360 animals on big cards are waiting for the players of Fauna. Every round a single animal presents itself by name and picture. The 2-6 players try to guess the animal's weight, length, height, tail length and - most important - the areas in which the animal lives on the Earth. The early bird gets the worm: an area on the big map or a sector on the scales already occupied by a player token cannot be chosen a second time. When no player wants to set another token the round ends and the scoring is performed. Tokens on correct spaces get points for the corresponding player, also tokens in the direct neighborhood of correct spaces score points. Tokens not earning points are temporarily out of the game - so risk should be carefully considered. Next round - next animal - starting player changes. The first player who reaches a certain total score wins (normally after 8-12 animals).
- crunchy, deep puzzle with multiple scoring layers
- strong thematic cohesion around family and memory
- good replay potential due to many flipping decisions
- high cognitive load and learning curve
- some players may find the rules dense or opaque
- memorialization, family lineage, rituals surrounding the departed
- an altar-like tableau where family members are drafted and arranged with candles and backgrounds to score
- puzzle-driven drafting and placement with candle-based endgame goals
- Calico
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- drafting — you select and pay to draft family members for your tableau
- Flip scoring — points are awarded when characters are flipped according to evolving objectives
- pattern and endgame objectives — candles and icons around the board create endgame scoring opportunities
- tableau building — you place drafted figures on an altar-like board to create scoring configurations
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- One of the most unique games I've played in a while
- crunchy sort of puzzy style
- If you liked Revive... you like that weight of game
References (from this video)
- engaging and accessible
- high production value
- depends on group knowledge diversity
- knowledge-driven party/euro hybrid
- animal-themed general knowledge
- approachable, social deduction-like
- Terror
- Trivial Pursuit
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- general knowledge with leeching — players leverage others' knowledge and guessing to score
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The Spiellers Yares Award is the most prestigious award in board gaming in the world.
- Bucket King 3D uses plastic cups that stack on top of each other to give it a real three-dimensional view.
- It's a lot of fun.
- This is not a great game, but it is a funny one.
- Splendor is everywhere. The artwork is so boring. It’s a lovely game, don’t get me wrong.
- Rise of Augustus demonstrates that bingo is the one thing that makes it so accessible.
- This is an accessible, simple game. It's got a beautiful look to it.
- Concept would have been a worthy winner.
- Arcadia looks amazing when you play it and lay it out on the table.
References (from this video)
- Accessible still engaging trivia
- Copying others' guesses adds social interaction
- Fits a party vibe while remaining board-gameish
- Relies on general knowledge; some topics may feel narrow
- animals and global trivia themes
- animal trivia
- casual, party-leaning but still board-game flavored
- Terra (TerrA) series
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- trivia with inference — Players answer animal-based trivia; clever copying of others' guesses can maximize scoring.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the brave action is bigger but you might not get it if someone else also takes it
- the witch's theme delivering potions works very well
- rules are really simple, uh the game is attractive and it's a game that you can really sort of you feel like you could master
- it's the best trivia game that i know
- the production is fantastic, the pieces are really high quality
- you are not allowed to speak to each other
- the cubes are the most magnificent component
- i created doodle rush
References (from this video)
- Encourages educated guessing and discussion
- Social and accessible
- Timeline
- Wits and Wages
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Trivia/Estimation — Players guess approximate values (e.g., animal tail length, geography).
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This list is all about hopefully it'll give you some ideas of games that you might want to pick up yourself.
- Auctions are challenging; the more you play, the more you start to feel how much those power stations are worth.
- Not everybody is going to have totally accurate general knowledge and it welcomes players in to just have a go.
- I split you choose is a mechanism that could be used more broadly; it creates delicious tension and stress at the table.