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Charterstone

Game ID: GID0065535
Collection Status
Description

The prosperous Kingdom of Greengully, ruled for centuries by the Forever King, has issued a decree to its citizens to colonize the vast lands beyond its borders. In an effort to start a new village, the Forever King has selected six citizens for the task, each of whom has a unique set of skills they use to build their charter.

In Charterstone, a competitive legacy game, you construct buildings and populate a shared village. Building stickers are permanently added to the game board and become action spaces for any player to use. Thus, you start off with simple choices and few workers, but soon you have a bustling village with dozens of possible actions.

Your journey through Charterstone's many secrets will last twelve games, but it doesn’t end there. Your completed village will be a one-of-a-kind worker-placement game with plenty of variability.

Charterstone released in the US/Canada on December 12, 2017 (the rest of the world received it slightly earlier).

Year Published
2017
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 18
This page: 18
Sentiment: pos 13 · mix 4 · neu 0 · neg 1
Mentions per page
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Showing 1–18 of 18
Video gyq_pDFmIcs Adam Porter top_100_list at 1:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13735 · mention_pk 40111
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • narrative-driven progression
  • reacts to player choices with lasting changes
Cons
  • requires repeated play with the same group
  • may feel tedious if played with inconsistent sessions
Thematic elements
  • Legacy campaign with evolving rules
  • A living, evolving village-building campaign
  • Narrative-driven, long-form campaign
Comparison games
  • Imperial Assault
  • Zombie Teens Evolution
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • legacy / campaign progression — Rules and components evolve as boxes are opened and envelopes are read; board and components change over time.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • every card should work in exactly the same way and the simplest way of doing that is saying that you play the card once you get the benefit and then you discard the card
  • it's a streamlined system so every card should work in exactly the same way
  • the goal in a game of hive is to surround the queen bee
  • you can see it laying out on the map as things get shut off by the other players
  • there is something really satisfying and unusual about that experience
  • a legacy game once in a while played with my wife
  • it's basically a form of set collection... many different variations of sets which create different words
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video cF_b0HZsrR4 Dungeon Master's Ludus general_discussion at 9:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12831 · mention_pk 37460
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Deep personalization through naming and character-driven moments
  • Long-term world evolution feels alive and personal
  • Strong design philosophy around experience-first play
Cons
  • Legacy framework can be heavy and commitment-heavy
  • Longevity may outpace some players’ interest
Thematic elements
  • Community development, village management, and evolving narratives
  • Legacy-style competitive/shared world-building
  • Player-driven story through persistent board state
Comparison games
  • Above and Below
  • Near and Far
  • Empires of the Void II
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Legacy-style character and board progression — Players impact a shared board that evolves over campaigns
  • Worker/action selection with world-building — Actions influence long-term development and story arcs
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • when I'm in the game I want to feel like the game itself has a mind of its own and it is operating like its own organism
  • experience is one of the most important things to me about any game no matter what it is
  • these event cards don't poke you with a stick directly but what they do is they create some sort of event that is going on in the universe based on that planet
  • the game feel alive
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dfCcLi9vSC0 Secret Cabal general_discussion at 2:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12722 · mention_pk 37103
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Satisfying sense of progression and tangible legacy feel
  • Solid component quality and clear thematic arc
Cons
  • Heavy commitment for first-time players
  • Legibility of long-term plan can be challenging for some groups
Thematic elements
  • legacy-style city construction and worker placement
  • a village-building magistrate simulation that evolves over time
  • progressive world-building with evolving rules
Comparison games
  • Gloomhaven
  • Seafall
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • legacy-style progression — The game evolves as players complete campaign cells and unlock content.
  • worker placement — Players place workers to take actions across a growing board.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Artwork does have a big impact on my interest in playing the game.
  • I bought games just for artwork that I've never played.
  • Santorini doesn't turn me off, and Arcadia Quest doesn't turn me off exactly but I would prefer it to be more realistic in general.
  • I think games with Xavier Colette his kind of artwork he did the a lot of the dixit stuff.
  • I love getting up and coming down here and shooting a video and editing a podcast and developing content for the next show.
  • quit drinking soda it's poison.
  • Feast for Odin is a Viking-era title that rewards careful planning.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qWtRO7SKnC0 Unknown Channel analysis at 0:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12036 · mention_pk 35249
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Accessible onboarding that reduces rulebook overwhelm
  • Engaging legacy mechanism with long-tail progression
  • High personalization through naming characters and shaping the village
  • Frequent surprises and evolving components that refresh gameplay
  • Vibrant, cute artwork and charming presentation
Cons
  • Sticker alignment can feel restrictive and imprecise
  • Narrative sometimes feels optional or not tightly integrated with strategy
  • End-game progression may become less exciting as boxes are opened
  • Limited three-player play may miss some dynamic interactions; AI mode not deeply explored
Thematic elements
  • Village-building with permanent, campaign-spanning changes; personalization of settlers and town.
