Maracaibo | Rahdo's Final Thoughts

[@alexxpfister]

Thank you soo much. That’s such a big motivation for me.

[@rahdo]

well i mean every word of it. i know not everyone appreciates what you're doing with narrative intertwined with gameplay, but i think it's fantastic and you're pushing the whole industry forward! plus, the game is pretty swell too :)

[@alexxpfister]

But you know what, you are pushing the industry forward as well. Getting good feedback like yours, tells me I’m on the right way. Indeed implementing a story in a eurogame isn’t easy. I tried different methods and I’m very happy with Maracaibos way to do it: Maracaibo is ok for people not enjoying a story - and there are many out there. But it’s a big add-on for those, loving it. It changes the setting and is more than just flavortext. But it doesn’t lengthen the game too much.

[@ukaszGawryluk]

I have to say it, I'm a huge fan of Your games! I'm in love in Great Western Trail and always I'm waiting on Your new games :)

[@alexsandercp]

@@alexxpfister keep doing what you do. I love your games, maracaibo included. A Great Western Trail campain would be amazing! Thanks for all!

[@Nain1982]

@@alexxpfister please continue through this path, Mr Pfister! My Expedition to Newsdale will have room for more chapters :)

[@MeepleMentor]

Great Western Trail is my favorite game, so saying it's his best game is quite a statement to me!!

[@69robtaylor]

Meeple Mentor GWT is in my top 10. This one could be higher. Possibly my favourite game of the year.

[@nchlsrdmr]

For me this doesn't even come close to GWT. Blackout and GWT are amazing, this is just average imo

[@alexsandercp]

GWT still my all time favorite, but Maracaibo is running for a top 5 space.

[@reneebaziuk5976]

Same! GWT, my only rank 10 game on BGG, despite my frequent losses and indifference to western themes. I can't wait to try this one out.

[@Cleansweep38]

This video gave me an interest in solo play and the story elements! Thanks!

[@RandomPerson-nd2ey]

0:05 "Let's not mix words. This is Alexander Pfister's best game to date." Well, I'm sold.

[@losfp]

Tried this a couple of weeks ago at an Essen games con in Sydney. Loved it for sure. I don't think it quite reaches GWT for me personally, but it's very very very good, and I think might settle in as my second favourite Pfister. I think it hits the mark much better than Blackout for example (I like that one too, but I didn't love some of the art choices and it felt slightly fiddly to me). Pretty much anything that AP brings out right now is an instabuy for me. I love pretty much all of his stuff.

[@vaeleksk8252]

I am very close to your take on this. GWT is my favorite game.

[@BlackerBeast]

Hey! I currently live in Maracaibo!

[@brandbryson3616]

Thanks Rahdo! Saw your rating for this before the video posted and scoured the net for a copy of my own. New game for the holidays is on the way!

[@NiMa-1629]

Thanks for the review. I will definitely buy this one when it gets available in my country

[@Teremei]

I love this game because it has a solo mode built in, I really wish Great Western Trail did!

[@69robtaylor]

Knew you’d love this one pal. Possibly my favourite game of 2019

[@pmduguay]

I agree Richard! Awesome game and might surpass Mombasa for me, which was in my top20 of all time. Can't wait to dive in the campaign!!

[@axelmurcielago8579]

Richard which one do you prefer and why? Cooper Island or Maracaibo? I can't decide yet, but I really like Alexander's style!

[@rahdo]

maracaibo was my #1 game of the year and cooper was #11. both fantastic games, but maracaibo is a little lighter and faster, plus i love the optional narrative campagin woven throughout

[@axelmurcielago8579]

@@rahdo thanks! Next thing I'm watching both of your play through vids and then I'll have a winner.

[@Grimscribe732]

Like the Yang gear.

[@whothennow24]

Yet another person who doesn't want a woman president. Sexist.

[@rahdo]

i voted for Hillary in the '16 primaries and the '08 as well :)

[@HookAndTrigger]

@@rahdo ew

[@J-Wheeler-G]

All that being said, wich one would you say it's better just for 2p this or GWT?

[@rahdo]

oh, this, definitely. player interaction is a bigger part of GWT, so with fewer players, GWT is a bit weaker (though its still great at 2, don't get me wrong). but this doesn't compromise anything for lower player count

[@J-Wheeler-G]

@@rahdo that is great to know, thank you very much. I play with my wife the most so I am always looking for games that play great with 2 therefore I really on you because I know that is you and your wife's specialty.

