How many players can play Cities?

Cities supports 2 to 4 players.

How long does a game of Cities take?

A typical game of Cities takes approximately 35 minutes.

What are the best video reviews of Cities?

MindForge has curated 44 video reviews of Cities from top board game content creators.

What type of game is Cities?

Cities features mechanics including Compound Scoring, Drafting, Tile Placement, Worker Placement.

Cities - Board Game

Video fouxxz_9y38 Board Game Sanctuary Analysis at 16:22 sentiment: positive

video_pk 151935 · mention_pk 426541

Click to watch at 16:22 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Looks amazing

Cons

Host is unsure about the 3D components.

Thematic elements

Drafting tiles, placing houses, getting phone cars with objectives.

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

city building — The host describes putting houses on tiles.
Objective Fulfillment — The host mentions getting phone cars which have objectives on them.
Pattern Building — The host mentions trying to satisfy certain outcomes and configurations.
Resource conversion — The host describes it as a resource tall placement drafting game.
tile drafting — The host mentions drafting little tiles, specifically plot tiles.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Aren't all these Euros similar? You go through the motions of starting out with a base level of actions, your aim is to get victory points, get resources, turn those resources into another resource which gets you a high resource which then scores you points around the track. You then get cards with endgame scoring conditions and ongoing abilities that you connect together to create an engine.
I think with late games like Dune Imperium where there's a little bit more like Intrigue and the use of the cards to kind of indicate where you can place your workers out on the main game board I feel like there's a lot of games that kind of Sid step from the core base of a victory Point track ability cards and converting resources which kind of ties into more of the traditional Euro games like Agrica caverna and a lot of those early Uwe Rosenberg games as well.
When Great Western Trail first came out that felt really unique to me because the Rondel mechanism of that game where you have these base buildings that you kind of cycle you've got this deck where you're thinning out the best cattle and cashing in for money and then you do it again but as you play the game more and more property gets placed out it really felt fresh because the way you got the points the way you upgraded and the way you progressed in the game felt different.
I would agree to an extent but also strongly disagree to another extent.
Where I think Euro games become different obviously the theme of the game is a point of difference but I think the journey that you take to solving a puzzle or solving the puzzle is different.
I really love little Innovative touches like that.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about whether you think a lot of Euros are similar whether they're just rehashing the same things over again or whether Euros are truly becoming more and more Innovative and unique from each other.
If you can suggest any really truly unique uh Euro games that stand out from the crowd then please definitely leave um that in the comments section I'd love to read them and start a conversation with you.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 2PHNYh-apQg Top List at 32:54 sentiment: positive

video_pk 134250 · mention_pk 382275

Click to watch at 32:54 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Positive

Pros

Interesting drafting choices leading to turn angst
Satisfying 3D building aspect
High replayability due to different city boards
Well-designed by DVE

Cons

The hype may have worn off, leading to a slight drop in rank.

Thematic elements

Building a city skyline
Urban city development

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Card Drafting — Players draft cards that might provide goals or special abilities.
Set Collection — Collecting different types of buildings and harbor specialties for points.
Tile Placement — Players use drafted tiles to build up their city skyline.
Variable Game Boards — Different city boards alter gameplay and scoring focus.
Worker Placement — Players place workers to take actions like drafting buildings, cards, or harbor plots.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Shadows Over Camelot. Now, I used to say that this is probably one of the most thematic games that I've ever played.
In the Hall of the Mountain King. Now, this was 97 last year and 76 the year before. So, it's hanging on.
Warhammer Underworlds. I probably have close to 10 to 12 different war bands that you can play with this game, but I think I probably have only I don't think I've put together like four of them.
Terracotta Army. Terracotta Army was my 96 last year and my 67 the year before.
Jackal and Hyde versus Scotland Yard. Another Vincent Dut Trade artwork game. Uh but really it's the mechanisms um that really made this one fun for me.
Comic Hunters is a really cool game where you are drafting all different kind of comic book covers.
Cities. It's really an interesting thing. And one of the cool things about it is that the game does come with a a good number of different cities.
Decorum. This is from Charlie and Harry Mlin and Drew Tennbomb and Floodgate Games. I really like Decorum.
Fury of Dracula. Now, I specifically have the uh third edition, but I think the fourth edition is the same.
Nar. Um, what makes Nar such a fantastic game is that it really is a race. Everything that you're doing in this is speed of getting to the 40 points and being done.
Criminally low. That's all I'm going to say. [referring to Nár's rank]

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video X-MZqWoN0dk Top List at 10:27 sentiment: positive

video_pk 129690 · mention_pk 368940

Click to watch at 10:27 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

fantastic
light
gateway game
tense
wonderful
great

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

The Cities USA

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Majority — Players compete for majorities in different scoring categories.
Drafting — Players draft tiles, powers, and buildings.
Set Collection — Players score points based on city layouts and types of buildings.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

The games get better.
anytime a game is bad, Matthew, don't be sad. Your friend Dave is here to drop his feet.
It's got to go somewhere. I might as well
It's so smart and fantastically fun and tense.
It's so puzz.
It's such a gateway game, right?
It's so good. It's such a pure and streamlined game.
It's just such a good two-player card game.
The best thing about this game is it gets to the accusations and crime of the game and the anger immediately.
I love it, but it's not, you know what I mean?
the joy of it is just the progression.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video X4Q76uS3WE4 Top List at 13:18 sentiment: positive

video_pk 129692 · mention_pk 368960

Click to watch at 13:18 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Great decisions to make
Light, fun, and fast
Works well at two players
Engaging scoring engine building

