/pic5374175.jpg)
Game Info
Year
2021
Players
1-4
Age
14+
Playtime
120 min
Collection
Your Tier
Loading…
Mechanic profile
Percentile rank vs. all games
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
Golem is an engine-building game by Simone Luciani, Virginio Gigli and Flaminia Brasini, the same team that brought you Grand Austria Hotel and Lorenzo il Magnifico.
The game is based on the 16th-century legend of the Golem of Prague, an anthropomorphic creature that Rabbi Loew animated from a clay statue to protect his people. In the game, players take on the role of rabbis who create and grow these powerful creatures that will be moved around the neighborhoods of Prague under the control of students. Be careful, because if a golem becomes too powerful, it will destroy everything it encounters on its way. Players can also kill their Golems in order to get bonuses.
Players also create powerful artifacts and acquire knowledge by collecting ancient books.
The game is divided into four rounds, and each round is composed of 7 phases:
Refresh
Golem Movement
Actions (2 marble actions and 1 rabbi action)
Turn Order
Influence Character
Income and Development
Golem Control
At the beginning of each round, the players will shuffle the colored marbles into the 3D synagogue that will split them into five lines corresponding to the five main actions available in the game:
Work: By paying Knowledge, you can activate the Golem placed in the city of Prague and get bonuses.
Golem: Obtain clay to create new golems and upgrade the developments on your personal board.
Artifact: Obtain coins and buy gold to build artifacts that offer permanent bonuses in the game and upgrade developments on your personal board.
Spells: Obtain Knowledge and perform spells (with a scoring for book collection) and upgrade developments on your personal board.
Mirror: Perform one action of your choice by paying 1 coin.
The number of marbles available in the corresponding action line determines how much the player gets from the action. When you choose an action, you collect one marble of your choice in the corresponding line and depending on the color of the marble you chose, you also move your student forward on one of the districts of Prague.
It's important to advance your students on those tracks to be able to keep your golems under control. At the end of the round, knowledge can also be used to control a golem that surpassed its students, but if one of these creatures is uncontrolled, it may become dangerous and destroy the neighborhood, after which you will have to destroy and bury it!
The marble color also matters, because at the end of the round, if you get the correct combination of two colors, you receive the favor of one of the powerful Prague characters, which will differ each round.
At the end of the fourth round, players score points for active or buried golems, artifacts, books, development on their personal board, and collected goal cards.
Featured Videos
Ask a Rules Question
All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 39
This page: 39
Sentiment:
pos 26 ·
mix 6 ·
neu 3 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–39 of 39
Video dPoP1Dn-jzE
Jamie, Tabletoptiktok Top List at 2:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 99360 · mention_pk 276754
Click to watch at 2:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- really fun time
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Birds with iridescent wings that perch on telephone wires
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- abstract strategy — laying out your pieces in a way that blocks your opponents from laying their pieces out.
- Area Majority — whoever gets the most on the board by the end of the game wins.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Love them or hate them, there are a lot of bird themed games out there.
- I know a lot of people have a big fear of birds, but I think birds are fascinating.
- this is just such a fun game with so much going on and the variable setup really lends itself to a ton of replay-ability.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video nf0N_vr1oBI
Getting Games Top 20 List at 54:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 89637 · mention_pk 238433
Click to watch at 54:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fascinating combo-tastic design
- cool table presents (marble tower for action selection)
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- crunchy, combo-driven engine
- golem-themed street movement and combo-building
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- combo-building with golems — moving golems to create combos with board interactions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Scout was my number one game of 2021
- i think this is my favorite game
- it's a two player only game
- every game plays differently
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6u24g5mCwKA
All You Can Board Discussion sentiment: positive
video_pk 89615 · mention_pk 238303
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the best game in your collection is bears versus babies
- we prioritize patrons
- you gotta flip the box upside down or the other way around
- top shelf villain
- this is a really nice little hobby zone kind of thing
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6u24g5mCwKA
All You Can Board Discussion sentiment: positive
video_pk 89615 · mention_pk 264127
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the best game in your collection is bears versus babies
- we prioritize patrons
- you gotta flip the box upside down or the other way around
- top shelf villain
- this is a really nice little hobby zone kind of thing
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 61lWPL1tlM4
Tabletop Tokki Playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 89426 · mention_pk 237418
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- High replayability due to card order and double-sided cards.
