Read the description for time-stamps! Do you have any questions regarding Pendulum?

@xandermichael78

4 жыл бұрын

Kind of asked it in my comment, but do you see yourselves keeping this in your collection? What kind of lasting power does it have for you? My collection is between 200-300 games (not counting expansions of course!) and I'm trying to be better with my spending so I'm trying to focus on games that I would want to come back to over and over again and with Pendulum I worry that because there's no theme and that it's really just about collecting Yellow, Blue and Red and at some point one Silver that it will dry out. Does that make sense?

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Hi, I replied in your comment. It's definitely a game we are keeping in the collection. We love it at 3 players. It's definitely not very thematic, so if that's a deal breaker that's totally understandable. For us solid mechanics can overshadow no or limited theme in a game lol.

Together with your playthrough, yours is among the best coverage of this game I have seen yet: thanks so much for sharing!

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Nigel, we really appreciate that! We really wanted the playthrough to be about the "realness" of the game itself and not about us.

I have to say, as a play tester who is very familiar with this game I loved your play through. I normally can’t watch play through videos in general because there is so much down time and I get bored but I remember the night I was watching yours I was so engaged and on the edge of my seat. My boyfriend was laughing at how I was talking through your moves “ohhh... noooo she went there she needs to do this other thing first. Oh wait. She fixed it. Ok ok. Ohhhh is the timer going to be out before she gets there? Phew! Just in time.” He was cracking up and I turned to him and said - “Hey this is a real nail biter here!” Lol Great review. Thanks for your thoughts. So glad you like the game!

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

LOL Cynthia! Glad we could provide you some drama. Would love to hear your dubbed over play by play commentary haha!

@middaymeds

4 жыл бұрын

Your bichon is so cute!

You two are quickly becoming my favorite board gaming youtube channel. Excellent review from people who clearly really explored this game. My only question is, now that you are done reviewing it, do you see yourselves getting it off the shelves to just play for fun? How often do you think you will go back to it?

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Ben, that is really nice of you! Thank you for the support, we would love to continue to grow the channel and put out great content. We are actually scheduling our next play of it soon lol. We want to explore the advanced mats more now and find the efficiencies. The needs of the advanced mats are so wildly different that It'll almost be a new experience. Unfortunately due to Covid we don't want to power through the game just the 2 of us because we don't want the advantage over our gaming group lol.

Pretty sure this is one of the best and most thorough review videos I have ever watched. Came across your play through video in the pendulum Facebook group and was an instant fan of your channel!

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks! Really appreciate the kind words! Hope the videos helped give you a good understanding of the game.

I continue to believe you guys are one of the best video creators in the hobby. Brilliant stuff.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

You're the best!

Its weird not commenting on the game itself but I just stumbled upon your channel and am loving it! Your positive vibes come right through the screen and I don't only want to know more about the game but you as reviewers too. Keep up the good work!

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!!

You are currently the best reviewers on KZread. I have been watching board game reviews for 10 years and you are the best. You just seem like professionals.

I couldn't agree more with you both. I just played my first game of this yesterday with a family member. We both were thrilled by the experience of this fun, unique puzzle that we are going to try to solve again soon!

Great review! The way you describe this game reminds me of how I felt about Agricola. I found the game very tense and difficult at first, but as I kept playing I started falling in love with the challenge of it all. Thanks for sharing such an in-depth review!

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your support! Excited to see your channel grow!

As stated in the review: definitely feels like this one is highly group dependent. I’m less worried about people accidentally or purposefully cheating and more concerned that my friends would get confused and not have a good time since I, as typically the host/teach, can’t help them through a turn as has happened with much simpler real time games for me in the past. Playing a few rounds without timers could help but feels much more like a gamer’s game that’s more focused on pushing the envelope rather than being a welcoming experience and I tend to gravitate towards the latter as I can get them to the table more easily.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Yup, honestly the cheating part in the end is not a big deal if everyone focuses and is fully aware of how to properly execute their turn. The difficult part is managing the timers and recognizing opportunities and efficiencies in the cards in hand as well as the territory cards. Newer gamers will struggle, but as they grow with the game there is a lot to enjoy.