Cons

Cities USA is reportedly not as good as the original

Thematic elements

Creating a city

Comparison games

Concordia

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Drafting — There's 4 different things that you need. And at the end of a round, you will have one of each of these 4 things, whether that's building tiles, whether that's new space to build on scoring opportunities or bonus tiles. And there's good options in each row and there's options that aren't great for you in each row.
variable scoring — Where one of the things that you're getting is how you score points. And you can get, I'm going to get this one card, that means I get one point for all of my blue buildings, but there's another one of those cards that come out, and now I get 2 points for my blue, and the 3rd one of those comes, and it's like, I'm building my engine of score.
Worker Placement — We go around the table, work a placement stylish, kind of. Food is just selection, selecting, because they're not reactions, but selecting them.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It's literally a perfect game.
The fun of Quirkle is the fact that it's quick, easy, simple, and joyful.
This game's fantastic.
The idea of you creating the game that you'd like to play with, the deck that you want to play with, during the game.
That's what makes games fun, right? That decision.
It's so good. It's got a lot of depth. It's got a lot. It's just so replayable.
My problem with this game is twofold. Firstly, I don't like being on a team.
Sagrada is a perfect game.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video Q1U0E0FY3_Q Board Game Sanctuary Discussion at 0:23 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 108892 · mention_pk 314411

Click to watch at 0:23 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

Cascadia

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I got this awesome new puzzly game called Shallow Sea, and it's just like Cascadia.
I also got this really popular game called Harmonies, which a lot of people say is kind of like Cascadia.
Hey, I even got recommended this game called Kohaku, which is a Zen Pontar lane game that's very reminiscent of Cascadia.
I got Calico, which is like Cascadia, and Cities, which is kind of like Cascadia, too.
Well, have you heard of life of the Amazonia? It's just like Cascadia.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video -kJy3KrOhb8 Rolling Dice & Taking Names Review at 49:09 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 93439 · mention_pk 252779

Click to watch at 49:09 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

The drafting mechanic is unique and forces interesting choices.
High replayability due to variable components.
Top-notch production quality.
Very fast gameplay and easy to learn.
Multiple ways to score points.
Hate drafting can add an interesting strategic layer.
Clever, less complex game with depth.

Cons

Can promote hate drafting, which some players dislike.
Some players might find it too complex for simple tile-laying.
The random nature of tile drafting can lead to 50/50 chances.
Potential for downtime during clue-giving in cooperative mode.
Some players may find the multiple scoring mechanisms overwhelming.

Thematic elements

Designing a beautiful city
City building

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Majority — Scoring can be based on having the most of certain features like parks or water.
Drafting — Players draft tiles and buildings.
Set Collection — Players collect scoring tiles to earn points.
Tile Placement — Players place city tiles and feature tiles to construct their city.
variable scoring objectives — City achievement boards provide different in-game scoring opportunities.
Worker Placement — Players use workers to collect city tiles, feature tiles, and building places.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

The goal isn't to get the most victory points, actually, it is to make your way across an island and collect three treasures without getting trapped or cursed.
You could take two actions related to manipulating resources, but you couldn't manipulate the same resource twice, which kept you from really manipulating the trade action for other players.
The market was definitely part of the game and that definitely did determine what direction I went on what resources I got or maybe what planets I was going for but it's not like in a stock market game.
I'm keeping this on the shelf instead of Codenames or something like that because I've played it so many times I want to pull this out here's something you already know how to do but it's a different goal.
My boys play probably more old games than they do new games interesting is it because of the hard challenges it's the challenges and they're just classic games that they a lot of the games back then rtss and some some jrpg they just don't make that type anymore or these are the games that basically launched the whole that genre of video games and they just really kind of get into those.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video XXuVjRZ_p7s kovray Discussion at 8:34 sentiment: positive

video_pk 87468 · mention_pk 228653

Click to watch at 8:34 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

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)

we will link the BGG preview list down below so you can also explore and read about all the different games
you have to come in with an open mind
we're excited and do a lot give us that pra to a lot of games

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 4cIrprW58lg UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 2:41:15 sentiment: positive

video_pk 87342 · mention_pk 228006

Click to watch at 2:41:15 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Cities also sold very well for them

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

Rock Hard
Sand Cities

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Gotta shoot for shoot for the moon if you miss you'll wind up with the Stars
I don't know man I mean it's just like when somebody wants to like get all up in my uh area and and and like and like I said I'm trying to give him empathy and saying I understand you know you have a shitty day a lot of people are like probably all up in your uh uh business about it
It's just like instead of you could just come up with so many real reasons why why that guy's just an idiot and what's my what's my expression I don't know what's your you have enough ammunition stop trying to load a knife into the chamber
The convention hall was just so so let me let me ask for I'll ask you how did Saturday feel I didn't I didn't really see it much
My favorite part of John Conan was this year my hug
I I love and hate you all in equal my favorite Jenna my favorite line that I've used that I stole from you and I've used it dozens of times is I used to have a friend that look just like you
I don't know he's got he said he's got a fever and he's got sore throat hopefully he hopefully it's mild
I was like you know what you know you know what really chaps my ass I'm just G to say this right now this really chapped my ass and I I I realize this is political and I apologize for it and and I'm willing to let people say say what they want to say but you know I think that Donald Trump Trump is a complete and total [ __ ] [ __ ] and I think that JD Vance guy is a complete and total [ __ ] [ __ ] as well and there is in a world where I would vote for either of them I wouldn't put them in charge of a 25 cent pay toilet
It's like you know like wrestlers who come out and just say you know what I was driving into Minneapolis Minnesota that's where we're from yeah just like he said the name we're in the city we're in it's just it's just and so what it does then is that it gives the people that like are are are gonna vote for them it gives them all of the like ammunition in the world to say those idiots blah blah blah couch jokes you know it's just like instead of you could just come up with so many real reasons why why that guy's just an idiot
I mean you guys pay attention to me but nobody else wrong again SC okay by the way also Twitter I hate that site
I mean you guys told everybody to f off and they did and now you're suing them because they like what world is this now I don't know if anything they did is illegal not not a lawyer yeah but uh I suspect they probably didn't really do anything illegal in my just observations I don't know they're like oh so much has come to light I'm like huh really
So Scott we we really need to do that well I forgot what you sent me the the lifetime VIP oh lifetime badge didn't we try to do a lifetime v no we just need we just need Gen Con hot games room VIPs for life bch
There's a lot of games those see did anyone see the game it was there just demo I think um String Theory I saw it yeah that thing looks ridiculous it's basically there are it's they're hex tiles with these like spools on them I see it and you get actual string and you string together uh all these conspiracy theories
I was like I'm not gonna play it probably so oh the big bucks yeah it was it was a definitely like i i i i i 50 bucks for a car I hesitate to say this it's a steep hill I hesitate to say this if if I had seen Ted there I would have tried tooo him first TR trade yeah and then I would have felt bad about like I don't know just you would have got over it
I mean you know when I think about it the booth that was ridiculous for us from my my booth they had so many games at the end of the C they had to pack back up and take home
I mean you know it's like oh yeah we you know we offered to pay more we offered this with that and just like yeah nothing you can do like you'd think there was only one convention in America it's crazy
I mean you know it's like oh I I I I I I 50 bucks for a car I hesitate to say this it's a steep hill I hesitate to say this if if I had seen Ted there I would have tried tooo him first TR trade yeah and then I would have felt bad about like I don't know just you would have got over it
People are still going to get really really sick from it and people are going to get really are going to you know die from it as well right but it is one of the nice things about viruses is that you know viruses are with us forever is that they do you know as they mutate and change and whatever you know our bodies adapt and and and grow more used to fighting it because you're just get exposed to it you get exposed to it you get exposed to it just except when long Co would hit you w you know you're believe everything you read
they're hex tiles with these like spools on them
you get actual string and you string together all these conspiracy theories
sold out every day fairly quickly
how's your hand he's like it really started to cramp up
The Cat In The Box hat they had in the booth 50 bucks
it's a really good game
it's so good brilliant
You're gonna be sad you passed on that
perfect game for me
it's a meaningful ending apparently
and then you can start over with different characters different race different um class tons of classes tons of races tons of quests
was landmarks one of the very few games I did play was things in ring
if you don't advertise with me f off
I will not be blackmailed with money but I will be blackmailed with chocolats
there's a lot of dark chocolate

