In a fantastic and untouched land, four factions govern different aspects of this world: the ocean depths with their dark abysses, the gentle hills with windy meadows and protected forests, the vast and endless expanses of the night skies, and the mysterious and unexplored underground tunnels.
An ancient and powerful energy flows through these places, concentrating in hidden, inexhaustible sources. Controlling this power allows one to bend to their will life's most important aspect: time, and the rhythms it imprints on the environment and every being.
Echoes of Time is a strategic game for 2-4 players in which you attempt to create the best-equipped fellowship of characters from different factions to conquer the sources of power. Try to control and modify the flow of time to outshine your opponents. The game includes more than one hundred cards with unique effects that you will use to build a new deck each game, and a "sliding tile" system guides you in managing the time needed for your cards to become usable, while simultaneously controlling the activation rhythm of their effects.
—description from the publisher
- Visually appealing, time-flow mechanic attractive
- Dynamic timing creates strategic depth
- time travel and temporal manipulation
- Time-manipulation team-building scenario
- character-driven with time-triggered effects
- Pulitzer
- Dirt and Dust
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card-driven action sequencing — Cards determine when effects trigger and how actions unfold.
- Team-building with time-triggered actions — Characters provide powers to manipulate time, with timing-based triggers.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Essence spiel is the biggest board game convention in the world.
- two-player game should be amazing
- This is the third iteration of a game called Colos where you will try to make the best show possible inside Coliseum.
References (from this video)
- Innovative slide mechanic
- Engaging theme
- Can have learning curve
- temporal puzzle solving
- time-manipulation world
- narrative-driven
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card sliding — cards slide on a track to time actions
- timing/action drafting — plan actions around time window
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it has all of the DNA of the big boy except for the dice
- We're pirates. You gotta raid.
- 24 hours. Y'all can play all night long.
- Omaha gaming convention
- Save yourself. Terascape 2 is now on Kickstarter.
References (from this video)
- Strong art and card art noted as appealing.
- Thematic concept of assembling a diverse fellowship is intriguing.
- Initial rating is very low (7.4 with only 30 ratings), which the speaker notes as potentially misleading due to small sample size.
- fellowship-building, collaborative character assembly
- A fellowship of characters from different factions
- cooperative-leaning competitive
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card drafting / set collection — Players attempt to create the best equipped fellowship by selecting characters from different factions.
- team-based tableau-building — Assemble a group of characters with varied faction allegiances.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Echoes of Time. Echoes of Time as number five because honestly, this one is kind of I'm being pulled in by the art.
- 7.4 does not have me excited with only 30 ratings.
- Recall coming in next.
References (from this video)
- strong hand tension that engages players
- interesting blend of engine-building with direct interaction
- card synergies create meaningful pacing and decisions
- spatial track sequencing adds a new layer of strategy
- interaction is present but not pervasive; some players may want more interference
- time manipulation and faction-based conflict
- a mystical world where factions vie for temporal energies
- engine-building with hand management and sequencing
- Forage
- Escape
- Galaxy Trucker
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area majority / timing — timing moves to grab cards can swing points in your favor.
- deck-building / card synergy — cards tend to synergize with others of the same type to build stronger actions.
- hand management — players choose to play a card or spend it as a resource.
- spatial sequencing — cards slide down a track; order matters for benefits.
- take-that flavor — occasional direct interactions like knocking out points or stealing cards.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- hand tension is exactly what gets us engaged in any ego game.
- simultaneous turns... it's a huge plus in our house because the games go a little faster and it's more fun when we're all playing together
- the puzzle should always feel worth solving and kind of like different every time
- you can build in ways that really mess with other players like cutting off their boats or force them to take the long way around
- this cooperative mystery adventure set in a dark secretive district of Prague
References (from this video)
- Strong theme integration with time-belt mechanic
- Beautiful artwork and animal-themed cards
- Tight, strategic decisions with meaningful risk/reward
- Good balance of player interaction and competition
- Punishing hand-discard costs can be frustrating
- Complex rules may be steep for new players
- Endgame can come quickly if players accrue points early
- Time manipulation and cross-faction alliance building to control time sources.
- A timeless realm with four elemental/territorial factions across oceans, hills, forests, skies, and tunnels.
- Fantasy, mythic, with conveyor-belt time flow
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area_control / conquest — Control sources to unlock effects and points.
- deck-building — Players build and optimize a personal deck; new deck contents each game.
- Endgame scoring — Points and sources drive the game end; dynamic scoring conditions.
- hand_management — Players choose which cards to keep and which to discard to play powerful actions.
- multiplayer interaction / take-that — Cards affect other players; players may mitigate or embrace aggression.
- set-collection / resource conquest — Conquer time sources to gain cards and victory point chips.
- time-track / conveyor belt — A sliding tile/time track determines card activation timing and tempo.
