Rock Hard 1977 Review: I'll Take Board Games by 4-Time Jeopardy Champions for $500

Tom Vasel, Roy Cannaday, Wendy Yi, and Chris Yi take a look at a worker placement game about rock music, quitting your job, and making it big, designed by someone who lived it herself!
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[@JackieFox1976]

Thanks for the review! I would definitely pay to see the Dice Tower band. One thing it sounds like you, as well as a lot of other people, are confused by is the "no candy" symbol, which I'm guessing will change if we ever go to a second printing. It doesn't mean you can use a space with candy - it simply means there's a limitation with respect to the use of candy, usually that you can't use candy do that action twice. For instance, even with candy, you can only work once per round, you can only play one gig per round, and you can only hire one crew per phase. You can always combine those spaces with other actions that are legal during the same phase. Rock on, gang!

[@andymcguire237]

I'm gonna play this game soon (a friend got his copy recently). I used to play with you in Hollywood gaming before the pandemic and only just now realized who you were! Haha

[@JackieFox1976]

@@andymcguire237 I miss that meetup so much! I mean other than the kids' birthday parties. I don't miss those.

[@andymcguire237]

@@JackieFox1976 True. No idea why it never started back up again. Well, hope to see you at some other game event. Strategicon?

[@Naomania]

Tom Vasel likes Paper Money! the day has come!

[@KabukiKid]

LOL! Check for an empty plant pod husk under his bed! ;-)

[@Alloniya]

Yeah they are cool

[@MattD007]

He's liked paper money in other games, so didn't get the joke.

[@KabukiKid]

@@MattD007 Yeah, it's just a rare event for him to be accepting of paper money. ;-)

[@therealBocaStudios]

Candy 😂 aka drugs

[@SkyP1e]

I was 12 in 1977 and was in a few touring rock bands and sat behind the engineers desk for a while as well. This sounds like a great game for me. I still sport a 1970s style to this day.

[@TerrierHalo]

Glad it looks like a good game because it sure had me interested when I first heard it, can’t wait for it to show up on this side of the pond.

[@danyjacco4853]

I would like to a solo/coop expansion! Makes sense to me that everyone in the band is trying to work together for goals like recording albums and playing in stadiums

[@stormcrow4423]

I really like the theme, as a hard rocker myself.. I wanna play this game thanks for the review

[@DarthPizza777]

I was 5 in 1977. I love that year because it was the year that Star Wars was released and it made me the super nerd, I am today lol.

[@whiskeygamesnerdstuff789]

Going to be a great game to play, especially with the right soundtrack in the background.

[@ScytheNoire]

Candy addiction is no joke. Cavities, diabetes, and weight gain. Not fun.

[@crosscutgames]

Great review! I really appreciate that it is a popular theme and good mechanisms.

[@sasaro]

I won this game twice without ever getting a record deal. There are multiple paths to victory depending on bonus cards.

[@user-kl3xs8is1b]

There's a Brazilian game from 2016, "Rock'N Roll Manager" that is *very* similar to this game. It's not the same, but also a medium-light worker placement game, with the same theme and where you do many the same actions.

[@bakerudall]

I sing their cherry bomb song every time I play Quacks.

[@therealBocaStudios]

Love it!

[@DarthPizza777]

I love the theme...Metal!! 🤘

[@VJMorph]

This game is perfect for all the wish we were rockstars out there. Keen to get my hands on it. I think Tom has it pegged, if the theme doesn’t interest you play something else. Remember folks as Mike would say don’t Yuck someone else’s Yum.

[@JohnKulin]

Just finished a game of it. My only real complaint was there was not much verity, as Tom mentioned it's going to be almost the same play each time. Yes, I am aware of the manager/singer card powers, however it doesn't alter much of your play, however I do add that some of the managers/singer cards are more powerful than others. It's a very tight board and I feel like they cut stuff out for expansions and that's kind of a shame.

[@davidmarowske4243]

Dice Tower should add an award for most difficult game to get back into the game box. Devir and Garphill would battle annually for it.

[@gregorys9629]

Allplay would be up for it too.

[@JackieFox1976]

@@gregorys9629 Oh, I can help with that. Rule book on bottom, then board. Three player mats face up on top of the board, facing the same way on top of them, two player mats upside down on top of those. Character cards and player aids on top of the upside down mats. Everything else fits around that. A small long box along the side would have been nice for holding cards and some of the tokens, but everything fits in baggies. I keep the player pieces of each color in a separate baggie so everyone can get started. Let me know on BGG if you are still having trouble.

