Dark Souls The Board Game - Being Human | A Stick to the Script Review

[@jakecrowe3797]

Played this only once a few summers ago, but thought maybe I didn’t quite get it. Now, having played some Dark Souls games and watching your review, I want to try again. Thanks!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It seems to be a bit of a Marmite game. Some people will love the cyclical flow of the game engine, while others will feel it's too grindy and repetitive. I fell in love with it, and it stands as one of my favourite games, but I can certainly see why others don't enjoy it. If you get the chance to give it another whirl, I would say it's worth trying it again.

[@glenndavis1245]

One of my top solo games! Would love to see them come out with more mega bosses to go along with the new core sets. Thanks for the review

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's a great solo experience. I bought it mainly expecting to play solo, but I have played it with my group and that has been fun too. We set aside a whole evening for it. I do wonder if they have plans for much more for this game. It's been going for quite some time now.

[@Howard.Stern.]

It's one of the most underrated games for sure. I would prefer more mini bosses though as you face them first.

[@Simp4Gwyn]

Absolutely, I'm super surprised there hasn't been a Gwyn or Seathe the Scaless mega boss expansions

[@skylarblackwell2279]

There are expansions for it, I have asylum demon expansion

[@hlorridirudel9627]

Nice review! This Board Game is so underrated. With some expansions it really begins to shine. Not for everyone, but it is always a great choice for a good and hard gaming evening!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for watching. I really enjoy this game.

[@pcuimac]

When I bought the game I hadn't played the VG yet. I was at my local boardgame store (Eberswalder Str., Berlin) and saw a nice blow out of DS expansions for 10€ each. I was stupid though and didn't buy the Boreal Valey boss. I got the character and Invaders expansion, the monster expansion and that Keep expansion. Obviously the game wasn't held in high esteme by the game store. Only after that I bought the base game, which was never on my list. I now have collected many of the bosses and are happy witj the game.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

What a great find. Definitely worth picking up expansions at those prices. I think the character pack and explorer pack really flesh out the core game.

[@ant6227]

You review really made me think here, particularly your intro discussing the video games and the different ways you can engage with the game. I wonder if part of why the board game resonates with you is specific to the way you played dark souls. For my part Dark Souls the video game is my absolute favorite game franchise of all time and yet I hated the board game specifically because it feels nothing like the video game to me (which isn't to say I think you are wrong to say that it is). I remember very specifically after the game was released an interview with the games designer where he mentioned how critical it was to replicate the grind of dark souls, which floored me because dark souls has never been about the grind to me, I rarely replay any area more than once (unless I die). It is a game known primarily for skill (i.e. Getting good not leveling up) in fact no level and/or no hit runs are one of the main ways the community engages with the game. That is not possible in the board game. You really do have to grind through the regular encounters not until you learn them but until you level up and get strong enough equipment to survive it. I would also add for me Dark Souls very much is about the story and exploration. While that story is often vague and up for interpretation it is fully present throughout the narrative. There are NPCs in every "dungeon" and they tell you their stories and come along with you for yours. Of course you can choose to ignore all this and just go it your own so just as you said it's just a matter of how you choose to engage with the game. I would be interested in your thoughts on the Bloodborne board game by CMON, in my mind this was a near perfect replication of the soulsbourne formula in board game form but that is based on how I play the game. It is far more skill based and the story is core to the experience.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I have to say, I don't personally feel you need to keep grinding encounters in the board game - not if you play to the items you draw, rather than the items you want. I wonder if that is a fault on the part of how the game was presented to players. I can quite frequently get to the mini boss with maybe one defeat along the way, and I almost always wait for a defeat to reset the board rather than choosing to reset the board out of caution. The more you play, the more you know how to handle the different encounters and I think the combat has plenty of skill involved. As I've said elsewhere in the comments here, I'm not really sure a board game could ever capture the beauty and scope of Dark Souls' exploration, map layouts, and deep lore. I think Steamforged Games made the right choice to focus on the combat aspect and do it (as far as I am concerned) exceptionally well. I think their revised rules set and new core boxes do move the needle a little more in that direction, but their RPG may be a better fit for those who want to delve into more of the world and the characters that inhabit it. Funnily enough, I see a lot of people saying Bloodborne doesn't capture the feel of the video game either, but for different reasons. Everybody has in their mind what feels "right" and these games will click with some people and not others; and like I said in the review, you can't really argue with that. I would like to try Bloodborne one day, but there are certain rules I'm fairly certain I wouldn't enjoy from watching others play, so I'm in no rush to fork out for a copy, as it's fairly expensive.

