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Game Info
Year
2024
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Description
Crown of Ash is a strategic worker placement and area control game for 1 to 4 players.
The promise of a dreamless sleep was a lie. The Lords awoke after a hundred years of staring into deepest depths of oblivion; every moment wracked by nightmarish dreams. They no longer cared for peace, but now desired power.
The bleak slumber had revealed an ancient secret to them, the arcane knowledge of necromancy. It gave them the ability to build armies from the wastes of their lands. Those fallen in the first war, would rise again and march into a bloody second, a devastating conflict that would determine who, at last, would lay claim to the Crown of Ash.
Players take on the role of vengeful necromancers. Sending out their loyal minions to do their bidding.
Gathering resources to the raise powerful undead armies
Building mighty structures offering better resources and earning influence over the land
Marching your undead army into battle to take other players structures and defend your own with all your might
Over 4 rounds players will earn influence points based on the structures they control, the player with the most influence at the end of the game will take control of the kingdom and rule for the rest of time.
—description from the designer
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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 6 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video OLZ2yuBk5As
Brains On Games Discussion at 0:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 88886 · mention_pk 235205
Click to watch at 0:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- high interactivity through combat in conjunction with worker placement and area control
- memorable and visually striking artwork on cards
- dynamic combat card system that rewards memory and strategic risk-taking
- Citadel as a dramatic endgame focal point with escalating scoring
- clear strategic depth and planning with meaningful choices each turn
Cons
- table space requirement is substantial (table hog)
- board and components are space-consuming, particularly in larger player counts
- prototype stage may imply changes in board layout or components before final release
Thematic elements
- necromancy, skeleton fighters, territory control, and combat
- Fantasy necromancers contending for control over locations and a central Citadel on a shared board
- dark fantasy with a strategic, competitive arc centered on power and conquest
Comparison games
- Everdell
- Viticulture
- Scythe
- Fresco
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Controlling locations on the board yields points and influences resource generation.
- card cycling / hand management — Combat cards cycle back into a player's hand or graveyard depending on battles and reclaim actions.
- Citadel endgame scoring — Holding the Citadel yields escalating victory points each round; it is a pivotal strategic objective.
- combat resolution — Combat is resolved with face-down cards (and optional fighters) revealing simultaneously, with benefits to both winner and loser.
- drafting and combat cards — Players draft fighters into their hand and use combat cards to resolve battles for control of spaces.
- Resource Management — Resources (bone, ash, gold) are spent to acquire fighters and power actions.
- turn order and budgeting — Turn order shifts based on points; players must budget actions and anticipate others' moves.
- Worker Placement — Each player places four workers to take actions around the board to gather resources and advance aims.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- combat is where this game really shines
- the Citadel is super important
- it's a heavier strategy game
- this is a gorgeous game
- we had so much fun playing this game
- every single decision is interesting
- I think I'm gonna back it so that I can have a copy on my shelf too
- it's a special game
- I think it's going to be one of my favorite games of the year
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _xZYjP8Lw6w
Allies or Enemies Review at 0:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 88859 · mention_pk 235101
Click to watch at 0:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- art direction and miniatures are visually striking; dual-layer boards aid clarity of control
- pleasant integration of euro-style resource management with combat and necromancy theme
- solid performance at both two and four players; competent solo option
- varied endgame scoring options (locations, Citadel, towers) boost replayability
- well-presented iconography and helpful player aids
Cons
- prototype is unfinished, so some mechanics or balance may shift before shipping
- resource cubes are basic and may lack thematic depth
- no individual faction powers in the current build, which could affect replayability
- land scarcity can be a factor at four players
Thematic elements
- necromancy, undead warfare, power struggle
- Dark fantasy realm where four Fallen Lords vie to overthrow an evil King by raising armies of the dead
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — players attempt to control regions to gain end-of-round points; territorial dominance influences scoring and strategy
- area_control — players attempt to control regions to gain end-of-round points; territorial dominance influences scoring and strategy
- Combat — duels between attacker and defender using up to two fighters (and a central Citadel), resolved with combat cards
- Combat: Deck/Hand — duels between attacker and defender using up to two fighters (and a central Citadel), resolved with combat cards
- deck_based_solo_mode — solo play driven by a deck of cards to simulate an AI opponent and provide a challenge
- End Game Bonuses — points come from controlled locations, fighters, endgame bonuses, and special cards