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 4cIrprW58lg UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 2:55:00 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 87342 · mention_pk 228030

Click to watch at 2:55:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Neutral

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

City Building

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Gotta shoot for shoot for the moon if you miss you'll wind up with the Stars
I don't know man I mean it's just like when somebody wants to like get all up in my uh area and and and like and like I said I'm trying to give him empathy and saying I understand you know you have a shitty day a lot of people are like probably all up in your uh uh business about it
It's just like instead of you could just come up with so many real reasons why why that guy's just an idiot and what's my what's my expression I don't know what's your you have enough ammunition stop trying to load a knife into the chamber
The convention hall was just so so let me let me ask for I'll ask you how did Saturday feel I didn't I didn't really see it much
My favorite part of John Conan was this year my hug
I I love and hate you all in equal my favorite Jenna my favorite line that I've used that I stole from you and I've used it dozens of times is I used to have a friend that look just like you
I don't know he's got he said he's got a fever and he's got sore throat hopefully he hopefully it's mild
I was like you know what you know you know what really chaps my ass I'm just G to say this right now this really chapped my ass and I I I realize this is political and I apologize for it and and I'm willing to let people say say what they want to say but you know I think that Donald Trump Trump is a complete and total [ __ ] [ __ ] and I think that JD Vance guy is a complete and total [ __ ] [ __ ] as well and there is in a world where I would vote for either of them I wouldn't put them in charge of a 25 cent pay toilet
It's like you know like wrestlers who come out and just say you know what I was driving into Minneapolis Minnesota that's where we're from yeah just like he said the name we're in the city we're in it's just it's just and so what it does then is that it gives the people that like are are are gonna vote for them it gives them all of the like ammunition in the world to say those idiots blah blah blah couch jokes you know it's just like instead of you could just come up with so many real reasons why why that guy's just an idiot
I mean you guys pay attention to me but nobody else wrong again SC okay by the way also Twitter I hate that site
I mean you guys told everybody to f off and they did and now you're suing them because they like what world is this now I don't know if anything they did is illegal not not a lawyer yeah but uh I suspect they probably didn't really do anything illegal in my just observations I don't know they're like oh so much has come to light I'm like huh really
So Scott we we really need to do that well I forgot what you sent me the the lifetime VIP oh lifetime badge didn't we try to do a lifetime v no we just need we just need Gen Con hot games room VIPs for life bch
There's a lot of games those see did anyone see the game it was there just demo I think um String Theory I saw it yeah that thing looks ridiculous it's basically there are it's they're hex tiles with these like spools on them I see it and you get actual string and you string together uh all these conspiracy theories
I was like I'm not gonna play it probably so oh the big bucks yeah it was it was a definitely like i i i i i 50 bucks for a car I hesitate to say this it's a steep hill I hesitate to say this if if I had seen Ted there I would have tried tooo him first TR trade yeah and then I would have felt bad about like I don't know just you would have got over it
I mean you know when I think about it the booth that was ridiculous for us from my my booth they had so many games at the end of the C they had to pack back up and take home
I mean you know it's like oh yeah we you know we offered to pay more we offered this with that and just like yeah nothing you can do like you'd think there was only one convention in America it's crazy
I mean you know it's like oh I I I I I I 50 bucks for a car I hesitate to say this it's a steep hill I hesitate to say this if if I had seen Ted there I would have tried tooo him first TR trade yeah and then I would have felt bad about like I don't know just you would have got over it
People are still going to get really really sick from it and people are going to get really are going to you know die from it as well right but it is one of the nice things about viruses is that you know viruses are with us forever is that they do you know as they mutate and change and whatever you know our bodies adapt and and and grow more used to fighting it because you're just get exposed to it you get exposed to it you get exposed to it just except when long Co would hit you w you know you're believe everything you read
they're hex tiles with these like spools on them
you get actual string and you string together all these conspiracy theories
sold out every day fairly quickly
how's your hand he's like it really started to cramp up
The Cat In The Box hat they had in the booth 50 bucks
it's a really good game
it's so good brilliant
You're gonna be sad you passed on that
perfect game for me
it's a meaningful ending apparently
and then you can start over with different characters different race different um class tons of classes tons of races tons of quests
was landmarks one of the very few games I did play was things in ring
if you don't advertise with me f off
I will not be blackmailed with money but I will be blackmailed with chocolats
there's a lot of dark chocolate

