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Description
City of the Great Machine is a strategy game set in a grim universe of technocratic Victorian steampunk. The game features the conflict between the Great Machine, an artificial intelligence network, and an alliance of Heroes. The Great Machine is either controlled by a player or is automated, which completely changes the game play.
The Great Machine controls a City built on mobile platforms in the sky. As the Great Machine, the player (or game AI) commands a force of perfected Servants and mechanical Guards. The Great Machine's ultimate goal is to suppress social unrest and complete its grandiose Master Plan to perfect the human race.
The other players are Heroes working together against the Great Machine to start a revolution. They encourage discontent in the City, enlist the support of famous citizens, and inflame riots. They also attempt to prevent the Great Machine from completing the Master Plan, as it leads to the enslavement of the human race.
Game features:
City of the Great Machine may be played as One-vs-Many (2-4 players) or cooperatively/solo (1-3 players).
Modular board allows for infinite City layouts. The players may reposition the City Districts during the game.
Hidden movement. Each round, the Heroes secretly choose the Districts they will go to.
Resource management. Both sides of the conflict have multiple actions to take and pay for them in Trust (Heroes) or Bonds (the Great Machine). The same is true for movement and other tasks.
Asymmetric game play and unique victory conditions. The Heroes need 3 Riots to win, while the Great Machine strives to complete the Master Plan.
Secrecy. The Heroes need to conceal their plans from the Great Machine, however, they may discuss their intentions only in the presence of the Great Machine.
Year Published
2023
Max Players
4.00
Featured Videos
Playthrough
City of the Great Machine | Solo Playthrough
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 9
This page: 9
Sentiment:
pos 7 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–9 of 9
Video 0E8T3ellIBE
Jester the Rogue rules teach at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 50967 · mention_pk 139908
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong thematic tension between machine and revolutionaries
- Deep strategic mechanics with clear round structure
- Poses interesting asymmetry and interesting decisions
Cons
- High complexity and long setup for new players
- Steep learning curve
Thematic elements
- Revolution, oppression, strategic planning, and factional conflict
- A dystopian city ruled by a powerful Great Machine, with districts, unrest, and a brewing uprising.
- Asymmetric roles with event-driven progression
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric roles — One player acts as the Great Machine; the others are Revolutionaries (heroes) with individual goals and mechanics.
- asymmetric teams — One player acts as the Great Machine; the others are Revolutionaries (heroes) with individual goals and mechanics.
- bond economy — Bonds are spent to move servants, guards, perform actions, and drive strategic options.
- Citizen trust and activation — Citizens provide trust and activate under conditions; identifying and utilizing them shifts power.
- City Event deck and Master Plan — City events introduce round-specific effects; the Master Plan advances based on outcomes.
- Detainment and punitive measures — Heroes can be detained; penalties shift round momentum and scoring.
- Discontent track and riots — Discontent rises and falls, enabling riots and district outcomes.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a game for one to four players.
- A round is played over five phases.
- That's how you play City of the Great Machine.
- The Great Machine player is to be called the Great Machine for the entire game.
- One player will play as the Great Machine and one, two, and three other players will play as the heroes.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video jK3UGet0uuA
Board of It top_10_list at 13:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 40897 · mention_pk 124055
Click to watch at 13:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Engaging asymmetry and thematic tension that shines in two-player mode.
- Thoughtful pacing and round structure that builds suspense.
- Compact yet satisfying tension with meaningful decisions.
Cons
- Longer playtime for a big-headlined title; some find the downtime between turns heavier.
- Negotiation and communication constraints can feel restrictive when playing with more players.
Thematic elements
- Resistance vs oppression; district-based planning and pursuit.
- A hidden movement clash in a dystopian city where rebels oppose a sentient great machine.
- Asymmetric, stealthy, tension-building
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric roles — Different goals and information availability for machine vs rebels.
- asymmetric teams — Different goals and information availability for machine vs rebels.
- event-driven rounds — Rounds begin with an event card to guide AI behavior, then resource allocation and rebel actions occur.
- Hidden movement — One side controls the great machine, while rebels covertly maneuver without full visibility.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a really excellent example of this genre
- it's short sharp like pretty easy and light together
- you pick them up and I think it just it has a really nice balance of design
- we actually enjoyed playing this more as a head-to-head
- it's driven by a card action selection mechanism
- we absolutely loved [Void Fall], although there are caveats behind us recommending it at 2P
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 10sNpQ5o0fk
Meet Me at the Table playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13045 · mention_pk 38119
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Engaging solo/co-op play with mission-driven goals and varying paths to victory
- Tense interaction between the Great Machine's progress and riot-based victory conditions
- Strong production design with vivid citizen tokens and district components
- Clear thematic feedback and satisfying escalation as riots accumulate
Cons
- Complex rule design and setup can be daunting for new players
- Long playtime; the game can feel sprawling in solo/co-op mode
- Riots and master plan dynamics can feel punishing in competitive variants
Thematic elements
- Rebellion, civic intrigue, stealth and district control within a machine-governed city
- A dystopian city guided by a sovereign Great Machine, where revolutionaries strive to incite riots and disrupt the machine's master plan.
