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Broom Service

Game ID: GID0054129
Collection Status
Description

Score the most victory points by delivering potions via Broom Service throughout the magical realm.

Broom Service is a card-based game that combines luck and skill and balances timely bluffing with clever hand management.

Remake of award-winning Witch's Brew:

New theme! Now with 3 types of roles: witches, druids, and gatherers.
Drizzelda, the weather fairy, helps chase away the bad weather.
New illustrations and game pieces.
Same style of play, and by the same game designer as Witch’s Brew.
New version also includes a 2-player version.

The game is played over 7 rounds, with 4 turns per round. Each round, players simultaneously select 4 of their 10 role cards, and then they take turns playing one role at a time. Each role has a brave action and a cowardly action; the brave action is stronger, but riskier, as another player could steal the action from you later; the cowardly action is safer, but not as robust. How well can you bluff your opponents?

Use the gatherer roles to collect ingredients to make potions, the witch roles to zoom around on your broom to different areas, and the witch or druid roles to deliver the potions, collecting victory points as you go. Chase away lightning clouds with the help of the weather fairy, and keep an eye on the event cards that change game play, one event per round.

The winner is the player with the most victory points after all 7 rounds are complete and end-of-game bonus points have been awarded.

Year Published
2015
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 11
This page: 11
Sentiment: pos 10 · mix 1 · neu 0 · neg 0
Mentions per page
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Showing 1–11 of 11
Video IxdjSk5pREM The Secret Cabal top_10_list at 7:35 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13123 · mention_pk 38382
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Deep and strategic despite a cute exterior
  • Family-friendly and approachable
  • Award nomination/recognition (discussion of Spiel des Jahres)
Cons
  • Not truly horror-themed; light on horror tension
  • Some players may find the mechanics counterintuitive at first
Thematic elements
  • Whimsical witch delivery with light horror undertone
  • Fantasy realm of witches delivering potions
  • playful, strategic, approachable
Comparison games
  • Zombicide
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Goal-driven card/hand management — Collecting potions to fulfill deliveries via a card-driven engine.
  • Simultaneous card play / action selection — Players simultaneously play cards; unique cards grant benefits, driving tension and timing.
  • Thematic route/flight mechanics — Flying on a broom and choosing routes to deliver potions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's hard to capture that in a board game because you're playing it in a safe environment
  • there's 50 haunts so the game is going to be different nearly every time
  • this is number two on my list of best Halloween games
  • it's a great co-op and it's a hard core it sounds like a really cool implementation of pandemic
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xbibw-ZdCko Board Game Spotlight game_review at 14:07 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12052 · mention_pk 35290
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • One of favorite games period
  • Coolest mechanics in board games
  • Great bluffing moments
  • Fun potion delivery
  • Highly recommended
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • Witches delivering potions
  • Magical village
  • Whimsical fantasy
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Brave/Weak witch selection — Choose brave witches for bigger rewards or weak for guaranteed smaller rewards
  • Resource movement — Resources help you move and deliver potions
  • Risk/reward mechanics — Bluff mechanic creating tension
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Agricola is one of those games that you just got to have in your collection if you like euro style games
  • Porta is one of my favorite underrated games
  • Broom service I absolutely love food service one of the coolest mechanics in board games 100 percent recommend this game it is a hoot
  • Barron Park is my favorite polyomino Tetris in a board game game
  • Orleans is a top 5 game for me period just one of my favorite games to play ever
  • Power grid this was the game that got me into board gaming y'all
  • Seven wonders this is a modern-day classic
  • Betrayal at house on the hill every game is different
  • King of Tokyo one of those games that you have to have in your collection
  • If you like board games one or percent recommend this game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 5H_6XlF8d64 Actual Oh top_50_list at 0:35 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11597 · mention_pk 34067
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • highly interactive and social; you must read and react to others' choices
  • innovative brave/cowardly push-your-luck mechanic
  • feels distinct from other games and offers a fresh experience
Cons
