'SETI' is One of 2024's Biggest Board Games. But is it any good?

[@MrGh0ti]

I wasn't reti

[@maciejwawrzyn4674]

Richard?

[@master55555]

🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@TheSuperMangler]

Please do not be upsetti

[@meganjuday9100]

💀

[@Sitbear]

@@maciejwawrzyn4674no one else got your joke. They all play inferior board games

[@denisjalusic1504]

I think what is understated here is the feeling of the game. For me personally, euro-games are mostly try-it-out games, been there done that. SETI doesn't have any new mechanic, but the theme and mechanics are interwoven in a great way. I really feel like I am exploring space and that's why I want to play it again and again. The theme just nailed me. Grounded but fun. What also needs to be said, the scanning is unbalanced in 2 player games and needs houserulling.

[@bw0081]

I know you do a lot of hard work. I know these videos take a ton of time, energy, and love. But my goodness would I love to have a job playing awesome games and talking about them all the time.

[@sykes1024]

Rotate the board?! That's NUMBERWANG!

[@worldofbachman]

'...and Simon, who is from Space'. COINCIDENCE?!

[@dmr2044]

Oh my goodness I've just now noticed the Kim Katsuragi portrait on the wall.

[@Justagamerhere1]

Let's hope Kim doesn't find out they play Pinball Arcade

[@matslarsson6919]

I was getting tired of euros. Then SETI came along and gave me a euro experience I simply cannot stay away from. I love it to tiny micrometeorite bits.

[@thegamesninja3119]

So you are saying it is out of this world?

[@komodo_]

Game seemed interesting when I first heard of it, but I can see the replayability being lacking if the random card deck doesn't offer enough excitement. Also, 10:22 until Arcs is mentioned, for those keeping track.

[@JulianSildenLanglo]

My preorder of Arcs got delayed until December, so I'm getting really impatient for it.

[@edalessio420]

@@JulianSildenLanglo I just found a copy in a local game store, call around

[@IAGUIT021]

I enjoy that Tom didn't lose an opportunity to talk about Arcs and to eat an egg on Ark Nova.

[@Bleuchz]

CGE using (pioneering really) rewood and replastic should be lauded. Hopefully they become the norm some day.

[@ianw0ng]

what does it mattet anymore? usa just elected someone who doesnt think global warming is real.

[@ianw0ng]

why does it matter anymore? usa just elected someone who doesnt even believe in global warming.

[@JoostN86]

CTG? What do they have to do with Seti? Sorry i didn't watch the video

[@azamarro]

You mean CGE. I always get their name wrong too.

[@Bleuchz]

@@azamarro :)

[@davetalbert8387]

The review gives me a big Terraforming Mars vibe -- a game that I loved, though I recall that SU&SD didn't.

[@pregenitor]

I feel this way about the game after playing it. Yet it is different enough not to directly compete with TM.

[@LukeSciarappa]

1:25 - Euler's rotation theorem, orbital plane, etc. It's not as bad of an approximation as it might seem a priori.

[@Nospecificplan]

"If you like orbits and hurling around in space, I would suggest the game ..." HIGH FRONTIER 4 ALL

[@dorusstrootman9366]

Missed the arcs kickstarter and got really excited by your review. Today we went to Spellenspektakelbeurs in Utrecht, hoping we could buy it there. After searching all the stands i finally saw 2 copies on a shelf!! My friend and i bought them, hearing those were the last 2 copies. So excited to play it now:)!

[@LaboratoryGrey]

I get that Americans probably won't get a Numberwang joke, but I am completely aghast that you said "rotate the board" that many times for a euro game and left it on the table.

[@martiansoldier]

That's Numberwang!

[@davidnicolau3927]

Oh dear, that dial-up connection noise at 0:40 or so brought back memories

[@jaterr]

Hey Tom… As weird as this is gonna sound, in my dream last night I ran into you at Walmart and was telling you how two years ago I wouldn’t have ever imagined that my only set notifications on KZbin would be for a British guy talking about board games, but that’s what my life has come to… I guess if KZbin is the Walmart of the internet, the prophecy has come true. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@thegamesninja3119]

Walmart is stocking Tom! Wow.... they are getting ready for Christmas!