[@sawyer5110]

You’re my new favorite board game KZbin channel :) #YANGGANG

[@rahdo]

not left not right forward! :)

[@captainron7120]

Yang 2020! So cool to discover you're a member of the Yang Gang

[@zhetarho]

So I have a question with a bit of context. Let me start by saying I really appreciate your content. Not only do you give great insight into the flow of a game, but you are also one of few reviewers who really has a 2 player point of view, which is what most of my games will be played with. So at a certain point I thought I'd found a little game I would probably enjoy and you were really excited for called 'Copycat' (Andermans Veren in Dutch). If I remember correctly the words you used were 'fast and smooth'. When we played it two times I realised you and I have very different definitions of those words :P My brother in law and I both felt the third phase where you put out all the workers took way too long especially when you got to the point where you got lots of them and it really overstayed it's welcome. Our first game took around 4 hours. The second game was definitely shorter, but still a good 2-2,5 hours, which was too long for us to keep us interested. Granted, the theme did not really capture us as much as we'd hoped as well, so that was also a factor. Why am I telling you all this? Because since then we have always been afraid to pick up another bigger/more complex euro type game because we're afraid it will suffer from that same problem. I am really curious for Maracaibo though, because it looks really awesome and I love the idea of the light story element to keep you interested between plays. However, when I see how long it takes to set up, get started and get to play, I'm worried our first couple plays will also take way too long. I realise they are very different games, but I'm a little scared we will be spending a lot of time in the rulebook the first couple plays and it taking up much more time than we generally have to play games. Given that you are the only one I know to have actively played both games, do you think we would run that risk again with Maracaibo?

[@rahdo]

well the main thing i'd suggest is don't rely on my for one data point! i'd recommend telling this same story at boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/276025/maracaibo/forums/0 and get feedback from other fans of the game. also, sorry to say copycat didn't work for you... i can't imagine that game taking 4 hours! ouch :( there's no doubt that maracaibo is a significantly heavier and more complex game than copycat. the setup takes longer (though i never mind long setup time myself... i enjoy putting all the right things in the right places and sorting everything out), and the decision space is much heavier. it's a fast paced game considering how crunchy it is, but i can only assume that the issues you faced in copycat might be compounded here. but again, double check with folks on the forum!

[@zhetarho]

@@rahdo Wow, thanks for that lightning response! Don't worry, you were definitely not the sole contributor to my buying that game. ;) I do think we have grown a bit as gamers since that experience where a game like for example Coloma we do really enjoy. That game has quite a bit of set-up time as well, so I don't think that's a particularly big issue, though I imagine the average playtime of that game is a bit shorter than Maracaibo. However, if you only have 3-ish hours for a game night to play games (because jobs, kids, etc.) big games like this always have that sort of risk, which is not that big a deal when you get them cheap (like I did with Copycat) but when it's 70 € that's a bit more of an investment. I suppose we don't mind a game taking all evening if the theme captures us a bit more (like it does in Coloma) and there's a feeling of accomplishment at the end. I'll definitely think about posting on BGG to get some more input but this has already been helpful. I incidentally managed to get Blackout: Hong Kong pretty cheap today so when you said in the video they are comparable in weight I suppose I'll be able to find out if we can handle it after giving that one a spin. Thanks again for the response and the great content as well!

[@myoman1977]

Rhado's appreciation of theme is inversely proportional to the actual theme of the game

[@davidvelazquez677]

Rahdo is be interested to hear your thoughts on the rondel mechanism in this game vs the one in Merchants of the Dark road. Which do you find more interesting? Which do you find more interesting at 2 players??

[@rahdo]

oh that's interesting! hmm. both games suffer a bit at 2p, but dark road moreso (fewer opportunities for big caravans with multiple players), while maracaibo at 2p misses out on some player collusion trying to promote the same countries at the expense of others. i'd say maracaibo on the whole is the better 2p game. re: rondels, they're both very cool reinventions of the core idea, so i'd call that a tie.

[@ChrischoBoardgaming]

It does look a bit like players not sitting on your position might be at a slight disadvantage for having to take more closer looks at the various and sundry game pieces with important information on them. Well, not every game can be as 360-degree-playable as "Carpe Diem", for instance.

