The problem with not using a script is that sometimes you forget to mention something COOL!! We adored the artwork used on the player boards here - all of the characters are diverse and varied; there are POC, young & old, disabled and different genders depicted. Thank you Elf Creek Games.

@TheLobbyOfHobbies

3 жыл бұрын

So looks like I need to bust out my copy this weekend! Now on another note, I see Cooper Island in the background. I’ve been interested in trying that one out.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

We are getting a bit sea sick from all of the water/sailing games hehehehe but we have been playing Cooper Island and will definitely review it soon. Hope you are well Jazz thank you for watching 💕

@TheLobbyOfHobbies

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer awesome! Looking forward to that review.

@kritisharma1123

3 жыл бұрын

Hi, here’s the problem, when Amy mentioned it in her KS diaries that Atlantis rising is what you’re backing then I didn’t look up much and the cover did not appeal to me so I was like it’s not for me. After you reviewed the game today, I have messaged like 10 folks and damn it’s out of stock everywhere. 😞 Anyways, loved the review, mechanics does look great so does the artwork. Playmat looks great. I somehow like push your luck games as I’m good at predicting things (kinda) in my head so I don’t mind that aspect of it but yeah, cooperative games is not my style too. And Maggie, you’re right about “heart wants what it wants.” I love your genre, keep doing what you’re doing! As always, lots of love! ❤️

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah we went rogue trying this one Kriti as it is definitely outside our usual comfort zone! Sorry for sending mixed messages 😅 but as predicted we won't be keeping it. A very solid (and beautiful) mid weight gateway game to get those friends gaming more and more ... maybe even your husband mmm? 😉 💕

Loving all your reviews and appreciate you both trying out games/themes you normally wouldn’t gravitate to because you both give such insightful reviews that are really helpful in identifying what might work well with the different people I game with! (Also, Maggie’s enthusiasm for Obsession totally sold me on it. Eagerly awaiting its arrival and absolutely cannot wait to play it with my sisters!)

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Aw thank you Abby! I just read this out to Maggie and she was so happy about Obsession and you made our evening with your lovely feedback. Thanks for watching and taking the time to write this ☺💕

Thnak you for another great review! Your perspectives, and your openness about your expectations going in vs. how it felt/worked while playing is so vital, and it's one of the many reasons I value your videos so highly. While I'm here: Just renewing my recommendation for Rajas of the Ganges! Happy new year! Can't wait to see what you both have in store for us in 2021. :)

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for the kind words! Review for Rajas on the schedule for "soon" 😅 soooo many gaaames!!! Thanks again and Happy New Year to you too ☺

This certainly looks like such an intriguing game. We've been eyeing it for quite some time now and you two may have finally pushed us to get it. Loved how you talked and analyzed the luck element of this game. Always make us smile so big with your videos.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds like you guys are waaaay better at cooperating than us so think you might dig it :) thanks for the lovely feedback and for watching as always friends 💕

The heart wants what it wants... Never were truer words spoken in a game review video... ;) Glad to see you two finally got a chance to play this. Thanks for a wonderful review. Sounds like your brother is really going to enjoy his new copy of Atlantis Rising!! It's nice he enjoyed it so much and that your copy will find a new home with plenty of plays. My Obsession all-in bundle arrived Tuesday, and have it sleeved up and ready to get to the table. Heavy Cardboard is doing a solo play through today (Friday, USA), so going to watch that and get it played asap. All the best to the two of you. Happy Gaming!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Lol! Thank you for watching as always Shawn and for taking the time to comment. Looking forward to how you go with Obsession... enjoy your weekend with it! 💕

I've had this on my self of shame/opportunity but I just got the beautiful mat when it came back in stock and I'm planning to finally play it this weekend. What a nice surprise to see you reviewing it now!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Great timing!!! Would love to hear what you think after you've had a chance to play ☺

Loved that you tried out this game! Also glad you were able to find a good home for it in the end. One small competitive game that Ive really enjoyed lately is Watergate! If you get the chance to try it out sometime I definitely recommend it.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Kevin that is one that has been on our list for a while!! I have moved it up the list on your recommendation. Thanks for taking the time to write! ☺

I was super happy when this went back on Kickstarter because I couldn't find a copy locally for under $200. Backed it right away and I can't wait to play it!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Yay! So glad you could find a copy and look forward to hearing what you think when it arrives. Thanks for watching ☺

