Pro tip: Don't spend $150 on a game you've never played just because the box art is cool

Bought "Cosmic Encounters" last year based on the cover alone. Looked awesome, but my group hates it. Too much backstabbing and confusing rules. Learned my lesson the hard way. Now I always watch a playthrough video first. Anyone else get burned by a pretty box?

3 comments

3 Comments

adam_nguyen78d ago

The playthrough video trick saved me too. Watched a full round of "Castle Panic" before buying it and realized it was way too simple for my group. We would have been bored after two games. Now I check the rulebook PDF online too. If it looks like a chore, I pass.

morgan_butler5d ago

Rulebooks are the real test honestly. Skimmed the "Terraforming Mars" rulebook online and it felt like reading a tax document, hard pass on that one. A friend swears by it but I know my group would glaze over mid explanation.

john_singh8d ago

Read a post from a board game blogger who said the same thing about rulebook PDFs. Have to agree with @adam_nguyen7 on that one, flipping through a PDF before buying saved me from a few duds too. Watched a full playthrough of "Zombicide" once and the rulebook was a nightmare, so I passed on the game entirely. Saves so much time and money knowing what you're actually getting into before it hits the table.