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Game Info
Year
2013
Collection
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Description
Early in the history of the United States, slavery was an institution that seemed unmovable but with efforts of men and women across the country, it was toppled. In Freedom: The Underground Railroad, players are working to build up the strength of the Abolitionist movement through the use of notable figures and pivotal events. By raising support for the cause and moving slaves to freedom in Canada, the minds of Americans can be changed and the institution of slavery can be brought down.
Freedom is a card-driven, cooperative game for one to four players in which the group is working for the abolitionist movement to help bring an end to slavery in the United States. The players use a combination of cards, which feature figures and events spanning from Early Independence until the Civil War, along with action tokens and the benefits of their role to impact the game.
Players need to strike the right balance between freeing slaves from plantations in the south and raising funds which are desperately needed to allow the group to continue their abolitionist activities as well as strengthen the cause.
The goal is not easy and in addition to people and events that can have a negative impact on the group's progress, there are also slave catchers roaming the board, reacting to the movements of the slaves on the board and hoping to catch the runaway slaves and send them back to the plantations.
Through careful planning and working together, the group might see an end to slavery in their time.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 13
This page: 13
Sentiment:
pos 11 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–13 of 13
Video 3KJlKsLF6gk
Watch It Played Discussion at 7:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 92442 · mention_pk 248417
Click to watch at 7:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Cooperative game for up to four players, suitable for family play
- Educational potential regarding history and social justice
- Thoughtful gift from a viewer
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Players work together to help bring about the end of slavery in the United States, highlighting the role of Canadians in supporting American abolition efforts.
- United States during the era of slavery, with a role for Canada.
- Cards feature historical figures and events from this time in history.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players work together to achieve a common goal.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I want to open up this box that came from a generous viewer and this box that came to us from the cult of the new our retailer sponsor for this season
- I discovered that sheep land is the island that the game takes place on and for some crazy reason up to four shepherds are hurting the same flock around the island
- this is a Cooperative game where players are working together to try to help bring about the end of slavery in the United States
- ultimately I hope that it's also going to teach Luke and myself too important lessons about our history and about the importance of standing up and doing something when you believe it's right and that it actually can have an impact and a change
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video y00mXmBE_lw
3 Minute Board Games Top List at 4:08 sentiment: positive
video_pk 91370 · mention_pk 245182
Click to watch at 4:08 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Teaches history and addresses complex topics engagingly
- Excellent for learning about the abolitionist movement
- Slave catchers move identically to monsters in Arkham Horror 2nd edition, adding tension
Cons
- Slave catchers moving identically to monsters is 'a bit on the nose'
Thematic elements
- Abolitionist movement
- Antebellum America
- Card-driven historical simulation
Comparison games
- Arkham Horror 2nd edition
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card-driven game — The game is described as card-driven.
- cooperative play — Implied by playing 'members of the abolitionist movement'.
- historical simulation — The game simulates the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love everything about this game [Block by Block]
- the concept is simple guess who but it's all brilliant women and you narrow down your opponent's identity using questions of accomplishment not appearance
- obsession is a brilliantly designed worker placement game with a mechanics and theme of vintage English social climbing and flirtation tie together beautifully
- in my experience obsession is best enjoyed with a few glasses of wine lots of smutty wordplay and accusing your table mates of being secret American cads in terribly over-the-top accents
- thanks for sticking through to the end chums it has been a blast creating this paradigm shifting content for you and for the glory of the algorithm
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video tp2jAxu-IB0
3 Minute Board Games Top List at 21:35 sentiment: positive
video_pk 91347 · mention_pk 245079
Click to watch at 21:35 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Highly Positive
Pros
- Captivating and important theme
- Tightly designed cooperative gameplay
- Exceptional core gameplay
- Genuine puzzle
Cons
- Limited actions requiring tough decisions
Thematic elements
- Abolitionist movement fighting slavery
- Pre-Civil War America
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — A cooperative game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dyi6OBy828U
3 Minute Board Games Top List at 17:55 sentiment: positive
video_pk 90797 · mention_pk 243005
Click to watch at 17:55 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Takes its serious topic very seriously.