- Compact, affordable design delivering a rich puzzle experience.
- Accessible to a wide audience, including first-timers and print-and-play enthusiasts.
- Strong artistic and graphic design that enhances the gameplay experience.
Cons
- Placement planning can be intricate and may require multiple attempts to optimize.
- Some early players may underestimate the depth due to the nine-card format.
Thematic elements
- Puzzle-path building, resource gathering (mushrooms), life management, and avoiding hazards (crows) to complete a path to grandma's cottage.
- A whimsical journey from a starting cottage to grandmother's house through a forest path, guided by walls and doors.
- Cozy, fairy-tale-esque quest with a lighthearted, instructional solo and collaborative commentary.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hazards and obstacles — Crows act as hazards that reduce life points; rocks provide bounce mechanics and can be placed as obstacles or used to cover crows.
- Locked doors and progress gating — Some doors are locked and require a minimum mushroom tally on the preceding map card to enter, introducing a gating mechanism for advancement.
- Path tracing and card placement — Players place wall cards to extend the map and trace a path from the starting door in straight lines until encountering obstacles, adjusting their route with each card.
- resource collection — Collect life points, mushrooms (including red and blue varieties), and rocks as you travel; life points can be gained via heart flowers and can be lost by encountering crows.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- zero dollars one sheet of paper double-sided for the nine cards what could go wrong
- I am absolutely obsessed with this game and definitely recommends that you check it out as soon as possible
- this is such a great game i really feel like it's a game that deserves to have so many more eyes on it
- it's quick to play it's super satisfying
- this is not sponsored this is just pure bliss and appreciation for designers who make such fantastic games and make them accessible to literally anybody
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9i_aE22BWuo
3 Minute Board Games Analysis at 2:38 sentiment: positive
video_pk 89456 · mention_pk 237542
Click to watch at 2:38 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- way cooler
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- when do i finally get to make a decision
- century spice road is an excellent light set collection game
- this version just has golems and is way cooler
- twilight imperium works hard to cram four hours of fun into its 12-hour playtime
- this fun and fast-paced dice drafting game crams a ton of decisions into its six rounds
- a slightly uninspiring math puzzle that really didn't need to be set in the south pacific
- a one note party game that gets very old very quickly
- wild space is a wildly swingy set collection game whose novel presentation covers up its average gameplay
- a modern take on the traditional trick taking game that doesn't really bring that much new to the table
- a truly unique and sprawling euro game about one of the most fascinating periods of history the meiji restoration
- a truly awful dungeon crawler inspired by the wildly successful book
- still a very pleasant worker placement game about wine
- a very unusual game about gambling on blood sports where the players are the crowd not the fighters
- what are the original 4x games that spawned a massive franchise
- also manages to cram four hours of fun into its 12 hour playtime
- a dinky little dexterity game about balancing ninjas on precarious tiles
- another perfectly good example of a deck building game where you actually get to do something with the cards
- a dinky little dice manipulation co-op game and a rare example of a game where the app is not only better it's a thousand times harder as well
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OHwW9Z94KS4
Tabletop Tokki Top 10 List at 6:33 sentiment: negative
video_pk 88501 · mention_pk 233340
Click to watch at 6:33 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- tight, compact weight with strong engine-building potential
- improved rulebook compared to 15 Days
Cons
- not as immediately compelling as the other examples
- weight is a bit on the heavier side for some players
Thematic elements
- golem/factory/creatures card-game
Comparison games
- 15 Days
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Multi-Use Cards — cards serve multiple purposes influenced by drafting and play order
- Set Collection — collect tokens to gain control and points
- set collection/majorities — collect tokens to gain control and points
- tile/resource drafting — draft from pools to acquire resources and do actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- five more disappointing games for you all today
- this game hurts my brain to a degree that is just unreal
- I would definitely recommend checking out Encore
- the rule books I got ... what the who said you how do I play this game
- it's Juicy it has some player interaction
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xJeP4MxxJ_I
Meeple University Discussion at 45:48
video_pk 88535 · mention_pk 233618
Click to watch at 45:48 · YouTube ↗
Pros
- Fun party game vibe
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Goblins
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Pantera that was Prototype so I'm able to be bought just taken or whatever a peaceful garden obviously the one that I showed and here is the um the wind farms in Argentina correct correct well not volcano I'd like to probably sorry if I was in Uruguay yes so for on a volcano we just feel like a Harding's game I like to try it still
- nucleum this is also a prototype that I saw this is coming David Torchy's next one yes yes by um by ball and dice so this is one that the same day is actually nuclear but they make it in the alternative world because otherwise you'll probably too controversial for nuclear
- and then the um Star Trek Discovery black alert team assistant yeah that'll be the first Star Trek game in the in the new discovery Universe yep I'll just be um Spore driving all over the place
- and then there's a game called armelo now this there is a video game called amelo and they're making the board game so it'll be exciting I don't know if you play have you played our Melo I haven't actually played I'm a lawyer yet myself have you okay it seems like a good like artwork as well it wasn't on Sega Mega Drive I probably haven't played it
- it seems like a good like artwork as well
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 85qwJVLyrSA
BoardGameBollocks Review at 0:14 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 88253 · mention_pk 232271
Click to watch at 0:14 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Lots of paths to victory.