  • the theme isn’t very exciting or flavorful
  • some may wish for a deeper thematic hook
Thematic elements
  • bravery vs cowardice in action resolution
  • fantasy medieval marketplace where potions are collected and delivered
  • story-lite with a tense, push-your-luck round structure
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • brave vs cowardly payoff — Players decide to take a stronger, higher payoff action (brave) which can be cancelled by others later in the round.
  • role-driven action drafting — Ten role cards dictate actions; players draft four per round.
  • Simultaneous action selection — All players secretly choose actions for the round from a shared action hand and reveal in sequence.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's interactive and pushes you to think about what others are doing
  • there's so many cool formatic touches to this game
  • it's one of the most challenging guessing games
  • it's the purest example of a hidden movement game
  • there's Jeopardy your characters could die
  • I love word games
  • Clank is my favorite deck building game because of that push or luck
  • it's a completely different party game that blindfold surprisingly just adds something
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video rY0OFcHOOs0 Before You Play playthrough at 0:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10182 · mention_pk 29971
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Engaging thematic integration with a whimsical fantasy motif and charming components
  • Tight two- to three-player interaction with clear tension around brave/cowardly timing
  • Accessible card-driven action selection that scales better at lower player counts
  • Compact footprint with clear visual clarity of board terrains and towers
  • Good replayability given event cards, bewitched roles, and variant rules
Cons
  • Higher player counts can lead to chaotic planning and degraded strategic clarity
  • Becomes heavily dependent on order and hidden information, which can frustrate players who prefer deterministic planning
  • Variant rules (amulets, storm clouds, etc.) add complexity that may overwhelm new players
Thematic elements
  • Fantasy alchemy and route-based action selection with light negotiation via brave vs cowardly choices
  • A whimsical fantasy land where witches travel between terrains delivering magical potions to towers
  • whimsical, light-hearted fantasy with satirical flavor; playful and thematic
Comparison games
  • Witch's Brew (original design by Andreas Pelikan)
  • Glass Road (for its card/engine interaction context)
  • Mombasa (for Pfister's design evolution and heavier Euro shift)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Brave vs. Cowardly dynamic — Choosing a role as 'brave' grants stronger effects but can be thwarted if another player also picks the same role and goes brave; cowardly yields a guaranteed but weaker action.
  • Card-based role selection — Each player secretly selects four role cards from a ten-card hand; once revealed, roles are resolved in a forced sequence driven by bravery and turn order.
  • Druids and terrain-delivery — Two types of druids (valley and prairie) allow delivering potions to towers located in specific terrains, enabling strategic routing.
  • End-game scoring and resources — Lightning/clouds, wand and potion leftovers, and color-set bonuses contribute to final scores; optional amulets variant alters scoring dynamics.
  • Event cards and bewitched rounds — Each round includes an event card that slightly changes scoring or incentives; in two-player games, a subset of roles are bewitched, imposing point penalties.
  • Movement and delivery on terrain — Witches move to adjacent terrains (including hills, prairies, forests, etc.) and deliver potions to matching towers; water and cloud terrain restrictions require clearing clouds first.
  • Round structure and hand management — Seven rounds total; hands are reconstituted and event cards reshuffled; players anticipate order interactions to maximize brave action placement.
  • Tower scoring: circular vs. square towers — Delivering to circular towers scores points and grants a resource; delivering to square towers discards the potion and yields points, with unlimited deliveries allowed to square towers.
  • Weather fairy and cloud management — A weather system card lets players charm away adjacent clouds by spending wands; brave vs cowardly versions alter points or immediate benefits.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • this is a two-player game of room service we are using the basic basic inside of the board
  • the round structure is a little trick taking kind of
  • we are going to reveal an event card
  • this game is a re-implementation of a previous design from like seven years prior 2008 which is brutal called Witch's Brew
  • it's a hand management action selection delivery game
  • it's endearing within the context of the Alexander Pfister series
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video My18DPlP8Gw Farmer Giles top_10_list at 7:31 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10198 · mention_pk 30035
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Works well at five players
