Floe ~ we're captivated & can't get enough of this game! 🥹 | Board Game Preview
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2024
- This game is everything we never knew we wanted. It's an adventure game with a healthy dose of luck as you explore icy islands, meet villages and battle monsters. This is not something we'd usually describe as our taste but don't be deceived by the cute art and theming, this game has the tension of a tight euro game sitting just below the surface..
Note: Prototype game featured, art, components & rules subject to change. This is an unpaid preview and as with all of our content, consists of our honest thoughts and opinions.
Kickstarter launching February 27th, 2024: www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
For more game info: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3...
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:20 Theme overview
01:06 Gameplay overview
04:17 An adventure video game-like experience? Nailed it. ✅
08:12 The wonderful artwork and world
09:49 But don't be fooled by the cuteness - this is highly competitive
13:09 Managing the warmth track
14:22 The engine building (dwellings)
15:08 Upgrading your character
15:57 Monsters and battles
17:58 Tight competition and close end scores
19:41 Thematic without narrative
20:54 Thoughts on player count
23:08 Requests for the final version
25:06 Wrap up
Thanks for stopping by for this preview of Floe! We're Amy & Maggie aka ThinkerThemer. We're an Australian couple with two very different perspectives of what makes a great board game - Amy (Thinker) is all about the mechanics and enjoys tight, competitive games, and Maggie (Themer) is all about the storytelling and the theme of the game, and the 'world' that the designer is trying to create. Subscribe to our channel to hear us talk about these two elements of a game, and how well integrated we feel these are in delivering a cohesive and wonderful game experience.
#boardgames #tabletopgames #thinkerthemer ❤🏳️🌈🇦🇺
Thank you so much for your beautiful video. It was such a joy to see you talking about FLOE with a big smile on your face!
Nice table presence. Hopefully, Amy and Maggie’s critiques are taken into consideration. I tend to be less interested when a game is drastically different depending on player count. Also good player aids (and storage solution) are must haves in modern board gaming. A solid player aid can help prevent a game from overstaying its welcome.
Is this going to crowdfunding? I might have missed it in the video. If so, I recommend Tim Chuon for you launch video. The game already has a beautiful table presence and Tim is the best I’ve seen at highlighting and emphasizing boardgame beauty even more.
Looking forward to seeing what is next!
Looks like a fantastic game. Fun mechanics and great art. I too am hoping for player aids and good storage.
@@intrepidfool Hi there. Both of their suggestions will be addressed in the final version. As mentioned this is a prototype. We actually have Tim on board, and yes. He is great!
@@gogolaura Yes, expect player aids. As fas as trays, we have Gametrayz on board ;)
I really hope we will know more about the solo mode during crowdfunding as it would be the main reason I would back this game. Crossing my fingers :)
Wow...genuine excitement bubbles through your delivery and as you want to contribute to what is discussed by the other person. You're spilling out with energy and that's so compelling!
It's so effortless when it's a great game! Thank you for the kind words 🙏
Great video. This game wasn’t even on my radar but it is now. I love how you each have your own perspective and aren’t shy about bringing those preferences to the conversation. Thank you both.
Thank you so much for writing such a lovely comment. 🥰
My goodness this looks like board games have hit the next level! Stunning artwork, strong thematic connections and the setting is all intertwined with interesting mechanisms.
Love how you two talk about games and how you don’t go heavy on the rules, seems so natural and has great floe 😏
Thank you so much for the kind words! Very true about board games - the bar keeps rising and we love it!!! Another great year of games ahead we feel 🙌
Watch and enjoy you all the time, but I don’t think I have ever seen enjoy a game this much. Your enthusiasm is contagious. I was already drawn to this game; now I am going to break my KS ban and back as soon as launched! By the way I love Amy’s t-shirt!
We probably could've kept talking too 😂 it's so easy to talk about great games! Thank you for watching (this video and always!)
Love games, love Australia, love you clever ladies! So...I just backed Floe! They should give you some kudos!