- Upgrade system provides point scoring opportunities and boosts.
- Turns come around very quickly for a complex game.
- The marble upgrade in the artifact section is a favorite.
- Satisfying when floodgates of resources open.
Cons
- Essentially just a bunch of tracks and marbles.
- Thematic disconnect with the marble track system.
- Can feel like hard work with resource troughs.
- Passing mechanism is confusing and a waste of time.
- Feels like it treads over old ground with familiar Euro mechanics.
- Can be seen as a soulless Euro.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Potion Explosion
- Terra Mystica
- M.U.L.E.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players select actions, with different types like marble actions and rabbi actions.
- End game scoring — Final scoring involves multiplying Golems, artifacts, and book cards by collected manaras, plus objective cards and track positions.
- Engine Building — Players build up an engine through upgrades and bonuses to generate points and resources.
- marble drafting — Marbles are taken from a tray and placed on player boards to dictate actions or student movement.
- Resource Management — Players manage resources like knowledge, clay, and gold to perform actions and upgrades.
- Set Collection — Collecting sets of marbles or cards for scoring bonuses.
- tile upgrades — Double-sided tiles on the player board can be flipped for bonuses and victory point conversions.
- track movement — Golems move up tracks on the main board, with penalties for crossing thresholds.
- Worker Placement — A primary mechanic where players place workers to take actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- So remember if you're new here please consider subscribing to this channel hit the like button and all that YouTube [ __ ]
- So for us it's like finding that standout Adriana cic scene but for others it's just scat mixed with an unhealthy dollop of beastiality
- Remember if you're new here then please consider subscribing to this channel the like button and all that YouTube [ __ ] we see you next time
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video FBr53nliB5w
Beyond Solitaire Interview at 1:02:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 87847 · mention_pk 230250
Click to watch at 1:02:14 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Promotes understanding of gift economies and interdependence.
- Challenges negative stereotypes about wolves.
- Emphasizes the importance of community survival.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Gift economies, survival, and challenging mainstream perceptions of wolves.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Gift economy — The game is about gift economies and supporting other groups.
- Survival — The game focuses on survival and the importance of community well-being.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- There's so much misrepresentation... we were like, 'Okay, just forget about everything that you think you know.'
- It's not about being less than, it's about being different.
- The nightmare is non-natives playing the game and going 'Ugh, me want them' and doing the 1950s native talk while they were or basing it on 'me want to big you know'.
- Colonization it's the result of colonization it's a it's a push back against colonization since colonization didn't happen there's no point in two spirit.
- The word that they wanted to use to reclaim all those lost words... was going to be two spirit, so it was a hard one word coined by native activists that is really inappropriate for a non-native person to use.
- We weren't dumb, we had cataract surgery, we did stuff.
- The awe of science... is not really separable from a deep awe and reverence for nature.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Wkz9yKaGVlw
Beyond Solitaire Interview at 23:40 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 87330 · mention_pk 227942
Click to watch at 23:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
- Represents an attempt to create games that are not typically seen in other titles.