  • Engaging gameplay
Cons
  • High mean factor can frustrate players
  • Falls off list due to better game alternatives
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Card Play — Players play cards and can have them blocked by other players
  • player interaction — High interaction and mean factor - players can screw over each other's cards
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's just like falling off it's just literally there are 100 better games in it
  • Small Islands uh this is the one that i've been saying is a replacement for carcassonne
  • way too complicated for its own good
  • it is one of the most beautiful games in existence
  • i still think five tribes is better than yamatai
  • nations is still my preference to fruity ages in terms of playing a physical game
  • really good negotiation game
  • great teamwork cooperative very cool
  • this is a really good solo
  • the deductions are really hard it's a really tough one to do
  • it's oh it's a mind bender gorgeous looking
  • reef is still a really cool game
  • azul is only that good at two player
  • near and far still really good
  • there's no reason to play that one if you have near and far
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XbDEop9wGMU Broken People top_10_list sentiment: positive
video_pk 7448 · mention_pk 22050
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Excellent role selection mechanic with tension
  • High player interaction and negotiation
  • Thematic components (witch cards, gnomes, trolls)
  • Best with 5 players for maximum tension
Cons
  • Can destroy friendships due to bluffing
  • Some fiddly rules at certain player counts
  • Requires willingness to bluff and deceive
Thematic elements
  • Witches
  • Fantasy
  • Potion Delivery
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • these are my top 100 games not necessarily the top 100 games
  • the lower end of my top 100 is still games I rank 8-9 out of ten if there are no sevens on this list
  • everything on here is the creme de la creme as far as I'm concerned
  • it hurt a lot
  • this can really destroy friendships if you're not careful
  • I have played through the whole game and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface
  • there is such a thing as too much for a game
  • I really want to play this but maybe not quite every single week
  • I am serious and don't call me Shirley
  • there's a lot of new content to throw in there
  • I do love a good sandbox game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video rokCMY0_nzM Chairman of the Board top_n_list at 12:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6897 · mention_pk 20423
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • smooth system; unique action timing
Cons
  • not as strong as other pick-up-and-deliver games
Thematic elements
  • picking up and delivering goods via risked actions
  • medieval fantasy courier theme
  • humorous and accessible
Comparison games
  • Ticket to Ride
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • brave vs cowardly actions — choose stronger yet riskier actions or safer weaker actions
  • hand management — manage identical card sets to execute actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • this game is poo
  • it does as i said just take that edge off the randomness
  • one of the best card games i've ever played
  • it's almost like a eurofied Ticket to Ride
  • the ambition of this game is absolutely mind-blowing
  • a game that rewards repeated plays
  • the board is always flux and alive
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UFqEpkNNnYo Foster the Meeple top_10_list at 12:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6538 · mention_pk 19360
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • thematic and playful
  • great for group play
Cons
  • rules-clarity can be a hurdle for new players
Thematic elements
  • witches delivering goods with risk/reward decisions
  • Witchy, autumnal fantasy
  • light, whimsical
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • worker placement with push-your-luck — choose flights for delivery with risk-reward trade-offs
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • 1,198 games it's too many
  • 768 that's I don't care what people say that's really good
  • we have 394
  • we're still playing games and taking names
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _Il9gpGvmLI Chairman of the Board game_review at 0:01 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 4871 · mention_pk 14486
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Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • Unique brave/cowardly card resolution that creates tension and bluffing
  • Two witches on the board provide flexibility and tactical options
  • Clear, aesthetically pleasing components and map with distinct regions
  • Five-player scalability with 3-5 players and about 60 minutes of playtime
  • Event cards add flavor and strategic depth
Cons
  • Steep initial learning curve due to the brave/cowardly system and card resolution
  • Colorblind accessibility issues with orange/green towers
