We're Disappointed in You, Expeditions!: An Expeditions Review

Join Tabletop Turtle as we take a look at the newest board game from Stonemaier Games: Expeditions. Marvel as we review this spiritual successor to Scythe and slowly become more and more disappointed as the video continues. If you're looking for more hype to justify your next bad purchase, this ain't it! We were not fans of this game, but maybe you'll be!
#tabletopgames #boardgames #boardgame #review #expeditions #scythe
‪@jameystegmaier‬

[@kosterix123]

Thank you so much. I almost bought into it. Honest videos like this are so much more worth watching than the eternal american-style sugarcoating most influencers use. Instantly subscribed!

[@TabletopTurtle]

I mean we're canadian! If anything we should be doing the most polite sugar coating!! But it's true, at some point content creators start censoring themselves to continue to receive access from publishers. Thanks for subscribing!

[@dylancoyle]

I've never heard anyone passionately dislike refresh actions. Taking notes and getting my bandit mask ready!

[@TabletopTurtle]

I think it's because it's not an end of round refresh where everyone does it, rather it feels like you're skipping your turn. So you wait all this time for it to get to you and then you're just like "Yep, I'm just refreshing. Next player". I think the best way to handle refresh actions is to give players choices and options beyond simply refreshing. Maybe they can add a worker to a refreshed card for a bonus, or maybe they get some sort of resource choice when they refresh. Or first dibs on a card to set aside. Anything!

[@dylancoyle]

@@TabletopTurtle Yeah, Concordia does the new meeple making with extra income, and Res Arcana does the dibs on a little buff. Both feel good! Only one I can think of that did nothing was Century Spice Road.

[@jasonsmith1133]

I enjoy this game because it is effectively a solitaire game. I love those types of games. I think the big issue with this is it is marketed as a Scythe sequel. They are NOTHING alike except mechs and stars. People are going to compare the two because of the way it os marketed that way.

[@TabletopTurtle]

We can understand that. It certainly felt like a solo game and if people are enjoying it like, that's amazing! We knew going in it was nothing like Scythe because we had watched a video before playing by the designer saying as much.

[@Superslemmet]

This game should have had a completely different theme. Quick brainstorming, Tesla has gone missing from the Factory, each player is an apprentice inventor building a mech. The players must explore the closed-down Factory in search of plans and components, solving problems (corruption tiles) using generic resources (power/guile), giving their mech lots of neat abilities. You need to hire different specialists (workers) to run your mechanical monstrosity. Whoever builds the best mech in the end wins. That would at least give a game where there is some sort of overlap between the theme and gameplay.

[@TabletopTurtle]

And each apprentice has been told what's in the building but not where in the building it is, which would explain why it's always the same thing being flipped over but in different spots. And Jamie could still sell as many copies as possible by continually calling the game a Scythe "sequel"!

[@Superslemmet]

@@TabletopTurtle Yeah. Though as I understand it, it wasn't Jamey that told Jakub what the theme should be, but rather the other way around, that Jakub wanted to expand his world in a Lovecraftian direction. For example, it's obvious that purple cards and workers once had some sort of downside or drawback during development, as the two cards you compared clearly show. Throughout the game the purple cards tend to be more powerful, yet it seems like the equalizing factor was removed during streamlining, leading to cards that just feel unbalanced. Personally I would have much preferred a more fiddly game that retained the theme rather than the pretty slick but ultimately flat game that we got. It feels like the fun was lost in the streamlining, and games are supposed to be fun.

[@ikigaijuegosdemesa]

😊 I had a lot of hype with this game, interesting review. thank you

[@TabletopTurtle]

Well still give it a shot. You never know! Maybe a board game cafe?

[@alsawa9060]

I played ist solitair for around 6 Times and 2 Times 2 Player. It Was always fun. And the people i played with liked it either. Watch a playthrough and u habe an good idea, what you can expect. Some cards are better than others, but they are for everyone. 😊

[@TabletopTurtle]

Best thing about board games being fairly popular these days is that there are lots of different games out there for all of us and our unique tastes and interests!

[@melsminiloft]

That's always the worst feeling, when you are looking forward to liking a game and it disappoints. Sounds like I'll be staying away from this one! If I get a chance to try it I'd be curious to see it, but definitely not on my radar at the moment.

[@TabletopTurtle]

Unhappy gamer, happy wallet.

[@briancline4173]

If you were really looking forward to this game, try it before you make a firm decision to avoid it. This is a dissenting opinion and the game currently rates 8.0 on BGG. There is lots to like about it. Dynamic card play, multi use cards, and a streamlined, easy to run automa. Just understand that it is a completely different game than the original Scythe.

[@theshogunstein6475]

Good video

[@TabletopTurtle]

Thanks!

[@Stomski]

Not played it, but I declined a pre-order on this as it seemed to be focused too much on a design checklist and adding extra incentive to do things rather than doing those things actually being intrinsic to people's tactics or, heaven forbid, being fun. And now most positive reviews seem to also call out for expansion content. So early after publication this being sonething to bring up in a positive review it does make you wonder about the conclusion (even if that discussion is driven partly by space in the box for it).

[@TabletopTurtle]

Yeah the expansion demand in reviews that we watched did surprise us as well. I'm sure the game will be made better when expansions come along but we certainly don't want the board game industry becoming anything like the video game industry. Expansions should be a nice surprise for a well loved and played game, not a necessity.

[@skiddwister9143]

I like you two, but I can't listen to the soundtrack. Why do all soundtracks on uploaded videos sound like a bad song played at half speed?

[@TabletopTurtle]

Message heard. We don't use music anymore at least not until I discover a way to use it creatively outside of general background noise

[@hoolio197900]

Upgraded items are worth vp.

[@TabletopTurtle]

Yes.

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

I feel you were asking this game to do things it wasn’t intended to do…that’s my only thought here

[@TabletopTurtle]

We asked it to be fun and Expeditions rejected our request.

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

Y’all are not allowed to be that pretty and also this witty…just saying…also Mike I am pretty sure your arms get thicker with each video…

[@TabletopTurtle]

@@j.r.cilliangreen4083 Are you woeing us? It's working.

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

My plans are WORKING!!! Just letting you know that y’all are doing awesome work…and looking amazing while doing it… Also I too want my workers to exist on air and spite and never need to be fed or really dealt with…

[@lhorbrum1818]

Finally! Thought i was missing something. Every other reviewer seems to love it, with BoardGameCo having it as a candidate for his games of the year. I can't see how this game is fun. Thanks for the review.

[@TabletopTurtle]

Just doing our part to save you money so you can spend it on other silly things you don't need!

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

Ok but Board Game Co is awful so that’s not a place to go looking for advice…

[@ForbiddenKnowledge42]

My thoughts exactly. I have been so confused watching reviews of this game and I keep thinking am I missing something? Scythe is my favorite game and I love cosmic horror, so I want to like this game so much but it seems incredibly mediocore.

[@TabletopTurtle]

@@ForbiddenKnowledge42 Don't worry, everyone who disagrees with you now will agree in about a year . . . if they even remember this game exists.

[@TpDgreat]

not boardgameco! i stop watching them when i realized their sell outs like Rahdo but i watch rahdo if the other dude is the one reviewing games cant remember his name, i only watched 2 of his reviews so far

[@Boardgametherapist]

I always read the rule books when it comes to SM games now. I loved scythe and was hyped initially for this one. Once I read the rule book though…I knew it wasn’t for me…it felt too, safe? Too safe

[@TabletopTurtle]

Yep, you hit the nail on the head for how we feel exactly. Not a bad game by any means, but it doesn't live up to what we have come to expect from their brand.