[@jaterr]

@ Just imagine opening your very own Tom Brewster for Christmas! Come Black Friday, I’m going straight to that isle.

[@thegamesninja3119]

​@@jaterr sign me up. I am tired of solo play.

[@Supersketch84]

Matt Lees has something to say to you about your dreams.

[@thegamesninja3119]

​@@Supersketch84 yes, they need to donate to his Patreon to cover the dream appearance.

[@crepusculo1027]

Sorry Tom, but, you saying that you don't like SETI because it's not like Arcs, feels to me like a burger-lover saying they didn't like sushi because it doesn't have enough bacon and cheese. Your review and opinion is still totally valid, but I just think you're just not the target for this type of game. For what it's worth, your review convinced me to get it :-D

[@tigriscallidus4477]

Arcs was such a bummer for me. It got great reviews like here and I just hated it when playing. The wort is I felt bad for the other 3 players I made play it with me since they also hated it..

[@Wustenfuchs109]

@@tigriscallidus4477 Yeah, it was a big release in my fav game store, preorders with all the extra bits, great reviews everywhere, I thought about getting it... but I watched several playthroughs of it and was completely turned off. To me, it doesn't look fun at all, and I simply don't see a theme strong enough. Maybe I am missing something obvious, but the game just looks very boring to me (and I adore slower games, so I am used to 'boring'). To be honest, it looks to me like Arcs publisher had larger than average marketing budget, because I am simply not seeing where all those glowing reviews are coming from, what's the catch.

[@closedchill5243]

Would like to see your take on High Frontier 4 All. It's getting a new expansion soon. People just don't know how deep this hobby goes.

[@simland]

I was going to say, "If you like orbiting and landing on planets..." I would get a kick out of SUSD trying to review HF4A. They like to play games multiple times before reviewing, and a 12 hour session time for Base+0+1+2 would be very time intensive to review.

[@Wustenfuchs109]

They are really not into those sort of games. I do have HF4A, with all the modules so far, and I love it! But this crew is more into the games that you can easily set up and finished in ~3h time. HF4A has longer rulebook than all of the games they reviewed this year... combined. Probably. I just don't see them coming near that beast, let alone running enough games to actually do a credible review. Positive grade? Nope! And to be honest, HF4A is not something I am willing to take out for 95% of my gaming group, no matter how much I like the game. I basically purchased everything there is for the game, all modules, all extra bits, a game mat that is x2 the size of the original board... And I am very happy when I have the whole weekend to run a single game. But that's not often and I am pretty sure SU&SD would acknowledge a few qualities it has, but it would be an overall negative review. It simply isn't the game they would be interested in, given all of their reviews and what they look for in a game. In short, while I am willing to spend an hour and a half coming up to a payoff of my single planned move, they are in for a game where, by that point, you are either packing the game up or are in the culmination point of the entire playthrough.

[@Whapadoodle]

Ready, seti, go!

[@Vellzi]

BAN THIS MAN IMMEDIATELY.

[@pagey-71]

I see what you did there and I approve this message 😂

[@PhoenixScientist]

Readi, Seti, Go¡

[@henrikwakman7776]

Tom, hell of a job again, as usual. Thx man

[@TheRealActualPaincake]

"I probe Venus, and play the James Bond: Golden Eye card in defence postition!"

[@copyrite]

That's right, it's time for Wangernumb, let's rotate the board!

[@jonathanlevy9635]

1:24 most of our solar system do in fact move in one flat plane

[@Alluvian567]

Yup, given enough time the early chaos of the solar orbits align mostly in one plane and one direction. Objects that don't follow that rule collide and are eliminated from the orbit or are really far out, and I think those just take longer to fall out of orbit.

[@AlejandroAdria]

There's no solar system....We live in a closed realm.

[@THESP-rz3hg]

I feel lied to! I had assumed Seti was a follow up to Ra! Egypt joke I'll see myself out

[@Shad0wSix]

Isis what you did there

[@nazokashii]

Thank you for the review

[@stuartcoyle1626]

Who needs SETI? I've got Cosmic Encounter and have discovered hundreds of aliens.