Cons
- More or less broke even financially, did not keep the company afloat.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Semi-Cooperative — Players must all make it across the finish line; if anyone fails, everyone loses, though there is an individual winner.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The most interesting thing about role-playing games are those really cool character interaction moments.
- I think it's better to come up with your own one and let sort of conspiracy theories run wild.
- I think every game is making a political statement.
- We're often put in positions where we don't have time to think about the future we're we're barely being able to hold on to the past or pay our rent or pay our bills or whatever it is we're dealing with the present or the past and I think we're finally at a spot where we can start taking some of the lessons of our pasts of our of our cultures and going well how would those apply to the Future.
- That that complaint comes from a narrative laziness.
- What makes a game indigenous is having an indigenous designer.
- I fundamentally disagree with the idea that games are not political.
- It cannot be said enough until everybody just assumes it's a truism we need to keep saying it.
- It's like it's never just a game every single game is an artifact of its culture and it has some kind of perspective.
- I think there's some Core Concepts there in a lot especially of a lot of like Euro games that that have that baked in and that's not necessarily I'm not trying to necessarily say that those games are all evil or bad or I don't like them or I mean that's not that's not what I'm saying at all I'm just trying to bring awareness to thinking about the mechanics that you're using and you're playing and thinking about the themes that you're engaging with.
- When I say gross I mean that that vision are some of the most difficult for me.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6tEXNWdfh6E
Sir Thecos Analysis at 4:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 85278 · mention_pk 218216
Click to watch at 4:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- like this quite a bit
- really like to play that
- I like this quite a bit.
Cons
- It's not an amazing game, right?
- It's like very very luck based
- It's not that great
Thematic elements
- golf game
Comparison games
- Golf
- Ski
- Cabo
- Bieber
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card scoring — Always like score cards, trying to be like below a specific threshold.
- luck based — It's like very very luck based.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is clearly um an Srank game.
- This is an amazing game that definitely deserves an S rank.
- Can you give a really simple game an S? Yeah, I think you can if it works well and it does work really well.
- I know almost all the cards by now. It's not that exciting anymore.
- Azul is amazing. I love this.
- This is one of my most favorite dungeon crawlers to be honest, and it's not very wellnown, I think.
- It's just really luck based.
- I like this a lot.
- Cluster is like where you put like magnets in like um a circle made out of um some string and you are trying to like place magnets so they don't are not attracted to other magnets otherwise you have to take them into your hands and when you have no magnets left you win.
- It's not a bad game but it's more like an activity right and not everybody likes it.
- The theme sells it for me, right?
- This is like Yatsi just a little bit more interactive because you have like uh you have like specific cards in the middle like 16 cards in a 4x4 grid in the middle with like the things you need to reach with your five dice by rolling three up to three times but you like put your token on it when you reach that so you block it for other players.
- This was one of the most positive rankings within the last I don't know a few months because we don't have one single D title and we have only one title in C and this one is like nice curve here right so actually if you ignore C and D we have a nice curve here how it should be in a tier list just very positive
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video fkdQaPRbuf4
Board Gaming Ramblings Other at 10:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 85212 · mention_pk 217981
Click to watch at 10:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Acquire knowledge and create powerful artifacts and golems
- 16th century Prague
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Launch your rockets. Sabotage the competition as you ride to control Mars.
- Harvest crops and fulfill orders to become the most prosperous merchant.
- Develop your city through the ages in this familyfriendly legacy game.
- Use logic and bluffing. Dead players still play on the clock tower.
- Acquire knowledge and create powerful artifacts and golems in 16th century Prague.
- Construct machines and collect resources from your new airship.
- Take your company's massive profits from all of that railroading and invest them in new technologies deep in the Rocky Mountains.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video THXsVqYBQxk
Board Games UnLocked Top List at 1:39:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 83418 · mention_pk 210160
Click to watch at 1:39:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Positive
Pros
- Interesting and unique theme based on Jewish folklore
- Mechanically interesting action selection with marbles
- Satisfying to build and control golems
- Scales well with player count
- The deluxe version with wooden components is recommended
Cons
- Heavy and complex
- Long playtime
- A lot of iconography can make the initial teach challenging
Thematic elements
- Jewish folklore, building golems, rabbinical students
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Action selection is driven by dropping colored marbles into a synagogue, with colors determining available actions.