After watching your playthrough, and still after watching this review, I can't figure out what to expect from this game. It looks so wild and chaotic, but I'm excited and will definitely be ordering. It's Stonemeier. Come on. Thanks for the review. Looking forward to playing this one. My BF is AP master, so that will definitely be interesting.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

It's a fun puzzle, AP will be an issue, so definitely start with the non-timer version until you are both ready. The biggest thing is understanding the cost (in time) certain actions take, and also understanding how to use your cards and get them back into your hands ASAP. Like most worker placement games, getting that extra worker early is always good!

Great review! I came here after hearing Monique on BGB!! Awesome content, subscribed!

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thank you!

I'd love to see you do a "Ranking Stonemeier games" the way you did with Lacerda games.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah we can do that sometime in the future!

Looking like I am going to preorder this one. I will watch some more videos to get others thoughts, but appreciated this review and your playthrough. Keep up the good work!!

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Awesome! I hope you will enjoy it as well! Glad we could help guide your decision. It's a game that will grow with you.

Thanks for this video. Coupled with your play through, it gives a really good impression of how the game plays along with some things to consider about what groups it will and won't work well in. Real-time and simultaneous action games are usually tough because most people are just learning the game or only have one or two plays of it under their belt when I play them and often without one person who is a rules expert at the table, lots of mistakes can get made. In these type of games, there usually is no one watching to make sure everyone is doing things correctly and it's only later at the end you find out some were playing things wrong.

Really enjoyed the review feel better about ordering now! I have not yet watched your play through but will do once the game arrives last this month. Thanks for your time.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

I hope you enjoy it! There's a lot to discover in this one.

Love the video. Love ya both! Keep up the hard work/great content. I love this game if scares a lot of people in my community sadly but I'm like both of you I love it! So unique!!

hey there, quick question: have you had probelms with your green timer getting "stuck" ? :)

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Rahdo! It happened the very first time we played with it, then never happened again.

@kmj2l

4 жыл бұрын

(Hijacking Rahdo's comment since I was going to mention him anyway) --- It's very interesting to contrast your (Rahdo's) opinion on playing without timers (w/ advanced player boards) to your (Before You Play) opinion. Looks like there's a lot of room for different valid interpretations.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

@@kmj2l Yes, absolutely! This game is probably going to have the widest range of responses that we've seen in a while. It will be difficult for anyone to form a true opinion of it until they play it is what we're thinking.

@kmj2l

4 жыл бұрын

@@BeforeYouPlay Unfortunately, my wife already has a very clear opinion of real-time games; so it'll be a fluke if I ever get to try this. :-) It'll be the first Stonemaier game ... ever? ... that we won't own. But I'm still intrigued, and I love seeing people do interesting things like this. Hope to see more. Thanks for the great and thorough review!

@smoregames617

4 жыл бұрын

The Demo game I tried had a purple timer that got stuck sometimes. we would end up flicking it every so often. the other times worked well. I have found small sand timers in general have a tendency to get stuck. I wonder if they would have a very simple smart app to move the timers if needed but that could be using a cannon to swat a fly.

Great review! Just as it relates to the point you guys made about your tokens sliding all around. I found that my tokens / player mat work just like Tapestry. The tokens have one side that gives more resistance and another side that is very slick. I personally like the slick side for easily sliding up the track, but I also understand why that would be undesirable. Try flipping that marker over on your board and see if you feel the same way. I have to believe it's a consistent thing because as I mentioned I had the same experience with the plastic tokens in Tapestry. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us on the game.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Oh really? We'll definitely take a look at that and see! Thanks for the tip

I really like the freshness of this game’s worker placement mechanic! I feel like it’s going to be one of those games though that whoever you play it with in the beginning, will be the only people you ever get to play it with in the future; that introducing new people to it will put them at such a disadvantage compared to your trained awareness of the board. Granted, this is true of most strategy games. But most strategy games allow new players time to think on their turn.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Hey Kyle, yes to do well in this game it does require some experience. You gotta get in the trenches to feel the pressure, understand how to build a viable engine, and utilize your resources with your cards. 1st timers will struggle, I'd recommend hand holding new players through a few practice rounds so they can see how the web of the game develops. Hope you enjoy it when you get to play it!

