What is the Greatest Western Trail? Ranking the Trail-ogy

Рет қаралды 17,589

Күн бұрын

Great Western Trail is a modern classic that has now inspired a 3 game series each set in a different location with different mechanisms and things to explore. So there can really on be one question, Which of these games is best?
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00:00 Intro
01:14 Overviews
04:56 Overall Grade of the Series?
07:34 Which Game is Most Unique?
09:52 Which Game is the Biggest?
12:49 Do you Need all 3?
14:43 Which version can you skip?
15:48 Best game to start with
17:14 Which version is the BEST?
20:48 Final Thoughts
#boardgames #playthrough #gameplay #best

Пікірлер: 96

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Tell us, what’s your favorite version of Great Western Trail?

@jacobjslee 10 ай бұрын

None since I haven't played any of them. But I'm set on ordering New Zealand when it arrives and I'm scooping up every review I can until then for someone to change my mind. Hasn't happened yet.

@championfaction 10 ай бұрын

That’s a difficult question. I played the first edition of GWT a number of times (a friend’s copy) and really loved the game. I want to get one version, but I don’t have access to try them all, and I’m not getting them all. I basically watched this video and others to help me decide which one to get!

@jonnyw2887 10 ай бұрын

I sold the original after playing it to death (and loving it). It just got to the point where I was on auto pilot. But NZ has arrived on my table and I've really enjoyed getting back into gwt!

@veronikarumyantseva5773 10 ай бұрын

New Z. ❤

@JeremyDobler 6 ай бұрын

New Zealand is easily my favorite. Argentina is good, but the Granjero are just confusing to me. I think they smoothed them out with the straight up wild employees in NZ. I think the shortening of the trail messes with the meta a bit too much for my liking. Someone can build an engine that's only a handful of tiles and run it a dozen times in 1\2 to 1\4 the time of either of the other 2 games. I like the amount of time required to run your engine in the OG and NZ. Though I do personally think that the Kingfisher track in NZ is too easy to max out well before the end of the game.

@yaningzhao8445 7 ай бұрын

Call us craaazy!! We have no past experience with great west trail whatsoever, but we chose to start with GWS NZ!!! It took us 5 hours to learn and play for the first. Absolutely love it. One of the 'baaaa(st)' games of the year😂

@raymonddidonato9083 10 ай бұрын

Great Video! I have always loved GWT, and will certainly keep all 3. I still want to play with Rails to the North sometimes too, as the puzzle is a bit different there. I just recently taught GWT to a work group and it was the heaviest game they'd ever played, and they were excited to see what Argentina and New Zealand add. For me, New Zealand is the best for exactly the same reasons you described. I've played it a dozen times now. It feels more open and yet still tactical and strategic, making the right choice isn't always about just filling up a worker row and hammering the same action. Seeing all the various ways to play and how they can all win the game is a good feeling.

@RWonTube 3 ай бұрын

What an excellent video! It answered all my questions. ❤

@cribbageandmore 10 ай бұрын

Great video! Just what I was looking for!

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

wahoo!

@chaosinthechasm 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comparison, Mike! Love your channel! You guys are so personable and relatable...and funny. I've not played a GWT yet, and I've been in the hobby for 5ish years now, and love heavier games, so not sure why. Just so many games. I bought NZ a few days ago after watching your playthrough and stoked to play it. Looks great, and the art is just so lovely

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Heck yeah! Thank you for the kind words! Make sure to let us know how you like NZ once you get it to the table

@jayfraser6497 10 ай бұрын

Great video and excellent run down of all 3 games. I am a huge fan of all things GWT and I cannot wait to play New Zealand, when it finally arrives in Canada!

@hiho8084 10 ай бұрын

You did nail it! 🤣 Thank you for the comparison. I currently own GWT 2nd Edition, but I'm on the fence about New Zealand, so this will help me make that decision.

@woggers6882 10 ай бұрын

Great video! I prefer Argentina since it’s a tighter game, and I love the tempo considerations of when to deliver. But I agree that all three games are amazing 🐄🐄🐑

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Yeah Argentina is real freakin good. I'd happily play it any time

@radamantoor6073 5 ай бұрын

Couldn’t help myself, haven’t played any GWT before but I went straight for New Zealand. Wish me (and my friends lol) luck!

@evannadeau3938 10 ай бұрын

Awesome video! 👏🏻 You guys got GWT on my radar. Typically when you like a game I tend to like them as well. And man. GWT Argentina and GWT NZ are so good. I’d have to give it to NZ in the end mainly because of your reasonings. I did really like the shipping aspect in Argentina though. I didn’t play the Original really. I have the 1st edition (Nicks reaction to the board art of 1st Ed is so relatable haha) but it didn’t have a solo and I accidentally bought German haha so I only played it once. But it seems like once you learn GWT and play them one after the other you’re ok with the “weight” progression. So that helps me defer to NZ most of the time too. NZ has more deck building, pretty board, SHEEP, bird track, amazing solo (all games have great solo mode), bonus tiles, etc. NZ for the win! Ps. The board games have feelings thing had me dyin. I thought I was the only one who had that cross their mind when they cull a game (the poor babies!)

