The survivors of a long-ago invasion have taken refuge in the forgotten underground city of Gravehold. There, the desperate remnants of society have learned that the energy of the very breaches the beings use to attack them can be repurposed through various gems, transforming the malign energies within into beneficial spells and weapons to aid their last line of defense: the breach mages.
Aeon's End is a cooperative game that explores the deckbuilding genre with a number of innovative mechanisms, including a variable turn order system that simulates the chaos of an attack, and deck management rules that require careful planning with every discarded card. Players will struggle to defend Gravehold from The Nameless and their hordes using unique abilities, powerful spells, and, most importantly of all, their collective wits.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this would have absolutely blown our minds
- Gloomhaven would have been an absolute joyous experience
- HeroScape would have been just an absolute dream as a kid
- we would have salivated over and been obsessed with salivating little munchkins back in middle school
- If we had Aeon's End as kids, it would have eaten up so much of our time
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
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Quotes (from this video)
- really fun as usual
- this time i definitely lost
- really great game
- i can highly recommend that
- pushy luck game
- really simple for up to 8 players
References (from this video)
- described as a cooperative tech-builder
- recommended for deck-building enthusiasts
- unknown
- unknown
- unknown
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative_play — players work together to overcome threats and complete objectives
- deck_building — players construct and optimize a cooperative deck to defeat adversaries
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- not a bad game but nothing to write home about in my opinion
- that is a really great game combining worker placement and deck building so really good game i can highly recommend that
- a very good game too
- bit complex
- cooperative tech builder so i suggest looking into that if you like deck builders
References (from this video)
- tight cooperative deck-building design that shines for two players
- no shuffle mechanic enables stronger planning and combo building
- wide variety of cards and unique villain mechanics
- dramatic pacing with escalating threat as Nemesis strengthens
- player powers emphasize aiding teammates and fostering cooperation
- drags with four players and can stall pacing
- three-player wild card mechanic feels awkward and slows flow
- component quality issues (warped nemesis/player boards, loose dials) requiring replacement
- not ideal in larger groups for pacing and interaction
- defense of a city against malevolent planar invaders using magical mages
- Underground city Gravehold; fantasy/dark magical setting facing interdimensional threats
- cooperative, evolving threats with nemesis-focused encounters
- Sentinels of the Multiverse
- Legendary Encounters: Alien
- Aeon's End: Two's a Date, Three's a Crowd
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Breach Management — rotate breaches to open them; open breaches stay open; unopened spells stored in breaches can be cast later
- cooperative play with player powers — players specialize and focus on helping allies; supports collaborative play and shared planning
- deck-building — start with a basic deck and acquire spells, relics, and gems from a shared market; you draw up to five cards and improve your deck over time
- market drafting — a shared market is formed from nine sets (four spell sets, two relics, three gems); players can randomize or select combinations to tailor their run
- nemesis system — each Nemesis has its own rules; minions attack until defeated, instant attacks can occur, and powers can be canceled before activation
- no-shuffle deck recycling — when recycling, players do not shuffle; instead they flip the top card to the top to preserve flow and enable combos
- Resource economy — gems provide aether, the core currency used to pay for actions, buy cards from the market, and gain charges
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Aeon's End is an incredibly tightly designed cooperative deck-building game that really shines for two players
- The best thing about this game is the no shuffle mechanic
- the pacing of the game is dramatic as the Nemesis hits harder you get better
- for a more complex co-op card game try Sentinels of the Multiverse
- and for a different theme try a legendary encounters alien
- Aeons End: two's a date three's a crowd
- you start off doing one damage a turn but could end up doing lots more later in the game
References (from this video)
- well-designed deck builder that never runs out of content
- abundant content, including expansions/upgrades (Awaken Realms)
- deep and strategic without being overly rule-heavy
- story-light fantasy world with evolving lore
- The Castles of Burgundy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative/coop-adjacent play — players work toward common threats, coordinating actions to progress through encounters.
- deck-building — players build and customize a deck over the course of the game, enabling different abilities and actions.
