Game Info
Year
2026
Players
1-5
Age
10+
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
Mechanic profile
Not enough video data yet
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
A medium-weight economic strategy game where players run competing cola brands in the 1980s and fight for mind share and retail shelf space.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 3 ·
mix 3 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video K2c6ARE6AE8
BoardGameCo News at 8:45 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 122999 · mention_pk 353236
Click to watch at 8:45 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- hit every box
- great game
Cons
- didn't feel the wow factor personally
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)
- Asmodee's buying the uh Welcome To brand and the company. Apparently, it has 3 million plus plays.
- Whenever you have like a degree of news in the tabletop hobby, but not in board games. Like none of the board game sites that I've seen have covered this.
- The problem when you're not transparent with your audience, the problem when you let people figure it out and guess themselves, is sometimes they go to 2 + 2 = 4, when really 2 + 2 = 4.5 in this particular situation.
- Steamforged did release an update I already talked about. Yes, you know, we have it covered. Sorry about that. It's going to be taken care of. It's one of those many things that doesn't look good and probably isn't good, but it doesn't necessarily mean that all the boats are falling over at least not yet.
- Got 5 is strangely addictive. I've been playing it so much. It is a little bit insane.
- Overall I thought Opera Magna was very well done.
- I do like it more than White Castle, that's for sure.
- Overall I enjoyed it. It hit every box. It was a great game. I just didn't feel the wow factor personally. I gave that a 3.5.
- My Island was a disappointment. I I wanted that game to be more for me. It wasn't unfortunately.
- Gloomhaven which I also have been going through a lot. Again, it's another one I want to do a 12 by 12 review of.
- Certain games are just you know, my jam.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xX8tlO7GXj0
Bower's Game Corner Analysis at 0:52 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 122125 · mention_pk 351300
Click to watch at 0:52 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- The game has a cool theme.
- The designer has poured immense personal time and money into its creation.
- The publisher has invested heavily in the game's art and prototypes.
- The publisher has shown willingness to make changes and has been productive in recent conversations.
- The game is described as special by the designer.
- The game is seen as more inclusive for aspiring designers due to AI art's barrier reduction.
Cons
- Significant controversy surrounding the use of AI-generated art.
- Publisher's lack of transparency and evasiveness has caused frustration.
- Human illustrators have had their names removed from credits due to harassment.
- Some AI art (box art, VP cards) is present in the game.
- The Gamefound page marketing graphics were initially designed with AI.
- The publisher made the mistake worse by not owning up to AI usage immediately.
- The crowdfunding campaign initially lacked transparency regarding components and stretch goals.
- The publisher's response and management of the campaign have left a bad taste.
- The designer regrets not pressing harder for a clause banning AI art in their agreement.
Thematic elements
- Cola Wars
Comparison games
- Ascendency
- Concordia
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck Building — Mentioned as a mechanic the game evolved into.
- Tableau Building — Mentioned as a complex mechanic the game became.
- Worker Placement — Mentioned as the initial core mechanic of the game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "The so-called cover up is far worse than the crime."
- "The hangup is just whether they admit they suspected there was any in the first place."
- "It's hard to spot and getting harder every day."
- "After being harassed in the middle of the night by brave keyboard warriors, and after having private conversations released to the world at large without their consent, some of the human illustrators have understandably asked to have their names removed from the credits."
- "This is a tragedy as their work should have been recognized. They don't deserve what has happened to them."
- "It's so stupid. Too long didn't read. I'm pretty sure there's some generative AI art in the game."
- "My name is being dragged through the mud along with theirs."
- "This is what actual transparency looks like."
- "The lack of consent is 100% part of AI's business model."
- "It sucks that your design got embroiled in this since as you say it ultimately on the publisher, but their response and the way they manage their AI generated gamefound campaign has left a bad taste in a lot of people's mind space."
- "It's incredibly well-made response and uh it's what should be the standard in situations like this."
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video WWHL2zRjaJw
The Brothers Murph Playthrough at 0:33 sentiment: positive
video_pk 121945 · mention_pk 350865
Click to watch at 0:33 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fun theme that leans into 80s nostalgia
- Engaging mechanics like worker placement and area majority
- Satisfying engine building through HQ upgrades and executive hiring
- Thematic elements like drinking custom colas enhance the experience
- Dice tower (vending machine) works well and is a nice touch
Cons
- Prototype status means art and rules may change
- Some actions can be expensive and might feel like a waste if not planned well
Thematic elements
- Competing cola conglomerates aiming for market dominance
- 1980s
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Majority — Players compete for dominance on shelf space and head space boards by placing the most bottles or bottle caps in contested areas to gain market share.
