New interview for our series Around the project – Actors of the industry. We invited Monique & Naveen from the YouTube channel Before You Play to talk about their channel, their experience with reviewing games and doing playthroughs, their way of doing things, with tips on how to get your game reviewed!
Time to read this article: You will need about 15 minutes to read it.
If you prefer the video format, watch below our video where we discuss this particular topic. If you prefer text, read on.
Table of contents
- What they do and the concept of their channel Before You Play
- What is part of their success
- Publishing regular videos while having a job
- How they chose the game that they play and review
- The process when publishers contact them to review their game
- Do they sometimes review games they don’t like?
- Tips for creators who want to get their games reviewed
- Suggestions to make a game more attractive for replayability
- How opinions on a game can change after playing it multiple times
- Requests for crowdfunding projects
- The biggest difference between a crowdfunding prototype and a produced game
- Representation in games
- Tim Chuon’s question for Monique & Naveen
- Where to find them
What they do and their channel Before You Play
Céline (Brand & Community Manager for Game On): Thank you so much for being with me today on our channel. To start, for people who don’t know your channel, Before You Play, can you introduce what you do and what’s the concept of the channel?
Monique (YouTube Creator from the channel Before You Play): Hi, Celine, thanks so much for having us. We’re really excited to be here.
Naveen (YouTube Creator from the channel Before You Play): So Monique and I run a YouTube channel called Before You Play, and we essentially do full two player playthroughs with sometimes reviews. We basically structure it where we do a full teach at the beginning. We’ll play through the game and then sometimes we review it at the end if we feel comfortable.
We’ve been doing it for a little while now and we found that kind of that formula for us is the most kind of rewarding because we see that a lot of people like to watch heavier games through our channel. And so this is kind of one of the best ways that we do it.
Monique: We have an emphasis on teaching and showcasing the game rather than reviewing really.
What is part of their success
Céline: I think you’ve been on YouTube for more than two years now and you’ve currently more than 43K subscribers. Congrats. What do you think is part of your success?
Monique: First of all, thank you! Yes, we’ve been very, very fortunate. But I think that one of the biggest part of our success is just consistency. You know, we’ve been putting out games or videos every week essentially for the past two and a half years. And a lot of places really do say consistency is key. And that’s really true.
And also just really feeling passionate about the type of content that you’re producing is really important because that way people can really feel your energy and it’s a little bit more magnetizing, right?
Naveen: Yeah. Because you always want to do something that is fun, especially when you’re putting out these many videos. Playing the game is essentially what we do on our channel. So we’re having fun while playing it, but also filming it at the same time.
Monique: And we’ve done a lot of testing the waters, especially in the beginning of our channel. I suppose you always want to try to find the type of content that you think people will want to really watch. But at the end of the day, what really stuck for us is the type of content that we really enjoyed making. So I think that’s really where it is.
Publishing regular videos while having a job
Céline: I saw that you work outside of YouTube, right? So how do you find the time play the games, make the videos, edit them and all of that while having a job as well?
Naveen: We actually get that a lot. We do have jobs outside of YouTube and we do put out a lot of videos. So that is a very hard question. You know, honestly, Monique is the learner of the games and so she’ll basically learn the games and then teach it to me and we’ll play a game. And then from there, we basically have a calendar that’s pretty tight.
Monique: And always changing.
Naveen: Yes it’s always changing, but it’s tight. So we we try to focus on following that calendar structure. And that’s probably the best thing you you have to forward plan. And so there’s a lot of planning going on. There is some sacrifice in terms of timing. So, you know, some of the social things that we’d like to do sometimes we’ve taken a step back.
Obviously with COVID, it’s been a little bit easier to say no to certain social things. But yeah, I think following a calendar is definitely the number one thing that I would highly recommend.
Monique: Otherwise known as being organized, which we’re not the best at. We’re working on that. But just kind of speaking of what you said, a lot of it is having to do with whether we kind of going off of each other’s strengths and trying to manage our time wisely. And a lot of waking up early to film, right?
