Machi Koro 2 Review - with Tom Vasel

[@sir_tomtom]

You could just remove the red cards (when they appear), if you want a friendlier game. Also I played Machi Koro 1 with the same rules to always have a row of cards from 1 to 6 and one goes from 7 to 12 to choose from. It's even mentioned in the German expansion rules. But the new start, pick your starting cards and pay them, is a nice new touch but could also be applied to the old game. It's still an awesome beginner game, but I have sold it a long time ago and replaced it with space base

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

I sold Machi Koro in the past and since fell in love with Space Base. But Machi Koro is a better welcoming game and faster and has its own niche in this space imo, so I’m excited to pick this new improved version.

[@WanderingKumquat]

i'm super excitied for this to come out in my FLGS

[@Dreadpirate404]

Psst new to the hobby: what is FLGS?

[@centuryspicysalsa]

It stands for Friendly Local Game Store. And I really hope yours isn't just a LGS: Local Game Store... Because that implies it is not friendly! xD.

[@WanderingKumquat]

@@Dreadpirate404 welcome to the hobby!

[@NerfThisBoardGames]

Makes sense to me I really hated those first 2-3 rounds in the original And if you didn't have a group that played the 6-12 cards, they game might never go past those 6 cards. I like it, and will look forward to upgrading my copy

[@davidsaldarriaga3926]

I solved this a little by doubling the price to flip of all the renovations, it slowed down the game a little

[@aginor2284]

This doesn’t look that much different than Bright lights big city which does the random shop thing. The monument change is new but could have been an expansion

[@gabtrat9091]

I've been waiting on this review to decide between this or Valeria Card Kingdoms...Space Base was too easy to mess up to work as a family game for me and I didn't love the art. With expansions VCK wins, but this looks like a good cheaper alternative.

[@noreviewplaythrough4051]

I think it comes down to “theme” I have Valeria because I like the fantasy art. Building a city does interest me at all. The expansions for Valeria are great additions but not needed. Hope this helps.

[@gabtrat9091]

@@noreviewplaythrough4051 Most reviews of VCK, including Tom's, mention the glut of resources you are getting by the end of the game as a slight negative. I feel like Agents and some harder monster expansions are needed to fix that, and it sounds like the Events add some neat variety.

[@yellolao]

Even if you chose VCK, could you even buy it? I think it's been long out of print.

[@gabtrat9091]

​@@yellolao hopefully soon! I know Daily Magic Games is waiting on a shipment to fulfill the Darkswarm kickstarter

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

@@gabtrat9091 this. I used to own VCK and the resource issue is why I got rid of it. Machi Koro is better and with this new version, there is no question. Get Machi Koro 2.

[@Avenrise]

I'm really confused as to how I feel about this. It is Machi Koro but better, I think most of us can all agree. But surely then that's a big middle finger up to those that bought the original? I could understand if there were sweeping changes but as Tom said it's essentially 1.5 (someone below said 1.1 even). Why wasn't an upgrade set considered or a discount for those that have the original? I like Machi Koro and I'm sure I'll like this more. But do I want to reward this business practice?

[@VREdward]

I mean Machi Koro 1 came out 10 years ago

[@Avenrise]

@@VREdward If they remade movies every 10 years would you happily go and buy a ticket?

[@VREdward]

@@Avenrise ​ People do this all the time! At $20-30 it is almost exactly the same price as the current expansions anyway

[@ccggenius]

There are pre-order promos, so if you're interested in the game, talk with your FLGS.

[@frankdetank9126]

Thanks for letting us know!

[@joukenienhuis6888]

Indeed playing with 2 players is not that exciting. The 2 dice is indeed a nice addition. In tge original it always frustrated me to get to two dice

[@clarenceneal2622]

I reckon I’ll keep MK1 and just use the new set up rules instead of buying the new one.

[@truthteller8336]

6:30 What is this, a reference for ants? The font needs to be at least... three times bigger than this!

[@TheDeckShow]

I found this game in a second hand store for $7 and it was unopened.

[@JustinNichols66]

Good review and nice box juggling at the start Rodney Smith. ;) Thanks for the Space Base recommendation. Finally taught and played a match w friends (some beginners). Couple minor hiccups explaining charge cubes and timing effects but we had a great time. Even tho I prefer Space Base, def see the broad family appeal of Machi Koro 2 based on the simplicity and theme.

