Should You Back Elden Ring the Board Game?

In this video, I'll be talking about the newly launched Kickstarter campaign for the board game Elden Ring the Board Game from Steamforged Games. Should you back it on Kickstarter? I'll be discussing the game and giving my thoughts on whether or not it's a good investment.
If you want to check out the Kickstarter for yourself you can find it here: bit.ly/3AF0UKo
Timestamps:
0:00-0:12 - Should You Back Elden Ring the Board Game?
0:12-1:00 - What is Elden Ring the Board Game?
1:00-2:54 - Risk Assessment of Steamforged Games
2:54-5:27 - What is gameplay like?
5:27-6:45 - My big problem with Elden Ring the Board Game
6:45-7:28 - What Steamforged are doing right
7:28-8:08 - Why Should You Back Elden Ring the Board Game
8:08-8:28 - Please Subscribe!

[@Ezekialify]

I backed the core game. I have a small group of friends that love co-op games, and I imagine by 2030 when it gets delivered, we might have time to actually play it.

[@shouldyoubackit]

😂 and if not it gives you time to make friends in order to play it when it arrives.

[@picpuslenoir8557]

M2

[@progresspigment9593]

My guess is that it would be better to wait for this to hit retail if you’re just interested in the entry level pledge. No stretch goals and shipping will likely be less via retail.

[@shouldyoubackit]

Totally, gives you time to see what the reception of the game is too

[@alexanderkleiman6366]

You guessed right

[@DwaineWoolley]

I backed Bardsung. It’s my favorite board game of all time. It’s the only game from them that I’ve backed too so my experience was great

[@shouldyoubackit]

You definitely got a lucky one there :) I saw that there’s been issues with Bardsung with getting an errata out to players?

[@patriziopastore9895]

I also like it and tons of content for the price.

[@EricWoning]

@@shouldyoubackit - I understand you not liking ZHD or Dead Souls the Board Game - but they've come a long way since then. And on the King of Average Discord all backers of Bardsung have been positive regarding the delivery etc. There is a long list of 'look into the publisher before' list where they are not on... so I'd say light amber. The biggest risk IMO is that they have so many campaigns open. All this said - LOVE the videos. Keep up the work.

[@Rudgged]

@@EricWoningit’s funny because most comments I see on the videos is that Dark Souls board game is better than the Elden Ring

[@jessemendez6426]

As a Deaf viewer and subscriber to your channel, I want to say I deeply appreciate you for adding captions in your videos and your critical thinking on breaking down their track record, your experience playing their games, prices, and final thoughts on whether we should back it or not. I backed one of their from Kickstarter, Resident Evil 1 the board game, and the justification for me to back them is I never finished PS1 and Gamecube of Resident Evil 1 video game and kind of what if STARS members were to survive the entire ordeal in the game. I decided not to back any IP games including Elden Ring if I have or had played the video games.

[@shouldyoubackit]

Jesse it warms my heart that the subtitles help, an added reason for them is that some people can find my Northern Irish accent hard to understand on some words 😄 The Resident Evil 1 game hasn’t been fulfilled yet if I remember right from my research? Or is it currently fulfilling?

[@jessemendez6426]

@@shouldyoubackit Currently, it is in production, and the game delayed to July/August of 2023 due to quality issues with printed components, and some of the miniatures need to be corrected.

[@maxk1273]

i’m not deaf but i also like captions! they just make it easier to understand/digest videos.

[@kaindeer6910]

I like the captions as well

[@Trockenmatt]

This game feels like it was made for me. It's heavy, but simple. Yes everything is very complex, but that's through player choice and not through randomization or random rules that don't fit with the rest of the game. Every single turn you take only 3 actions, and they are all visible to you at any time. There are just a lot of them, and a lot to weigh against each other

[@shouldyoubackit]

It’s definitely a game that once you get a scenario or two under your belt you’ll be flying but it can look a little intimidating at first

[@nic1718]

This was great! Went straight to your channel to check out some of the other videos. These pledge pages can be a bit overwhelming sometimes so this was a really digestible breakdown. Looking forward to new videos in the future!

[@shouldyoubackit]

Thanks so much! And so glad you found it helpful. I totally agree, and things like this can be super helpful for people who are brand new to crowdfunding sites which is pretty common when we see big campaigns with popular IP’s that break out of the board gaming niche

[@NocnaGlizda]

But hey, in this game, I'll probably have stable frames.

