Destinies Board Game Review - A Decent Effort But I Have Issues

[@sairam71]

Finally a series of more balanced review on this game.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you for seeing it that way! :-)

[@MikeDV34]

A negative review does not equal balanced.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

But a review that's both positive and negative without going extreme on one side is. 😉

[@MayBlaze0]

Loved the review! I cant deny a lot of the faults of the game you pointed out, but I've been having a blast despite its flaws after getting the game. Easy to pick up and play, engaging enough for those who aren't experienced with games, and old cliche fantasy tropes are definitely some things my current group really enjoys, so it fits right in. I love how you basically mentioned all these aspects in your review too and not just focusing on the downsides of the game. Thanks for making this video! It was a pleasure to watch.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you so much!! ❤️🙏

[@draheim90]

A lot of great points. I’m a Euro gamer but went into this with an open mind. Liked my first play a decent bit but the game started unraveling for me on the 2nd. Both plays were at 2p but talked to my friend about solo play and I think you’re spot on that the game has (different) issues depending on player count/mode. First play we accidentally did the final scenario but it didn’t seem to matter. My friend forgot to tell me he had triggered his finale, then told me after my turn (I had fulfilled my destiny pre-reqs but needed to spend a turn traveling to trigger the finale) but reassured me the finales usually take several turns so I had time…then somehow his finale only lasted one turn and the game ended. He also said my destiny seemed a lot harder since it required doing four things, and one of them he had inadvertently prevented me from doing by triggering an NPC to leave the map which had wasted more time. I borrowed his game and played the first scenario with my (mostly non-gamer) wife and completed my destiny pre-reqs a turn before she did. I spent a turn traveling while she triggered her finale, then I went to trigger mine and the (minor spoilers) NPC made me spend two turns turning in the two items instead of both on one turn, and told me to return the next (3rd) day. Then on that third turn the NPC wouldn’t interact with me regarding triggering my finale so I was confused and had to waste another turn, but found out I had to go somewhere else to collect my item he promised me (which I needed to fulfill my destiny). I was too far away to travel to where I think I needed to go, so traveled the next turn somewhere random and wasted yet another turn doing a trivial action. Then my wife ended the game immediately after that turn. Even though she won she wasn’t particularly impressed with the game, saying it felt “too easy”. So yeah in both game I fulfilled my destiny’s pre-reqs before the other player and yet didn’t even start my finale. The wasting five turns in the 2nd game was just one of the things that really turned me off to the game, among many of the ones you mentioned. Also the finales seem underwhelming so even though I didn’t get to do mine, it’s not like I have some burning desire to play again even in untimed solo mode in which I’d be guaranteed to go through my finale.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah it just wasn't good enough from a mechanical perspective to make up for a basic story.

[@ryandavison27]

Nice review. Always great to hear different opinions. I absolutely loved the game. But I understand why some would not like it. It’s why you hear such drastically different top 10 lists across different channels. To me, this one was worth the price and hype.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Fair enough!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Love how well this one turned out - and shame on the 25 fans of the game who don't like any opinion less than "glowing 10/10 perfect game of all time" madness.

[@npckse8508]

Another quality review by Luke, taking a solid look at a game that has received a metric ton of hype as of late. Some folks get so excited by an experience, that they forget at the end it is still a game and has to be considered carefully in a review, especially in an expensive title from KS. Glad I passed.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you so much! :D

[@Katoh64]

Thumps up for honesty. In this market it takes guts to speak ones mind against the new hotness.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Guts indeed- even though it screws me over big-time, someone has to tell it how it is (in my subjective opinion) but without bias.

[@jaypob]

Totally disagree. Doesn't take guts to speak ones mind against the new hotness. There's no critical review police going around canceling people. Being critical draws its own brand of followers. Every reviewer should just be true to themselves, and I have full trust that the reviewers who loved this game are being perfectly true to themselves. To suggest otherwise is just pure cynicism.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Agreed, but you'd be surprised how many do get on your case when you do speak your mind.

[@Katoh64]

@@jaypob its not just about cancelling. This hobby is plagued by this aura of goodness, "everygame Is good for someone", "theres not such thing as bad design", "everything is subjective". Its unberable at times. No one wants to hear "this game is bad" everyone expects a "not for me". And thats untrue and absurd.

