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Description
Tonight, the queen holds a banquet that everyone will attend. Will they leave a good impression? Backstabbing is fair game, and no trick is too dirty if it allows you to place your favorite families in the spotlight.
In Courtisans, you receive and play three cards on each of your turns. One is played at the Queen's table to sway a family's influence, whether in a positive or negative manner. The two other cards are played in your domain and in an opponent's domain, and they can be worth positive or negative points, depending on their family's status at the end of the game. Choose where best to place your three cards if you want to end up with the most points and win.
—description from the publisher
Year Published
2024
Featured Videos
Review
Courtisans
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 2
This page: 2
Sentiment:
pos 2 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–2 of 2
Video 9YH8T5nc6lo
game_review at 0:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61342 · mention_pk 154010
Click to watch at 0:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Engaging push-pull scoring mechanic with esteem vs fallen
- Short rounds with fixed number of turns per player for fairness
- Hidden objectives add tactical depth
- Rich take-that interactions (assassins, spies)
- Accessible to a wide age range; good social interaction at 3-5 players
- Pretty card design with foil accents
Cons
- Two-player variant is less appealing due to reduced interaction
- The mat/card components wrinkle easily
- Some players may find early-game information sparse and luck-influenced
Thematic elements
- Political intrigue, manipulation and scoring through esteem or fall
- A royal court with six families vying for influence
- Hidden objectives with public goals, shifting alliances, push-pull scoring
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area control / scoring by above/below table — Points are earned or lost based on how many cards of each family are placed above or below the table.
- card drafting — Each turn you draw three cards and must place them into three areas, choosing where to place and what to reveal.
- card drafting / hand management — Each turn you draw three cards and must place them into three areas, choosing where to place and what to reveal.
- Endgame deck exhaustion — Game ends when the deck runs out for equal turns; then scoring occurs.
- hidden victory points — Public display of some cards while private goals determine points.
- Simultaneous/hidden information scoring — Public display of some cards while private goals determine points.
- special-card abilities — Cards with shields, dagger (assassin), spies (face-down influence), times two.
- take that — Assassins and spies can affect other players' cards or the queen's pile.
- take-that interactions — Assassins and spies can affect other players' cards or the queen's pile.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- two to five player game Cortisans.
- three points is a lot, I have found.
- This shield means that wherever it is played, it cannot be moved or harmed in any way.
- they can essentially take out any card in the game except for one with a shield.
- times two... counts as two people.
- I don't love this game at two players as much. I mean, you definitely can play it is at two and it is really then that head-to-head, but I like being able to spread things around a little bit more at that three, four, and five player mark.
- I really enjoy this game.
- this is a really fun card game for pretty much all ages
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qeh_QBv0FD8
Board Stupid game_review at 1:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 31982 · mention_pk 94385
Click to watch at 1:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very quick and accessible (roughly 10–15 minutes per game)
- Highly interactive and combative in a light, portable package
- Elegant three-card mechanic that keeps decisions tight
- Secret objectives and spies add depth and variability
- Excellent production quality for a small box
Cons
- Spy cards could use more variety or depth
- Artwork style (cartoonish/Disney-like) may not appeal to all tastes
- Box design omits a traditional board, which some players would prefer
- Two-player games can feel less dynamic and easier to collude against one player
Thematic elements
- Power, favor, betrayal, and hidden agendas
- Medieval court intrigue around the Queen's table
- Competitive negotiation with hidden objectives and covert actions
Comparison games
- Coup
- Animology
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Interruption — An Assassin card allows removing a card from the table, eliminating its potential scoring impact.
- Assassin action — An Assassin card allows removing a card from the table, eliminating its potential scoring impact.
- hidden roles — Players start with hidden goals that push them to favor or disgrace certain families.
- Majority scoring at the Queen's table — End-of-round scoring grants points for cards in your personal pile that match those in majority at the Queen's table.
- Secret objectives — Players start with hidden goals that push them to favor or disgrace certain families.
- Spy and hidden information — Spy cards are secret and reveal at the end, adding a layer of uncertainty about who might win.
- Three-card turn structure — On your turn you draw three cards, give one to yourself, one to another player, and place one at the Queen's table either in favor or in disgrace.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's such a wonderful game to look at
- it's such a wonderfully easy game to teach as well
- I think this is a fantastic game
- strong recommendation to go and get cortis it's fantastic
- this is a beginner game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–2 of 2