Thank you so much for the great preview! This really put the wind in the team's sail! We're feeling even more inspired than ever. ✨
I'm sure it was a long path to where you landed but all of the decisions have paid off, we love it and can't wait to see what else you add to it. Thank you!! ☺️
This game sounds like a mechanical and spiritual successor to Above & Below in some ways. Cozy adventure game
If you enjoyed Above & Below, you will probably enjoy Near & Far and Now or Never (the two follow-up games in the series, by the same designer).
This looks like what I was hoping Tidal Blades would be. So excited about this.
agree with you on the art, that is all I saw and knew this was a campaign I needed o learn more about. Really glad to see it is more than just cute art, and I'm stoked for this campaign
This really sounds like Lost Ruins of Arnak in a frozen-world theme. Can't wait to back this. So hyped already!
Mixed with the scoring tension of Dune Imoerium
@@Rik77 and the usage of the familiars, shipping and delivering stuff like Merchants of the Dark Road.
Ohh that's an interesting comparison! It definitely feels a bit more open than that but that might be because of the physical movement around the islands that gives that perception (unlike in Lost Ruins of Arnak). That's a wonderful game too. Glad you're excited about this one, thanks for watching! ☺️
This is about as perfect as a review gets. I wasn't sure about this after watching another playthrough, however your review has got me so excited for it, great video, loved this. 😃
Thank you for the video! I can't wait for this to drop
it sound so fun, you're excitement about the game is so contagious, i was already waiting for it but i was a bit septical, now i'm all in ! xD
Ahh thank you! We are excited!!!
Wow! Thanks for this video!! I’ve been so excited for this one since it was announced. Your video solidifies my initial reaction that I’m “ALL IN!!” Sending love from Chicagoland ❤
Yay glad you're excited and we hope you enjoy it as much as we have. Thanks for watching!
Wow ! It’s super cool to see both of you that enthusiastic about that game, it was already on my radar, but now I’m very excited to see more of it ! Thanks for the awesome content !
Glad you enjoyed the video and are excited for this one. We're looking forward to seeing what the campaign brings. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment 😊
I’d forgotten about this upcoming campaign… it looks amazing!! I can’t wait for this ❄️💙
FLOE coverage! Thank you both so much, I can't wait for the campaign ❤
Yay! Thank you for watching! ☺️
Wow, this video got me really excited for this game. Great overview. Looking forward to the Kickstarter! 💥
Thank you for the preview. I've been very curious about this game since I first heard about it some months ago (maybe on this channel?). Now I'm excited to back it!
It's been a long time coming but was worth the wait 😁🥰
This looks really good…AND Andrew Bosley art!!!! Take my money now!
Every time you ladies get this excited about a game it immediately goes on my must buy or must play list.
The art is so good... and the miniatures, time to get out that painting kit Jazz! 🤩❤️
Great preview! I'd seen this game mentioned a lot and was so curious. The game looks like so much fun!
Thank you!! 😊
So good to see you both excited about a game together, despite your divergent tastes :) You've defs convinced me to take a look at this game!
Agreed! Because I am very much a Themer, but I like good mechanics, too, and want decent Thinker traits in my games!
It surprises us sometimes too when we both love a game but for different reasons! This one does a wonderful job of leaning into the sense of adventure while creating a satisfying amount of competitive tension. We hope you get a chance to try it! 😊
You got me 😁 seeing the cover I also thought i Habe to have this and now it‘s even really good. It was really fun seeing you so excitee 😁
Haha we didn't think a game could live up to the cuteness of that cover either (it's adorable 😍)
The best overview I've seen so far. Thanks.
Okay, we need this game in our house. Thanks for a great review!
Wonderful video as always, and a big help to decide whether to back the game or not. It sounds amazing.
Fantastic video and super helpful perspective. I really appreciate your breakdown and your analysis. :D
Thank you for taking the time to comment. That's such lovely feedback 🥰
The general flow of the game and thematic three parts gives me Near and Far vibes.