[@tylersimmons7105]

I've played Cosmic Encounter and discovered thousands of aliens! (I forget all of them between each time I play)

[@seanmcgowan4842]

*aliems

[@chucklz6653]

1:40 Tanki Online Control point lost sound effect? Anyone?

[@jonahfalcon1970]

I have to cover this game at PAX Unplugged next month for a podcast/website.

[@NexusBaum]

I really like that wheel thingy

[@NexusBaum]

look! it's Tom!

[@davepicek6118]

hello, what is that game in 9:12 ?

[@pregenitor]

I'm not surprised Tom doesn't like it. If anyone from SUSD would like it, that would be Matt. But even he doesn't like Terraforming Mars. (and those two somehow share a vibe).

[@kreto7170]

You spend a lot of time describing what SETI is that can be said in just one phrase: engine builder. It's an engine builder at it's core. The message of your review seems to be you like this type of games but prefer others. Comparing it to Arcs or suggesting Ark Nova seems out of context to me. Yes, we know Ark Nova is great. To be fair, it should have been Terraforming Mars as it is a card driven engine builder with a space theme. Though the playing experience is still way different.

[@stephenspackman5573]

I like the idea of a game where modules open up in the middle. It might be interesting if they were non random, if a player could go, surprise! Now we have access to ruleset C. But random or not, it'd be better if it didn't disincentivise early specialisation. Hm.

[@sertaki]

Flat space is already a thing! We (meaning scientists) already proved that it has to be. It just means something very different than one would think without knowing a lot about complicated physics.

[@Ends_Of_Invention]

god that data looks delicious

[@AlejandroAdria]

Well, Tommy girl. There's a firmament. Stars are sonoluminescent (planets are wandering stars). Luminaries are plasma projections. Outer space doesn't exist. God does, though. But I'm intrigued by this game, not gonna lie. 😛

[@JosephLachh]

Next year they’re coming out with Realistic SETI (RSETI), where nobody finds any aliens.

[@threepoint14159265]

The aliens all have science or sci-fi inspiration by the looks of it. The future signals reminds me of Contact, and Oumuamua is a real asteroid that careened through our solar system recently!

[@andrethannhauser6302]

You don't need to scan the whole universe, just terraform Mars.

[@AnticitizenOne93]

A perfect game to try out with my bedroom visitors!

[@arturasmikalkenas726]

my question is does it have a big interaction between players ? how much one player can harm others ?

[@McSlobo]

Looks like the flippable alien boards might need some sleeves after a few games, if anyone cares.

[@Pimlka]

Shut up and seti down And also, great review!

[@youzwinx]

"""Hi my name is Tom and I bought a new synth with many sound effects""" 😀

[@MrBerserkinTime]

Im in the US and I want to play this so bad, but no one has it!

[@thegamesninja3119]

Aliems. I am not saying it is Tom... but it is Tom.

[@bearhustler]

You have to ask yourself...

[@thegamesninja3119]

​@bearhustler I did, but I didn't like the answer I got back.

[@dallintalbot539]

Excellent video

[@dieslowly]

I hope this video title is a reference to Review with Forrest Macneil

[@NutkinsO]

1:15 the solar system is flat lol. The only planet that's out of more than 10 degrees of the ecliptic orbit is pluto.

[@Wustenfuchs109]

Planet? Pluto? Why are those in the same sentence? Don't make me get up and get my encyclopedia young one!

[@thegameskingdom811]

I have to disagree with a lot of your comments and opinions, I think SETI is an absolute triumph of a game that i will come back to time and time again, just like Arnak. I love the way the board rotating can mess up players plans. For me SETI is one of THE games of 2024

[@explorer47422]

Galactic Cruise also have a great player aid booklet for each player, one of the best designed games I've ever come across, both mechanically and physically. Great review, good balance of humour and genuine review making it slightly more succinct, and probably easier for you guys to produce compared to the more humour-verbose ones :P

[@markframpton4500]

I’m really looking forward to GC. The aesthetic is amazing.