[@enriquevarea5730]

Great video Radho, which game would you prefer for 1-2 players Maracaibo or Praga Caput Regni Thank you :-)

[@rahdo]

i'd probably go with maracaibo and my wife would choose praga i think

[@NeilY1000]

great video .... Looks like a fun game! An escape from reality (not a history lesson)

[@shatnershairpiece]

Okay, time for some much needed balance to this ridiculous, one sided rave. 1) set up is excruciating. Worst I have ever seen. 50 tiny cubes on two boards, then 33 bigger cubes, shuffling stacks of tiles, shuffling and sorting cards alone takes 15 minutes. Might as well call the game ‘sadism’. Set up alone almost an hour on first game. 2) too many cards doing the same general thing, too much luck with card draws. Had three games already swing wildly based on luck of draw. 3) rule book needs work. So many things we had to learn from faq and forums, slowing first game down even more. 4) explorer track feels tacked on and is not the way to win. 5) garish, overstuffed board with questionable design choices. 6) this game would make a much better app. 7) zero player interaction. 8) if you enjoy lean and mean euros like Troyes, which we just played before this, the contrast is so high it’s dizzying. Troyes has meaningful interaction, fast set up, limited cards (9 in entire game!!!!) that actually matter. It’s everything this game isn’t, which is a classic that will stand the test of time. It’s sad to see how far board gaming has digressed into meaningless bloat and multi player solitaire.

[@rahdo]

i will agree that setting up the deck of cards is a PITA. as to the rest, i must disagree! :)

[@Noise-Maker]

Different from Great Western Trail? Like racing past my wife to buy the last two cheap Cowboys only to earn myself a terrible nights sleep on the couch kind of different? :)

[@rahdo]

i could see that happening after racing past your wife to complete the quest that she burned 2 doubloons to set herself up to complete :)

[@ChrisSmithSmooth]

Only played it once, but I really did not feel like Maracaibo was even close to Pfisters best game. Prefer Mombasa & Great Western Trail for sure. Maybe about on par with Blackout: Hong Kong, but that's a couple steps down from those others for me.

[@treyalsup]

Let's see if people are still playing this in two years. Sorry if I missed it. Did you play this with 4? With 2 some of the frustrations of this game might be much lower. I really wanted to like this game, but it was just too much going on that didn't come together. I had very little knowledge or understanding of what others were doing and how I could affect them. Low on the meaningful interaction scale. All the little "races" of Great Western Trail just seemed more signifigant and engaging. Lot's of good game here but I suspect it won't stick.

[@rahdo]

i've played it solo, 2p and 3p. haven't tried 4p, but i can say i was very aware of what my opponents were up to in 3p. several times i said "i need to know what you're going to do next... TELL ME!" (either because i wasn't sure if i should rush to complete a quest i could finish, or if they were going to cross an explore line before me) :)

[@nchlsrdmr]

Totally agree with you unfortunately :/ wanted to love this sooo much

[@adamgordon7648]

I just like it based on Sid Meier's Pirates! I played the heck out of that game and this board just sucks me in. Does anyone remember the map that came with the original game?

[@danieltaom]

Me too and I do :)

[@2532robh1]

Has anyone in the US received from Capstone? I can't get any answers from them on shipping this and Cooper Island.

[@alexxpfister]

I read that they were in the convention, but they are back now. So you should be receiving it soon.

[@2532robh1]

Alexander Pfister Thanks Alexander! I can’t wait to play!

[@benfoster6715]

I pre-ordered when it became available on Capstone site and I got it a week or two ago in Massachusetts.

[@2532robh1]

@@benfoster6715 Thanks, I think the difference for me is it is also waiting for Cooper Island to ship in same order. Glad you got it!

[@chrisseibert7810]

Nice shirt!

[@rahdo]

#yanggang :)

[@harmweber9848]

@@rahdo Are you thinking harder?

