It can be really overwhelming when staring at a wall of board games in a store and trying to figure out which ones are good. It can also be a very expensive mistake to buy a game you don't like. This is where web series like Wil Wheaton's TableTop come into play. Every episode is the same format: different B-list celebrities play a board game with Wil Wheaton, hilarity ensues, a winner is declared, the losers mope on the loser's couch, and the winner gives a little speech. It's very obvious that everyone involved has a lot of fun making this.
Watching the series is a great way to see how a game plays, how much story can be involved in a board game, and possibly find out about other celebrities you enjoy and should follow. Each episode is 30 minutes or so (except for the extended ones that are an hour and a half each). The first season is filled with games that all very shortly became available at Target (I'm not sure if they had a deal with Target or just good timing). Of course, I'm sure all these games are available on Amazon as well. Just keep in mind, I've noticed a number of times where they'll play the game slightly wrong. Either a rule gets ignored or played differently. I'm guessing this is to fit the format of the show or keep the game shorter. During the extended episodes, you can see how the behind the scenes people make sure they're playing the game right.
Love the little Youtube series, though I always wonder if that is the real Will we are seeing in the episodes.
ReplyDeleteI think he holds back on his guests. From my understanding, he's a fairly ruthless player normally.
DeleteIt's a great series, though I've noticed it can make a game look even better than it is. Or rather, a game can look awesome when played by Wil and his group (who play games in an awesome way), but if you're group doesn't pick up the same fun vibe, your play might be more boring.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Pandemic looked a lot more fun when they played it. Although, to be fair, we did play it with 7 people when the max normal amount of players is 4, so the balance was all sorts of wonky. I also, don't know if my game group would go for the straight-up role playing games like Dragon Age or Fiasco, but even if we did, we definitely wouldn't be as entertaining as these guys.
DeleteIn our experience, Pandemic is really fun but anti-climactic, even if you win. It needs an endgame.
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