- variable player powers by faction — Each faction interacts with different timings/bonuses.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The cards are great and juicy; you have to give up cards to play them.
- Echoes of Time is coming to retail; you don’t have to worry about crowdfunding.
- I’m a big fan of all of that.
- This is not good.
References (from this video)
- Elegant, fast-paced yet deep enough
- Balanced weight, good solo mode
- Ancient Knowledge-like feel may not appeal to all
- Some depth depends on player count
- Strategic tableau with abilities and timers
- Card tableau game with timer-driven scoring
- Strategic twin-track engine building
- Ancient Knowledge
- Race for the Galaxy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card tableau — Play cards with special abilities to build an engine
- Timer track — A board timer advances, triggering scoring opportunities
- Two-player-to-four-player play — Flexible player count with solo option
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- 2025 just felt like yeah, a meh year.
- SECOND PLACE. THAT'S A FANCY WORD FOR LOSING.
- WE HAVE FOUND THE WITCH. MAY WE BURN.
- There is no bathroom. Get stuffed.
- Mine Clash Games take my number one spot with Ember Heart. I do highly recommend you try it.
References (from this video)
- Engaging conveyor-belt system with powerful, satisfying combos
- Strong two-player pacing and meaningful interaction when desired
- High potential for synergy and chain reactions via multi-use cards
- Interaction-heavy design may not suit all players
- No solo mode mentioned in the discussion
- Some cards and balance dynamics can feel oppressive or finicky
- Conquering sources of power to score victory points
- Fantasy adventure world with conveyor-belt progression and multiple sources of power
- Conveyor-belt puzzle with high interaction and take-that flavor
- San Juan
- Race for the Galaxy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control / conquest — players conquer and fortify sources of power to gain points and endgame bonuses
- conveyor belt — cards move along a belt; powers and activations occur as items reach the active zone
- interaction / disruption — cards allow forcing discards, stealing or otherwise impacting opponents
- Multi-use cards — cards can be placed in different slots with varied effects and ongoing bonuses
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I love conveyor belts by now. My number one favorite mechanisms of all time
- Echoes of Time its core mechanism of multi-use cards on conveyor belts that trigger combo chains
- Conveyor belts combined with one another is one of the greatest mechanisms
- The fun is working on my own little puzzle
References (from this video)
- Spectacular and striking cover composition
- Great use of negative space and silhouette
- Could be visually busy when viewed at small scales
- Time Stories
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is my favorite cover of the year.
- Echoes of Time will win because of that bold, cinematic look.
- Deep Regrets is definitely my call here.
- I hate that Star Wars Battle of Hoth cover.
References (from this video)
- table presence and component quality
- intricate timing creates engaging engine chains
- can be punishing if mis-timed
- some players may need time to grasp timing interactions
- temporal engine-building with intertwining cards
- world-spanning time-based engine-building
- story of a fellowship moving through time
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- engine building — cards synergize to generate actions and chain effects.
- tile/card timing — timing and triggering of card actions as board edges are reached.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This game has a lot going on.
- the middle player counts works pretty well for this one.
- It's not cooperative. It is too short.
References (from this video)
- Interesting delayed gratification mechanic
- Varied card powers with meaningful timing
- Feels unlucky at times; drawing color distributions can hurt
- Some players felt balance or luck skewed
- Card-driven progression with delayed gratification
- Tableau-building with a rotating action track
- Strategic, think-heavy with satisfying timing mechanics
- Dwellings of Elderv
- Or a similar tableau-building title
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- delayed_gratification — Rewards are gained after a lag as cards reach the active area
- rotating_action_track — Track advances each round, unlocking abilities when a card reaches the active row
- tableau_building — Place cards on a personal tableau that shifts over time
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's one hell of a looker. This is a this is a really good looking game.
- I don't like this game.
- Playtime's important. It's sort of like when you watch those comedies and horror movies from like the 90s and early 2000s, they all clocked in under 90 minutes.
- This game does have a beautiful board but the mechanics aren't as deep as the art.
- If you're not the biggest Euro fan, you're not going to like Forestry.
References (from this video)
- Stunning artwork and production quality across cards, boards, and visual design
- Card-driven engine with a clean, approachable ruleset and clear iconography
- Two-player and short-slate play are reasonably tight with meaningful decisions
- Nice thematic cohesion between animal factions and card mechanics
- Limited replay variety with only six sources and a relatively small deck (roughly 100-105 cards)
- No solo mode; the game is optimized for 2-4 players and can drag at 4 players
- Box timing label is misleading; play length expands with more players (roughly 40-90+ minutes)
- Compared to deeper engine builders, interaction outside battlefields is limited
- Some token design and readability issues; VP tokens could use clearer numerals; setup insert is basic
- time-based engine-building, territory control, and modular faction synergies
- A fantasy world where animal-themed factions vie for control via an evolving timer-driven engine
- light, thematic, with humorous animal aesthetics and a mythic tone
- Ancient Knowledge
- Race for the Galaxy
- Earth
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- battlefields and fortification — Battlefields grant special bonuses when conquered; fortifying them locks in control and renders those cards' abilities inaccessible for the rest of the game.
