TDG: Cruel Necessity

Don't lose your head! Join Cody as he inquires as to the righteousness of this solitaire game set during the English Civil War from Worthington Games. Will it make you a convert? Or will it just be a rump parliament of a game night? Let's watch!
BGG: boardgamegeek....
First Edition Cruel Necessity review: • S1E3 Cruel Necessity
Cody Carlson, PhD: / @codycarlsonph.d.5591
Facebook: / thediscriminatinggamer
Twitter: / codyk76
Galaxy of Games: galaxyof.games/

[@scott3656]

Where did that Cruel Necessity song come from Cody??

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

My buddy Shawn did it when he was part of the channel years ago. We used it for the original review in 2014.

[@dimetronome]

Thanks, Cody. I was having trouble choosing a state of siege game (I was torn between this one and Soviet Dawn).

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Happy to help.

[@paulnorell7201]

Thanks Cody. I got the original game because I'm an ECW fan and then abandoned it because of the luck element. I have since bought the new edition and must confess to having grown to like it again. When playing chronologically, the main cause of defeat is losing London, which has happened to me several times. There are lots of different strategies to try, none of which are guaranteed to succeed. I will persist with the chronological version until I win!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks!

[@peterixon8708]

Cody, another great review. Going through a real ECW phase right now (playing Mike Lambo's solitaire ECW, reading the rules for Unhappy King Charles) so this review is both thought provoking and timely, Hence, thanks for profiling this one; I 'm inclined to take your advice and buy it, but I was unaware of it until you profiled it, so well done.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Happy to help. Thanks!

[@DaveinLedbury]

Great review. I'm upgrading my VPG version to this Worthington version, but as you say, the game is hard! It's akin to banging your head against a wall, again and again and again, and just not learning from the experience! However, the theme of the English Civil War, and the general mechanisms, make it a bit compulsive to keep trying to win! If it does seem impossible to win, the temptation is that I will include house rules to add in additional zeal per turn, or change the requirements of the Achievement cards.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Indeed. Doesn’t hurt to allow yourself a small edge.

[@davidbarr9343]

Have the original. Will be purchasing this new version. Hard to win but when you do...brilliant.😊🇬🇧

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Indeed. Thanks!

[@km123m8]

Since you have played many of the States of Siege games, have you ranked your favorites? I'm thinking about picking up another one, but they're all spendy (either out of print or Worthington). I have Zulus, Ottoman, and Zeds. I'm leaning toward Cruel Necessity or Malta. Maybe Soviet Dawn. Any idea if Worthington will release Hapsburg?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Hapsburg will be re-released here pretty soon, but not by Worthington. I don't recall the publisher.

[@timsdoingstuff]

Evil Cody? Is this like a Bizarro version of you that teaches Math instead of History?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Wo to those who do not know the tale of Evil Cody.

[@dhmcarver]

Wow -- what a great looking game, and a great review. Curse you Worthington! Another one for my overburdened shelves. I have to say, however, having lived in Ireland for years, where the name of Cromwell is still cursed, it will be somewhat hard to play the Parliamentarians -- though as it seems they usually lose, that will ease my pangs of guilt somewhat. I have to ask, did you intentionally time the lyric in the opening song, "Man, I don't want to die," for the shot of the dice for this luck-heavy game, or was that just chance? (Speaking of songs related to the English Civil War, if you have never seen the video from Horrible Histories, "Charles II, King of Bling", you should look it up. It is absolutely brilliant song about the Restoration.)

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Ha! Thanks. Didn’t plan anything with the music.

[@ericengstrom2138]

What did you do with evil Cody??!! Great review...one of my favorite historical topics.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I drove a stake through his heart then burned and scattered the ashes.

[@jimmarshall807]

What was the song at the start, I really liked it? Liked the review too, makes we want to shake out my VPG copy of the game

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

One of our first reviews: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIaUgmiEbqeAbqc

[@jimmarshall807]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer Love it!

[@mindbomb9341]

Is there a reason I can't save this to a playlist of "Games to Consider" that I have?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Not that I am aware of.

[@gunnarjohannesson5858]

Tack för programmet cody spelet ser intressant ut jag skall försöka att spela det

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Jag hoppas att du får en chans att spela det snart, min vän.

[@benstock2513]

I'd convinced myself that I didn't need this version as I still have the original. Now I've seen your review I'm not too sure. I'm guessing it's exactly the same game wise?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Yeah. Mechanically not much different. But really good upgrade in components and presentation.

[@alexm9125]

For me the original game board was nicer and more detailed than the new one. There is an error on the political track, the upper side should have the yellow and black separated line above the F boxes like the lower side but it is above the D boxes. Moreover the fortress counter design was better because it represented a fortress, on the new ones there are just flags.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@alexm9125 To each their own.

[@Tizniter]

Great song.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks!

[@ishotmyboss]

Three more videos til you break out that guitar. ediT: I'm excited.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Ha!

[@thegamesninja3119]

Cool, they just released a game about trying to build a KZbin channel. Cody in the game has to put out KZbin shorts, which involves videos of Cody in shorts. One playthrough has Cody getting a million KZbin views of himself in shorts doing the Toca Toca dance. 🥷

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

And an epic idea was born!

[@thegamesninja3119]

@TheDiscriminatingGamer Cody to start doing Shorts?