Turncoats is a Tiny Battle for your Table

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[@TheAtticus19]

This seems like a game you’d see wise men play in a fantasy series.

[@DoctorEth]

I had the exact same thought xP

[@jacksonreynolds7433]

Followed by one saying "ah....a fine move"?

[@mweepigeon]

Absolutely has huge Tak vibes

[@TheAtticus19]

@@mweepigeon Or Pai Sho.

[@mekkler]

It reminds me of the game in the novel by Hermann Hesse, 'The Glass Bead Game'. The actual rules of that game were never described in that book.

[@mariliacesarhorta]

A game so powerful that even Tom himself was abstracted away

[@21centurymagic]

Tom this is unacceptable. You can't make hilarious videos while also making calm and collected ones like this. It's just not fair.

[@lilsheba]

Absolutely assumed this was an Ava review at first glance. Now I’m also picturing Tom in a rocking chair stitching the game onto the fabric himself. Dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria.

[@sirspate]

I kept waiting for the smash-cut to Matt coughing up game pieces.

[@Codex_of_Wisdom]

Tom has grown far too powerful.

[@DoctorEth]

Watching Tom develop as a review-maker has been a treat, and this is a perfect example of letting the game set the tone and letting those writing skills really shine.

[@tuomasronnberg5244]

Same, I really liked this deviation from the usual style. It gave the game an unique vibe when the the approach of the review was different.

[@stefanopaolini1345]

A treat but usually also a threat 😂

[@GuerricSamplesGames]

I'm both tremendously excited for Tilda, and also tremendously afraid for her order backlog

[@marhepto]

I'll have you know I was ordering turncoats BEFORE it was cool, maaaaan

[@GuerricSamplesGames]

@@marhepto I actually own one of the very first copies! Tilda sent me the loveliest handwritten note with it ☺

[@Ditocoaf]

@@marhepto Yeah I feel ridiculously lucky to have stumbled on this by chance on BGG, before even Dan Thurot's review. I can't imagine how overwhelming this is going to be with SU&SD attention. She's gonna have to hire some people.

[@mattchstick]

Better start streaming it.

[@KristofferYiFredriksson]

Ooohhh a pissing contest! Well then, I have a photo of me and my wife on the top of the pyramid that Matilda is standing on in the photo on her site.

[@iriselmer6302]

Mathilda is a friend of mine and the fact that this magnificent game of hers is gaining this traction makes me so happy and proud omgg (thank you Tom for a great review btw, you just got yourself a new fan!)!!

[@alexaliss8233]

Tilda is a great person and is clearly really passionate about game design. She explained how to play Turncoats to me so patiently haha. It took me and some other friends a while to get it but it was really fun to play a few times in a row and watch people develop their own strategies- however silly they were or how effectively they worked. Always a joy to grab our pretty Turncoats bag off the shelf!

[@littlemissevel3607]

This game looks like something i would hate every moment of ... i know several people however who would absolutely adore it! She handmakes them?! Tom i think this video might break her...

[@comradesoupbeans4437]

super happy i found out about this gem because of you, it's perfect for my TTRPG players because it's a game that they've never heard of that *feels* like it's as old as chess or go

[@btmurphy88]

“Allowing different brains to bash against each other in weird and interesting ways” is a line I will be thinking about every time I play a game from now on. Thanks, Tom, for being such a weird and interesting person and for sharing these videos with us.

[@MURD3R3D]

I really, really enjoyed the tone you took with this review. It fits in with what this game achieves thematically perfectly. This game looks really interesting to have as a talking piece, art piece, etc.

[@FalkFlak]

There are a lot of abstract game productions of this kind played on a piece of linnen fabric or leather but with this area control mechanism you can see what superfluous aspects many other games put on the board. If there would be a big volcanoe in the middle, landscape surround it and instead of stones you have colooured dudes of orcs, elves and whatnot you just have a standard fantasy strategy game and it shows how little that actually brings to the table.

[@luigiscazzari4724]

We went within a week from Quinn's euphoria to Tom's ASMR. Such a rollercoaster.

[@lukesanwick4840]

Oh man, I feel for Milda’s Google Form right now. 😅

[@limagiorlando]

I was thinking the same.

[@kenetyw]

I just added to it! They are going to be so swamped - hopefully I got in before the main surge.

[@georginatoland]

I’m all in on these cool games she makes. I’ll wait patiently. ❤

[@bubblewandd]

Insightful, nuanced, and poetic. This review is a piece of art.

