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Description
Welcome, devotees! The celestial gaze of the Great Inky One falls upon you; do you have what it takes to be the most dedicated follower?
Cosmoctopus is an engine-building, tentacle-gathering board game for 1 to 4 devotees. Guide Cosmoctopus through the Inky Realm, a flexible configuration of tiles, to gather resources and obtain powerful cards that represent relics, scripture, hallucinations and constellations. Harness the power of these bizarre objects and experiences, craft potent card combinations and be the first to gain 8 tentacles to win!
Your turns are simple; the game’s excitement and depth lie in working out how best to use an ever-powerful hand of cards. Unlike some other engine-builders, you’ll be straight into the fun, upgrading your engine from turn one. With variable setup, easy ways to alter difficulty and optional solo and co-operative modes, Cosmoctopus offers a versatile tabletop experience, whatever your gaming tastes.
—description from the publisher
Year Published
2023
Featured Videos
Playthrough
Cosmoctopus - Solo Playthrough
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 3 ·
mix 2 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video spTkOL9PDHU
All You Can Board general_discussion at 10:04 sentiment: negative
video_pk 62470 · mention_pk 155049
Click to watch at 10:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- art and production look nice
- solo and co-op option present
- thematic setting is engaging
Cons
- length in two players feels long
- not particularly innovative among similar big-card deck games
- overproduced for price point
Thematic elements
- weird cosmic motif with multiple card types
- cosmic octopus-themed tableau/engine-building
- quirky thematic presentation
Comparison games
- Race for the Galaxy
- Terraforming Mars
- Everdell
- Arc Nova
- Earth
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- engine building — convert resources into others to gain tentacles for the great inky one
- engine-building / resource conversion — convert resources into others to gain tentacles for the great inky one
- production grid and color/types diversity — three-by-three grid with four card types; color-specific effects
- tableau building — players build a tableau from a deck/display to gain resources
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm coming in about to say this is a move on for me.
- this is a move on for me
- forgettable
- it's a dig in for me
- you can't go wrong with Orango
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zzSwzlBLPM8
Unknown Channel playthrough at 0:15 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 61600 · mention_pk 154243
Click to watch at 0:15 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Thematic flavor and card naming feel flavorful and fun
- Short, quick playthrough with a satisfying final spike to victory
- Tokens are visually appealing and tactile
Cons
- Turns can feel repetitive, especially in solo play
- AI tracking of tokens can become visually cluttered and messy
- Satisfaction level may dip for players seeking heavier crunch or longer solo campaigns
Thematic elements
- Worship and summoning the Great Inky One from a slumbering realm
- Cosmic horror / Lovecraftian mythos inspired
- Narrative-driven, theme-forward with card-driven engine and solo AI antagonist
Comparison games
- Space Park
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck building — Acquire items and resources to build a personal engine that yields tentacles and other rewards toward summoning the Inky One.
- deck-building / engine-building — Acquire items and resources to build a personal engine that yields tentacles and other rewards toward summoning the Inky One.
- hand management — Track tokens for the private investigator and player resources; managing table presence and discards is a core pacing element.
- Market drafting / card row selection — Draw and acquire cards from a market row; some cards grant permanent bonuses, others provide immediate effects.
- Resource management — Manage whispers, stars, ink, and coins across cards, market tiles, and constellation cards to trigger abilities and reach tentacle goals.
- Solo AI rival (Private Investigator) — A simple AI opponent that consumes tokens and resources, advancing its threat toward summoning the Inky One and altering market availability.
- Token/hand management — Track tokens for the private investigator and player resources; managing table presence and discards is a core pacing element.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- oh my goodness the great Inky one praise be
- I didn't expect to win there I was even I wasn't aware that I was so close to that
- it's a chaotic playthrough
- I love the tokens they're very cute
- Space Park which I can play solo as well and I prefer that over this
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video EjbQz62GI4o
Unknown Channel game_review at 0:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 59510 · mention_pk 152075
Click to watch at 0:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Simple yet strategic gameplay
- Great art and physical components (plastic Cosmo Octopus)
- Solo mode available
Cons
- Theme is thinly veiled
- Limited direct player interaction; can be disrupted by other players' moves
- Tight card economy can be punishing
Thematic elements
- Worship of an Interstellar octopus; hand-management and resource-gathering wrapped in an octopus-themed coat of paint.
- A tiled, rotating setup where the Great Inky One moves among tiles to collect resources and trigger abilities.