@freeheeler00 10 ай бұрын

I have only played Argentina but I really liked it. I especially like the art work and would gladly buy all three just to display on my wall. They'd all get played eventually too.

@TheAmazingYeti 10 ай бұрын

I really enjoy the first game.. and I haven't even begun to explore the expansion yet. So perhaps some day I'll try them. Having to cut back on purchases and three similar games are an easy cut for me. Especially since I still have Maracaibro, Boonlake and Skymines sitting on the shelf waiting to be played as well. I'm often jealous of the amount of games you two get to play!

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

We are very lucky to be able to do this for a living

@TheAmazingYeti 10 ай бұрын

@@TheBrothersMurph Agreed. Stay humble my good sirs!

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

always!! couldn't do it without y'all honestly

@thomasdaning5317 10 ай бұрын

Excellent comparison of the Great Western Trail-ogy, Mike! (BTW, I haven't trademarked "trail-ogy" yet, so feel free to use it!) Definitely in agreement with you on NZ. It's easily my new fave of the three--and the OG was already in my top five all-time. Wait, does that now mean that three of my top five games are GWT?

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Trail-ogy! Brilliant!

@Atlasfilms08 10 ай бұрын

We would have also accepted the title "Greatest Western Trail?"

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Opportunity missed

@origenward3845 6 ай бұрын

What is the greatest title for the greatest western trail?

@condar15 10 ай бұрын

I've only ever played the original on BGA, and not yet had the opportunity to play either of the others. I really enjoyed this video, a little more relaxed, but still fun - I'd love to see you cover other game groupings in this manner, maybe The West Kingdom trilogy, a comparison of small box card games, etc...

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Already got you covered on west Kingdom boom! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/etGknLSdpq2pmac.htmlsi=jhDIneKah_of1ivx

@condar15 10 ай бұрын

@@TheBrothersMurph Well don't I have egg on my face :P I've watched a bunch of your back catalog but must have missed that one.

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

no worries happy to point you in the direction of what you were looking for

@tainturierpierreluc821 8 ай бұрын

Just buy the New Zealand version... Just felt in love after 3 games 🤩

@JJ_TheGreat 10 ай бұрын

I think they should change the name of the original to Great Western Trail: Kansas City similar to how they had changed the name of Brass to Brass: Lancashire… That way all three (3) titles would be in a consistent format!

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Interesting!

@WaywardNys 10 ай бұрын

I agree completely! :) GWT is one of my favorite games of all time and I'm having SO MUCH fun with NZ. I've only played Argentina once and it was okay (need to play it again), but NZ is really really fun

@Caroline0621 6 ай бұрын

Hey Mike ! Thanx for this, I've got the base game + rails to North and loving it. I play mostly solo so I was wondering if you would consider organising a vote on which one is best for solo gaming ? Pretty please ? Also are you guys planning a new quiz game soon (you know: "Find a camel token in your game collection " style ). Keep up the good work the Murph Team !! 👍👍👍💜 luv from 🇫🇷

@TheBrothersMurph 6 ай бұрын

Howdy! I'll see if I can make a community post so folks can vote on that! And we absolutely are going to do some more fun scavenger hunt type videos soon :)

@OurFamilyPlaysGames 10 ай бұрын

Haha, ALL THREE OF 'EM!!! A "trail-ogy" is right, these are all pretty fun. I think our favorite version would have to be Argentina though. - G

@mihaelurasek6262 10 ай бұрын

Yo guys. I just found your channel and i love it. I just want to ask something. I love aquatica, can you do one gameplay of this game ? Thank you in advance ❤

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

We unfortunately don’t have that game anymore :( but check out Tim Chuon’s Channel. He has a play through and loves that game!

@Jthomas22a 10 ай бұрын

I would liken them to Ticket to Ride and the different expansions. My order is as follows: New Zealand, Original/2nd edition, Argentina. But would happily play any of them. As GWT is one of my favorite games.

@rmclean101 10 ай бұрын

This was great, thank you! I haven't tried any yet, but maybe one day... Are any better at 2-player?

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

hmmm that's an interesting question. Maybe NZ? Just because I know a lot of folks like the interaction in GWT and that one has so many options I feel like folks kind of end up doing their own thing more so maybe at 2 it won't feel much different from a higher player count game? But for us we love them all at 2

@JJ_TheGreat 10 ай бұрын

14:20 Ok… Which leads me to my next question: Who would you recommend each of the three (3) for? In other words, can you make a recommendation, based on what we are looking for, for which version we should get (if we don’t have ANY of them (which I don’t))? Thanks.

