Etherfields Review - Almost a Sleeper Hit

Summary

This video review explores Etherfields, a cooperative board game set in a surreal dream world. The reviewer highlights its stunning art and creative mechanics but criticizes its slow gameplay and confusing rules. Despite an initially exciting experience, the game's repetitive nature, excessive padding, and complex rulebook diminish enjoyment. The review suggests Etherfields is visually impressive but ultimately lacks depth in its gameplay, recommending alternatives like Gloomhaven, Arkham Horror, or even video games like Disco Elysium for a more polished adventure.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Etherfields is a cooperative story game for 1-4 players with a surreal dream-like theme and beautiful art.
• 😴 Players explore a world of dreams and nightmares, gradually uncovering their character's abilities and the overall goal of the game.
• 🎮 The game is complex, with many hours needed to understand how it works and what players are supposed to do, making it challenging to grasp at first.
• 👥 Despite being designed for up to 4 players, most people recommend playing it solo or with just one other player for a smoother experience.
• 🔧 The game features a lot of components and expansions, but many of these feel unnecessary or poorly designed, such as miniatures that aren't important for gameplay.
• 📚 Learning the rules is difficult because the manual is confusing and requires consulting fan-made guides to fully understand the gameplay.
• 💡 Etherfields introduces new rules and mechanics throughout the campaign, but this constant addition can make the game feel overwhelming and tedious.
• 🃏 The card-based mechanics offer interesting moments, but the overall gameplay lacks engaging decision-making and can feel repetitive.
• ⏳ Random encounters between main dreams, called 'slumbers,' are particularly dull and repetitive, detracting from the fun of the game.
• 🛑 The review concludes that while Etherfields is ambitious and visually stunning, its gameplay is flawed, with slow, tedious mechanics that make it hard to recommend.

Q & A

What is Ether Fields?

Ether Fields is a big and colorful cooperative story game with gorgeous art, where one to four players represent unconscious adventurers exploring a creepy realm of dreams and nightmares.

What are the unique features of Ether Fields that set it apart from other Kickstarter games?

Ether Fields is unique in its theme of lucid dreaming and the use of 'Empowered Dreamer' tools that allow players to interact with and manipulate the dreamscape in creative ways.

What is the general consensus among critics regarding games in the same genre as Ether Fields?

Critics, including the reviewer, generally wouldn't personally spend money on games in this genre, with the exception of Gloomhaven, due to concerns about gameplay and value for money.

What are some of the expansion add-ons mentioned for Ether Fields?

The add-ons include a neoprene map, a fifth player expansion, little storage boxes for each character, extra miniatures, and an Ether Fields branded 52 card deck.

Why does the reviewer suggest that Ether Fields might not be worth the additional purchases made by Kickstarter backers?

The reviewer suggests that the add-ons for Ether Fields are not necessary for the game and that backers should stop buying them until they've played the base game, as the excitement for a board game peaks when backed on Kickstarter.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the gameplay experience of Ether Fields?

The reviewer finds the gameplay to be initially enjoyable due to the game's art and theme, but ultimately frustrating due to poor usability, unclear rules, and a lack of exciting decision-making during gameplay.

How does the reviewer feel about the game's mechanics and rules?

The reviewer criticizes the game's mechanics and rules as being sloppy and unclear, which leads to a frustrating learning curve and gameplay experience.

What does the reviewer suggest as an alternative to Ether Fields for those interested in similar gaming experiences?

The reviewer recommends the Arkham Horror Living Card Game for a more polished card game experience, Gloomhaven or Frosthaven for a big box campaign, or Disco Elysium for a surreal one-player adventure.

What was the reviewer's final verdict on Ether Fields?

The reviewer concludes that Ether Fields has potential but is ultimately not recommended due to its poor usability, unexciting gameplay, and a campaign structure that forces repetitive play.

How does the reviewer describe the physical components of Ether Fields, such as the board and miniatures?

The reviewer describes the physical components as beautiful and attractive, but criticizes the board's design for being impractical and the miniatures as unnecessary for gameplay.