"A box heavy enough to arouse a sentient trebuchet" This is the greatest sentence ever written in the english language

"I want to be happy but it's hard" Me too Matt, me too.

came here to see if i should love gloom haven, and ended up loving this Chanel more than this epic looking game. I didn't know a review Chanel could be so great. I thought i would skip around this 40 min video, but watched the whole thing! thank you for making such good content, you have a new devoted subscriber

"I wanna be a ratman, but I have to work. Let me be a ratman!" Relatable guy.

This looks like exactly the sort of game that I would love and that would never ever ever hit the table because everyone else hates this sort of game. rip

I had to pause the video to look at 'The Chart'. One axis is Elegance scaling with the other axis, which is also Elegance. There's not even any other games on there. Tiaras are apparently highly elegant.

What I like most about this review is that it showed the good parts, and why it could not work for certain people as well. Normally, most reviewers usually focus on what THEY think of the board game, and not if it could or could not work for others. Anyway, thank you so much SU&SD! You guys are helping out loads of people, including me. Thanks for helping everyone laugh as well!

I am glad that the corporate structure of Shut Up and Sit Down has finally been established. Reference Pear -> Paul -> Quinns -> Matt seems right.

"Who can understand gloom better than a man trapped in England?" A man trapped in Seattle.

Right. So, I’m very late to the party, but after watching this review I went out and purchased Gloomhaven. It came in the mail one cold afternoon, and I can wholeheartedly say that the purchase has been one of the best decisions of impulsive buying I’ve ever made. My partner and I love it; more so myself than her, but after forcing her to play Gloomhaven with me for hours on end in a fashion not unlike the dynamic between a hostage their kidnapper, I can safely say she enjoys playing too. Board game induced Stockholm syndrome aside, this game rocks and I don’t regret buying it. If you’re reading this comment, go out and buy this game. It’s one hundred percent worth it.

I love that you actually understand the definition of a review and not an "overview" haha

Best quote of the video to me, "Gloomhaven feels like the idea of Hero Quest, minus the disappointing realization that there's actually not allot to Hero Quest"

Never have I ever watched a video where a man suddenly whips out a pie. This is the quality content KZfaq deserves

I think it's a great testament to Gloomhaven that the words "I wanna be a ratman right now. But I have to work. Let me be a ratman" still ring as true to me as when we started playing it. I _also_ wanna be a ratman right now.

So I randomly stumbled upon this game. Then subsequently stumbled upon your review. And I want to tell you, you're kind of freaking incredible. I can tell how much you care about what you're doing, preserving the experience for the viewer, and your genuine passion for gaming is damn near palpable. So, thank you for making this video. I look forward to viewing your reviews on other games that I'm looking to buy.

Owner of the first edition here. 120 hours into the game and our regular gaming group still loves this to death. We still have thinks to discover and the core gameplay is just great (at least to our tastes). As Matt said admin can be a bi tedious, though, but some form of organization helps quite a lot with this. We used the foam packaging the game came in and cut out slots for all the enemy standees, so we can find them at a glance. Our item shop is a multislot book with card pockets. Monsterdecks an their stat cheets are stored in letter envelopes cut in half. This makes setup really easy without the need to buy an expensive insert. Great review and i am glad this game got the susd recommends badge - it absolutely deserves it!

that "No you hang up" bit had me dying, been ages since i've seen/heard someone do that but like 10-15 years ago it was every phone call.

35 minutes? I don't have that much time, are you crazy!? (clicks play)

"Its like the idea of hero quest" is such a beautifully relatable description

The biggest compliment I can pay to Matt and the rest of the SUSD crew is that a) Gloomhaven looks like the opposite of everything I love about gaming and I would never play it, and b) I watched and loved the whole review anyway. You guys rule.

