Tellstones: King’s Gambit Overview and Review

Jamie from The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast gives an overview of game play and reviews of Tellstones King's Gambit, designed by Chris Cantrell and published by Riot Games
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#boardgame #tellstones #league

[@KristoVaher]

Anyone wanting to play a good game with this feel and none of this weird memory element? Coup.

[@theballmittpodcast5734]

Patrick White bluffing is over rated. I enjoy Perudo (liars dice) for a bit but got bored very quickly.

[@theballmittpodcast5734]

Patrick White where did I say it was a fact? It’s assumed these are all opinion.

[@theballmittpodcast5734]

Patrick White when a certain opinion veers one particular way over another based on the same criteria it’s overrated. I’m making an assessment of the data (which is objective). You don’t have to agree for it to be true. All things linked to opinions are not subjective.

[@theballmittpodcast5734]

Patrick White Apples to Oranges, my friend. I may buy it at 50% off. There’s no other way to pay this other than their website so there’s an additional fee for shipping. To defend the price of this game is silly.

[@theballmittpodcast5734]

Patrick White thats the exact problem isn’t it? You have no clue as to what I’m saying lol

[@ingl0rius]

It sort of feels like you’re talking about how beautiful the emperor’s new clothes are, and Tom V has pointed out that he’s naked

[@truegod99]

Tom V just ripped this game

[@nothinisworthit]

Yeah, his reasoning is kinda wack though, he says he didn't like it because at the end of the day its just a memory game but you can see that it is so much more. Its more of a poker game, where on the base level you can play it as is but you can also trick your opponents and screw with bluff them. He also said that he almost always bluffs when he boasts so I guess he isn't very good at remembering stuff. Here's what I will say though, I think the price for this game is too much but the game itself with the rule set is very solid.

[@draco949]

@@nothinisworthit this game gives you perfect information. It is nothing like poker.

[@nothinisworthit]

@@draco949 i only meant the bluffing part, but I do agree that this game is too simple and is more of a casual game or a game where you play while getting drunk or high lol but it is a fun game with a lot of ways to distract your opponent or bait your opponent into challenging you :) i had a lot of fun playing it but i didn't pay 30$ for it, instead I just used poker cards. The price tag is the real problem here and not the game it self

[@draco949]

@@nothinisworthit Gotcha I understand now. I agree $30 bucks is rough.

[@theballmittpodcast5734]

It’s a $30 memory game... Hove is ten times better for the same cost (and cheaper in some places).

[@theballmittpodcast5734]

Patrick White to each their own I guess.

[@dmillar71]

Save some money, get 7 different playing cards out and play. People are entitled to like what they like, but I'm totally baffled by the buzz this game is getting.

[@theballmittpodcast5734]

It’s all about the lore and that’s really it

[@dmillar71]

@@theballmittpodcast5734 HOLY CRAP...I just saw the MSRP. Honestly, I can't imagine paying more than $6 or $7 for it. $30 freaking dollars for 7 disks and a felt mat?!?!?! Yikes.

[@theballmittpodcast5734]

dmillar71 Yea for real! I might pay $15 or $20 if I didn’t buy any other games or video games during a particular month. They are selling it for $30 because they know they can which is scummy imo.

[@LordTails66]

Yeah you can do that with many games. Not everyone game needs to be extremely complex and take more than an hour. Enjoy your 7 card gameplay. Presentation is important as well.

[@theballmittpodcast5734]

LordTails66 I agree that presentation is important but riot games is selling their name for $30 rather than a game. If this wasn’t related to League of Legends or made by Riot, no way it would sell for $30 or be touted as such an “awesome” game. This game is selling because of lore not gameplay.

[@justinrrizzo]

What game?

[@swalton7969]

I'm King Henry at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival and I guarantee I will have this and will play it at the festival next year. Great way to interact with the patrons. Thanks for the video Jamie.

[@maxfieldstewart7363]

Holy cow, as a Renn Faire game it would thematically wonderful, I'm a big Renn faire goer and didn't even consider this.

[@MulamboGFX]

Mechs VS Minions : 75$ A memory game with 7 tiles, 2 glass beads and a piece of clothe : 30$ Really ?

[@aarondowning5791]

It cost $75.00 in 2016. It doesn't cost $75.00 now.

[@mc-designhacker]

Mechs vs Minions currently sells brand new for $95.00

[@simonmtkwong]

How is this a game? It's really not hard to remember the positions of 7 stones...??

