Dog is getting an extra 30 minute walk.

Was seriously considering backing this campaign due to awaken realms and the minis. Thank you for once again being the voice of reason for board gaming hobbyists. Not all heroes wear capes.

Very nice video! You’ve given me some food for thought !

You convinced me! Well, i never planned to back it in the first place but that's not important. I like this "series" of yours. And i think it is useful. I joked about it but it helped me once or twice to limit my spending. Keep up the good work.

Point 1 was on point tbh. Thank you. I gotta think about it more. That did change my mind

This video was super helpful for me to make a quick determination around this game. Game length is a major factor for me currently, wanting to find 60-90 minute games, and upkeep is another (somewhat related) concern. Great video!

Your #1 is spot-on. Thank you.

Love your video! Good catch on the Convicted Badit card! Love your #1, you're so right! Two of my best games are using standees (Uprising - The last emperor and Deliverance).

Holy crap I and my wallet needed this. Thank you.

Thank you, Chris! Your #1 reason is a very logical way to think through whether you actually want a game!

Game will go to retail, will get discounted and will be available without having to pay for shipping, just be patient

Honestly, except for the original "Nemesis", I found Awaken Realms games are not for me. I am still heavily debating if "Nemesis Retaliation" is worth the money. "Grimcoven" would have to compete with that before I could consider it. Too many campaigns for too much money ...

A second 5 reasons in the same week? God bless. This one wasn't even on my radar and then I saw the email about it. Plus Shelfside put out a review (I haven't watched it) and the push for this is real. Anyways, sounds like a lot of reasons to say "nope"

I think you should change the order of your titles because I cant find your videos due to the way the YT algo works. Meaning try adding "Grimcoven Prototype Review" or "Grimcoven" "Grimcoven Prototype etc to the START of your title. Right now if I search even "5 reason grimcoven" your video doesnt even come up lol I get all the sponsored Awaken Realms videos instead saying how "good" this game is and why I NEED to spend money on it.

As a person who enjoys casual gaming whether it be by myself or with others as well as painting minis I will definitely be backing this. I get some plight over AI art I really do but I guess that doesn’t bug me as much as others. I really wanna paint these things especially at the price and hey if I don’t end up liking it I’ll sell it all good either way

We're going all in boys

This is the second time I was convinced by one of your 5 reasons why and cancelled my pledge. You are correct on it, I don't need it.

For me standees are pretty much the only option, so my struggle is trying to figure out if they'll manage the balance on the mechanisms. Right now I don't know what would need to be done to get there. I like the theme and the gameplay focus, and I like that they're willing to go the standee route, but need to know more about where it might go to get a better feel for whether or not it's worth it. You make good points, thanks

AI art Corporate avoidance around questions about AI art. Game is way underdeveloped for a crowd funding from a company this big. Except the minis. If its good they will do a reprint with a fixed rulebook. Its not a boss battler, its 2-3 hours of running away and building enough power to do enough damage in a round to actually hurt the boss. Then quickly taking out the boss. Oathsworn, KDM, Vagrant Song, and Primal exist to get now. Blood is coming soon and will likely be a better boss battler and certainly have better minis.

They have minis but a punch of gray plastic goop on the board takes away all the immersion. Team standee

Thanks for the video! Here's three more reasons not to back. #3 it seems like a crisis management game rather than a boss battler. It will probably feel more like Nemesis: Retaliation or Pandemic than like Oathsworn. #2 AI art. Yes, AR employs artists and yes, AR uses AI art as a digital tool. They put out some pretty poor quality stuff early on in this project. For some, all's well that ends well, for others, this is grounds to walk away on principle. #1 Where's the interesting decisions? These mechanics don't seem to match well with the difficulty. Beer-and-pretzels-y mechanics for a nightmare mode boss battler? I think people might be expecting more of a brain burner along with that kind of difficulty.

Nice video. A reason you missed (and it sounds like it applies to you) is - Do you have any other AR games (or similar big box games) that you haven’t played yet? I’m trying to restrain myself these days because I have new games I haven’t played yet and I know a year after this game comes out you will be able to buy the “all in” at cost or close to it from someone who bought it, but never played it or barely played it.

I backed, and then watched Shelfside's review and that reduced my hype. And now this. I think I am going to keep the pledge and hope that they address some of these concerns before the end, otherwise I am going to cancel my pledge.

I was very excited for this, but thankfully?, the gameplay’s and lengths of plays I’ve seen have put me off it pretty soundly. Helps that I have C:DMD already.