You got the mat? I'm so jealous!😁😁

@TheLobbyOfHobbies

3 жыл бұрын

You and me both Dwayne!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

It is sooooo pretty!!! Also there is something so 👌 about everything having its place. Lol. Thanks for watching as always Dwayne 💕

Great review. Both great mechanisms and theme. I think of Stargate Atlantis every time someone talks about the game. The solo may be easier playing 2 handed Maggie. Glad you both liked it and it really is a very pretty game.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks James as always! I mentioned that to Maggie and she said that a 2 player game still has the hologram but maybe she could just play a full 3 player game....! But I think she will just end up back at Uwe or Obsession at that point lol. We did enjoy our time with it and it is so beautiful! Thanks for commenting and watching, hope ur able to have a nice weekend with some gaming ☺💕

The art is beautiful, was on the edge towards this game. I love co op games myself, spirit island games is my favorite at the moment. I went in for 1 dollar on kickstarter, now I think I will go all in now haha, thank you for flatten my wallet with your amazing review. I love how Maggie was saying the heart wants what it wants, it is so true! Is how I got into the hobby in the first place:)

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

😬😬 sorry!!! 💸 Glad to hear you love co-ops though... this definitely seems like one of those games you could use to recruit more unsuspecting friends into the hobby and into co-ops hehehe. Thanks for the ongoing support Marg and wishing you a lovely weekend of gaming 💕

@Riley9pi9

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemerI love your video and all content you created, It makes me happy and excited about games, makes me love the hobby more!

Nice video! :)

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for watching Mik and/or Starla!!! Your channel is amazing & it's lovely to be in contact. Thanks for taking the time to comment ☺💕

Great video folks! I've been on the edge about this one: I don't always get on with co-op games but this looks pretty interesting. On the other hand it is relatively expensive, which, for a game I'm not sure I'll like, is a bit daunting.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Mmm! It is a hard one if you're not that into co-ops, especially if it is expensive (it was fairly standard price here in Australia so it is a bit hard to assess on that basis!) Glad you enjoyed the review but sorry it didn't give you any greater insight! Maybe wait until someone else you know buys a copy... hehe ☺

Really enjoying your reviews. I'd love to hear what you both think about Trismegistus: The Ultimate Formula. It's my new fave game (even though it's been out for a spell) and I think it could check all of your thinky and themey boxes. It makes you feel like a real alchemist and there's tons going on. Looking forward to your Cooper Island review too!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Matthew! Actually Trismegistus never quite came together for us... maybe it was the iconography that distracted a bit from everything else that was going on with the design. Do you have Cooper Island? We are trying to get a few more games in before we do our review... whew it is hard to do well! ☺

@matthewpalmer2350

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer I don't own Cooper Island yet, but research (especially Game in a Nutshell, Rahdo and Gaming Rules!) has me almost clicking 'Buy Now'. It was either Cooper Island or Maracaibo before I started looking into them both. Watching those guys also inspired me to to get T:TUF. Rule book is a bit of a barrier and it did take a few playthroughs (solo) before everything clicked, but once it did I couldn't stop playing. BTW, I shall be adding your channel to my pre-purchase essential viewing from now on!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

That means a lot to us to be in such great company with other content creators we admire. Thank you for the kind words! We are going to do a couple of older games from our collection this week I think but then Cooper Island very soon! Look forward to chatting more in the comments about games 🥰

This game looks very cool & our family prefers cooperative games. Thanks for the thorough review!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Ooo we think this would be perfect for a family to play together! Thanks for watching & taking the time to comment Billy ☺

Yay you got it :) I love that the game actually totally eliminates the risk of alpha gaming. Because you’re actually playing as councelors in the Atlantean Council. And one player each round acts as the Council Leader and can actually decide disputes. Which I can say you absolutely need to remember when playing it 6 players for example.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

So great and we didn't find it to be an issue at all.... maybe because you are not figuring out the one "best way" because there are so many different things you need to get done all of equal importance. Glad you love this game Niels and can totally appreciate why after playing it ☺

I like how Amy talked about replayability as that wasn't something I've many reviewers talk about for this game. The production on this looks excellent and has me intrigued as Iiked Honey Buzz.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Production is beautiful! Thanks for the lovely feedback and hope youre have a nice weekend with some gaming planned ☺

So happy to see you give this a try, sorry it did not work for you ultimately. More info to understand your preferences 😁 Looking forward to the next one, be well A&M! ❤️

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

You too Omar! Do you own or have you played this one? Love to hear your thoughts...! 💕