- Area Control — Controlling students and golems.
- Engine Building — Building golems and artifacts that grant points or abilities.
- Resource Management — Gathering resources like wood and stone to build golems and artifacts.
- Worker Placement — Players take on the role of rabbis controlling students and placing them to take actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Yeah, dude. I was uh on on a side note, I was uh watching an old interview with the woman that did uh Who Wants to be a Bill a millionaire. Like there was Regis who did it, then the woman who took over after him. She was interviewing Tim Curry uh and was talking about how like he's very seductive about like with like his being a villain and stuff that it's like, man, if you were the devil and you were talking to me, it's like I I'd go with you. And I was listening to him talk and I was like, damn, he really does have a sexy voice.
- I I pretty much take what PubMed gives me and I'm like, well, that's the algorithm.
- Um, and the and the more of those citizens you have on top of each other, um, the more powerful their action gets.
- So, it has that follow mechanism. Okay. So, which I always like kind of because it keeps everybody engaged, right?
- This game's kind of an anomaly nowadays just because of the amount of content you get for the price you pay.
- This is a nonverbal cooperative uh game kind of like the crew but it's not tricktaking where you as a group are trying to diffuse wires um based off of the mission.
- This game is very very challenging. It is. Uh but it's so quick to play that once you lose, you're like, 'Okay, reset.'
- It's It's kind of an anomaly, but it's a really really good one. One to definitely break out during a game day.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Rt4srP3CtrY
Gaming Rules! Interview at 8:26 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 82273 · mention_pk 206675
Click to watch at 8:26 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
none
Cons
- gave it three or four plays, but that was enough for me and I moved it on
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Lorenzo il Magnifico
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I don't feel any pressure to create content.
- This is my full-time job, right? I don't have another job to go to.
- I'm producing all of this content and honestly, if I could produce more, I would because I love what I do.
- The category here or the criteria here is massively popular, really well-respected, solid Euro games that have been around for a while and stood the test of time and are known as just really, really good games.
- No games do. It doesn't need all of the bling and everything else.
- I think most people in life are affected by what's called seasonally adjusted disorder.
- Entering is absolutely free. It doesn't cost you anything whatsoever.
- The secret word this month is haggis.
- All of my advertising revenue from all of my videos goes to charity.
- I don't make any money out of the videos themselves on YouTube. People call me crazy. They would be right.
- It's only 70 to go.
- I have not. No. Not Not even heard of that one.
- I would strongly recommend you just do it because you want to do it. Don't go out and spend £4,000 on a fancy camera, lights, and everything else and think 'Right, I'm going to be the next big channel and I'm going to get 50,000 subscribers in 6 months.'
- One thing that really annoys me is when the games come out at retail like the same time or even before and they're cheaper.
- I personally believe it is fundamentally, morally, and ethically wrong for me to sell a pre-production prototype copy of a game.
- It's International Unplayed Games Day. And the date that I've chosen... is the 1st of July.
- I have already got two of them on my channel, if not three, and I'm doing another one next Wednesday.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XvDCLzspdk0
Get into games Event Coverage at 1:04:15 sentiment: positive
video_pk 81418 · mention_pk 202087
Click to watch at 1:04:15 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Positive
Pros
- Good
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- And then you can challenge each other.
- But it is like I like the fact that the game does that that it's hard.
- And when we played it, I was like, "Oh, I get it now." Cuz it's so hilariously funny.
- Mashy Meeples had said something about um like aircon feels like home cuz you're just with people who want to be there, want to play games.
- It's just a nice experience.
- And I think sometimes, you know, when we're just at home playing games, you're like, "Yeah, I love games." But there's something really special about a convention and being with people and meeting up with people that you don't always
- the buzz and the buzz of people enjoying themselves and having a good time.
- And then we drove to McDonald's. We drove to McDonald's with a view.
- And then this one, this service station happens to have a the adult supertore must be the biggest in the land.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xJUvCItTtWY
Our Family Plays Games Discussion at 1:05:35 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 81102 · mention_pk 199603
Click to watch at 1:05:35 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
- very good publishing house
- very good heavy game
- made from the same people that made Ants
Cons
- sitting on the shelf
- haven't played it
Thematic elements
- null
- null
- null
Comparison games
- Ants
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Yamatai is never going to be made again cuz I don't I'm mad about Yamatai because Desaana that's a very good game that y'all gave up on and that's a very good game.
