Tend Review - You Can't Do Everything....But You Can Make It Your Own

[@moo2k4]

I was lucky enough to playtest this recently and I really enjoyed it, and I'm not a fan of the "X and write" genre at all. There's a very good chance that I end up backing this. That said, my biggest concern is that my playtest had basically zero table talk and player interaction and was firmly multiplayer solitaire, which is not something I generally enjoy. But yeah, for me it mostly hit and was another winner for IV Studios.

[@kmechwarrior1684]

As a mainly solo player, that is just another big strength to me....

[@TheTabletopMisfits]

I usually don't like whatevs-and-writes, but I really like Tend.

[@ndpassey]

Just playtested this one last night, definitely a busy game but its remarkably well done. It has a very open world feel and doesnt feel overwhelmiyouat all once you get going. Very Zen

[@paolobingham3045]

Thanks for the review!

[@bobsteel1981]

I prefer to use the term "Random Write" to describe the genre. It skips all the quibbles over flip or roll. :) I don't like scratch cards either, as you say: far too messy. I also prefer re-usable games. When the scratch-off is a reasonably-sized area (such as Charterstone's cards) I scratched them off, then put a reusable sticker over the text so that the card is re-usable (and yes: I did the same with the stickers: mounting them on reusable sticker so the whole game is resettable (aside from that one element where you have to buy a new one if you use it)). However the size of the area you have to scratch off on this one makes that approach untenable. So I think I'll be skipping this too.

[@jeffhiatt1682]

As I listened, i kind of thought this reminded me of Twilight Inscription, with all the interrelated bonuses, yet if the dice for fishing / mining reminded me of Stardew Valley...and then at the end you two both make the same observation. I subsequently watched a playthrough on The Brothers Murph and i can very much agree with Alex's commen0t that the play seems interesting and there is lots to do, and that it can be engaging. As for the lack of satisfaction at the end, i cant comment as I havent played it. The other thing that struck me was the complete lack of dice mitigation. This was a key thing in the TBM playthrough. combine that with a significant luck element in the scratch offs, and I think this might exceed my luck tolerance. I am a bit conflicted as the game play and decisions do look interesting.

[@SilverFear]

I really don't think there is a lack of dice mitigation at all. First of all, there are only 2 dice that get rolled, when you're fishing. These can then be modified later in the game by purchasing fishing upgrades. This seems pretty standard, giving you additional mitigation via the upgraded lures and such as the game goes on. The scratch offs luck is mitigated by knowing that you can just follow the path and get bonuses. But going off the path adds that risk/reward aspect. It's cool if the game is not for you, not all games are, but I just wanted to make sure you were clear on the 2 specific negatives you brought up

[@kmechwarrior1684]

The app is the saving grace... although I've been looking at the the app and fully scratched off a bunch and screen-shotted them. Looking to get a count on spaces and types of spaces, and using decks of cards to make the 32 block grids (top and bottom half for chopping and mining) should the app ever vanish. Still , I hate paying now for a game I won't get for months (or years), so this one waits till it actually comes out....and probably for a sale as well....

[@alejandroruiz1486]

It looks like a solo game where the goal is to get a better score than the last game.

[@ProfessorMeg]

I think it's the genre, I can't think of a flip and write or roll and write that doesn't play like a solo puzzle

[@adrianparente6034]

Played this on the discord, but they actually have a mechanic in it where you have to out give your neighbor or they’ll get bonus points that you don’t. So has some interaction in it for sure.

[@ProfessorMeg]

@@adrianparente6034 very true!

[@glebii]

Man, I'm so with you on the scratch-offs, I was excited when I first saw this game because of the design, theme, and IV Studio, but seeing that one of the big "selling points" was scratch offs made me instantly bounce off. I still distinctly remember how awful it was to have to get up and go to the sink to scratch and clean my Pandemic legacy scratch offs and then still have them get all over my kitchen countertop (I ended up scratching them off inside a plastic bag because of how annoying it was) and thinking people must be either insane or messy to think that this is a good "mechanic".