[@deciMae]

flat space is already a thing tom - it's a general relativity thing and is somewhat flat near nothing, as gravity causes spacetime to curve so near black holes spacetime is not very flat (it doesn't have anything to do with *2d* space, though)

[@deciMae]

physics pedantry aside, good review though, thanks for the vid

[@OriginalPiMan]

There's also the question of whether space is flat as a whole, or whether at extreme scales it might be parabolic or hyperbolic, or even loop back on itself as some kind of hyper-toroidal structure. It's probably flat at that scale, but there is a margin of error on those calculations.

[@brianmattei7134]

Hey Tom! No PAX Unplugged this year? :(

[@wigoow1206]

Space may not be flat, but the solar system is (almost). That's because formed from a rotating cloud of gas and dust simliar to the rings of saturn.

[@stephanclose9384]

Was the flat space comment a cheeky reference to 3 Body Problem?

[@freejay6091]

"WMAP has confirmed this result with very high accuracy and precision. We now know (as of 2013) that the universe is flat with only a 0.4% margin of error." That was mostly just a tiny dropping of research results.

[@Isaiah_Stuart]

Looks interesting, but I'm not sure I have room for it in a collection that already has Terraforming Mars, Bitoku, and Barrage. Still, great video! Pax Penning review when?

[@xCriticalStrikex]

intrepid is a cool space game.

[@IronSalamander8]

I enjoy Sol:Last Days of a Star quite a lot.

[@Furore2323]

Argh, traumatic flashback to the Egg Incident!

[@brandonrahhal6989]

Haven’t watched yet. Dying to see their opinion. I wanted to like it so much but it’s soooo fiddly for what it is.

[@d.aardent9382]

Flat Spacers!

[@Orange_Pith]

i like your coffee mug

[@scrattue]

algorithmic engagement

[@ajlynch123]

Spinning space board? I thought Last Light was the obvious pick 🤷‍♂️

[@dargkkast6469]

"flat space" actually planet systems are flattish, due to the rotation.

[@misterek6797]

Tom the atom is late as always, the devil is not laughing

[@TheMMmaster10]

Pychotka overflow

[@golgarisoul]

Alieums!

[@TheDoddridge]

Actually, the galaxy and space in general is pretty flat. As things spin they form into a disk.

[@ThePiachu]

Is this a re-upload? What changed?

[@MJ-ze3vw]

Nice recommendation of Sol: Last Days of a Star. Despite being an almost abstract game, it's incredibly thematic and thought-provoking. And the best part is, it mostly achieves that through in-game mechanics rather than the flavor text. I'd love to watch an entire episode on it, although perhaps it's not new enough for a video.

[@AlejandroAdria]

The sun is a luminaire. Stars are sound and light in the waters above.

[@Axolotecojo]

Would love to see a review of uncouncious mind

[@Sipulih]

No Uranus joke?? oh maan.......

[@Robinson_Crusoe]

At first i was super confused thinking this was a re-upload, then even more confused because i thought another member of the crew did a Seti review and Tom decided to do a second one just for good measure. Only then did i realize i actually watched the "first" video on the no puns intended channel XD

[@OlivierFanton]

I've bought Arcs following your review but our first game was very meh. Too unreadable. I'm not really looking forward to a next game, which we'll do anyway as the price was quite steep.

[@RichardArpin]

Sounds like it's between print runs. Try it again soon, because if the game doesn't click for you now you should still be able to sell it for near what you paid for it.

[@virgilalighieri7192]

Its definitely not for everyone. I'm still making up my mind about it.

[@melo0187]

Yeah, not for me. I'm going to play Disco Elysium now, thank you

[@thehandoflenin]

Sounds a great game…. I see you still have shares in Arcs…not got this myself mainly because it’s been overhyped plus seen a few reviews that say there are some major flaws in the game… SETI looks good so will give it a try.

[@DerekHohls]

What "major flaws" - and which reviewers?