  • A developing kingdom in a shared village, evolving through a 12-session legacy campaign.
  • Slow-burn, chapter-based progression with in-game storytelling and evolving mechanisms.
Comparison games
  • Risk Legacy
  • Pandemic Legacy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Card drafting / reveals — Acquire cards that unlock new rules, stickers, and components as the game progresses.
  • Character/personalization — Players name characters, giving personality and storytelling hooks to the game world.
  • legacy progression — Permanent changes across sessions, including new cards, boxes, and story elements.
  • resource management / set collection — Balance resources to construct buildings and gain benefits.
  • sticker placement — Permanent stickers affixed to lots to unlock/upgrade buildings and capabilities.
  • tile/board placement — Place buildings and stickers to permanently upgrade the village.
  • worker placement — Assign workers to buildings to gain resources and actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • almost like the perfect onboarding process
  • the rule book incredibly massive it's very daunting for your first game
  • it's a great game to show someone who's kind of new to that genre right
  • you end up kind of creating these bundle the moments where you know you name a character lunk for example looks like an offshoot link and it becomes this kind of honey no it becomes this kind of funny joke throughout the game
  • it's not that long either it's like 12 games in a campaign about an hour per session
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video q6wLlGJGZ4E Lotou's Shelf of Shame general_discussion at 4:33 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 10755 · mention_pk 31733
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Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • Deluxe components and reprint materials highlighted
  • Potential to use resources for other games (e.g., Scythe).
Cons
  • Whole-campaign timing makes it hard to review or present legibly on channel
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Kia ora Lotou and welcome to my shelf of Shame update for July 2019
  • it's ballooned up to about 25 at the moment
  • this is the mechanically most complex game in the set
  • I really should give it at least one go over
  • this ties into that whole getting a campaign together exactly we want it to play the whole damn thing
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video USKj8LW0jNg Actualol general_discussion at 2:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10332 · mention_pk 30502
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Innovative legacy mechanics
  • Replayability through evolving board
Cons
  • Campaign length can be long
Thematic elements
  • Legacy progression; permanent changes to the game world
  • Fantasy city-building in a competitive, evolving world
  • Campaign-driven, story-like progression
Comparison games
  • Scythe
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • engine_building — City-building progression with evolving capabilities
  • legacy_gameplay — Permanently changes the game state as you play and progress the campaign
  • worker_placement — Action selection and resource management via workers
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia and I want to support Research into finding a way to treat it
  • the money from the auction goes to Alzheimer's Research UK
  • it's not going to be easy to win we're competing against the other auctions
  • what's this Jamie Stigmar guy
  • you can't change my name though because I'm real
  • the winning bidder of the charity auction will have a character named after them in one of John's future videos
  • the channel with the most thumbs will get a copy of Jam's hotly anticipated upcoming game charterstone
  • oh yes wonderful
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9Z4-gVVShV8 Cardboard Herald general_discussion at 2:55 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10069 · mention_pk 29625
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Accessible entry into legacy genre with a modular city-building feel
  • Great for group storytelling and long-form play
  • Beautiful production and thematic cohesion
Cons
  • Requires long-term commitment and frequent sessions
  • Rules experimentation can slow early play
Thematic elements
  • player-driven city-building with ongoing territorial development
  • A shared village-building legacy game embedded in a kingdom-building arc
  • deliberate, ongoing campaign with evolving rules and boxes
Comparison games
  • SeaFall
  • Game of Thrones Second Edition
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Euro-style worker placement and engine-building — Players place workers to gain resources, build, and advance objectives
  • legacy / campaign progression — Permanent changes to the board and components across sessions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • I think it's probably my first experience with tinkering with game design probably when I was in sixth grade.
  • "a freaking masterpiece of dudes on a map games"
  • it's just a phenomenal day and something I'll always remember fondly it was perfect
  • I still have that sitting around at my home
  • the eyepatch being worn that we had snuck into this game largely because it made sense in the game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video gDPiRltkLJg Cardboard Harold interview at 1:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9852 · mention_pk 29024
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • innovative legacy mechanism
  • strong art direction
Cons
  • complex rule set for some players
Thematic elements
Comparison games
  • Santorini
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • engine-building / legacy style — Players build out a shared village by drafting cards and placing workers.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • We wanted to just have become like this entity that would make games and be very awesome at switching styles.
  • passion first
  • we like freedom but sometimes after working on a project with a lot of freedom, it's nice to have things laid out and know where you're going.
