Control your network of spies, gather intel, and break codes in Covert, a game of tactical dice placement, set collection, and timing set in Cold War Europe. Players race to complete high risk Missions by deploying their agents and acquiring the necessary equipment, all while keeping an eye on the needs of future missions and the advances of rival agencies.
Each round, players roll their hand of dice and in turn allocate them to different actions, like moving their Agents, acquiring Agency Cards, completing and acquiring new Missions, and more. Dice are placed on action circles that require players to place their dice numerically adjacent to dice that have already been placed, allowing for rival agencies to thwart their plans — but a good Agent always has a backup plan, and there are ways around everything that stands in your way.
Covert combines simple concepts with a depth of play that allows players the freedom to combine special abilities and card combos to complete their Missions and overcome obstacles. Utilize your assets. Make your move. Don't let anyone stand in your way.
I want it ALL
Let's Fry Some Dice! - Gaming Mini-Vlog
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- hi everyone welcome back to watch it played my name is Rodney Smith
- this is going to be a very quick episode I want to announce a contest that you can enter to win a game and I want to draw and announce the winners of three pass contests for some go7 gaming products
- I'm so excited I am going out of my mind waiting for it
- she contacted Jamie from the secret cabal game podcast and said listen Rodney would love to go to Origins it's not technically in in the budget for work um but I want to buy him a ticket to go and uh and that's what she did
- if you aren't already listening to the secret cabal gaming podcast they're my favorite podcast why aren't you listening to them it it's an insult to me that you aren't listening
- this is my gift to you if you haven't already started listening to this podcast I'm going to put a link in the description of this video free to subscribe and check them out they're fantastic all kinds of great gaming goodness of all varieties and just super guys
- if you'd like to follow uh my Adventures on my first trip to Origins uh I'll be posting pictures I'm sure and putting those up on Twitter if you'd like to follow at watchitplayed
- the publisher very kindly offered to give us an additional copy along with a playmat that we could give out in a contest to one of our viewers and it could be you
- the code word is the Twitter account for Robert Burke games just leave off the at symbol don't include that as part of the code word
- go7 gaming as a quick reminder does these custom inserts to replace the generally junky ones that come with your games
- congratulations Mike you just won an agricul insert from go7 gaming
- congratulations you won
- congratulations if you're a winner expect an email from me and I'll try to get these shipped out as soon as possible
- listen that's everything I need to go somewhere and not think about Origins so until the next episode thanks for watching
References (from this video)
- Accessible word game for casual players
- Appealing and fast-paced for social play
- Word games may not appeal to everyone
- Wordplay and language
- Casual, social word game setting.
- abstract
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- tile drafting — Players draft letter tiles to build words.
- Word building — Players form words from letter tiles to score points.
- Word formation — Players form words from letter tiles to score points.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I lowkey kind of fell in love with this game.
- I love rolling right games just in general.
- This is a roll and write game that has a real time element to it that I've never played a roll and write game that does that.
- Clover, I've been meaning to pick up this game for ages and it was a great price. It was $16 and so I just I had to.
- I typically don't like word games but I I love So Clover.
- I was really impressed with it. I really like I I want to sit and play it again.
- Actually, I would love to sit and play.
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
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Quotes (from this video)
- I always like that. It definitely has a I want everything aspect.
- I love the rule that if you don't win, your stuff stays there for a future round. That's fantastic. I think if that rule wasn't there, the game would be not good. No. Literally, it would be not good.
- And spoiler alert, the game is good.
References (from this video)
- Expansion significantly changes the game feel
- Adds a new 'side quest' of fending off orcs
- Introduces new buildings for variability
- Reviewer liked the differentiation the expansion provided
- Expansion was not well-received by gamers
- Adds complexity some feel is unnecessary
- Not compatible with the first expansion ('Fantastic Folks')
- Base game felt derivative of Agricola at the time
- Fending off orcs while developing a farm and cave
- Farmland/Cave
- Agricola
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Building Construction — Adds new buildings with the expansion, offering variability.