- UNMATCHED. NO. YES. YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING THAT. THEY'RE TAKING UNMATCHED. NO, NO, NO. I don't Okay, you're not touching none of those. None.
- Unmatched. They stay. Every one of them.
- This is what I deal with.
- It takes up a lot of space in your home and you do fall in love with these games and you want to play them and then a lot of times you can't play them because you're so busy getting new stuff.
- It's hard. It's hard.
- I want an alarm to go off. An alarm after 365 days if you haven't played it. Yeah, it's got to go.
- Board game collections are gaseous and tend to expand to fill the entire volume of the space you allow them in.
- The stores are not going to help you sell your games. That's their business.
- I wish you get a store, which is not bad. Okay. No, store credit is NOT GOOD BECAUSE THAT'S GREAT. That's great.
- If you haven't played it in three years, get rid of it.
- Okay. Next week, next Sunday, we will not be here. No, we won't be here, y'all. We will be at BG Spring. We are not doing a tape show because we got a lot of other videos that we've got to get done before we leave.
- A friend asked me, did you know it takes five sheep to make one sweater? I answered I didn't even know they could knit.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video -1jBLEcfuDo
The Dice Tower Discussion at 19:10:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 80017 · mention_pk 193968
Click to watch at 19:10:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Hashet makes really good games
Cons
- Hate the name of this game so much
Thematic elements
- Golf
Comparison games
- Mario
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- You can feel good you're a board gamer because if you buy a physical board game, no one can ever come and take that from you.
- It's like a long-term rental. As soon as these companies decide, h we're
- If you were at East, you didn't miss anything.
- Happy birthday, mama.
- It's always been an engine builder and it's always been a relaxing kind of game.
- My wife can now fall asleep to it, which is a new thing, which is great, which is fantastic. Which is good. Uh, it's just it's just more accessible and less of a puzzle than it used to be.
- Judge Vance, who many of you might not know, but if you watch Dice House for a long time, back in the day, the Chief, Bart, the Chief, who used to be a board game breakfast contributor, he started a show called Ham Tag, which was a riff on our top 10, half as many, twice as good.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qL8L8PcEFgE
Review at 7:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79473 · mention_pk 192918
Click to watch at 7:22 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Liked quite a bit
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- soccer
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- My current favorite game of Origins 2026 as we stand at Saturday night. That is Grunts from All Play.
- I don't like abstract strategy games. Typically, they're just not my cup of tea.
- The theme comes across.
- If you like two-player games, if you like abstract strategy games, if you like small box games, if you like games where there's tons of strategy in the box, you like games that don't need an expansion.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ZyYZnNmVxEQ
Meeple University Review at 0:11 sentiment: positive
video_pk 69954 · mention_pk 235702
Click to watch at 0:11 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fast/quick game
- high replayability
- innovative and intuitive design
- modular board scales with player count
- clear action economy via terrain tiles
Cons
- potential AP (decision paralysis) during action sequencing
- scoring timing can catch players unprepared
- pacing can feel short for some players in longer/high-player games
- chaotic for some players
Thematic elements
- wolf pack territorial control, hunting prey, alpha wolves, howling
- modular board with terrain regions (desert, tundra, forest); wolves, dens, water holes
Comparison games
- Rise of Tribes
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- alpha walls and layers as blocking pieces — Alpha walls and layers block other wolves and secure hexes; packs may be chased off
- bonus tokens and prey tokens — tokens acquired to enable powerful actions and conversions; bonus tokens can be spent as actions
- den placement to upgrade movement and howl abilities near Alpha walls — placing dens in matching terrain adjacent to Alpha walls upgrades movement and howling capabilities
- endgame scoring on Moonlight board — scoring occurs when Moonlight track triggers; tally points from tracks and area control
- howl to convert wolves within range using tokens — howling converts wolves to your pack at a range determined by tokens; some actions can convert opponents' wolves with bonus tokens
- hunt prey by placing wolves adjacent to prey to gain points — three wolves adjacent to prey allow capturing prey; accumulating varied prey yields points
- Layer Building — Alpha walls and layers block other wolves and secure hexes; packs may be chased off
- Moonlight track area control scoring — Moonlight track triggers area control of water holes; pieces on board worth points (layers worth three)
- two actions per turn with terrain-based action costs — on your turn you take two actions, cost determined by flipping terrain tiles above your board; action counts and terrain type constrain choices
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "Innovative and intuitive"
- "surprisingly quick"
- "personal puzzle"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Nhb3_wu7Ddk
Review at 0:37 sentiment: positive
video_pk 67224 · mention_pk 163194
Click to watch at 0:37 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fun little charming game
- Great art
- Good sense of humor
- Simple micro hex crawl
- Easy to pack and play during a break
Cons
- Can be difficult, leading to quick game over (e.g., instant death by gnome knight)
- Transforming into a toad makes exploration more difficult.