- hand management — careful management of cards hand size and usage to optimize turns and combos.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "absolutely love this game"
- "this is such an elegant game"
- "it's quite complex yet doesn't have too many rules"
- "there's already so much content for it"
- "the new addition by Awaken Realms, the game has received an amazing upgrade"
References (from this video)
- Innovative deck-building
- Solo mode
- Strategic depth
- Slightly dated components
- Complexity for new players
- Boss battling
- Cooperative deck-building fantasy
- Cooperative strategy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players work together against a boss
- deck-building — Unique mechanic of non-shuffling deck
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- We're not trying to make purchasing decisions for other people
- Good components can't save a bad game, but they can elevate a game
- There isn't a correlation between the amount of time someone puts in or even the volume of work
References (from this video)
- Great for solo play
- Excellent for two-hand play
- Smooth interface
- Feels like tabletop on screen
- Good content for core box
- Functional presentation
- Less overwhelming than physical
- Not as visually impressive as others
- Problem with initiative system at 3+ players
- Physical game has too much content
- Doesn't include all expansions
- Cooperative gameplay
- Wizard alliance
- Mystical threats
- Tower defense elements
- Other cooperative deck builders
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- These are 15 new titles, well new to me at least
- This list is presented in order from my least favorite to most favorite of these games
- Functional is better than good looking when it comes to a board game adaption
- The captain's dead is one of my all-time favorite games
- Spirit island is my favorite game of all time so of course it's going to end up at the top of this list
- If you want a good filler game that's just dice chucking and logic puzzles and it's a little bit silly, definitely check out dicey dungeons
References (from this video)
- complex, puzzle-like deck-building
- two-character control adds strategic depth
- setup and learning can be heavy; the rulebook can be improved
- fantasy deck-building with cooperative play
- Mage Knight
- Legendary
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-building — two-box structure; you control two characters; strong synergy with Astron Knights
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's one of the most beloved solo board games out there
- this is a wonderful engine builder
- a game that you can take anywhere
- the rule book was perfect in my opinion
- one hell of a title by chip theory games
References (from this video)
- Strong core system with potential for depth with expansions
- Solid two-player experience
- Three-player mode felt unsatisfactory and unbalanced
- Core set feels thin without extensive expansion family
- defend against an onrush of nemeses and monsters using a customizable spell deck
- fantasy cooperative deck-building dungeon crawl with an energy/magic theme
- grim, boss-centric progression with multiple expansions altering visuals
- Legendary: Aliens
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- boss encounter — each session centers on a boss with unique abilities and a dynamic threat track
- cooperative play — players coordinate to manage timing, actions, and boss effects
- deck-building — players build and optimize a personal deck to fight a boss and its minions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- 2020 was the year that i finally decided i don't like legacy games
- if you like discovering new games and if you like playing a new game every week that's fantastic
- the experience for paradise lost was ... terrible
References (from this video)
- Challenging boss fights
- Engaging cooperative play
- Varied deck-building each session
- Rule complexity and setup time
- Learning curve for new players
- Cooperative deck-building and boss combat
- Fantasy dungeon-crawl in a dark fantasy world
- Cooperative, episodic boss encounters
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players work together to defeat a boss with shared deck mechanics.
- deck-building — Players build and tailor their decks to improve combat and defense.
- hand management — Careful selection and timing of cards to maximize effect.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- three rounds of Aeon's End
- we actually did it but that was pretty tough but very fun too
- Dixit again, the digital Android app version
- a game i always like to come back to
- cooperative version for two players
References (from this video)
- deep deck-building with variable heroes
- steep learning curve
- variable difficulty
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative_play — players work together against a common nemesis
- deck-building — players build a personal deck of cards to power their actions
- hand_management — strategic selection and timing of cards
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- there are no hard or fast rules to get better board games
- gaming should be fun
- stop blaming external factors on whether you win or lose
- learning can happen in defeat
- the end game can come on you faster than you might initially expect
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
References (from this video)
- Striking monster in center lit by halo
- Crowd of people fighting monster clearly cooperative
- Cover conveys what you're doing
- Makes player want to play game
- Good use of visual hints and clues
- Cooperative battle
- Fantasy
- Action-packed
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative — Cooperative monster-fighting game
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The box cover makes a promise to the customer
- Every box cover tells me what I'm going to be doing and how I'm going to be feeling
- This artist is one of the best board game artists working in the industry right now
- This is how you do it
- This cover is a mess
- Striking iconic design
- The box cover is not selling the game