[@Thesecretcabal]

If you watched the review portion of the video you would have heard me explain how memory is only a small portion of the game and I even point how how remembering 7 pieces of information isn't terribly difficult. It's more about outplaying your opponent. Manipulating the stones and misdirecting and distracting the mind of your opponent. You need to engineering the situation and make your scoring moves at the right moment.

[@simonmtkwong]

@@Thesecretcabal I feel even given misdirection it's not that hard to remember so for me there is no "game", or put it this way, if you got pro gamers (Go professionals?) to play this at the highest level no one would ever make a mistake so it's a stalemate - it's like asking someone to play tik tak toe and saying that you win by taunting your opponent into a mistake...

[@ericfinley220]

It's an overproduction of a simple memory game. As others have said, you can play this with 7 cards and save yourself $30-40 on a polished turd. 🤣

[@simonmtkwong]

@Patrick White I disagree, the reason why chess and Go have what I call "game" is because it's not easy to master and that even if you played for years you won't be able to master it. Sure two "perfect" AI machines with infinite processing would always end in a stalemate, but this is not the case for any human player. And yes Go WOULD be crappy if you played on a 3x3 board which IS technically tic tac toe territory!! Games need enough complexity to be a game, otherwise if you can easily get to the position of "unlosable" there isn't much there.

[@PickleTheHutt]

I think a lot of the blowback from people that aren't regular SC listeners comes from using the word "fantastic" to describe games too often. I've been listening to and watching all content for the past year and have just accepted that the crew uses superlatives like "fantastic" and "amazing" to describe just about every game that they enjoyed playing. I don't doubt that they had fun playing, but it doesn't leave much room to distinguish between games. So many times in the last year SC founders will mention a game that they enjoyed but haven't pulled off the shelf in over a year. Many of those were described as fantastic at the time of review. A game I really find fantastic will not be forgotten and will be played. I do not question the integrity of the SC founders at all, I just know that I have to mentally translate superlatives like "fantastic" into less flattering words when listening.

[@ExitParade]

Yeah, I do the same. I like the Secret Cabal a lot, listen to their podcast all the time and I think their enthusiasm for games is great. However, when I'm trying to listen critically to make purchase decisions I similarly have to consciously translate their words, as you say. It's fine for the podcast, which has lots of different types of game discussions, but when doing formal reviews that people are using as purchase decisions I think they need to be a little more careful about the language they use. Hopefully they can consider that going forward as they continue the transition to KZbin reviews. Thanks Jamie and the Cabal for all the great content!

[@feuerhirn]

The superlatives you throw around for this really simple memory game...I don't know man.

[@Fre4kazo1d]

Im sorry, but "its more than a memory game" and never mentioning what else there is doesnt cut it. This "game" is exactly that - remembering 7 stones. Nothing more. Everyone telling themselves and others differently is either getting paid or is blinded by the fact that this game is made by Riot Games and has some ties to League. Seriously you need to think long and hard and evaluate this again. If this was made by a different publisher, not a single person would have talked about it and it would have been forgotten instantly.

[@lystic9392]

But the magic the, you have to remember ALL it's, you don't understand you have to touch my stones!

[@MrPeter13th]

Indeed a kind of clever words put together, but didn't managed to convince me otherwise that this is just a memory game that either will finish quickly playing vs people with bad memory, or will take too long for what it is with people with top notch memory. Either way despite been a memory game it is way forgettable, there is no space in my shelf for this...

[@lystic9392]

@@MrPeter13th I'd probably consider Tellstones to be a game in the same category as Skulls: a super light drinking/bar game. Not something you'd invite people over for. I have yet to play it though (will soon). I consider all those super light games rather light on fun as well. Pull out a game that is just a tad bit deeper, like Skullking, and you'll have twice or thrice as much fun.

[@raymyers700]

Lol...Tom Vasel called...he wants his exact quotes back

[@Fre4kazo1d]

@@lystic9392 The difference is Skull actually has that bluffing aspect everyone keeps attributing to Tellstones. No player has complete information and has to read other players/ bluff his way to win. If one player memorizes the stones (which is ez) they just win.

[@ConsummateGamer]

I love the review and your excitement for it. I ordered it immediately when it became available last week, and other reviews were certainly less enthusiastic. “Something special and unique...” I’m here for that!