- Combat/Defense (Expansion) — The 'Frantic Fiends' expansion adds fending off orcs through befriending, traps, or attacking.
- Farm/Cave Development — Players build out their farm and cave.
- worker placement — Core mechanic of Caverna.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- So, most of if not all of these games can only be played in person that I will mention in this list.
- So, this is a very heavy game about running a hospital.
- It's like a hospital administration simulator rather than like a game similar to Dice Hospital where it's more focused on physicians treating patients.
- But it it was quite a heavy game, you know, especially considering some of the other heavy games that I've talked about it definitely was over my head
- This is probably at the top of just games on this list that I really want to play again.
- It's a Martin Wallace design of a board game adaptation of a video game, the video game Anno 1800 where you are building up industries in the 1800s acquiring resources and then often trading them with other players in this game to fulfill contracts in hand.
- make games that sound pretty simple when you explain them, but have a lot of strategic depth.
- I really liked how approachable this game was even without having played the video game.
- And uh you know, since then the game has kind of been out of print.
References (from this video)
- the contest made the host feel like part of a larger community of fellow gamers who were equally proud of their part in the hobby and the games that they enjoyed.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I absolutely adore this contest
- it just it really did make me feel like I was part of a much larger community of fellow Gamers who were equally proud of their part in this Hobby and the games that they enjoyed that was just it was really cool
- I didn't ask them to give us another copy to give away to somebody they just offered that up and I I really appreciate that they're good people
- you'll be able to try to figure out who the dirty spies are
References (from this video)
- Great job organizing everything with two levels of trays.
- Separate trays for animals and resources can be used at the table.
- Makes putting the game away simple.
- Looking at all the unpunched tokens and bits required setting aside time to organize.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- hi everyone welcome to watch it played
- the utterly useless insert
- it becomes a glorious mess
- I've resigned myself in most cases to just opening it up chucking that insert and then bagging everything up into Bunches of little baggies
- it's it's a nuisance
- I'm a gamer I want to get the game out and on the table and be playing it as soon as possible
- I'm always on the lookout for a better alternative
- I did want to share them with you
- so I thought this elder tour insert was excellent
- not anymore look at these trays
- so everything can be sorted and organized neatly
- and then this insert arrived
- he's done a great job once again of organizing everything
- so you can keep them like that at the table if you want I imagine that's exactly what I'm going to do
- and then when I'm ready to put it all way how simple is that going to be
- if you don't have the time or the interest to put into something like this but you have a game in your collection that you'd like to upgrade with these great great inserts then I'd suggest you check out his website
References (from this video)
- components separated into their own sections
- entire tray can be pulled out for the gaming table
- sections for storing different tiles
- removable sections for holding tokens
- sections for player pieces
- dividers can be placed to customize storage
- sections for many and varied components
- saves time opening baggies before starting game
- big box packed full of stuff
- Agricola
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- hey everyone welcome to watch it played
- go7 gaming provided me with a ton of inserts and I want to share all them with you
- hopefully from watching this video you can see why I would say that go7 gaming provides premium custom insert solutions for your favorite games
- until then I'd like to tell you about a contest that we're offering so you can win the Agricola insert
References (from this video)
- word deduction, fully cooperative puzzle
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- priority number one is to have fun
- priority number two is to make sure everyone else is having fun
- priority number three is to try to win
- board games are human compiled
- the rule book is code the human brain is the compiler
- there's no scriptwriting that happens over here
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's the meanest game in my top 10, no question
- there's just always something exciting to do on your turn
- it's an absolute hit
- it's the best social deduction experience I've ever had
- the shortest playing time
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the bones of the game are so simple
- I love bag Builders
