Nemesis: In space, no-one can hear you scheme (SU&SD Review)

[@DragonMagi]

My first game of Nemesis ended with me getting my head bitten off by an alien as I desperately wheeled my way towards the escape pods. The alien that killed me went after the pilot next, who was waiting for me in the pod room. She unloaded her shotgun into it, threw a grenade at dangerously close range, executed an emergency course correction to make the ship jerk violently to throw off an attack from the alien, then finally beat it to death before getting into the pod one turn before the self destruct went off.

[@kevinwilliams5427]

This... sounds epic

[@niallreid7664]

That's some Ripley shit right there. Badass.

[@TDelBos]

@@kevinwilliams5427 I have played Nemesis twice, each time has had absolutely epic moments like this. It is an amazing game that really has you invested.

[@matthewthomson6466]

Same - our group made the mistake of not reading the rule that says you can’t have an objective that you *yourself* die, and I drew a card that said that *I* needed to make sure that I wouldn’t survive. So when we were all about to run to the escape pods after I’d course-corrected, and all 3 of us were in a room with the alien queen, I told the others to run for it, and they sealed the doors and made it off-ship okay. But - I had found a spare magazine for my rifle the turn before, slammed that fucker home, and mag-dumped a truly absurd number of hits and crits into the Queen. I ate a hit, swapped to the flamethrower, and roasted her alive, as the whole table cheered - I must’ve rolled 3 crits in a row, it was insane. And finally, I limped back to cryo-sleep, and laid down for the long trip back to earth. I’ve never been happier to lose a game ♥️

[@gpeeps9132]

Got my wife and almost 70-year old mother-in-law to play Nemesis last night. So much fun! I tried to go all Ripley and ended up dying like 5 rounds in. They made it another 3 or 4 until ship ultimately went up in flames. Best of all - they want to play again. Tonight! Thanks for the review fellas!

[@zk8445]

"There's two seats in the escape pod!" "I like to keep my feet up."

[@furretthefuzzynoodle3896]

Z K and ya know my bag is on the other chair and uh I don’t want to move it so......

[@PresterJohn19662]

Mr Burns, Classic.

[@Mythricia1988]

Not that either of you will read this comment, but god damn guys this review in particular was *magical* in atmosphere. I mean - I'm not sure if that's even the point, the point of the review is to, review the board game, but... The oppressing, gnawing, uncomfortable ambiance and the fantastic shots, subtle zooms and pans, dim lighting, it all just made for a big impression. Very impressive. Literally.

[@DieJG]

Sounds like a game for Halloween for me. And for when i want to play with friends that are more science fiction lovers and cynical people.

[@blaflargasnogger7045]

Tom has really grown into a natural part of the show, and I love the vibe he brings. I’m so pleased he’s part of the regular reviewing crew now.

[@jameswat2590]

lets get him into playing Netrunner... oh wait!

[@eduardoserpa1682]

@@jameswat2590 Heh.

[@SH3Bstanko6]

“I didn’t know Disney owned the rights to Alien?” Matt: “of course they do... it’s a film!” Hahaha!!!! They own everything!!!

[@jasongardner9279]

Hahahaha....

[@TheShadesOfBlack]

heh heh...

[@Astral134]

they also now own Predator, Avatar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, X-Files...uh, Home Alone....and here's the scary one...Family Guy. Family Guy is now Disney. Let that sink in.

[@d.hunterphillips74]

that makes ripley a disney princess!

[@TheShadesOfBlack]

D. Hunter Phillips Ripleys not a princess is she? But that means the Alien... which was born from a Queen... totally is a Disney Princess

[@jamesdavid7782]

"Rolling for noise" isn't a player making noise as they move about, it's the noise THEY HEAR when they move about. This is why you don't roll for noise when moving into a space already occupied by another player - The noise has already been heard, no new noise to hear. This seems to be the most common theme mix-up in Nemesis reviews.

[@vojtasjedyny]

Yup. It's clearly expained in rulebook.

[@BaneWilliams]

@@vojtasjedyny If it were clearly explained then it wouldn't be that common a mix up in Nemesis reviews, would it?

[@Ericshadowblade]

@@BaneWilliams people mix up clear rules all the time

[@lonelongboarder27]

I thought the game was already hard enough... then I realized even with "quiet movement" you still add a noise token into the hallway you just moved through after like my 5th playthrough.

[@jamesdavid7782]

@@lonelongboarder27 Careful movement lets you put a noise marker wherever you choose. This game likes to be vicious, so no easy way to skip filling up the board with those little yellow tokens of doom.