[@shouldyoubackit]

😄

[@billlau9505]

My biggest issue with SFG games is that they produce games as if they are collectible toys.. Many gamers don't have the luxury of the storage shelf space, nor the finance to just own ONE game.. They can just go with the route that other publishers go to add miniatures as an optional add-on rather than necessitate it to include for additional gameplay.. Collectors can go with the collector pledge, but the majority of the board game community values the game play, and they don't always want to invest in few hundreds of dollars for the miniatures. I too backed their Horizon Zero dawn KS campaign, but after watching the game play review how inaccessible the game is I immediately sold all my 5 boxes of horizon zero dawn pledge.. Really sad that SFG is the one who picked them up instead of Awaken Realm. I too might still get the entry-level pledge, but will never go for the expansions

[@shouldyoubackit]

That’s a really interesting way of thinking about it, I’ve never thought of it that way

[@patriziopastore9895]

It was 4 year ago... 2018... I also have Horizon Zero dawn and I understand the complain but now they deliver very good game. Also Awaken Realm they had some issue with The Edge: Dawnfall or SiegeStorm (Awaken Realm lite).

[@OctopusLair]

I was looking for something like this. Thank you.

[@shouldyoubackit]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@bryanyoung9966]

Great reviews and hope the channel keeps growing! Well done Sam!

[@shouldyoubackit]

Thanks so much Bryan!

[@Lionhunte3rs]

Great assessment. Thank you for your work on this. I am on the fence because of my history with dark souls. You said exactly what i needed to hear. Subbed.

[@shouldyoubackit]

You’re too kind. Im glad you found it helpful 🙂

[@onur759]

Well, from now on, I'm gonna keep track of new board games in KS by just following your channel, hoping you won't miss any board game published on the platform and make video about them :D

[@shouldyoubackit]

Haha that’s quite the task but I’ll do my best

[@LilTiJM]

Hey I LOVE your videos. For once, it's an honest representation of the kickstarter without all the hype we are seeing in the videos covering the campaigns. Do you think you could make one for the Heroes of might and magic 3 boardgame kickstarter ? I'm having a lot of doubts, but nostalgia hits hard.

[@shouldyoubackit]

Glad you liked it! And thank you for your kind words :) Unfortunately I’ve missed the moment for the Heroes 3 Kickstarter as there’s only a few days left and I try to get in right at the start of the campaign.

[@Berndr]

and you should Heroes 3 is one of my favorite games of all time and yeah I am backing it but same as you I have lots of doubts, particularly about the combat,. I am almost sure combat will suck ... not because is bad per se... but because it is not board-game friendly ... meaning it is not straightforward and easy to resolve ... when you play a board game and have to do complex long tedious resolutions and constant calculations you start yawning and getting a headache ... Also combat in Hero 3 seems to be ridiculously long for board game standards, as a solo mode that can be very enjoyable ... but if played by more than 2 people it will get boring to wait for your turn... 4th player may as well go and have a little nap till his turn comes again! Euthia played with 4 people for example has the same issue, ages till your turn comes, can be 25 min per player ... I have friends who don't want to play it anymore if there are more than 2 players! Whilst in Elden ring based on a video I watched the combat with 4 players has been done absulutly to perfection fast and efficiently resolved!

[@siriactuallysara]

I only backed 1 of steam force games campaigns and that was bardsung. I had an incredibly good experience with the game and the company. They delviered on time and had excellent quality product. I have yet to play the game but I have read through some of it and I am very excited to get started. It’s in my que.

[@shouldyoubackit]

I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun 🙂 one of the guys in my group has it

[@sayrode6244]

Rly big thanks for the video and ur opinion^^ the fomo hits pretty hard sometimes with preorders :) but ill guess i wait :D

[@shouldyoubackit]

Not a problem, it hit me really hard on this one too. There’s a lot I love about it with the IP (even though I’ve not played Elden Ring as I’d suck at it 😄) and the minis but I think I’d rather wait and see

[@LegoAssassin098]

I really appreciate the focus you put on the company. It's probably the most important part of the package. When you crowdfund, you're essentially paying for an IOU. If that company isn't great at fulfilling their promises, that IOU doesn't do much. There are definitely projects that I missed out on because I couldn't trust the company, and most of them were the right decision. MONUMENTAL African Empires from Funforge is probably the best example of a game I passed on solely because of the company behind it. I was waiting for this game for weeks when it was announced. I had money in the kickstarter until the last day, when their Kickstarter practices and past issues were just too much to handle and I canceled. And given their current financial struggles, I couldn't be happier that I didn't back it. (No ill will to Funforge. I do hope Funforge can fix itself and come back)

[@shouldyoubackit]

Thank you for mentioning that, and you're totally right, that's how I see it. I've been burned in campaigns before for the very fact that I didn't do research on the company and was just swayed by a game that looked nice. At the end of the day this isn't retail, the game isn't done and being swayed by how cool it looks doesn't apply as much because as you say, we're buying an IOU as opposed to an immediate product. I've backed out of quite a few campaigns throughout the process once that initial attraction wears off a bit and there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing that too.