- Card Drafting — Players can hire executives from a display and can gain new project cards or market research cards.
- Dice Rolling — Dice are used for various outcomes, including global events, Wall Street rolls for cash, and determining which shelves activate during scoring.
- Engine Building — Upgrading the HQ provides benefits like more budget or extra action tokens, and hiring executives can lead to more powerful actions.
- Resource Management — Players manage a yearly budget, which is crucial for taking actions like buying ads or bottles.
- Set Collection — Players collect market shares which contribute to their score, and bottle caps are collected in different memory categories to gain market share.
- Worker Placement — The game is described as a 'worker placement action selection game' where players use action tokens to activate executives and perform actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We are trying to be titans in the cola industry.
- We want you to be thinking about our brands of cola uh to get as much market value as possible, the market shares and stuff in a kind of a race to 50 or have the most at the end of the game.
- In Cola Wars, players will compete as rival cola conglomerates as they vibe for the attention of people's eyes and memory.
- People buy the colas they remember.
- Dude, I got a budget to fill and I've got mouse with which to pour my delicious actual poison.
- Lose weight by drinking cola. The bubbles make you lighter. Listen, that's science.
- My first bottle on any empty shelf that I buy costs $5 less.
- So, now we're in Q3. We're scoring now. First thing you do is reset your budget. If you had any leftover money like I do, that's not part of next year's budget. You lose it. You use it or you lose it.
- The fact that all three of those rolled onto sports was a little...
- You know what? Youths. There's no youth watching us. They do not watch us.
- We're not doing anything interesting for them. Where's out here making cola? That's actual poison.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video NMPrMJvvU1w
BoardGameCo Review at 0:03 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 121911 · mention_pk 350805
Click to watch at 0:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Theme and mechanics tie together nicely.
- Components are great, including a charming dice tower.
- Characters have a lot of charm.
- Game delivers on Eurogame aspects like area control.
- Strong degree of actions with ramping up as headquarters are built.
- Ton of characters with charm and player abilities.
- Upgradable abilities.
- Works across the board, hitting a lot of notes.
- Game does not overstay its welcome.
- Can get moving pretty quickly.
Cons
- Does not feel magical; reviewer is not pulled in.
- Two players does not feel as good as higher player counts.
- Some table space felt over the top and unnecessary.
- Fixed-length Eurogames are a slightly uphill battle for the reviewer.
Thematic elements
- Building a cola empire
Comparison games
- Power Grid
- Food Chain Magnet
- Soda Jerk
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players compete for head space and shelf space by placing bottle caps and bottles, influencing market share based on dice rolls and competition.
- Dice Rolling — Dice are rolled, often using a dice tower, to determine payouts for shelf space and market share.
- Engine Building — Players upgrade their headquarters and characters to unlock benefits and gain more actions or income over the course of the game.
- Set Collection (implied) — Players gather projects which are goals to cash in for rewards, suggesting a form of set collection or objective fulfillment.
- Variable Player Powers (Implied) — Players can upgrade their asymmetric headquarters and characters, suggesting unique starting abilities or upgrade paths.
- Worker placement (implied) — Players use assistants and their actions to take actions on their player board or the central board, suggesting a worker placement or action selection mechanism.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I don't think this game does anything wrong. In fact, I think the game does everything right.
- the biggest thing for me is I just don't think I felt the magic.
- Overall, the game is hitting on a lot of notes.
- Rating-wise, I kind of wanted to come in at a four out of five, but I think I think I'm just not pulled in enough. I'm going to come in at a 3.5 out of five.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video KUdx8Ei9CQQ
Shelfside Review at 0:17 sentiment: positive
video_pk 121923 · mention_pk 350825
Click to watch at 0:17 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Elegant components with sturdy and functional caps and bottles.
- Extremely readable game design with clear visual indicators.
- Satisfying and robust dice tower.
- Creative framing of victory points through market share tokens.
- Mechanics are well-integrated with the zany 80s cola theme.
- Solid strategy and counter-play opportunities.
- Resource scarcity (caps and bottles) adds strategic depth.
- Elegant and satisfying jingle mechanic.
- Streamlined and forgiving employee hiring process.
- Clever spin on worker placement with player board actions.
- Intuitive gameplay that reduces analysis paralysis.
- Risky plays are incorporated but handled delicately.