[@Newt211]

He hit it on the head when he said that a bit of the fun is determined by how willing you are to die in the service of telling a great story..... That is what it felt like to us. The story it told was so cinematic... it was EPIC! It was like watching a brand new Aliens movie where you got to be characters.... it was incredible. I wish they fixed the noise mechanic a bit... but otherwise it is great.

[@dsweet5273]

"As soon as you stop caring about whether or not you live or die everything just becomes much more fun!" -Matt 2020

[@MrStevenvanL]

There was another cheerfully fatalist quote in there as well, but I forget. Should we be worried?

[@chrislonghurst7249]

"Can't really recommend it. Can't stop recommending it. Love it. It's a mess." That resonates with so much of life.

[@tickbox_]

Quick thing: been playing this game with the same group for the last few months, and one of the people in the group has just never gotten into its possible traitor mechanic. He doesn’t see the point, and would rather it wasn’t there. So slightly reluctantly we tried the fully cooperative mode the game has a section for in the rules, expecting it to feel like all the bite had been taken out of the experience. Gotta say, pleasantly surprised. While I don’t want to play the game this way every time, the fact that it uses a different objectives deck and you only win if EVERYBODYS objective has been completed by the end of the game creates a COMPLETELY different but extremely fun experience. Actually ended up being the most fun game we’ve had, and ended with all of us working on a couple of objectives that involved destroying the ship and then a mad group sprint across the board to the escape pods while dodging 5 different aliens along the way. Finished the game with both time tracks on the final step and only a few cards away from failure. Highly recommend giving it a shot. Found its a much easier way of nailing down the specifics of the rules too before going back to the normal mode.

[@GormKjeldsen]

Thanks for the info. I feel like this might be the better way to play it for me and my "group" (mainly my brother-in-law). Didn't even know that was a possibility, as all reviews seem to focus on the traitor mechanic. Great that both options are there. 👍🙂

[@MrStevenvanL]

"... in Nemesis, you're accepting the sad reality of locking Steven in a room so he'll get eaten by an Alien." "Let's stay in tonight, light some candles, murder Steven!" Hmm... I am sensing a vendetta here... Is there an aggrieving Steven in SU&SD's and No Pun Included's mutual gaming circle? I shall have to bring this up at the next Secret Steven Society gathering.

[@byebyebuy]

Steven!

[@stevenagelutton4322]

@@byebyebuy Just coming!

[@byebyebuy]

@@stevenagelutton4322 I can't believe someone got that reference 😂

[@onewholeegg]

Honestly speaking, this is probably the most beautifully insightful review you folks have written. Two years later and this still speaks not just of Nemesis, but transcends it in a way that touches on things we don't analyze very often in board games. The bit about "coercion and cooperation" is still so profound lol

[@Duraxy]

Thank you for your opinion on Miniatures. They're cool, sure - But i feel like there's way too many games cramming Minis in to justify an exorbitant pricepoint. When i'm playing a game, i want to play the game. Just give me a budget version version with standees for the common folk and a premium version for the hypetrain

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

Thst is my preference too.

[@Carfilliot]

Exactly, I have been saying this for years lol, I don’t need miniatures to enjoy a thematic game.

[@-Markus-]

Miniatures and flashy bits sell a lot more games though, without them many games would struggle to get the funding. I agree though, its gone awry. Love the minis in Nemesis but all of them could have been half the size.

[@fish3977]

minus would be a great add on to a game with maybe some other bits to sweaten the deal. also they're often not really proper quality for hobbyist anyways

[@uwiejeuehdnwusndns]

totally agree, im not paying 30$ extra just for the dammm miniatures,lol😂😂

[@robertdascoli949]

33:04 "I can't really recommend it, can't stop recommending it" That's exactly how I feel about Mage Knight.

[@SynGirl32]

That intro is probably one of your best. The followup article you did when the official Aliens game was announced made it all the better.

[@ryanmoll8295]

My friends and I love this game! I coughed up the money for the big purchase and it looks like it keeps rising. It’s been absolutely worth it to me. He is right about the highs and the lows. Yeah you rarely get to win even if you play it perfect, but it makes winning so much more satisfying and the way you lose ends up enjoyable too. If you like the alien franchise at all you will love this game. Play the alien soundtrack while you play and it makes the game even better lol

[@KindredBrujah]

Early player elimination is the only real drawback to the game, I think.

[@OGianmarcO]

just spent over 30 min. watching a review of a game I will probably never buy.... and it was worth every seconds!

