Auf Heller und Pfennig takes participants to a medieval marketplace. Each turn, players place tiles onto the grid board that modify (either positively or negatively) the amount of money to be made by the shops that share that tile's row or column. Three times the board is filled with tiles and shop money is earned, after which the player with the most money wins.
In Kingdoms, the first English-language version of Auf Heller und Pfennig, players try to collect the most gold by establishing castles in the richest regions of the realm while avoiding hazards like dragons, swamps, and trolls. The 2011 edition includes detailed plastic castles, a streamlined rulebook, and the addition of a wizard tile — one that increases the rank of adjacent castles, multiplying their scores — previously available only at game conventions.
As of 2024, Cosmolancer is the newest version of this design, with players taking the role of freelance photographers...in space! As in the other versions, the game lasts three rounds, and to start a round, each player draws a random tile and keeps it secret. On a turn, you either:
• Draw a tile and place it in an empty space on the 6x5 grid.
• Place the tile in your hand.
• Place one of your tokens, which are numbered 1-4, in an empty space.
When all of the spaces are filled, you score each of your tokens, multiplying the number on the token by the sum of the tiles in its row and column, with some special tiles nullifying positive values or splitting a row into two segments. You retrieve all of your 1 tokens, but the others are now out of play. After three rounds, whoever has the highest score wins.
Images
- mean, fun, and highly engaging gameplay
- space whales and photography
- space
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck-building / card-based actions — re-implemented with a new art version; original mechanics largely unchanged.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Like, they've made a lagoon here. That's cool.
- I love the elegance of one card turns.
- This game is incredible. It's incredibly mean.
- I would happily continue to play it.
- Look at this artwork. Look at this box cover. Oh my gosh, that absolutely meets the aesthetics that I love in art.
References (from this video)
- intriguing intersecting grid mechanics
- great reveal of tipping points where rows and columns cross
- tight, satisfying decisions with blocking tokens and multipliers
- board material can warp; cheaper materials are noted
- imaging tokens and setup can feel fiddly
- capturing cosmic photos with scoring opportunities and hazards
- galactic photo opportunities; space photographers
- thematic, exploration-driven with photographic motif
- Kingdoms
- Lost Cities
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- black hole token — special tile that can cancel all opportunities in its row/column
- Compound Scoring — three rounds; at end of each, scoring occurs and tokens are returned
- grid-based placement — place tiles on a 6x5 grid to score in rows and columns with multipliers
- image tokens and multipliers — place tokens to activate multipliers; some tokens block or cancel rows/columns
- round-based scoring — three rounds; at end of each, scoring occurs and tokens are returned
- Three actions per turn — draw and place a tile, spend an imaging device token, or play a secret tile
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a dig in for me
- the tactical decision space is really interesting
- this is going to be one of my go-to filler games
- the tipping point for every row and column is the funnest thing
- the dice are great
- this is a behemoth
References (from this video)
- tight design
- interactive and competitive
- easy to learn but deep enough for strategy
- space-themed appeal (space whales, space phenomena)
- space phenomena, cosmic dangers, photography and portfolio management
- space exploration, freelance photography in a cosmic setting
- informal host-driven discussion with light narrative
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- player interaction — direct disruption of opponents, e.g., placing a black hole to hinder others
- Positive player interaction — direct disruption of opponents, e.g., placing a black hole to hinder others
- tile placement — maximize points and credits across rows and columns in a tight, crunchy puzzle
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a tight, crunchy tile placement puzzle where you're trying to maximize your points, your credits in every row and column.
- It's puzzly, but it only takes about 30 minutes to play.
- It's tight. It's interactive.
References (from this video)
- Flexible mech customization allows varied play styles
- Engages players who enjoy tactical design and gadgets
- Complex rule system can be heavy for newcomers
- mech customization and tactical roleplaying
- Sci-fi mecha RPG
- cooperative storytelling with character creation
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice-based resolution — combat and actions resolved with dice
- mech customization — players customize mechs and loadouts
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- bellwether is the person that picks a direction and starts the ball rolling
- it's easier on them to learn a skirmish game because the investment of time is usually lower
- the bellwether of the group had something to do with it
- i'll run it and help you roll up your characters