- Good thematic integration with actions like going to Wall Street or corporate retreats.
- Clever progression in shelf space categories (fast food, supermarket, fine dining).
- Satisfying progression in player actions (3 to 4 actions per round).
- Game length is not too long, with playtime under two hours even on the first play.
- Market share concept feels more thematic than standard VP.
- Employee management is fun and streamlined, not overly complex.
- Jingle mechanic is genius and satisfying.
- Game is forgiving for non-board gamers and focuses on telling a fun story.
- Tapered progression prevents the game from becoming overwhelming.
Cons
- Component jank in the prototype, like a miscolored token and repeated employee art making cards hard to distinguish.
- Flavor text on employee art is hard to read without an outline.
- Intern employee visuals could be more distinct.
- Ambiguity in card names (employee vs. executive deck).
- Global event cards are visually busy and can cause players to tune out.
- Difficulty distinguishing the wild cap from the jingle cap.
- Rulebook and components contain prototype information.
- Missing player aid, leading to confusion about game structure (Q1-Q4).
- Player board could be clearer about free action rules.
- No artist credited; some employee art is considered uncanny.
- Money trackers are too small and hard to read, hindering board state assessment.
- Project cards can feel contentious due to potential luck-sack rewards.
- Some project requirements are too easy to fulfill for their rewards.
- Lack of a neutral player rule for two-player games.
- Art style is not liked by the reviewer and group.
Thematic elements
- Running a soda company competing for market share
- 1980s America
Comparison games
- Food Chain Magnate
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players have three actions per round to place on the board or on employees to trigger abilities.
- Area Majority — Players compete for area majority in headspace and shelf space categories to gain market share.
- Card Drafting — Players can hire employees from a face-up display and can draw project cards.
- Dice Rolling — Dice are rolled at the end of each round to determine market share and public opinion, with specific dice influencing different categories.
- Press Your Luck — Intern employees require a dice roll for activation, with a chance of failure, partial success, or great success.
- Resource Management — Players manage money to buy ads, place bottles, and hire employees, and also manage limited supplies of caps and bottles.
- Set Collection — Players collect sets of caps and bottles to gain market share in headspace and shelf space categories.
- Variable player powers — Players draw and keep one of two VP crony cards, providing unique asymmetrical abilities.
- Worker Placement — Players use action tokens to take actions on the board, including actions on their own player board, which allows for customization.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- If I were to explain the components that you touch in this game in a single word, it would be elegant.
- This game is also extremely readable for the most part.
- The jingle mechanic, which I found is one of the most elegant mechanics I've seen in a board game for some time.
- Employee hiring is first of all very streamlined and forgiving.
- Cola Wars just gets it with the corporate satire as these are so amusing employees as they are free to hire and exploitable all the way through as they never tire.
- The market share idea was good, but I really want to bring it up again because I played so many board games that are all like, "Oh, get the most VP. Get 100 VP first."
- This game knows how to keep employee management a fun emulation and not trying to copy every single part of a company structure like say John company.
- Shoutout again to the jingle mechanic. I think this is pretty genius.
- This game is just so elegant with all these gameplay meeting theme ideas.
- This is going to get a tentative score of eight out of 10. It is great. Tentatively great.
- Long have I looked for a game substitute for Food Chain Magnate, a game that captivated my heart and my stomach with its fun theme and corporate structure satire. But, it couldn't quite get my brain because that game was like almost unplayable to me.
- I wish I had Cola Wars many years ago when I was fresh into the hobby because I'd probably play this game like constantly, and be probably top 10 or top 20 for me, at least with updated art on the final version.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video WAvjIWlDwvs
BoardGameCo Review at 14:58 sentiment: positive
video_pk 81523 · mention_pk 309783
Click to watch at 14:58 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- intriguing unique theme
- nostalgic '80s/'90s vibe
Cons
- mechanics and exact gameplay details not fully known
Thematic elements
- economic Eurogame with a Distilled-like feel
- 90s vibe with cola-themed themes
Comparison games
- Distilled
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Engine Building: Efficiency — distinct from Distilled but with a similar vibe
- Euro-style engine/economics — distinct from Distilled but with a similar vibe
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm not an RPG person.
- It's DC, Justice League, all those things are great.
- I like Mindbug. I like Mindbug a lot.
- The unique theme, the presentation designed by Danny Garcia, it definitely has me interested.
- Alterra from IV Studios. Set in the world of 10.
- I am very interested. Again, I have no idea whether this game will land for me or not.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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Showing 1–6 of 6