[@LegoAssassin098]

@@shouldyoubackit I definitely think generally people underestimate the company until it's a company they get burned by personally. I always try to wait until the last few days to put down my pledge. If not put down $1 and pledge in the PM It allows me to let the initial "Oh man this is cool!" feelings subside and also to see the full picture ( ie stretch goals, extra pledges, how they've handled the campaign so far) and make a better informed and logical decision. I'd rather miss out on a game that turns out great than waste money on a bad game or no game at all.

[@TheMagnumExpress]

Your comment on backing games for the minis made me laugh, because I came to that same realization a year ago. I'm really on the fence about backing Elden Ring, especially since I usually go all-in on these campaigns. The game does look intriguing, but I'm not sure I want to drop $400+ with the holidays around the corner. I might pledge at the core level to get access to the pledge manager at the very least.

[@shouldyoubackit]

It is a big money drop at the holiday season

[@eldraque4556]

Thanks Sam!

[@shouldyoubackit]

No problem!

[@Auyl97]

For me, its the pricing vs what you actually get. I feel like the game is so much more expensive than it should be. That, paired with the fact that if you back the "entry level" you don't even get any kickstarter exclusives makes me really feel like waiting for it to hit retail is so much more worth it. Even more when considering the problems that the company has faced with previous kickstarters.

[@shouldyoubackit]

Waiting for retail is never a bad decision, people will always bring up the ‘but if you back you save so much more than at retail’ but I never really see the value in that argument. Technically I’ll save more by never buying something if we really want to go that route 😄

[@Auyl97]

@@shouldyoubackit Yeah, I mean if you are absolutely going to buy it you get a better deal by backing for sure. Cheaper cost for the same thing. You can however never ever save money on a product by buying the product. You are literally spending money, which is the opposite of saving money so that is a faulty argument for sure.

[@Ruthless00x]

@@Auyl97 Some of the issues of the price increases are just due to global shortages and inflation. It's unfortunate, and not the only cause, but I'd argue it's definitely a big part of why the game is more expensive than past releases. The price of paper alone is getting very expensive to make right now. And, well, this game has a lot of it lol

[@iansutton7416]

Fair comment on the Steamforged track record Sam. It's probably bad enough that I'd treat them as a 'no go' crowdfunder, but I'm definitely more careful these days. Whilst I'm wary of 'groupthink', which seems to envelop the content creator community, it's also worth a note that Horizon Zero Dawn (and indeed some other IP games from Steamforged) had question-marks over the gameplay. That just adds to the risk. You raise a very interesting question re: expensive all-in IP based crowdfunding games, and whether they're aimed at board gamers or video gamers (who might be tempted into board games). I don't know what the %s are, and it would certainly be interesting to know. My gut feel from discussion forums / comments sections, is that it might be people who play both video games and board games, and in particular those that appreciate a visually strong experience.

[@shouldyoubackit]

Yeah my friend and I both have Horizon, again a big draw were the mini's for me at the time as I was newer to the board game space on Kickstarter but it just wasn't the best campaign. I think the Steamforged team make some great products like their Epic Encounters series and I've heard the Resident Evil 2 game is brilliant but it seems like when it comes to video game IP's they've not got a great rep in the community which is a shame because it leads to immediate negative reactions without the potential for them to have a fair shake. As for IP tie-in's, for me it should be used as a gateway for people into the hobby as opposed to just being for those of us who are entrenched in it if that makes sense. Or at least have a balance I guess. I think you're right though, it seems catered for the Kingdom Death style players out there but my hope is that I'm wrong about the learning curve and that it is a viable gateway for new gamers.