- Intense gameplay with few, important actions.
- Compelling cooperative experience.
Cons
- Cannot speak to the historical accuracy of the portrayal.
Thematic elements
- Underground Railroad
- Historical (Slavery Era)
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action efficiency — you have so few actions you can take throughout the course of the game and each of those actions has to be important
- cooperative play — a cooperative game
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video bWL4mrPZqF4
Drive Thru Games Top List at 42:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 88823 · mention_pk 234955
Click to watch at 42:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive (for its impact)
Pros
- Excellent game, recommend everyone play it.
- A very interesting and moving experience.
- Sells the difficulty and terribleness of the historical situation.
- Worthwhile investigation with nice historical tidbits.
- Solid game and fun from the perspective of the challenge.
Cons
- The subject matter is extremely heavy.
- It's tricky to frame playing it as a 'fun evening'.
- Don't need to keep engaging with the mindset after playing it several times.
Thematic elements
- Helping slaves escape to freedom
- Late era of slave ownership in the US
- Heavy, impactful narrative driven by difficult decisions.
Comparison games
- Pandemic
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players work together to achieve the goal of freeing slaves.
- Resource Management — Managing actions and resources to help slaves escape.
- Set Collection — Collecting resources or items to facilitate escapes.
- Track management — Managing different tracks like slave escape and anti-slavery legislation.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a very moving experience because some of the things some of the decision making as you're trying to win the game about where to sort of spend your resources and spend your time so the effectively you can win you know you're going to have to leave certain people behind
- the combat's really cool you know it's right up there with any good Skirmish game
- this is another one where as soon as I was done with the campaign of the first you know the the main box I really felt like I wanted to go back and play it again but I think I need to give it time because now as time has kind of moved on I don't really have the desire to go back and play it again
- those to me are the best of that kind of genre because it has a lot of just more physical elements than like the unlock or even exit has it has a really cool like uh very analog feeling mechanism that goes with it
- this is other than the next game on the list probably the perfect Legacy game because it makes the right jump at the right time and it really stages you into getting to the more and more complex layers Without Really Ever Actually Ever Being Boring at any point
- the magic of that first playthrough would not be there it just would not be there when the some of the reveals and some of the things in terms of like you know why are we playing this game 12 times in a row what's the kind of story that's threaded through here
- the mechanically altered board and characters and stuff becomes the story itself and that is revealed to you one time and then you don't get to do it again
- the games aren't in jail like you know what I mean like why why are you forcing me to play a certain kind of game or a certain game over and over that's jail
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video bWL4mrPZqF4
Drive Thru Games Top List at 42:36 sentiment: positive
video_pk 88823 · mention_pk 234956
Click to watch at 42:36 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Positive
Pros
- Excellent game
- Solid co-op design
- Very interesting and moving experience
- Sells the difficulty of the historical situation
- Educational with historical tidbits
- Solid balance
- Fun from the perspective of the challenge
Cons
- Subject matter is very heavy and difficult to engage with regularly
- Difficult to win
Thematic elements
- Helping slaves escape to the North and Canada, avoiding slave catchers, passing anti-slavery legislation
- Late era of slave ownership in the United States
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Point Allowance — Players must make the most efficient use of their actions to do the most good.
- cooperative play — It's a great co-op game.