[@bendfocuspro]

Got done listening to the review episode you put out with Rodney. I watched your video and Tom's. I don't feel like he attacked anyone integrity... Now I feel like this would be a fun game to play with my wife while chatting and deliberately not paying attention and having fun randomly challenging each other. But Tom is right. It's just a memory game, and I don't think it would get as much coverage if it wasn't from Riot. Knowing you Jaime from being a long standing listener this game is right up your alley. But to Tom's point there are other reviewers I listened to and I do feel like there was a bit of pandering to Riot. Thanks for the review. Sorry that you felt attacked, I will probably grab this game because I have followed you a long time and know what kind of games you enjoy and I see myself getting behind this game. If it wasn't a riot production though, I wouldn't even give it a chance.

[@tonnysndergaard9732]

The gameplay reminds me a little of Triplock from Chip Theory Games...

[@brokenmoonlight86]

Haha I just recommended Triplock in my own comment. Triplock came out a while ago and has much more depth while also being identical.

[@andrewgrant2328]

Incredible? INCREDIBLE? Seriously?

[@Manny-M]

Yeesh... some of the comments here... I love that this is divisive. I love that two reviewers that I really like and respect have such wildly different opinions on this game. All it tells me is that there are different strokes for different folks. A review shouldn't be measured on its final thoughts. It should be measured in its entirety. It should be measured by how well it explains what the game is and what it invoked for that reviewer. At that point you can form your own opinion of the game itself. But to label either reviewer as wrong, right... or worse, a shill, says more about you than them. To those who are labelling these reviewers as such... get a f***en grip.

[@ACriticalThought]

Wow, Jaime. High praise! My copy is already on its way. Thanks for the review!

[@Farstr1d3r]

Excellent review. I’ve been watching a few other vids on this and it intrigues me. I wonder if anyone I play with will like it or not.

[@Thesecretcabal]

Thanks Jason! I hope you do find someone to play it with. It's great.

[@Farstr1d3r]

Chris - valid point. Very easy to simulate, for sure. Haven’t even investigated the cost of this year.

[@boardgamedungeon432]

I think that this is key. If you have a terrible memory you will hate the game. If you are up for trying to improve your memory skills you will love it. Finding a player with the same motivation is also key to enjoying the game

[@maxfieldstewart7363]

I'd be happy to share details in private messages and play game on Tablestop simulator if you like, there are already several good mods up :) It loses the in person feel and not my favorite way to play, but it works (provided both players aren't secretly keeping notes etc).

[@brokenmoonlight86]

If anyone wants a game almost exactly like this but with more elements/mechanics that make it more engaging try Triplock by Chip Theory Games!

[@distantbabble]

Evweything you mentioned is what I love about Tak. Huge fan of the universe it comes from and its so very different from anything else out there. I might just have to check this out

[@Thesecretcabal]

I haven't played Tak yet! I really would like to. I discovered that one via Watch It Played but haven't gotten around to picking it up yet. Thanks for the reminder!

[@bakermitchell6209]

Great review and as always top notch production. I wanted to comment on this game...First, I am very much intrigued! Mech vs. Minions is one of my top games. My son and I have played countless hours of MvM. Good times had by all. And so I was very excited to hear Riot was doing another game....Wait. A smaller game? Wait. A really SMALL game? Ok, let's see it......And once I got over the self-centered disappointment that Riot didn't make what I wanted (which really wasn't that much disappointment - but I say it because I see that sentiment ALL the time in threads regarding games). I thought, Hmm....this looks very intriguing. The first video I watched was by 4 people who were drinking and playing Tellstones....As a drinking game! And It appeared they were having a blast. This would make a great pub game. This could make a great betting game....Ah ha! Let's wager $1 on the first game $3 on the second and $5 on the third! That could really ratchet up the tension. It could be an easy tournament game at a convention. So portable and so easy to learn. But, you've got to play with the right people....like so many games. It is not for everyone (Tom, I'm looking at you). I think (and this is without having played it) the fun is really what happens above the table. This is a social game. This is giving your buddy a hard time and busting his chops. Chris C - I love that you suggest using proxies for the game and trying it out. Thank you for doing something completely different than MvM. Keep em coming!

[@dandurkin9735]

"Strategy game"?! Listen to yourself describe this game - sounds nothing like a "strategy" game. And comparable to Hive? Aaah - no.

[@mikolajwitkowski8093]

It may be abstract, it is not a strategy game. It is a memory game, nothing more. I know the componentd are beautiful but they should not turn your head like that.

[@austenscully7728]

Id have to disagree on the strategy element. There is strategy to everything, and this game is no different. There are various strategic elements to manipulating your opponent into forgetting a stone or 3. Or turning it into a drinking game and using the alcohol to one's advantage. It is a strategy game, just need to be open

[@mc-designhacker]

It's blanket statements like "It is a memory game, nothing more." that really light a fire in me. Why make such a closed statement about a game you've never played? This game clearly relies on metagame maneuvering to get the full enjoyment from it. That is a common thread I've heard from every person who has played the game themselves. Clearly, the memory component is just the framework the game people are enjoying is built around.

