Middara in the background, frowning from the top of the shelf.

15 seconds in, and alex starts his ramblings :) Please never change sir, i've grown to love this!

I haven’t stopped playing Isofarian Guard since I got it - the chip drawing mechanic is incredibly satisfying and additive. I’ve also got Oathsworn and Frosthaven waiting in the wings. So many great choices!

aaaaaaaand videos like THIS one is why I watch Alex, I don't think any other KZfaqr could have the insight to compare all of these games with the depth of knowledge Alex has... AWESOME VIDEO!

Darn you Alex! One more Tanares Adventures video from you highlighting its mechanics, lore, and gameplay before the Kickstarter finishes and I'll end up upgrading from PM Access to Tanares Essentials.

Great video! I have to say i love isofarian guard. The funny thing is i was on the fence of backing this when it was like 80$ or something and watched a luke warm preview you did, and i backed off and missed it then. I regretted it, and i bought it now for a total of 250$ 😅 The lesson i learned was that everyone has different tastes and preferences, which doesn't mean a game is good or bad based on ones opinion.

You nailed it on many of these. Very accurate summaries of pros and cons.

I do not have any of these currently, but one of my sons just ordered Oathsworn off of the new campaing. Currently I am starting the Kliks Madness campaign for Hexplorit. Essentially a 500 page 4300+ paragraph pick a path to adventure book and I absolutely love it. I did a random draw on my Roles and Races and kind of regret that now. But I am going to push through and see how it goes.

I watched your gameplay video of TIG with Professor Meg and it became an immediate must buy. No questions asked. Even with Oathsworn coming in the fall and my group loving MD2 the game was a must buy. It’s really just the storytelling for me. The bag building was just a bonus. Grindy, yes, but then so are most big computer RPGs. Great video. Thanks for bringing it to us.

Excellent points and contrasting pros and cons for all of these! We have similar views and tastes. 3 additional factors that rank The Isofarian Guard higher for me: 1) Excellent built in storage solutions that are elegant and functional. For such a content rich game and a table hog, it is about a 7 minute setup or tear down. Fastest large box game I own. Leaves more time for actual play. 2) Quick save system. This is mostly built into the storage solution, so combines with point number 1. The character trays especially. More Playtime! 3) VERY LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD!!! The most enjoyable “grind” parts stay and the least exciting “grind” parts start to disappear. Some of the grind is mitigated the further you advance in the game. There are easy relatively early accessory items that help with exploring and avoiding unwanted combat. Plus there are advancement building and upgrades that remove the need for farming materials or resources.

All I know is that I'm enjoying The Isofarian Guard so much that, for the first time since getting into the hobby years ago, I've lost interest in looking into other upcoming games. The fact it doesn't have a battlefield makes it better! It means you can play it for as as little as 10-15mins-and this makes it perfect for a campaign. I like long complex games too-but prefer them as one-shots (eg Mage Knight) but they become a chore as a campaign (eg I've abandoned 2 Gloomhaven campaigns) Anyway, TIG is like my 'lifestyle' Game now-and probably wil be for the next year.

Would be nice to see Middara, ATO and Tainted Grail in this video. But I guess it is not that easy to squeeze everything in )

Would be nice to see where Descent and Chronicles of Drunagor stack up.

Amazing video ❤ I love these kind of camping games, only other game I wish was included in this ranking is Aeon Trespass Odyssey Justo to see how it ranks with the others. Keep making these cool videos 👍🏽🎥

Amazing video Alex. Thanks for doing this.

Thank you for the video. I have both Isofarian Guard and Tanares. I haven’t had the chance to start either of them though. My daughter really wants Frosthaven. So much content!

Great video Alex! I can't wait to jump into Isofarian Guard! My main gaming space is currently occupied with Folklore: The Affliction which we are absolutely in love with since it has arrived!

Excellent video, I can't wait to get my copy of Oathsworn and now I'll have to join the bandwagon of wanting Isofarian Guard!