- the tracks are so continuously rewarding
- you can see so much of kind of the DNA of Clank
- it's so satisfying to slide those workers into that Mech
- this feels like a Dungeon Crawler but with Euro systems
- I love horror movies
References (from this video)
- Rich thematic scope and large component count
- Ideal for players who enjoy density of options and sandbox-like play
- Bloated with too many buildings and options
- Lack of scarcity reduces tension and pacing, hindering competitiveness online
- Long setup and heavy information load can slow play
- Array
- Medieval fantasy farming with dwarves
- Analytical
- Agricola
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Drafting / Open Market Choice — Players can draft or select from a large pool of buildings; scarcity is diminished by ubiquitous availability
- Resource management — Manage a wide array of resources and building options to optimize farming
- worker placement — Players place workers to collect resources and perform actions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Agricola the predecessor to caverna had always been heralded as the tighter yet more punishing game
- there's 48 different options to buy at the beginning
- you start the game and you have 48 different options to buy
- you always have perfect information on everyone's board and resources
- there's so much in the town that there's something for everyone
- ten minutes setting up
- a very bloated game
- enjoyable crew project
References (from this video)
- rich, crunchy medium-to-heavy Euro with a lot of depth
- strong thematic flavor for dwarves and caverns
- can be heavy and complex for casual players
- dwarven homesteading and exploration
- Dwarven cavern-dweller farming and cavern development
- thematic, sandbox
- Agricola
- Le Havre
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- building/cavern expansion — construct structures and cavernous rooms to increase capabilities
- Resource management — gather and manage food, ore, wood, and other resources to build and expand
- worker placement — players allocate dwarves to perform actions and develop their caverns
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I even saw wingspan there translated in Japanese which I really really wanted with all the expansions that was freaking awesome to see
- I managed to find Scout in multiple places
- I would definitely have to pick one game from that day and Le Havre would have been it if that managed to fit in my luggage
- Scythe oh my God in a Japanese how it just looks so cinematic for some reason
- the brand new Agric 15 Edition… there were so many updated titles
References (from this video)
- rich, crunchy overlay of strategies
- strong solo play and expansion options
- heavy weight and setup can be lengthy
- resource management, farming, and cave development
- fantasy farming in caverns
- strategic, sandbox-y
- Agricola
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- tile placement — expand farm and cave with various rooms and chambers
- worker placement — place dwarves to gather resources and build a cavern
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Chakra is wonderful
- I absolutely love it and I'm so freaking happy I didn't get rid of it
- Dutch Blitz is the best time
- Rove is absolutely amazing
- Witchcraft is a fantastic card based game
- Azul I am so excited to talk about my number 72
- Role Player is wonderful wonderful game
References (from this video)
- chess-like strategic depth with accessible core loop
- strong thematic through-line with dwarven caverns
- high replayability via many strategies and layouts
- heavy to teach and play for newcomers
- can be long in extended sessions
- mining, cave-dwelling, and agricultural livelihood
- dwarven caverns, cave farming, and subterranean expansion
- sandbox-driven with explicit long-term tableau building
- Fields of ARL
- A Feast for Odin
- Ora et Labora
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Polyomino — arrange cave rooms and furniture to optimize space and income
- polyomino placement — arrange cave rooms and furniture to optimize space and income
- worker placement — place dwarves on action spaces to mine, build, and farm
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the feeding mechanism exemplified and represented this thought that his games are easy to learn and hard to master basically
- thematic integration is Peak when it comes to U Rosenberg games
- the arc of gameplay is very unique to me and the reasons that I think about this include say Agricola
- the chess-like nature of his games particularly with games such as caverna fields of ARL
- cozy theme such as farming and still and have a session where you come out of it either winning or losing
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm Alex Radcliff from Board Gameco. I hope you enjoyed this video.
- I logged 1374 games last year.
- I want to end 2026 by getting backlog down to at least 100 red or fewer.
- I dropped 40 lbs this year instead of the 10 I was aiming for.
- There were 738 videos added to the channel in 2025.