@Chereebers

4 жыл бұрын

Before You Play - Do you think that basic mats are easier not only to play from a complexity POV but also from a scoring POV? Could new players play the basic mat while experienced players play the advanced side to help balance the game for experienced vs new players?

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

@@Chereebers Yes absolutely, I believe there is a section in the rulebook that mentions this. Experienced players play with the advanced characters and newbies start with the basic.

Great review! Unfortunately, my wife and I will probably pass on this one. We'll certainly give it a go if a friend picks it up (thanks to your playthrough!), but games with time constraints tend to remove the aspect of leisure my wife and I enjoy when playing games together. Granted, that's the whole point of the timers in this game; you've gotta think on your feet and make good decisions in the windows of time you're given, but for us that removes the element of relaxation. I'm sure for others it will be a hit, though!

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Super duper fair. Definitely give it a try if the opportunity arises just so you can experience it. Honestly, give it a 2nd try after that as well. Experience in the game really helps.

Great review! I've been on the edge about getting this game but I think this convinced me

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear we were able to help! We definitely enjoy the game, it has an upward trajectory for us.

Hi, I just discovered your channel and found your review to be very well made! This was my favourite one regarding Pendulum. You had good analysis on various aspects and I felt you were honest and not afraid to speak about the negatives. Well done, looking forward to your next reviews!

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Glad we could be helpful! We want to be as honest about each game we review, while looking for the both the positives and negatives in each game we feature. Thanks for supporting our channel!

I think I only discovered your channel about a month ago and now I can't get enough!! (Didn't know you were on Instagram either - you've got another follower!!) I love how clear you two are about your opinions and detailed the review is without overstaying its welcome! If only you lived nearby and we could game together! Grr! You're in the States, right? With Pendulum, I watched your play through and knew that I would like to play it, but I think I was watching trying to decide if it was a game to preorder and I decided that it wasn't because I think I'd have a great time playing it a few times, but because there's really no theme I don't feel like I would want to come back to it more than a dozen times. (Also I'm poor now thanks to COVID :P). Hopefully our library here in Helsinki will be smart enough to order a copy and I'll get a chance to play it and maybe be proved wrong.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Xan Man! We would love to game with you sometime in the future! Essen Spiel next year perhaps?? Thank you for following us, we hope to keep putting out content people enjoy as much as we do! That's fair about the pre-order, the theme doesn't really come through in this game unfortunately. Do you have a gaming group you play with regularly in Helsinki?

@xandermichael78

4 жыл бұрын

@@BeforeYouPlay Yes to games in Essen! This year was going to be my first time finally making it to the fair, but now that will have to wait until next year. I've got several groups that I game with here in Helsinki, which is great, but I feel like one can never have too many.

Jamie has said that he regrets making real time the base game and without timers a variant. He should have done it the other way around.

I wish Stonemaier went with double-sided recessed boards. Yes, it is possible (see Suburbia collector's edition)

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah we do too, board game component pricing of items can get weird though sometimes. It might have been a tipping point.

@kringfish4078

4 жыл бұрын

@@BeforeYouPlay that's a fair point. I may just 3D print some overlays for the boards :)

Interesting and thorough review. Thanks. Can’t wait to play myself.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Great review. Really appreciate your thoroughness and honest feedback in the review. What are your thoughts about how to balance experienced vs inexperienced players? I see this as a challenge and even the rules mention having an experienced player use the advanced worker placement variant. Have you tried this variant? Would this help balance things a bit? Thanks again.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

I think first step is to run a practice round with rookies to the game. Moving pieces with the timers going, understanding what are important moves, and discovering what is inefficient. We learned best by making mistakes and correcting them on later rounds and in later plays of the game. You definitely can have experienced players play advanced and newbies play on the basic side, it should have no effect on the game itself.

