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Description
China is an abstracted game of political influence in China. Players use cards to place pieces (Houses or Emissaries) into the nine regions on the board. When all house spaces in a region are filled (or at the end of the game), players score for majorities of houses in that region. At game end, players then score for having majorities of emissaries in two adjacent regions. Players also score for having four or more houses in an uninterrupted sequence along one of the roads on the board.
This fascinating game of domination combines multiple tactical possibilities with simple-to-learn rules and a short playing time!
Even today in China, the unmistakable evidence of a fascinating story is everywhere. Hundreds of years ago, the country teetered on the brink of a change in power. Regional rulers fought continuously with each other with only one goal in mind: to become the new Emperor. They erected imposing houses and sent their emissaries to the regional courts.
China is based on the award-winning game Web of Power by master game designer Michael Schacht. China differs from Web of Power in that there is no "half-time" scoring of regions as there is in the earlier game; there are four face-up cards to draw from instead of just two; and all adjacent regions have Emissary scoring opportunities, whereas in Web of Power, some adjacent regions did not.
A special variant with fortifications is included.
Aside from these differences, the two games are essentially the same.
Year Published
2005
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Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 7
This page: 7
Sentiment:
pos 6 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–7 of 7
Video c5R23AHGi3g
The Dice Tower top_100_list at 1:11 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 38494 · mention_pk 115885
Click to watch at 1:11 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Nostalgic appeal and interactivity
- Early example of area-control design that influenced later titles
Cons
- Aging components and visuals
- Today there are more engaging area-control games available
Thematic elements
- area control influence with power allocation
- area-control themed game with houses and power tokens
- abstract/territorial control
Comparison games
- Web of Power
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — players place tokens to control spaces and influence regions
- area-control amalgam — a mix of overlapping area-control mechanisms across maps
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Not a single one of these games ends up on my list today.
- 21 years ago when I made this list, I was 28; now I'm 49 and tastes change.
- This game here, this I've not played that much anymore, but I still like it.
- I would love to see a more modern remade version of this one a lot.
- I really like the theme of this game.
- This is a worker placement game where you place workers face down so people know where you're placing your workers but they don't know the value of them.
- Look at that PLA. You have to realize when this game came out, there was almost no plastic in games.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 8sn36LcmRAg
Unknown Channel general_discussion at 2:39 sentiment: positive
video_pk 37606 · mention_pk 112980
Click to watch at 2:39 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Underrated gem with elegant design
- Offers depth in a compact package
Cons
- Obscure title with limited print run
- Learning curve can be nontrivial
Thematic elements
- area control and pattern-building in a kitia-inspired design
- Mythic Asia/Kitia-inspired setting
- strategic, with emphasis on optimization and clever moves
Comparison games
- Rondo
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- set collection — Collect tiles/regions for point bonuses.
- tile/drafting based placement — Place tiles and build patterns to score across regions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Play Chin. Play this obscure Canitia game.
- Speculation. That's a great I'm looking at my things. Speculation.
- I would play Entaria over Zuul. And I tell you what, I would play Entaria genuinely.
- This game is similar to Mysterium, but I think Obscurio is better.
- Thousands and thousands of board games are released every year.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UnuS6U4y_DA
Board Games Hitting My Table general_discussion at 7:17 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12231 · mention_pk 125703
Click to watch at 7:17 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fast, tense, and strategic with room for error
- race element adds drama
Cons
- mistakes can be costly; depth could be intimidating for new players
Thematic elements
- tile/pagoda shedding with race element
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Tile grouping / pagoda shedding — collect colored tiles into groups; shed pagodas; connect to towns for additional shedding and race-like scoring.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is bonfire... kind of one of his more recent ones
- I thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed this two-player game
- it's remarkably fast as well I think I played it in about 75 minutes
- I think it's absolutely fantastic and one of the best two-player games I've played this year
- I love this game because the dice system in Bora Bora is great and the powers help balance outcomes
- expansion Mekka & Bah definitely did make a big change in the gameplay
- Caesar's Empire ... an evergreen feeling game that should be up there with Ticket to Ride
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video c1Yk5l9L1Fc
Foster the Mele general_discussion at 19:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8775 · mention_pk 90731
Click to watch at 19:42 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Playful, meme-friendly premise
Cons
- May feel gimmicky if not executed well
Thematic elements
- Quirky plant-based humor and growth
- Chia-themed fun with playful slogan 'I Chia'
- Lighthearted and punny
Comparison games
- Wingspan
- Calico
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Pattern Building — Players assemble chia-like patterns or collections for scoring.