  • Board readability can be improved; towers near borders can be ambiguous
  • Competition from other medium-light pick-up-and-deliver games reduces shelf appeal
  • Two-player mode can feel less dynamic, despite bewitched variant
  • Not clearly a purchase recommendation due to market options
Thematic elements
  • Delivery of potions by witches using weather magic, with bluffing and risk-reward decisions shaping who acts bravely vs cowardly.
  • Fantasy realm with witches, moving between forests, hills, plains, and mountains to deliver potions to magical towers while clouds and weather influence movement and scoring.
  • Light, game-mechanic-forward narrative focusing on tension, bluffing, and evolving board state rather than a heavy story.
Comparison games
  • Fast Sloths
  • Oracle of Delphi
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Bewitchments and 2-player tightening — Bewitching cards tailor the game for two players by limiting available actions and adding penalties to maintain balance.
  • Brave vs Cowardly resolution — Brave actions are stronger but risk cancellation by others; cowardly actions are safer but yield fewer rewards, creating negotiation and bluffing pressure.
  • Card-driven action selection — Players simultaneously select four of ten cards and reveal a role (brave or cowardly) to drive action resolution, introducing push-your-luck decisions.
  • Druids and deposit rules — Druids let you deposit a potion without moving, relaxing the usual motion constraint.
  • Movement and tile-based deployment — Witches move across forest, hills, prairies, plains, and mountains to deposit potions at towers and score points; terrain and clouds shape routes.
  • Potions, towers, and scoring — Potions are collected via gatherer cards and delivered to matching towers; some towers permanently close when a potion is delivered, while others recycle back to supply.
  • Round events and scoring bonuses — Event cards each round alter scoring opportunities and provide bonuses or alternative actions, adding flavor and strategic depth.
  • Simultaneous declaration and order of resolution — After selecting four cards, players announce one to resolve; other players can influence or cancel the action, affecting turn order and outcomes.
  • Turn-based pacing and seven-round arc — The game unfolds over seven rounds with a 60-minute playtime, maintaining a brisk but meaningful decision space.
  • Weather fairy and cloud manipulation — Weather fairy cards convert magic into cloud shifts, enabling or blocking routes and influencing endgame scoring via clouds.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • whoever was the bravest player or whoever got to resolve the brave action in that current round actually becomes a starting player next turn
  • I think it's solid and unique and I generally love games when they try something different
  • color blind friendliness is lacking
  • the game is solid but not top of its genre due to strong competition
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ai4H-EXxFnE Adam Porter - This Is My Board (Board Game Vlog) top_50_list at 0:39 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4114 · mention_pk 12037
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Unique simultaneous-action mechanic
  • Cozy, witchy theme with potions
  • Hand-drawn art described as attractive
Cons
  • Two-player experience noted as lacking
Thematic elements
  • witchcraft, potions, deliveries
  • witch-themed world with potion delivery
  • whimsical, lighthearted
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Card-driven actions — Card play drives core actions and determines how items/potions move around the board.
  • Simultaneous action selection — Players secretly choose an action (brave vs. cowardly) and reveal; outcomes depend on others' choices.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • the brave action is bigger but you might not get it if someone else also takes it
  • the witch's theme delivering potions works very well
  • rules are really simple, uh the game is attractive and it's a game that you can really sort of you feel like you could master
  • it's the best trivia game that i know
  • the production is fantastic, the pieces are really high quality
  • you are not allowed to speak to each other
  • the cubes are the most magnificent component
  • i created doodle rush
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qPsd5etJzsg John Perkias top_10_list at 0:43 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3468 · mention_pk 10274
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Suspenseful gameplay
  • Interesting decision-making
  • Mind-reading element
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • Risk-taking and action selection
  • Witch world
  • Competitive
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • action selection — Players choose between brave or cowardly actions with different rewards and risks
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • you really really have to work together
  • it's depressingly accurate
  • the game gives you a lot of freedom
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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