[@Ebbski117]

I have personally backed the core pledge for a few reasons. 1. I love co-op rpg's of all kinds and while I have the dark souls board game, I'd like a more open world option for those rainy days with a few candles lit and some atmospheric music on. 2. They have said that there's a huge discount from backing it now and buying the game on release. Add that to the 10 daily free unlocks we are keeping track of I'd say there's big value for money in getting in early. 3. I watched the full 2 and a half hour gameplay video from the channel and while there are many mechanics to the game and also probably some that they are keeping hidden until release, I only find that as a huge positive in favour once again of value for money. 4. I'm a huge fromsoft fan and anything to do with their games in a collectible fashion is also going to sway me, especially as they've nailed the look and feel of Elden Ring in the hex tiles and miniature models. I can completely understand that a previous poor experience with a company can put you on the back foot and I only hope that if you ever have a chance to play you are pleasantly surprised!

[@shouldyoubackit]

First off I totally second your hopes that I get to play this someday 😄 I do think I’d likely have fun. Also your reasons for buying are totally valid and I’d agree with you, for me it’s a no but by no means does that mean that others can’t back it if that makes sense?

[@Chris3s]

I just got recommended this video and I sometimes dabble into board games. Did you back the original sin board game, and if yes do you believe it will be good?

[@shouldyoubackit]

Well you’re more than welcome here :) I didn’t back it no, I’d have to do some research on it but I can’t remember it

[@Chris3s]

@@shouldyoubackit The production is almost done and didn't see any video on it from you so maybe you had some early hands-on. I guess let's see what we'll get. Subbed

[@shouldyoubackit]

Unfortunately not, I’m a very new channel so I wasn’t around when the campaign was live, but maybe for the next one ;)

[@Kingeptacon]

This looks like another $2000 game if you want all of the Lands Between. I put 700 hours into the video game. Think I’m good. I backed Oathsworn and Cthulhu Fear of the Unknown instead.

[@dagabonpataman8312]

well at least the miniatures look great... im going to make my own enhanced heroquest elden rings to play with my kids 😁

[@shouldyoubackit]

They always produce some stunning looking minis

[@Berndr]

lol I used to do that ha ha ha ... hero quest minis are great I even used them in gloomheaven

[@lukapreradovic3365]

Hi, my favorite board game is rising sun, how much more complex do you think this game is

[@shouldyoubackit]

I wouldn’t be able to give you a good comparison as I’ve not played Rising Sun but definitely check out the gameplay video for Elden Ring that I linked as it’ll be super helpful in seeing how complex the game is and if you think you’d enjoy it 🙂

[@lukapreradovic3365]

@@shouldyoubackit thx, will try to find the time to watch it this week

[@diznotfizz2600]

You're totally right with the point: do your researches with new products. There are several debatable points about this project and there aren't right answers: some projects of SFG were absolutely forgetable (Dark souls, Horizon...) but other KS were really appreciated (not masterpieces objectively but pretty funny as Bardsung, Resident evil 2 & 3) and with last projects it seems the quality of gameplay has improved (for example everything regarding Monster Hunter looks much better than dark souls); but i totally understand the worries about Steamforged Games. Other point is the delivery of their KSs: every project is delayed, but not only for SFG, every european society or every society with european supplier suffered the effects of the war, there are tons of projects on delay. Also the price could be a problem but my point is the power of the brand: they stated the entire Elden Ring thing will be divided in 3 parts, sure the total cost is huge but it will increase strongly with the completion of the campaigns; if you're tired of the game, in the future you could easily resell everything also earning some bucks. The final point is: depends on your plan, think wisely if it could fit in your collection.

[@shouldyoubackit]

I’d absolutely advocate for folks doing their research, it only takes one bad experience to put someone off crowdfunding forever which is a shame because there are a lot of companies that really need that platform to bring their games to life.

[@yagok2583]

man i pledge the all-in, because i really enjoy heavy games and, well, Elden Ring, but now you just made me think. 6 games currently on different phases is not a good sign, id say. is there a reddit or something i could read about some more recent experiences with them?

[@Berndr]

I backed before and had no issue, I am worried he is too biased because out of 14 games from this company he backed that one that was actually a total disaster ... so I understand where he is coming from... I will still go all in because I loved everything I have seen in the gameplay videos, the quality of components and miniatures is amazing and has a fantastic new innovative fast combat where you don't fall asleep waiting for your turn to come again... as I see it the company went through the learning process, learned from their mistakes and they are now more experienced to provide a better service ... hey its Elden ring one of the most popular games of all time how not to back that lol

[@yagok2583]

@@Berndr nice to see a positive experience, it gives me more to think about. Yeah, its so hard not to back elden ring stuff lol. I enjoyed the combat without the downtime and love modular explorations. The thing is that the all in is a hell of a lot when converted to my currency and i dont even know the shipping cost, but well, ill think about it

[@shouldyoubackit]

So regarding their other campaigns there's actually another commenter here on the video who has backed their Resident Evil 1 campaign, from what I've seen those projects are all in progress and developing, I just don't like seeing a company with quite a few unfulfilled projects at one time as it's quite reminiscent of the likes of Mythic Games. What I would say is that if you really like what you see and you think you'll not only be able to get this game to the table but equally get enjoyment from it then go for it. At the end of the day the choice always comes down to us individually right? For me I'm still super curious about this game but I'll likely wait until retail. Just expect the game to arrive at least 6-8 months after they say it will.

