Board Game Breakfast - I Hate Sleeves!

Tom Vasel takes a look at things he found on the internet. Is Tom revolutionizing wardrobe by switching to tank-tops? Plus, many great segments by a host of board game experts. Episode # 276

Segments:
0:22 Welcome
1:33 What You Missed on the Internet This Week
3:53 The Chop Shop
6:20 Printed Pieces
7:50 Thrift Store Throwback
10:20 Conversations with Creators
21:03 Dice Tower Productions
22:35 Just Missed It
25:45 The Purge
28:23 Meeple University
30:20 Dice Tower Library Additions
31:40 Tom Thinks
34:25 The Theme Is…
36:30 Mental Health Minute
38:18 Fellowship of Meeples
40:17 Final Thoughts

This week’s Internet Links:

---Threads on Board Game Geek---

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[chrisfong]

I like box sleeves. It keeps the game closed shut tight when I store my games vertically.

[npckse]

I think KS exclusives are best when they are done like Gamelyn Games or EGG or even Grey Fox Games. By this, I mean that the exclusive content can eventually be purchased directly from the publisher. With this method, everybody wins and nobody is left behind.

[Skarpo]

No Dead Last again :(. What makes you think Matthew that you have the right to have a life and do anything but provide content for us?

[johnnyjambojambo]

The purge - Dave and Ilka always a great breakfast portion thx

[RicoCordova]

I really like Zee's segment explaining why he's dropping a game from his collection. It's quite insightful to hear the meta behind these decisions. I may have a few games treading the same line as Castle Panic - more good content is better, but too much may put the game into a new category where it just doesn't hold up. I get it.

[scyldscefing]

Tom, you have some serious chops as an interviewer.

[MathieuVIII]

Game box sleeves actually allows games to be put vertically on the shelves without the box opening and all components falling out of it. So they are actually more useful in some situations then you might think.

[jwspiker]

sleeves are very helpful / beneficial when storing games vertically, it holds the box lid on, which is helpful for certain games

[annjourney]

@Oliver - I can appreciate the frustration of feeling like one has missed out on exclusives, but for me personally, I feel like there is absolutely no reason for me to back a Kickstarter that does not have exclusives. I am a patient guy with a large collection and have no problem waiting for the game to be cheaper at online retail after it fulfills. I think a good compromise for the two arguments is the deluxe edition upgrade that many campaigns do. There is no exclusive content - but there is exclusive component upgrades. That way people who buy retail later still get a good deal without missing out any gameplay content. And people like me still have a reason to back because we get something we won't be able to get later.

[laurihyttinen]

That spill makes me cry.... but then again it probably is Tom doing his shenanigans!

[RicoCordova]

I absolutely dislike sleeves. For all the same reasons Tom mentioned, but for me it's mostly because I paid for it and I don't want it. My secondary concern is that it's a waste of paper materials. Our hobby isn't environmentally friendly and sleeves heap on that problem.

[comiccarnival]

Are these interviews with designers spots paid ads?

[wyrdhunter]

When I play board games I need to play as many games as fast as possible so I can jack up my BGG play count. I don't have time to be slowed down by sliding a sleeve off and then sliding it back on. All those seconds add up towards lost play counts.

[laurihyttinen]

@The Theme Is: I like the way Kolossal Games did it with Western Legends. All the kickstarter stuff is in an expansion that you can get later (but a bit more expensive).

[rikhavok]

Oh Hell (I mean Heck) is a cool trick taking card game that uses a regular deck of cards. loved playing it as a kid.

[Artrean]

I agree, box sleeves keep the game closed tightly when stored vertically. Also, many of them provide additional art for the box like Tom said. Definitely not for some people, but just like the art in the rest of the game, it is nice to get some extra art when the look of the game is beautiful and enjoyable.


It's similar to putting an extra page or several pages in the rulebook at the end showing off more artwork from the theme of the game. Some people don't care, but it is nice to have for people that like the art style.


In the Court of the Dead: Mourner's Call kickstarter, their backers could pick one of three different sleeves for their game. So not only do you get additional art, but you get additional art that makes your copy look a bit different on the shelf than someone else's. I know that is a bad thing for some completionists, but I think that's a cool thing for the most part, and it's definitely something that you can just throw away if you don't like it.


Saying that box sleeves are stupid or useless is like saying that artwork on your cards is useless and silly. Or like saying that artwork in the rulebook is useless and silly. To each their own, but more art is usually a good thing in my opinion =)

[keithillg]

I just 3D printed nice pieces for Castle Panic. Now it will stick around longer, plus my girls like to play it. We always play with the Wizard Tower. We do have the Dark one but haven't used it yet.

For the 3D printing I did spawn towers for Arcadia Quest and they look amazing. Better than the flat cardboard.

[Fugazi]

@dicetower Tom, the Conversations with Creators is excellent! Thank you for shining a light on corners of the design market that we don't always see, and giving it such a prominent position in the show order. Please keep it up!

[monomundo]

@Tom: ha ha, nice clickbait :) anyhow, I also don't like those box sleeves.
@Tom2: I really appreciated the interview with Zain from Memesys. The game looks much promising.
@MurphBrothers: great to see you back, I've missed you.
@Stella: thanks for sharing :)
@Nick: I used to put the game before the group. As you have said, with time you learn to appreciate the members of the group more than the game. As for finding fellow gamers, it was nearly impossible when I re-started the hobby - some 20 years ago, but today its quite easy with the wide dissemination of the hobby, I moved from Karachi back to Ankara two years ago and I was able to find two great gamers groups through BGG. Same as I moved to Bamako some 4 months ago - was able to find fellow gamers through facebook.

[kencolborn]

@brothersmurph...Love the Dresden Files T-shirt! made me think of Dresden's famous saying "oh He..." no wait "Oh Hecks Bells!"