  • we have a very little sense of ego... I'm going to feel equally proud of the end product if she touched it, if we worked both of us on it.
  • we want to work as a couple on the same games together
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video MmWJR1j3kMY OPG Voices general_discussion at 6:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9832 · mention_pk 28967
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Engaging, evolving development arc
  • Allows personalized village building over time
  • Cooperative exploration of new content
Cons
  • Replay value may be limited after the campaign ends
  • Requires long-term commitment and a cohesive group
Thematic elements
  • Living, evolving community development with permanent changes
  • Fantasy village-building in a campaign world that evolves across sessions
  • Cooperative, evolving story-driven campaign
Comparison games
  • Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • engine building — Unlocks and expands buildings/areas as the campaign unfolds
  • legacy campaign — Campaign progress permanently changes components and rules for future plays
  • worker placement — Players place workers to gather resources and progress village development
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • we really enjoyed charterstone yes we did
  • and I'm kind of scared that we're going to go down that same route cuz they said oh after you finish the Clank Legacy you can play your new Clank game from that but do you really want to cuz you know you get to name stuff and you're doing stuff on it
  • we're changing up the format we're going to have some guest contributors coming on board
  • we are a true family in board gaming and Beyond
  • Santa's Workshop from Elf Creek gang I'm excited I can't wait to play I'm excited to play
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video FC9Au3hzer0 Might I Suggest A Game top_50_list at 1:59 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 9732 · mention_pk 28755
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Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • evolving board with cooler actions
  • campaign integration
  • cute whimsical art
Cons
  • high mental load to remember campaign progress
  • time-consuming not finishing backlog
Thematic elements
  • legacy worker placement with evolving board
  • Medieval-like village building with a shared campaign
  • story-driven campaign progression
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • legacy campaign — Campaign progression alters rules and board over time with one-time use cards and tuck boxes
  • worker placement — Place workers to take actions and develop the village
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • charter stone is a legacy worker placement game
  • the art is amazing
  • it's an absolutely underrated gem of a game
  • rolling right to game night
  • the parfait of puzzles
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video uX5bUZ_KU_Q Stower Games top_3_list at 4:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7443 · mention_pk 22028
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Built-in online lobby facilitates remote play
  • Longer sessions without occupying real table space
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
  • Mysterium
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Legacy-style progression; asynchronous online lobby — Built-in online Lobby enabling larger-group play without leaving the app; asynchronous play expands duration without table space.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • All of our games must play from at least one to five players but a lot of our games also play up to six players.
  • We want the heights of six players to be accessible to solo players, partners, and larger game nights alike.
  • Simultaneous play keeps the game moving and prevents downtime from stalling the table.
  • Trick-taking is a great example of short, simple turns that scale well with more players.
  • Planet Unknown is a simultaneous game that plays well up to six players out of the box.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video uX5bUZ_KU_Q Stower Games top_3_list at 4:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7443 · mention_pk 22036
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Online lobby enables async larger group play
  • Engaging campaign feel with six-player potential
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
  • Mysterium
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Legacy-like progression; communal drafting — Shared campaign with autonomous decisions; supports larger groups via digital lobby and asynchronous play.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • All of our games must play from at least one to five players but a lot of our games also play up to six players.
  • We want the heights of six players to be accessible to solo players, partners, and larger game nights alike.
  • Simultaneous play keeps the game moving and prevents downtime from stalling the table.
  • Trick-taking is a great example of short, simple turns that scale well with more players.
  • Planet Unknown is a simultaneous game that plays well up to six players out of the box.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 487VcM1HVYg Broken Meatball game_review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 6075 · mention_pk 18062
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Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • Beautiful art and solid components
  • Space-efficient packaging with charter chests
  • Replay value through 12-game legacy campaign and future-proofing with a recharge pack
  • Good solo mode with automated players and flexibility in player count
  • Double-sided board and ongoing evolution
Cons
  • First two games are bland and generic
  • Weak linear narrative; not cinematic
  • Many cards/items feel underutilized or less impactful
  • Automation can be dull and may slow solo play
  • Limited variety of buildings; some resources feel more powerful than others
  • Campaign can feel lengthy, especially with more players
Thematic elements
  • Legacy progression, city-building, worker placement
  • A shared evolving city-building board where players develop a village over a 12-game legacy campaign.
  • linear, minimal narrative; story unfolds through crates and campaign progress
Comparison games
  • Pandemic Legacy
  • SeaFall
  • The Manhattan Project
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Automated players / solo mode — Solitaire with automated players that fill the board when playing alone.
  • Deck/card-driven progression — Crates unlock new cards and rules; cards are inserted into a campaign book and influence play.
  • legacy-style progression — Board and components evolve over 12 games with permanent changes; allows two-sided boards and recharge packs for extended use.
