Actualol Newsletter - September 2020 (Patreon)

Hello team!

We’re entering big game season, and I’m already researching and trying out games for my usual “Essen” video. 

I was delighted with the response to my latest Unbiased Review video. It’s the sort of video I couldn’t dream of making without my Patreon backers, so thank you. A part of my brain always wants to chase the most views, the biggest subscriber growth, and make "bankable" content. But I know from the comments that people want humour and characters, and I’m lucky to be able to take the time to make these videos special, without worrying about the future of the channel every time. 

But now I’m firmly back in reviewer mode and working on giving you the best chance of finding games you’ll like this winter.

The new batch of Timmy meeples are currently winging their way to the relevant patrons. And hopefully all of you have received your lanyard and badges by now. If you’re expecting one, and haven’t received it, please send me a private message through Patreon.

Actual Con

Last weekend I attended Castle Tricon, the first online convention that really met my expectations of what a virtual con should be, and actually managed to replicate some of the feelings of a real con. 

It was set in a virtual 3D world, and there was a nice feeling of exploration as you walk your avatar around and discover what the con offers. You can also fly!

Once you’re in the app, the experience was seamless. I could walk up to a demo table, seeing that there are staff there waiting. As soon as I enter the vicinity of the table, my webcam joins me to a video chat, to talk to them. And to play the game, you just click on the table, which loads a room in Tabletopia in the app. Everyone around the table can chat with each other, whilst playing in Tabletopia, and it worked really well.

The 3D world helps you feel like you’re at a con, in a way that a website or Discord channel just can’t. You can see people playing at a table, and wander over and start watching. You can even bump into people you know! I ended up playing a game with Kristian Amundsen Ostby (of Avenue and Escape: The Curse of the Temple fame), someone I usually only get to chat to in Essen.

The downside was that the expansive 3D world often felt empty, and since the event was run by only three publishers Czech Games Edition, Horrible Guild and Heidelbar - you soon ran out of games to try. Even still, it was a great beacon of hope for virtual conventions, and with enough games and attendees, I could see myself wanting to attend something like this many times, even after lockdown life.

Actual Life

This month, I went away for the weekend with some friends, since the lockdown rules have adapted to allow that. 

We went to the Brecon Beacons, a beautiful part of Wales. And I return with more photos of the scenery than the games we played there.

My highlights of the gaming were JamSumo, one of the few flicking games that I really enjoy. And a chilled card game session in a beer garden, with LLAMA and No Thanks. 

The centerpiece, main event game was introducing my friends to Western Legends - who all loved it. I find it so hard to not play as an outlaw in Western Legends, I just love taking the risk of being caught. I was doing really well at the start, but the Marshal player soon got wise to my criminal behaviour and went down in history for stopping me.

Actual Games

This month there’s a couple of games that came very close to staying on my shelves, and one that bounced off them at lightning speed.

Potemkin Empire has one of the best thematic underpinnings of a board game, ever. In 1787, Grigory Potemkin, a lover of Catherine The Great, created a fake village to impress her, building only the facades of houses so that it would appear real. In Potemkin Empire, you are building a village, some of it real, some of it fake, and calling other player’s out on theirs.

Each round you draft cards, then take actions. The cards are used to create buildings. Most can create a real building of one type, or a fake building of any kind. Each building type has its advantages, and there’s a real incentive to building more than other players. For example, having the most science buildings gets you an extra card each round. Having the most culture makes it harder for other players to spy on you.

When you build an espionage building, you get a spy. As an action, you can send all your spies out to find fake buildings in other player’s villages. This helps you damage a player’s lead, and gives you points for every fake you uncover. Spying on another espionage building is a big risk, because if you’re wrong your spy is killed.

There’s lots of clever thematic touches like that, in a surprisingly simple game. Potemkin Empire delivers on its theme, but I didn’t fall in love with it. The subterfuge is fun, but since the “calling out” often happens a long time after the bluffing, sending out your spies can feel like a shot in the dark, and the game loses tension for it. 

I found the gameplay to feel a little repetitive, and with more players the game dragged. There’s something special in here, and for the right group I think it could come alive. If you like bluffing, and a unique theme, it might be worth giving this one a chance.

Fast Sloths is a family-weight racing game. You play as lazy sloths who never move, but instead are carried around the board by other animals. The goal is to reach eight trees faster than the other players, but it’s up to you in what order you reach them.

The board is inhabited by six other creatures (from a possible 12). And each turn you will take a card matching two animals. Then you can play a set of cards to move one of them. Each animal moves in its own unique way. For example, the elephant can fling the sloth an extra couple of spaces. Each animal can only travel on certain terrains - the dolphin is fast but must stay in the water.

Sharing the animals amongst all the players, gives the game a unique form of interaction, and you’ll often need to rethink your route, as your animal vehicles move before you reach them. But there’s plenty of room for strategy, as you’ll need to look ahead to plan which animals to use so that you can start taking cards for them early.

Fast Sloths is a near miss for me. It’s a unique design, with a pleasant thematic connection. But the organic movement of the animals isn’t quite as exciting as I’d first thought. Maybe it would come alive in a five player game, but given how long turns take, I don’t think it would be worth the downtime. That slight lack of pace, coupled with the dated artwork and juvenile theme means I would never be inclined to use it as a gateway game. It’s still clever, strategic and inventive - so not worth dismissing entirely.

Speaking of dismissing games entirely, I suggest you entirely dismiss Tellstones: King’s Gambit, the new game from video game company Riot Games. It is nothing more than a memory game with some gaudy components. And it’s not even a good memory game.

The goal of the game is to remember the order of some face down symbols. When you’re ready you can “boast” that you remember them, or challenge your opponent to recall them. But to build towards that dull climax, is the most tedious back and forth of placing stones, flipping stones, moving stones, until finally all seven are in and face down. 

It is one of the thinnest games I’ve ever played. If this game was released by another company, without the marketing fanfare, it would vanish without a trace. 

Memory games are notoriously unappealing to adults, but one that I really enjoyed that has stayed in my collection is Memoaarrr!, which you can watch my review for here. I’ve also recently been enjoying Memorinth, in which you use your memory to escape a labyrinth - I hope to talk about this in a future video.

Games I’ve been enjoying lately

• LAMA
• Colt Super Express
• Gods Love Dinosaurs

Games that have just arrived

• Detective: Season 1
• Chronicles of Crime 1400

Video of the Month - Alanis Morisette live on Jimmy Fallon

Song of the Month - If I Could Change Your Mind by HAIM

Now watching - Us (BBC Miniseries)

Now reading - Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

Thank you to patrons old and new for supporting what I do. I’ve got plenty more games to rave about, and jokes to make - I just wish I had more time in the day!

Actually yours,

Jon