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video JYzWHQt7vjk Watch It Played Discussion at 12:11 sentiment: positive

video_pk 87282 · mention_pk 227690

Click to watch at 12:11 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

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)

"Mega XP is a board game convention unsurprisingly in Mexico City"
"it's the biggest convention in Latin America"
"I demoed so many Mexican games there"
"pits which is based off the Mesoamerican basketball sacrifice ritual game ... that game was absolutely fantastic"
"I still love Ticket to Ride"

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 5mAu571ruY4 Our Family Plays Games Discussion at 6:57 sentiment: positive

video_pk 87064 · mention_pk 226924

Click to watch at 6:57 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

People liking it
Announcement of an expansion (Cities USA)

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Urban development

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Pixies blew us away I love it love it love it love pixies
the actual comic covers win you over the comic covers are great
if you a comic lover you're going to probably love this game but if you're someone like me it's going to be all right
the gang um it is poker on steroids now
it is not a co-op game it's a it's on the box contrary to what it's on the box contrary to what is written on the box TR they made a mistake it is not Co-op
we lost every time we played that thing what seven times
some people don't know how to build a poah hand
the thing about the game you can't talk so there's no Alpha gamer
I'm confused most of the time with this gambling stuff that's why I don't do it in Vegas

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video kIwufKkhx9A UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 59:25 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86753 · mention_pk 386524

Click to watch at 59:25 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Looks pretty cool
Good

Cons

Lightweight appearance

Thematic elements

Building a city

Comparison games

Go Sushi
OTP
Baron Park

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Drafting — Players draft from four different sections: buildings, map, bonus cards, or features.
Tableau Building — Players build a city tableau.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Positively Fifth Street and it's fantastic because it talks both about the murder but it also talks about like just how he played poker and and made the final table
I never I never played Santa's Workshop I heard it was really really good though
I enjoyed honey Buzz
I thought merch of the dark Road was good
The thing that sucks is that the hard cover for it like it's it's it's the I I mean I get they're going with as far as like the the cover but it's like the my least favorite cover of the options that they have available
Unless the bonus is you handing me $1,000 right now in my hand cash I don't want it
Pepsi as we all know sucks it's and it's and it's horrible
Lincoln almost got arrested he was like you're lucky you have an out of state driver's license otherwise you'd be in front of a judge right now
Elf Creek games is uh yeah they're defun huh y they're not answering any any emails that's that's not a good sign
I always wonder it's like they launched a campaign in June and and I don't know I mean it it did okay but it's like it's one of those things where it's like you you you just hope that they didn't like they didn't know that they were like they were in trouble at that time
We partnered with tabletop at the time the tabletop had their you know person there was was Bo and uh bo was like he was not really at the time you know he was just standing there and me and we we brought all the games we brought table you know chairs tables and everything so
I started rewatching all of uh Sopranos again such a great show
I figure if you just get your kids cynical right away beginning then they're uh set them up for Success

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video A-V_W6CfwEs Watch It Played Discussion at 4:54 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86423 · mention_pk 401900

Click to watch at 4:54 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

quick to learn and play
varied endgame scoring by city
engaging drafting tension

Cons

not the most complex
depends on player interaction

Thematic elements

urban planning, neighborhood development
Drafting projects to build neighborhoods in a city

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Drafting — Four things to draft each round with a first-come, first-served mechanic.
scoring_variants_by_city — Endgame scoring varies by city, influencing drafting priorities.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's simple sleek and really goodlooking it's super easy to learn but each choice is Meaningful
what a cool two-player game
it's brilliant
it's such a good engine builder I like 51st state
Zenith is marvelous
Lone wolves is a two-player dueling trick-taking area majority game
delicious decision

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 8OScTTl3i1Y Get into games Discussion at 17:57 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86031 · mention_pk 221778

Click to watch at 17:57 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

puzzle-like city-building feel; thoughtful decisions

Cons

can be heavy for a casual con session

Thematic elements

Array

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

celebrating the joint 40th birthdays of Brad and Rebecca that's 80 years old
the toddler didn't nap and pretty much made it through the whole day
everybody just mucks in and everybody feels part of it
there was the obligatory game of Blood on the Clock Tower
it forces your hand you have to talk to strangers
kid-friendly games integrated into general play

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video aR_cP_LgN8Q Where There's A Wilz, There's a Play Top 10 List at 44:09 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85255 · mention_pk 218147

Click to watch at 44:09 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

interesting multi-row drafting and zoning considerations
two-player variant feels tight and strategic

Cons

table presence and setup can be involved

Thematic elements

urban development and neighborhood planning
city-building and drafting multiple districts
strategic drafting and placement

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

four-way drafting and placement — Draft from four locations; place workers; draft bonus and building tiles; scoring via diverse objectives.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

This is a quick game. Makes you think.
This is Stamp Swap... Automa Factory knocked it out of the park this with this one because what the Automa does, they're going to rate them based on the rarity of them.
The artwork in this game is phenomenal.
This game is a wordplay game, and every word matters when you're trying to do this.
I really enjoy this game. It It was a lot of fun.
Wonderlust Discover the World… a travel planning game.
In Cities you are building the best city.
The windmill rotates and you choose which side you are going to do things from.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 08KfrW_cdTw Watch It Played Discussion at 14:11 sentiment: positive

video_pk 84069 · mention_pk 213046

Click to watch at 14:11 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

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)

I love the White Castle. I love it so much.
World Order. Yeah, it's so good.
Cities, I loved Cities. I think it's just fantastic.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video K0cmTHFi9xY Rahdo Runs Through Top List at 54:01 sentiment: positive

video_pk 84098 · mention_pk 213132

Click to watch at 54:01 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Highly Positive

Pros

Tight draft best at two players
Solid tile laying
Very good presentation (aside from colorblind issue)
Thematically integrated objectives elevate the game
Elevates the game by giving the city character and story
Sweet, sharp, fast-playing game
Considered an 'Azul Killer'