Great video! Really appreciate how you broke it all down as someone who is on the fence with Tanaris. I did the 2nd print of Oathsworn so I’m on the fence if I need to back another campaign game.

I recently got back into boardgames this year, to my surprise after coming back to the gaming scene after god knows how many years there was soo many games that fell right into what i wanted years ago! I went out and purchased so many solo campaign games such as Oathsworn, Tanares, Isofarian guard, Tainted grail, etherfields, bloodborne, sleeping gods, Gloomhaven, JOTL, nemesis all-in plus some others. Yes it all cost me an arm and a leg, but i just couldnt miss out!!!! So far out of all these ive completed sleeping gods, played Nemesis (first one) a bunch of times and completed the Untold Stories book 1, finished painting all of oathsworn boxes then to my surprise Isofarian Guard arrived at my door, so didnt actually get to even start playing Oathsworn :( i then quickly painted the one mini from Isofarian Guard and started playing the game as the forteller app story narration is just next level and i couldnt put it off! Have to say that im absolutely loving the game, only around chapter 3 so far, but its an amazing game, i just hate the amount of table space it unneccasary takes up and it could easily have been smaller, also some of the quality of the components is really questionable, like the chip colors on cards and skill tree are impossible to see and the big character/enemy boards start warping very easily. Apart from that the game is superb, minus some of the grinding for crafting new gear. Im just really excited that ive got tons of games to play after so long, and also so many new campaign games ive backed this year, it blows my mind how many hours is going to be required to play through all this stuff!

Excellent video, mate. Very informative. Helpful. I'm not a seasoned gamer so might hit up Massive Darkness 2 (and the 1st one)

Speaking of Isofarian Guard. I didnt pay any attention to the updates after I backed it, so you can imagine the look on my face when I pulled out a 20kg box! Definitely got my moneys worth. But this is very much 'scope creep' the board game xD

Great video! Super useful comparison!

Fun video, thx for sharing your thoughts on these amazing dungeon crawlers!

I completely agree on Isofarian Guard being larger than it needs to be. The enemy boards in particular could be cut down significantly in size without losing any functionality. The map size doesn't even make sense because the larger neoprene version is still too small to properly use with the poker chips. Great game but it definitely has some features that feel very "indie" in a way that can be both charming and frustrating, things that probably would have been ironed out if it went through an editing pass with a major publisher.

BTW you make a great point in this video about the story telling capabilities/styles of games like Isofarian Guard and Middara, where you are told, "These are the characters you're playing so I can craft my story precisely" versus Tanares or Frosthaven where you can have a lot of choices of characters and the story has to accommodate that freedom of choice. Like your views on the games themselves, there are pros and cons to forcing the player to play certain characters or allowing to play whatever they want. In one style, the story is much tighter and coherent and in the other style, you have more room for interpretation and role-playing your chosen characters into the story.

Love these big campaign game comparisons!

I am playing Oathsworn and Isofarian Guard at the moment (amongst other campaign games). Loving both. Just completing the painting of the core box of MD 2, having played a few games. I have tons of content for 1 and 2, which is going to take several months (years!?) to finish painting. I like having a game that I can just pick up and play and not have to track a campaign. Tanares I haven't started on yet as I am still playing Arena the Contest. Playing and enjoying Jaws of the Lion but unlikely to step up to the bigger siblings.

Every time I watch one of your videos, I get an overwhelming urge to buy a new board game. Cheers!

Perhaps one of these days you will table Middara. It would have been a great game to have in this video.

Ty for this video!

Awesome video. Thanks. Would love this format for other game mechanics. Even a part 2 of dungeon crawlers that would include Aron Trespass if you have played it.

Why was not on the list??