[@pennywise988]

please, sir, tell us sincerely, was this a paid review? you used too many words to put this simple game in that beautiful light, to raise it on a pedestal. don't get me wrong, I am a Riot fanboy, I have more than 50 figurines made by them, but the truth is more important than any advertising. thank you kindly.

[@processseer6693]

Probably. Can‘t imagine how you‘d arrive at this overly positive review with so much superlatives. If he said „it‘s quite fun, I like it“ then I would respectfully disagree but this here is shilling.

[@Thesecretcabal]

Absolutely not. I am never paid for any content that I do.

[@MrPeter13th]

@@Thesecretcabal yeah, you received a free game worth 30 bucks 🤣, that with a nice review can lead to maybe a better game next time... 😉

[@MrPeter13th]

You know what, that's actually a thing. Do you recommend people to spend $30+ to buy that game????

[@raymyers700]

You guys are ridiculous. I also thought the game sounded a bit off and then I saw it Played and changed my mind. And I enjoy it. No one is saying that everyone should like it or that you are missing anything if you don't like it. I personally hate roll and writes but I'm glad they exist because obviously a lot of people enjoy them. Don't attack the man's career just because you have some issue with the response that others are giving a game you don't like. Absolutely disagree but leave his integrity out of it.

[@GD-ti9kc]

This game looks like trash. You can play this with 7 standard cards. I honestly couldn't believe that you recommend this to anyone (especially without knowing League of Legends' backstory!). I'm afraid this has earned you an unsubscribe... not that you care. You just have to dig deeper. This is not good.

[@maccalshuist6768]

Have you played it? I own it and everyone I've played with has a blast playing it.

[@ingl0rius]

@@maccalshuist6768 you could save them money by giving them 7 playing cards

[@maccalshuist6768]

@@ingl0rius you probably could. The game does have a nice feel to it the way it comes. I'm enjoying it and still play it consistently as a drinking game with friends. For my friends who don't play league, they really like the aesthetic of it. People are going to hate on something they'll never try anyhow, mainly because they don't have friends to play with.

[@Bruce_Brown]

Looking forward to this game. Picked it up after Rodney's Watch It Played. Should be arriving today. :D

[@SpcSamRI]

Was this review paid for by someone involved in the game?

[@B0rghalRantipole]

There's almsot no game here, what is there to praise? This "review" just threw around superlatives without actually giving the reasoning behind them. I see people commenting that the depth lies in the fact you have to distract your opponent... How I ask? There is nothing IN THE MECHANISMS that would allow for obfuscation. If I need to resort to basically "hey, what's that over there " or "watch em do stupid faces" real-world-out-of-game tactics, then a) you can do this in any game where memory is important and b) it's not part of the game and it's not fun, it's annoying. Heck, even Riot's game trailer has a character winning by distracting the opponent by making them tell a story. I repeat. TELL A STORY. That has nothing to do with the game itself and jsut further proves that this game is abotu making the other guy forget you're playing. That runs counter to what playing games is about (case in point, you just lost The Game).

[@xfoolsgoldx]

👌

[@MeanNGreen17]

Very meh to me.

[@benjoslin3782]

I don't get all the hate for this game. People can like what they like.

[@VinegarAndSaltedFries]

Absolutely wonderful game. Just received it yesterday in the mail and OMG so much fun. I’m not sure I understand the negative reviews apart from maybe they wanted something bigger out of riot games after they entered the market with Mech Versus Minion which I consider a classic of the genre it is in alongside roborally. It really is a tricky puzzle when you start saying move the horse here while pointing at the crown. People kinda lose focus and that so much fun. Truly unique. Great video and review. I also highly recommend it as long as you don’t go in hoping for some holy grail game. This is fantastic and a wonderful little game.

[@boardgamedungeon432]

This is an great review, 👍 thx

[@Thesecretcabal]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mikolajwitkowski8093]

This review is really strange. You like it, fine. But claiming it is unique? That is just not true, there are plenty of other memory games, very similar to this one, and yes kids playing them use misdirection. Unless it is not a review but a promotional video?

[@simonmtkwong]

@Patrick White Coup and Skull are both bluffing games with far superior game play, if you want to play a simple 2 player game then Hanamikoji captures that's feel perfectly - trying to guess what cards your opponent has been removing/keeping etc.