[@BoardGameCo]

Exactly this. Not my jam.

[@Wylie288]

Just use the app?

[@glebii]

@@Wylie288 I actually didn’t realize there was an app till this video, none of their promotional material I saw mentions an app at all so clearly IV studios thinks the scratch offs are a big selling point for the game. I’m sorta interested again since the app is an option, but I’m like Alex where I generally prefer to play app-less board games.

[@adrianparente6034]

@@glebiithey’ve mentioned the app in every video I’ve seen them put out for this. Maybe not in the screenshot ads but they even have a video showing off the app

[@ylein6508]

Yeah such a stupid idea for scratch n win. If people want to play with apps, then might as well play a video game than buy this boardgame

[@johnmiller2689]

So, your biggest complaint is that at the end you feel like you haven't accomplished what you set out to do? So, basically the feeling you get playing Agricola, Caverna, Puertu Rico, and pretty much every other "development" game. I'm okay with that.

[@zerocool3742]

scratch off just seems so wasteful. there has to be better ways. flippin write.

[@Supermaki2]

They have an app for it already

[@Wylie288]

More wasteful than paper you can't re-use? Its no different than any other game in this genre. Yall are fucking smoking or something. Nothing about a scratch off is any different than an NON REUSABLE piece of paper.

[@Spiritoftheway333]

Ugh, that makes me so sad to hear. I wanted to be excited about this one so much!

[@BoardGameCo]

I was definitely excited, I'm glad others are enjoying it

[@Spiritoftheway333]

@@MattWGAllan yeah, true, though my tastes tend to align more with Alex’s than Tom’s.

[@Wylie288]

just because he doesn't like it doesn't mean that you won't? Nearly everyone into the genre says this one is their absolute favorite.

[@Theonebeliever]

I tend to not buy games like this.

[@BoardGameCo]

Go with what works for you for sure

[@cincydooley]

Cool

[@BoardGameHype]

Dang that’s too bad!

[@BoardGameCo]

People are loving it, just not landing as heavily for me

[@alanhow2441]

Scratch off = unlikely to buy. Sadly as some of the ideas look interesting.

[@BoardGameCo]

Agreed, it's something I would play despite, not because of

[@annanishimiya7786]

This fella is speaking so fast that it is hard to tell if it is even English what he speaks.

[@charlez2729]

Alex, as much as I love this channcel, why do you say its a review for a game and then says everything about it is subject to change. I feel like you shouldn't say it's a review. Why not just stick with first impressions? Maybe im crazy but I feel like some videos get the "first impressions/overview" and others get "Review". Is that a publisher choice where they said, Review this, vs give an overview. If that's the case I'll shut up. I just personally don't think you should say it's a review unless it's the final product. That's just my opinion though. Say 2 years from now someone wants to look up a review for TEND, due to the algorithm your video will appear because review is in the name, but the game is now out and maybe some complaints aren't an issue anymore because they fixed these prior to releasing. I know you do say first off its a prototype, BUT it's out of date at that point. Im NOT hating, just making a statement. Thank you for the video, I am somewhat interested in this game.

[@leadhead69]

I highly recommend folks giving this a try on TTS. I completely disagree with Alex here. Outside of my very first game, my brain immediately clicked and my friend group, who normally plays heavy 4X games like TI4, absolutely love Tend. There's the right mix of wide decision space paired with a good puzzle to try to squeeze out as many points as you can. I DO NOT like X and Write as a genre, but Tend is a game that I have not only play tested ~10 times, but I've played it multiple times with friends and 15 times solo. It's just such a fun puzzle! As for the scratch offs, the web app works great! I also have qualms with them, as it seems very easy to accidentally scratch off adjacent tiles which could reveal information you shouldn't have, but it's very simple to just pull up the webpage on your phone and play off of that.