[@pcuimac]

As game variant I came up with an idea: "Lowest gear score wins!" You select your equipment from the loot and upgrades for your class and write down the worth. You skip the whole fight for souls and gear part and directly enter the boss fight. If you win, you get an entry on the victory ladder. You can then try again with lesser gear and less upgrades. Pointsvalues: Each card and base attribute is worth its index number and all of the cards before it. A shield is worth 1 point. A shield and an upgrade is worth 1 + ( 1+2 ) = 4. A shield with two upgrades is 1 + 3 + ( 1+3+2) = 9. Same with attributes needed to fulfill gear requirements. I think it's fun to start as an OP holy knight with top equipment and then get worn down by age and time, but still tries to manage the boss until he gives in and becomes a hollow who was once a famous holy knight. 😅

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Sounds very Dark Souls.

[@jarldjevel6111]

I recently acquired the game (less than a month ago). And I really love it. I don't have a problem with the grind, as each run provides me with different options (thanks to the loot). And if I die and have to start all over again that is not a problem because, like in the video game, I will try to apply another strategy. Of course I might not draw loot according to my characters' stats but that's an extra challenge that I love to overcome. I have to admit that the game is long and it's true that having the option of leaving it on a table (which is what I do) helps enormously. I like to make a run here and there in the manner of a chess round. So, I understand the game is not for everyone but, as far as I am concerned, it is a great one.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Glad to hear you enjoy it too. This is a game I love to set up when I have a clear evening, and I can lose myself in it for hours.

[@jarldjevel6111]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring very happy to watch your video as I share many of your thoughts. I think you perfectly described the essence of the game.

[@DustyLamp]

Agree wholeheartedly. The game feels exactly as it should to me, with the grumbles brought up by others being part of the enjoyment for me.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I think it's a lovely translation of the video game. I think the revised rules for the new core sets moved away from that a little bit.

[@JevousGaming]

Fantastic review, been anticipating it for a while. I fall into the same camp, I love this game. Also late to the board game, but a seasoned Souls video game player. I totally agree, it perfectly captures the feeling of tension in combat, with a strong push-your-luck element which is very reminiscent of the VG. I do agree, it has many flaws. Some easily corrected, but others (lack of exploration for example) not so much. The community has somewhat overcorrected with the amount of extra house rules (there are literally entirely new rulebooks written) to attempt to “fix” the game, but long time fans of the board game know that the rules as written only require a small number of tweaks to for the game to shine. SFG had an opportunity to do this themselves, but also fell into the over-correction trap. The new core sets are also much lighter on content than the original. In any case, it’s a diamond in the rough, but a diamond nonetheless. Thanks for your review.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Agreed. When I first started playing, I think the only change I really made was drawing a few items from the deck and laying them out at the start of the game so I immediately had a goal to work towards. From the revised rules, I took the new rules for filling the endurance bar, and I quite liked how they handled drawing items from the deck between fights. Other than that, I pretty much play the game as it was originally presented, and I think it's superb. I don't think a board game could easily capture the scope, scale and ingenuity of Dark Souls exploration and map layouts, so focusing on the combat and nailing that perfectly felt like the right choice for me. I covered the new core sets when they were first announced, but I haven't bought either of them, and I still think the original box is by far the best way to get involved for new players.

[@JevousGaming]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoringYes. I like the stamina rule. I also make a market row of some weapons, armor and items. Simple houserules that don’t change the fundamentals but add a bit of quality of life to the game. The blind random draw from a big loot deck was a lazy design choice IMO.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

@@JevousGaming Sounds like we are very much on the same page.

[@vikinggamerdad742]

Great video. Now you get me to want to buy this one. Doh. You should do a run thru video.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks. I may be able to do a playthrough at some point, but I have a lot of other pressing projects to cover first.

[@vikinggamerdad742]

I hear ya. I'm still working on finishing up my Cursed City expansions, ASC and Darkest Dungeon.