[@cdgonepotatoes4219]

Imagine if a game was made to work parallel of Turncoats, where the factions have a player "king", and they have to gather support of the "nobles" by offering them power but at the same time trying to bind them to themselves.

[@Gfloresadam]

Bloody hell Tom, way to throw us an absolute curveball after all your recent videos with something wildly different and yet still amazing. Enjoyed your writing in this one, really succinct!

[@usonian74]

I love that we waited until after the 6:00 mark to even address the elephant in the room that the board is the inside of a fabric bag…

[@scottdarrington6009]

PHEW! I just got the confirmation of my order for this a few days ago, in before the new wave of orders this lovely review will no doubt bring. 😅 I actually also made my own copy of the game to try out before, and I have really loved my time with it so far!

[@yoavhelfman1888]

When did u place your order? I filled out the form Oct 22nd and didn’t hear anything yet, hope I beat the wave :0

[@philvan5191]

Amazing quality in this one! From footage to script to delivery, this was an impressive departure from the usual style and reminded me of video essays in the best way possible.

[@sojou.RN.]

I love Tom's goofier reviews, but he really knocked it out of the park with this one. Simple and elegant game; straightforward and compelling review.

[@thomasmcdermott5723]

Wonderful video tom! Very chilled out and slow paced compared to your usual fare, but I was entranced the whole time by the beauty and simplicity of the game. Bravo

[@Grapegrape42]

Love to see abstract strategy games highlighted!!

[@revimfadli4666]

Especially in this era where games are often underrated due to their themes rather than gameplay

[@Karasek42]

Came back to this video, because I finally received my copy in the mail today! It’s a clever game, with lovely presentation! I’ve been waiting a long time, and it was worth it! Thanks, Tom, for your review. I’m so glad you introduced Matilda’s work to me!

[@personthingpig]

It's me. I am the horse guy.

[@HotSauce47]

Tom’s range is unbounded 🏅 A++

[@Kaepsele337]

I love the design philosophy behind this. I also like ancient games and like to invent pseudo-ancient games. They just feel more 'human' for lack of a better term.

[@revimfadli4666]

Are you also a fellow regular visitor of abstract game design subforum on BGG?

[@Kaepsele337]

@@revimfadli4666 NO, what is BGG?

[@revimfadli4666]

@@Kaepsele337 boardgame geek, the most popular modern boardgaming forum right now

[@countecristo2579]

“Then buddy… you should stick arounnnnd” Laughed out loud, so chill and still hilarious somehow. Nice video Tom

[@Pyrish]

This looks beautiful. My family plays Backgammon; Turncoats is definitely one to add to the collection.

[@Pyrish]

Less “chance” or “luck” due to dice rolls. No eating and trapping one player while the other runs off with the win. And we can play more than two people on one board (we often have two backgammon games running simultaneously).

[@mattchstick]

Us Woodland Warriors will miss her, now that she's all famous and rich and famous.

[@wildhaggis55]

This was so great. Coupled with KZbin's new "Ambient Mode" (whatever that means) made for a super relaxing experience. It's also nice to have reviews like this; you really let the game breathe.

[@doctorizzy4847]

Tom I have to say this review has such excellent vibes that's so different from SU&SD's regular catalog that I really really enjoyed it. I really needed these quiet vibes

[@sonofabippi]

I've never ordered a game through a google forms page, but I'm here for it.

[@StuartHetzler]

"tiebreakers are essential", I say with confidence after my gf and I tied 100 to 100 at gaia project last night, a game with no tiebreaker in the rules.

[@ChristopherZAR]

This was great Tom, I haven't been this excited for a game in a while. Absolutely lovely way to present it

[@dylanspiderman2517]

Took me a minute to figure out who this calm, charming voice belonged to…

[@ashleyeatsmuffins]

SCOUT!

[@revimfadli4666]

@@ashleyeatsmuffins scoutscoutacoutscoutscout

[@orangelzp]

This felt like a Jacob Geller review of a board game

[@ihadabaddaytoday]

the cinematography in this is breathtaking, I love how you played with light here

[@toxiccommenter6540]

Is there a playlist or genre for this type of “backgammon/Ur/Chess/Go/etc” like game that is simple in mechanics and art but is absolutely a blast especially on the go

[@seanfsmith]

I am STRONG here for abstract strategy games like this, especially if they feel timeless.

[@MrOmarabdulhadi]

something about the description of this as an ancient game really struck a chord with me, i'd love to try this out !