I don’t know. I’ve been playing Isofarian Guard for a bit now, and am absolutely loving it. The campaign and story are fantastic. I played the original Tainted Grail, and Isofarian Guard is the game it should have been. You didn’t mention the base that you optionally can build up and the benefits carry through from campaign to campaign. So much to do, and still feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface. It’s really good.

I have all of those games. Tanares i havent tried yet… Wanted to wait for the rest of the stuff to arrive… it finally did last week, But now they announced the Ultimate edition, and now i wanna wait for that because every reviewer give a con about the books you have to cycle through Oathsworn… Played 3 scenarios with my gaming group… They thought it was to Long and dont want to continue… But i loved it and has put it as my number 1 game of all time, so Im Sooooo sad they dont wanna Play Massive Darkness havent tried campaign version… But one shot is fun Frosthaven… just finished Forgotten Circles… So also a little burned out on the system… Its really good, But i think i need a break before starting Frosthaven. Isofarian guard… really enjoying that at the moment… my girlfriend like that we can just Play 3-5 battles a Night then put it back very easy… Just Play like 30min-1 hour when the baby is sleeping.. we love it

I’ve played all those games as well and agree with your ranking. After about 10 Frosthaven scenarios I ended up selling it. I just couldn’t see myself continuing. I’m presently playing isofarian guard and loving the bag building as an alternative to dice but am being hampered a bit by the grind. There are things to buy, build and find which make it a bit more bearable. I’m looking forward to see how this is handled once you change characters in the next section…. Working with beginner characters in a world where you infrastructure is still there ( I believe) will be interesting.

Been playing Oathsworn and it is Gooood. Might also get Guard.

Hey Alex, thanks for the review. Looking forward to diving into Frosthaven in due course and just backing the Tanares Ultimate Adventures, the streamlining of gameplay definitely feeling like a significant improving. I'm intrigued and considering also purchasing the role play campaign add-on, specifically for the solo campaign content... Happen to have any experience in this? Finally, I wondered if you'd tried Chronicles of Drunagor and your thoughts compared to the other games mentioned here?

I can agree with some criticism.. All in all though, i'm gonna sah that for dungeon crawler, boss battlers and campaign game we're in a renaissance-like period.. Arena&tanares Iss Middara ***Haven (gloom, frost, crimson scales) Isofarian guards Shadow of brimstones Kdm Ato Descent Etcc I can afford them all, but my only liniting factor is time.. if i had this insane amount of options as a youngster, i'd be risking repeating school years 😅😅 As it is, i have to make choices and just tell myself that at a certain point in my life i will be able to play them all.. for now, tidbits when it's possible ;) Still it was a quality video

For those of us who are deciding what to buy, this is an incredibly useful and informative video. Thanks. -Toby

I love Campaign Games!

Great video! Would love to know the house rules you use for different player counts for Massive Darkness 2.

Hi Alex, pledge manager is still open for Oathsworn late pledges . Was helping Shadowbourne at UKGE and its defo still open and accepting late pledges for delivery in October

Having all of those games I must say my favorite title is Descent 2nd edition

Have you had a chance to play Tainted Grail? I would be curious to hear your take on it. Isofarian guard intrigues me for the bag-building aspect of combat.

Thanks for sharing. Oathsworn isn’t perfect, but is my #1.

I‘m happy I chose Isofarian Guard from all of these games. It’s perfect for playing with my son. We want an interesting story, a fast to setup game, because we don’t have a gaming table. The Forteller narration is so satisfying. And we love the music. I’m really looking forward to diving into world of Isofar. We tried Gloomhaven - Jaws of the Lion, and it didn’t work for us. We’re not the type of gamer who’s good at hard crunchy games. My son loves to jump into combat…as a damage dealer. 😂 And Gloomhaven is really suboptimal with two players.

massive darkness is very flexible for homemade missions/campaigns..adding to its longevity.