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Good question here’s my attempt to answer: GWT OG for anyone new to a game like this as it has plenty of weight and is a great game. GWT ARG for anyone who likes to manipulate the pace of a game and rush to the end before your opponents can build up. GWT NZ for anyone who wants a big sandbox to play in and explore. Wide open, so many choices, think a Feast for Odin. If you just like a lot of stuff, NZ wins

@christaggart5687 20 күн бұрын

With New Zealand out, would you recommend the first one with Rails to the North still? I just got Great Western Trail, and am wondering if the expansion is worth it.. or just to get New Zealand

@jonjstorey 2 ай бұрын

Great video. One thing that was only mentioned in passing when talking about GWT New Zealand, is the expansion Rails to the North for the original GWT. Also there was no mention of 1st edition GWT, I'm assuming that's because the artwork doesn't make it as part of the trilogy. I own GWT 1st edition and I love the game. I'm only ever going to own 1 GWT game. Am I going to get more bang for my buck buying the expansion or am I best selling, the game I love and replacing it with GWT New Zealand? Tough choice...

@drlizb 10 ай бұрын

I’m a solo player new to the GWT universe. I’m gravitating towards NZ, although I know it’s more complex for a newb. Any thoughts on solo play of the various versions?

@evannadeau3938 10 ай бұрын

They’re all good. I really learned Argentina first. The solo is great because the ai tends to go for one strategy and it feels like that’s what a player would do too. One big difference in NZ vs Argentina seems to be that the solo in NZ gets to the end of the trail much quicker. The Arg solo has a lot of “X” movement based on the difficulty so you have more time to think things out. NZ difficulty just removes certain cards from the deck. Once you learn the iconography the solo tends to be pretty understandable. I like it a lot. You’re gonna be playing for an hour or two tho at least so be prepared for a long (but awesome) game Edit: I’ll probably be playing NZ the most. I loved my time with Argentina. NZ is doable just watch the how to play videos a couple times and you’ll do fine

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Listen to Evan for sure on this. Haven't solo-d NZ yet but love the other solos

@drlizb 10 ай бұрын

Thanks all. GWT NZ is on order!

@bethanyc197 10 ай бұрын

I have yet to play any of the GWT games. I am interested to purchase one. I feel like if I was to get one it should be New Zealand but do you feel I should play a game of original GWT before jumping in to New Zealand or can I learn alright from scratch on New Zealand?

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

I think you could probably learn from scratch if you’re used to heavier games. But the original great western trail is on BGA if you wanted to give that one a try and learn it there.

@goldy3914 10 ай бұрын

I'm in the same place as you (new to GWT). Before buying, I read through the rulebook just to be sure I could handle (this is the heaviest game in my collection). The rules are quite intuitive except for a few about when you can play the bonus and deck-building cards. I plan to play mostly solo vs. Sarah (the bot) and can't wait to get it to the table. Good luck!

@JonoNZBoardGamer 10 ай бұрын

@@goldy3914Same here! Heaviest game in my collection and new to GWT. I am willing to go through the learning of a lot of rules like this for solo play, but I think it will be a while before I want to attempt teaching others how to play, especially if they are also new to GWT

@felixe5976 10 ай бұрын

I love also all 3 versions. For me together with Arnak the best games of all time. NZ is my favorite for having the ultimate gwt feeling. The original version for start in the gwt World. Argentina is also nice but it's in the middle of best for new ones and the ultimate experience.

@travischapman9862 10 ай бұрын

Ah! I love this video. It didn't answer my question though. If you only have 2nd Edition, what, if anything, should you get next? Rails to the North, New Zealand, or Argentina? I was kinda leaning towards Argentina when you said it was the most different, but when you said New Zealand was the best, it gave me pause. I really like how interactive 2nd edition is, and heard some say interaction is diminished in new zealand.

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

ah man don't know what I'd say for that one you stumped me. Probably Argentina next. Then hit it with NZ

@JJ_TheGreat 10 ай бұрын

Just go get ALL of them, lol… 😆😆😆

@cruel_knight3478 10 ай бұрын

@TheBrothersMurph I do not currently own any. Ive been waiting for YOUR video on this. I should mention that I've never played any of them. I'm a huge huge fan of the theme and I also prefer a crunchier game (Arnak, Gaia, Rajas, Underwater Cities). I've been eyeing the original plus the expansion, but sfter watching your video, I'm leaning towards New Zealand now. Any comments would be much appreciated, this has been one of my toughest game purchase decisions to date.

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Ooooh well what an exciting moment! Short answer is, you can’t really go wrong they are all fantastic. As you don’t mind a crunchier game though I’d say go full send and rock New Zealand!