[@kombainasable]

@@TheBrokenMeeple it should not be brave to speak your mind. if anything it often feels like digging through scam adverts looking for a good deal, rather than reviews. not to mention very cheap of wasting time describing game mechanics rather than what's behind them.

[@chromeego7903]

Ace review. Most reviewers will only play the first adventure then rush off to get a review on KZbin. Thanks for doing it right.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Totally agree, I tell it how it is. Thanks for watching!

[@michaelnewsome1248]

I came to check out Destinies, left wanting to try out Chronicles of Crime. Thanks for the review.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ha ha, you got some use out of it then! Thanks!

[@BobbyJuno]

Ditto

[@crushingit5128]

@16:25 you stole my heart. Hopefully one day there will be a KS that doesn't turn a light component game into a 18lb overstuffed box of plastic

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Well Destinies doesn't have many minis, but what it has are pointless in the first place!

[@connwom1]

Thank you. Sometimes I am not sure about games. Your reviews are understandable and are honest. I have found there are some games I like that you don't and I find that refreshing as well. I always come to your channel before I buy. Thanks for your content.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you so much! :D

[@shazam2323]

if the time limit is per scenario then are you getting new destinies in each scenario as well?

[@Walt80]

Hey guys, I have no interest in getting this game but, I do like the adventure, immersion, mission, item collecting. Is there something deeper that is not as light and has more replay value that I might be interested in out there in the board game market

[@mrmcsteezy]

This might seem super obvious but Gloomhaven is pretty fantastic.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Nope. 😂

[@Walt80]

@@mrmcsteezy I may consider it. I usely play board games with my wife and daughter. Not sure if Gloomhaven will go o we good with them. Thx for the advice

[@MichaelB-jw5po]

Sucks to hear that the solo mode is so lackluster. That would pretty much be the only reason that I would buy this game.

[@NotedEel]

It's a competitive game. The solo mode is a game-ified story book.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

But even the competitive mode feels like "luck based multiplayer solitaire"

[@Jezza_One]

Its a definite no buy for me.

[@shiveringchihuahua]

I felt the exact same way about Destinies. I had fun playing it once but knew I'd never pull it back out again. I ended up selling my kickstarter all-in without even bothering to open the expansions.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Ditto, just wasn't worth opening them up.

[@BoardGameGran]

I like how honest you always are and that you don't get swept up in hype. Side note... I just did an unboxing of the new giant chibis for Takenoko and I see you have the last piece of my grail game puzzle! Takenoko with umbrella!! So lucky!!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

That's how I like to roll. :-) Hype is a dangerous thing. Yeah, saw the unboxing! Big panda! The umbrella one was part of the bundle when I think it was first brought in at Essen.

[@ExBeeOne]

Hello. I just found your channel and have been watching for the last few hours. You seem very engaged, and I really enjoyed the energy and the funny video-inserts and references throughout -well done! I've been all over the hype for this one, incoming reviews seem quite generous score-wise, and I'm very much looking forward to it, still. But I can feel myself coming "back to Earth", after watching this review. It seems the game is a tad lighter than I thought, and I was a little surprised that you weighted this a family-game more than a gamer's game. Thank you, much appreciated! /subscribed

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Wow, this kind of comment makes my day to read! Thanks for the kind feedback and I'm glad the review helped you to make your choice about the game. I hope you enjoy the rest of the content available!

[@kraziel]

I'm pretty sure you just saved me a lot of money. Thanks, incredibly helpful and informative video, and one that seems truly honest and to the point, without clickbaiting slapping "MY HONEST REVIEW OF" in the title, like so many other desperate channels. Thank you for not being like that. Me and my girlfriend are looking for a board game that actually has DEEP story, well written and decisions that actually changes, like an adventure game where you don't know what you're going to discover, and make choises that changes the course of the game or affect the game in some way. Almost like "Tales of the Arabian Nights", which I'm actually watching your video about it right now. But I think we found the game: it's "Waste Knights: Second Edition" It's like a Fallout game, nuclear post-apocalyptic Mad Max themed in Australia, where you navigate throughout the map discovering encounters and story bits, the game points you to the HUGE "Book of Tales", where you make choices, and it points you to a whole another page and paragraph within the book depending what choice you made, and you read on what effect you caused, and the games keep branching like that. And from what I've seen, it is REALLY well written, and involved. It's not these cliche mediocre stories, it's really something. I wonder if you ever played Waste Knights, would've been awesome to hear your opinion.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Sorry not played Waste Knights. Thank you so much for the kind words!