Cons

Not colorblind friendly

Thematic elements

Urban Development/City Building
Real-world cities
Integrated with objectives

Comparison games

Azul
Coinbra
Coming of Age

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Drafting — It's got a very very tight draft, which honestly I think is best at two players.
player interaction — The tight draft, especially at two players where each player takes two items per round, creates tension.
Set Collection — Objective cards have names and themes that relate to building certain types of structures or patterns.
tile laying — At its heart, you know, this is a game about tiling and then putting stuff on your tiles that represents famous cities from around the world.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Do you care about this or are you just here for the games?
Notice that thing right there on top of our car. Uh, guess what's in there? Let me see. I You can see I've already unlocked it. There's my keys. If I pop it open, boop. Hello. There we go. I don't know. There's uh 50 or 60 games in there of various inundry sizes.
This is another tile lane game. You know how much I love them. It's another entwined drafting game. You know how much I love that.
I know it's not the prettiest game, but it does have kind of a nice retro50s sci-fi kit vibe to it.
The entwined drafting escalates in tension.
The landscape or the moonscape cards you have to play they have to be played in ascending order. So you can't just put stuff wherever you want. So you are creating a vice that you will find yourself stuck in as the game goes on.
Wow, really surprised me. I mean, I love Sim City style games and all that.
I love the uh team up here, Steve Finn and Phil Walker Harding. I want to see that combo a lot more.
It's got a very very tight draft, which honestly I think is best at two players.
The presentation is very good except for the fact that it's not colorblind friendly.
Theme is such an important integral element to Euros. And it always breaks my heart when publishers ignore that.
And that one extra bit attention to detail that so many games ignore in the pursuit of language independence really elevates the game, makes my city that I'm building feel like it has character, like it has a story, like it has a unique identity.
For me, it's an Azul Killer or most of the other ones in this.
Do you want just the games or do you want this little uh slice of life?

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video yFbvK9Wg08E Let's Table It Discussion at 23:40 sentiment: positive

video_pk 82825 · mention_pk 208080

Click to watch at 23:40 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

replayable with varied goals
two-player friendly; quick rounds

Cons

tiles can force suboptimal choices
depth may be light for some players

Thematic elements

urban planning and spatial management
city-building on a 3x3 grid
short, tight play with tangible goals

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

goal cards / endgame triggers — Double-sided goals provide varied win conditions.
grid-based drafting — Draft tiles to build your city; two-player mode scales down play.
Set Collection — Draft buildings to complete goals and score points.
set collection / building — Draft buildings to complete goals and score points.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I'm happy and sad at the same time.
being super honest about that kind of stuff.
we are going to say goodbye to Grand Austria Hotel.
reviewers don't always mesh with our taste because a fairly famous reviewer did not like this game
it's an easy no-brainer for us. It hits the table often and it's always fun when it does
Phil Walker-Harding is one of our favorite designers.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video Wedusl6NmOY The Dice Tower Event Coverage at 12:13

video_pk 80700 · mention_pk 413323

Click to watch at 12:13 · YouTube ↗

Pros

none

Cons

none

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)

Hey everybody, Tom Vasel here and we are going to the opening day of a board convention here in the Philippines and this is the first day.
So, the game buying area is finished.
Here's one of these from Table Toys, one of the Spiel des Jahres nominees.
And here's the big stage where this morning's They'll have a presentation this morning.
This is the view from the stage. You can see kind of the whole thing. They're expecting 20,000 guests, at least 10,000, 15,000. It's going to be a packed thing.
The energy here is pretty high.
The ultimate play for fun, board card game.
I just think it's kind of neat, you know, you have all this and then you can just go outside and see sort of a jungle-esque nature here.
It's 9:30, the convention really opens at 10:00.
We did our bingo game, our Metro Bingo, which was a lot of fun.
The line is almost all the way out the door.
But this is not bad for the convention for people to buy this many games.
Well, that was a long day.
I had a good first day. A great time, a lot of people.
I saw tons of games being played and bought. It was a really great time.
Thank you everybody for joining me. We'll come back to you for more. There's still three more days of the convention to go.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video GQph1yZMKdg Meeple University Rules Teach

video_pk 69898 · mention_pk 166787

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

none

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

how to play cities game designed by Phil Walker Harding and Steve Finn and published by devia games
New York or Ria de Janeiro is recommended for your first play

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video GQph1yZMKdg Meeple University Rules Teach at 0:16 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 69898 · mention_pk 228839

Click to watch at 0:16 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Building cities with features and scoring
City-building/urban planning
Competitive race to achieve objectives

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

City building placement constraints — Tiles must be placed orthogonally adjacent to at least one existing tile; city size and height constraints.
end-of-round and end-of-game scoring — Rounds proceed with drafting; end after eight rounds; final scores include city area, monuments, and scoring cards.
Feature tiles and color matching — Place feature tiles into matching colored blocks; color interactions affect scoring.
First turn and starting tiles — First player selection and starting tiles establish the beginning of each city.
Monuments and special tiles — Gray tiles include monuments and special tiles with unique effects.
row-based drafting — Draft from separate rows: scoring cards, city tiles, feature tiles, and buildings.
Scoring cards and objectives — Reveal and claim scoring cards; mark achievements on starting tiles; end-game scoring based on combinations.
Two-player variant adjustments — Two-player variant uses eight workers, four rounds, and modified drafting/placement rules.
Variable Set-Up: Player — First player selection and starting tiles establish the beginning of each city.
Worker Placement — Players place workers to draft tiles, cards, and buildings.
Worker placement / drafting — Players place workers to draft tiles, cards, and buildings.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

how to play cities game designed by Phil Walker Harding and Steve Finn and published by devia games
New York or Ria de Janeiro is recommended for your first play

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video NrY7h-MBJxo All You Can Board Review at 26:40 sentiment: positive

video_pk 67440 · mention_pk 163563

Click to watch at 26:40 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

strong design; approachable entry to worker placement
high replayability across player counts

Cons

potential downtime on higher player counts
depends on long play sessions

Thematic elements

urban development and optimization
city-building with public and private scoring
tableau-like city-building with drafting and scoring

Comparison games

Cascadia
Acropolis
Arboritum
Calico Verdant

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Compound Scoring — shared scoring visible to all and private scoring for you
public/private scoring — shared scoring visible to all and private scoring for you
Tableau Building — build a city tableau with scoring objectives
tableau-building — build a city tableau with scoring objectives
Worker Placement — open drafting to claim buildings and tiles

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

"This is an absolute owner for me."
"This game has totally exceeded my expectations."
"The 3x2 grid is the least satisfying part of the game for me."