One of my favorites

Excellent ! , you guys are my go to reviewers

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Mark! Appreciate the support!

I've been looking forward to this review! Based on your thoughts I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy this game and really hope sometime I'll have the opportunity to play it before I decide to get it. Since Scythe is still occupying my interest for solo and the pandemic means I won't be playing this multiplayer, I'll be content to wait a little while, but I do look forward to eventually trying this out.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Totally fair! Glad we could shed some light on the game for you. Scythe is one of my favorite games, can't go wrong with that one :) - Naveen

Thanks for another great video, a very clear and thorough review.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Hey Billy! Hope we could help you make a decision about the game. We have been having a lot of fun with this one.

Underwater Cities has double-sided boards with cutouts on both sides.

@NitrogenW

4 жыл бұрын

also they could make it not double sided cuts but two separate boards with cuts

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Brandon, yeah we aren't sure if it was a cost issue they had to compromise on. We've heard from a lot of publishers that some components are relatively inexpensive and some you would think wouldn't be costly end up being absurd.

FYI. Underwater Cites has double sided recessed boards.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

We think it may be a price point issue. In board gaming pricing components gets weird sometimes. Things you think would cost more end up being cheaper and things you think will be cheap end up being absurd.

Thanks for the great review. I hope I get to play it in my play groups sometime. Have you tried to the solo mode?

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately neither of us tried it solo. Stonemaier Games is notorious for having good solo modes to their games, so we assume (hopefully correctly) that this one also does.

Very good review! I liked your perspectives on the gameplay. I got a good view of the flow of the game from you! you are right about the risk. it will divide gamers since there is not very many euro games that have a real-time component. you are right about having to try it to see if you like it this game is quite unique. I do like not having to wait for other players but miss seeing what my opponent is doing and devising a counter-strategy. Overall, keep up the good work!

Out of curiosity, have you played the Xcom board game? It also has a timed element and you do feel the pressure. Also because it’s a co-op and others are depending on you while the clock ticks :)

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

We haven't and now I'm intrigued! I've always seen the box cover around but have never tried it.

@SamiPaju

4 жыл бұрын

@@BeforeYouPlay It's worth checking, I'd say. It's been a long time since I played it, but it is one of my favorite co-op experiences, as it's way more visceral than e.g. Spirit Island. Those dice rolls would suck in a competitive game, but in a co-op they do work well :)

Thanks for the video

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

Our pleasure!

This game is about a hundred bucks here, (in Perth WA) I've been watching your play through and saw it on sale at a different shop for twenty four. I took that as a sign and grabbed it. Dumb arse move?

How do you feel the timers compare to a game like Kitchen Rush or MD Rush?

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed Rush MD from the one time I played it. The timers provide that extra dimension you can manipulate to your advantage . The fact that you are never obligated to flip the timer when the sand runs out adds so much to the game. - Naveen-

@papabear3x

4 жыл бұрын

I want to buy kitchen rush but im waiting for you both to review it lol

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

@@papabear3x lol unfortunately we don't have that one. We've been trying to get our hands on Rush MD I (Naveen) really had a good time with that one!

Excellent review

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

thank you!

Yeah I can see the game getting a weird response but it’s clearly an incredibly unique design. Worthy of lots of study and play.

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

It's definitely a polarizing game. The more we play it the more we find the efficiencies. It's a great puzzle, and we like games that cause us that "good kind" of stress.

I want to hear about game you dont like

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

You got it. We will talk a little about that in our Vlog Sunday/Monday

@drbasseri

4 жыл бұрын

Can't wait! Do you guys have a patreon??

a group of people playing on their own seems boring. it's definitely a no this time for this SM game

@BeforeYouPlay

4 жыл бұрын

That's fair, we have a good time though.