I love Near & Far and thought the same thing!
I love both of your shirts!!
Thank you! ☺️
Great preview! I’ve had this one on my radar for what feels like ages and it’s nice to finally start getting a feel for what the game is like. It sounds and looks fantastic! I might need to invest in a bigger table, but looks like it will be worth it lol.
Lol!! That's one expensive add-on
Thanks for the preview, Amy and Maggie!
I’ve been pretty good about not backing anything in recent months, but there are a few I’m interested in next week including Floe. Looks like it should be a safe back :)
My only small concern is how much space the game takes up on the table. It looks like you were barely able to fit the game board and two player boards in frame. Galactic Cruise is hitting crowdfunding next month, and it also looks to be a table hog. For one of my game groups, it’s a real issue. Ah well. That group just may not be able to enjoy those games. My other game group has a pretty sizable gaming table :)
Hope you both are doing well! See ya next time! :D
We do usually play this game with the board sideways on the table so space is definitely a concern. It feels like that has become the norm recently (Nucleum just popped into my head!) Sometimes I do wonder how boards are being designed if they're too big for a purpose built gaming table 😅 this game does have a big board but I do like the ease of seeing everything. There are many different cards and "loot" items to set up too but we're hoping their gametrayz will help with that. Intrigued to see what the campaign will bring!
Hope you've been well Luke! Are you backing Galactic Cruise too? We haven't had a chance to try that one yet.
@@ThinkerThemer Hey Amy! I imagine it can sometimes be difficult balancing things like table space vs usability. I’m old enough where I need reading glasses now, so I do appreciate creators thinking about accessibility :)
I’ve really been trying to cut down on backing games, so I probably won’t back Galactic Cruise unless there’s something really compelling about backing during crowdfunding vs waiting for retail. Even then, I’ve had a hard time getting heavier games like the big Lacerda games to the table, and Galactic Cruise looks to be in that same category.
It’s a nice, sunny Saturday here for a change. We’ve had a lot of rain lately here in California. I’m going to head out for a little grass volleyball. Hope you both are enjoying your weekend! :D
Heard a little about this game elsewhere but only you guys made it sound interesting 👍🏽
Oh thank you! 😊
Oh dear! You two!! I've been watching this game for a while, but did a quick glance through the KS page and thought, I can probably live without it, but NOT NOW!! It'll be my third game I'm backing in the past week! There goes my streak of cutting back on crowdfunding 🙄😂 But your excitement was so contagious that I know I'll love it too.
YOU ARE BOTH AWESOME! ❤❤❤
Aww thanks Mike!!! 😊
I really wanted to back this game but I don’t have a table big enough for that massive game ! 😩
This is going to do VERY well on crowdfunding. Just hope i can afford it! I've given myself a limit this year and this is potentially the first "big" game i am backing.
We think it will too and we can't wait to see what else they reveal in the campaign !
Oh god I pledged not even half way your review 😅Thanks you are the best. and your hype is so communicative. I just feel confident about it although as i also saw the video from alex from boardgameco, I hope the final version will have few adjustement. on the rules for instance. I am sure they will listen to youtubers advices
At Maggie, is the hype as high as for spirit fire ? 😉
This looks so good! I love the idea of it having the feeling of a narrative but without the narrative text, and I love that it is really competitive! Our gaming group would love that!
Do you have any feeling for how long it takes to play at 2 players? Does it become really long with that many players?
We should've timed it but it never felt long - maybe 70-90min or so if Maggie and I and up to two hours with 3 or 4 people with a quick teach? It definitely speeds up with experience though, quite significantly. With 2 players it never felt long though. With new players in a 4 player game it occasionally did but only because of the secondary familiar action (re-explaining the options to them based on what they were doing with their main character was the sticking point). Hope that helps!
Thank you for this great and enthusiastic preview of this game! You got me hyped! I would absolutely love to try this game out. Hopefully it will come to BGA.
Thank you for watching and for leaving a lovely comment as always! We appreciate it 😊
Solo verlo me emociono!!!! Cuando en español porfi!!!
