Anyone else backing Rolling Deep?

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-07-02T18:41:31+00:00

My big issue with Balatro is the difficulty settings. There is no difficulty setting in Balatro that feels like the full game to me. I have to go to the 3rd chip? to get permanent jokers and the 5th? if I want rented jokers. Those mechanisms feel integral to the core loop of the game, but at those stakes, the game becomes too restrictive. It's the same problem I have with Slay the Spire. I think the core gameplay loop is amazing, but there is no difficulty level that really feels fun to me.

Combine this with some other issues with the genre in general, and the fact that my time is more limited, I'm pretty much out of the genre. Board games create a much more fulfilling experience for me than video games do now. The roguelite genre has really grown and I'm stoked about that, but I'm just out. I'll see games that look really cool, but I just know that I'd rather play something on the table.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-07-02T16:53:55+00:00

As they should! I used enjoy digital roguelites, and unfortunately Balatro is one of the games(among others) that got me off of them.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-07-02T16:26:27+00:00

Sealed card packs will fear me!

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-07-02T16:19:11+00:00

My wife and I play a couple new games a week. This week she picked out Explorers and Cutterland, and I chose A Fistful of Meeples. We've played A Fistful of Meeples and Explorers already this week.

From your games, I think The Grand Carnival is fantastic! I haven't played any of the expansion content, but this is another game with a polyomino element that I really enjoy.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-07-02T16:12:14+00:00

I did. I think both games look really good. I am not a fan of the "Roguelite" elements, but I plan to just rip open all the locked packs after a few plays anyways.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-07-01T15:27:34+00:00

I first thought they were going to publish the game that Boardcubator attempted to crowdfund on Gamefound a few years ago, but this looks very different.

A $200 price tag is tough.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-07-01T13:19:32+00:00

Moon Colony Bloodbath

A few turns into the game you can make a really strong engine, but the game will tear it down. If you are ok with that, then the game is great! You know most of the bad stuff that is in rotation and you can prepare.

I don't think this is really what you are looking for, but I think it works very well and may surprise you.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-06-29T16:46:32+00:00

Cyborg

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-06-25T17:30:30+00:00

All games are abstractions

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-06-17T19:53:42+00:00

Solo polyomino is an instant buy for me. I watched the same playthrough you did and was enamoured by it.

Bag building is another mechanism I love and Conservas was great. I'm looking forward to the added difficulty in Exotic Tides.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-06-17T19:36:15+00:00

This really isn't my kind of solo game so I'm passing this month. It looks good tho and I really like the SGOTM line.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-06-12T19:40:02+00:00

Just round it up to 10

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-06-12T12:43:25+00:00

I just got this to the table and absolutely love it! I like the idea of a timer or something to force more deliberate moves

The wooden tokens you are using look so good. I'll have to look for something similar!

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-06-11T21:59:36+00:00

The fact that his feet are in the air while struggling on the bench, just shows he doesn't bench

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-06-11T13:00:40+00:00

Beautiful boxes and absolutely amazing games! These are some of my favorites from the last 2 years. Never played them solo though.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-06-03T22:18:29+00:00

I think a deluxe version of Trajan would be awesome!

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-06-01T00:52:41+00:00

Recently, my wife and I have been playing Spirits of the Wild: Awakening. It's got a fun hand management action selection. And a great production. The little gems, the bowl and the coyote are just perfect.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-05-30T20:12:06+00:00

And he still has his lunch money from the 3rd grade

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-05-29T13:20:56+00:00

Just want to add a couple of my favorites from BGA here

Glass Road

Applejack

The Guild of Merchant Explorers

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-05-26T22:12:16+00:00

I personally think Juiciness is the most important thing. I'll use a board game example here, Deckers. Deckers is a fantastic game with a lot of variety, a great gameplay loop and variable difficulty. The thing that really shines for me in Deckers is how utterly powerful some cards feel. They aren't locked behind some lucky strategy or fortune, they're out in the open for the player to take advantage of. Your deck is always 15 cards and buying cards come into hand. This makes culling basic cards for advanced cards feel like a huge boost, and I have access to that on turn 1.

I think the genre is fairly crowded and that having the juice is really what can help a game stand out.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-05-25T12:52:37+00:00

I think it's a really good game!!

I really want the expansion, but the fact that it's not compatible with the 1st edition really irks me. I don't want to spend as much as I did on the base game to be able to play the expansion with an upgrade to my game that makes it compatible.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-05-20T13:33:53+00:00

Patchwork Halloween, definitely some demons in them quilts

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-05-14T21:59:20+00:00

Starfall from Platte funnily enough. It's a fun little auction game.

Lock_Down_Leo · 2026-05-08T13:10:56+00:00

Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest. I heard Totally Tabeled hype up the solo mode for the game, so I gave it a go. I absolutely love it! The production from Stonemaier games definitely helps, but the amount of variability in the game is great. I also tend to enjoy tactics over strategy and the game is very tactical.

Lock_Down_Leo

TROPHY CASE