How to Play Alchemists

[@clintrivest2147]

"If you're Amish..."That was beautiful!

[@rossmartens1690]

Great tutorial of a hard-to-teach game! Love the animations and stop motion. Looking forward to more!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Brent! One of the easiest rules to forget imo is the bonus and punitive stuff happening on the scoreboard depending on which zone your marker is in. But you'll have a good time even if you goof that bit up like i always do!

[@MrAndyjobo]

This is the best explanation of Alchemists I've seen. You speak very clearly and break your sentences into easily digestible chunks.

[@synterlu]

This review's super well made, I'm buying this game.

[@MyMeww]

Where have you been all my life, sir?! I absolutely adore your editing with the disappearing elements, pointers and timestamps in description

[@NightsAroundaTable]

OUR LUB IS MUTUAL!

[@sopota6469]

This is, by far, the best explanation ever!

[@janmendoza848]

Wow, quality video tutorial. Very impressive. I liked the video editing that highlights what you are explaining and the transitions. Lest we forget, the most valued timestamps in the description.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Jan! Do you use those timestamps? Even if you don't, please say "yes" to make me feel better about spending time on them.

[@thephantomhennes]

Wow. Well done. Long, but best “how to” for this game. Thanks.

[@michasekrecki7912]

Well prepared and super clear "how to play"! Thanks a lot!

[@dumptheoldfacebook]

I will mention it because I played it wrong the first time. The Size of the circle in an alchemical is only important to find out how the ingredients mix, after that, never. You don't need to be right on the size for seeling or publishing a potion. When you place your seal you usually know at the start 2 colours with their sign, but for one you still unsure so you place a Seal with that colour. When I played it first time, they explained it wrong and everybody played it wrong and that made it even harder to play.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

A good point! Hedging seems complicated, but it's not.

[@NinjarioPicmin]

Unless you play with the expansion, then the size matters again a lot more

[@awakecommonman5291]

Run a gaming club, new people arrive and I ask "What games ya like/play?". When the answer is Cluedo/Monopoly etc..I reach for Karuba. "Come here noobs, let me slowly educate you in modern board games!" Great easy to teach intro, fun game..always goes down well..like my gran!!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

i…

[@teestarbird4478]

Playing this tonight... what a great How to Play...thank you for this!!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Hope it helps! Have fun!

[@maximilianogamon91]

An Exceptional tutorial, great quality! Thanks!

[@frostspawn6718]

This has been one of the BEST tutorials ever! Thank you. i just hope i'll be ready to play in 2 days.

[@littlebluecubes]

Best tutorial video for this game on KZbin. You just nailed it. Just one correction though at 14:27. The happy faces that you consider for discount is the total of happy faces on your discount card PLUS the happy faces on the reputation track (depending on where your marker is). The reputation track will also impact the thumbs up/down on the 'sell a potion' outcome.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Ack! Thanks so much! For some reason, i ignored that entire callout box in the rulebook. Gah! i've added a card to the video and linked to the addenda section of the website, noting your correction.

[@NinjarioPicmin]

But isn't that exactly what he says at around 15:09 onwards? Or do I not understand what you are trying to say

[@greginfla_1]

It's been on my SOS for years. I decided to learn the game. When you said this game uses an app, I figured there was no chance this app would still be on the Apple Store (a 10-year-old game). But it is, and it was updated a few weeks ago.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Glad to hear you can still get it! i’m not surprised, because they just released the Jr. version, so they’ll no doubt have a lot more eyes on the OG.

[@Valadir]

Amazing video. A very thorough explanation and also entertaining!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Valadir!

[@frankmacri5173]

Great vid! We are eyeing this game to play for our channel and appreciate your walkthrough. Also... love the graduation cap 🎓

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, guys! It's definitely heavier than any game you've covered so far. But give it a whirl! i quite like it.

[@princeperot7568]

"Did you just watch this whole thing?" Actually, I've watched this at least _3 times_ now and I haven't even played the game yet. I need all the mental prep I can get for this college exam of a board game. And assuming you end up covering the King's Golem at some point, that number will probably double or triple.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

i would LOVE to cover The King’s Golem, if i could get it PLAYED! You can imagine the barrier... especially due to covid.

[@ΣπύροςΚουκάκης-ι6β]

Best alchemists review ever!!!!

[@Overbass8000]

Aight, now consider making video on Dominant Species pretty please! This one was 10/10

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Misko! I'll look into it.

[@CHANDLERTRON]

Great video and easy to follow. Thank you for making this !

[@NightsAroundaTable]

My pleasure, Jayson!