- 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)
- it's simple yet highly strategic gameplay
- the fun is being the best at dealing with what I'm dealt
- the theme is thinly veiled
- i am staying for the simple yet highly strategic gameplay
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AHCSgvrf3nY
Board Gaming Doctor general_discussion at 12:25 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34315 · mention_pk 102203
Click to watch at 12:25 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Accessible with quick play
- Solid variability from random card rows and objectives
Cons
- Some players may want deeper strategy over the long term
- Subject to the usual variability of card-driven play
Thematic elements
- tentacle collection and resource manipulation
- space-adjacent ocean/alien octopus theme
- tactical, resource-driven with evolving objectives
Comparison games
- Jaipur
- Far Away
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Competitive tableau building — Save and deploy resources to expand capabilities and scoring opportunities.
- Resource management — Acquire and allocate resources to play cards and meet objectives.
- tableau building — Save and deploy resources to expand capabilities and scoring opportunities.
- Unique player powers — Card row provides ongoing and one-time effects with multiple routes to victory.
- Variable player powers on cards — Card row provides ongoing and one-time effects with multiple routes to victory.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Harvest feels lighter than viticulture, but intriguing for quicker play.
- Castle Combo has quick play and surprising depth for a fast 3x3 card grid game.
- I think this game would play a lot better with more players because that way you would be able to move these highway men a lot faster and they would serve to be more of an impediment.
- Memoir 44 is a classic thanks to its approachable yet tactical WWII battles.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video wxKM5Uzud4o
Board Game Garden general_discussion at 19:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 32118 · mention_pk 94797
Click to watch at 19:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- beautiful artwork and theme
- engaging mix of mechanics
- fun with多人 players
Cons
- not always easy to teach at first glance
Thematic elements
- tentacles and cosmic exploration
- cosmic/oceanic tableau
- hand management and tableau-building with a player race to tentacles
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hand management — build a hand and manage resources to gain tentacles
- Resource management — use resources efficiently to beat opponents to the tentacles
- Resource optimization — use resources efficiently to beat opponents to the tentacles
- tableau building — play cards to a personal tableau for powers and combos
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I absolutely love Astra
- it's very unique
- I absolutely love the theme of trying to defeat the illiterati
- this is a fantastic dice drafting game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video MdN_z8H8kdg
Cosmoctopus game_review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 12097 · mention_pk 35413
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- cute and easy to teach
- simple core rules
- family-friendly potential
- transparent victory condition (8 tentacles) and straightforward endgame
- engaging combination of card drafting and engine-building
Cons
- engine balance can lead to a head start being hard to overcome, potentially causing anticlimactic play
- core gameplay loop may feel average after multiple plays
- pacing and engagement may wane for some players over time
Thematic elements
- cosmic horror whimsy; tentacled extraction and tentacle-based victory mechanics
- A cosmic, tentacled deity theme with a board of tiles and a central Cosmoctopus figure
- abstract, engine-building with card drafting and tile placement
Comparison games
- Century Golem
- It's a Wonderful World
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — Draft face-up cards (relics, scriptures, hallucinations, constellations) to gain ongoing powers or discounts.
- constellations and resource placement — Constellation cards hold multiple resource bonuses; placing matching resources progresses bonuses on the card.
- endgame tentacle collection — Accumulate tentacles through card effects; the first to eight tentacles triggers the win condition.
- engine-building — Combine card types to create ongoing discounts, resources, events, and victory point generation.
- hallucination and event cards — Hallucination cards are typically one-off events; some allow immediate extra plays or effects.
- Resource management and spending — Spend colored resources to pay card costs; gray costs are wild and can be paid with any resource.
- rotation gaze end-of-turn — At the end of a player's turn, rotate the Cosmoctopus to face the next player, impacting subsequent actions.
- special tiles with unique powers — Each game includes four special tiles, each granting a unique power to influence the engine or scoring.
- tile movement and placement — Move the Cosmoctopus to adjacent tiles (no diagonals) and gain space benefits; a resource may grant an extra move.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- cosmoctopus is a cute and easy to teach game with very simple core rules and a gameplay Loop that should be very easy to pick up
- the best thing about this game is at the end of your turn you must rotate cosmoctopus so its gaze falls on the next player
- you move the cosmoctopus around, pick up cards and resources and play them to get ongoing discounts, events or victory points
- it's a pretty straightforward game and despite the moderately spooky theme I think this would be fine for a family game night as well
- if someone gets a good start and gets your engine going there isn't really much you can do about catching them
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6