Great video and a solid comparison on important aspects to consider when choosing which of these investments is a good personal choice. To clarify, when you are referring to Tanares Adventures as your number one, you mean the Arena the Contest plus the Tanares expansion, correct? I don’t have either so I just wanted to make sure. And since you said that you’ve had a great experience playing it mostly solo, you’ve put it on my radar for if/ when the game comes back to crowdfunding 😅

Well, a board game that gives you a workout to pull it of shelf... And no charge for it (workout) priceless

Good video, which seems to match many of my thoughts, even if I have barely scratched the surface of any of the games (I probably have the most in Gloomhaven digital at 70 hrs). Out of curiosity, have you played any of the Hexplore it games? I realise the base game was 6 years ago, but the latest expansion came out in 2022 and there is another due next year.

The biggest luck factor in frosthaven/gloomhaven for me is the enemy activation (what they're doing at what Initiative). As you get to know the enemies, you can make better educated guesses, but it can still really throw a wrench in your plan.

This is what I am talking about!

Just missing aeon trespass odyssey 🤘, look forward to all of these.

Aeon Trespass Odyssey..the one to rule them all!

These are all very good games, and deserve to be played. I would easily add Middara, and ATO there too for a complete showdown. They have stellar critics in BGG and incredibly long campaigns. Also someone has to at least bring up the issue that Tanares still hasn t delivered in EU after 6 months and they are going to launch a new campaign before delivery...

I just bought Oathsworn which is the only one of these games I have or played but it seems to have the game mechanics and play style I would like the best. I also just backed League of Dungeoneers but wont see that game for many months. I have played Gloomhaven both digital and physical and love it!! I am the kind of person that has no issue whatsoever replaying scenarios or lowering the level to get through them or leaving it setup for days to SLOWLY work through so any game campaign is good for me. I highly doubt I will get through Gloomhaven campaign or any campaign really, but I am fine with that. I just love the playing and mechanics and having the large boxes filled with minis and content. I love these types of board games but not other board games so my taste is VERY narrow. These are the only types I look at or want to play for the most part but I am also new to this type of game play so I have the new and shiny thing going on and that may change as my entire gaming preferences have changed dramatically this last year. In the end I would buy all of these games if I had the time and money but I have limited both so i have to be really picky on what I do get. Awesome video and appreciate the information and thoughts!!

Are there any other games with 'one-shot' modes that you would recommend over Massive Darkness 2? Ty!

Would you recommend owning massive darkness 2 if I already have the new tanares ultimate?

Do you think now is the time to get Frosthaven or is it going to be available for at least another five years to come like Gloomhaven?

Hey, thanks for your new video ! I often watch your reviews and it more than often help me decide on what game to buy and whatnot ^^ I live in a country where they don't sell these so, each time I travel abroad, I have to decide on only few games to pick and it is often very hard to choose ^^ This time around, I'm buying a Dungeon Crawler just after finishing Jaw Of the Lion. I was first very attracted to Isofarian Guard, but, sadly, it's only playable for a maximum of 2 players ? I don't want to kick 2 people out of my usual group XD I was first looking for a game with a DM like Descent. I quite like the idea of one against many but the best recent board games seems to have forgotten about this system :/ Probably going to settle for Oathsworn but some other names are still in my short list : Tainted Grail, Arena the contest, LOTR : journey in middle-earth and Star wars imperial assault (for the DM system ^^).

Sounds like I made a mistake backing out of Isofarian Guard. Other then that, Oathsworn is my favourite listed.

I know it's not a campaign game but I'm wondering about cathulu death may die and it's strengths against massive darkness 2. I think I'm between though two for a first dungeon crawler. Thoughts?

I've got MD2 and backed the standee version of Oathsworn in the reprint campaign. Haven't tried the campaign in MD2 yet, but even the one shot mode is a ton of fun. While I'm interested in Gloomhaven, I've got the digital adaptation, so I'll stick with that for shelf sake. 😆

Legend has it if you slow down the audio speed in the settings, you can understand the entire review and it runs about 3 hours long.