Hi there, thanks for the inspiring vid. Could you tell me a bit about the length of the game (playing time)?
the game looks amazing! i absolutely love everything i saw. I only wonder the replayablilty of this game, would it survive 5-10 games after when all "loot" are explored?
Yes we're keen to see this too. In our opinion we'd love to see lots of variety in the discoverable locations, character skills & hopefully more little expansion modules! They didn't provide us with any of the envelopes to unlock new content and even then we've had a lot of games without feeling bored but we would love more!!!!
Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm!
I'm getting some Near and Far vibes in the best way. Curious if you feel the same or have played it?
it will be interesting to see the balance and replayability - previously I looked at this with some suspicion as some cute looking games are hiding mediocre mechanisms
This was my exact thoughts. I saw the ad a while ago and dismissed it as it looked over produced and too cute for a proper game, much like Endless Winter which was just an over produced wash of a game. However, Thinkerthemer has actually got me excited because I trust their reviews.
That was exactly our fear for it is SO cute and we were very pleasantly surprised ☺️
You two have done it again! I'm certainly considering backing this game. One question you didn't cover... what's it like to teach? I can't imagine this is an easy teach. Which will make it more difficult to get to the table. Would you say it's a gamers-only or also good for newbs?
Ah yes great question. The actual game will be staged such that the core game is stripped back without all modules. My orientation would still be to try to teach it with everything we explained in the video but it depends on the group. It's not that hard to teach and even in very rough prototype form I found the rulebook quite easy to follow. Hope that helps!
It does! Ta!
Kind of Vindication in Arctic!
Great coverage! We are so excited for this one. I have a feeling it's going to be my wife's new favorite game 😄
Whoohoo I hope you both enjoy it as much as we have!
This really sounds like my Jam... Its a bummer its still so far away.
Yes - Maggie is still eagerly awaiting Unconscious Minds...! Like all good things hopefully they will be worth the wait!
Hey Maggie, my wife and I are searching for a delightful escape after mentally exhausting workdays and would love some of your recs. Ideally we’d want a light to mid-weight game that’s positively cute, combotastic, and has an immersive narrative/world that's engaging yet light-hearted. About components and table presence, we’re looking for something relatively easy to set up and get back into. Thanks!
Anything about the different characters? Do they have different characteristics, skills, etc?
The artwork looks absolutely stunning, I guess I will have to back it next week 😁
Yes they start with a different skillset each and in the campaign you will unlock even more character specific skillets (cards that you level up throughout the game)
Been waiting for this for so long! Henry Audubon, Andrew Bosley, Jonny Pac, Yoma and Dani Garcia. How?!
P.S Endless Winter also needed "tightening up" at 2p especially, which they fixed later on. Expect they will nail it right out of the box here for the final production. I also expect expansions ;-)
No Dani Garcia I think
Hi! Besides co-designing the game, Jonny Pac is the lead developer of FLOE. But Dani Garcia and Laskas also helped with the development of the game and will be mentioned in the credits as well :) @@ylein6508
yes, as dev@@ylein6508
What a dream team of people right? And it comes together so cohesively. 😊 Can't wait to see the expansions!!
Will you be doing a playthrough video?
Please do!
Aw we only do playthroughs on Rahdo's channel but not this game unfortunately! I'm sure there will be a lot of content appearing in the lead up to the campaign!
@@ThinkerThemerOhh, too bad. I would also love to see full playthrough of this by you two.
Sounds wonderful - but where’s the strategy and tension - or is it simply wander around collect things and battle ? Thanks
Yay it looks so good, but sadly my table is not nearly big enough.
Games are certainly getting sprawly... we are shocked sometimes when games don't fit on a purpose built game table! We play this one sideways ...
So you're saying: go with the floe...?
😃 😀 😄 😁 🤣 😂
Exactly 😂
i have been monitoring this game for years. I wondered about replayability. The tiles for for lands exploration are always the same or there is a different variety so can often mix and match and have a different map?