References (from this video)
- One of the host's favorite cooperative party games
- Fits well into casual game nights
- Less known; not as mainstream as Codename family
- Seasonal/collection-based cooperative play
- Cooperative party game
- Light, social, pick-up-and-play
- Cross Clues
- The Pictures
- Codenames
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative Game — Players work together to achieve common goals, typically under time pressure or with shared objectives
- cooperative play — Players work together to achieve common goals, typically under time pressure or with shared objectives
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I think Codename's is a different game to different groups of people in an interesting way.
- Codenames is a flexible game that meets the group where they're at.
- There are few games that are as sort of flexible as Codename's.
- I wanted a way to hang out with my friends that wasn't just standing around in a bar—that activity plus social interaction—Codename's did that really well.
- If you want an actual challenge then go try Codename's Duet.
- There are plenty I like—the two-player Variant is significantly harder; I lose more than I win.
- I prefer regular Codename's; I played The Pictures afterwards, but Codename's remains the game I love the most.
- Cross Clues is cooperative; it isn't the same as Codename's, but it captures that discussion and debate dynamic.
References (from this video)
- caverna-dwarf farm/settlement building
- Viticulture
- Near and Far
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Worker placement / engine building — develop a dwarven homestead through resource management and cave exploration.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- probably the number one game that i want to try right now is probably dwellings of eldervale
- it's about layering tiles and growing flowers from seeds to full flowers and it looks absolutely beautiful
- Flamecraft looks amazing it looks adorable
- you are somebody's reason to smile
References (from this video)
- Accessible family-weight logic with clever clue mechanic
- Fast to teach and play
- May rely on players enjoying word-pair deduction
- Wavelength
- Code Names
- Decrypto
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- secret clue placement / word-pair deduction — players give clues that map to four word-pairs while opponents deduce which cards match the clues
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a treasure trove of puzzling riches and i love it
- this box is the campaign that takes the form of a delightful comic
- a gorgeous game unlike any i've played this year or most other years
- it's an app-driven competitive storytelling game which just boggles my mind a little
- it's all about family
References (from this video)
- laugh-inducing, accessible to many
- strong group dynamic and commentary
- not very deep
- depends on group chemistry
- humor and cooperative puzzle
- party word-guessing
- light, party-game vibe
- Just One
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- word association — Two words clues must be connected to form a clue for teammates.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Splendor is a really accessible game to learn.
- Clover hits the balance of humor and puzzle while also being cooperative.
- Cartographers covers more situations than almost any other game I've talked about.
References (from this video)
- Strong collaborative feel without heavy competition
- Flexible player counts
- Cap at six players can limit very large groups
- Some groups may struggle with collaboration at scale
- Collaborative clue-building
- Cooperative word-linking on Clover leaves
- Group-focused with light competitive undertones
- Dixit
- Dixit Universe
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Clue linking on dual-word leaves — Players give clues to link two words on each Clover leaf.
- Spark/score mechanic — Points awarded for sparking with others; dark leaves reduce scoring.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Party games are one of the biggest, most important parts of a versatile collection.
- Telestrations has created some of the funniest moments you can have at a table.
References (from this video)
- highly social and funny
- great party game with friends/family
- requires a talkative group
- some players may struggle with clues
- Word linking and clue-giving
- Word association party game
- Humorous, social deduction-lite
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- social deduction — group discussions to reveal intended clues
- social_deduction — group discussions to reveal intended clues
- word_association — players create connections between words to clue others
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Wingspan got I got four plays of wingspan in this last year and now that thinking back on it I did have a couple that I introduced it to earlier in the year
- I played 49 games of Uno 49 sessions
References (from this video)
- spy intrigue
- Cold War Europe (London focus)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I’m really excited to check this one out
- the Networks ... my most anticipated game
- box art ... London's Southbank
- the artwork is just phenomenal
- how the theme is brought to life through mechanics
References (from this video)
- empowerment through choice and exploration
- fantasy dwarven cave-life
- sandbox with heavy systems
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- worker placement — manage dwarves, caverns, and resources to build a thriving cave system
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I've been jack and I'll see you next year
- this is one of the best looking games in the biz
- thank you so much for supporting the cardboard Herald