[@thehandoflenin]

​@DerekHohls random card draws. If you don't get a card you need or want you can be left no actions that help you. In fact you can go through a game and never draw say a combat card, no defence in combat. Reviews you can seek out.

[@DerekHohls]

@@thehandoflenin Thanks for the info. I've not seen that in the reviews I have looked at so far. Perhaps less of an issue than its made out to be.

[@steveholmes11]

Great news sir, we found extraterrestrial life. Bad news sir, holds up picture of JarJar Binks.

[@TheMMmaster10]

Tomuś się spóźnił.

[@patrickvalo8822]

Love the disco elysium art on the wall 💙

[@lawnorprime]

Oops. Came here for a review about a settee.

[@Amadeus_A]

1:18 Do you not know that space is actually flat? "According to NASA, the universe is flat to within a 0.4% margin of error."

[@dejavu_d]

It's a joke, mate

[@Amadeus_A]

@@dejavu_d No, the joke wasn't that he didn't believe in the flat space theory. The joke was he believed that space was flat like he believed the earth was flat... but space is actually flat...

[@samuelmalcolm5121]

​@@Amadeus_Aflat in 4d tho, not flat in 3d

[@neilwalker4277]

SU&SD do two kinds of reviews and commentaries. The funny but informative and entertaining; the serious but entertaining. Sadly, this has no entertainment value whatsoever and I got bored, skipped a lot and quit. Bring back the good old days please.

[@mads6064]

❤

[@thomaswolf2391]

"Area control mini game.. ". Aaaaand I'm out.

[@grisuderspielteufel]

Thanks! I love your conclusion! It’s exactly how I feel about this game after playtesting it at Spiel24. Too much hype... it's not good for the game.

[@virgilalighieri7192]

I needed cheering up after the election. Thanks Tom.

[@DanielBlak]

I don't like because it's not Arcs.

[@mythicdale8757]

🖐ARCS 🖐

[@rajarasaful]

Looks like a massive fiddle-fest of a game that's a bear to set up.

[@kivipaperisakset3999]

I think SETI might be good for many people for whom board game nights are few and far between, and the people playing can change a lot between sessions. There is not the same chance to feel games feel similar, if you only play now and then.

[@jontandy17]

Yep I definitely fit into this category and being a planetary scientist I'm pleasantly surprised by the accuracy/realism in this game. Very interested to give SETI a go.

[@CallipygianMoose]

Not the most appealing box art on this one.

[@AggToaster]

Fun fact space is actually flat.

[@OverlordZephyros]

I know someone who actually is from another planet , he told me they been here way before us humans been.. in hidden cities under the ocean and under mountains and they will still be here way after humans are gone/extinct. They don't see us as their equals , more like completely indifferent to us except for a very few like him, just barely as a curiosity. We are just too animalistic/primitive to bother for their time and honestly who can blame them? trying to officially contact them will be fruitless, but hey nice board game lol

[@macgonzo]

The universe is topographically flat, so everything in it must also be flat.

[@UtterMarcus]

Are you really comparing SETi to a push your luck dice game? ouch

[@philomorph7]

The bane of "uninteresting opening turns" is something that even great designers can forget to avoid. If the opening turns of a game are either irrelevant, usually the same, or non-strategic because you're waiting for "the reveal", then you need to design the game with the reveal up front so players can get on with it from the jump.

[@MoiMagnus1er]

From Tom's review, I'd guess those first few turns are very important for the first couple of games, as they teach you how to handle all the ressources before the true game starts. IMO for a situation like that the best would be an "advanced start" option where you skip the first few turns and have instead more complex and highly asymmetric starting position. Maybe something generated with cards like the Prelude cards of Terraforming Mars.

[@blackarc]

Four minutes in and this sounds too ummm tedious to play… plus the time you will need to set this up yikes !!

[@CritterOverYonder]

I'm not seeing anything here that makes me want to buy/play this over Beyond the Sun. Also, don't forget the spinney board in Last Light for a more 4x experience.

[@dejavu_d]

Last Light is mediocre

[@darinherrick9224]

I wish I had bought SETI instead of Search for Planet X. I hated that game. You guys steered me wrong.