/pic6972703.jpg)
Game Info
Year
2022
Players
4
Age
14+
Playtime
120 min
Collection
Mechanic profile
Not enough video data yet
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
Deal with the Devil is a deeply thematic competitive Eurogame set in a fantasy medieval era. Each of the four players takes on a secret role of a mortal, a cultist, or even the Devil. Due to the asymmetrical roles, players experience the same game but with different game goals every play.
During the blind trading phase, players can offer their resources in exchange for money from another player. The Devil will tempt mortals with goods for a piece of their soul, while the cultist's nature is to sell their soul easily. Only the accompanying app knows who is trading with whom.
But beware! Showing off how well you are doing can attract unwelcome attention and the suspicion of other players. It also may pique the interest of the Inquisition, which is eager to punish those who cannot prove their souls remain intact.
There are many dynamic strategies to experiment with across each playing. Will you sell pieces of your soul early on to boost your city-building prowess at the risk of future punishment from the Inquisition? Or will you carefully manage loan and debt repayment while waiting for others to inadvertently reveal their nefarious nature? Every choice has a consequence, and each role has its own unique strategic approach to explore.
—description from the publisher
Featured Videos
Rules Teach
Deal with the Devil - How does it play?
Ask a Rules Question
All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 5 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video AYpbq57NBuc
Playthrough at 0:08 sentiment: positive
video_pk 69254 · mention_pk 165676
Click to watch at 0:08 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Really good party game.
- Doesn't take itself too seriously but has brinksmanship and strategy.
- Leads to laughs.
- Components are awesome.
- It's cool how it's functional and matters.
- Provides a pressure luck feeling similar to games like Quacks of Quedlinburg.
Cons
- In later stages, players in lower positions might only have the option to 'high roll' with no real strategic choice.
- Can be longer than expected.
Thematic elements
- Wagering and risk assessment in a devilish game
Comparison games
- Lifeboats
- Quacks of Quedlinburg
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bidding — Players place secret and simultaneous wagers on their expected performance or outcome.
- Player Elimination (partial) — Busting or failing to meet a bid can result in significant penalties, effectively removing a player from contention or severely hindering them.
- Push Your Luck — Players repeatedly draw cards or take actions, deciding when to stop before exceeding a limit or facing negative consequences.
- set collection — Collecting specific cards (like 'Devils') or combinations of cards impacts the game's outcome and penalties.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Justice for Ken
- It's expensive to bust
- I'm not getting paid enough to shuffle
- Dad's on a map says uh kids don't gamble
- I don't hate any of you
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video DZ766Id5JI8
Meeple University Rules Teach at 0:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 64814 · mention_pk 158348
Click to watch at 0:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Ambitious combination of modern Euro action planner with hidden role, negotiation, and social deduction.
- Careful and collective interplay of deals sets the game apart.
- Offers negotiation, bluffing, and social deduction in a heavy game context.
- Several interesting and powerful combinations of buildings to explore.
- App is simple to use and does not take a prominent place at the table.
Cons
- Mortals struggle to build without loans, risking church's bad graces or selling souls.
- Consequences of too many loans or sold souls can be dire.
- Devil cannot score big set collections like others, but collective sold souls benefit the devil and increase inquisitors.
- Non-devil players need to be wary of being too generous with their souls.
Thematic elements
- building kingdoms and winning the favor of the church
- medieval times
Comparison games
- Alchemists
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Point Allowance — Players plan actions, with each action after the first two costing an extra 'weight'.
- app-assisted — An app is used for managing secret chests, facilitating anonymous deals and tracking game state.
- engine building — Constructing buildings is a key action that delivers victory points and provides ongoing abilities, contributing to an engine.
- Hidden role — Players are assigned roles (Mortals, Cultist, Devil) with different starting resources and objectives, influencing their strategy and interactions.
- Loan System — Players can take out loans for money, but face compounding interest and potential penalties if debts are not managed.
- negotiation — A major part of the game involves making deals with opponents to exchange resources for money or souls anonymously.
- Reputation system — Players manage their reputation with the church, which can be gained or lost through certain actions or buildings, affecting rewards and penalties.