[@TheMan83554]

So, I bought Nemesis about 6 months ago. So far, I have played it once. But I've painted a few of the minis, so I call that a win. I have the space, and it makes me happy just to have it.

[@ChrisSharp]

This is one of my favorite videos that SU&SD has done. The lighting, the b-roll, the facial expressions, the script - perfection! I have watched it at least 5 times just because I enjoy the delivery of this review so much.

[@SH3Bstanko6]

Nemesis is one of my favorite board games I own. My game group loves it and we played it many times! If you are thinking of getting this game, it will be worth it. The game mechanics are awesome. SU&SD... you guys did a great, unbiased, and thorough review! Thank you!

[@WhalePolarizer]

I have a solid game group which loves to play cmon games (horror stuff where you have to fight against a lot of monsters cooperatively) but I am afraid that it would be too heavy and disappointing for some players. I like heavy games, but not all the fiddly parts. However, I can imagine that some of my friends would love to play an alien and kick ass after they die :))) would you still recommend it after four years? How often do you play it?

[@rjkral]

“I didn’t WANT you to die, it was just...CONVENIENT!?” (and lots of other hilarity etc!) Great review guys!!

[@redsands1001]

Pandemic mindset of some folks

[@petergreg101]

"you were trapped in a room with an absolute unit" and just like that the intern becomes the master

[@CaptainHoers]

"Let me check my calendar I think I'm free in 2023" is a statement that has aged in incredibly interesting ways

[@BattleSpew]

I have won this game twice. And both times were excruciatingly exciting! First win: It was the final round. Escape pods had unlocked because another player met a grisly end two rounds before. I made it to the escape pod room with 3 noise tokens adjacent. I rolled for noise as I entered the escape, and spawned an intruder. Time to draw a token from the bag to see what was going to stop me from escaping. Blank! No intruder showed up, and I was able to get out, literally on my last action! The other remaining player, he was going for the cryo-sleep chamber, and got there as he ran out of cards, meaning he was 1 action shy of being able to get out and win as well. Second win: I manage to escape in a similar fashion as the first win, only 2 rounds earlier. But, my objective was for 1 other player to die. And he was still alive. He wasn't in great shape, but he still had a chance to get out. It was all up to fate at that point. I watched as he fled an intruder, gun out of ammo, trying to get to one of the remaining escape pods. The intruder followed him. He escaped again. Another intruder came after him, and he was unable to get to the escape pod in time, and turned into a red paste on the wall as the ship jumped to hyperspace. This game is all about those tense moments and never being certain you'll survive, let alone win.

[@LightandFire676]

I haven't played this game, but I've heard a lot of buzz about it, and I genuinely did not expect it to get the SU&SD recommends badge. Just when I thought I had figured y'all out, you surprise me. I guess I'll have to keep watching your videos, and go throw out all my SU&SD Recommendation Prediction Equations and Analytical Charts.

[@boristuga]

It was their corporate mission to give a recommendation after throwing you off scent. ;)

[@Tabletop_AshleyRose]

Nemesis is a thrilling game - but trust no one!! I've played it twice now and both times were loads of fun.

[@germancurbelo8815]

And here I was thinking the whole silent "narration" of the "Betrayal" game was a magnificent stroke of genius.

[@elonwhatever]

Same buddy, same

[@DwarfyDoodad]

As he said, it is less of a traitor mechanic, and more surprise secondary antagonist. Which I think is what sets the two apart. And sets Nemesis apart from other games with more overt betrayal mechanics. If you are constantly questioning *everyones* intentions it makes spotting the person with their own agenda harder.

[@elonwhatever]

@@DwarfyDoodad You may be missing the joke due to lack of context. When the video was first uploaded the audio stopped about halfway through. It then got reuploaded an hour or two later with that audio. This is what the joke was about.

[@danielmarco7422]

This review is just amazing! You guys are my top board game channel. HANDS DOWN!! You guys review games fairly and do such a good job with Nemesis! I just unboxed and played for the first time this week. I love this one

[@Nayr090]

Played this a few times. It's a lot to setup, and it is indeed expensive. But man, this game is such an experience, it really feels like an alien movie in board game form. As few times as I've got it out, I love it each time.

[@lattyware]

The part that was silent in the first upload (Betrayal: The git chronicles) starts at 18:30, for those who caught the broken version.

[@golgarisoul]

+

[@Pithlitthedark]

and here i thought it was intentional, since in space noone can hear you scream

[@tedchevalier]

Although it doesn't make much sense, the silent version is hilarious. I almost can tell what's happening.