The games they choose to play and review
Céline: How do you choose the game that you play and review? Do you choose them yourself? Do you wait for publishers to contact you or do you maybe contact publishers to review their games?
Monique: For us specifically, we try to have a good mix of games that we look for ourselves as well as games that publishers ask us if we have any interest in them. We have specific genres of games that we we highly prefer to feature on our channel. We typically like to cover heavier Euro games, and so we will usually kind of keep our ear to the ground and look for any of the new ones that are going to come out that people will have the most interest in.
And we also take recommendations from some of our viewers. A lot of people will like to recommend games that we we might be interested in covering based off of games that we say that we like. So it’s a big it’s a big mix of just kind of taking pulling from a lot of different sources.
Naveen: Yeah, we’ve worked with publishers in the past, so sometimes they know kind of what it is that we like. So they’ll say, oh, this might suit, you know, kind of what you enjoy playing and what you enjoy featuring. So there’s that. And then also we like to look at all the preview lists for games that are coming up.
So that’s part of the review process and the research process on finding new games that we want to feature. But we also like to sometimes go back into the past and play games that are, you know, four, maybe ten years old. And so it’s kind of a nice balance between all of it.
The process to contact them and get your game reviewed
Céline: And when you get request from publishers to review and play their game, what is the process of creation for these requested videos?
Naveen: When a publisher kind of requests for us to review their game, we definitely want to see a rule book because that is probably the best way that we can figure out if it’s something that we even want to feature on the channel. Monique mostly learns games by reading the rulebooks, so we kind of go through, you know, a combination of: do we like the theme? What does the rulebook look like? And then we have to say yes or no, you know, based on those factors.
Also, we basically get the game. Once it comes in, Monique will learn it and we will play it together. If we can play it in the three or four player setting, then that’s great. But most of the time we play it two player because essentially that’s how we’re going to feature on the channel anyway.
But we’ll play the game and then if we feel comfortable after a couple of plays, then we are ready to film it. So then we basically have to figure out how we’re going to set it up, you know, on screen for the cameras and everything, and then figure out how to make it a kind of loose script on exactly how we’re going to teach the game.
Monique: We don’t actually make a script.
Naveen: Yeah, it’s like a flow chart.
Monique: It would be kind of nicer if we could script it, but because of the number of videos we do, you pretty much have to teach on the spot. But yeah, that’s pretty much the process!
Reviewing games they don’t like?
Céline: Do you review or play games that you don’t like?
Monique: Sometimes? Every now and then we will get a game in that we don’t necessarily like. And you know, we don’t not feature a game just because we don’t like it. We do our best to try to showcase games that people would want to see regardless of how we feel about it. But if we don’t like it and we do end up reviewing the game, we will say it in the review.
Naveen: Yeah, sometimes we’ll get a game and there’s not much information about it and sometimes we are one of the first people to get the game. So we’ll play it. And if we don’t like it and discover that we didn’t like it in the middle of it, then it is what it is.
I don’t think we would ever know a game that we didn’t like and then be like “OK, we don’t like this game. Let’s go back in time and now get this game and featured on the channel.”
Monique: Yeah, we don’t seek out games that we know we don’t like. But in featuring games in that discovery process, it happens.
Tips for creators who want to have their game reviewed
Céline: What tips do you have for creators who want you to review their games?
Naveen: The first thing is have a rule book ready to go. A lot of times we’ll get asked like, will you cover our new game? And I know nothing about it. So there’s no way I could just say yes to that without knowing what it’s about.
Monique: Yes, and we have two things that are pretty mandatory. The first one being your game should be listed on BGG because a lot of people discover games through there. That’s just like a database of games that your game should be a part of. So in our opinion, if it’s going to be something that’s going to market, you should be there.
Naveen: Sometimes, we’ll get a game request and it’s like, I look it up on BGG there’s not even a blank page for it yet.
Monique: You want to have a way for people to find out more information. That’s not just your website. And in addition, we always require a rule book, a working rulebook. It doesn’t have to be finalized but a working rule book that we can learn the game from.