I bought the game after this review (truly because of this video) and been playing it with the same group of friends once a week for about 8 months now. I still sometimes come back to this review just to see if the hype it gave me still matches up with the game and I have to say... it totally does. Every new class unlocked still adds an amazing something new to the game. There are still things to do that makes my hands itch to play again! We've had wildly different party compositions that resulted in massively different play. We've cheezed game mechanics through special powers that had us roaring with laughter - and when those characters were retired the game told us: "here, have some more!" When describing the game to someone else the best I could come up with without going into detail was 'a great on-rails role playing campaign' - because that's what it feels like. Hero Quest but fun for adults and without someone being excluded from the adventuring.

I came here expecting a usual board game review and to get more info on gloomhaven in general. I found myself constantly laughing and genuinely entertained. Your content is class A.

Our first "Matt review" we've seen and absolutely love him to death. Humor, clarity and fun levels at the regular high mark that can be expected from SU&SD. Awesome job, ya'll!

The 'Elegant' skit is one of my favorites you guys have done. So funny. keep up the great work guys.

7:36 " What a nice evening" Paul's comic timing is perfect. Makes me laugh so hard 🤣

"I want to be happy but it's hard" is basically my life motto.

I'm only half way into the game with me and my two friends playing 12 hours every Saturday for the last 6 months

I saw the shot of the game with the full coffee cup in the middle - and shrieked. Anyone else? :-)

Excellent review - encapsulates the Gloomhaven experience perfectly, without any spoilers. I'm 25 games in, and I have only opened about a quarter of the content, but it's still a rich experience.

Are you my brother? This review goes above and below and beyond what I would expect and has sold the game to me and shown me the future of its life both on my table and on the shelf making both hate it and love it and desire to go out and make it mine. I appreciate the time and introspection that you put into this review immensely

"I just want to be a rat, but I have to work. Why cant I just be a rat!!" Lmao 😂😂

Hi Matt, I bought Gloomhaven after watching your review. It is now my favourite game of all time and my gaming group loves it! Thankyou

Swear i've watched this like 15 times over the years, going from convincing me to look into the game, buying it, trying to convince friends to give it a look, and finally watching the video again today after picking up the prequel in the hopes it would make it easier to learn and get in to, and subsequently realize most of my friends I was considering trying convince to give it a shot would hate the admin (thanks for mentioning the *potential* "cons" in such a straightforward way) and quite possibly me after making them sit through an evening of it lmao. Definitely one of your best reviews and probably the one that endeared me to the channel. Quinns' Go video also got me in to that which has become one of my absolute favorite "ritual" games as you worded it (I got a shockingly good quality shell & slate stone set for cheap which has become my absolute favorite in my collection of game things), so thanks for that too.

You manage to deliver reviews very technical AND funny reviews at the same time. Brilliant! Exactly What I needed to choose new boardgames for my kids and I. Thank you

There's a fan-made app that helps a lot with the admin side of the game. It can handle the monster AI and the combat modifier decks. It might handle more now. But, it's really handy since they end up having to get reshuffled so much.

I really connected with your review after the bit about it being a sort of analog video game, with tons and tons of content that you may or may not ever do. That made me really excited about finally playing my copy that I received last week. Wonderful review, subscribed. Thanks for the great insights!

Wow I wish I had gamer friends as fun as these guys! They can make anything seem like a total blast, especially games that really are a total blast!

This might be one of your best reviews yet. Great job and thanks!

An excellent review on many levels - the description, the comparisons, the entertainment. Well done!

Probably my 50th SU&SD review, but my first featuring 100% Matt. Was a little nervous, as I’m used to Quins and Paul leading discussion. Excellent job, Matt! Very quality review, despite unusually long runtime. I guess it’s required for an unusually long game. :)

"What a nice evening."

That 30 second skeleton death blow was worth watching a 3o+ minute video

I'd heard it was a big box, but... when you pulled it out I was expecting a box, not a chest. Did you see when he lifted its massive weight with teh lid off, how the box started to twist from the weight, I can't see that box lasting long ha ha. It sounds to me like the game itself is a RPG video game in paper and card format, which is a cool idea.

