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Description
The Story:
In "Cities" you are the architect of a city of the world. You try to build a city that is most attractive for tourists. You position attractions close together. You build parks as big as possible and place terraces close to the water. You guide tourists to their favourite spots, because only through them you can earn your points.
The Dilemma:
But... you never know exactly which tile will be drawn next. Will you wait another round for the perfect tile? Will you adjust your planning? Or have you got a brilliant idea and can you position the tile in a way that it brings points for more than tourist?
Every player builds his own city and makes his own choices. "All" you have to do is make better choices than your opponents!
—from the official website
Year Published
2008
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 13
This page: 13
Sentiment:
pos 11 ·
mix 2 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–13 of 13
Video ZRdmUOEgW58
Unknown Channel general_discussion at 0:16 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10157 · mention_pk 29894
Click to watch at 0:16 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very lightweight and approachable for families and new gamers
- Quick-to-teach rules and short playtime
Cons
- Limited depth for players seeking heavy engine-building or long strategic games
Thematic elements
- Casual city-building, quick plays, family-friendly
- Urban development in a light, approachable city-building context
- Light, breezy, accessible
Comparison games
- Star Tycoon: Build Your Galactic Corporation
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- set collection — Players collect cards/resources to fulfill city goals and optimize scoring opportunities.
- tile placement — Players place city elements to maximize scoring opportunities and board efficiency.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's time for another game night
- let's see what we got on the table
- this is a market driven
- Tony and I love Market driven game
- so we can't wait to check this one out
- y'all I'll be giving Tony the next taste
- Bud snack that is Monster Munch pickled
- onion this was recommended by alisten
- virs in the UK they were on Amazon so I
- ordered them up got them we'll be trying
- these in upcoming episode
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 62gkd5QIrfA
game_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 QtXPbXj81fI
Tabletop Turtle game_review sentiment: mixed
video_pk 7402 · mention_pk 21898
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Light and easy to play
- Cute building mechanics
- Good for unwinding
- Simple decision-making
Cons
- Lacks depth
- Not very engaging
- Not memorable
- Minimal strategic complexity
Thematic elements
- City building
- Urban neighborhood development
- Light strategy
Comparison games
- Kingdom
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Objective Collection — Players collect public and individual objective cards
- tile drafting — Players choose tiles from available rows
- worker placement — Players place workers on specific rows to take actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's not a game that you would see being played competitively
- Cities is a mildly enjoyable quaint lighter game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TmG3FgLRJsk
Roto Runthrough 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
Broken Meeple general_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
Unknown Channel general_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 Z_WjreTIis8
Foster the Meeple general_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 yxyuoJD0J-Y
R runs through playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4521 · mention_pk 13282
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- high tension and numerous decision points that reward active planning
- strong thematic integration of lakes, parks, and towers within a city-building framework
- good replayability due to variable objectives and tile sets
Cons
- two-player balance can affect pacing and perceived fairness
- theming and objective variety can create a steep learning curve for new players
- tile randomness can occasionally undermine long-term planning
Thematic elements
- urban planning with public objectives (lakes, parks, towers) driving scoring
- Mexico City and other global cities as the board setup for neighborhood development
- live, commentary-driven playthrough with tactical drafting and placement decisions
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- scoring_reminders_and_color-coding — Visual scoring reminders and color-coded buildings help players track complex scoring criteria across multiple objectives.
- set_collection_and_public_objectives — Each round reveals public objectives (lakes, parks, buildings of certain heights) and players race to complete them for points.
- tile_draw_and_drafting_from_bag — Tiles and buildings are drawn from a central bag and selected from visible options, introducing randomness and choice.
- tile_placement_and_grid_building — Players place tiles on a 3x3 (?) grid to form neighborhoods with rules about adjacency and vertical/horizontal alignment.
- worker_placement — Players assign a limited number of workers to take core actions like drafting objectives, claiming tiles, and expanding neighborhoods.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game just bombards you with awesome choices and it's so tension filled I want to grab all now
- it's a worker placement game
- going first is a big deal
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BYSD6GhdM0Q
Matthew Answers the Internet general_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 game_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_10_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
Unknown Channel top_10_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 549x2ovToCg
OBG Voices top_10_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.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–13 of 13