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video mIhELIYtuAs kovray Rules Teach at 0:00

video_pk 60355 · mention_pk 164471

Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

none

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

the game shines is you have the flexibility to choose which road to go first
you'll draw four starting scoring cards and four city tiles and start shaping your 3x3 grid
you can place any color building here but once the color is placed the remainder of the buildings must be of that color
the round ends once all workers have been placed and the round order rotates to the next player based on proximity to the star position

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video nmV7WkWX-ek Board Game Animal Top 25 List at 6:59 sentiment: positive

video_pk 39645 · mention_pk 119728

Click to watch at 6:59 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

balanced drafting enables everyone to participate
solid decisions and variability in setups

Cons

none

Thematic elements

urban planning
city-building
scenic, system-focused

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Drafting — balanced drafting mechanism to build cities

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's a wonderful little family game
it's relaxing puzzly and a great implementation of the concept
the puzzly nature really stands out in this version
Wormspan was a highlight of 2024 for me
Inventors of the Self Tigress is an achievement

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 1t4Q8TG9c9k Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Top 10 List at 5:33 sentiment: positive

video_pk 33609 · mention_pk 99976

Click to watch at 5:33 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Very approachable, teachable in minutes
Nice balance of accessible play and strategy for seasoned players

Cons

none

Thematic elements

City-building
Urban development simulation
Euro-style, accessible

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Worker Placement — Place workers to build and score

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

One of my absolute favorite games to use to introduce new players.
Ticket to Ride is a brilliant game.
Wits and Wagers is a top 10 introductory board game.
There is a real mass-market appeal about Azul while also still appealing to hobby gamers.
Code Names … you can teach it to a large group of people, family, friends, get together.
Chronicles of Crime is a great introductory game.
Moon Colony Blood Bath is a deck builder with a twist.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video Ardk5_e4DqY The Dice Tower Discussion at 16:17 sentiment: negative

video_pk 32733 · mention_pk 96995

Click to watch at 16:17 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

negative

Pros

conceptually interesting

Cons

card text is ambiguous
hard to score or interpret

Thematic elements

moral attributes
card-based virtue collection

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

card collection with ambiguous meanings — cards define virtues but their effects are unclear on the card itself

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I hate this game so much.
The theme definitely is carrying the game but I really like the mechanisms too.
It's a nice back and forth two-player game trying to outguess the other person.
This is basically Scrabble with pictures.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video da4VLnSoMkA Our Family Plays Games Discussion at 59:20 sentiment: positive

video_pk 31880 · mention_pk 93991

Click to watch at 59:20 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

anticipated expansion framework
globally flavored cities

Cons

none

Thematic elements

city-building
urban planning across international cities
gateway with depth

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

set collection / tile drafting — city tiles and landmarks built across rounds

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

We started OFPG Voices, and we brought together a collection of people from all walks of life.
If you don't stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything.
Games are for everybody.
We want thiscon to be so diverse and so inclusive and we want positive attitudes and people to come in who really want to play with people regardless of what you look like.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video da4VLnSoMkA Our Family Plays Games Discussion at 59:26 sentiment: positive

video_pk 31880 · mention_pk 93986

Click to watch at 59:26 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

gateway-friendly with broad appeal
dense thematic flavor for an abstract

Cons

none

Thematic elements

city-building
urban planning in abstracts of cities
light, strategic

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

set collection / tile placement — city tiles and achievements to assemble a city board

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

We started OFPG Voices, and we brought together a collection of people from all walks of life.
If you don't stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything.
Games are for everybody.
We want thiscon to be so diverse and so inclusive and we want positive attitudes and people to come in who really want to play with people regardless of what you look like.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video TYtr85sqqe4 The Board Game Garden Discussion at 6:17 sentiment: positive

video_pk 28795 · mention_pk 84492

Click to watch at 6:17 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

strong urban planning theme
broad appeal for strategy players

Cons

none

Thematic elements

City development
Urban planning
Euro-style resource management

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

city-building — Building and managing a growing urban area through resource allocation.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Let's Get Cozy and play some board games
I get very socially anxious

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video ylIkgwCX3pQ The Broken Meeple Discussion at 27:32 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 12417 · mention_pk 36260

Click to watch at 27:32 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

Simple design from reputable designer Phil Walker-Harding
Accessible tile-laying mechanic
Works with various objectives

Cons

Devir has mixed track record with forgettable games
Game still in progress when transcript cuts off

Thematic elements

Constructing cities with various buildings, parks, and lakes
City building and urban planning
Tile-laying city construction

Comparison games

White Castle

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Compound Scoring — Complete objectives and match requirements for victory points
Objective scoring — Complete objectives and match requirements for victory points
Tile Placement — Players place tiles representing land, buildings, parks, and lakes
Turn order priority — Early placement grants first pick of available options
Turn selection system — Players place meeples in rows of objective cards, land tiles, decor tiles, and buildings

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

You're listening to the Broken Meeple show, a podcast that speaks passionately about board games for the benefit of those who play them
This is probably one of the most interesting and possibly one of my favorite trick-taking games I've played now
My eyes lit up you know and it's kind of like the first time I saw that typewriter mechanic for civilization of New Dawn
People crying that this is like a nearly Flawless game are seriously downplaying the luck problem in this
This is the Pinnacle of Bland
There is no excitement in this game, this game just doesn't generate an emotional response
It generates a lot of fun banter, a lot of cool thinking

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 62gkd5QIrfA Before You Play Review at 21:29 sentiment: positive

video_pk 9163 · mention_pk 27011

Click to watch at 21:29 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

simple to learn, quick to play
works well with higher player counts
strong interaction through competition for objectives

Cons

late-round hijacking of scoring criteria can be frustrating for some
not a standout as a year-best title