Just got the game and was overwhelmed by all the content of the box. Your video has helped me overcome my fear and now I'm ready to open it again!

I have been meaning to say this for a while (sorry for the lateness of my reply). This is one of the most entertaining and informative reviews here I've seen, on a channel that is literally *all* great entertaining and informative reviews.

This review, like all the others on your channel, is an absolute joy. KZfaq gold.

This was an awesome review. Wouldn’t normally be captivated enough to watch a 35 min review but that was a job well done man 👍

Letting us know the only reason you're wearing a t-shirt on a cold day is for continuity, yet continuing to wear it anyway... Now that's the sort of commitment which is why I absolutely adore SU&SD.

Really excellent review, I bought in to the second kickstarter and have been really enjoying being a rat-man* *(technically the mindthief is a rat-woman but vermling pronouns are not set in stone I suppose)

17:43 is how I feel most reviews should be conducted. Absolutely include a How To video explaining mechanics and whatnot, but that's not what a review is for.

Awesome review! The way you talked about having a cold day with a central heater and stuff, with passion... man that reminded my younger days when i used to play DnD. Ahhhhhh!!!

Just got this game for my birthday from my dad who used to play D&D when he was younger. We started a two player campaign and so far we loved it. Its definitly a cardboard maze sometimes but the game it self is definitly worth it. The map just looks so daunting and exciting and i am a huge miniature painting fan myself (even though i suck at it) so im also very excited to unlock the new characters and start painting them up based on our stories. We still havent gotten far in the game together yet but so far its been a blast. This review has captured so much of the feel and reality of the game. It doesnt act like the game doesnt have its flaws and shows that the game isnt perfect for everyone. I would definitly recommend this review to anyone who is thinking of buying this game.

The behavior portrayed in the "Who are you?" scene made my laugh cry.

This is by far the best board game review I have seen

I literally just bought the preorder for this game a week ago. I highly regard your guy's opinions and reviews and wish you well in the new year.

I love how meme-like your reviews are. The 24 skit was a real highlight!

Own the game and have played through the whole thing. Love this review so much I keep coming back to watch it every couple of months or so. Love this channel and everything you guys do. Keep it up!

This is one of the best reviews I've seen in years. Great work guys.

Excellent work -- and that was a lot of work. These guys make the most informative, entertaining game reviews on KZfaq. And the new guy fits right in. For me, this is "TV". Thanks.

Diggin them subtle zooms, Mr Fancy pants!

You had me at Freddo dissection. Great review Matt!

Man, Baulders Gate Dark Alliance was like the first game I ever played. Such good memories just came to surface. Excited to play this now. :)

As a librarian who loves this game, I think your final thoughts are definitely right. A big part of my fondness for the game is this organizing of components and sifting through my "miniature library of stuff". If only my friends felt the same way... well at least the game's solo mode is solid. Great review!

“Thank you, and goodb-“ Nice ending. What this game actually reminds me of is Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd edition from FFG.

You guys make fantastic videos. So entertaining. You pursue quality and meaning in a way that is truly admirable. Congratulations!

I love this game. I just finished a great session. My spellweaver moved 8 hexes to the treasure chest goal and killed the the overseer with a blast of light that crit him for 8 because of the poison my friend put on him with his scoundrel. It was perfect timing because all of the vermling scouts were going to swarm us next in the initiative order and I don't think we were going to survive.

I've been excited about this review since I listened to you talk about it on the podcast. Nice job getting it all wrapped up in 30 minutes. Now, to find someone to play this with...

Just a photo of hero quest kicked me right in the nostalgia!!!

Great review! We use D20 to keep track of the damage on enemies. This reduces the time of keeping track of them by a mile.

Your integrity makes me warm in my special place

Guys I love the review! Wonderful work. Made me want to play like a lot. Keep going at this you are improving on every single video

Matt, this review was a real pleasure to watch. Thanks a lot!

