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

[@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.

[@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

[@dmr2044]

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

[@sykes1024]

Rotate the board?! That's NUMBERWANG!

[@worldofbachman]

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

[@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.

[@IAGUIT021]

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

[@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

[@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..

[@davetalbert8387]

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

[@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.

[@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 :)

[@Whapadoodle]

Ready, seti, go!

[@Vellzi]

BAN THIS MAN IMMEDIATELY.

[@thebeardedmother1535]

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

[@Serelenntidude]

Readi, Seti, Go¡

[@jonathanlevy9635]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@copyrite]

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

[@TheRealActualPaincake]

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

[@LukeSciarappa]

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

[@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

[@davidnicolau3927]

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

[@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:)!

[@henrikwakman7776]

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

[@nazokashii]

Thank you for the review

[@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.

[@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.

[@jonahfalcon1970]

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

[@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.

[@NexusBaum]

look! it's Tom!

[@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

[@dallintalbot539]

Excellent video

[@youzwinx]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@McSlobo]

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

[@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?

[@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.

[@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.

[@MrBerserkinTime]

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

[@brianmattei7134]

Hey Tom! No PAX Unplugged this year? :(

[@JosephLachh]

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

[@NexusBaum]

I really like that wheel thingy

[@Ends_Of_Invention]

god that data looks delicious

[@IronSalamander8]

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

[@andrethannhauser6302]

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

[@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

[@AggToaster]

Fun fact space is actually flat.

[@steveholmes11]

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

[@Pimlka]

Shut up and seti down And also, great review!

[@dargkkast6469]

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

[@dieslowly]

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

[@scrattue]

algorithmic engagement

[@ajlynch123]

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

[@Furore2323]

Argh, traumatic flashback to the Egg Incident!

[@ThePiachu]

Is this a re-upload? What changed?

[@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.

[@xCriticalStrikex]

intrepid is a cool space game.

[@chucklz6653]

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

[@Orange_Pith]

i like your coffee mug

[@golgarisoul]

Alieums!

[@PeppoMusic]

Space is actually quite flat. As in, it is not hyperbolic or spherical, just boring euclidean, flat and straight lines.

[@tahunuva4254]

Actually gravity's AoE is nigh infinite, which makes even empty space _slightly_ curved. We're talking infinitesimally small curves, but curves nonetheless.

[@d.aardent9382]

Flat Spacers!

[@misterek6797]

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

[@TheMMmaster10]

Pychotka overflow

[@melo0187]

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

[@lawnorprime]

Oops. Came here for a review about a settee.

[@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.

[@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.

[@TheMMmaster10]

Tomuś się spóźnił.

[@Sipulih]

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

[@mads6064]

❤

[@Axolotecojo]

Would love to see a review of uncouncious mind

[@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

[@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.

[@virgilalighieri7192]

I needed cheering up after the election. Thanks Tom.

[@DanielBlak]

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

[@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.

[@rajarasaful]

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

[@mythicdale8757]

🖐ARCS 🖐

[@CallipygianMoose]

Not the most appealing box art on this one.

[@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.

[@UtterMarcus]

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

[@macgonzo]

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

[@blackarc]

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

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@darinherrick9224]

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

[@DrMcFly28]

My impression is that the game is fine, but too long for what it is. People say their 4 player games last 4-5 hours, and that just sounds a bit too much.

[@landa2]

Honestly.. the thumbnail scared me away before the review.. Just so much on the table instils the dread of teaching it.

[@ZoidbergForPresident]

I was pleasantly surprised at the newish team this game has, but then I saw the board, and tokens, and all that... and I don't want to play this, and this is perfectly fine. :p

[@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

[@ioannispaxinos5171]

So we're back to SUSD's classic eurogame review. "I like it but it feels kind of samey." I wonder why they keep bothering with these videos. You're just not that into eurogames. At least not enough to appreciate their subtle nuances. Let it go people. There are thousands of other games, no one is going to hold it against you.

[@casestudy26]

What a depressing review.

[@maciejwawrzyn4674]

Euros *yaaaaaaaawn*

[@icarusmustburn]

Hypocritical review across many dimensions from someone who raves about Arcs… 😂😂😂

[@DerekHohls]

They are not the same kind of game at all (apart from having aliens and being set in space) ... nothing hypocritical at all about either review.

[@icarusmustburn]

@@DerekHohls Then he shouldn't have men6ioned it in the review...

[@Beats_by_dara]

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