[@shouldyoubackit]

Obviously I'd disagree that I'm biased but that's a given, as I stated in the video because of my experience in that campaign I chose not to back their Kickstarters because why should I back other games from them when I hadn't even received the one I did. Equally from the video I mentioned that I believe Steamforged have improved as a company but the big, and only, red flag that I raised in the video that is a concern is how many open and active projects they have that are unfulfilled which is almost half of the total projects they've brought to the platform. I think it's important that we allow each other to come to our own conclusions, but it's important that we do have some form of balance when it comes to the information that we put out there. At the end of the day, reaistically, my opinion on the matter isn't important. All that it comes down to is whether you, or anyone, as an individual believe that the value you'd get from backing warrants the support you'd give.

[@yagok2583]

@@shouldyoubackit I think you raised important factors that I wouldnt have found by myself, so being biased or not, that was definitely a valid point. I also think 6 unfulfilled projects is a bit concerning and im not sure how i feel about the most-likely delay. But yeah, you guys have me a lot to think about

[@PaulMB40]

New subscriber here. Great video. Looking forward to... another one...

[@shouldyoubackit]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it

[@siriactuallysara]

Can you do one for werewolf the apocalypse and might and magic 3 Thanks.

[@shouldyoubackit]

I may have missed those campaigns but I may look at a ‘Should You Late Pledge’ type thing :)

[@LegoAssassin098]

At the end of the day, it's big, it's expensive, it's a campaign game that most won't finish. It's pretty and if I had ties to the IP, I might consider it. But it's really hard to translate that type of game (grind-and-get-better, fluid 3d combat with a very pretty world and immense lore) into a board game while.making the board game feel satisfying in its own right. Grinding in a board game is generally not fun, especially when you bring 3 of your friends along for the slog. Dark souls the board game struggled with this too.

[@iansutton7416]

Yes, translating from video game format to board game format is an interesting challenge. It's likely that a successful video game needs significant changes to work in a board game format, simplifying it, yet retaining the 'essence' of the original. I very much appreciated them bringing the narrative to the fore in This War of Mine, something that tends to get cut to the basics in video games, but for me shines as the very heartbeat of the board game.

[@shouldyoubackit]

The tricky thing about having a board game that has you level up and progress your character each session is that it's damned hard to organise for people to come back each time to continue. It's a tale as old as the TTRPG community :D

[@LegoAssassin098]

@@iansutton7416 To be fair, board games don't have to completely translate the video game. But when it doesn't, there's is a fine line between a game that feels like a cool take on the video game and a game that feels uninspired/unsatisfying. It is the difference between Cuphead the Dice game and Mechs vs Minions....or the 800 deck building games.

[@Deydrys123]

I did the all in pledge mostly because of the amount of figures. I do love these type of games but 450 for over 100 figures is nice for my dnd campaigns.

[@shouldyoubackit]

The all-in is definitely a stonking amount of minis. I may end up waiting to see what it’s like at release or alternatively re look at it again at one of their next campaigns

[@SirGoose777]

Complexity I think is not as a big of deal as you make it out to be. Especially considering the competition in story games by popularity we see such as Oathsworn or even Kingdom’s forlorn. Edit: Gloomhaven as well.

[@shouldyoubackit]

Very fair, my comment was perhaps a bit too subjective. It’s something I’m working on for future vids :)

[@patriziopastore9895]

Honeslty I think that Steamforged improve a lot since Horizon Zero Dawn Board Game, we are talking about a game of 2018 and they run good 10 other campaign (6 that need still to be delivered). The quality of the game is good and the support service is super responsive, I order something during the back friday and the support reply to a ticket in less than an hour. I defenetly agree that the all in... is as like the usual all in of content that most probably will never hit the table :)

[@shouldyoubackit]

As I say in the video I’d agree that they’ve definitely improved, one of my concerns is simply down to how many open projects they have that haven’t fulfilled yet they’re also running this which is another very heavy component title

[@TisButAScratch666]

I backed Bardsung from SFG. It arrived a month early and I had no issues with it. Their games are not cheap though!