[@NicolaFrankVachon]

Thanks man. You really crack me up. As usual amazing work. Can't wait to try this one.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Nicola! i quite like it! But it's beastly enough that it doesn't see a lot of table action. i still haven't played the expansion, which (according to BGG) is the heaviest game in my collection.

[@NicolaFrankVachon]

@@NightsAroundaTable whoaaaa! 4.59/5??? Good Lord! That's a potion of insanity right there. Man i love these deep gaming experiences. It sucks that i too can't bring these games on the table regularly. I've been wanting to try Through the Ages for quite some time now for example. I can't seem to find the right time and the right people to do so.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

@@NicolaFrankVachon Heh. i've got a copy of Through the Ages in shrink over here on my shelf. Hoping to do a spotlight on Vlaada Chvatil later this year.

[@NicolaFrankVachon]

@@NightsAroundaTable yayyyy, please do! Can't wait! 😊

[@DwayneFosho]

Best tutorial, thanks man!

[@mixalisdemetriou6879]

You're a goddamn hero for this video

[@mikaandhana4900]

Great overview and explanation of the base game. Now .. what are the chances you do one on the expansion?

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Very, very high!

[@Veryghoster]

Great video, please do more about King's Golem.

[@eticaret-finans]

Really clearly explain

[@npane171]

"BOOB". Welp need to change my password now.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Just reverse it. (taps temple knowingly)

[@jessicathesweet9080]

Alright so I just bought this game kinda as an impulse and bias buy since I love alchemists in fantasy games. But this right here is complicated as all hell. I'm trying to figure out how it works. I dont know what I'm doing if someone could help. And this video is a little fast for me

[@NightsAroundaTable]

You’re right! It’s a bit hairy, but quite fun. Shoot me any questions you have and i’ll do my best!

[@jessicathesweet9080]

@@NightsAroundaTable alright. Could you explain what exactly each round does? Like I know it's a trade between explorers and meetings but what else is in them

[@NightsAroundaTable]

@JessicaTheSweet ​ JessicaTheSweet It's what's called a "worker placement game" - that's where the board has a number of slots on it, and you take turns putting your workers on those spots to Do the Thing. And as each player takes a turn, the spots become more and more scarce, so there's increased competition for them. Your workers are your cubes. The slots are square-shaped, about the size of your cubes. And they're arranged in different "stations" in a loop around the board. After you jockey for turn order (see 4:30), players take turns placing their cubes at the different stations, and doing The Thing. That's a very broad *mechanical* overview. Here's a thematic overview: you're all PhD students at a university, and you practice potion magic. You have methods for discovering which ingredients make different potions, but they take a while, and you're racing against the other players to publish your findings in academic journals to earn money and fame. So it may be in your best interests to publish your theories with kinda-sorta fuzzy logic, instead of watertight scientific data. (Kinda like the real world!) Hope that helps somewhat?

[@jessicathesweet9080]

@@NightsAroundaTable it does a little. When I get the chance I'll go through it with a friend and well work it out and play a few games to get it down

[@Jeremyx96x]

This was so great I though it was made by the publisher!... well, actually no, since those usually suck...

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thank you! Sometimes i do get help from publishers when they send me their print files so that i can make my videos look really sharp. Other times, publishers hire me (and i insist on them sending me their files!)

[@fmoros]

OMG. So complicated

[@NightsAroundaTable]

You're right. But worth it, i think.

[@origenward3845]

Hot dang this looks like it outweighs lacerda games...

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Hmm! It's well on its way. It does have that Lacerdian mechanical interdependence. But in Lacerda's games (esp On Mars), those connections are cyclical. Here, the station on the board are largely laid out in the order you need to do things.

[@blurryface123]

I wanted to like this video but I didn't want to activate 666 thumbs. So I'm commenting instead.

[@blurryface123]

oh, the comment is: "You are great!".

[@quibily]

Good for you for not succumbing to Amish erasure. #inclusionforall

[@cryptocoinkiwi8272]

If you're Amish :)

[@EzFlyers10]

Lol! If you're Amish!

[@manojgowda8195]

Bit complicated game.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

It is, absolutely. i don't know if i've ever played it "perfectly" without forgetting a rule.

[@manojgowda8195]

@@NightsAroundaTable is that worth buying sir.because in INDIA it's costly.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

@@manojgowda8195 Yeah - i've heard you have a rough go of prices over there. i can't really decide for you if it's worth it, but you can try playing it on boiteajeux: www.boiteajeux.net/

[@manojgowda8195]

So kind of you thanks!👍

[@ipekcankaya]

The best alchemists explanation ever😍 i wish there were also a video for alchemists expansion.🥲

[@NightsAroundaTable]

i’ve thought about it. i only played it myself for the first time a few weeks ago (and loved it!) But expansion videos don’t tend to get many eyeballs.