[@hkapeman]

This review was filmed so nicely!

[@AutumnReel4444]

End-of-review-comedy-character-turn-around got me good, wp

[@kame_kura]

This must be the most reluctant SUSD recommendation ever.

[@vojtasjedyny]

Players MUST cooperate in two areas: repairing damages and extinguishing fires. Otherwise everybody will meet painful death, rather sooner than later. Once all malfunction or fire tokens are on board, ship is destroyed. This fact can be used to fuck someone up - just damage ship right before leaving in escape pod. Mechanic is great in repairing/damaging. :P

[@Nielsblog]

Matt, the lighting work in this video was beautiful!

[@absol1975]

SU&SD Plays Nemesis is something I would love to see! This game is one I would probably not play, but getting to experience the Salt vicariously would be a lot of fun...

[@JamesWoodNarrator]

This has to be one of the best produced board game reviews I've every seen. The editing and lighting were truly superb. I decided about 5 minutes in that I have zero interest in this game, but kept watching all the way to the end purely because it was cinematically stunning.

[@pixxelwizzard]

Agreed. They could have gone for the quick and easy review, but this video was dripping with unnecessary love and dedication, and it was awesome!

[@matlacking]

Some tips for people who think the game is too hard: - Never attack an alien whenever it enters a room unless it’s a larva (possibly creeper if you’re feeling brave), instead make an escape and hopefully it’ll miss the attack. If it doesn’t you can search for medical supplies or make your way to the ER. - There’s always a COOP mode! (Which I recommend for new players as you don’t have to worry about betrayal) -Splitting up isn’t actually too bad. You just have to be careful once there is a lot of noise - I truly don’t recommend searching for items unless you need it to complete a mission or to save your life (stated in the first tip) - You should mostly pass with 3 cards because it eliminates the chance to be surprised attacked by an adult (one of the most common lethal alien). - intruder weaknesses should only be found if you need an objective or if its convenient. I say this because the weaknesses don’t really improve your chance of surviving an attack so you shouldn’t dwell on finding these. and lastly I do see a lot of people agreeing with the miniatures making the game overpriced. But these types of games aren’t for everyone. This seems like a game for people who like to be immersed inside of an alien movie themed world. All of the art work and miniatures really help drive that feeling you get playing the game. I know some people just want to play it and that’s that. But it’s not that type of game. It’s a RP game where you have to accept the fact that there is a lot of RNG. but the best way to do so is by getting everybody engaged, making it feel more realistic rather than unfair. (Hopefully this makes sense) But anyways; I really hope this helps some of the newer players and this video was a very good and honest review. But I 100% recommend this game if you’re a fan of the alien movies

[@aaagrey6323]

I love Nemesis, played it while it was only on TTS... Looked at how much the Irl game cost... price... 300 yeesh

[@EakEmk]

Got mine for $150 lol

[@joshuavelo4265]

Retail is $150, but it's currently out of print, so you're probably looking at scalpers.

[@DaBigBase]

Wish there was like a non-figure version available, prob cut the cost down a bit. Standees work fine for me considering my lazy ass would never get around to painting the nice 3d models 😆

[@SacredDaturaa]

@@joshuavelo4265 Damn! Even so. $150 is.... a chunk of change.

[@denisloebner4882]

kickstarter core box with stretchgoals was only 90$. its price went up and up after the campaign.

[@DrVagax]

Around 11:00 I figured, well that was fun, it seems it is wrapping up. Only to discover I got another 20 minutes left! Love it!

[@jonathanwhite4836]

I've watched nearly every video review you guys have ever made, and this might be the very best one yet. I knew nothing about this game before watching the review, and I now feel like I know exactly the kind of experience I'll be getting out of this game. Keep up the good work lads!

[@ajtame]

And now, after all these years, retaliation has cardboard standees!

[@blastingsound]

25:18 X,D zomg this is too perfectly done

[@absol1975]

Oh my God. I've watched this video well over a dozen times, and I can't believe it's taken me THIS long to realize this... He's an au-Tom-aton!

[@DrHopeSickNotes]

"sending Goofy round to break our legs" Ha!

[@GRsTragicM]

Amazing review, both for pure entertainment and excellent critiquing. I really love Nemesis but I've always wondered if it's just a bit crap. I never cared about winning and it was always the unfolding stories that I adored about the game so I have to thank Matt and Tom for articulating this in a way I hadn't yet made sense of myself. I know everyone likes different games but it still feels really good to have your own opinion vindicated by a pro.

[@furretthefuzzynoodle3896]

Quinn would probably get caught and eaten trying to lug around his copy of twilight imperium off the ship.

