expansion comes in a much smaller box that is nonetheless also too big. Throw away the insert and you can put both the original and expansion into this much smaller box!

[@RadishTheFool]

Thank you for your brilliant review, Matt. You really laid out all the elements that make Furnace shine, and gave a good sense of what it would be like to actually play the game. Industrial themes don't appeal to me at all, and so far the only game that swayed me to buy it anyway was Spyrium. Although to be fair the faux-fantasy luminous-green spyrium crystals helped. That game also offered a lot of interesting innovative gameplay in a relatively small package, both component-wise and time-wise. And I played it a lot. So if I end up buying a second industrial-era game, it might be this one. I'll probably sub in some nonsense flashy resources, though. You know, just to keep things interesting.

[@at-smile]

Also Matt, when are we getting cooking with Matt again??

[@judgemario]

This makes me think of Res Arcana. I really like that game, so this has my interest.

[@kevinm2832]

That was my thought . It's an industrialist Res Arcana.... Which sounds pretty great tbh.

[@IstasPumaNevada]

I want to hear Quinns' evaluation of that magpie performance.

[@carpemkarzi]

Best day ever..Matt Lee’s and a neat new review.

[@uristmcdorf2]

Glad to see you're enjoying a game I've playtested during quite a few stages of its development :D

[@MrJmarzetti]

Thanks for the great in-depth review. I have been keeping my eyes on this and really think it may be a perfect fit after hearing your explanation and thoughts. I too am a big fan of The Red Cathedral. It is a great puzzle fitted into a small package. I will definitely check out those alternate recommendations before making a,final decision. Thanks a bunch!😎

[@hedgehog3180]

Someone should make a eurogame where you play as the workers in a factory.

[@TheSludgeMan]

the shirt. it's outstanding. i took nothing away from this video except for the shirt

[@danielmarco7422]

hilarious opening skit and introduction jokes cracked me up!

[@maomao180]

Love this game to bits, sleek and streamlined board game design is a rarity these days.

[@georgewsinnott]

Great to have Matt back on the reviews! The Goblin has still got it!

[@recklessroges]

It can't be better because it is already perfect. Thanks Matt.

[@paulmcleod2547]

Absolutely great review Matt. You made me genuinely interested in a game that I would have otherwise overlooked great job

[@MattzuFF]

Matt's reviews have been so good lately. I bought Red Cathedral on the spot based on his review and we all love it, gets frequently to the table. So while I am ambivalent towards this theme I am going to have to check out Furnace.

[@suzannebrownbill9232]

If Matt wants Furnace in a smaller box he should check out the BGG video where W. Eric Martin cuts his Furnace box down to size.

[@knolchi]

I'm still traumatized...

[@JonTripp115]

0:59 Me watching this at five past four, but five time zones later: 😲

[@reggierooster3676]

The best background extras 🤣

[@dawarmage]

Thanks for the recommendation! Just tried this for the first time and it was an absolute winner. =D

[@GuiltyDragon]

Matt is so good.

[@Sputnik34]

Starting at 12k euros? What a steal

[@gavinpearson74]

Emergent complexity, light rules and (most importantly length) looks perfect for me - but how well does it play for two players?

[@revimfadli4666]

Looks like a more accessible & intuitive(yet still crunchy) Keyflower, interesting

[@VincentVonDudler]

17:20 - He's effectively a magpie.

[@searose6192]

Nice to see Matt. Hope all is well with you! Stay healthy.

[@TheHumanTarget84]

Do Europeans sit around at work daydreaming of being a tin magnate or a wool baron? It's the only thing that would explain the themes of some of these games.

[@mikemckenzie1397]

Simply incredible.

[@catherinetaylor556]

Tattooed onto my forehead 😂 Me too.

[@JeffGoris]

I've never seen a game with keys from a keyboard used as a resource before.

[@BoardAllTheTime]

How does this compare with Sidereal Confluence? Worth owning both for the two different player counts?