Thanks for the rundown/comparison! I backed Gloomhaven way back when, but I’m just recently getting my game group into campaign games (not just dungeon crawls). I know you’re focusing on newer arrivals, but we’re having a great time with Jaws of the Lion and Mechs vs Minions (doesn’t really fit in this category). Not sure if I’ll ever get Gloomhaven to the table. Might just wait for the 2nd edition or skip to Frosthaven after JotL. I definitely want to try Oathsworn. I just hate the huge boxes of minis (but I like the presence of the minis on the table). Still trying to decide if I should upgrade to the minis pledge as the pledge manager is still open. I did back Tanares Adventures in the most recent campaign. My interest took a dive when they announced the ultimate edition during delivery of the game. I just feel like I received a half-baked version of the game and need to give them a bunch of money to get the good version of the game. Massive Darkness might be fun, but I have mixed feelings about cmon games and having to hunt down kickstarter content. It’s just a turnoff to me, so I’ll probably avoid the game. Luckily, my game group has 3+ players, so I can ignore The Isofarian Guard. One campaign I’d love to try is ISS Vanguard, but one guy in my group doesn’t like sci-fi. Ah well. Maybe some day!

Midarra and Tainted Grail popular campaigns are noticeably absent. I assume because you don't have enough play time in them to give proper consideration. Looking forward to what you think of them and how they would fall in the list

Nice video. Have TA right now and Oathsworn coming. Decided to pass on FH and TIG and seems it was a good idea. JotL is still far from being finished here so I feel like the system is not that good for us :D MD I passed as well but I really wanted it, just no funds at the time :)

I only have massive darkness 2 and zombicide fort Hendrix and I love how easy they are to table. not that it isn't a chore to get all the decks shuffled and organized but I've seen others and I don't want that headache lol, at that point I'll play a story driven video game. I definitely need to get more plays in with massive darkness 2 and yeah I can see needing to make it harder for two any one quick tip to do that? I was thinking about just adding the spawning portals that the maps have for when you have three.

Excellent video. Thanks. Was going to suggest dungeon crawlers next but it is similar and you do not have my favourite so no point.

I had massive darkness 2, which was a fun game but once I’d been through the campaign there was little interest to do it again as it’s the same. I’ve not played the others and tanares has spiked my interest but having just completes ATO after five months (amazing game!), hitting KDM now and with Middara wave 2 on its way (Which is also fantastic) I don’t think I have enough life left in me to get through them all😝

Have all of these waiting for me on my shelf calling out to me like sirens including Middara and ISS Vanguard. My biggest problem is not which one but time. Time is my enemy! And these campaign monsters, MD2 excluded, are just time hogs. Beautiful time hogs though. Please let us know when you figure out the secret to playing all of these. 😅

I dont even have any of these ! I got.. Erune, Destinies, Too many bones and..another one. Adventure Tower not here yet EVEN AFTER YEARS.

Going in fresh all these unplayed should I go with gloomhaven 2nd edition or Tanares I can’t decide 😬

I played MD2 campaing it was fun but 6 player has huge downtime :p next time i will bring max 4 player campaing. I done Oathsworn which was FANTASTIC. Best experience till now. I dont like ****haven so i passing on it. Im waiting for Tanares Ultimate (to have all rpg heroes and new books) Isofarian is on my radar as far as you said its great.

Alex, taking the easy road with giving them all an award. I need you to say: here are my 5 favorite games, and four of them are crap! Lol, right after I posted this, he actually did it. Didn’t see that coming! Thanks Alex!

Missing chronicles of drunagor 😅 playing the core 1.5 at the moment en enjoying it quite a bit!

