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Game Info
Year
2024
Players
2
Age
14+
Playtime
45 min
Collection
Your Tier
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Description
Chu Han is a two-player card game of dynastic intrigue set in ancient China before and during the Chu-Han Contention, 206-202 BCE. Two clans, the Han and Chu, vie to supplant the weak Qin ruler and forge China's first true dynasty. Historically, the Chu began in a stronger position, but the Han managed to defeat them.
Chu Han is a trick-taking, climbing, and shedding game with special powers consisting of multiple hands. Players begin each hand with a mixture of Chu and Han cards, representing strains within clans, hostage taking, and shifting allegiances. Optional Events and two historical campaigns provide additional variety.
The goal is to score 31 points before the other player. Can you outmaneuver your rival to found a new dynasty?
•••
Chu Han FAQ — Designer Tom Lehmann has clarified rules and answered user questions
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 2
This page: 2
Sentiment:
pos 1 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
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Video e34Tr29sQ88
Rolling Dice & Taking Names Analysis at 24:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 86365 · mention_pk 223160
Click to watch at 24:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Liked the scoring system where being stuck with a bad hand isn't overly punished.
- Liked that it requires matching exact numbers, adding strategy.
- Loved the art.
- Appreciates the 'Leman twist'.
- Looks forward to additional plays.
- Clever two-player card game.
Cons
- Wasn't initially keen on some of the card effects.
- Didn't grab reviewer at first play.
- Requires multiple plays to grasp hidden elements.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card shedding — Trying to get rid of all the cards in hand.
- Drafting — Implied through the process of playing and scoring over multiple hands.
- Hand Management — Managing cards in hand is crucial for scoring and playing sets.
- Ladder Climbing — Trying to exceed what someone else has played before.
- Point scoring — Ultimate goal is to reach 31 points, tracked on a board.
- Set Collection — Playing sets of the same number of cards.
- special abilities — Certain cards (threes and sixes) have special abilities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- If we knew more about our sleep, what would we do differently?
- Usually [music] you add sauce to the food, but when the sauce is this good, the food is just there to get the sauce [music] to your mouth.
- No kidding, y'all. Marty had written school wagon for me to say, like he's from the 1800s or something.
- God, Atlanta traffic. Y'all y'all can have that. Just have it.
- The ones that's come out in retail, like a Barnes & Noble, is a bigger box, and people don't want that. people want, you know, the small box so they can just throw it in their pocket or throw it in their bag or something like that.
- So, it was remade, like you said, look like it's a in the same that would come out like with Uno or Rook or something like that.
- Free cookies and milk.
- You know, there's there's a lot of businesses around there. So, it was a great location.
- So y'all, we got to play two hot games from last year that everybody talked about and then two games that are newer for this year.
- Biggest surprise of the games that we played.
- Biggest disappointment of the games that we played.
- So, after the when they say 40 minutes per player, they ain't lying.
- It's just one of those things, Tony, you and I, it's like maybe it's just not for us, right?
- Basically, what we used to think was just fun is now considered death traps and you'll never see them again sort of deal.
- When there is the least chance of snow, the guys who have the brine trucks to get it ready, they they get excited and they have to go spread brine.
- You look like an old man sitting there with a blanket around your shoulder. Turn on the heat.
- Can't do it. State can't State won't allow it. Too many crazy people out there.
- They'd pick you up, take you back, and that's how they made their money. Hey, worked.
- So, what that is is when a bus in North Carolina, cuz you know, we don't have crossing guards here for tracks.
- Now, hopefully you looked for the reason why you were running the tracks. You needed to see if there's a train coming.
- I got off the bus. I looked left. I looked right. And there was this big ass train sitting there.
- So, they were shifting the um tanks around, shifting them around u disposing or unloading them.
- It's a civ style tech tree game, which is what it was with the Beyond the Sun.
- The game was coming to the to to an end.
- So, I I don't Here's my final thoughts on this game. I'd play it again. No doubt.
- So, that is Chu Han from Tom Leman and Mato Games.
- So, that is Beyond the Horizon from Kio Creations and Capstone Games.
- Another reason come visit the Discord channel for Rolling Dice and Taking Aims.
- Did you see they're re-releasing Nurosima Hex?
- So, for moving wild, it is fast. It's quick. Those are synonyms, but that's all right because that's the intent of it.
- So, I I definitely think leave it in your game bag for a 10 to 15 minute game at night.
- And the first thing I'm going to say about this game is it is not a trick-taking game.
- Flowcharts. I know you don't need rule books if you got a flowchart. A good flowchart.
- This is definitely a player interaction conflict game. This isn't a Euro where you're just sitting there playing look at your own player board.
- So, the ambition you set is also determined by the cards.
- So, I mean, yes, you're going to get [clears throat] screwed if you don't have a higher value than what was played because you're going to be denying yourself actions, but you're always guaranteed to at least do one of something.
- So, I wish there was a way to take care of that.
- So, a lot of people said Arcs was their game of the year. I think it's a very solid game.
- I like the mechanics that were in there. I would play it again with people who know it. I would not go through the teach again.
- And believe it or not, it is a trick-taking game.
- This is definitely a player interaction conflict game.
- I really enjoyed the battle perspective of this game. It was very quick and it was over very fast and you took on the chance of getting hurt based on the dice that you were rolling.
- It was a tough teach.
- It's a unique experience. I haven't played another game that's like this.
- Believe it or not, it is a trick-taking game.
References (from this video)
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Video wuXuGIfkjqU
Review at 0:30 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 69028 · mention_pk 165348
Click to watch at 0:30 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- some of the card abilities are definitely clever. Turning your opponent's power into your own game feels really great.
- the historical guide in the box surprisingly detailed and very well done. If you like games that lean into theme and context like that, even if it doesn't really affect gameplay, it's a pretty awesome touch.
Cons
- there really just wasn't much of a wow factor here. There's so many inventive trick takers out now, and this one felt fine.
- the pacing definitely can stall. a few bad draws and suddenly you're just watching your opponent play solitaire while you sit there hoping for some kind of miracle.
- the rule book was pretty rough in the 2020s with tools like chat GPT around that I just don't think there's much of an excuse for a clunky teach like this.
Thematic elements
- battling for dominance in the ashes of an empire, civil war
- ashes of an empire, 3rd century BCE Chinese dynasty
Comparison games
- Race for the Galaxy
- President
- Scout
- Fox in the Forest
- The Cat in the Box
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Each round starts with players getting a third of the deck with the rest going into a central supply.
- Hand Management — a few bad draws and suddenly you're just watching your opponent play solitaire while you sit there hoping for some kind of miracle.
- Push Your Luck — It's all about pushing your luck.
- Set Collection — A set just being any group of the same number.
- Trick-Taking — As you duke it out through a series of tricks until one of you hits 31 points and seizes the dynasty.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Long before Marvel versus DC, Messi versus Ronaldo, Android versus Apple, or even Kendrick versus Drake, there was Chu versus Han. One of history's OG rivalries. No internet beef, just swords, politics, and a lot of ambition.
- Basically, it was the original Clash of Clans, just with fewer gems and a lot more beheadings.
- This one felt fine. Like, honestly, it mainly reminded me of that old card game, President. You know, that one that you would play in high school study hall while pretending to do school work.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
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