- Resource Management — Players must make decisions about where to spend resources and time.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a very moving experience because some of the things some of the decision making as you're trying to win the game about where to sort of spend your resources and spend your time so the effectively you can win you know you're going to have to leave certain people behind
- the combat's really cool you know it's right up there with any good Skirmish game
- this is another one where as soon as I was done with the campaign of the first you know the the main box I really felt like I wanted to go back and play it again but I think I need to give it time because now as time has kind of moved on I don't really have the desire to go back and play it again
- those to me are the best of that kind of genre because it has a lot of just more physical elements than like the unlock or even exit has it has a really cool like uh very analog feeling mechanism that goes with it
- this is other than the next game on the list probably the perfect Legacy game because it makes the right jump at the right time and it really stages you into getting to the more and more complex layers Without Really Ever Actually Ever Being Boring at any point
- the magic of that first playthrough would not be there it just would not be there when the some of the reveals and some of the things in terms of like you know why are we playing this game 12 times in a row what's the kind of story that's threaded through here
- the mechanically altered board and characters and stuff becomes the story itself and that is revealed to you one time and then you don't get to do it again
- the games aren't in jail like you know what I mean like why why are you forcing me to play a certain kind of game or a certain game over and over that's jail
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _wkOFjUlkPg
Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews Top List at 10:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 85884 · mention_pk 220948
Click to watch at 10:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Thematically resonant
- Educational value
- Tense and challenging cooperative gameplay
- Flavor text is crucial
Cons
- Heavy and serious theme may deter some players.
Thematic elements
- Abolition of American slavery
- United States
- Flavor text that is historically based and important to gameplay.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose actions to free slaves and change legislation.
- Area Movement — Moving slaves to the North.
- cooperative play — Players work together to achieve the goal.
- Resource Management — Raising money and awareness.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- So, you have to get rid of this engine you think you have going for you, but you don't because you have to get rid of something.
- Coffee is how you run this whole game because it's the way you manipulate dice and change the pit.
- We win this rarely, but it's still awesome.
- She was able to tell us what everything said. I mean, you can kind of guess based on the pictures on it, but she was like, 'This is this, this is this, this is this.'
- It was one of the first hobby games that I played where my eyes were just wide open just this is what games can be.
- It's got paper money. It's got the paper. Get rid of that poker chips. It adds to the experience every time.
- There's just another farmer in the game who means well but just messes you up the whole time.
- Three Sisters is just such a solid game. It's such a great game.
- It's not a mancala, but it gives you kind of mancala like the feelings as you're trying to map out where you need to be in the future rounds.
- There's nothing hidden. There's no cards. There's no dice. There's nothing nothing random in the entire game.
- I personally believe like I personally believe that Castles of Burgundy is kind of like an essential for a board gaming collection.
- The artwork was so drab in the original that everybody was like, 'If you do a deluxe version, we will supply that.'
- This is another one of those heavier, thinkier cooperative games. very very challenging.
- So you have to keep on trying because each one of these is going to fail often.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video N1GiqAxzO6Q
Hungry Gamer Discussion at 275:58:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 83149 · mention_pk 209068
Click to watch at 275:58:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Been wanting to get that game for a while
- heard nothing but good things about it
- very interested to see how it plays out
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- The Underground Railroad
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players work together for the abolitionist cause.
- Risk Management — Every move risks alerting slave catchers who roam the board.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's number five on the BGG top 100, that's the game we're going to start with.
- It's about trying to have the most influence in Afghanistan at the end of the game.
- This is another one of those games that I think is just a masterpiece.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Jg1djnTuwcI
The Dice Tower Top List at 2:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80124 · mention_pk 194501
Click to watch at 2:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Academy Games is known for making historical games.
- Solid game.
- Talks about part of our history that's not great, but also part of it that is good.
- Does a really good job.
- An important one.
Cons
- Not a cheerful game.
- The most somber game on the list.
Thematic elements
- Helping slaves escape through the Underground Railroad to Canada, while avoiding slave catchers.
- Historical America, during the time of the Underground Railroad.
- Discusses political events of the time, abstracted with helping people escape.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Movement — Players move slaves through the Underground Railroad.
- cooperative play — Players cooperatively help slaves escape.
- Set Collection — Implied through the act of helping people escape and managing resources.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is the year that is... Happy birthday to me. But also America. America is turning 250 years old this year.