[@alexanderbradburn6511]

Really interesting video format! I wouldn't want this for all the videos, but I really enjoyed this and would like to see more from time to time. :)

[@perspicacioussimpleton7288]

I must fight the urge to order this as a proud owner of a The King is Dead copy.

[@snowwarden3711]

Its almost my turn to get my copy! thx for showing these hidden gems to us

[@LordoftheBoard]

Really glad I already own this game! This makes me happy to see you highlight it. It’s a good one. I was so impressed by it.

[@civilbeard]

I really enjoyed this video! The short duration and the calm presentation worked nicely together.

[@paulstaker8861]

the shots with the shadow leaves are quite beautiful. Well done

[@georginatoland]

This video has been an excellent palette cleanser from the the usual jokes and jives. You’ve got range, sir! ❤

[@diskopartizan0850]

mmm clammy hand stones... game looks fantastic, I'll add it to the list.

[@ClimbingCat05]

This looks really interesting! I love the components

[@jessemoore7643]

Yo Tom, I have seen most of your videos. This is my personal favorite. Well done sir!

[@dukepebbles]

Tom, normally your reviews are funny, insightful, witty, and informative. This video was plain beautiful. Amazing work.

[@olijones4354]

What an incredible video. I love how experimental the format of this was with no face, few jokes, and the relaxing mysterious music in the background. Tom is my favourite video reviewer at SUSD (actually, period), his usual style is great and even better that he can subvert it completely. Is it weird to think the review is as much a piece of art as the game beneath seems to be? The game also looks very good, although I'm not brave enough to try and order a copy right now given the limited logistics and the hype boost it got from being shown on the channel.

[@dylanspiderman2517]

OOHHH NOOOO!! I was about to order this before I went to bed last night but decided to wait until I woke up. Now it’ll never come 😂 Great review though, congrats Milda Matilda!

[@SkaiaMechanic]

I believe I would hate playing this game. I don't mind abstract, but this is a bit much for me. And the only way to make your hand stronger...is by weakening it? Unless by doing the last action, which ends the game? I know those who could get into it, but that's not me. But this review? I love this review. It continues to show Tom's breadth of skill in producing videos of all kinds that match the content.

[@red_nick]

If its the hand weakening you don't like, you might want to try The King is Dead which they mentioned in the video. It has almost the opposite weakening effect: after each action you remove a cube from the board and put it in your court, weakening that faction's board presence to strengthen your claim to the faction.

[@jacktongeman]

Great review as always, really beautifully shot!

[@roderik1990]

That looks like quite the interesting game, definitely keeping it in mind when I want to add to my collection.

[@eoghanoleary3322]

Happy days, my copy arrived in the post this morning. Great review

[@jtjames79]

I love mini games for my D&D game. This would make an excellent "tavern activity" or another downtime activity. Like the king is only willing to have an audience if they're willing to play a game with him. I also like the game of Ur for the same reason. Or liar's dice in a pirate game. You get the same effect of playing chess without having to actually play chess.

[@alexaliss8233]

This is a really great idea. Also would be great entertainment at a renaissance faire or something like it.

[@sebastiang.5032]

Classy production!

[@dw-yl3ln]

Minimalist Inis. MinInismalist.

[@j.prt.979]

Minimalinis

[@paul6643]

First ASMR game review for me and I loved it.

[@wigoow1206]

This looks super intriguing. I ripped some pieces out of my old risk game, drew the map on a piece of paper and simulated a 2-player game with some hidden game pieces and a few dice. This was already stressful and kinda confusing. I have to play this with people

[@bankuei]

Wow, this sounds a LOT like King of Siam, which has the same sort of balance between alerting regional control vs. "who are YOU aligned with" and trying to play off the other players' plays as well. It sounds like it'd be a good game to play as a comparison.

[@davidwolfberg8453]

This game looks incredible!

[@rsamp2124]

I think the backlog was already pretty long. I put in a request at the beginning of July and I just got notified that it was ready a few days ago.

[@bsademax5135]

RIP Matilda's inbox.

[@joshuaogle2383]

Stop it Tom. You cannot keep knocking it out of the park like this. You must hit a ceiling! You must!

[@robertbrower1556]

This video is wholly unexpected and wholly great! Right up there with Paul’s Carcassone and Quinn’s Hive reviews. Just ordered myself a copy of Turncoats! :)

[@alex8480]

Let's goooo. Love when the new SUSD drops

[@crookedevolution]

I like this calmer aesthetic, Tom. Way to show your range. :)

[@jaceg810]

no themes? I would near istantly fill it in with the story from the group, red could for instance represent the glorious communistic empire or something, and suddenly boom, there is a story.