And then what I would also suggest for anybody who’s looking for any media, any content creators out there to cover or review the game is make sure you do the research on the creators who you want to feature your game. And when you message them, make sure that you’re specifically telling them why them like, why specifically this creator to review your game as opposed to all these other creators out there, right?
Naveen: Yeah, exactly. For us, we do playthroughs. So, it would make sense to approach us through the play through perspective.
Monique: But also more than that, just the specifically of games that you tend to play. So like we don’t really cover RPGs, right? But sometimes we get messages about this. So just knowing what types of genres of gaming content creators are specialized in, I suppose is, is going to help you a lot.
Making a game more attractive for replayability
Céline: I saw in one of your Q&A videos that you said that because of your channel, you actually play more games that you used to. Playing board games can be quite an investment sometimes because it takes time and people want to play and discover lots of new games but also, they want replayability when they buy a game.
So what suggestions do you have for creators to make their game attractive for more replayability?
Monique: Oh, that’s a hard question. I don’t think there’s any real good answer for this it really depends on the type of game that you create. For us, we we specialize in those heavier euros, and so a lot of the replayability comes in through the variability of the game.
Naveen: So, a lot of different paths to victory.
Monique: Not fixed setup, different types of scoring conditions that you randomize and you put in there from game to game or just like puzzle. It really puzzle you designed that make you feel like you want to play the game again and again to get a different experience. That’s what people I feel like are looking for.
When we talk about replayability, you want to play a game that will provide a different experience the next time you play it.
Naveen: Something like balanced asymmetry in a game, that’s something that we really like because I could have one experience playing one character and have a completely different experience trying the game with a different character. So that is a big thing for me.
Monique: And I think games where that doesn’t really shine as well or games will play at once and then I’ll play it again and I feel like, well, that was pretty much the same experience as last time. I didn’t really get anything new out of it. And so those games tend to not stay on our shelf as long as something else.
Naveen: Right.
Opinion on a game can change after playing it multiple times
Céline: You also mentioned that sometimes your opinion on a game can change if you play more often. So maybe games should not be consumed the way that books are maybe?
Naveen: Yeah, this happens fairly often where I’ll play a game for the first time and it’s about two thirds of the way through. I’m like, OK, oh now I get how this game should be played. So then, then you want to play that second time. And then basically on that second time, I for the most part, formulated my opinion about a game like “do I like It or not?”
So, I think for me every game should be played at least twice. Sometimes I really love a game and then when I play it the second time for some reason, it just it’s like, huh? I don’t know why I didn’t enjoy that as much as the first time I played it. Something about the discovery of the game was exciting. Kind of like, like, you know, watching a movie or something like that. So that’s the way I kind of feel about that.
Monique: Yeah. So I guess the question is: how should people be approaching board games, right? Instead of just playing it once through like a book, for example. But I do agree you know, the more times you play a game, the more you’ll see things open up that maybe you didn’t realize the first time around. So for that reason, I agree.
We do tend to require at least two plays to begin before we start.
Request for crowdfunding projects
Céline: You also get requests for crowdfunding projects. Do you approach those differently?
Monique: Yes, we do. And the reason why is because a lot of times the crowdfunding projects are not finalized games, they’re not completed games. And so a lot of times the artwork will be not complete, the rules won’t even be finalized. And so for that reason, we tend to try to not review crowdfunding project as much.
The only thing that we offer for crowdfunding specifically are playthrough videos and instructional that are preview videos, essentially tutorials. And so for us, it’s more of a service. So that people who are interested in your game can have a good idea as to what they’re going to get from it if they decide to back it on on the crowdfunding platforms.
So for that reason, we we’re really, really selective about it. We really try to make sure that it is something that we’re interested in as well as our audience. And yeah, like I said, we don’t we try not to review them.
Difference between crowdfunding prototypes and produced games
Céline: What is for you the biggest difference between a crowdfunding prototype and reviewing a produced game?