Thematic elements

urban planning with drafting and dynamic objectives
City-building on a 3x3 tile grid
strategy-forward drafting with objective-driven scoring

Comparison games

Barcelona (city-building variant)
Hana Makoi

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

3x3 grid placement — Place tiles on a fixed grid with color/type constraints
category/tile drafting — Draft from four categories per round to shape your city
multipliers and public objectives — End-of-round scoring depends on layout and objective cards

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

attention to detail
I really really really enjoyed Perspectives
two-player only cat and mouse kind of game
it's not going to be on the shelf for a super long time but I enjoy it for what it is
the drafting can be a little frustrating
the art has nothing to do with the game but it has everything to do with the game at the same time

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video ZnhfOfMmgac Our Family Plays Games Discussion at 33:50 sentiment: positive

video_pk 8250 · mention_pk 24175

Click to watch at 33:50 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

easy to learn with satisfying pacing
expansions planned

Cons

limited to four players

Thematic elements

urban development and planning
city-building
puzzle-like

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

set collection / scoring objectives — complete city-building objectives for points.
Tile Placement — place city tiles to form districts and earn points.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Black history is personal to us.
Black history is American history 247 365.
keep the foot on the gas.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video TmG3FgLRJsk Rahdo Runs Through Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive

video_pk 7207 · mention_pk 21343

Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Clean and fast playing
Simple and elegant
Tension-filled draft
Excellent at 2-player count
Likely candidate for top 10 of 2024

Cons

Not color-blind friendly with red and green tiles

Thematic elements

City building
Urban development

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

This is literally you will find no better example in all of board gamedom the idea of board games actually changing lives
This game is absolutely phenomenal
This might be my game of the year
The best game I have played so far in 2024
I have not found a tile lane game this tension filled since Calico
Board games are about living good happy fulfilling lives
Elf Creek games has consistently the highest quality production board game period in the industry

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video v6xCyWdCZio The Broken Meeple Discussion at 39:17 sentiment: positive

video_pk 6616 · mention_pk 19637

Click to watch at 39:17 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

short playtime (30–40 minutes)
simple rules that still support meaningful decisions

Cons

abstracted visuals may not appeal to everyone

Thematic elements

Urban planning and neighborhood development
Urban city-building in a compact euro-style format
Abstract/euro-style

Comparison games

Manhattan
Patchwork

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

set collection / drafting — collecting tiles and actions to optimize scoring
tile drafting — draft tiles to build a city layout

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's not easy to stand out so I guess we have to look for small gems like Alice's Garden
open gaming is still pretty good there
food is incredibly expensive at this place it is diabolical
I'll be wearing one every day so I think I'm ordering seven of them
this is a very busy board a lot of Art and pictures and symbols and that everywhere

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video YC5qAwvbexU Paula Deming Discussion at 0:34 sentiment: positive

video_pk 6486 · mention_pk 19203

Click to watch at 0:34 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Engaging city-building decisions
Clear thematic feel
Good social interaction during demos

Cons

Potentially punishing scoring complexity for new players

Thematic elements

city-building and neighborhood improvement
Urban development in a modern city
tile-based city construction with scoring objectives

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Drafting — Draft projects to place into your city grid
scoring — Points earned based on completed objectives and tile features
Set Collection — Collect scoring cards and feature tiles
Tile Placement — Place tiles to form districts and features
Worker Placement — Assign workers to collect scoring resources and actions

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's the largest gaming convention in Latin America
Mega XP is really really fun
I feel like it's such a valid place to go
the energy of the Mexican designers and publishers feels so fresh
I would love to come again

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video UnNAmAAwTsY Paula Deming Top List at 5:56 sentiment: positive

video_pk 6472 · mention_pk 19142

Click to watch at 5:56 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

very approachable for newcomers
highly satisfying drafting and interaction
well-regarded designers and accessible for a broad audience

Cons

may feel machine-like to some once you know the chain of scoring
downtime can be noticeable if players overthink

Thematic elements

urban planning with thematic city-building goals
neighborhood development across eight cities
open-ended scoring-driven progression

Comparison games

Alea Loreum-style drafting games
other lightweight engine-builders

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Drafting — selecting actions/tiles to shape your neighborhood
set collection / scoring goals — collecting tiles to meet personal goals and city-wide objectives
Worker Placement — placing workers to draft scoring goals and build features

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's got the feeling of a Euro with tile Drafting and lay(e) but also you're rolling dice to determine the actions
it's all about secretly bidding power as you fight for area majority and control around the board
the story is so well written and the choices you make feel like they matter and they're important
I love Robin Hood as a theme give me all the Robin Hood Stories movies games more please
River of Gold is my number one game of 2024 for me

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 6d8yGEzfVRU Chairman of the Board Discussion at 2:58 sentiment: positive

video_pk 5827 · mention_pk 17217

Click to watch at 2:58 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Straightforward city-building feel
Family-friendly yet offers depth
Strong design pedigree

Cons

May lack depth for seasoned gamers
Replay variety depends on scenario selection

Thematic elements

urban planning
City-building on a 3x3 grid with terrain types
straightforward Euro with scenario variability

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Compound Scoring — score via personal, public, and scenario objectives
Deck Building — 3x3 city grid with terrain features
objective cards and public objectives — score via personal, public, and scenario objectives
tile/board construction — 3x3 city grid with terrain features
Worker Placement — assign one worker per row to collect features

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

this is the newest board and dice game at least one of the newest
a very straightforward Euro definitely on the lighter end of the medium
I'm glad I did
these are the kind of Euros I tend to really get along with
the old ones are normally the best ones
this is a stripped back Euro
no bloat to the rules or anything like that
it's so easy to table
two to four players 40 minutes just sounds like it's taking all those boxes for me

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video Z_WjreTIis8 Foster the Meeple Discussion at 7:45 sentiment: positive

video_pk 5758 · mention_pk 17050

Click to watch at 7:45 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

approachable and compact city-builder
strong two-player interaction without heavy downtime
elegant integration of set-collection and tile-placement mechanics
clear iconography and rules that ease learning