[@shouldyoubackit]

Definitely not cheap but the minis are awesome

[@willSolos]

If someone pitched you dnd before it came out would you have backed it 🤔

[@shouldyoubackit]

What do you mean? I’m not fully understanding the link.

[@willSolos]

@@shouldyoubackit like if before dungeon and dragons was released and someone told you about it(game play) would you have backed it

[@shouldyoubackit]

I likely would’ve as technically it was pioneering something at the time

[@irregularmana6216]

I cant wait an extra year for a board game. If it gets made ill buy it when it's out

[@shouldyoubackit]

I hear you there, it can be really sucky then when you finally get your hands on it it can be harder for it to live up to expectations

[@CoxJul]

DarkSouls* the boardgame Redux? (*an earlier Steamforged KS game)

[@shouldyoubackit]

Funny I’ve actually got Dark Souls, I had picked it up on Amazon a few years after it shipped to backers. Looking forward to give it a play but it’s on my shelf of ‘to play’ games atm

[@Maspital]

Im just sad that SFG go the license for Elden Ring :( probably would've instantly bought it from most other publishers, but SFG has yet to make a really great game ("good" just does not suffice at this price point)

[@ericbialas]

Want to see the Radahn mini

[@shouldyoubackit]

Have they announced that one? Or is it coming in one of their future expansions?

[@ericbialas]

@@shouldyoubackit haven't heard yet. Feel like Radahn/Malenia are musts for me

[@RosieDuck]

welcome to "youtube ate my comment???", a comment remake: i was waiting for your vid to confirm my decision. it was a toss-up between this and Heroes 3 boardgame and apparently Archon has previous, higher rated games so hopefully Heroes 3 will be good as well.

[@shouldyoubackit]

I had meant to actually make a Heroes 3 video too but just didn't get to it in time and I think it's likely too late in the campaign to put it out now. I did really want to like Elden Ring but I think I'd rather put the money towards getting a copy of the Skyrim board game.

[@RosieDuck]

@@shouldyoubackit Oooh!! See, I missed Skyrim. I'm pretty set on Heroes 3 bc nostalgia lol but I'll check that out as well. Love to see how they adapted it!

[@Berndr]

Archon has already uncovered over 50 stretch goals and still going ... whilst Steam forge even though made tenfold of asked money will only give 10 stretch goals for the entire campaign ... yeah that says something no ... I still backed both ... Gameplay and combat in Elden ring look much better, faster, strait forward and intuitive than in Heores 3 even though I love Heroes 3 as an idea for board game way more ...

[@davidbreece5197]

Did you back marvel zombicide?

[@shouldyoubackit]

I didn’t, with the VAT and shipping taxes for backers here in the U.K. on top of the quote high prices of CMON it didn’t make sense to back it.

[@davidbreece5197]

What's your thoughts on cthulhu death may die season 3 and 4 on kickstarter

[@shouldyoubackit]

Incredibly high price for what was mostly just a ton of new investigators as opposed to adding a great variety of end game bosses. I own season one and two and as much as I’d have loved to get the new seasons, once again CMONs shipping and general pricing was too high with added VAT and customs taken into account

[@davidbreece5197]

So my personal method of justifying a board game price point is roughly $10 per person that can play and then $1 per minuter that I'm given in the game, do you have any sort of way to justify certain price points for games?

[@shouldyoubackit]

So for me I steer clear of time = value, simply because we see a lot of games boasting 30-120 hour campaigns and gameplay but that means little if the gameplay is bland and repetitive. For me it’s always a case by case basis as to whether I think it’s something that would see the table and if it’s something I don’t already have in my collection/ unless it does what it does better than one in my collection.

[@eldraque4556]

mini's look sick

[@shouldyoubackit]

They really do!

[@eldraque4556]

@@shouldyoubackit init

[@elizabethlestrad5282]

While the minis that are there certainly look beautiful, a big turn off for me is the spiral bound books. Books like that are simply too flimsy (see Gloomhaven). The other big no no is the fact that they are already well over 200-300% funded, and it's still missing A LOT of major content (most of the main bosses). The fact that this could easily turn into another Bloodborne dungeon crawler (that even with all it's big expansions, was still missing a good number of bosses) is just too high. I want to like it, as you can actually play the game cooperatively (unlike its video game counterpart), but there's just way too many warning signs right now.