[@Verlasian]

I think this was already mentioned in other comments but I am glad that you taking an objective look at the game. I have a feeling that there's a plenty of reviewers that just loooove every new game that is released. I understand they could be hyped but it doesn't give an average board gamer (like me) an objective target what to spent my hard earned money on (not mentioning the precious kalax space).

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Means a lot to hear that thanks! :-)

[@justacynic]

Agreed that the time allowed for solo challenger mode needs adjusting. I'm 0/8 on chapter 1. ( Haven't caved and played explorer mode). Also agree that with the miniatures being microatures, tokens would have been better. I think the scenario narratives are well written and the background noise at each location is really immersive. Despite my familiarity with the scenarios playing solo, both my son and my friend beat me in the stand alone scenario. I tried to balance my knowledge in terms of where I was traveling to and going to do by giving tips about what they might like to buy from vendors. I don't regret backing it at all. I'm really looking forward to what users come up with in designing scenarios once Lucky Ducks released the scenario building software as well. MoM has some amazing scenarios people have created. My other criticism that I didn't really hear from you is that after playing through once, you have a strong idea for where things are. So the mystery of flipping over map tiles is eliminated. MoM is better in this regard because the app designs so many different variances of what room appears when a door is opened.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Well in the replayability section I mention that you won't be able to play the multiplayer mode after you've played it solo because there isn't much in the way of branching paths. But yeah MOM and LOTR JIME are better adventure games for me.

[@justacynic]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Sea of Sands (imho) is way better than the base game and the solo challenger mode is not ridiculous. I haven't beaten the third chapter yet 0/4 but enjoying it anyway. Other than a more compelling storyline (imho), I don't think you'll be changing your mind though.

[@futurescaper]

Good, in depth review. I don't know if I will have a different opinion as I haven't played yet. But I want to address some of the things that you mentioned: Why the (tiny) minis in this game? The game was originally titled Time of Legends: Destinies and was tied into the world of that miniatures game (Time of Legends: Joan of Arc from Mythic Games). So the mins in Destinies needed to be compatible with Joan of Arc, which uses the tiny minis. Destinies was going to include scenarios for use in Joan of Arc using the minis from Destinies. The two companies had some falling out so Time of Legends: Destinies got renamed as just Destinies before it was released. The Fate and Fortune expansion provides a 2 v 2 version of the game, instead of the original 1 v 1 v 1 version in the base game. Lucky Duck is going to provide a community scenario editor so owners of this game can create their own scenarios. Thanks for the thoughtful review. I'm a big fan of Chronicles of Crime, of fantasy themed games and narrative driven games so I'm still looking forward to trying the game (knowing I'm not about to play On Mars or Maracaibo).

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Even at 2v2 i don't see competitive play working as the same issues will arise, plus that's a KS expansion for the time being. A scenario editor is a cool prospect, but it's not part of the retail edition as it stands and who knows when that will get released. Thanks for the kind words, and by all means, try the game out, it's not bad by any means.

[@peterevensen]

So the miniatures are too miniature?

[@jasonmurphy1956]

Thanks for the review, very much agree. My wife and I have played 2 scenarios now and I am really torn about keep or sell. The stories are not really strong, I finished the last game and didn't really know how my characters story ended as was a bit confusing, my wife didn't get to finish her characters story and was disappointed. I like the game concept, like the mechanics (mostly). As the game stands it is not a keeper, but am kind of wondering if worth keeping for expansions or custom made content down the line? I really really want to like the game, if they bring out coop content then I think it would persuade me. Still really undecided. Thanks again for the good honest review

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad to help! :D

[@JayJay-if5rl]

I completely agree - having just finished my first few plays, I’m not sure why I would play this again over a JRPG video game (Final Fantasy has the most amazing stories).