Cons

some players may want more variability or player count depth
the random secret column can feel a lottery at times

Thematic elements

city-building through tile and worker-placement choices
Famed world cities with distinct scoring identities
compact, scored city-building with concrete goals

Comparison games

Expeditions
Scythe

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

hidden choice and secret scoring — One column may contain hidden score tiles or resources, adding tension
set-collection and end-game scoring — Multiple scoring tracks and a final scoring phase based on city layout and tile interactions
tile-driven city construction — Build out a 3x3 grid of city tiles with row-based scoring objectives
worker placement per row — Each turn you place workers on a chosen row to take actions, with limits on how many you can use per row

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I would never play Expeditions without this baked in now
this is almost like an essential expansion
quality of life upgrade
it's coffee table cottagey just sitting out

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video BYSD6GhdM0Q Watch It Played Discussion at 15:00 sentiment: positive

video_pk 3666 · mention_pk 10824

Click to watch at 15:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

presents a satisfying city-building puzzle
well-regarded in the hobby

Cons

rules and teach may vary by edition

Thematic elements

hand management, resource allocation
urban development / city-building
realistic/compact

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Hand Management — manage cards to optimize actions and scoring
tile placement / area influence — builds and score based on city layout and achievements

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I'm all for getting rid of board game boxes when needed.
The more this has happened, the more I think I should do it to all my games.
I feel like an assassin. The first one's hard, but then it gets easier.
Keyside is it's the heaviest installment in this series. I think it's a masterpiece.
Ticket to Ride is one of my all-time favorites.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video h0d1fZ9jg68 The Broken Meeple Review at 7:22 sentiment: positive

video_pk 3520 · mention_pk 146713

Click to watch at 7:22 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Adds significant variety and new interaction patterns
Enhances depth without overshadowing Leaders or base game
Complements multi-expansion play by reinforcing strategic choices

Cons

Iconography can be confusing; a steeper learning curve
Reference sheets are denser and more complex to parse

Thematic elements

City-centric politics, economy, and influence
Urban development and diplomacy with special black cards
Expands the base game with new black cards that modify interactions and scoring

Comparison games

Leaders expansion
Armada expansion
Edifice

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Black card expansion — Introduces a new color category with unique effects that interact with others.
Diplomacy and additional scoring paths — Diplomacy-like tokens and new scoring routes add non-traditional routes to victory.
Neighbor Interaction — Card effects can affect multiple players beyond your immediate neighbors.
Neighorly interaction on multiple axes — Card effects can affect multiple players beyond your immediate neighbors.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

"Leaders is definitely the one that I actually consider to be pretty much essential for this game"
"This is a 10 out of 10 expansion for me"
"my favorite by a long shot are two-fold actually one of them is the contingent which gives you 5 shields for military at once"
"Armada for me is kind of the expansion that I use if people aren't keen on leaders and cities"
"Armada has the most set up and teach capability"

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video ZzbnLzZkwP8 Before You Play Top List at 12:38 sentiment: positive

video_pk 1574 · mention_pk 4556

Click to watch at 12:38 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Designed by well-known clever designers
Quick and clever gameplay

Cons

none

Thematic elements

urban development and planning
Designing a neighborhood in a city
light, clever

Comparison games

Sushi Go
Baron Park
Biblos

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Compact, quick-play design — Shorter, highly efficient box and playtime.
Drafting and placement — Draft projects and arrange them in your play area.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

there's just so many games so little time
the art is really really nice I think the art is what drew me into it initially
I love games that Implement multiuse
you are in an Academy of sorts and you are taking your final exam
it's going to be faster to table at three players

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video nABLKBkvhG0 Our Family Plays Games Top List at 34:01 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 1012 · mention_pk 2835

Click to watch at 34:01 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

none

Cons

none

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)

No quotes stored for this video.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video I2Ye0KSesBA Board Games With B7 Discussion at 9:19 sentiment: positive

video_pk 351 · mention_pk 101677

Click to watch at 9:19 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Great artwork and components
Solid integration of mechanics

Cons

Rule learning curve may be steep for new players
Some players may find resource flip aspect punishing

Thematic elements

city-building, area control, divine strategy
ancient pantheon warring for divine supremacy
competitively epic

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Control — Control territories to gather resources and expand influence.
disciple/development tiles — Acquire special tiles to craft strategies and power.
resource flipping — Resource tiles are flipped when gathered, potentially benefiting opponents.
Tile Placement — Place village tokens to claim resources and build structures.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Casablanca is a bluffing board game that combines mechanics of betting, set collection, and memory.
If everyone plays it safe and avoids cheating, the game can feel dry and dull, dragging on without much excitement.
Casablanca can be a good game when played with the right group of players who are willing to embrace the bluffing and strategy involved.
Twisty Tracks is a well-rounded game that successfully combines enjoyable mechanics, beautiful artwork, and a captivating theme.
Butterfly Kingdom is an abstract strategy card game featuring hand management, melding and slaying, take that and set collection mechanics.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 549x2ovToCg Our Family Plays Games Top List at 20:53 sentiment: positive

video_pk 175 · mention_pk 494

Click to watch at 20:53 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

strong city-building theme
high replay value

Cons

rules can be complex

Thematic elements

city-building
Urban development and city planning
Array

Comparison games

Calico

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It's fun, but it's not too hard to learn; there's a lot to do.
The donuts look very realistic; they really pop on the display.
Cities from de Games and it's a fun citybuilding game on your little player board.
It's a simple game but strategically all it's not simple.
Rockard is thematically so strong; you feel like you’re managing a rock career.
Windmill Valley is beautiful and ambitious; the tulip-windmill combo looks fantastic.
The candy is D and now we know the candy is dandy.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Cities

Let's Talk Board Games #31 - Perspectives, Agent Avenue, Pride of Ninja, Cities, Pixies

Cities - How to Play Board Game. Draft your way to the best cities. A tutorial.

Cities

Let's Talk Board Games #31 - Perspectives, Agent Avenue, Pride of Ninja, Cities, Pixies

Cities - How to Play Board Game. Draft your way to the best cities. A tutorial.

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