I was interested but after seeing some plays I might just wait for the retail release at some point. If I were to back it, I would go for the cardboard/standee version instead of the minis at this point

So far its a half baked game even for crowdfunding standards. It also seems a more basic battler that is useful to bring new people to try it but for hardcore groups won't do much. Finally, with the known stretch goals, the quantity is just not there

[ Shelfside Prototype Score: 5/10 ] Grimcoven Prototype: "Not going to lie. I'm getting COOKED"

I just wish they'd fix that typo on their campaign page where they misspelled Grimcoven.

For a niche game genre like Boss Battler it might come down to if you like the genre and the style of the game, well, and of course if it's any good, I haven't looked at the rules yet.

I’m gonna make a super long comment later (if you want?) about why I’m (probably) going to pass on this one, but in the mean time, Awaken Realms is making a deluxe version of Puerto Rico. Is the core game good? What’s your opinion on it?

I was going to back this but I'm leaning towards other Boss Battlers one called Dante's Inferno or maybe the upcoming Blood+

Honestly, I don't see a reason to back any awaken realm game. They are one of my favorite studio, but everything comes to retail... They say it's cheaper on the campaign, but I don't know that's true given I don't pay any shipping with my LGS. Even is this was true, at least I can wait and get a lot more information around the final product before jumping in.

Without watching this yet, I can assume that Chris's #1 will be the lack of a rulebook.

These videos are real good for a person who recently fell into crowdfunding fomo

You need to start adding shipping to your 5 reasons. The game is actually a lot more than $59 for instance. The shipping is actually expensive.

I was thinking of backing this but maybe I won’t. The characters don’t seem “Victorian “ enough, in spite AR saying this game is supposed to be set in a Victorian theme. Also the sculpts seem to have a really busy design to them, it’s hard to tell what’s going on with them, if that makes any sense. Also seems to be a lot of micromanagement going on. 🤷‍♀️ I might just continue to invest in Conan by monolith.

I can’t bring myself to back this or other awaken realms anymore until i have shelf space. They always have so many boxes. CMON is like this too. Companies that offer one box solutions such as IV are currently getting my limited funds. Not even sure how this is so well funded for a game I haven’t even seen much hype on and it doesn’t even have an IP behind it. They know how to push funding. Good for them but I’m sitting this and the next one out. 🤑

Reason 6: Shelfside says it sucks. "If I am honest, this should be a 5/10 but I love the minis and art too much."

As much as my soul rebels against it, point 1 is excellent, and applies to far too many games I have bought... I'll probably still get Grimcoven for the mini's, but you're absolutely right.

I dunno it looks soooo good to me just my cup of tea!!! so i went all in and got it on them payments so practically nothing lol.

Awaken Realms has gotten me the last 3 games with the standee versions. I’m all about gameplay and so I appreciate the lower price-points.

It will be a hard day's night if I have the Beatles.

The mini reason resonated resoundingly. (Alliteration?) They are gorgeous, but minis do not make the game. And you can get great similar/better/(even slightly worse) from etsy or printing yourself. Those minis are also larger scale to get that detail and complexity. That game box will take up some space.

Where were you when I pledged for Stormsunder , Wild Assent and Lasting Tales. Man, I wish I had watched a video for those 😢

My issue is they market it as a boss battler so I expected something like Townsfolk Tussle over KDM. Instead it had become more like a dungeon crawler.

While I love the theme and boss battlers in general, the fact that it takes 3 hours to play one game is a bit of a deal breaker. And that’s not including start up and pack up time.

I just went back to my pledge and added the bonus playable characters and bonus "Baddy"

6 minutes in and I feel like I can handle those objections - I'm backing!

Which of boss battlers would you recommend?

Thought experiment #2 if you're happy with playing the standee version, is it really THAT much more expensive to get the cool minis??

*writes 1-2-3-4* Go ooon…😊 Grimcoven and Blood both pulling me in with a similar feel!