[@Boberman286]

I think you should look at jaws of the lion. The spiral-bound maps make it 100x easier to table then gloomhaven. I'm on the fence about elden ring. I think it looks decent but the price seems too high for what it is. Also hearing some of the hype boys (Quackalope) it has turned ne off.

[@shouldyoubackit]

I’m with you on the books, I can see how they may be more efficient than having boards for everything but it’s just a little odd to me. Equally hear you on the content too. For me I actually find it strange how they were the most followed campaign ever on Kickstarter at over 40k follows yet the amount they’ve raised (nearly 2 million isn’t anything to scoff at) isn’t as high as you’d expect given the amount of followers they had. Like you I really wanted to like this game but equally there were just too many small things that built up to a no :(

[@elizabethlestrad5282]

@@Boberman286 The only possible way a spiral bound book could ever be practical outside of a middle school classroom is if all the pages were sheets of plastic that don't tear out after a mild amount of page turning and use. The campaign book I got with Gloomhaven came with the pages pre-compromised and the paper quality was simply atrocious. This book is much more likely to become easily compromised because not only are you regularly changing pages to the right battlefield, but you're also moving potentially heavy miniatures across them as well. One player slips up and you got a nice big, eye-catching crease across the battlefield. No, I'd much MUCH rather have tiles. I mean, this is worse than those cheap vinyl coated maps some developers use over properly mounted heavy-duty boards.

[@iansutton7416]

@@elizabethlestrad5282 For ISS Vanguard I got some of those plastic reinforcing rings that I haven't used for decades. Interestingly though, someone came up with the idea of using metal grommits (with punching tool) instead. As it happens these would be too bulky to do all pages, but knowing how they would always be an issue 1st, doing the front and back pages seemed a very sensible compromise.

[@Boberman286]

@@elizabethlestrad5282 ISS Vanguard also uses books for maps. Both of them seem to hold up. Biggest issue I see is that each expansion needs a new book to match them with each fight. It seems like decisions like this increase the cost. I fear this game needs expiations to keep it interesting, so Its out of my price range for a board game.

[@nnefasu]

I'm a diehard Elden Ring fan as well as of the Dark Souls Boardgame and I have to say, I'm so disappointed with the combat system. No positioning, no attack ranges, no dynamic positioning around the miniatures. This just feels wring and it breaks my heart not to buy it, but it's just like a massive step back.. If you combine the combat system of the DS Boardgame with a dymanic battlefield on Hex tiles and replace the bad luck based dice roller with a player deck building it could've been the perfect game simulating soulslike combat. I reall, don't know what this game is about with "quests" and "timers". The quest is to kill a story boss, the timer is to not run out of lives. Not so complicated.

[@sublimechimp]

People only buy these for the minis

[@TheZplit]

I literally only backed for the minis 😅

[@shouldyoubackit]

The mini envy is real, very real. I wanna paint them all!!

[@TheZplit]

@@shouldyoubackit I play dnd and have very little interest in the board game but wanted to run an Elden ring dnd with my friends so I want the minis to paint and have for that campaign but now I’m conflicted 🤣

[@shouldyoubackit]

So if you don’t know already Steamforged have a TTRPG book for Dark Souls, I wonder whether it would be possible to adapt that for Elden Ring. They also have some mini boxes for it too, not the same game whatsoever but may be cheaper? At the same time backing it for the minis isn’t the worst reason especially as you may be able to use the maps and other info in the game for dnd exploration

[@tytytyty88]

I'll just pick this up on a discount when people start dumping it in couple of years

[@pipodedown1986]

I'd rather just get the mini's and turn it into a dnd campaign

[@shouldyoubackit]

Have a little look at their website if you’re a fan of the minis, I believe they’ve done up some specific boxes for the Dark Souls tabletop rpg. I know it’s not Elden Ring but it could scratch that itch

[@ianmcleod8898]

Converting the cost of that game into Australian dollars and it's way up there. I don't like the combat sequence either. I wont be backing it, the video game will just blow your mind.

[@shouldyoubackit]

Yeah the AUD conversion rate is staggering, I remember seeing how high things got with Games Workshop prices. Combine that with shipping and it’s an eye watering ampunt

[@toddferrullo1871]

I am in agreement about passing on this game. Having watched several gameplays of it I have to say that I expect that the first couple of boss fights would seem great and then the game will seem very very boring and repetitive. The characters just do not have much variety and re-spec is not a thing so I think that they will feel very one trick pony in their usage. Samurai bleeds, Vagabond staggers, etc. Steamforged games tend to be a bit all over in the gameplay quality from my experience. Dark Souls was a hot mess, Resident Evil 2 had terrible components and became boring after a single scenario or two, Horizon Zero Dawn was decent with a few house rules but out of the box had issues, etc.