[@TobeOneKenobi]

Your review is your opinion, so that is fine, but I wonder why you keep comparing it to Chronicles of Crime, when it is much closer to (and better than - in our opinion) Mansions of Madness, 2nd Ed? At least in this game you have the chance to improve your stats (very smartly done) and mitigate some of you worst die rolls with items, and every scenario doesn't end with you having to fight a beast or horde of beasts either. In CoC, you scan items with an app, yes, but there you try to work out a story, while here you are part of the story. No skill tests and dice in CoC either (we like CoC :). So they didn't pack it full of weird rules and conditions that you need to keep track of and look up on BGG as in MoM, but I would say they deserve some credit for that, not getting branded as "My first little story game", just because it isn't complex. I wouldn't say the story is very family friendly either, unless you censor some of the descriptions. I guess you expected this to be a different kind of game. We had fun playing it (just two scenarios, so far) and we feel it has been good value for our money, considering we got three scenarios extra as part of the KS. Can live without the minis though. We put a point-of-interest token under the NPC characters, to separate them, but a coloured plastic base to put on the player's characters would have helped a lot.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I haven't had to look up much at all for MoM, the app handles it pretty well. And I don't recall much in the story that children couldn't handle. In terms of the skill levelling, you basically only end up with 2 low numbers and maybe a 3rd if you focus on it. But sometimes you have four markers on a row, you'll never level all 4 markers to a decent point. And certainly no skill tests or dice in CoC, but you have to figure out a big mystery, sometimes a very complex one. Here, there's no mystery at all. Certainly stick to multiplayer though which is what you're doing.

[@davidjackson9426]

Thanks for the review and confirming what I thought when I watched the Dice Tower review. That is there is just not enough game there to even consider the outlay of cash.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I backed on KS. . . . :-(

[@davidjackson9426]

@Patrick White It would have cost me around £40 plus at least £10 shipping (but really a unknown amount after Brexit) for the base set. I was not sure the game was for me and I have plenty of other games on my list I would rather spend my money on. That being said you seem to have paid a good price. I really hope you enjoy the game and that it brings you lots of fun.

[@ilqrd.6608]

Honestly I struggled to believe that this game is ALL THAT when I watched the reviews by other creators...they love it but man did it look and sound just...okay. I’m glad I didn’t let my FOMO take over and rush to buy it. I’m super okay with never playing this. Thank you for providing a different perspective!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

My thoughts exactly!!

[@wiriyarewatbowornwong2550]

If I buy this game for solo only it's not worth right?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

DEFINITELY NOT!

[@Jezza_One]

The miniatures in 7th continent are tiny as well. I would be surprised if they were smaller than that.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I don't think anything can be smaller than these.

[@thecuriousboardgamer]

Luke, you produce super valuable content as a relatively unique voice among content creators. I'm getting this game and I think I'm going to love it, but it's great to know that I should avoid solo mode. I'm not a big solo gamer, so I'm not invested in that part of the game and would be fine if it wasn't even included. I appreciate the differing viewpoint, even if I don't agree with much of it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad you enjoy it whatever you decide to do with the game! :-)

[@dddmmm21]

Luke is by far the reviewer with the most different taste than mine (and that is fine).

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Long as it's still useful and/or entertaining :P

[@r.stockenhuber6140]

Thank you for a honest review. You really covered the things I am critical about in games - I applaud you for your effort ;)

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Much appreciated! I wish more creators opened up as much.

[@NotedEel]

Heya! Had a lot of fun watching your video here. Appreciate your thoughts, and pretty much agree with everything you have to say regarding the solo play. Since it's supposed to be a competitive game I will eagerly await for the lady friend to be ready to try it with me before I pass hard judgement. The components for the game are really sweet, but you're so right about the minis. They are so odd lol 😅

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thanks for sharing!! :D

[@wishmeheaven]

Beautiful made review. I really wish you would review the game "Fort".

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Maybe one day if I get time I'll do a blitz review when I get the expansion. But I do talk about Fort a little on my Top 100.

[@aonline_abridged]

Thank you for your helpful review, I was tempted to get it because of the hotness but I decided to watch from the sidelines for now until the app has been seasoned. Your hair looks much better this wan than the times you do a forward presentation. oh and bonus points for Avatar fanboy foam

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

This is still forward right?? 🤔 Ha ha, well my hair is better now we are allowed to get it cut and I went back to my normal "send it back" Style.

[@vladimirnastasie5061]

Thank you Luke for telling things how they really are about this one !! Excellent review!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

My pleasure! Sadly some are more interested in whether the video is less than 10 minutes long when it comes to other creators, me, it takes as long as it needs to take!