[@themalisher3969]

Hi, this video sounds like a love letter to dark souls, really great ! My wife and I both finished dark souls 3 and elden ring, i love these games so much that other games feels bland in comparison.. 😅 We bought the new core sets 1 year ago but didn't like the campaign system and the lack of variety. I wanted to buy the original core set since years but never did because of all the negative comments. Then I saw your video, and I found a core set with characters expansion fully painted and I bought it. We played 2 encounters last night after hesitating about should we play with original rules, v2 or some house rules (hallowed edition comes with nice ideas). In the end we played with v1 rules to give them a try, with only a twist, the V2 rule about you die when you must place a cube and your stamina bar is already full. I really loved it, you have interesting choices to make and it feels like the video game when I rush 2 ennemies with basi gear and bam, 1 hp left and my wife rolles her eyes haha 😂 Can I ask you what custom rules or V2 rules do you use with RAW rules ?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I have recently received the Painted World box for review, so that will be on the channel soon. In terms of rules I use from the v2 rules set - 1. Recover 3 stamina instead of 2 at start of turn. 2. Only defeated when you need to place a cube on your stamina bar and have no space. 3. Draw items once per visit at bonfire to create shop display. 4. Barrels don't cost stamina to move through and grant souls after a fight. I have flitted between the old and new dodge rules, and I'm still not quite sure which I prefer.

[@themalisher3969]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Looking forward to see it !

[@davidk6269]

Wonderful, evocative review! Thank you!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thank you. I really appreciate the kind words.

[@alastairbishop2450]

Excellent video, beautifully written and delivered.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.

[@superspecky4eyes]

I was a bit late to the party with FromSoft games as well. It put me off that it seemed to attract obnoxious elite gamer types. I ended up giving Dark Souls II a whirl purely because Peter Serafinowicz did some VO and promo for the game and turned out he was a massive fan. I've been hooked ever since. Bloodborne is my favourite though. A DS board game is intriguing but, I am not sure I would scratch the Souls itch that I love the most. That thrilling exploration!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

This board game doesn't do exploration in the traditional sense. You move from room to room, and those rooms contain stuff, but it's much more about finding a route through the enemies (sometimes it's easier to approach a particular room from a certain doorway, for example). It doesn't... I would say can't... capture the way Dark Souls maps open up, loop back on themselves, or reveal secret areas. It absolutely nails the combat and boss monsters, though.

[@FeartheOldBlood21]

Awesome video. I love the soulsbourne vgs. I would really love to see you do a playthrough of it. Have you played the bloodborne board game?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks. I would like to try the Bloodborne board game, but it's pretty expensive and there are a few rules that make me think I'm not going to enjoy it too much, so it's not one I've rushed out to get.

[@Spardin]

Should give darksouls 1 ago its different enough to 3 i think you'll like it. The world is one big area where parts unlock as you do things Definitely worth it if you like ds3 and bb

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I watched someone 100% it while I was painting, and I think that's good enough for me. Same with Dark Souls 2. One day I will probably give Elden Ring a shot, but it's very difficult for me to find time for video games, so these days, more often than not, I just watch other people playing them!

[@clwnthr]

Brilliant review, thanks, much appreciated 😊

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@shaneannigans]

I've never played the Dark Souls video games nor do I have any urge to but, man, I think this game is great! I think that the stamina/health being the one bar is not only great but thematic-and does 'fatigue' better than Gloomhaven. I like how I have a CHOICE to do powerful actions over and over but risk getting killed or play conservatively to save stamina. In Gloomhaven you can't do that-why?! It abstracts what needn't be abstracted. Sure Gloomhaven is a great design but Dark Souls' mechanisms are far more THEMATIC than GH's. There are houserules (double Souls, half sparks) that can speed up the grind but to be honest, I also really enjoy it solo (with a single character) rules as written 😊

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I tried the double souls half sparks rule but really didn’t like it. I felt it completely ruined the flow of the game. I play almost exclusively with the original rules with just a few very minor changes.

[@shaneannigans]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Same!! 👍👍👍 Rules as written get poo-poo'd by many, but I think they facilitate one of the best 3-6 hour, tactical, 'kill everything' solo tabletop binges 😊

[@alexp4046]

Great! Thanks

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for watching.

