Unmatched Adventures TMNT and Collection Reflections
Turtles, Wishlists, and Collection Thoughts
What’s up, everyone? I hope your week is going well.
First, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my ramblings over the past six months. I truly appreciate it. For this post, I wanted to share a few quick thoughts on some games I’ve been playing and a handful of collection-related topics that have been on my mind lately. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of them.
Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
I was able to get this game back to the table over the weekend for my second play. This time, though, we played at the full four-player count instead of two. Three of the four players were already familiar with the Unmatched system, but two were new to the cooperative format.
To be clear, this experience didn’t change my overall opinion of Unmatched compared to where it was before I picked up this set. I still think the competitive game is an overhyped tactical battle system that often feels a little hollow. That said, Unmatched Adventures remains one of the rare games I actually prefer cooperatively. Even so, I think four players is simply too many for a game of this weight.
I didn’t time it exactly, but I’m fairly certain our Friday night play lasted close to three hours. Sure, some of that was spent catching up with friends, but Unmatched doesn’t have enough depth to stay engaging for that long. That’s not to say it’s boring (the system is intentionally simple) but there’s only so much strategic planning you can do when a single enemy card flip can completely derail it. That randomness can feel a bit deflating. On top of that, with a main villain and four minions in play, you’re effectively managing more enemies than heroes, which makes the downtime between turns feel even longer.
While Unmatched Adventures supports up to four players, I still think it shines most at two, whether head-to-head or cooperatively. It’s more approachable, moves much faster, and keeps everyone engaged. On the bright side, we did manage to take down Krang, which was a satisfying way to end the night.
Current Wish List
Since we just culled 14 games, it’s only natural to start figuring out how to fill it again.
After browsing upcoming releases lookin at my “Saved for Later” cart(s) across a few sites, I’ve assembled a current wish list. These are the games I’d most like to add to the collection, ranked from “take my money” to “I’ll survive if I never own it.”
Foxglove Farm - This game has been all over my Instagram feed, and I’m envious of the people who have gotten to play it. Since it’s a spiritual successor to Timber Town (which we also haven’t played), I assumed it was a two-player-only game until I looked it up to make sure. Turns out it supports 1–4 players! Either way, I like the idea of building up our own little fox towns because, really, what grown adult wouldn’t?
Wondrous Creatures - This one is new to BGA and while I don’t completely understand how to play it, the mechanics and art are enough to make me want it. Worker placement and engine building with eye-catching visuals of wild creatures? Count me in! This is a game I also see getting lower ratings because of its length, but whenever I see that in a game I am interested in, it usually never affects us.
YRO - I did not know much of anything about this game up until a few weeks ago, which is crazy considering it released in 2024. It’s another 3x3 grid game, but with some fun scoring and combat VP mechanics. The synergies you can create between cards that have similar colors is also pretty unique. I have only played it on BGA, but it’s done enough to make me want to add it to the collection. I’m a sucker for these grid games with variable scoring.
Timber Town - Mentioned above earlier, this game is a two-player only game where you are a beaver architect, making a town along the river. You’ll draft tiles from that river to complete objectives. Just seems like a light, fun two-player only title that we’d like.
Etherstone - This one has been in my “Saved for Later” for a while, but it is probably the first game on this short list that I would be okay with not owning. It’s been compared a ton to Res Arcana, which I absolutely love, and the artwork looks stunning.
Bunny Kingdom Town - If you told me a few weeks ago that this is a game I’d be fine not owning, I would be surprised. It was love at first site for me when I played this on BGA, but it turned out to only be lust. After repeat plays ,though, things became samey and repetitive. There just isn’t enough variation from play-to-play to feel unique, but I still sorta want it.
Honorable Mentions: Galactic Cruise, DC Super Heroes United Batman Hush, Gatsby
Collection & Play Styles
At our semi-monthly game night at a friend’s house this past weekend, I had a conversation with someone about the difference between collections and play styles. While I love the games that I love, I find myself getting more excited about newer additions to the collection than revisiting games we already own. It’s not always the case, but it’s definitely a trend.
With that in mind, I think I’m going to make a conscious effort to buy less and play what’s already in our collection more—with one exception. If I make game trades or sell games for store credit, those don’t count.
My buddy, who I was talking with about this, is someone who plays the hell out of the games he loves, and I’m honestly a little jealous of that mindset. Maybe the issue is having 150+ games and the decision of what to play has become a little too treacherous? But also, playing the same game in person 8–10 times isn’t something we’ve really ever done, outside of campaign games or Lorcana.
What do you gravitate toward more? Giving extra love to the games you already love in your collection? Or are you more like me—someone who loves the games in their collection but still gets excited by the hunt for the next game you’re going to love?
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I can definitely recommend Wondrous Creatures - no it doesn't do anything new and yes it can run a little long, but I love it! Superb production and satisfying combos abound!
Collecting is fine, as long as it is clear in your mind that you're collecting. I was collecting without being a collector, just for the sake of have the new shiny stuff. I'm setting myself as far as I can from collecting, I just want to enjoy games. And worn out boxes are sign of love and not a concern to me, just to give you some context.