@ITOmarHernandez

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer I do own it, but haven't played yet. I'm terrible at doing solo first for some games and this is one of them. I'm gonna have to now, obviously! 😉

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Haha fair enough, the solo here has a bit to manage - maybe one for the day when your gaming group can reunite. ☺

@ITOmarHernandez

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer maybe. I'm not too afraid of solo overhead. I'm just bad at self-teaching. Really have to push myself. In fact, I'm working on learning Lost Ruins of Arnak right now. 🤞

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

I admire you and Maggie for your dedication to learning rules variations for solo... one set of rules is enough for my brain 🤯

I've been considering this one for a while. My gaming group enjoys cooperative games. However, I don't plan to pick it up until in person gaming is safe again.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Yes that makes sense Stephen... I think lots of people have lots of games sitting on the shelf waiting for things to be a bit more normal again! Perhaps you can still get it through the monstrosity kickstarter (?) I'm not sure how easy it is to find... maybe they've had another print run ☺ thanks for watching!

#ThinkerThemer doing a review of a co-op game? I'd say it's a sign of the apocalypse if it didn't feel like we're already in the middle of an apocalypse (at least, from a US perspective). Coincidentally, the game sort of has an apocalyptic theme. It's probably a good thing to try something out of your comfort zone, but I don't think there should be any reason to force yourselves to continue playing a game that doesn't do it for you. At least it sounds like the game should find a nice home with your brother! Thanks for the review! I may get this game off my shelf of shame one of these months!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Sooooo true Luke 🤣 We only force ourselves because we get FOMO and WANT to have as much fun as everyone else in these gaming experiences that are adjacent to our tastes... but alas, as Maggie says 'the heart wants what it wants.' Hope youre well and look forward to chatting KS things very soon! 😊

@Luke_L

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer The FOMO keeps me backing/buying games that I don't have time for or my game groups won't play. It's a problem! :D

@Luke_L

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer So much FOMO! On a related note, on to your "Back Chat" video :D

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Would love any and all constructive feedback Luke! You watched before so keen to hear your thoughts :)

@Luke_L

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer Woops! Sorry, I'm not sure I gave useful feedback other than to say it's great to have the both of you provide your opinions on kickstarter projects. My comments may get longer with having to wait two weeks between videos. Sorry about that! :)

This an Honey Buzz are probably my 2 favorite productions ever. Elf Creek Games is one of the best small publishers in the world.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely nailing it ☺💕

Hello Amy and Maggie! Just wanted to say that I appreciate you two so much. Your channel is so lovely and brings such joy. I was just curious if you ended up backing Merchants of the Dark Road by Elf Creek Games? It looks so interesting and unique.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for the kind feedback! We absolutely backed Merchants of the Dark Road. It is one of our most anticipated KS games being delivered in 2021... cant wait to try it ☺ Did you back it too? Thanks for taking the time to comment 💕

@drawdeepwater

3 жыл бұрын

I just started seriously diving in to this wonderful world of board gaming and just discovered Merchants of the Dark Road a couple of days ago. It is a bit more expensive to back now, but I’m thinking totally worth it and will most likely do so! Looking forward to your review when you finally receive it and also really looking forward to your review of Red Rising on Monday!!!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

I love hearing about new journeys into the hobby! So glad to have you here and thanks for watching our channel...! We have been so impressed by Elf Creek Games (this one, and our review of Honey Buzz - the components 😍). Yay looking forward to finally launching our RR review. Where are you based?

@drawdeepwater

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the welcome! So glad to be here! Thank you for creating such great content! I have been really appreciative of how the board gaming community is all about supporting one another. That has been incredibly refreshing to see. I have been incredibly impressed with a few individuals and companies: - You two! (Like I said, you are both such a joy to learn from!) - Jamey Stegmaier and Stonemaier Games (Absoluely love Wingspan and have a lot of respect for Jamey!) - Monique and Naveen over at Before You Play (So fun to watch them play and interact!) - Rodney Smith over at Watch It Played (Such a great teacher and seems like such a delightful human being!) - Elf Creek Games (I’ve definitely been checking out Honey Buzz as well!) - Keymaster Games (Really enjoy Parks!) It is refreshing to see so many great humans in this hobby!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

What a wonderful list of people and publishers, thanks for including us amongst such great company!! ☺ Look forward to chatting about more games with you in the comments.