[@Webhead123]

Furnace was my definition of "cleverly, expertly average". It was a game. We played it. Things happened. Somebody won. Everything else is a bit foggy. What I can appreciate is that it felt like a game that had a unique enough gimmick to distinguish itself and it played quickly enough not to overstay its welcome. The question is: did it offer anything memorable or worth revisiting? My answer: not really. So, the game was quite fine and yet in no way particularly exceptional. So...Furnance is a well-conceived and slightly novel "average". Take that opinion with a grain of salt, however, as I can easily count on one or two fingers the number of economic, engine-building, resource-management euro games that I've ever enjoyed. Most of them feel far more like "work" than "play" and that's not what I want from a board game. At least Furnace avoids the level of fiddly-ness and monotony of most similar games by being so brisk and so fiercely-competitive. Glowing praise, I know.

[@hatimzeineddine8723]

The bad mic adds a je ne sais quoi to the magpie impression

[@GregHarries]

When will we get the sleeping-bagworm/magpie crossover we so vocally demand?

[@asdfasowij]

Wow, I didn't click this review just to have you decry my life's work in professional emailing

[@TomHawes]

Great face

[@memunns]

Love the video Matt But... you gotta do something about that reverb/echo. Put a mic close to your mouth and turn down the gain. Having a mic in the shot isn't a bad thing.

[@MrPerkinWarbeck]

Its really wonderful to see Matt back on a video review- it's been far too long!

[@juliaklokova4299]

Thank you for this amazing review! ❤️

[@wm1pyro604]

For once I preemptively beat the SUSD effect of the game instantly selling out.

[@santeeblack3580]

I bought this fer me chums, figured the gal would hate it.. she freakin loves it , and I can't beat her at it .. this and patchwork are the only things I can't beat her at ..

[@edwardzdankiewicz9068]

Meanest game ever. I'm not sure I'm ready for a game where all my opponents are dropping extra number twos on me.

[@kjerins]

Only one opponent gets to do that.

[@Jonas-yp4sz]

That's a great game. Only played it once so far but really enjoyed it. Even my girlfriend did who isn't really into board games apart from classics like scrabble.

[@arthursimsa9005]

Loved it. Much more than Res Arcana or It’s à wonderful world.

[@mythicdale8757]

"I really thought this would be better" - An ode to life!

[@andrewbellavie795]

If you like Furnace you're going to love Ora et Labora

[@gelui13]

This game falls for me into the same category of red cathedral. A sweet unexpensive thinky game

[@at-smile]

Oh _dear_ this sounds intensely cruel and interactive for a auction game.

[@TheTomAbz]

Mat lees only reviews games that make it appropriate for you to wear top hats

[@harmweber9848]

If it makes you feel better, the weird noises you make at the end of the video made my dogs bark.

[@Cosmitzian]

I TOTALLY LIKE THIS NEW GUY! YOU SHOULD HIRE HIM! /s

[@CGhee135]

Who makes the table you guys use?

[@muskyoxes]

I'll mainly use the game to practice Tower of Hanoi

[@Hippohydra]

Appreciate the bird content! Magpies rock!

[@MrSomebunny]

I’ve been considering getting sidereal confluence for a few weeks now and this game has quite a few similarities. Which should I get?

[@freierfieserfriese]

I played both. They are to very different games! SC has so much talking with your friends and trading. In furnace the interaction is only during the bidding, you do not trade resources. You should perhaps watch (again) videos for both games. I like both, but they are so different I could not recommended one w/o knowing what you are looking for. Except player count. SC starts (!) at 4 players. Furnace "stops" there.

[@MrSomebunny]

@@freierfieserfriese great opinion, thanks! I know I’ll wind up buying both because I love this mechanic so much. I was wondering if this would be fun more as a competitive mechanic or a (somewhat) cooperative mechanic as SC is. You’re right though, they definitely aren’t too comparable.

[@mingustavmaltezer4961]

what was that intro i have so many questions

[@meenki347]

Your face gets nutty when you're passionate, like that Scandinavian girl. Take a break from the games. Oh yeah, I haven't seen you for awhile. Great to see an old friend. We're still alive!

[@pretsal4955]

magnets are pretty cool

[@marceloaam]

Great as usual.

[@benji-menji]

The video has only been out for 2 minutes. How do you know its great?

[@alecgalbraith5604]

@@benji-menji he’s from the future

[@doubelgomez]

don't know if its just the hair or what but Matt just looks younger to me? don't know if that makes any sense. hair is good.