The gnome attack was sudden and relentless. They swarmed our tunnels, defiling our mountain home and driving us from our ancestral caverns. Trolls from every clan rushed to the heart of the mountain to defend our Great Halls. We've lost track of how long we've been beating back the endless waves of invaders. Soon, it will be time for a final stand. Will we rise up like champions, or be driven out to the wilderness to fight for survival? Sharpen your blades, brothers and sisters! Raise your hammers! If we trolls must fall, we'll fall fighting like kings!
Fall of the Mountain King is a standalone prequel to In the Hall of the Mountain King, set during the catastrophic war that drove the trolls from their mountain kingdom generations ago. Build your ancestry to drive your actions in the caverns, win the loyalty of the clan Champions, and strive to be trolldom's greatest defender against the gnomish onslaught.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's fall it is Halloween season
- Leaves come to the ground
- Applejack ... fall season
- Seven Wonders because fall is one of the seven wonders of the seasons
- stew is a button shy game
- you gotta clear them to make more room coffins
References (from this video)
- Tight puzzle-like placement with cascading action choices
- Thematic flavor with desperation tokens and lore
- Engaging wave/invasion scoring and breach mechanics
- Strong production vibes in Kickstarter prototype
- Complex rules and dense action tracking for new players
- Prototype components; production may differ in final release
- Scoring depends on multiple interlocking tracks that may overwhelm newcomers
- Lore of dwarves, mountain, trolls, and legendary champions
- Legends of a dwarven mountain kingdom defending against invading gnomes
- Lore-driven prequel storytelling exploring the fall of the mountain and the legends behind it
- The Minds of Moria
- Spirit Island
- In the Hall of Mountain King
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action economy with strong/weak actions — Actions are categorized as strong or weak; stronger actions cost more resources and have more effects.
- ancestry drafting — Draft cards to build an ancestry tableau that unlocks actions and strengthens turns.
- area_control and network building — Players move trolls along pre-existing networks to control caverns and domains.
- breach and invasion waves — At wave phases, trolls clash with invading gnomes; breached caverns allow swarm advancement and scoring consequences.
- champion influence and clan voting — Influence champions to gain clan votes and end-round bonuses.
- desperation tokens — Desperation tokens boost weak actions; thematically tied to trolls pushing through dire situations.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- desperation tokens super thematic by the way
- there's always a puzzle right
- this is going to be epic
- two week actions
- it's a three-round game
References (from this video)
- Sequel/Prequel to existing successful game
- Simple pledge structure
- One pledge level makes decision easy
- Prequel story to original
- High quality components (from first game)
- Haven't played first game yet
- fantasy
- mountain_kingdom
- prequel
- Mountain King (first game)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- pandemic shame which is i just went on a kickstarter spree while i was living in egypt
- we're gonna start a new hashtag we're going hashtag team jason zack
- there's nothing wrong with that because i think this is going to be a great game
- it might be number 23 which is something that is not being put out until tomorrow
- i just want to see that in motion and working on the table
- if you really enjoy some games by you know certain makers you're probably going to like in another one
References (from this video)
- Deluxe edition available via giveaway
- Strong thematic flavor and components
- Potential complexity for new players
- Mining and dwarven politics
- Dwarven mountain kingdom
- Mythic fantasy
- Endeavor Deep Sea
- Naramata
- The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice placement — dice determine actions and resolve outcomes
- Resource management — collect and spend resources to progress
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- One Gamer at a time
- we love what we do
- it's a journey
- we're changing we're evolving
- we love our RPG family
References (from this video)
- Exciting premise
- Accessible entry into heavier play
- Unknown publisher/designer
- kingdom descent/edge-of-collapse
- fantasy mountains/kingdom
- adventure/strategy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- multi-stage strategy — progression through stages of decline
- worker action selection — optimizing actions across rounds
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- we have 160 games sitting on our Shelf of Shame
- YOLO YOLO
- we have big news coming but we don't know when
- it's a mess again because we take games out and then we just throw them back in there willy-nilly
- we might end up streaming
- the 25,000 prize money could fund board games
References (from this video)
- Competitive yet not overly aggressive
- Solid area-majority mechanics and tension
- Area control and competitive drafting
- Viking/medieval siege-style exploration
- Strategy-focused with tense player interaction
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area majority — Compete for control of areas, enhancing scoring opportunities.