[@rosmith606]

I see how it is. The friendly alien that burst out of a legally distinct area of the body gets a kiss from Matt, but Big Bin Barry just gets scorn until his untimely and suspicious death. I'm onto you, Matt.

[@rosmith606]

OH SHIT, BBB MADE AN APPEARANCE! My day is made. I take it back Matt, you are forgiven.

[@Daye04]

Oh my gosh, that ending. I love it!

[@ThreeSeatStarboard]

I saw the video before it was re-uploaded so the Betrayal story didn’t have sound. I thought, “this is bold. They’re playing off, ‘in space, nobody can hear your game review’. Groundbreaking narrative storytelling!!” Then they went and cocked it all up by adding sound.

[@alexclippinger5780]

I just watched this review, glad your friends will be able to come over and play this year

[@MirkoCano]

A perfect example of how good SUSD is. Fantastic review, stating clearly both positive and negative points.

[@mibiasz]

You guys do the best bg reviews in the whole Internet. And this particular one is the best I've seen ever! I love how unbiased and critical and factual you are. With tons of humor and stupidity XD

[@joseluiscabrera2826]

That’s an amazing review. I think you really touched all bases here, no one should buy Nemesis without watching this! I just had my copy a few weeks ago and I really love this game, even knowing it’s not for everybody. It’s definitely too expensive, but it rewards with such great moments and stories to tell that every stable group of boardgamers should have one for special occasions.

[@josephmauney2367]

Tom really came into his own with this video. Great job.

[@SpaceCatsPeaceTurtlesPodcast]

Gumming up the works? Now we're talking...

[@goodaccount2488]

This is an excellent review/video.

[@ericnathanstucky246]

"If you've given up on hope, you've given up on life! And that's our review of Nemesis!" -Matt 2020

[@Electroporcupine]

"Matt, Matt, can I come around to your house and play Nemesis?!" *video published March 5 2020* COVID19: It's gonna be a no from me, dog.

[@idontevenknow9758]

There is a board game shop in my town I go to a lot to play games if I could and see what’s new. The owner and I were chatting and on the top of the shelf he had this game. He said to me that this game was being purchased to hell and back and told me to watch some reviews and play throughs. He’s keeping it on the back with my name incase I decide to purchase it. I said I would think on it this weekend. I have to say, besides the fact that I am a huge aliens fan, this game does something that I really want in a game. Makes it so being a team is not always the ideal choice. That every move you make you have to think about your own well-being and being a friend may be fleeting in a stressful situation. That feels so raw and so real like your actually in the movie itself. I’m convinced, I’m going back to the shop. This is brilliant.

[@thomasromanelli2561]

Loved the fact that the Three-Eyed Raven-Glove did the chest-bursting routine...

[@eris7492]

it's 2023. he's finally free

[@agentcoriolis9208]

Thanks for adding that music track from incubation. Yeah, I noticed. You absolute legends ❤️

[@MrBlitzNZ]

The writing for this review was next level, well done to the team at SD&SU.

[@charliek5964]

Looks great! Love to play it! Can't afford it! Pretty sure my friends would hate it 😂

[@msPacmanization]

same

[@maartensmit6501]

Wavelength box at 22:26! :)

[@gordcarleigh9157]

Your videos make me laugh. Definitely doing good work spreading the hobby. Keep it up

[@Khelben7]

Best game ever. Played it 25 times and won 7 times. Absolutely love the semi co-op! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@ryanlewis6808]

Escape pods don’t open automatically once you start the self destruct sequence 3:27 they open when the self destruct sequence reaches the yellow spaces and can no longer deactivate it.

[@demonicbunny3po]

Thank you for this review. There is a campaign for the third expansion for this game and this review has convinced me that I do not need it. This is a game I would love to play, but it is not a game I need to own.

[@gabibarbosa3376]

My friend owns this game and it is without a doubt my favourite board game I've played. The player defined story for each of our sessions always feels unique, even if we are cycling back through characters and objectives. The choices each player makes and the sometimes overlapping or opposed objectives makes for interesting and varried gameplay. The objectives really puts emphasis on the games name, nemesis, our failures are often due to our own hands. Though the the queens tail whip has also brought about the downfall of many players. We play on the 'easy' side of the board and it is anything but, we often end in a complete wipe. Despite this it's still a lot of fun everytime and makes that sweet victory feel all the better. I think it's worth saying again, this is not a easy game. You have to be in it for the journey as victory is elusive. Despite this the long sessions are always enjoyable and leave me wanting more.

