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Bandido box art

Bandido

Game ID: GID0036839
Collection Status
Description

A light-security prisoner is trying to escape through tunnels starting underneath his cell. Will you be able to join forces and cards to stop him? Bandido is a cooperative game of strategy and observation for the entire family.

Can be combined with the sequel, Bandida.

Year Published
2016
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 5
This page: 5
Sentiment: pos 5 · mix 0 · neu 0 · neg 0
Mentions per page
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Showing 1–5 of 5
Video 8kdJiCcsR_k Unknown Channel general_discussion at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 62058 · mention_pk 154655
Unknown Channel - Bandido video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Fast and quick to play
  • Small box, highly portable
  • Can be played solo or in a group
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • Array
  • Urban crime scenario
  • Minimal
Comparison games
  • Bandido
  • Bandida
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Card placement — Players place cards to form a maze with the aim of trapping the burglar.
  • Cooperative Game — Players work together to prevent the burglar from escaping.
  • cooperative play — Players work together to prevent the burglar from escaping.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Love it.
  • Nice and quick.
  • Smallbox game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Ng3Ka7rgcNo Allies or Enemies top_10_list at 11:31 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61108 · mention_pk 153590
Allies or Enemies - Bandido video thumbnail
Click to watch at 11:31 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • accessible and deceptively deep puzzle
  • great two-player cooperative challenge
  • silent communication heightens tension and fun
Cons
  • can become punishing if misplays occur early
  • may require repeated plays to master the timing
Thematic elements
  • cooperative pursuit and escape-like timing
  • Central Bandido with tunnels and a search for a quick capture
  • tense, silent-communication style
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Card-driven tile placement — On your turn you play a card to extend tunnels; players aim to join lanes or contain the Bandido.
  • hidden communication via indirect cues — Players rely on eye contact and timing rather than explicit verbal signals.
  • limited communication — Players rely on eye contact and timing rather than explicit verbal signals.
  • tile placement — On your turn you play a card to extend tunnels; players aim to join lanes or contain the Bandido.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's a date night classic for us
  • Escape rooms in a box
  • it's such a beautiful like calm game
  • it's a terrific tile placement game
  • this is the heaviest of all of the games on this list
  • it's a two-player only game
  • it's meanest game on this list
  • it's a modern classic
  • Bandido is slippery
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video lKYxCA--A_M Allies or Enemies general_discussion at 13:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61165 · mention_pk 153773
Allies or Enemies - Bandido video thumbnail
Click to watch at 13:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Compact box that yields a lot of gameplay
  • Highly replayable with evolving networks
Cons
  • Dismantling and expansion can feel fiddly at times
Thematic elements
  • Cooperative network-building puzzle
  • Jail break/passage tunnels to trap a bandido
  • Witty, lighthearted
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Cooperative Game — Players cooperate to close tunnels and trap the Bandido
  • cooperative puzzle solving — Players cooperate to close tunnels and trap the Bandido
  • Sequential tunnel building — Play cards to extend or close tunnel openings
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • parade would be my number one because i love this game
  • this is like the best bang for your buck you're gonna find
  • it's an absolute blast
  • it's so worth it
  • this has been the game of the summer for us
  • we've played this like most nights this summer
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qyA2RMkLRV8 Cardboard Harold game_review at 0:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8037 · mention_pk 124940
Cardboard Harold - Bandido video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:14 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Clever tonal device that highlights defender vs attacker skill
  • Engaging back-and-forth with meaningful tension as openings appear
  • Rich, thematic dice-lottery that remains under control through choices
  • Guard, armor, and rage mechanics create a tactile, ritualistic rhythm
  • Rising Rage expansion adds flexibility and replayability; should be included
Cons
  • Not for everyone; it is highly specific, aggressive, and luck-influenced
  • Base game could have benefited from expansion inclusion in the box
  • Feels heavy on luck at times and may require long sessions to realize depth
Thematic elements
  • Honor, mastery of weapons, and the tension between offense and defense in a one-on-one duel.
  • A stylized martial arts duel between two fighters, staged as a ritualized arena combat.
  • Tactical, ritualistic, moment-to-moment combat with fate and fortune shaping outcomes.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Damage resolution — Damage scales with the number of hits; damage is applied after dice resolution and can reach lethal levels.
  • Dice pool construction — Each turn builds a pool of red and blue dice determined by played technique cards, weapons, and stances.
  • drafting — Players secretly arm themselves by drafting one weapon and selecting technique cards over multiple rounds.
  • Endgame randomness vs control — Despite a heavy element of luck from dice, players can influence outcomes through card timing and resource management.
  • Hits, dodges, armor and tori — Hits accumulate and are mitigated by dodges and armor tokens; tori (rage) tokens can modify future rolls.
  • Rage and expansion integration — The Rising Rage expansion adds new dice and cards, increasing flexibility and strategic options.
  • risk management — Despite a heavy element of luck from dice, players can influence outcomes through card timing and resource management.
  • Stance/guard system — Starting guard stance, then switching guard to affect dice available for the current turn and to recover played cards.
  • Weapon and technique cards — Cards grant bonuses, influence hits, dodges, and dice results; they drive the core decision space.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • a head-to-head two-player dueling game featuring a cadence and sequence of play unlike any other game that I played
  • the dice pool is built and rolled to inflict hits and manage dodges, armor, and rage
  • I think this is really clever tonal device to showcasing the skill of the defender versus the skill of the attacker
  • this is Bushido this is a game of immediacy
  • the cadence and overall vibe to this game can be as short as a couple turns or as epic as a long duel
  • I mean Bushido is by no means a bad game without it but it gives you more of what you want without adding virtually any complexity
  • the expansion Rising Rage adds extra flexibility, new dice, and new techniques that improve replayability
  • that sort of familiarity it gives you an interior method that's really cool
  • the tension exists in this game because it feels meaningful
  • the first third of the game was spent in this ritualized fashion as you're selecting your weapon and all of your technique cards
  • this is still totally a dice game with a ton of luck but it feels like you're bending that luck forging your destiny
  • I love the cadence and overall vibe to this game it can take as little as just a couple turns or begin epic long drawn-out duel
  • I see no reason not to include this expansion it gives you just enough extra flexibility
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video x9vzhprSX1c Adam Porter top_100_list at 8:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7492 · mention_pk 22236
Adam Porter - Bandido video thumbnail
Click to watch at 8:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Compact, great with families
  • Strong group appeal; tends to play well with non-gamers
Cons
  • May feel light for veterans looking for heavy strategy
Thematic elements
  • cooperative heist/escape
  • cooperative tunnel defense against a Bandido
  • team-based, light
Comparison games
  • Bandida
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • cooperative tile placement — Players place cards to block tunnels and shape the mine/escape routes.
  • Shared resource management — Team works together to prevent exits while new ones appear.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's basically a deck builder that has been stripped back to its very very core and made accessible for children
  • it's such a small package and you've got really quite a deep abstract strategy game in there for two players
  • it's frantic sort of race of observation trying to spot these minor differences
  • it's a trick taking game ... the great thing about adding pi to it is that you never end up with a tie
  • it's a roll them right game with a little bit more going on than some other examples in the genre
  • Bandido is such a small package with that nice helvety graphic design
  • it's a really good clever game neat little mechanisms fun simple
  • it's a great flicking game
  • the unique little twist here is that we're actually writing onto cards
  • it's a rolling right game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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