Naveen: There’s a big difference. Crowdfunding prototypes typically, the artwork is not finalized, sometimes the components are missing. There’s actually a lot of times where the components are missing. And we have to email the publisher and they are like, “Oh yeah, you don’t need that part”, or Oh, you can you can find a substitute for that”. And so sometimes it gets a little bit confusing when you’re trying to learn a game.
A lot of times the rulebook is not close to finalized. And so there’s a lot of interpretation on the rules. So there’s a lot of back and forth going on with those.
Monique: Yes, and a lot of times they don’t have the images, the components. And so there’s a lot of guesswork. But as for the game itself, there’s actually a huge difference between the prototype and the final copy because, you know, there’s no insert. So right off the bat when you open the box, it’s usually just a product bag and paper. A lot of times the material that they use is, you know, it has to be as cost effective as possible to send out to numerous people, to numerous reviewers.
Naveen: Yeah, I do appreciate it, though, when when companies send out their prototypes and everything’s in baggies and the baggies are at least labeled. That helps out a lot.
Representation in games
Céline: You also touched on representation in games. What advice can you give creators on this?
Monique: Representation is extremely important and we are definitely on board. Hopefully, you know, this is something that is ever changing. It’s a growth period as opposed in board games right now. And so the image of representation in people’s games are going to change, are going to be different, to very dramatically different depending on what kind of game you have.
So our number one advice for anybody who’s making a board game is to at least consider this, you know, consider how you can implement representation in a way that makes sense for your game. There are people out there who you can consult especially if you have a cultural theme, especially if it’s a culture that you’re not very familiar with.
Always consider representation in your games, in all the different facets of what that means and how you can best incorporate that.
Question from Tim Chuon
Céline: We did a similar video with Tim Chuon, who is a board game photographer on YouTube, and at the end we asked him if he could think of anyone else that we could interview next, and he said that you guys would be great for an interview. Here’s what he said and the question that he had for you.
Tim Chuon (board game photographer we interviewed in a previous video): I think Before You Play by Monique and Naveen. They do playthroughs of different board games. They’re some of the best content creators around, with what it feels like to actually play a game. I love their videos. I love their style of filming. I think it’s a fresh breath of air in the boardgame industry because it makes you feel like you’re playing with them.
My question, if I’m trying to narrow down is how are you able to manage all of that in your head to play the board game as correctly as you can? To, you know, interact with each other, strategize and also figure out what you’re doing to turn seamlessly? While on camera like that is so impressive.
Monique: Thanks, Tim. Yeah, that is the tough part. I think playthroughs is something that we had to learn over time. It’s not something that came as naturally in the begining.
Naveen: Practice makes perfect.
Monique: Exactly. And a lot of it is compartmentalizing the different parts of the play through, the filming process in your brain, at least for me. You know, it’s a lot of focus. It’s a mix between focus and experience. Like one part of your brain really needs to focus on the fact that you are strategizing.
And also there are definitely points in the playthrough that feel both natural to look at the camera and to, you know, speak to the audience because for us it’s as if they’re here with us. But at the same time, you want to make sure that you’re narrating your turns and you’re still experiencing the game yourself.
Naveen: There’s kind of an internal dialog that we want to externalize a little bit. So, you know, whenever I’m thinking about something for the strategy of the game, I want to say it kind of concisely as much as possible. So that way the video doesn’t run super long, but also so that it’s entertaining at the same time.
So people kind of know what exactly I’m doing and why I’m doing it. So we do get a lot of comments on that, people who appreciate that aspect of it. Another big thing for me is I’m constantly thinking and making sure everything is in frame. That is another focus point for me. But, you know, I try to do that during movie experience typically.
Monique: I think part of it is just making sure that viewers are also experiencing the game. It’s something that I really want to hit home.
We want them to feel like they’re playing the game with us.
Where to find Monique & Naveen
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Article written by
Céline Munoz
Brand & Community Manager for Game On Tabletop. I’m passionate about drawing and everything creative. I also play an Elf Rogue with a cat so, let’s say I’m not very objective when it comes to felines… My blog posts will mostly be marketing related but also about crowdfunding projects, the tabletop industry in general and much more!
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