@cruel_knight3478 10 ай бұрын

@@TheBrothersMurph what I was thinking, just needed to see that last sentence. Thanx!!!!

@patrickmathieu9689 9 ай бұрын

tout à fait d'accord. Vive great western.

@konikniov7069 10 ай бұрын

I'm new to GWT and after watching some videos I decided to go with the original as a first to learn and play . I think the next game in the series will definitely be New Zealand.

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Right on! hope you have happy times on the Trail!

@JJ_TheGreat 10 ай бұрын

Then you can also get Argentina, as he said it was the most “different”, with that unique system! You’d have all 3 then…

@konikniov7069 10 ай бұрын

@@JJ_TheGreat maybe I will. I need to see more playthroughs of this to decide.

@twopump8933 10 ай бұрын

oooo! might just get New zealand! What's Nicks opinion/favourite!?

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Nick here. My order is: New Zealand, Argentina, and then OG with Expansion. Arg and OG are pretty close

@JJ_TheGreat 10 ай бұрын

5:22 Well, this is close to how they have Brass: Lancashire and now Brass: Birmingham!

@ethanbarton 10 ай бұрын

Was your brother's ratings the same as yours?

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

probably not for every single category I talked about but the overall grade yes

@EzFlyers10 3 ай бұрын

sheep > og > argentina

@realdealastrology9 9 ай бұрын

Just couldn't get into this solo. Even on easy, it's crazy hard. Overall, the AI is very unbalanced on top of it. Not good at all. But that's what happens when fan-made solo variants are made, more than half the time at least.

@TheBrothersMurph 9 ай бұрын

Right on right on

@alister3882 10 ай бұрын

Eyy look, the answer of the question I never ask, but didn´t knew I need to do. So, never played the games, I know there are good, but now watching this, should I just buy New Zeland?

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

Ha! That is a decision you have to make for yourself

@JJ_TheGreat 10 ай бұрын

You said you never played them. He said that the original game was the easiest to teach/learn. Therefore, because you have never played it, I would start with the original - and then upgrade to New Zealand after you get a lot of plays in of the original - and start to get the jist of the game… That is just my opinion… But I might be wrong, lol… For example, he said that Argentina has an interesting variant in gameplay, so maybe you should get Argentina and New Zealand; or all of them?… Lol, I am probably just confusing you more!

@HeeeeySteve 3 ай бұрын

I just got New Zealand because we went there and I love the sheep aspect of the game. Had never played the first / original. Started to learn the game and said to myself “wow this is going to be a long teach at the game group”. Looked up the original and decided to get it since I saw it on the shelf at the local shop and everywhere else seems to be sold out so when in Rome, I guess. Played it solo to learn the game and OH. MY. GOODNESS. This game is incredible. I’m considering getting Argentina since that too is sold out all over and also happens to be on the shelf at the shop over here. Watched this video to see what the differences are and just check out someone else’s opinion. I’m still on the fence because the game is expensive but the temptation is extremely high. Thanks for the video!

@quintinschutte6616 10 ай бұрын

Greatest Western Trail

@TheAush22 10 ай бұрын

So what I got from this video is get the original if you’re unfamiliar with the game and if you love it then sell it and get New Zealand? 😂

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

I'd say that's fair

@JJ_TheGreat 10 ай бұрын

…But then you would be missing out on the interesting variant system which he pointed out that Argentina has!… So maybe just get all three (3) of them! (And sell the original after playing it for so long)…

@TheBrothersMurph 10 ай бұрын

This is the way

@Dash-si3en 6 ай бұрын

LOL @TheBrothersMurph. Love your pop culture references!!! I haven’t played GWT before but love heavy games. (TM, Ark Nova, Bloodrage, Root, Everdell, etc). You sold me on GWT NZ!

@peterkarlsson1825 10 ай бұрын

"The west is the best" - Jim Morrison

@timborocksloud 2 ай бұрын

We're starting with GWT NZ this weekend...I'm going to try and teach it to my wife this weekend...she may divorce me when I get 30 minutes into the teach. This thing is just a massive table hog.

@LungAnt 5 ай бұрын

We'll stick with the original, non-appeasement version thanks.

@TheBrothersMurph 5 ай бұрын

Funny how I’m talking about a trilogy of games here but you only manage to mention the “appeasement” part 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

@jpower2010 8 ай бұрын

Lol sheep do less damage to the planet? I have a hard time believing that cow farts are bad for the Earth haha

@TheBrothersMurph 8 ай бұрын

That’s the fun thing about science it doesn’t care about your belief

@AlejandroAdria 12 күн бұрын

@@TheBrothersMurph if only you knew scientificism is a religion.... everything you think you know is actually a lie, or the opposite of reality. I'd give you a few months to see if you wake up.