[@JDKT002]

Spot on review. I absolutely love this game and i'm a total sucker for big flashy games with big flashy minis, and even I agree this game didn't need them. The game has strong enough mechanics and such fantastic emergent, player driven experiences. That being said, I have no regrets dropping money on this game and all of it's expansions.

[@jpcorkery]

Great review! You make some very relevant points about the price point and questioning if there's a need for those giant miniatures though. I did get this on Kickstarter and I think the cost of the game and some expansions through that was only a little more than the base game alone at retail! So it definitely has a price problem if you ask me. They really should consider a cheaper option for any future reprints such as the suggested cardboard standees.

[@VaultBoy13]

Part of the problem is how cheaply the games need to be sold to retailers. Through Kickstarter these companies can pocket more of the money for themselves. Through retail, they're selling their games for much cheaper. This either means they need to sell large numbers or sell at higher prices to afford the print run. And, the higher prices ends up being a double-edged sword. Retailers won't stock as many copies making the print run even smaller. This is likely why a lot of these miniature heavy games get reprints via Kickstarter rather than traditionally. I also suspect that the difficulty with having a version of the game that can easily be printed and put on retail shelves at an "affordable" price is why the last three AR campaigns have versions of the game that either have few miniatures or no miniatures.

[@JMcMillen]

I kinda wish more games like this would release the game without miniatures, but still have them as an expansion for those that want them. Especially with the rise of miniature agnostic wargames along with RPG's mean that the figures themselves may appeal to people that have no interest in the board game. I know I've seen a few KS board games where I really wished that there was a mini's only pledge option.

[@Kajotex]

I think what you are looking for is "It's not a great game. But it's a great game." - Flip Florey On that note, I played N once. I very much disliked it. It was very clunky to me but I can usually overcome stuff like that if the rest is good. But what killed it was that one player had a larvae inside her. No big deal really, she should get to the surgery sometime in the future and get that taken care of. Then the next event card came up and I had to read it: "If you are infected, you die." Boom. No chance to roll. No way to mitigate. Just straight up dead instantaneously. She was out of the game and we had 2 more hours to play in which she was just sitting around, looking at other games on the shelf, occasionally checking in with our game. That is a death sentence to me. A game that takes this long with permanent player elimination is undefendable imo. The teacher also said there are rules to play the aliens, but it just messes up the balance. So we also didn't do that. I liked the ideas. I liked the theme. I want this as a little more lightweight. But as it is I will probably never play it again.

[@Newt211]

You could house rule, that if before a certain turn a character dies, another wakes up in cyrosleep (gets new objective cards etc)

[@clarkesteinman5098]

Yeah, if I get the game someday, I’d probably house-rule where another person wakes up late from cryosleep or something. I used to enjoy elimination games for the thrill of when you get to be the last (and that only comes with the chance of being the first,) but as I’ve gotten older and played many games, I’ve enjoyed more games that give everyone enjoyment throughout/everyone plays to the end. It can sacrifice some of the epic story at times, but it doesn’t sacrifice a player’s enjoyment to make the story great. Either the game is there to make the players have fun, or the players are there to make the story fun.

[@billable1861]

Clarke Steinman I like Spirit Island for this very reason. It’s thinky but it’s fun and nobody gets eliminated without it ending the game for you both.

[@QuestsAndChaos]

Great review. Confirmed original thoughts, and highly entertained at the same time.

[@pixxelwizzard]

First of all, the production value of this video was amazing. The shots, the lighting, the music...just fantastic. Secondly, this is the most expensive game I've ever owned, and though I haven't played it yet, I can say I don't care a lick about miniatures. I would much rather have something I can travel with (*cough* cardboard standees *cough*). If I have to choose taking 3 or 4 games to a friends or just this game, because of its size, I'll take the 3 or 4 games every single time.

[@miguelesteves9740]

Loved the video, quite informative and you guys are very entertaining and expressive! Fun stuff. It is well filmed as well. Subbed!

[@mokithepepe2454]

in most games i play there is not a traitor but there is always a potential for a traitor which always means that im on edge when going around with other players, but because of the sound mechanic making it way more efficient to travel around as a group im always in a group in the early game

[@andy4an]

puppeteering rule 1: the mouth of the puppet should open and close once per syllable.