- deck size, variability, and draw — A relatively compact deck with limited unique sources; player experience varies with card draw, endgame triggers, and tile placement.
- Endgame triggers and scoring — Game ends when certain conditions are met (fortified locations, exhausted VP pool, or enough tableau effects). Final scoring combines card points and endgame bonuses.
- flame-icon activations (blue/yellow/red) — Flame icons on cards indicate timed or triggered actions; yellow and blue flames enable more frequent effects, while red flames offer more powerful, rarer boosts.
- hand management and card play with cost mechanics — Players manage a hand of cards, discarding a number of cards to pay costs and placing them on the timer track, where they may activate as they reach their activated spaces.
- resource-management tension — Balancing discards, hand size, and the need to time card off-track activations creates strategic tension across the round sequence.
- timer-tracked engine and area control — Cards on the time track unlock effects as they advance; players compete to control battlefields by accumulating sufficient strength, gaining bonuses and endgame points.
- two-action per turn economy — On each turn, a player can perform two actions and may speed along the timer or draw/collect more cards, constrained by source and deck rules.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Oh my god, does this look good. This is a very nice looking game. The artwork is stellar.
- I've actually really enjoyed this.
- This is actually one of the best games that I've played with Lucani's name on the box.
- 45 minutes on the box is a bit misleading; play length is longer with more players
References (from this video)
- Beautiful artwork and thematic depth
- Interesting time-based engine that rewards planning
- Standalone, but fits well with the Cranio Creations catalog
- Can be dense to teach due to time-structured rules
- time-based abilities and sliding card mechanics
- Tableau-building in a civilization-building frame
- evolving tableau with time-delayed activation
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Fortresses and interaction — Claim fortresses from others for points and strategic leverage.
- tableau building — Play cards to form a tableau that triggers abilities as they move into position.
- Time-based activation — Abilities unlock as cards slide to the right over rounds.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The big Essen Spiel fair in Essen Germany is about to happen later this week.
- This one, in my opinion, is a better list, but it always gets less views than the other list.
- It's a simple easy game there but there's still a lot to think about.
- Gatsby is an amazing two-player 30-minute abstract strategy game.
- Mindbug orig is an amazing game. Now, it's my two-player game of the year.
- Take Time is fantastic.
References (from this video)
- Beautiful artwork
- Intriguing smart card playing mechanic
- Interesting puzzle element
- Crunchy personal puzzle gameplay
- Not just simple point scoring
- Time/card movement puzzle
- Abstract with puzzle elements
- Garfield games
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card movement mechanic — Cards move on player board tiles trying to score effectively
- Card slide puzzle — Crunchy personal puzzle of moving cards to right positions
- Sequencing puzzle — Must summon cards in right order and get them to right place to score
- Smart card playing — Intelligent card mechanics with strategic placement
- Tile-based movement — Play cards into player board tiles and move them to scoring positions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The cards are your actions
- It feels like the points really get rolling
- You can jump to the head of the queue based on your size and how you muscle in
- This is a fairly typical modern combo-icious Euro
- Mind Clash games always have these actions where you have to put something in to get something better but it will come with some risk or some penalty
- You make your olive oil and sell it out into the market
- It's not just a simple matter of playing cards for their points but trying to summon them in the right order
- I do like the theme of it. Ants is great
- The theme looks amazing. The artwork is by Andrew Bosley. It's about rescuing dragons
- Light to midweight Euro engine building type with nice timing to keep game live until end
References (from this video)
- Fun game
- Interesting time mechanic
- Very enjoyable
- Lot of interesting going on
- Feels really short
- Little short of a full engine build
- Wish it got bigger and better
- Engine building with time mechanics
- Engine building card game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- engine building — Build an engine with cards that clock down over time
- Time mechanics — Cards slide down and gameplay changes over time
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The real Chris time is the friends we made along the way
- If you've played a lot of Arnak and you want to spice it up a little bit, this is a really good one
- This is just a fantastic version of this game
- It's a great formula. It's not a good execution
- It does almost nothing wrong, but it just doesn't do enough right
- This is such an outstanding card game
- One of my favorite dungeon crawls, period
- Star Wars is one of my favorite games
References (from this video)
- Beautiful looking game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Welcome to the most boring unboxing in the world
- We don't know it's good till we play it
- This is a new way to play the game. A way to suck people into the CCG
- I think boxes are fine
- I've seen every game in the world at this point
- A lot of good games in this one, huh? So many I can't even fit them all in this bag