[@JohnGottschalk]

I used to like games this clean, but I guess nowadays I'd rather have a lot of cruff and chrome to make me actually feel like I am something or someone. Especially in these games where you aren't the faction, it's really hard for me already to imagine who I am, what it means to trade off a unit. I think for me I need thematics to make these specific mechanics meaningful and make any kind of sense to me.

[@getoffmeow]

Wish I had gotten a copy when they were still made on linen

[@bertrand391]

i'll be down to earth : the design choice of having a gorgeous but pure white (felt?) textile board instantly equals inevitable stains equals fear of having it played.

[@SigynsHope]

Hey, so you think your other games are stain proof and can survive the washing machine 😅

[@ElectricDidact]

Love this format. More please!

[@10tacle1]

Why did the Nerdwriter do a board game review for Shut Up & Sit Down?...

[@housecaldwell]

Zen review. I like it.

[@JarvisDMLord]

I just noticed this game today from LotB's recent video and absolutely fell in love with it i cant wait to get a copy for myself ive got tons of mancala pieces at home and the rules are super easy to follow!

[@SleepDepJoel15]

Today I learned that game reviews can be a meditative experience.

[@zangster2k]

I was looking closely and I think I just spotted Mr. Stefan Feld.

[@frankharr9466]

That does sound intreaguing. And it reminds me of a game I read about in a novel.

[@panosp57]

This looks like an abstract version of Inis! Amazing

[@joeljanzen8121]

Very very well done Tom!

[@garyv83]

This review was so delightfully refreshing that I find it hard to believe that it was made by Tom. Keep up the amazing work and I know the next Google Forms that I will be filling out! It'll be for my favorite Doritos flavor, but I promise the next one will be to order this game! Or another one from Milda Matilda, because there is a good selection there!

[@jr3887]

Big Microcosmos/Hank Green energy

[@Firebringer121]

Welp you're about to crash poor Tilda's filing system with orders I suspect.

[@DesmonJones]

Tom existing as essentially just a disembodied voice was so fitting for a review of a game with such high levels of abstraction. Also, I feel like this review only had a couple too many goofs and gags to not become basically a guided meditation video.

[@darthkt]

Wait, Tom AI is actually a person???

[@Arcadio89]

I really liked this review. it was so calming...

[@Phox-in-a-Box]

Videos like this are why Tom is my favorite.

[@skiesquiggles7319]

Wow I want to play this very badly now

[@JacobWrestledGod]

This review is simply, a delight. 😊

[@nazokashii]

This really seems like a cool game :) thank you for reviewing!

[@KyriosHeptagrammaton]

My concern with games this simplistic is that, unless it's Go, they tend to have a way to win every time. The slight degree of bluffing here certainly helps.

[@DrMcFly28]

My wife is quite confused why I'm watching long footage of a cloth with some shiny beads on it

[@lordvjadro]

Aaaaand I ordered it before the end of the video :D Can't wait to try it

[@commentarytalk1446]

The English Civil War during the 17th century. The siege of Corfe Castle was won by Oliver Cromwell's soldiers when they turned their coats inside out to match the colors of the Royal army.

[@nikolaistarkweather5313]

I want this on a leather hide.

[@dogeatdog6157]

'Look at your stones' :D

[@RichardMaassen]

I really appreciate the calmer tone of the video! But I found it hard to follow the rules explanation. Would have liked it to be slower, I suppose? But maybe that's just me.

[@koshgam]

honestly I felt the same - going to rewatch - but there is no setup instructions - how do you win? - are you all the colors ? I'm very confused

[@RichardMaassen]

@@koshgam 🙈 I feel you. I think I am the colors I have most of in my hand, or something like that? Need to rewatch tomorrow.

[@declanschubert4250]

This was the problem I had too.

[@alexaliss8233]

@@koshgam Having played the game- the setup is as easy as putting two of each colored stone in three marked areas on the map, one for each color, and then the rest of the stones are drawn randomly from the bag to mix up what colors get put on the board each game. Then you draw your hand. There is nothing mechanically that decides what color you are rooting for. You decide this by looking at the color makeup of both your hand and board after setup. For instance, if you notice that red is controlling a lot of areas by chance after setup, and you have a fair amount of red in your hand, you might want to aim to root for red. This puts you in an interesting position of figuring out how to maneuver the stones to futher red's lead without spending all of your red before the game ends, since you only win if you have the most stones of the winning color.