- Mission-driven, with rotating directives and an evolving threat level that shapes round-by-round tension
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Access cards and action drafting — Each hero selects an access card to determine where they may act and what actions are available that turn.
- City Event cards — City-wide events introduce round-specific effects that influence trust, discontent, and master plan progression.
- closed economy — Trust acts as a currency to pay for district movements and actions; some hero abilities modify how trust is spent or gained.
- Directives and board actions — Directives and district actions provide special effects or bonuses; some can be canceled to blunt the machine's progress.
- Discontent and master plan track — Discontent moves upward to accelerate the master plan; the master plan reaching high values yields a loss in some modes.
- Famous citizens and intel — Citizens have values and can be equipped with Intel tokens; manipulating these affects riot potential and district control.
- Riot/riot-token system — Riots are the victory condition; players flip and reveal citizens to form riots in certain districts, tracked via riot tokens.
- Servants and detention — Three Great Machine servants move and detain heroes; malfunction cards shift servant behavior round by round.
- Trust economy — Trust acts as a currency to pay for district movements and actions; some hero abilities modify how trust is spent or gained.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game is super fun
- I love this game I've played it eight times and I can't stop playing
- I love how this game works
- it's epic
- I can't believe we almost won
- this one is so cool
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9Zo_HBZhgCA
Unknown Channel general_discussion at 29:52 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12353 · mention_pk 36034
Click to watch at 29:52 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Intriguing hidden movement design
- Rich thematic presentation
Cons
- Complex for casual players
Thematic elements
- Steampunk, hidden movement and area control
- Steampunk city-building with faction interactions
- Strategic, thematic
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Control zones on the board for scoring
- Hidden movement — Players move pieces with hidden intent and strategy
- Team/faction interactions — Multiple factions with differing abilities
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's a blast; it's like Magic. I haven't played yet, but I'm going to teach him how to play.
- The ghost adds so many layers of strategy.
- You spend ink points to ready your character, and then you can either fight or quest.
- It's sold out at the show; 90 minutes sold out in the rush.
- Two clever cats—it's a thinking game for two clever cats.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ZK8C1uKaBM8
Family Plays Games general_discussion at 46:50
video_pk 6891 · mention_pk 20400
Click to watch at 46:50 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Steampunk minis
- Miniature skirmish
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- spreading the gospel of board games
- it's a must-have
- don't sleep on this
- we love talking about gateway games
- we're taking the game out to people
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video sDRgwT6zL94
Jungkook's Games Update general_discussion at 17:06 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 5282 · mention_pk 15706
Click to watch at 17:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
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've really liked it my many plays of this game over the years.
- it's probably better to move it on.
- I don't think I'd be sad to never play Kalimala again.
- This has been on my mind for a couple of months now honestly.
- we are planning on doing something ... playing games with my friends that also turns into play-throughs that people can enjoy.
- there's a lot of kinks that we're trying to work through.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Em9w9VvjINU
Unknown Channel top_10_list at 11:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3153 · mention_pk 9281
Click to watch at 11:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- high interaction and thematic tension
- clear, cinematic flavor in the mechanism
- engaging for players who like planning and disruption
Cons
- can be heavy and may disrupt others' turns
- requires careful planning and adaptation
Thematic elements
- master planning and rebellion against the great machine
- floating city with a mechanized sovereign
- asymmetric roles; dynamic board interaction
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area/board manipulation — move guards and shift board positions to influence paths
- Card-driven actions — play cards to progress on a master plan
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Wondrous Creatures is an amazing book Euro game
- it looks like a book and not only the box is appealing but also the board game itself looks beautiful
- this is one of my favorite games of this genre
- the great machine wants to take over the world
- you can move these guards or change places for the boards
- the mobs come and the mobs keep coming until you reveal a mob that is not there
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video wB5SevAzIg
Carbo Rhino game_preview sentiment: positive
video_pk 2748 · mention_pk 140504
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Thematic gameplay
- Meaningful choices
- Excellent rulebook
- Tension from hidden movement
Cons
- Longer playtime than suggested
- Complex rules
Thematic elements
- Revolution against an oppressive AI
- Technocratic Victorian Steampunk
- One vs Many
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hidden movement — Players hide their movement choices
- Modular board — City districts can move and be repositioned
- Resource management — Managing bonds and trust
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The great machine is an artificial intellect created for the benefit of mankind but over time it evolved from servant to master
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video w8GIP1V1gNQ
Our Family Plays Games general_discussion at 26:36 sentiment: positive
video_pk 767 · mention_pk 2230
Click to watch at 26:36 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- strong thematic integration and atmosphere
- cooperative teamwork feels rewarding
- expansions add depth and replayability
Cons
- learning curve can be steep
- component quality and setup time may be impactful for casual play
Thematic elements
- steampunk, adventure, heroic fantasy
- Steampunk city under siege by a sentient Great Machine
- cooperative, scenario-driven
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players coordinate to overcome a powerful adversary and its factions
- story-driven progression (expansion aware) — Campaign-like arc with escalating threats and narrative beats
- Variable player powers — Distinct abilities for each player shape team strategy
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- board games are an investment in family
- it's a lifestyle
- self-care is important
- we've fallen into this whole world of the board game hobby
- life has to go on
- you gotta sit at the table we gotta eat
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
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