[@jaypob]

The reviewers giving positive reviews are telling things how they really are too. Different strokes for different folks.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Many of them haven't even played the solo mode which is half the game.

[@BobbyJuno]

Thanks for talking me out of this one. I'm getting a little impatient waiting for 7th Citadel and I thought maybe I could give this a try. I'll take a closer look at Chronicles instead.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad to help!

[@jeanborrero]

Thank you for the critical review! Saved me cash tbh

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Happy to help with honesty 👍

[@dav1dgear]

I love time stories, I love the challenger mode. Everyone that like rogue like game will like this kind of system, where you go, die and go again but better.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Well technically you start from scratch so it's not roguelike.

[@octagram2955]

Good cinematography!

[@octagram2955]

Great*

[@lynnbowers4722]

To be honest, I don't often agree with you ( * cough* Too Many Bones), but you are spot on with this one. I DO NOT understand the hype for this simplistic game. And this is coming from a gamer that loves dungeon crawls, dice chucking, and narrative games. Destinies really is baby's first RPG.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

There's potential here, but in its current form it's not worth it IMO. Each KS expansion is only 3 more scenarios which is barely anything.

[@alexpartenopei1021]

I believe Lucky Duck are creatng a scenario creation software thingy. Not sure when it will go live or how good/user friendly it will be.

[@DVCBear]

Playing solo, I also found myself forgetting about the board game and focusing on the app.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Exactly!!

[@koreandecepticon]

I am not a Euro gamer so I will love this.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Go for it! 👍

[@juanc5118]

In my opinion the game is one of the best games so far out there! Love the story and the app soooooo much. If you are looking for excuses not to like a game my suggestion is never buy but if you look for opportunities to play something good and have a good time give it a try.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Not enjoying the experience with a game is not looking for excuses. That can be flipped on its head to say one should enjoy the game no matter what.

[@mikolajwitkowski8093]

Thanks so much for this review, it's so balanced and helpful. As to your ks rule about minis, one word Gloomhaven.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad it was helpful! And haha, yes "Gloom" anything!

[@mikolajwitkowski8093]

@@TheBrokenMeeple oh it was, other reviews were very one sided you brought up some very good and well argument Ed points that made me consider my purchase some more.

[@victorybhg]

the fonts really work with the branding. 👍🏽

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah discovered it by chance with another experiment and thought, keep it!

[@JevousGaming]

Real bummer this isn’t coop and a little more challenging. If they do Legends of Andor in this format I’ll be all over it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah competitive didn't work here.

[@paulallison6418]

Thank you Luke for doing a superb review here. Personally I like board games that give me hours of pleasure and are deep enough to make me think...hhhmmm how can I improve my play next time and have enough replay value to play 10 or 20 times or more. For example Emma and I played 4 games of Root over 2 or 3 nights and I feel like we are only scratching the surface. Destinies isn't the game for me by the sound of it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ronthal]

I have better hopes than you in terms of replayability, provided they open the system to fan-made content, purely based on past experience with Chronicles of Crime. In CoC you have like 3/4 investigations with the box, but then you can find like 20+ free fan-made scenarios. So if we have half of this on Destinies, it could be a lot of fun for quite some time ! Not even counting the official expansions.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Maybe, but it depends how easy it is to obtain those, especially for the non tech savvy. It will be a start, but in the retail box as it stands, there's not much there. And the KS expansions have only 3 scenarios each, that's 1.5 hours of solo time.

[@boardfeelings]

Thanks for you review. I had very similar feelings even in the competitive mode. I "won," but I feel I lucked into it by happening to go to direction I should have gone. Overall, I'm glad I played it, but glad it was my friend who purchased it and not myself!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Well said! I got some KS items to unload now though . . . .

[@bookaddict777]

"If you're a Euro gamer, you will not enjoy this" - hard pass from me then! Thanks for the review, Luke.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad I could help!

[@CharlieWhop]

Why does every euro gamer have to tell everyone they are a euro gamer?

[@vangelisevangelou]

Thanks for the review. I so much wish it was coop in the spirit of CoC. Good point about longevity.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

You and me both!

[@Fbacurau]

Great review!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad you think so!

