Since the release of the Russo Brothers' The Electric State movie, there's been a lot of interest in Free League's adaptation of the tabletop RPG by the same name. I'm checking out the game myself as we speak but, in case you didn't already know, The Electric State TTRPG's publisher also brought us some great adaptations of Tales from The Loop: another wild and wonderful world of nostalgic strangeness thought up by the very same author, Simon Stålenhag.
If you're looking for deals on some of the best board games, I've been searching around like a robot so that you can hack imaginary robots with your pals in worlds of Stålenhag's creation, for cheap. Because right now both the Tales from The Loop TTRPG and the Tales from The Loop board game are on offer. UK denizens will be pleased to hear that this side of the pond the discounts are tremendous, too.
You can get the Tales from The Loop board game at Zatu for just £42.95, today. That's 46% off the usual price of £80, or a saving of exactly £37.05 (online shops never seem to add this info any more, oddly).
As far as the Tales from The Loop TTRPG is concerned, UK peeps are looking at £34.99 at Amazon against the usual £41.71, which is a saving of £6.72.
In case you were looking for The Electric State TTRPG, UK peeps can grab it for £33.49 at Zatu right now (save £16.50). Those in the US won't be getting a deal that sharp, with the core rulebook still sitting at the full $44.99 on Amazon.
Far across the Atlantic, US folks will be able to nab the Tales from The Loop TTRPG for $39.99 at Amazon, as opposed to the $49.99 RRP. That price usually sits at around $40, though, according to our price tracking software. Sometimes it even drops down to $32, even $29 at one point, so it's not quite on offer for those in the US.
As for the Tales from The Loop board game, that's looking like a bit more of a deal at $63.99 on Amazon as opposed to the usual $79.99. That's $16 saved on a board game that'll send you spinning off into a cooperative, reality-bending adventure with your pals.
Should you buy the Tales from The Loop board game or TTRPG?
Tales from The Loop is one of those settings that oozes '80s nostalgia. It's a world of author Simon Stålenhag's invention, which means it occupies the same mental space for me as things like Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone. It's one of those "Kids face incomprehensible strangeness couched in the mundanity of everyday life" settings, and in that very apt-for-the-times juxtaposition it reeks of technological mystery.
These are stories not just of physical but philosophical exploration, and although we didn't rate the Tales from The Loop board game incredibly highly, due to its slightly repetitive core loop (which I have a feeling was a statement more than an accident), it certainly has a great deal of draw for cooperative board gamers looking to solve mysteries together. Sure it's a little clunky in places, but the robot miniatures alone are worth the price of admission for me, at least from a tabletop RPG referee's perspective.
Speaking of which, the Tales from The Loop tabletop RPG is an even better value proposition. It's one of those easy-to-learn games that will see you rummaging through the parts of your mind that still yearn for the '80s. It's a chill time, with plenty of mystery thrown in. Built on Free League's Year Zero system which works by rolling only D6s, and trying to get as many sixes as possible in order to succeed. It's such a simple system, and there are plenty of rad D66 roll tables to get things moving along, too.
For more discounts, be sure to check out our gifts for gamers guide.