- Pattern completion / set collection — Players assemble chia-like patterns or collections for scoring.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The weirder, the better. I love it.
- It's going to be a real hit.
- This is all in fun as per usual.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BpPv6huSZBg
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 14:20 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8685 · mention_pk 130284
Click to watch at 14:20 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- clear, clean evergreen design
- satisfying race to finish with a strong finish
Cons
- because of encroachment, can become hostile and highly tactical
Thematic elements
- racing to shed pagodas while encroaching on opponents
- domino-adjacent tiling and pagoda-building
- clean, tactical race
Comparison games
- Torres
- Medina
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- city-shedding and pagoda racing — Achieve control of cities by having the most pagodas touching them, then shed more pagodas.
- climbing shedding — Achieve control of cities by having the most pagodas touching them, then shed more pagodas.
- domino-like tile placement — Draw tiles, place them to create groups of colored tiles, then expand pagodas.
- encroachment / interference — You can push into an opponent's area and push back pagodas.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- my top 10 board games that are pure and trendproof
- these games have a timeless quality to them where it almost feels like they could have been played 100 years ago as well as still be played like 100 years in the future
- these games are not necessarily in order of what is more timeless and what isn't because I obviously feel like they either fit that category or they don't
- they all fit that category of feeling trendproof
- these are evergreen games that will weather the storm and stand the test of time
- Push your luck games have a timeless feel to them because… staying in one more round or dropping out and keeping what you've got is kind of a real visceral emotion
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 20cHr0XTlUA
Chairman of the Board game_review at 9:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7395 · mention_pk 125532
Click to watch at 9:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Flowing, fast-paced play
- Clear, tactical decisions
- Accessible to new players
- Engaging back-and-forth with opponents
Cons
- Tile draw luck can affect balance
- Out of print, availability may be limited
Thematic elements
- territory control and expansion
- domino-like tiles on a large board representing regions and towns
- abstract strategy with direct competition for space
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — control regions by creating groups of two or more tiles
- domino-shaped tile placement — place domino-like tiles to claim regions
- pagoda stacking — five or larger areas allow stacking pagodas for points
- tile placement — place domino-like tiles to claim regions
- vulnerability and capture — regions smaller than five can be captured by others
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Framework is a wonderful player game
- I would play this one anytime anywhere I think it's that good
- it's probably my favorite UV Rosenberg game
- I am a big fan of abstract strategy games after all
- it is an absolute joy to play
- one of the best games I have played this year
- out of print
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2VMJjbxZoRk
Board Games Hitting My Table general_discussion at 12:10 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5829 · mention_pk 122846
Click to watch at 12:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Abstract game at its best with tight decisions
- Relaxing yet thinky ~30 minutes
Cons
- Out of print, hard to find
Thematic elements
- pagodas and color zones
- domino-style abstract
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — race to remove pagodas by connecting to cities and zones
- area control / optimization — race to remove pagodas by connecting to cities and zones
- domino-style placement — placing colored zones and shedding pagodas as connections build
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- an ultra streamlined deduction Style game that's definitely different to your traditional kind of logical deduction games
- I really like this one
- guaranteed some laugh out loud moments
- it's just a very charming, breezy, enjoyable game
- one of the best abstract games that I've played this year
- this game is as good as an abstract game can get in my opinion
- massive brain burner puzzle as you trying to optimally place every single card
- it's such an easy game to teach and learn
- this is one of the best simple dice games that I have
- ratings for this game have just gone up and up and up
- my favorite Uwe Rosenberg game
- The Network's become pretty big actually
- this game is almost perfect
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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Showing 1–7 of 7