- engine-like action economy — Balanced actions provide strategic depth without overwhelming players.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the rules are quick and easy to get through
- my daughter really likes birds
- the game uses the game trays making it a lot better easier to set up and take down
- one of the best components that I've ever seen
References (from this video)
- Very competitive without being overly aggressive
- Solid complexity for medium-heavy players
- Area majority with competitive drafting
- Nordic/medieval siege vibe
- Strategic, tense, competitive
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area majority — Compete for control across regions; positioning drives scores.
- competitive drafting — Draft choices influence opponents and board state.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the rules are quick and easy to get through
- my daughter really likes birds
- the game uses the game trays making it a lot better easier to set up and take down
- one of the best components that I've ever seen
References (from this video)
- Colorful, troll-themed design
- Potential for rich table presence
- New players may need a longer intro to rules
- Fantasy civilization-building with trolls
- Prequel to Hall of the Mountain King
- Cooperative or competitive play with multiple factions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Faction Asymmetry — Different factions have unique goals and abilities.
- Village / city-building — Coordinate development across factions to thrive.
Video topics + discussion points
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)
- fun action selection and simple setup
- quickly engaging for the first hour
- dragged on too long in longer sessions
- two-player pacing felt slower than with more players
- area control with tableau engine
- fantasy realm with trolls
- engine-building with action placement
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — compete for control and build your tableau to act
- tableau-building — actions are driven by cards placed to cover quadrants
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this game is so good at literally you get a storybook and it'll be like go here do this when this happens this is what it means and read this page and it just teaches you as you go in such like a beautiful way
- I really liked it I'm not sure how you felt I don't know how I feel yet we've only played two or three
References (from this video)
- deluxe components and robust storage/tray design
- fast/setup friendly for a big-box deluxe edition
- gorgeous artwork (Vincent du Tree) and appealing visual design
- clear fan appeal as a prequel with thematic depth to Hall of the Mountain King
- strong potential for engaging two-to-four player play with tight action-card interplay
- an overwhelming number of mini expansions and add-ons in the deluxe package
- learning curve can be steep; rules clarity could be improved
- packaging and storage setup can be fiddly if you’re not aiming for a pristine showroom experience
- area control and territory influence within a cavern, driven by card/tile actions and resource management
- Underground cave system with troll faction dominance; prequel to Hall of the Mountain King.
- fantasy, thematic, adventure-driven conflict in a cavernous world
- Hall of the Mountain King
- Hokkaido
- Honshu
- Tribes of the Wind
- Lacrimosa/Lacrimos
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area_battle_and_movement — Trolls extend into regions to push back or contest control, leading to tactile, combat-like interactions.
- area_control — Players contend for control of distinct cave regions, influencing board state and bonuses.
- card_driven_actions — Actions are activated via symbol cards, some wilds or enhancements depending on placement and card effects.
- resource_management — Manage barrels, gems, and other tokens to fuel actions and board impact.
- tile_and_card_synergy — Action cards/tiles with symbols drive actions; overlapping tiles provide strategic choices akin to Honshu/Hokkaido.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- winning does not mean everything in the game
- the experience of playing is always more important than winning
- I would rather give my friend Neil the victory in argument Consortium
- you should try to win … not Kingmaker
- it's such a nice little nice little thing
- Vincent's art is gorgeous; Vincent du Tree's covers are some of the best
References (from this video)
- family-friendly
- engaging for casual groups
- not as deep as some heavier titles
- Adventure and dungeon-like exploration
- Hill dwarven saga with exploration
- Light adventure
- Hall of the Mountain King
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hand_management — Managing a hand of cards to solve dungeon challenges
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Make this world a better place, one board gamer at a time.
- it's a big hit for our group
- it's all about money
- this is deluxe and exciting