[@shouldyoubackit]

You’re not wrong on the repetitiveness. One of its key ways of emulating the game, and which is quite interesting, is equally something that almost hurts its replay ability.

[@AlwayzFresh]

Damn Elden Ring the boardgame! Leave some black ink for the rest of the industry.

[@shouldyoubackit]

😂

[@danslinn8331]

After pre-ordering the two new dark souls core sets, I'm totally black-pilled on Steamforged. Love of the dark souls and resident evil IPs kind of made me blind to their many faults. After receiving the absolute disgrace that is the new core sets, I think Steamforged and I are done. They're awful. Ridiculously expensive yet shoddy garbage, shot through with mis-prints, poor quality components and scarcely any content. I was really looking forward to elden ring but the reality check from these most recent purchases has soured me completely. I've been super forgiving in the past with the original dark souls and resident evil games despite their many, many flaws but my latest purchases are so clearly cash grabs designed to fleece loyal fans of the IP that I personally just can't justify supporting them anymore.

[@shouldyoubackit]

I’m really sorry that that’s been your experience. I think they produce some great products like their Epic Encounters series and I’d always heard positive things about Guildball but it seems like their crowdfunding reputation has been really hurt over the past years

[@danslinn8331]

@@shouldyoubackit I appreciate the commiseration and the content.

[@Berndr]

So you don't think they evolved and learned since from their mistakes ???? I have watched every single gameplay video for Elden ring and I was impressed not talking about the quality of minis and components but ... actual gameplay and particularly this new initiative fast combat ... which I love ... I understand your concern but I think with this one they did something right !!!

[@shouldyoubackit]

I think the really important thing you're raising in your comment Beri is that we're all able to have an opinion on the matter and we don't all need to agree on it. I'm not really sure if you've watched the video at all based on what you've been commenting on other threads as I pretty much said verbatim that they have improved and changed as a company since I backed one of their games.

[@Berndr]

@@shouldyoubackit true I also had doubts about whether to back it up... but that was for different reasons! My concern was to do with a co-op mode because my group is not into co-op but competitive games ... nothing to do with the company itself! 2nd reason was concerning the length of combat, but that was before I actually watched the gameplay which left me very impressed and changed my mind ... I absulutly loved how combat works and particularly how fast it is to resolve and give players only 3 actions, so the rest of the table does not end up falling asleep waiting for their turn...

[@elan-6418]

For the algo

[@shouldyoubackit]

Appreciate it! :)

[@FewNewReasonss]

So then the question is. Why trust a random nobody on KZbin Or a company that has a track record of bringing out games and multiple successes There's always issue with dealing with businesses. But if you can't trust places like this. Why would Kickstarter even exist? I'll trust the guys making millions, not you.

[@shouldyoubackit]

I guess the only answer I can give you is that you’re under no obligation to trust me. It’s the responsibility of each of us to come to our own conclusions 🙂

[@Ruthless00x]

I wouldn't consider someone with over 1,000 subscribers a nobody. I am not subscribed to this channel and he has brought up some good points. I backed it all-in, and it's my first time backing a kickstarter campaign. So I hope I will get my game for the price point. He's simply stating his experience and some facts about the game. His opinion is just that. His opinion. If you disagree that's fine, but no need to be some kind of keyboard warrior by calling the man a nobody. Needless, really.

[@octavus4858]

for miniature collector their miniatures are not so good. comparing to KD -soft plastic, defects, not so fun to paint

[@shouldyoubackit]

I’ve found their minis to be decent for Dark Souls and Horizon Zero Dawn actually

[@Berndr]

that depends on the quality of plastic used in the factory in china they hired for the job .. not really them ... and who says they will use this time same people

[@octavus4858]

@@Berndr i guess they would use same folks who made DS for them.

[@Pagan_Rites]

Have to agree. Dark Souls was just poor and the quality of the minis poor. Sad but I won't back a project by this team again.

[@shouldyoubackit]

I’ll more than likely end up backing a game by them again, I think they have improved, Elden Ring just isn’t that title. I am super interested in their Runescape title but I’m going to wait until retail so I can get more information on it and see how it plays in greater detail, which will likely be the case with Elden Ring too