  • Resource management — Manage wood, stone, metal etc. tokens to build, pay for crates, and activate abilities.
  • Variable board setup and end-game state — The finished board differs between players and can be re-used; board evolves and can be reset with a recharge pack.
  • Victory points and scoring cards — Scoring occurs via various cards and track; end-game VP totals determine winner.
  • worker placement — Place meeples to take actions on a modular board that expands as the campaign progresses.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's straight-up a euro game but the idea is is that you've started off with a board that is almost blank
  • the art in this is beautiful lovely gorgeous colorful artwork
  • the first couple of games are so dirt simple
  • I'm not wowed as much as I could have been
  • twelve games and you'll get 12 plays
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video MvUAri5EAbw Pam's Game Design top_10_list at 1:12:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5644 · mention_pk 16761
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • satisfying sense of discovery and board customization
  • great for long-term campaign play with evolving mechanics
Cons
  • requires long-term commitment and dedicated group
  • some players may find the legacy progression restrictive
Thematic elements
  • legacy Euro legacy game about building a village over time
  • medieval fantasy village with evolving architecture
  • building narrative shaped by crates and stickers
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • card-driven actions and area influence — Players collect cards that enable actions and influence village growth.
  • legacy progression — Players open crates and add stickers to the board, changing gameplay across sessions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • one of the biggest things you know as being a good game designer you want to give players interesting choices
  • Gamers or people in general they want to feel rich they want to feel powerful they want to feel smart
  • there's value in playing terrible games
  • you can create a system that can be re-themed to different things to make more money
  • it's like watching film... you break it down to see how they do it
  • this is a monumental feat of game design
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video wlfWy-OzmFc My Suggested Game top_10_list at 2:07 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4125 · mention_pk 12088
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • long-term campaign feel
  • variable board layout across plays
Cons
  • can be heavy for casual sessions
  • requires commitment of multiple sessions
Thematic elements
  • personalized campaign with evolving board
  • legacy-style worker-placement village-building
  • story-driven expansion across sessions
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • legacy-style expansion — board evolves across campaigns with new components
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Canvas is a really cool hand management set collection game with these really awesome transparent painting type cards that you layer on top of one another to score points
  • the art is just absolutely amazing
  • Wingspan continues to be one of my favorite games of all time
  • this game is perfect for anyone who's interested in escape rooms or ciphers and puzzles
  • it's really easy to get to the table which is one of the reasons why we played it so often
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video wQpHExhJ45k Unknown (Not provided in transcript) game_review at 0:44 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 3624 · mention_pk 10736
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Overall sentiment (raw)
Mixed - good adaptation of flawed board game
Pros
  • Faithful adaptation
  • Excellent sense of discovery and progression
  • New mechanics unlocked each round
  • Engaging for committed play groups
Cons
  • Very complex and busy interface
  • Confusing if you step away from the game
  • Not suited for solo play
  • Difficult to plan moves
Thematic elements
  • Town building
  • Community development
  • Discovery mechanics
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 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)
No references stored for this video.
Video kf4cpqpukvk Adam Porter general_discussion at 9:26 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2259 · mention_pk 6562
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Expansive world-building
  • High replayability across sessions
Cons
  • Long play sessions
  • Teaching complexity
Thematic elements
  • Campaign-driven expansion in a persistent world
  • Legacy city-building with a shared universe
  • Evolving board through scenarios
Comparison games
  • My City
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • legacy campaign — progressive unlocking of rules and components; actions shape the world
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Onboarding is not about just making that first sale; it's about creating a user who continues to engage with your product in the long term.
  • Strong promises will motivate players to tolerate the arduous process of learning rules.
  • The box size, the price, where it's bought, the artwork, the setting — these are pivotal factors that determine whether that game ever comes off the shelf.
  • Brand advocates are everywhere in board gaming; satisfied gamers will share your product with friends and family.
  • Kickstarter is a powerful way to create brand advocates through active backer engagement.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6ZKBYJGSe3Q Three Minute Board Games top_10_list at 3:36 sentiment: negative
video_pk 2083 · mention_pk 6045
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Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
  • Engaging concept with evolving rules
  • Interesting city-building through legacy structure
Cons
  • Legacy changes create ongoing learning and reflection challenges
  • Group prefers learning curves over ongoing splinters
Thematic elements
  • building a village through a campaign with evolving rules
  • city-building within a shared legacy campaign
  • fading and evolving world with recurring touches
Comparison games
  • Pandemic Legacy
  • Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • cooperative worker-placement-lite — players cooperate to progress the city development
  • deck-building-lite — cards provide actions and influence future rounds
  • legacy — legacy-style progression with permanent changes to components and rules
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
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)
No references stored for this video.
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