[@ReverendDrDeath]

Watching the other reviews that were hyping this game it seems that the potential for the system being used is causing more of the praise than the actual setting and gameplay of this current set. I've held off buying it because of my concerns and reading you had alternative opinions and I'm glad I did. With Sleeping Gods and Tainted Grail (or even Chronicles of Crime) to play I definitely don't need "My Little Story Game". I'll wait for 2.0 with a better setting and hopefully meatier gameplay. Thanks Luke!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thanks for watching Shawn Tankersley, glad I could help! :-)

[@shazam2323]

where's the 2.0?

[@Puzzu]

Thanks so much for this! The concept does sound really cool but yeah I feel this is the type of game where I would probably rather play someone else's copy and just go through it once and done, esp given how short-lived it is, than having to buy it myself! It also sounds like it would have been better as a little choose your own adventure type of app on your phone given the superfluous nature of the physical components, I'd probably go for that. Definitely a bit overhyped.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Totally agree! And yeah, play another copy and you get the experience in a short space of time.

[@Kelfuma]

Very good review. Thank you for this.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheBigCrab89]

First video as an Elite Patron - forgot i would get a shout out at the end 😁 Enjoyed the review - not one for me either I think... but enjoyed listening to your take!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Legend! And yes, once you upgraded (thank you by the way) your name was included. And you were the catalyst to the new format of scrolling names as the previous method was running out of space!

[@dilatedbeholder3865]

I was on the fence but this review ultimately made me pass. The game is obviously Lucky Duck going for a new gimmick, but it needs further development. Appreciate the video 👍

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you!

[@TheRatedOniChannel]

For the amount of hype this game was generating, I thought it would be a story or a setting as big as Gloomhaven with its dozens and dozens of missions and places to go and things to do but... really? That's it? Just a couple of hours and it is done? I think I will wait to see from other games before going for this; I want to get Racoon Tycoon or Honey Buzz so I will save the money for those.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah, 10 hours multiplayer or 3 hours max solo. That's the lot.

[@TheRatedOniChannel]

@@TheBrokenMeeple That's it? If I wanted a game that was atmospheric (like, with a good world setting) and I wanted to play solo and enjoy a rich, tense and interesting story I would go and buy Sunless Sea and it's sequels, and buying all of that would still be cheaper! And for anyone that says 'but it has figurines!' yeah, and you don't use them in solo and if I wanted better figurines there are literally dozens of other games AND companies that sell them!

[@JesusGonzalez-it2sv]

4 minutes and 52 seconds in i knew the game was not for me nor for my wife. It seems the game wants so be a solo game that you can play with other if that makes sense.

[@wagner594]

Thank you! I almost bought the crap online today 😳.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad I saved you money!

[@3rdmillenniumfuture607]

Thanks for the honest review, I've trusted you ever since Etherfields

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I appreciate that!

[@Voladium23]

I went for the lowest tier Kickstarter and somehow managed to end up being sent an all-in bundle, I was still disappointed by this game.

[@apokai]

Subscribing BECAUSE of your honestly. Thanks!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thank you so much, welcome aboard! Glad to be one of the honest folk!

[@clvrswine]

I will pass on this (for solo). Thanks for the review. As a Euro-gamer, I'd hate this.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Probably 😁

[@alexpartenopei1021]

thanks for the review! I think this game will be loved by some and hated by others. it does seem to be more an interactive story than a game....and that is totally fine as long as people are aware of what they are getting. I think Solomon Kane does it better as that has good tactical decisions to be made....but the price of Destinies and availibilty is a big plus.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah there's good things to say, I think it's been overhyped.

[@alexpartenopei1021]

@@TheBrokenMeeple absolutely!

[@MrJoelXIII]

the bulk of minis is from Time of Legends: Joan of Arc, perfectly fine there for the massive gameplay dimension needed, but pretty useless here I think.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Standees would have suited just fine but nope, KS!

[@Tomazsus]

@@TheBrokenMeeple As LzXIII pointed out, this game started as an expansion of Time of Legends: Joan of Arc, and much of the production, including the miniatures, went in that direction. At a certain point (when the production was already running!), they had some very serious legal issues with the original creator of Joan of Arc, and diverted the game so that is not an expansion/improvement on the original one anymore, but has instead become a standalone game. Unfortunately, it would've cost them too much to throw away the already produced miniatures and substitute them with standees or meeples. As you pointed out, gamers can do that quite easily if the size of the miniatures does not suit their desires, or just paint them (which is actually the whole point with miniatures anyway). Just to clarify. Keep up the good honest reviews!