I've watched this review three times now. I love it. I understand a lot of the criticisms levelled at Gloomhaven, but honestly they don't really impact on my group's enjoyment of the game. We've played a fair few sessions now, playing with 4 people every time, and while it's certainly been slow-moving (we've never completed more than one scenario in a single play session), every single move has felt like we've all been invested in determining how best to progress, even with the necessary vagueness of the statements. It helps that we have one person (me) doing pretty much all the admin - keeping the element board updated, recording the health of the enemies and getting the monster decks ready. As a result we haven't experienced the same 4-player issues described in the video, where things change too quickly and plans must then change all the time as a result. No, it's more like "How much health has that bear got left?" "7, why?" "Ok, I can almost certainly kill it this move." "Ok great, I'll focus on those three imps over there then." The plans change when an earlier move doesn't go as intended (if a miss comes out or the monster moves completely screw with our strategy, for instance), and then players with later initiative must adapt their strategy to deal with enemies that are still alive. And that's GREAT. Even the once time we lost a scenario, it was so close that we didn't feel completely bummed out about it being an impossible challenge. Overall, we all love this game, even though we've only levelled up once and completed 4 scenarios.

My love of Gloomhaven mirrors my love for this video. Great job guys!

Loving your perspective for these reviews, thanks! Long been curious about this game and you did an awesome job giving a sense of it 🙏

Damn, that BG:DA comparison is seriously high praise in my book. Maybe I’ll pitch this to some of my board game friends

Well...i subscribed Anyone who can keep me interested about pieces of cardboard for 35 minutes deserves subs

As a long time SU&SD fan, I'm actually quite happy to see a review sans nonsense cutaway gags and green screens. Quality reviews are plenty! :D

Wife bought Gloomhaven today. Found your channel. And loving you guys.

Two years on from playing I am still playing it and I am still watching videos all again and again. The fun is simply there, in every play session. One addition is a must for Gloomhaven, PVP

3 of us played Gloomhaven for the first time on the weekend with the intention of bashing a mission out and moving on to twimp, started at lunchtime finished at 3am and got through 4 missions including some repeats. Everyone loved it, 100% my new favourite game. Great review, made me buy it!

"a box heavy enough to arouse a sentient trebuchet" - only 1:42 in and you've won me over. Great writing!

What an entertaining and well-presented review. Kudos, my man. You rock.

Ha ha first time watching one of your reviews haha you make me laugh! Definitely subscribing!

“I am a rat. I am a rat person.” Loved the review. Cheers.

Didn't know this channel. Came here for the review, stayed for the humor. GG WP.

21:10 Haha, I love the deadpan business jokes. Great review, very informative!

Wonderful review. Thank you I'm not afraid to try this now.

Matt, this is a fantastic review, a proper masterpiece, well done :D

wow that's crazy the way you described you and your friend's experience with Baldur's Gate. It was exactly like mines with my friend one summer when we just played through the whole night and woke up to beat it.

The bit at the end when you talk about the ritual of boardgames revealed to me a lsrge part of what i love about them so thank you. You made me experience feelings.

Very much appreciate the honest, down-to-earth, yet witty reviews and not just a bunch of guys gushing about the same old games like I see on other channels or sites.

Great review, Matt. I started off thinking "Awww... I wish I'd got this" and ended up thinking "Ahhh, that's why I didn't get this!" ;)

But Matt... I can’t afford this. Stop! I already want it so bad! Also, the cutaway dissection of chocolate was hilarious

This review is hilarious and very helpful, you’ve got a new sub :)

The "Seven" Reference is Gold What's in the Box!

watched this and bought the game, and loved it, totally worth it!, Great review watched it twice (once before buying once after)

"I want to be happy, but it's... hard" deep...

Playing this tonight with some mates. Loved the review, thank you for the entertaining, informative video!

This is one of the best reviews I’ve even seen of anything. Brilliant.