[@rahdo]

@@harmweber9848 not left, not right, but forward :)

[@onlyfoolsdontfear]

Thanks for great reviews. What would you recommend for having just one eurogame: Maracaibo, Teotihuacan, Brass:B, Odin? Scaling good both 1/2 and 4/5, nice design and quality.. Thanks :)

[@rahdo]

hmm, i wouldn't go for odin or teotihuacan without the expansions. so just base game, it comes down to maracaibo & brass, and of the two, i HUGELY prefer maracaibo, but that's in large part because it takes 30% less time to play :)

[@onlyfoolsdontfear]

Thank you for you feedback! We play Burgees and Odin at my friends. I tried my La Granja, but it's so boring, so it's going to be a pass.. I've heard Maracaibo is awesome at solo mode as well.. Would you chose Maracaibo again over HansaT, Concordia or Coimbra? It's hard to choose just one euro without playing them all ;/

[@tabestorm5339]

I might just buy this because my sister's boyfriend doesn't like the theme of Great western trail and therefore doesn't want to play it :D

[@whothennow24]

"Writing stories on cave walls." Not sure that's what was going on on those cave walls. :-P

[@christianthatcher4108]

From what ive seen most reviews rate this considerably lower than GWT.

[@rahdo]

GWT is my #114. Maracaibo is my #17 :)

[@tlleitner]

Can you back up that statement with some facts? Let me start with a couple. GWT and Maracaibo have exactly the same 8.3 rating on BGG. Take that data point for what you will. Also, there is only one written review for Maracaibo on BGG and the reviewer seems to prefer Maracaibo over GWT. I did not look at the GWT page, so maybe there are other comparative reviews there. Also, as Mr. Ham has pointed out, he prefers Maracaibo to GWT in his review. Finally, the people I have played both with strongly prefer Maracaibo to GWT.

[@JonGetsGames]

For what it’s worth, Maracaibo is my favorite Pfister game and it handily beats GWT for me.

[@RandomPerson-nd2ey]

@@tlleitner Umm, because it's an opinion? I'm not trying to argue but the fact is that he prefers one over the other.

[@dddmmm21]

Great game but it is bloated. I think it is his rules heaviest game. Would be happy if 15% would be shaved off... and it is long (but all his games are).

[@rahdo]

not long at all, if you're actually racing :)

[@dddmmm21]

@@rahdo My 2p game took just under 3hrs (just game)... granted, first time playing, a couple of rules checks in the middle, but it was long... PERHAPS, this is a game which the 2p could take longer than a 3-4p game since in a 3-4p game there is higher chance someone will race to end, while in a 2p game there could be that tacit understanding no one is rushing...

[@rahdo]

@@dddmmm21 my last 2p game with jen took 70 minutes. but that's because we're both only doing on average about 3 or 4 turns per round, or 12-15 turns over the whole game, because the race is everything. if you and i are playing and i'm rushing and you're not, you will lose, all but guaranteed :)

[@dddmmm21]

@@rahdo Again, I just dont see that. It can certainly become a race, but it may not. In my games, the person who rushed and got the end of the line bonuses lost. Even if someone rushes to the end, the number of actions per player is the same, so the quality of the action matters more than getting those bonuses. So yes, obviously the length of the game will be determined by one player forcing the end of the round earlier. But I dont see how that is always the best strategy meaning all players will always seek to do that. It seems there will be short games and there will be long games... and my games were long.

[@rahdo]

​@@dddmmm21 i agree, most players will have roughly the same number of turns, regardless of how fast the game is played. but if i'm rushing and you're not, i'm implicitly able to cherry pick from all the action spaces on the board, where you're only limited to a subset, and that's a huge advantage IMO. plus, village spaces become 2-3x more powerful if you're racing, which is another huge advantage :)

[@vladycavret2886]

Mombasa still stay the best because more interaction.

[@danpalmer7676]

As soon as i saw the board i knew i would like it....I see some on here trying to turn the game into a history lesson...get a life or a job,its a game.

[@JJ_TheGreat]

dan palmer If you want history in your geographic game, late back Europa Universalis: The Price Of Power!

[@brianmyers13]

I'm really starting to get the feeling you like every euro. It's really getting old after three years.

[@rahdo]

i'm afraid i'll have to disagree, as faq.rahdo.com #7 spells out :)

[@pedro_navarro]

This is another points salad.

[@rahdo]

salads are generally good for you :)

[@Juegosmontt]

Hiperbolismo continuo hace perder credibilidad. Continuous hyperbolism causes credibility to be lost

[@rahdo]

i don't know how to say "check faq.rahdo.com #7" in spanish, but the sentiment still stands :)

[@williamgarcia-medina9989]

Caribbean theme with no racial diversity. Like...we’re talking about the Caribbean. The Caribbean. Hard pass for me.

[@danieltaom]

Unfortunately the vast majority of minority people in that time and place were enslaved so having a minority be a card character as a slave would be much worse. I don't really see a way to include minorities, which is too bad.