[@TobiasNatale_CG]

I really like the new set up

[@modemacabre]

I am excited to check this one out, even if my era of music is the next decade. Hmmmm, perhaps there's a" post-punk/new wave/alternative music" expansion that could take this one further off the rails... Anyone know if this will be presented at Essen and if Jackie Fox will accompany it. Would love to meet and talk with her.

[@JackieFox1976]

It will be presented at Essen though I will not be there. I will be trying to set up an AMA soon (as soon as I am fully over the Covid and pneumonia that were part of my Gen Con Haul!)

[@sidneyleejohnson]

Oh I can see why the game sells so well, the dials go to 11. This is Spinal Tap.

[@rawkyle9385]

But ours go to 11

[@Endeva09]

Marshall

[@allennewhausen2541]

But This is Spinal Tap didn't come out until 1984! No one in 1977 would have gone around making Spinal Tap references! My immersion is ruined! (j/k I know they would have had way more complaints about the dials *not* going to 11 if they didn't put them in here)

[@sidneyleejohnson]

@allennewhausen2541 well to be even more accurate, the movie portrayed Spinal Taps 1982 tour. That said the band changed their name to Spinal Tap in 1966 from the Thamesmen and they adopted heavy metal in the 1970s well before the 1977 board game threshold. So no reason to panic.

[@mythicdale8757]

The score here didn't match the optimism of the discussion but the drawbacks were well argued. I think it should be bumped up for the cleverness of the design. Even if you dislike the card draw randomness you have to still appreciate its relationship to taking candy.

[@scotthinckley2649]

I love how specialized words/phrases are lost or mutate over relatively short periods of time if they apply to something no longer commonly performed. Pressing a record or "pressing vinyl" is one such term. The DT group openly states 1977 is before their time (I was a teen then), but I thought it was very logical, and a great example of such a change for Chris to say "print a record." And if such were invented since 1980 or so, I suspect that would have been the exact phrase that was used. :)

[@MichaelStoreyr]

There a relatively new phrase for this: linguistic skeuomorph. Other examples include “hang up” a phone and “taping” a TV show. An example of a graphical skeuomorph is the image of an old camera for the (former) Instagram logo. A physical, real world example would be decorative stone columns or wood grain on an automobile.

[@searose6192]

Craving for candy? Not sure I like that thematic switch, especially given it is a boost that helps you up to a point.

[@m.h.e.7693]

The whole balancing a job vs the gigs hits too close to home. Gaming ptsd

[@psychoticvenom]

"Candy" -- lol. That *had* to be "drugs" early on in the playtesting and got lost by publisher feedback.

[@ABIGPLAN]

nose candy

[@RaduStanculescu]

Candy had me in stitches too. Hard candy, sure. 😂

[@JonTripp115]

If there's one thing I've learned this year, its that more KZbinrs should listen to The Runaways. They're the Queens of Noise, dang it!

[@Spidoink]

I’ve really wanted to try this one. But it seems most of them are defending the games lack flexibility. It doesn’t seem like there’s many true pathways to victory. Doesn’t seem deep,

[@Mattmeetsmeeples]

Great review! As a person that loves going to concerts this one was on my radar. I think I may just keep with Draft and Write Records as it has so many different ways to approach your way.

[@JackieFox1976]

Draft & Write is a super-fun game, though quite different than Rock Hard.

[@Get_Juju]

is donating blood for money an actual thing that bands commonly did back in the day? 🤔

[@sarumon17]

College students still do it plenty today. Check out Grifols near you.

[@JackieFox1976]

Yes, it was a way to make extra money.

[@modemacabre]

I personally know musicians who did it well into the 80's, although restrictions because of AIDS and IV drug use made it a bit more difficult.

[@searose6192]

It's a thing poor people do today. Blood collection companies set up shop in poor areas and put billboards everywhere offering incentives and bonus pay if you agree to a contract to sell your blood every few weeks. They would buy people's organs if they could get away with it.

[@TheAmazingYeti]

All this talk about rails and "candy" has me cracking up. Way to stay on theme.

[@Karak-Fak]

An absolutely stunning game. Just bought it today to play with my daughter. Had five different topics to speak about to her including androgyny. Awesome representation. Thought that could’ve been mentioned in the review.

[@fenirob]

Roy and Chris, let's jam!

[@christianwright5813]

Is this gunna be on retail sale too or is kickstarter the only way to get it?

[@thedicetower]

This wasn't a kikstarter. Released at Gen Con and will likely be available in retail soon.