- end_game_scoring — points come from controlled locations, fighters, endgame bonuses, and special cards
- Resource Management — resource cubes are collected and spent to build structures and recruit fighters
- resource_management — resource cubes are collected and spent to build structures and recruit fighters
- Worker Placement — players place minions on the board to gather resources and enable structure-building and actions
- worker_placement — players place minions on the board to gather resources and enable structure-building and actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Crown of Ash is a one to four player mishmash of area control Euro style resource management and good old-fashioned necromancy
- The art is terrific
- The fighters look equal parts cool and terrifying
- It's refreshing to see an area control game that seems to work fairly well
- Mind a bit of Euro in your fighting like combat that gives you something even when you lose
- This could be a project to keep an eye on
- The 100th version of the game but what we have played felt pretty darn close
- There are a lot of interesting things going on here with regards to combining worker placement resource management and combat
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video yB23MNBoxZk
Brains On Games Top 5 List at 9:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 88092 · mention_pk 231323
Click to watch at 9:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- clever mix of area control and necromancer theme
- flexibility in deploying revived units
- fun and tight mid-weight strategy
Cons
- not yet released at the time of the video
- prototype issues noted during preview
Thematic elements
- area control and resource management with revenant troops
- necromancer-inspired realm
- straightforward but with strategic depth; fantasy necromancers vying for central control
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — players vie to control central areas of the board
- defeated units return — defeated soldiers come back from the graveyard to rejoin play
- interactive play — high interaction with direct competition for board control
- Resource Management — spend resources earned from spots on the board to raise soldiers
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a legacy game ... cards get removed from the game nothing gets destroyed though but your soldiers might get killed or they might get promoted
- it's a fantastic game in a giant box that's always right behind me on the shelf
- lunar Rush is a gorgeous game
- it's a gorgeous game you're building a neighborhood in Barcelona
- dynamic marketplace with worker placement and engine building
- you don't lose all of those soldiers that were defeated because ... they come back from the graveyard
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video k3IN67A2_NU
Allies or Enemies Preview at 8:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 81089 · mention_pk 199488
Click to watch at 8:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
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)
- And so I'm really interested in Horrified Ravenloft and I think it's four new monsters and it's still like in a D&D theme and I really like the last D&D Horrified.
- So that was a whirlwind tour of a whole bunch of games we're interested in checking out.
- And there are so many more games that there are so many games at UKGE. We can't possibly know about all of them so please do let us know about the ones you think we missed the ones you think other folks would be interested in.
- So, we will have Shakespeare the card game on sale.
- So, this is a really exciting UKGE for us. So, please do come by.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video n5DbdPkS7Ss
The Dice Tower Other at 5:59 sentiment: positive
video_pk 81032 · mention_pk 199245
Click to watch at 5:59 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- cool concepts
Cons
- takes just a little over an hour
Thematic elements
- area control fighting back and forth
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Very much an area control fighting back and forth.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Hey everybody, I'm Tom Vasel and welcome to look back where I take a look at reviews that I did last year, 5 years ago, 10 years ago, and 20 years ago during this same time frame. And I tell you what I think about those games now if I think about them at all.
- Wasn't reviewing a lot of great games 10 years ago.
- It blows my mind this game's 10 years old now and everyone has forgotten it ever existed.
- This might have been the first game that I really like noticed who he was.
- Destinies could have been even greater, um, but it was very good for its time.
- And those are the games that I reviewed 1, 5, 10, and 20 years ago. Thanks for watching. I'm Tom Vasel and this is look back on the Dice Tower.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video YVWoQ3wJ4WY
BoardGameCo Analysis at 46:11 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80291 · mention_pk 195167
Click to watch at 46:11 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Interesting area control game.
- Absolutely love the art.
- Seems legit and offers something different.
- Appealing to Alex.
Cons
- Alex hasn't played it yet.
Thematic elements
- Area Control
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Explicitly mentioned as a core mechanic.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is the number one civilization game that I have ever played in my life period.
- Nobody's talking about the base game because the base game is not good. If you want just the base game, don't don't bother. Spare your money.
- It's a true true 4X game which is already a rare thing.
- Dark Ages is fantastic. It should be reprinted.
- Euro games that don't feel like Euro games and Dark Ages is 100% one of them.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6