I saw the previous edition of this and thought it looked rather bland (as in table presence), but the new edition - especially with the playmat - looks so aesthetically pleasing! I love the way the timer mechanic works, actually seeing your options steadily shrinking with the island makes for a wonderful buildup of tension. Luck is a really interesting topic when evaluating games! I enjoy the minimal-luck games like Splendor, or a lot of worker placement games where most of the variability comes from what your opponents do. Not as fond of true perfect-information games like chess, I get bored after a game or two. Likewise, mostly-random games like Yahtzee/Monopoly/Trouble feel unsatisfying. My sweet spot is probably about 2/3 planning, 1/3 randomness. As a rule, the more randomness in the game, the more ability I like to have to mitigate it. OTOH, I love the thrill of chaos when turning over a new event card, or discovering a new treasure, or choosing a new ability, and how that changes the flow of the game.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

1/4 seems like a good sweet spot for me (Amy) 😅... even though I do love perfect information (Chess) as soon as anyone mentions event cards I get really excited. I prefer it that luck impacts on the whole group though rather than one person. In games with a lot of action cards, i almost always shy away from a strategy that uses them, which often leads to my demise! I'd almost rather that than continue to draw "bad" cards and feel like I've wasted turns. There are others in our gaming group who loves these cards or rolling dice and will always go luck strong, and I find the differences in play style really interesting. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this!! ☺

so curious what your thinker/themer opinions are for fields of arle vs nusfjord!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Ooo interesting comparison!! We have not played Fields of Arle enough yet to review fully but for me (Amy) I anticipate enjoying Nusfjord more as I am not a fan of 'fiddley' resources/exchanges - but I think it will be a much closer race for Maggie as both have great solo modes.

First play was decent but after a couple of plays. This game fell flat for my wife and I. We love Coops too.

Quick question. What's the game with the Mexican flag you got on the background? I'm Mexican and was not aware of it

This game looks amazing. Have had it on my list, but the price tag for it is still a bit high.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Ooo sounds like there is a lot of demand for this one in the US! The price was fairly standard here in Australia but maybe that's because games are all more expensive here 🤔😅 Thanks for watching Rory!

Great review. Unfortunately, it's convinced me to pass, since it's only my wife and me playing. You mentioned it wasn't so much fun at 2 player.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Sean and glad it was helpful to narrow down options for you and your wife. 😊

@GamerLisa

3 жыл бұрын

Yep that's how we play 2 player. It wasn't that bad at 2 player, but the game meh

My gf just bought this and we played it. I'm unsure of the game. There's no end to this lol. When u hit 5 I think game over. It's just confusing ughh She got the playmat & everything lol

Real question here. Why is there no way to help support your channel?

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Well, firstly just being here and chatting with us is 100% supporting our channel ☺ but in terms of other ways tbh we are still quite shocked at the growth of the channel and hadn't really considered other avenues of support. Very open to suggestions about this, quite a few people have asked us for merchandise, or patreon additional content...! What do you think? Still thinking about what feels more true to us, we have some ideas. 🥰

@monicamurphy6552

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer my suggestion is put your ideas in a poll and see how your subscribers want to support you. But you guys are so cool I would love a po box 📦 to send games or components to.

@akingme

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer I think you should sell mugs or hats or something that read "Thinker" and "Themer" and I bet that couples/ individuals in families would love these. I know my son (thinker) and I (themer) would!!! Also, would love to know more about you two. Obviously you don't want to share everything, and you want to protect and maintain your privac. I would love to know what your "real" jobs are, how you met, etc. You're both so engaging and likable , that I think it's nice to learn a bit more about you. Or not...

I really know thinker and themer will or love, Spirit island!!!

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

I know you went to a lot of effort to put messages everywhere, but we sold Spirit Island because we didn't like it, sorry! We are not fans of cooperating with each other

Have you tried ROOT?

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

Maggie has played it electronically (the app is incredible) but I haven't yet... the faction abilities scare me a little but the app teaches you these which maybe I could get on board with. Do you both enjoy it?

@monicamurphy6552

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer I enjoy it way more than her. She still plays it with me. Mostly so I'll play her favorites. The game is amazing. With all the different creatures and the art. You could ay it 20 times and still be surprised.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

It seems like a game that would very much get better as you / your group know and understand it.... maybe I will give the app a go too. I enjoy the bargaining of playing each other's favourite games hahaha... what's hers??

@monicamurphy6552

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThinkerThemer Jaipur and Sagrada. Together we love equally is Near and Far. She loves it when I do the different voices.

@ThinkerThemer

3 жыл бұрын

😍😍😍