[@eldritchmorgasm4018]

Played the videogame years ago on the 360, wanted to try something else. It always looked interesting, but I knew about the higher difficulty & not realy having a story to follow. Still, I tried. And I did so for about 100 hours. Then I just stopped. Why? Because, for me, it's BORING... IT'S SOOO FUCKING BOOORIIING! 😂 Sorry about that, it's just not my kinda game, even though it's a solid, competend made game. Except for 1 thing, the story, which is good, or at least interesting, but it's absolutely not enough, and the company made it their mission to not give us a full fleshed out story, which is weak storytelling, but only concentrated on everything else, with every game they make. A strategy that people seem lo love, the whole franchise, about everything they do, and especialy this 1st game, is like lightning in a bottle. It's sad I personaly couldn't get into this, I wanted to, later on I even realised I got about 90% through, to me this is like "Resident Evil 2: Very Dark Age Fantasy Edition", but the lack of story is a problem, for me. Somehow they managed to tell a big story in a very small way.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I’m impressed you put 100 hours into something you thought was really boring. I would have moved on to a better use of my time way quicker.

[@eldritchmorgasm4018]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I think I didn't describe it properly. I played this far, thinking there will be something better, something more than less, so I pushed forward. There will be story-progression sooner or later... right? In that time it became less entertaining, always less, never more, only more boring. So I did something I've never done before or since then, I just stopped & never continued this. When I realised my playtime were already about 100 hours, I was kinda 🤯. Usualy I'm very picky about what I invest my time in, but I wanted to try something new videogame-wise, and usualy I don't quit immediatley. At the end of the day I lost this fight, total waste, but I stand to that. Again, just not my kinda game. Hard lesson learned very well. 😅 About the boardgame, this does look totaly fine, but it's realy expensive stuff. I wonder if they could manage a game where you can create your own story placed in that world, which is even less work for them. D&D, but it's "Dark Souls" or anything from that franchise/genre, you know, sandbox... 🤔

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Steamforged Games do make the Dark Souls RPG (and they sell all their DS miniatures separately for it). I haven't heard great things about it, but if you want to create your own stories in that world, that's probably the best bet.

[@V081WLBlue]

Eh? 0:14 you work from scripts, but now, you work from scripts! lol Am I missing something?!?!?!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Ha. That's not correct. When I first started the channel, I didn't script anything. Every video was off the cuff. Then, I introduced the "Stick to the Script" series, and just those videos were scripted. But now, I script everything, so if I call something a "Stick to the Script" review these days it doesn't just mean it's scripted, it means it's likely to be quite long, with tangents and detours into different subjects, and will focus much less on rules and game mechanisms.

[@V081WLBlue]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Even more confused now lol! Love your videos, cheers.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I never used to script anything, then I started scripting only videos designated as "Stick to the Script," but now I script everything.

[@HivisoftheScale]

hmm.... I have a very disappointing Dark Souls story... I first found Dark Souls 1 in a bargain bin at a store, and thought "Why not". So I plugged the game into my X-Box and gave it a try for the first time. After a little difficulty with the first boss, but not too much, I found my first NPC on a set of stairs. I talked to them, and they told me "Go up the stairs... or down. I don't really care!" ... and I thought to myself; "You know-- I don't care either!" So I took the disc out, put it back in the case and never played it again. If the people in the world can't be bothered to care about the world, why should I?! -- Not a popular take, I'll bet, but it's how I feel. Sorry 😔

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

The thing with the NPCs in these games is they are as obtuse as everything else, most of them are dealing with their own stuff. Additionally, people don't die, so often they will become fed up and tired of living. The ones on quests are trying to give existence some kind of purpose and if they fail in that purpose they lose hope and become hollow. So, a lot of the time the NPCs are people who have lost the will to live, or have fallen into dark thoughts. It's like talking to ghosts. The first character you meet in DS1 should give you your estus. He is passing on the torch because he has given up after facing defeat. Later on you will meet him again as a hollow enemy, as without the quest he had nothing left to cling onto his humanity. It's a weird world, and you have to pick at it a bit to start getting glimpses of why characters act the way they do. But it's not going to be for everyone, and if you don't like something there's no harm in that.

[@shaneannigans]

I unliked this video so I could like it again. 👍👍👍

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Ha. Thank you for the support (twice).