Blocky Mountains is a dexterity game playable with 2-7 players in either a cooperative or with 2-4 players in a competitive manner or as a solo game. The core of the game consists of 3D landscapes that you build with large wooden blocks, after which you try to maneuver a large wooden pawn ("the trapper") over this course.
In competitive play, you want to be the first to reach the mountain summit on the score track ("the route map"), and to do so you must master several challenges. Each challenge consists of a parcours built out of the wooden blocks according to the challenge card you draw randomly from three piles: A - C, from easy to difficult. After having built the landscape course, you have to push, pull, lift, slide or swing the "trapper" from the start to the end block. This trapper has a metal eye on top, and you move it with a wooden rod with a hook at its end. Some challenges require an intermediate string between rod and pawn, while others require both hands to simultaneously move pawn and grizzly bear, the bear being another wooden piece. A third kind of piece to be moved is provisions, which you "kick" with the trapper.
When you master the challenge, the next player decides whether to change to the next parcours or try to master the same one again. Depending on the difficulty of the challenge, your piece can move 2-4 steps toward the summit. If you lose track, fall down, or lose your provisions, you have lost this challenge and must move backward! The game includes other details – e.g., owls and squirrel tokens for managing your skills and special actions – but this is more or less the whole game.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
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References (from this video)
- Wonderful dexterity game
- So good
- Explorers and bears
- Mountains
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dexterity — You've got these blocks that are mountains and you've got these hooks and ropes and you're trying to drag these you know you explorer and the bear around these mountains.
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- If you haven't played dr. war you need to play this
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References (from this video)
- Lavishly produced
- Absolute blast to play
- Plays up to seven people
- Truly original
- Fantastic undiscovered gem
- Difficult to find
- Exploration and survival
- Mountain range
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dexterity — Involves swinging a block across obstacles using string and poles.
- scenario play — The game uses blocks in different shapes depending on the challenge scenario.
- Set Collection — Players may need to knock provisions (represented by a desk) along to reach an end goal.
- Variable player powers — Players control an explorer or a grizzly bear.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Blocky Mountains should be on your list.
- It is an absolute travesty that more people haven't played this one.
- It gets really manic.
- So, yeah, fantastic fantastic game.
- Coconuts is a wonderful wonderful dexterity game.
- It's so good.
- Kask is should be in your collection, no doubt about it.
- It's the best dexterity game I've ever played.
- It's a wonderful wonderful game. Brings people together this one.
- I can't recommend it enough.
References (from this video)
- Standalone version of Forest Shuffle.
- New theme with animals and plants.
- Adds new mechanism with rivers and fish.
- Different strategies available.
- Most complex of the base games without expansions.
- Animals and plants of the Smoky Mountains
- Smoky Mountains
- Forest Shuffle
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Implied through playing cards to build forest ecosystems.
- Engine Building — Players build their forest ecosystems.
- New Mechanism — Introduces rivers and fish as a new mechanism.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- It's Thessaloniki. Uh this is for one to four players and takes about 2 hours to play. So, a little bit on the heavier side.
- I did see a quick demo of this at Gen Con. I didn't actually play it, but got a little bit of description.
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- This reminded me a little bit of taking up or down. Mechanic where you're placing the ele your elevator cards either in a descending or an ascending order.
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- Um, we have one last one. It's Prestige. This is for two to four players. Takes about 90 to 180 minutes to play.
- So, we've talked about so many games coming to Essen. There are hundreds more that we didn't mention.
- We really would love for you to like this video, subscribe to to the channel if you haven't already. But really, what really helps us, we can interact with you is comment down below.
References (from this video)
- One of our favorite dexterity games
- Plays up to seven players
- Highly recommended
- Flew under the radar when released
- Had to contact designer to get a copy initially
- Exploration
- Mountains
- Setup book with courses
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dexterity — A dexterity game where you have to drag, lift, or drop ropes and hooks to negotiate courses.
- Set up — Uses a book to tell you how to set up the courses.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- remember if you're new here then please consider subscribing to our channel leave a comment in our section down below and we'll see you next time
- If I had to choose a game that was made out of wood that is the pure definition of skill its croakin all.
- it's probably the best game I've made our wood that you can get today
References (from this video)
- Fantastic dexterity game
- Underrated
- Recently reprinted and available on Amazon
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dexterity — Players construct a course out of blocks and use sticks with ropes to move an explorer, bear, or provisions pack across the obstacle course.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- if you're super fantastic ball game ain't on this list then that's because we haven't played it
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References (from this video)
- Plays up to 7 players
- One of the best dexterity games
- Absolutely fantastic game
- Goes real quick
- Good for high player counts
- A no brainer for dexterity game fans
- Hard to track down
- Explorer moving from point A to point B, managing provisions and a bear
- Various terrains
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dexterity — utilizes blocks and rope... take the explorer the provisions disk and the bear and you will have to get from point a to point b by lifting up the explorer or knocking the provisions or dragging the bear over and through all these different types of terrain
- scenario-based — you'll use a scenario book to set up a different course
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- if your favorite high player count game isn't on this list it's probably either because we haven't played it or we think it's [__]
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- there's loads and loads of accusations flying around you'll be pointing fingers
- if you're looking for a game that accommodates an astronomical amount of people if you're one of those socialites that has loads and loads of friends then this is going to be right up your back alley
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- if you like memoir 44 and you do have at least seven friends or people that you can call friends then invite them around and play this game because you will have an absolute whale of a time
References (from this video)
- Really underrated game
- Available on Amazon in Germany
- Really thematic, beautiful looking dexterity game
- Don't know why this isn't more popular
- Dexterity challenge
- Mountains
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dexterity — You'll be using these hooks to lift, push, pull whatever you want to do these characters across blocky mountains out of mountains made of blocks.
- scenario play — There's about a billion and one scenarios in the core boxes.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is number 60 on this list is a abstract puzzle game called quirkle
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- It's a very novel game it's just flicking discs right but the way that the designer has added layer and layer theme onto this is nothing more than astonishing.
- This game is absolutely crazy because there's loads of stuff about accusing people of swapping stuff you can try and bluff your way around the table take a punt on whether or not you think you've got the character that you need
- It's a dirt cheap game so it goes for about 12 quid it's a wonderful wonderful party game there's so many laughs everyone's shouting at each other accusing each other of being a complete another [__] and uh more often than not we are but yeah masquerade a cheap as chips card game the sort of thing that you'd expect from mr fadooti and yeah it doesn't disappoint