We have only seen one map set but I think that's ok as long as they build in a lot of variety in the encounters and locations that pop up on those maps. The form of the islands themselves never felt that consequential, it was more about how the map became populated (and those things are variable / randomised).
@@ThinkerThemer great. Thanks for sharing that. Looking forward to seeing it going live on kickstarter
Looks like a lot going on. I think this game is out of my league. Maggie, I'm obsessed with your colorful tops and t-shirts. Where do you buy them?
There's a lot going on but in the final game they will unlock modules bit by bit to help with the learning.
Maggie's entire wardrobe (practically) is an Australian brand called Gorman :)
@@ThinkerThemer Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.
Love the review. So much energy and enthusiasm 5 🌟 Also as a geek I love Amy's Meeple T-shirt. Can you point me in the right direction to get one?
Yes it is a Gen Con shirt that i bought there a couple of years ago and they are still available on the Rollacrit website. Currently on sale coincidentally lol
@ThinkerThemer Thanks, that will likely be two purchases then 🙂 One game and one tshirt 🙂
Trying to decide between this and Mythwind, Need more information on solo play.
Thanks for your review ! Can you maybe shed some light on how heavy the game is ? Is it a family game ? How does the difficulty level compare to other games ?
With everything included it's a lot more involved than we expected. Enough to keep us and our friends thinking quite a lot about our next moves etc. Definitely medium weight. However, as you will see soon in the campaign the game unlocks mechanics bit by bit so potentially you could play the more basic versions of the game until everyone is more comfortable before moving on. In our version it was everything all at once which was OK for us but probably not family weight.
Wow great table presence but that's a table hog!
It definitely needs a lot of table space 😅 thanks for watching!
I covet that shirt! Where can I get one?
Ah the meeple shirt I'm wearing is a Gen Con merch shirt from a couple of years ago! They still sell them on their Rollacrit store!
Thanks - I found their site and signed up for news on restock (apparently I wasn't the only one with this idea!)@@ThinkerThemer
I NEED this game to be good solo, but I've gotten so many big box games lately that have fallen flat in that regard. Nearly 100% of my game time is solo now. :(
Hi there! We will make sure this won't happen in this case ;)
@@PIKABoardgamesI can't wait to get more details next week! :)
I hope the cost is reasonable.
If Endless Winter and Unconscious Mind are any indication, this publisher is one of the few left that really seem to offer a great ratio of deluxification and gameplay to value, and keeps the spirit of backing board games on Kickstarter alive.
Thanks for your comment. It's true that we will once again try to bring the prices down as much as possible to hopefully make it affordable for everyone.@@shaunhughes2
Hope there will be a German version 😊
German version during the kickstarter is already confirmed! :)
ist aber auch komplett sprachneutral siehe Endless Winter und Unconscious Mind
@@stormburnsendless winter und unconscious mind sind vom Fantasia games. Floe ist von Pika Games. Oder habe ich was verpasst?
Und man sieht auch durchaus einiges an Kartentext. Mich stört das nicht aber meine Mitspieler (leider) 😅
PIKA gehört zu Fantasia Games@@TheKevlol
Do you think the game is predictable? And does it have a lot of downtime?
Is it just me or look all games in the background kind of faded? 🤔
Great video, but it seems to do too much, i get near and far vibes but also endless winter vibes as it seems to do too much without cohesion. At this point im kinda sad since it looks a bit like a money grab.
Ah interesting. We didn't like Endless Winter anywhere near as much (and culled it). This one we find cohesive and if anything want more content. A very different experience for us.
couldn't you just have said that it was bad? then i didnt need to spend more money...
Cute but unfinished then.
In what way sorry? It's a prototype
@@ThinkerThemer it wasn't clear to me this was a prototype and you were part of a beta test.
hard to understand the enthusiasm for this game.
Anything Jonny touches turns to gold (it's because he's from Gold Country, you see...). Really regretting not playtesting this at Ragecon last year ;(