Discovered Gamefound a few days back, and several games I would have loved to buy with all the expansions, but they are no longer available and only the base game can be found anywhere, or at least anywhere for less than $400. (Ahem, Heroes Of Might And Magic, which seems unplayable to me without all the extra content and expansions). Pulled the trigger on this one, so I too am feeling a lot of FOMO. Why I Still Want It: I intend to play solo, so the longer it plays, the better, because I am in control of how many sessions and when they will happen. The art is gorgeous. It looks like a kind of dungeon crawler set in a unique setting that none of my other games are set in. I love the potential of the corruption mechanic. I've never heard of this manufacturer, so that isn't swaying my decision. The amount of and forethought into the extras is impeccable, a playmat no less! They really know how to put together a package. Replayability as different characters should prove to extend the lifespan of the game considerably. Looking very much forward to the detail of the lore and campaign aspects, especially since it is a unique setting. The Things That Make Me Want To Cancel: So, I am paying $395 CAD now, for a game that won't ship for a year and a half (at best), is this considered normal? There is no "I want everything" level, so I had to spend a massive amount of time customizing my pledge multiple times. I don't want figuring out my pledge to have to become my full time job. There is a freebie for early backers buried deep in the FAQ, which I luckily stumbled across and has to go back and remove an extra item I had added to my pledge. Now I am nervous that I need to squander even more time scouring all the rest of the FAQs for who knows what pitfall? OMG, the complexity of the freebie is insane, and I had to scroll through multiple pages just to read it all. $395 is no small price tag, at least not for me it isn't. Often I have found that the projected MSRP is grossly inflated, and some campaigns have ended up being more expensive than retail! Could cancel still after watching your video, but your reasons didn't move the needle for me, so full steam ahead, and you can check back with me on my satisfaction level in two years.

I do deserve a little treat...

I'm not interested at all in games like this but I like the videos and hope to see a 7th Citadel version when they crack the 1 million (which looks like it'll happen soon)! Not sure if the Oath expansion makes it above the mark but I have hope

If you have Death May Die will that scratch the same itch as this game?

Here's the problem I'm running into, I own four boss battlers (Kingdom Death, Townsfolk Tussle, Monster Hunter, and Oathsworn) but I'm generally really happy with awaken realms games, I really like Etherfields, Tainted Grail, Tamashii, and ISS Vanguard not just Nemesis. I'm also fairly certain I would enjoy this one too but the problem I have is where does this fit in? If it is really good it'll get second campaign with an errata built in and maybe that's the correct entry point.

I was interested in the idea and Bloodborne vibes…. But then I just saw the sheer ridiculous size of those minis. That box is probably gonna be the size of my car. Kinda done with overproduced crowdfunding projects… which immediately excludes Awaken Realms and CMON

The one thing Awaken Realms does that i think is a double edged sword is the "let's create the game together" their games dont come to campaigns in Complete games because they want to create with backers. I think their games need to come to the campaign stage further along then they tend to do. The only part that is create with backersnis votes on things, which isnt really creating with us. For me im going to back it and get minis version. I'll have fun painting it. I also dont have a boss battler game in my library. I've played KDM and like it. My hope is the game will be good. I wish they came with a more complete game so development didnt take as long

Damn it just dropped yesterday lol. Went all in , backer 192 :p

Why is it so hard for AW to put out a rulebook? I have no idea what this game will be in its final form. They seem to just have a concept not a game. I will wait, if this is really good, they will have a reprint in the meantime I can find games that are more cooked and will deliver faster. I am tired of campaigns that are not fully realized.

I honestly would just do the standee version, but I want the dual layer player board and stuff from the other version and that's not an option with standees

18:51 What about Castles of Burgundy? You forgot about that one! 😉

The Canadian Mounties will be asking you some very uncomfortable question if this video re-surfaces after the Beetle Flu hits hard in 2026.

Inside being the baker 269 with the Hunter pledge!!! thanks for pushing me to buy it all with sundrop XD.

Going by most of the previews, I'm gonna say #1 is definitely a No. It seems like even the reviewers were only lukewarm on it, even with all the minis in their hands

Hey Chris, did I miss your "5 Reasons Not To Back 7th Citadel" video?

I really really like that they offer a Standee version! I really dislike the money and space commitment of all these miniature games

1. Awakened realms is a kickstarter farm and makes fiddly unfinished games

Awaken Realms campaigns are not the deal they used to be anymore. For games that are well received, the US retail prices (including separate stretch goal boxes) are comparable (and chances are there will be a second campaign with an updated version); for games that turn out to be not that great, the retail prices are much lower.