- Resource management — Players manage money, resources, and souls, trading, buying, and selling them to achieve objectives.
- set collection — Players gain victory points through set collection bonuses from buildings and acquiring resources.
- social deduction — Players attempt to deduce each other's roles through actions, deals, and accusations during Witch Hunts and Inquisitions.
- worker placement — The Euro element involves planning a maximum of four actions per round, with later actions costing extra 'weight', similar to worker placement.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- eight years ago Mata tree was arguably the first designer to effectively combine a modern Euro style worker placement game and a fully comprehensive logic production puzzle into a single functional product with the game Alchemists
- now in 2022 coffee returns with deal with the devil an ambitious combination of a modern Euro action planner with a hidden role negotiation and social deduction engine
- The potential for a mutually beneficial trade is obvious
- The game allows for negotiation bluffing and social deduction in a heavy game context.
- but it's the careful and collective interplay of the deals which sets it apart
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UFqEpkNNnYo
Foster the Meeple Top List at 12:31 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6538 · mention_pk 19361
Click to watch at 12:31 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- unique/delicate teaching challenge
- thematic intrigue with a party vibe
Cons
- rules and setup can be complex to teach
Thematic elements
- hidden roles and deception
- Demonic negotiation/deduction
- darkly thematic, deduction-focused
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hidden roles/deduction — one player acts as the devil while others deduce information
- social deduction — players infer information from limited clues
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- 1,198 games it's too many
- 768 that's I don't care what people say that's really good
- we have 394
- we're still playing games and taking names
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XQt6JdOLtEs
Board Game Coffee Discussion at 20:23 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 4618 · mention_pk 13527
Click to watch at 20:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- ingenious physical gimmicks (boxes that open and reveal contents)
- thematic, negotiation-heavy play
Cons
- overwhelming complexity and lots of components
- four-player requirement may limit groups
Thematic elements
- negotiation-driven bargaining and chest-treaty mechanics
- mythic/occult negotiation with devil and cultists
- cardboard chests and layered cardboard mechanisms evoke a treasure negotiation feel
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hand-off and box-open reveal — players pass chests with surprises, hidden content revealed via app/scan
- hidden roles with QR app elements — one player plays the devil; others are humans; app-based chests reveal contents
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the matrix mechanic changes how you buy and when you fight—adds tension
- it's cool that you must exit the matrix to buy and upgrade—adds tension
- the Goooddies minis look great on the table
- hourglass mechanic in kite game is a tension-builder
- the art and components feel premium in Gutenberg
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video prNjAESIFMA
Chairman of the Board Top List at 6:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4179 · mention_pk 12253
Click to watch at 6:49 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong thematic concept
- App integration potential
- Co-design pedigree
Cons
- Requires exactly four players
- Two-hour playtime could be long
Thematic elements
- Hidden roles, temptation, and soul-trading
- App-driven, 4-player social deduction/resource management
- Dark, thematic, with app integration
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- App-assisted trading — In-app blind trading between players
- hidden roles — Devil vs bystander with secret agendas
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this could be his twist on something like the quax equivalent bug
- I'm definitely I'm gonna give this game a look
- the app integration the four player strict Play account and the idea that this is going to take probably at least two hours to play
- going into the more traditional European Renaissance theme
- the dice only has two meanings so if you're drafting say a dice of the value five on it the five is going to represent the number of resources you'll take of that type but the higher the number of resources you take it means the weaker action you'll have in association with that
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qpnnSSPqBZQ
Our Family Plays Games Top List at 29:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3504 · mention_pk 10399
Click to watch at 29:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Aiming for grand scale with robust player choice
Cons
- Requires four players; heavier on rules and setup
Thematic elements
- City-building with grand schemes and rival factions
- Civilization-building with mythic and demonic elements.
- Strategic, big-game scope with multiple paths to victory
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- City-building / resource engine — Develop districts and manage a production network.
- Worker-placement / action selection — Players assign actions to develop their city and resources.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- let's buckle up, get you some coffee, stay tuned
- we're going to share 20 games from 2022 we missed
- Black History Month—five authors you should know
- we love you family
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6