[@winstonhammonds3314]

It’s available at Game Nerdz right now

[@reapersaurus]

(A nitpicky comment from a drummer) To the artist: at 1:08, please study how drummers hold sticks. Those thumbs are in impossible grips to drum with. And the sticks should be a _tiny_ bit longer.

[@JackieFox1976]

Considering Jennifer Giner (the artist) knew nothing about musical instruments when she started work, with a deadline, she did a pretty great job. We changed as much as was feasible within the time limit. In her original drawing for Eric, his guitar strings stopped at the nut and there was no cord. Sure some of the instruments are unplayable as shown, but the vibe is totally there!

[@reapersaurus]

@@JackieFox1976 I can imagine lots of difficulties drawing highly-intricate figures like musicians - It would be a minefield of dodging details that musicians know that are NOT common knowledge. Which is why I mentioned the drummer details, because I hadn't seen them mentioned but they really stick out to any drummer. I agree that the game looks great overall, and kudos on a great production. I'm interested in trying it out someday.

[@macmacox]

are there dice tower temp tattoos, or did Tom get a tattoo?

[@corsa180]

He got it a couple of years ago, it was the result of a stretch goal in one of their Kickstarters.

[@MichaelJones-yp8gj]

“Candy”

[@samanrahemi2199]

The DT seal flag should be always pointing up!

[@assau1tedpeanutinc540]

Great review. I'm glad I waited for this instead of buying into the hype on a game that probably isn't for me. I'm much more of a mechanics guy rather than theme (I enjoy themes but they aren't my first priority)

[@RetroMaticGamer]

I just assumed "candy" WAS drugs - not an allusion to drugs, but actual cocaine. Because "candy" WAS an actual term used to describe cocaine back in the '70s and '80s. As in "nose candy" and "candy makes you dandy." It didn't hit me until I saw references to "blood sugar" and looked harder at the in-game icon that they were using actual candy to veil it. I literally know too much and simultaneously not enough about drugs to understand this stuff.

[@dragonlance6027]

Candy! Right... candy😉

[@lancourt]

"candy" riiiiiight *wink wink*

[@meravl7615]

8:10 Roy? What is less than free? Did you bribe someone to get a gig? 😢

[@chrisk5270]

Road tax. Gig pay - gas cost

[@opendoorgames6413]

LOL... ALL OF THEM GO UP TO 11!!!! Great reference to Spinal Tap!

[@shanedbunting]

No mentioned the candy also being a song reference, 🤷‍♂️

[@pjpaella]

You force our hand Roy and Chris, link us to some of your band's music / videos!!!

[@Alloniya]

Saw this game in hotness few days ago, my interest went through the roof! Thanks for review. I trust your opinion

[@Stinger420]

Ya got me beat, Tom. I was born in Nov '78.

[@chriselbers3771]

😡😡😡😡😡😡paper money!!!!!!!!

[@wow1371]

Candy is obviously drugs and I love the thematic choice of calling it candy

[@PatrickBrophy]

The theme looks great, but that gameplay looks dull, especially if there really is only one "path to victory."

[@rawkyle9385]

Hard candy? Eat to much and get addicted and have to recover? lol come on man 😂

[@mattvucu6706]

Walter White’s famous jolly rancher hard candy always has you coming back for more 😂

[@ronyrodrigues1966]

I would love to see an expansion to add rock genres to it as the end goal; Like Grunge, Gothic, Glam, Black metal and so on... each one with its particularities and ways to win the game, improving its replayability. I like to dream =)

[@sm5574]

Not a lot of grunge in 1977. Maybe punk.

[@JackieFox1976]

There is already an expansion created that adds in airplay based on song styles and provides an alternate route and mechanism to points. In the interest of keeping the base game simple, we didn't add it in, but the idea is that if the game is successful, you will see additional mechanisms and routes to victory and song styles will play a role.

[@sm5574]

@@JackieFox1976, would love solo rules, if you guys can manage it. Obviously that requires different goals. Maybe something like going platinum before the public gets tired of you or the band splits up.

[@JackieFox1976]

@@sm5574 I've been thinking about it. I'd want it to be like a tour, with increasingly difficult goals and have a number of them.

[@sm5574]

@@JackieFox1976, you're the expert!

[@nreekm]

Rock stars for sure crave candies.

[@CamObscura88]

This game looks pretty awesome actually - considered it on Kickstarter but declined for some reason. Hilarious the “candy” mechanic, that is clearly something else…

[@brentboyer79]

So I'm assuming candy is a metaphor for another type of "candy"?