[@Dthamilaye]

One game at work, four players, everyone seemed to work funnily well together. Everyone did something to help the others. One guy stayed in the room waiting for another to get out with him with the escape pod. One guy followed another to help him check a corpse in lab. In the end, everyone of us four persons got out, nobody got killed by contamination and everyone got their objectives done. I could not believe it :). It was like from the handbook of "Team spirit" :P. Another game with friends, four players, using Voidseeders (addon alien type, make the characters mad and force them to do panic stuff etc). Three persons were already in hibernation, one person was playing Convict (still not in hibernation) and one was playing Bounty Hunter (both from "Aftermath" -addon). Until now, Convict had worked with us pretty well, fixing engines etc. When us other three were in hibernation, the convict went and tried to sabotage the engines but failed as he got aliens after him. He tried to escape them and could not do much else, but after few rounds, the "self-destruct is on" -event came up. We have a house-rule that if self-destruct happens in such a way, everyone is punted out from hibernation. Our android was on last round, so he hibernated right away again successfully. Me and the Bounty hunter had to go disable the self-destruct. Convict tried to harass us, but I think he eventually died to the voidseeders. Me and the Bounty hunter go the self-destruct off, but Bounty hunter died while we tried to get back to hibernation. I was able to get to one room before the hibernation room, but leaving a room with alien gave the "die if you have 2 serious wounds" -hit and I died there. Eventually the Android got safely home, and was also successful on his mission. After the game, the Convict said that his objective was to kill the Bounty Hunter, and especially as an avid roleplayer, he really could not let it pass (in the game, Convict starts with hand cuffs, and if the bounty hunter is in the game, the keys to the cuffs are given to him :) ). That game was pretty epic, we were so close to get our mission done, but had to get out and fix stuff and die after we got the ship fixed >

[@Chozo_hybrid]

Where the heck do you work?

[@Dthamilaye]

@@Chozo_hybrid Finland, in IT-stuff :). It was very interesting game, everyone did a bit of extra to help others as needed. What helped us was that nobody took any of the "kill player X" and all had pretty simple normal objectives (no clear nest or kill queen). We also got, for the first time ever in my games, all three objects inspected for alien weaknesses in laboratory. Everyone was putting down fires when they emerged and even going extra mile for them. We found lab at the start of the game and the guy going there happened to be the guy who was carrying the corpse etc. So luck and good team play and pretty easy objectives. Only house-rule we had was that if self-destruct would turn on for some reason (event) when someone is in hibernation, he would be punted out automatically.

[@here0is0me]

Can't wait for the Nemesis movie where ChestPoppers grow into the intimidating LegallyDistinctMorph

[@MarkYale]

The direction of this review at the start had me quite bummed. I bought it on Kickstarter and have yet to play it. But after the U-turn midway through, wow! I can't wait to play this now. Great writing. Great review.

[@bryannothem1505]

Know your audience for this game, but everyone I've played absolutely loves it. It tells beautiful stories

[@Aramis559]

We”re due for another Twilight Imperium stream. I wanna see that Twiglets Cup change hands.

[@ericfolsom4495]

I can't believe I watched that entire stream AND the where's waldo stream. I can't believe I'm looking forward to them doing either of those again

[@fairlyodd922]

Matt lost the Twiglets Cup to someone who lives in Australia, unfortunately. They discussed it on the most recent podcast episode.

[@christianringlstetter6814]

Great review as always. Love the lighting and athmosphere. I am totally with you... I love the game and the tension and stories it brings. But the miniatures are just too big. Half the size would've been perfect...

[@leandronc]

This huge minis trend has to stop... they make me immediately doubt the quality of the game, because they are often used to sell mediocre stuff.

[@christianringlstetter6814]

@@leandronc You mean like CMON...? 🤐

[@Freelancer4tehwin]

I feel as though the slim down version keeps the plastic player pieces, and replaces the alien. There is something about the tactility of the player pieces that seems like it helps to put one in mind of their character. Nemesis light would be a good choice though, replacing most of the complex plastic with good quality tokens. And, from the little I see, adding a quick-clone mechanic where the first player to die triggers all the death triggered stuff, but then is returned to the board in a cloning chamber, but chooses a second objective from everyone's discarded objectives, which they can actively pursue alongside their original objective, only choosing which to claim victory with at the end. That way people know what they discarded, and what that player's new objective might be. It's like Monty Hall with horrid aliens instead of goats.

[@Groovestonenz]

This was such a great review, thank you. Appreciate the balanced look at it.

[@MrEvolution47]

Came for game review, got deep philosophical thought instead! I grabbed this on kickstarter way back in the day and was thoroughly impressed with everything...and then I realized how -massive- this game is and you need a very specific group of people to play with. I agree with all the points in the video. Since I got it thru kickstarter I was also sent the expansion which included more minis but instead of Aliens they are mind-beings that noone but you can see (or something similar). It also included bits for a 'game after the game' which you can configure without playing Nemesis beforehand.

