Solo Review - Earth Board Game - 10 Thoughts After 10 Plays

In this video, I review the solo mode of Earth by Maxime Tardif and published by Inside Up Games. Earth is an engine and tableau building game. In the solo mode, you compete against the AI, Gaia, to develop the Island with the best flora, fauna, and ecosystems.
Ask any questions in the comments below. Please like and subscribe to this channel. Thank you very much for watching Tabletop For One!
Music by Paul Shapera
00:00 Intro
00:53 #1 Shelf Presence
01:25 #2 Art & Graphic Design
02:13 #3 Production Quality
04:45 #4 The Rulebook
05:27 #5 Gameplay
06:38 #6 Tableau Building
08:03 #7 Many Paths to Victory
08:35 #8 So Many Cards
09:36 #9 Ease of Solo Play
11:30 #10 Replayability
12:40 Final Score
13:21 Outro
#boardgames #solo #review #sologameplay #tabletopgaming #boardgaming #playingsolo #sologaming #top

[@konikniov7069]

I think everything you said is to the point. I have the same issues/ likes and I think that an expansion will solve many of them. I think it's a good solo game that it makes you feel good.

[@tabletopforone]

Thank you for watching it. I hope they do a Kickstarter expansion where they give a free update pack for previous backers if they back the new expansion. I've seen it done before. I'd stand by that 100%. We'll see what they do 🙂

[@corey3145]

I just put a mult player board under the solo game board with the icon key poking out. It's already warped so it's not an issue🤣 Agree with the negative comments for the most part but I do really enjoy this game solo. Thanks for the review!

[@tabletopforone]

That's a great idea as well. Thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

[@pascalcharland1403]

You are spot on! Also dissapointed with the production issues. On top of that, I had the misfortune of having 1/3 of my cards a bit blurry and misaligned... The publisher will replace them. But I like the game. However, I find the solo upkeep too fiddly for Gaia. I decided to only move a single green cube (left side) and use a D6 and a single canopy for tracking on the right side. Otherwise, good and quick thinky solo game!

[@tabletopforone]

Thank you so much. I'm sorry you had even worse components. I hope you get the replacements quickly. I agree about the sprouts and tokens. I was going to mention those too, but I honestly don't know why I didn't (maybe I forgot 😆).

[@Azeial]

Only just discovered this channel after picking up this game. And youve def git a sub, excellent review! Played it once and wow your review is bang on!! I thought maybe I was missing something as everyone was frothing over this game but it's a solid 7

[@tabletopforone]

Thank you so much, and I'm glad you are here! I have seen more and more people talk about not liking Earth so much lately. It still surprises me that some places have given it "Game of the Year," but of course such things are subjective.

[@sapien01010]

7 would be my score as well. My biggest issue is what you mentioned in your #6. The engine you end up building doesn’t amount to much. I want it to be a V8 but can only build a V4. I had the same problem with Wingspan.

[@tabletopforone]

Thanks you, Peter. Yeah, I never felt wowed by the engine. I really wanted things to fire off left and right and pour in the resources, but it just doesn't feel that way. I haven't played Wingspan yet, but I trust your comparison. Thanks for watching! 🙂

[@ruicaneira5354]

Another great review. I agree with you, seems they did things in a rush somehow. They are not game breaking but still we want our moneys worth :)

[@tabletopforone]

Thank you so much! Exactly, not game breaking, but something to be aware of.

[@marcosseven8872]

Hey. New subs here. I enjoy your review. And am glad I found this Chanel, as I just discovered solo Boardgaming! I’d like to see more in depth “Solo play” focus in the review as oppose to the game in general. How does the solo play. Is it much upkeep? Is it easy? How good the solo is rather than game and production that affects the game in itself. I mean is good to hear about all aspects of the game that ultimately also affects solo play, but maybe , take a bit more time to focus in the solo play in itself. Hope that makes sense. Not a critique. Just what I would like to see more, as that’s the reason for me to check on solo mode games reviews. Cheers!

[@tabletopforone]

Thank you. I appreciate those suggestions, and will consider them for future reviews.

[@MikeSigsworth]

I couldn't agree more about the production quality. Although your boards don't look too terrible. I wish I had taken a picture of my friend's copy we played last week. The boards were so warped they were practically shaped like mountains. Just atrocious quality. I think I'll stick to BGA for this game for now.

[@tabletopforone]

It really is unfortunate. Something was missed in the quality inspections. I was so disappointed by it, I passed on their next campaign.

[@kitcarpo4745]

The first photos of this game were a flag as far as the stacking pieces being wobbly. Good call. Too bad the prod quall was low, it's high on my checkbox list.

[@tabletopforone]

Yeah, it's a real disappointment. I think I would have rated it closer to a 9/10 if they solved some QoL issues and the production issues. Thanks for watching!