- So, we don't have a lot of Euro games made about us, about our old castles and such... yet.
- We're just talking about games that give the Americana feeling.
- There's nothing more American than Panam.
- It really is the Cold War in a box.
- There's nothing more American than the cowboy.
- So, all right. My number one is again something very American is we're we have so much pride of our national park system.
- Happy birthday to America.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qX9CzM76x8w
Dice Tower Top 10 List at 9:07 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 39277 · mention_pk 118275
Click to watch at 9:07 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- educational impact
- meaningful choices
Cons
- difficult logistics
- can be emotionally heavy
Thematic elements
- moral and logistical decision-making
- American Civil War-era freedom and escape
- educational, serious
Comparison games
- Spirit Island
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area-control/resource-management — Logistically moving runaways through safe routes; difficult choices about captures.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- What you're saying is Arkham Horror the card game gets a pass and these two are out.
- Frost Punk is nasty.
- Daybreak gives you that feeling of like walking in and being like I just cleaned up in here.
- Ghost Stories is tricky.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video WlsxhNjpBLc
Beyond Solitaire Interview at 26:11 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9956 · mention_pk 29276
Click to watch at 26:11 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- deeply educational and emotionally impactful
- engages with difficult historical subject matter
Cons
- subject matter can be heavy and emotionally taxing
- may require strong group buy-in
Thematic elements
- abolitionist movement and escape narratives
- United States, 1830s–1850s
- empathic and historical storytelling
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative strategy with moral choices — players navigate routes and make ethically charged decisions affecting outcomes
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- history is always two stories: the history being told and the storyteller's own perspective.
- data informing better choices—whether you're buying a house or making a career move, better information leads to better outcomes.
- it's social; it's about people playing with each other and building relationships—whether in meatspace or online.
- if you want to teach history, you want to teach it to everybody and consider all participants and perspectives.
- games that challenge you to think about tough subjects can expand our empathy and understanding of history.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video FeTAVPnP-_0
3 Minute Board Games Top List at 4:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4807 · mention_pk 14108
Click to watch at 4:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Theme executed with respect and gravity
- Incredibly tight and tense gameplay
- Thought-provoking
- Risk-taking and calculation elements
Cons
- Heavy thematic content
Thematic elements
- Moving enslaved people to freedom
- American South before Civil War
- Serious and tense
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative gameplay — Move slaves from plantations to freedom
- Risk Management — Limited actions with slave hunters pursuing
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I've played about 300 solo games so this represents the top of all the solo games I've played
- These are entirely my opinions based on my personal play experience
- I think this is one of the cleverest solo modes on the market
- When you win a game of Robinson Crusoe there are very few things in solo board gaming more satisfying
- The closest experience in board gaming to being the captain on a bridge in a sci-fi movie where everything is going to shit
- I'm probably a solo board gaming masochist
- I just love Thunderbirds as a solo game
- It feels like Legendary Encounters was built for the Alien theme and was built as an upgrade to the original Legendary system
- Probably the best AI opponent in all of board gaming
- Few games have that genuine sense of exploration
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video kHdplBJwD8E
Drive Thru Games Top List at 17:12 sentiment: negative
video_pk 417 · mention_pk 97199
Click to watch at 17:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- powerful moral and emotional space
- historical gravity and integrity
Cons
- heavy topics can be uncomfortable
- can be mechanically dense
Thematic elements
- Sacrifice, abolition, escape, and moral choices
- Slavery-era United States and Underground Railroad routes
- Harsh historical narrative with ethical decisions
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- crossroads-like decision points — Critical moments affect path and outcomes.
- Semi-Cooperative — Players pursue abolition while managing routes and risk.
- semi-cooperative with heavy moral choices — Players pursue abolition while managing routes and risk.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- pure existential dread
- it's the most exciting game I've ever played
- paranoid feeling
- how selfish am I going to be today
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–13 of 13