[@Tomazsus]

I would also add that you are absolutely correct in saying that adding minis is how KS works nowadays. I like minis, I am an avid collector and painter. But it would be MUCH better if there was the choice of buying the base game (with standees / meeples / tokens) and, if wanted, the add-on of miniatures (for people like me)

[@kosterix123]

thanks for the warning. I already had dismissed it b/c of the app.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad to help, the game isn't bad by any means, but no way would I give it a distinction level rating.

[@kosterix123]

@@TheBrokenMeeple "isn't bad" is not going to win from games in my collection that are great. In other words, it will never hit the table.

[@tozmom615]

Good to see someone not willing to stampede with the herd. I’ve lost count of games that I personally find to be utter gash but you could be forgiven for thinking they were the best thing since the internal combustion engine according to BGG.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah there's a few on BGG who aren't big fans, but I see Dice Tower, BoardgameCo, Quackalope etc giving it top marks and I'm just like "seriously what were you playing"? - but then none of them played it solo at all.

[@tozmom615]

@@jaypob thanks for the self righteous moralising. There isn’t enough of that on the internet these days.

[@jaypob]

@@tozmom615 Says the guy self-righteously moralising about people who like a game that lots of people like. Maybe take a look in the mirror first.

[@thecuriousboardgamer]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Other than DeLisio, none of those creators do much in the way of solo gaming, so their content is right for them and their audience. For the way they (and many people) will play this game, their content is spot on! For solo gamers and those who have the same taste as you, your review is spot on. Both can be true.

[@tozmom615]

@@jaypob yawn. I think you’ll find you are projecting. Read what I said first. I said that I find games lots of folk on BGG seem to enjoy utter gash. Nowhere, literally nowhere does that mean I am saying I am better than anyone. It’s you that is reading into that statement a sense of me claiming to be superior. Is there going to be a point where this hobby doesn’t have prickly sorts ready to leap to attack one another for their opinions. Poor bloody Luke gets it all the time. He presents his opinion and folk go mental in the comments. It’s exactly the same thing on BGG- the mass of fan boys for a game wax lyrical about how wonderful it is... someone comes along with a dissenting opinion and with astonishing alacrity the fan boys eviscerate them for daring to go against the hive mind. Now don’t pretend to be a victim yourself here, if my comment upset you so much you essentially call me childish (the ‘grow up’ part) then you could have been the bigger more mature adult and simply ignored it.

[@simoneilmone3634]

Apprezzo molto il lavoro fatto da lucky ducks, ma io la penso proprio come te. Materiale ottimo, ma non so tutto questo a cosa possa servire. Modalità sfida praticamente impossibile e frustrante, solo-mode forse un po noiosa, perché, anche io leggo veloce e, in un modo o nell'altro, si conclude sempre, senza avere un minimo di sfida. Speravo in qualcosa di più

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Here goes "Google Translate" - Concordato! Anche per questo avevo grandi speranze, ma a volte non soddisfa le aspettative.

[@simoneilmone3634]

@@TheBrokenMeeple ...sorry if I wrote in Italian;)

[@en4crcdn]

Thanks. Great critique. Saved me $50. Coop would be better.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad it was a useful vid!

[@vojkobaumanspoon]

Bought it as my first rpg before Middara shows up :D Maybe I buy the expansions, maybe I sell it before that

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Someone mentioned Middara at my games club, it's a new one on me.

[@vojkobaumanspoon]

@@TheBrokenMeeple you should look into it, it is absolutely awesome :)

[@Jezza_One]

Middara is a fantastic game

[@dav1dgear]

Oh, BTW anyone that said the mechanic of this game is interesting is lying to their teeth. The game is lite, it's meant to be lite, it's not about the mechanic of the game it's about the story and how your choices affect it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Except that the story isn't as expansive as all that.