Thematic elements
- Playing as a goblin trying to find seven fragments of a crown to become king.
- A world with a goblin village, a swamp, woods, a witch's hut, a battlefield, road hexes, a gnomish village, a wizard's tower, and a cave.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Character progression — Players can assign stats and purchase items.
- Combat — Players engage in combat with various creatures and characters.
- Dice Rolling — Dice are rolled for movement, encounters, combat, and stat randomization.
- Hex Crawl — Players move between hexes on a map to explore and find encounters.
- Resource Management — Teeth are a resource used as currency to buy items and for health.
- Spellcasting — If a specific hat is chosen, players can learn goblin spells.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- And hey, if you have time to uh sit down and drink a cup of coffee, you probably have time to play these games. These games are very simple and they're kind of coffee break style games.
- Goblin is a is a little solo kind of hex crawl adventure game all about playing a goblin.
- It's a fun little charming game. I think it has great art. It has a good sense of humor and it is fun to just have this kind of little simple micro hex crawl that you can easily throw in a bag and take a break during a hectic workday to play a game.
- Pirates Corg and this is a very small micro game.
- Very, very simple games. Uh these cord games are pretty cool. You know, you can practically keep these in your wallet or if you have a small box of micro games, you can keep them here.
- It's always kind of a game in and of itself to get everything uh back in.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 5hVrRFlo7go
jungus games Discussion at 13:52
video_pk 67052 · mention_pk 163021
Click to watch at 13:52 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the big change here is i'm turning the good games vlog into a patreon exclusive
- the only constant is change
- i adore bunny kingdom
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video z5jaj2bIJqE
Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66769 · mention_pk 162579
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- The story mode is a robust experience.
- Customization allows golems to have particular abilities and skills that can synergize.
- Modifications can be utilized mid-stage by spending unused stars.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- customization — Ability to tailor golems with particular abilities and skills that can synergize.
- In-game purchases — Can utilize modifications mid-stage by spending unused stars to acquire needed abilities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Now, the story mode is a much more robust experience.
- You can even utilize those modifications mid-stage.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video pf5KL-WrmoM
jungkits games Live Q And A at 12:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66015 · mention_pk 160377
Click to watch at 12:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the only constant is change
- jungkus games is my full-time career
- i want to make this digest of all games i've talked about on the site
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video VOACPgYgpKI
Meeple University Rules Teach at 0:04 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 64428 · mention_pk 157888
Click to watch at 0:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- golem construction, study, artifacts, and rabbinic actions
- Jewish legend of the golem
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Artifacts action — Gain coins, upgrade artifacts, and pay coins to gain gold; artifacts provide income and can contribute to endgame scoring.
- Books and columns — Books are slotted into columns on the study track, contributing to endgame scoring and engine building.
- Build a golem — To build, pay clay (plus extra clay for existing golems in the district), place a standing golem in the first block of a district, and advance on the golem track.
- Draft marbles — Players draft marbles from the synagogue and take the corresponding marble action, storing the marble on their board.
- End Game Bonuses — Income is gained, upgrades can occur, and the round ends with potential development and scoring toward the endgame.
- End of round scoring and income — Income is gained, upgrades can occur, and the round ends with potential development and scoring toward the endgame.
- Golem movement — Golems move through districts during movement phase; standing or lying down statuses affect behavior.
- Golem work — During the work action, standing golems may work for a cost in knowledge to gain clay, upgrade a red golem development, and build a golem.