My personal reasons to back this project (not related with nemesis fortunately). - It is not campaign game. You can play single scenario with someone and not care about it. I know in a lot of games they are "you can play one mission with someone and another with other people", but they will not be immerse as you are. So huge point there. - They already took some of the mechanics they used in Tamashii: Chronicles of Ascend and this game is just brilliant. I played it from start to finish with my brother, I replayed it alone and now I am playing it third time, alone. BTW, I am taking it to a full group from time to time too. It is my favorite not exactly dungeon crowler and I just cannot stop playing it. - I played a lot of dungeon crowlers (massive darkness is one of them) and I always have issues with them, as once you pick a character you awlays play it the same way, even if they have some differences. In Tamashii where they defenetely took ideas from, even same character can be played very differently from game to game. - I find most boss battlers boring because you fight a full dungeon to reach it, you need to finish a series of levels or another mechanic to get strong and at the end you have a solo fight with the boss. I find the idea of doing side quests and fighting other enemies while the boss is already on the table amazing. Now, I agree there are red flags. Skills don't seem that interesting and diverse so people just take the dice (but that may be lack of knowedge too). I didn't saw the amount of elements that make every game unique as Tamashii.

I understand the pull for Minis, but for me this often is a red flag. So much focus being put into making awesome looking minis and the game board, but to my experience, in the end you just end up with a massive box that you don´t even want to pull out of the shelf after some time, because everything is so massive. By now, I prefer more compact games. Use Stands for the monsters and Characters, nothing has to be 10cm big figurienes. Sure it´s nice the first time, but after that, it´s enough to have cardboard stands for most things (and also makes things cheaper, which will attract more buyers)

When $200 became a little treat, like honestly. I was burnt on og Tainted Grail. Did not really like the Nemezis all that much. I am really hesitant to back anything by AR, because the pretty pictures do not make the gameplay.

Yeah but your slaps sometimes end up being a warm comfortable nudge off the fence to purchase.😂

“It can lend itself to AP…” Ah yes… armor piercing. I need to lay off the warhammer.

Fortunately, ferocious FOMO fervor fools not you. -Toby

Thank you for this video:) Hope it will be enough to resist the temptation:) At first I was interested, because the graphics are greata and lore and this lament stuff, it reminds me of DMC, but all in all it's dice placement, nothing revealing and on top of that I don't know if the character development is satisfying enough for me.

Awaken Realms ≠ insta back Nothing ever should be a insta back for you, especially not over 200$.

I see rent in Toronto affords a bachelor suite atop an abandoned rural church? Jokes aside I had almost all the same feelings about this game and while I’m still mulling the idea of the standee version, every time I then factor in shipping and then duties and taxes which puts it at easily over CA$100 and which point it’s a pass for me as I’m not really into tactical boss battlers, and what the has going for it is essentially thematic atmosphere and quality minis. Also did AR subcontract production out on this project? This all said I have bloodborne and like 100 other games from collecting since the golden era of crowd funding so adding to the collection is heavily influenced from that lens.

#1: They used AI art and didn’t disclose it until they were caught :)

This is more similar to but not as good as death may die than a boss battler.

I think you did this one wrong... I had no interest in this project... and then I watched your video, just because I watch all of them... Now I want to back this... (I already backed too many games lately... so I hope I will be able to hold myself)

Hey! Dont yuck my yum, man... 😂 Initially i was pumped for the dark theme but then found out its a boss battler. I already have Oathsworn and Monster Hunter. And those may not be the same as this but i have yet to even play them! So i dont need yet another game i cant get to the table. As far as other things about the game im confused about. 1) Unlocking missions as you play? Why? What story is making mission 3 unplayable unless i complete mission 2? 2) Points of interest on the board seem to not enhance beating the boss. They seem to just distract and detract from the game. 3) The game is still baking. If its good, then theyll do another campaign with errata and more. Going in on the 1st edition for some things is great because there isnt a 2nd campaign. But history of my crowdfunding backs has shown me that its cheaper to wait for retailers or almost same price on ebay. You just have to be patient and lucky.

Here are my thoughts on all the points. 1. Bosses and information: I think the game is challenging enough to be hard even if you know attacks and plan ahead, I personally like knowing more because if I die to a random thing I would feel a little cheated but if I know that something big will happen and I fail to prepare then it’s on me and I can learn from it. 2. Length and upkeep: the stands numbering the steps actually make it faster. I don’t feel like it’s adding more steps rather than chop up the usual steps other games have. It helps make sure you’re doing it the right way and the right order. The playtime being several hours is kinda concerning but I see this as a sort of one shot dnd session where you gather together on a weekend and attempt a playthrough and if you fail you can plan and strategize for next time and each session should feel different with the various random elements and combinations of boss and elite and hunters. 3. Dice and diversity: I agree that it feels kinda the same when you look at the cards and such but and I know I’m being optimistic but I feel like if people learn more and play more it might become more diverse because I’ve seen different cards and the choice between cards or dice and you use dice for different purposes so you have reasons to make different builds depending on team composition and what scenarios you’re playing. I’m also hopeful they add more options but so far it’s diverse enough to make me feel comfortable with it. 4. Replayability: I think it would be good to try it but with what I’ve seen it’s interesting and there’s enough randomized aspects to make each game feel different enough. Emphasis on enough, I think the main system works but if you don’t have people who are engaging with it alongside you it will be pretty difficult to find it fun. I believe in the game but it’s not really a casual experience because of the commitment needed. I’m worried it might not be very fun with 2 people. My only concerns at the moment is getting a group together and play it. If you don’t have time or people willing to sit down and invest in a playthrough it’s probably not your kind of game.