[@carloc352]

Man I loved my first (hopefully of a long row) Nemesis game. It’s true that rules can be introduced gradually. I’ve been positive surprised at how smooth the gaming experience can be. The characters are absolutely charismatic. I played a convict looking like Hannibal Lecter prone to punching xenomorphs in their … well… face?😂

[@mattnottm8363]

Love this game for the little stories it can create. The biggest betrayal I've been on the receiving end of came late in a long game which had been up to that point pretty cooperative. Heading back to the hibernatoriam in a group, I'd all but forgotten about the secret objectives when my 'friend' moves in to the next room only to spin around and close the door behind him. It took days to let it go

[@Kelfuma]

This review got me to buy Nemesis and it's one of my top games.

[@vangelis.gavalakis]

"You have a unique set of... action cards" Nice one :)

[@enknot]

OMG... "Englishman in New York"!? Wow...great choice while that legal alien shows up. 8:10

[@bluwzrdisgreedy234]

Tom really is the big, chunky plastic boy, isn't he? I look forward to seeing reviews of things like Etherfields and GKR: Heavy Hitters. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the regular reviews of more modest games, but these expensive monstrosities are what I want to know the most about before dropping the cash.

[@richieboylush]

BluWzrdIsGreedy - GKR:heavy hitter they talked about in podcast 85 - Quinn’s liked the miniatures, said they were the most beautiful he’d ever seen but the gameplay did nothing for him and based on price point as well, he’d recommend x-wing miniatures as a prepainted entry point over GKR. Said his friend loved the spectacle of it , was going to buy it after playing it with him, but then saw the price and thought no way! So yeh - Sadly don’t think you’ll get a review beyond those comments even with Tom on board!

[@bluwzrdisgreedy234]

@@richieboylush Thank you. Only recently started following the pod, haven't checked back episodes out yet.

[@超粒方]

yeah Awaken Realms are known for their big chunky plastic stuff, but usually have fantastic design to go with them, while SUSD didn't like Lords of Hellas, it's one of my favorite games

[@chrisdunn6096]

Finally got my hands on this game. Got in on the KS because of the promise of this review. As usual, Matt was spot on! Every game has people laughing at how wickedly and seamlessly evil they can be, even when they've chosen the cooperative goal.

[@TheSkuvnar]

I don't play that many board games, I don't really have the time, the space or the money for it. We have a few (Pandemic, Escape from Atlantis, a copy of Ticket to Ride that my in-laws got us), but I love these videos.

[@septimus64]

It would be interesting to see the card board standees as an alternate version.

[@SpoonyBard88]

That would probably cut the price by half and move a hundred thousand more copies. I don't understand why companies don't do this. After hearing so much about the expensive Kickstarter version, people would snatch an affordable version off of every Target shelf nationwide.

[@Alloniya]

@@SpoonyBard88 I thing what makes this game unique the way it designed. So if I would buy it will be the original

[@SpoonyBard88]

@@Alloniya and replacing an expensive plastic figure with a cardboard standee affects the mechanical design how?

[@stumbling]

The "miniatures" should be sold separately as some sort of "embellishment" pack.

[@Beldarak]

Anachrony did that. Such a nice idea :)

[@BigWetTits1]

Folklore also did this in Second edition.

[@MinaDracula]

Ah Matt, I can tell you, you’re not the only one who thinks this game would be just as good without the miniatures. My group is a bit mini crazy and one of one brought Nemesis to play with us. And when I suggested (after the game was over) it could just as well be cardboard instead of minis, everyone stared at me like I was crazy.

[@orsonamery695]

is there a game that ever actually needs minis?

[@colboy1fish]

Most games can be easily played without miniatures, but its the miniatures that give it an appealling estatic. (And of course please the miniature folks like me.)

[@WhalePolarizer]

When I got into the hobby of boardgaming I couldn‘t understand what it was that people find so important and interesting about the minis. Now it really changed for me after I played a game which had these big minis. We are like big children moving these pieces from one place to another always staring at them before and after the game as if they are paintings by Van Gogh :)

[@isaiah3613]

I don't know even the thing they said that I think were supposed to be negative seemed very appealing to me yes I want to fight aliens and probably will die trying. Also for anyone who wants an easier game simple recommendation just get rid of the secret objective and change it to you win if you survive but if you want to make the game even more cooperative simply make it so if one player dies you all lose