[@AkmalGameAtion]

So much better than the first one I would get it if you liked the first one. If not I would suggest space base or bad company

[@bakso1]

I just got this game yesterday and have been playing it with my kids 7 and 6 (I know it’s recommended 10+) and we’re loving it. Never played macho Koro 1 before. And can’t wait to play it again.

[@pathetlao]

Great job as always Tom ✌️, cheers for the review

[@gamesnstuff657]

I just hated the red cards in Machi Koro 1, and it looks like the sequel will have the same problem. The red cards felt like an Arms Race mixed with a chore. You had to buy them otherwise your opponents would just steal all of your money because the odds on rolling those numbers were quite good. So then everyone had red cards and you just passed money along. They felt asinine. They gave the illusion of player interaction, but didn't really add much to the game.

[@joukenienhuis6888]

It was even better if you played it with 2 players and managed both to get a red card😂. Then the cards gets useless

[@batch82]

Machi Koro 2 or Machi Koro Legacy?

[@raidjelloplays8259]

I own all of the original Machi Koro, don't think I like how landmarks changed, think I'll just pass on this one.

[@non-alphagamer3618]

I don't know. I still like the first one better, and I'm not really that much of a fan of the first.

[@Xarou]

I'm wondering if I could just get two different colored sleeves and just sleeve the 1-6 in one color and the 7-12 in the other. That way it could easily be separated like it is in this one. You could also play the start with 5 coins and do the pre-buy. I might add a snake draft element to it. It seems more fair that way. The only difference would be the landmarks wouldn't be different prices.

[@benjaminspears8488]

Nice shoutout to Paula with that Dick Tracy figure on the shelf!

[@nicklarson3962]

This game gets played the most at my house.

[@XRay44]

Is this basically Machi Koro: Bright Lights Big City, just re-named and maybe re-tooled a bit?

[@bradconklin3415]

I actually preferred bright lights tbh. The games in MK2 are really short since you only need 3 landmarks to win, and most landmarks help *everyone* not just the buyer. Only bad thing about bright lights was how OP a couple of the cards were (namely moon tower)

[@ConsummateGamer]

Peaches & “Creams”?

[@Skarpo89]

Such an improvement

[@vindachio1]

I had hope that verson 2 would be better but Valaria card kingdom is way better.

[@AhJong0]

Space Base devoured Machi Koro 1, though the cube charging + rulebook stopped it from being a true top 10. Based on the improvements this made on MK1, makes me very excited for Space Base 2... 😁

[@dimabesk]

Should we be waiting for Tom Vasel 1.5 one day? :-))

[@ESCTom]

i think 1.5 might be a bit generous. It looks like a 1.1. New landmarks, a new starting rule, seems like a mini expansion to MK1.

[@CoreyMarinoGames]

Looks inferior to the original. Been using the same setup since Millionaire's Row (5 cards that use 1 die, 5 using 2 dice and 2 major establishments). Landmarks look ok, not great. I don't like how you can roll double whenever you want.

[@cassandracastro2759]

To me, this doesn't seem to correct the mistakes from fisrt machi koro, so I'll stick with Space Base for now.

[@ktrazz]

Cool. I'll stick with Space Base.

[@SquaredbyX]

2 minutes ago!... 1st comment

[@RPDekka]

This could have easily been an upgrade pack for Machi Koro. Blatant cash grab.

[@tempestfury8324]

I don't see it as a "blatant cash grab" at all, and here's why; Machi Koro was released in 2012, sold more than 1M units, and had a couple expansions over the years. That's a drop in the bucket to say X-wing Miniatures. Oh, that's a "blatant cash grab" for ya! Although FFG offered conversion kits for X-wing 2.0 to the first edition, it was obvious they wanted to peddle more wares of their precious IP license. GW had done this for decades with Warhammer 40k. What about the endless "new editions" of Dungeons and Dragons??? The sales of those games far exceed anything Machi Koro could possibly achieve. It's like saying the remake of Kingsburg was a cash grab. Not even close.

[@vorebiz]

I try not to be snobby with board games, but I make an exception here. Machi Koro belongs on the shelves with the Hasbro stuff. It's not a proper hobbyist's game, it's just pretending to be one. There I said it.

[@nicklarson3962]

Agreed, but the Hasbro stuff gets played the most at my house.