The way they promote this game tells me I don't need it: - "The most unique Boss battler I have played. Love the dice placement and corruption system." That doesn't tell me anything, really. Not the most unique game, not the most unique game you have played, no the most unique BOSS BATTLER you have played? So how many did you play? - "This thinky dice chucker has become my favorite Awaken Realm games". Ok, so not your favorite game, not even your favorite AWAKEN REALM(s) game, but ONE of your favorite Awaken Realm games? But did you even like the other games, because otherwise, this really doesn't tell me anything. And these are likely payed reviews, no?

I would not back this maybe ... because the only really good games from awaken realms are Tamashii and Nemesis. Also I already got really good bossbattlers Oathsworn and KDM. But if they show more really wonderful minis, I might keep my "backer" status. It's 50/50 now. Gameplay hasn't given me any really new stuff. Check Tamashii - it's really unique with gameplay.

I loooove Awaken Realms. I've backed Etherfields, Tainted Grail first and second as well as ISS Vanguard. Must admit, this one has me tempted..

I'm not backing too because i'm exhausted of waiting about two years to enjoying this ... For my copy of Stalker from Awaken realms i need to wait another year. From 2023 to 2025 Is nonsense backing something where Is quality of final product not as clear as many board gamers thinks...

Why didn’t you do one of these for Rove

Some good points here but...the game looks too cool. I've backed because the company has a great reputation, they've produced some awesome games and everything, the cards, the minis, the map. They all look awesome

Nice video ...too bad I won`t watch it ( joking lol ) BUT - Already backed, loved everything that the prototype was - hard, wants you to cooperate, the heavy risk-reward Lament system, the theme/art/minis .. just *Shef`s kiss *... YES, it needs some improvements, but the core gameplay that is existent is awesome. Some of the criticisms I agree with, some I don`t, but either way it can be fixed. Will it be fixed by the community or by AR themselves ? We`ll see.. BUT I believe that they sent all the prototypes so that they can get feedback well ahead of time and implement changes ( wishful thinking ? possibly :D )

I stopped listen when you said it would be 2+ years before the release of Grimcoven. I can spend my money on making my own game for shorter term development, and production. Why should I have to wait? When I paying for an unfilled future promise.

So Nemesis sucks then this must be good. Games like this and CDMD, MoM, Oathsworn etc. minis put me in more in the setting of the game then standees. At least for the heroes and monsters. Terrain i care a little less.

The character building, dice building, and promise of having cool, powerful combo turns is really exciting for me. But the art and theme is a huge turn off. It all just looks quite gross to me. I could still get into it cheaper with the standees, but the gameplay I've watched looks pretty unpolished and doesn't seem to fulfill the promise. Also, there are no characters so far that actually interest me. I'd want at least one character that actually gets me excited to try them out.

Dice placement, the theme, the amazing minis, and Awaken Realms... all for about $100? Count me in! (although I appreciate your videos promoting restraint... maybe next time).

I didn’t back because these games do nothing for me and crowdfunding is go suckers 😂

the first 6 mins was just you convincing me to back this..... i dont think these videos are hitting the way they should anymore

There's no fomo really, either like it or not. Seems like you and others just are easily "got" ....ooo shiney. And they aren't giving you stuff, it's all part of the cost, two minis for a character means less other stuff. The game needs polished though but so was their other games at first as well.

The reason I'm not backing is the commercial use of AI-generated images. All AI image generation system currently available use art taken without permission or pay, essentially laundered art theft. This would be my jam if the company didn't constantly fail this clear and obvious ethical test.

Aw.. You didn't get to test their prototype, poor you. QQ.

Most backers for awaken realms .....jus for their cool minis where gaming design and tactics that you cant even beats it and wasting lots of times solving by complete it where always never meet to finisher. End up will left it on the corner of the room or sell it away..😖 what's a board game bore!!