I haven't finished the video, but technically you could put Gloomhaven here too? Its much cheaper than Frosthaven and still pretty good comparatively

Another game for a future list could be Stars of Akarios. I've just completed the prologue part of the campaign. I really enjoy the space battle part of the game and am looking forward to buying ship upgrades. Going to the "surface" with your pilot was just ok. I could honestly skip it and spend more time in space. I think mostly because I did not enjoy the first surface mission. It was kind of boring. The Tainted Grail-like exploration star system cards sits in between my joy of space combat and apathy of surface exploration. (The pilots needed skills, abilities, and gear to make the surface more like an adventure.) I like the enemy AI cards that tell you how the enemy ships will move and attack. I like that their moves are unknown and I guess at what will be the least worst spot to stop my turn in. I wish the combat had other ways to mitigate damage. I also wish the stress mechanic was tweaked. But, rolling my dice, planning my moves/attacks for the round, and then seeing what the enemy does is a very enjoyable game loop for me right now. I can see why some compare it to Gloomhaven, but honestly, besides the modifier cards, I don't see much else that's similar. I don't recall GH having programmed AI cards that tell you what the mobs do. The mobs in GH are pretty basic in their strategy and there isn't much unknown there. Anyway, this is much longer than I meant it to be. Hope you get some more time with it and would love to hear/see your review video. (A 1.5 release will be coming soon, which should help with, at the very least, the rulebook, which has so many holes/gray areas. Still not the worst rulebook I've read, though.)

Tanares all in worth to buy?🤔🤔 And what do you think is the best campaign game?

Prosperity!

What do you thing about Tainted Grail and The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth if compare to thouse ?

This review is great. Only that my wallet will probably have a burning hole in it. I watched this video cause i am a Gloomhaven fan. Really enjoy the game. Story aswell as mechanics. I stumbled over oathsworn and thought that it sounded nice. After this Oathsworn and Isofarian is on my list and maybe Tanares. So all in all it is a good review that ispired me to more than I bargained for xD

What does everyone think of Roll Player Adventures? Should it have been on this list?

I am surprised you lump all these games into the bracket of “setup takes a long time”. I own both Isofarian guard and Frosthaven and would say TIG’s biggest pro is the speed at which I can setup and tear down. I have it at under 5 mins for both. Frosthaven on the other hand is the biggest con in this regard. It is a definite barrier to getting it to the table. I do love both games but I think Isofarian guard gets the nod on this basis alone.

Oathsworn is the master of enemy variability in my mind which is a huge pro for me. Ok it cannot compete with KDM and ATO in that regard but they are not in this video ;)

I only have three of the five. Tanares, Isofarian Guard and Frosthaven. And that's how I'd rank them 1 to 3 as well. I'm not even really playing Frosthaven right now, just the other two games. I think my issue with Frosthaven is I look at the jump from Arena the Contest to Tanares Adventures and I just wish, Frosthaven had been that kind of leap from Gloomhaven. Instead, it feels like a minor hop from Gloomhaven, so the excitement to play it really isn't there. Right now, I'd rate Middara, ATO, S.H.E.O.L. and Hunters AD 2114 as campaign games I'd rather be playing than Frosthaven. The niche Frosthaven has for me now is it is the one my friends are familiar with and will play.

Have to do a mega showdown when arydia comes out

No Kingdom Death comparison?!

I would be curious to hear you on Aeon Trespass if you played that one. I think you played KDM in the past and it wasn't your jam as it might be too brutal, but I'm curious if you played ATO and if it was a more enjoyable experience.

Lets see some witcher content!

Ugh 😣 your number 1 had to be the one coming up on Kickstarter 🥴🥴

Why not to add Middara instead of Massive Darknest in this list?))

Alex, where does Middara fall in?

why was ATO not on this list?

No Bardsung? Is it that bad?

I probably would put Sleeping Gods, Stars of Akarios and Sheol on this list.

Play Oathsworn, put the rest back

What does "Euro based" mean? If I understand the word correctly I guess. When he says Frosthaven is very Euro based.

Great topic, but why Chronicles of Drunagor is not on the list?