[@Brotzkopf]

I didn't like Chronicles of crime at all. The usability of the game on a mechanical level was terrible. It was similiar to old point&click adventure games with really weird clues, so you just did some random stuff to see if it works somehow. And if you enjoyed CoC I probably should stay clear of this one.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Fair enough, glad it helped you make a decision. :-)

[@victorybhg]

cool stuff sir

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I hope so! Views still outclassed by really random stuff out there, reviews will never meet the level of Top 10's!

[@johnbrown6230]

I guess it's different strokes for different folks. But this review seems to be forced silly nit picking. The same nit-picking could be done with basically any other game. There is no point in being controversial for the sake of it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

It's not being controversial at all, let alone for the sake of it. You say nitpicking, but I would say that a lack of replay value, the fact that you don't need half the components, the miniatures being subpar and un-necessary also, being able to complete the entire box in less than 3 hours solo and both solo modes having issues and the fact that the multiplayer is entirely luck driven, aren't factors that would be considered nitpicking - like you said, different strokes, but if anything I would say most of the 9's/ 10's out there rated it too quickly, especially as most of them hadn't played it solo or more than a couple of campaign games worth.

[@johnbrown6230]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Thank you for your response. I disagree but respect your opinion.

[@victorybhg]

busy week... ending lockdown seems to work for you, keep it up... :)

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Thanks, you too!

[@alexandresavaria1036]

so only 3 differents Character and the destiny doesn't change.... guess it's a good 1 time game... since after you know the destiny you need to do and the one of your oppenents. Kinda sux

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Sadly that is the case - replay value is not good especially if you played it solo and speeded through it.

[@jamos5710]

Totally agree this game was a huge disappointment, I would rather read Warlock of the Firetop Mountain choose your own adventure book.

[@craighayward2]

I just bought the game now I am disappointed only 2 hours of play that sucks

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Sorry to hear that. At least it will sell well.

[@craighayward2]

@@TheBrokenMeeple I was really excited on getting this game to now I am very disappointed it looked like it would play a lot longer.

[@CarlosRodriguez-ez3ls]

Got it, an overproduced family game. Thanks Luke!!!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

You're welcome!

[@Coffeemaker1978]

I was so dissappointed by Destinies. Of it goes.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Did you feel the same as me?

[@Coffeemaker1978]

@@TheBrokenMeeple after a runthrough I had this ‘bleh’ feeling you so fine describe. I ended selling it while there were buyers. Overall very dissappointing. The machanics are really good, but the game was so meh that I could not keep it.

[@thereal4579]

"what cave have you been living under"

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Hopefully a big man cave with a ton of games!

[@thereal4579]

@@TheBrokenMeeple lol funny way to use the expression.

[@TheLuminousCleric]

All of this just sounds like terrible value.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Got to admit, you don't get much in the box and the KS expansions are 3 scenarios each - that's it. And as said, in solo mode you need NONE of the extra stuff.

[@benjaminl429]

Albeit subjective, this perspective actually makes me re-consider the integrity of other reviewers.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

In what way specifically? The inflated ratings?

[@adamg4912]

Integrity is the wrong word. People have different tastes. I'm not surprised that Roy Cannaday adored this game since he puts immersion/theme above everything else. And he also loves other app-driven games like Mansions of Madness. Noticing a similarity between your own taste and the reviewer in question is what it's all about.

[@benjaminl429]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Correct. I've lost too much money on hyped-up game that turned out to be lacklustre, flawed, or maybe good for one or two plays (my guess is the same amount played by some reviewers) so the level of consideration in your response will definitely lead me to seeking your opinions where available moving forward.

[@benjaminl429]

@@adamg4912 agreed "integrity" is a possibly a little strong, but I do find it hard to not have some suspicions when one reviewer alone can point-out so many flaws in a much-hyped game. Yes I do understand that immersion and theme are very important to some, myself included to a lesser extent, but ultimately the mechanics of a game have to work or the immersion is somewhat pointless.

[@benjaminl429]

@@adamg4912 P.S. I haven't actually seen Roy's video, so not who I was implying. To be honest, I wasn't actually implying any one person directly - but after reading several articles and watching several videos I found it hard to believe how little criticism this game was receiving in hindsight. P.P.S. My tastes are quite varied, so I'm usually pretty open to all opinions, and take each with a grain of salt. What struck me about this review was how honest and very different it was from the majority of others. It really got me thinking about what factors may drive hype.