[@aorakis5795]

Hi Daniel, as usual, great 10/10 format. Really likes it. After 11 plays... Earth has personally been mainly a deception. Nice mechanics but the ergonomy of the game and the IA in normal difficulty was quite a disappointment for me. The "traits" (italics, bold, surligned...) are so bad on the ergonomic aspect of the game. The italics traits for exemple, are barely visible... The game components are a huge con as well. (Not to mention that the French version in Europe lacks all the icons on the 10 climates cards...) (making it even worst here...) And those big square rulebook should be forbidden in the boardgames industry... Never liked those big noit practical squared rulebooks... It's always a pain reading and manipulating those... All in all, à good game but not deserving all the over hype I've read about. Just as you if I had to give it a note, it would go around a 7 out of 10 as well. Cheers

[@tabletopforone]

Thank you so much. I'm glad you like the format. Great points on your end as well. I didn't touch on the italics, but yes that is a good point. Thanks again for watching!

[@aorakis5795]

​​@@tabletopforone hello, thanks :) and also, do not forget those big square rulebooks! :D Gosh.. I so much hate those big bad rulebooks! so annoying to manipulate. Those Big squared rulebooks should be forbidden in boardgames industry and designers / editors should be charged and get amends for making those :D

[@tabletopforone]

Yeah, that was where I said I didn't want to nitpick 😆. My rulebook doesn't fit in the box either.

[@aorakis5795]

@@tabletopforone ahahhh :D Yeah I just simply hate those rulebooks formats. Its never a good experience diving into those, and especially while playing the game... Don't understand why they're still make those really... A good old standard A4 format is always better IMHO.. Cheers

[@tabletopforone]

I completely agree 🙂

[@Jackthetattedone]

I played it last night and I agree with all your likes and dislikes. I do think you're letting the components issues weigh too much on your score impact. This game is easily an 8/10 for me, if not higher.

[@bankingonmoney8224]

I like your 10 out of 10 reviews as it hits many important points. Ambiguity and warp is not my friend. It seams many boards especially dual layer boards are coming warped these days. The other point to my understanding this is a points fest (point salad) style of game. I like working to obtain points ( sense of accomplishment) instead of constantly laying cards to score tons of points. No matter this isn't my style of game, there are those it will appeal. Great overview and review of Earth. By the way when is an "opinion" wrong? Have a great day! Until next time.... Oh by the way did you return to your LGS for more games during the sale?

[@tabletopforone]

Thank you so much. It is very much a point salad type of game, as each scoring area can score a similar amount of points except maybe the objectives. Haha, you're right about an opinion not being wrong. I actually intended to not say that, but it came out anyways. I chose to leave it in during the edit. I did end up going back and picked up Gloom of Kilforth after all. The art in that game calls to me. 🙂 Thanks for your comment and for watching!

[@idjester]

thanks for an honest review... the only thing is you needed to go all in... this games production is crap... its a joke... the game is fine but your right about the art work that contrasts with the graphics, the warped boards that don't even fit the box, the cards which are thin and crappy and not normal sized, the soil tokens are a joke, and that is just the tip of the iceberg... I won't be so nice in my channel review of the game... playing the game and the game mechanic are fine and if they would of done a good job on the production then this game would of been something special... but instead the production just brings this down to an average game at best... and the dice tower folks are a joke and they make me laugh at their review... they have been bought off by companies and continue to become a "has been" location for anything board game related...

[@tabletopforone]

You're absolutely right. I ended up selling the game, because I just didn't enjoy it or the production quality. Gameplay-wise, I think it's a decent game, but it suffers in other areas. What I cannot understand is how this game is getting nominated for game of the year by various awards. I think International Gamers Awards gave it solo game of the year. I know such things are subjective, but I can't believe it gets SOLO game of the year. So many better solo games out there.

[@idjester]

@@tabletopforone well brother we have to stick together and tell the truth out there... there isn't many of us left... I don't get game donations because I buy all my stuff myself that way I can rip on the game or the developers or production anytime I want... I put out honest reviews and comments unlike alot of game channels out there... so many of them are being bough off by game companies that they only "say good and positive things about there game"... and that is just making the industry a problem and selling bad games to people because they don't know any better becaues they listen to the reviewers that have been bought off and don't tell the truth anymore... keep yourself honest and real and in the end you will be better for it man... thanks..

[@tabletopforone]

I admire your tenacity. I made a decision long ago that I wouldn't sell my opinion. Even when getting a "free" game, I retain my opinion as my own. Besides, I may get a free game to make a tutorial, and the 10 hours I work on that pays for it 😆. As for paid previews/reviews, I wish people would be honest about their biases and honest when they are literally being paid to advertise for a game. Recently, a publisher asked me to check out a game and provide a preview/impressions video on it. After agreeing to do it (for nothing, not even a copy of the game), they asked how much it would cost. I told them "nothing," because that is not the direction my channel will take. In the end, I don't care if other content creators charge for preview videos, as long as they are being honest and transparent about it. It's when they try to hide the fact that they are being paid to hype a game is where I have issue with it. It's important that we respect our audience' time and money and be honest with them. Keep going, my friend!

[@idjester]

@@tabletopforone thanks man... glad your doing the right thing... so good to see there are still some honest people out there... thanks..