[@indywiring]

Not a kickstarter.

[@CamObscura88]

@@indywiringHmm, you’re totally right. I remember hearing about it and reading up about it, but looks like it wasn’t on Kickstarter. I may have just been remembering it from News of the Week or something.

[@epicfailgaming8005]

So using drugs in a board game. Fantastic.

[@TheFinn70]

Sex, candy and rock n roll LOL And I'm so glad those dials go to 11! Would have been instant 👎if they hadn't

[@gregevans6649]

candy? lol

[@MattD007]

You can really tell they tried hard to prop the theme up to elevate the score. Mechanically the game looks like a 6. This will be a game Tom does a look back on alone and downgrades to a 6.5. BGG will have this below a 6.9 eventually as well. Niche games tend to dip after the hype runs out.

[@VoidVerification]

Fully agree. The game looks mechanically bland and the overall board presentation just looks messy and uninspiring.

[@thedicetower]

It's true that this could go down for me in time, but I'm not propping up the theme - it's a solid theme, and that DOES help the score.

[@Crs9072]

Seems so. This feels like a Ameritrash euro game. Random events that mess up your plan, random cards, theme above anything, and game design which just feels like on rails. I suspect that the re-play value is really low. Play it once and you have seen it all.

[@MattD007]

@@thedicetower apologies on my wording. What I sort of mean is that the theme, in my opinion, is helping the score a touch more than your typical game due to it being somewhat rare, and it's well done integration. I think ultimately the mechanics will determine the score, and that outside of people who really connect with the them, as a few did in this review, the game is going to land lower than any of the scores being given at it's peak buzz. I've noticed this is steadily declining already on BGG. Started an 8 and is now a 7.6 in just a week

[@RaduStanculescu]

We will likely do displays instead of random card draws, that might help decrease the randomness. Maybe knowing the upcoming two events is more palatable from a euro player pov; same with choosing from a display of candy cards.

[@shawns3911]

Touching the table had a lot of audio thumping ..don’t advise

[@warpo007]

ok i'll say it... the cover, the cut and fit of the leather pants looks unnatural.

[@Lizziedotdotdot]

Thank you! It is both loose but also clinging to the bum enough to give very clear contours. I really dislike the cover because of this.

[@SDCgraphics]

lighting in this studio is too flat

[@Kojimalosophy]

this game is going to be such a flash in the pan, this same time next year no one will be talking about it.... typical

[@WilliamOfUrnge]

At best they'll be thonking about it. MAYBE thunking about it.

[@sm5574]

Same with 95+% of non-licensed games coming out.

[@Kojimalosophy]

@@sm5574 hmmm? what do you mean by "non licensed games" what are those?

[@sansrival933]

I agree the way i look at it its like those games that youre gonna play once or twice and done. Idk maybe its bcuz of the theme? Also I would have to agree with Tom on this one, when he said your gonna go the same thing and you just want to be a rock star

[@sm5574]

@@Kojimalosophy, a licensed game would be a game based on an IP, such as the Transformers.

[@MrNeurocide]

Candy? Why not a can of soda Coke

[@JasonOshinko]

Probably because Coke is a brand name.

[@joeferreti9442]

The game seems fairly pointless to me. I don't like the mechanics and looks and it doesn't feel thematic for me. It's not for me. Sorry Jackie.

[@KevinPatrickKenny]

What an odd thing to say. "Pointless"

[@Octavian2]

Seems incredibly thematic to me.

[@JackieFox1976]

It's okay, Joe! If it's not for you, it's not for you. No need to apologize.

[@togroglog2457]

Holy cow never been his early before

[@CamObscura88]

Want a cookie?

[@togroglog2457]

@@CamObscura88 You know what? Yes. Yes I think that particular turn of good luck is worth a single cookie.

[@warpo007]

Drug stuff1??! ADD TO CART!

[@KidJV]

nahh not for me.. this will go stale after number of plays

[@Aethernyl]

This is a good example of personal relationships getting in the way of objectivity. The components are terrible quality, the mechanisms mediocre. Theme is enough to save this? An 8? C'mon. Ive seem Vasel destroy games better than this.

[@thedicetower]

What personal relationships? We met Jackie briefly, but I have way better relationships with designers whose games I've trashed. You can disagree with our opinions, but please don't call us liars.

[@CamObscura88]

Huh? What’s wrong with the components?

[@coppershark1973]

Tom looks older than a 77! I thought he was in his 50s!

[@Alloniya]

I think candies here stands for drugs 🤨😅

[@pierrelabrie99]

Nose candy 🤐