- Killing a golem — Killing a golem moves it to the cemetery and grants a reward; cemetery space rules apply.
- Mirror action — Spend coins to perform another action or spend more to advance on the study track via a mirrored action depending on marbles.
- Rabbi actions — Place a rabbi on an action tile to execute a specific rabbi action; tiles change each round.
- Study action — Gain knowledge, upgrade study development, and gain a book; books influence bonuses and column scoring.
- Turn order and rabbi tiles — Rabbis and their tiles influence turn order; round-specific character resolution follows.
- Upgrade golem development — Pay clay to upgrade a red development tile, flipping it and gaining related abilities and menorahs.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- gollum is a one to four player game
- the player who scores the most points after four rounds of play will win the game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Gi8iH43rBj8
The Board Gaming Doctor Analysis at 0:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34324 · mention_pk 102228
Click to watch at 0:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Noted in the transcript as part of the reference framework
- Contributes to a varied comparative landscape of the session
Cons
- Limited detail in the transcript about Golem specifics
Thematic elements
- golem construction and resource management
- fantasy/mythical workshop environment
- mythic production-driven theme
Comparison games
- Masters of Renaissance
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Engine Building — Optimizing production flow to maximize builds.
- engine-building — Optimizing production flow to maximize builds.
- Resource Management — Managing components and resources for golem construction.
- Set Collection — Gathering necessary components to assemble golems.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game for its quickness and low luck
- strategy which gives Vibes of Splendor
- I enjoyed my experience with this game
- masters of Renaissance stands out and offers a unique experience
- what do you think about this game
- similarities with its Parent Game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 5PL7DMVET68
Board Game Dad Rules Teach at 0:00 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 30377 · mention_pk 89427
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
- Clear delineation of setup steps for new players, including the starting components and their orientations.
- Comprehensive walkthrough of core actions (marble actions, Golem activation, and Rabbi actions) that helps build a mental model of engine management.
- Explicit guidance on interaction between different board elements (markets, development tiles, artifacts, and tracks).
- Examples of strategic decisions (e.g., when to move Golems, when to buy tiles, and how to maximize menorah bonuses).
- Highlights potential pitfalls and pacing considerations (e.g., the cost of unplayed or overextended tracks, graveyard strategies).
Cons
- The tutorial is dense and long; beginners may experience information overload without practical hands-on play time.
- Some rules references assume familiarity with abstract mechanics (e.g., the color-coding semantics, the nuances of track costs, and the timing of activations) which could overwhelm casual viewers.
- The video’s pacing is heavily rule-focused rather than scenario-based; it may benefit from a separate video with a sample round or playthrough to illustrate concepts in action.
Thematic elements
- Resource management, engine-building, and tactical action timing within an arcane urban setting.
- A fantasy city hub where scholars, students, and golems operate within a synagogue-like governance structure; markets for books and artifacts and a ritual-inspired track system drive player activity across four rounds.
- Tutorial-oriented explanation that walks new players through components, setup, and the sequence of actions with practical examples.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Golem graveyard and recovery — If a Golem is destroyed, it’s moved to the graveyard where you can gain a reward and reposition your track. This introduces a strategic option to trim an underperforming engine and harvest benefit at the expense of sacrificing a unit, creating a balance between risk and reward.
- Golem movement and placement — Movement points are accumulated from the round’s card and your Golem track. You allocate movement to multiple Golems, move them along lines on your board, and then place each moved Golem on a work action by laying it down. If a Golem is already laid down, you cannot activate it again until it’s stood back up by moving it; this creates an oscillating tempo between repositioning and activating golems.
- Marble drafting and action selection — Each round presents rows of colored marbles. A player chooses a marble to determine the value of the action they will take, and the color can influence secondary effects such as which student or track is affected. The marbles act as a mutable action economy where color and quantity alter potential outcomes and subsequent race conditions on tracks.
- Market and development tiles — A central market for books and a separate market for artifacts is refreshed periodically. Books are purchased or activated for bonuses and can be tucked behind your board or column to trigger chained effects. Artifacts have two sides and become active only once built; their active side benefits are revealed as play progresses. The act of purchasing or activating development tiles often involves paying knowledge or other resources and can unlock powerful ongoing bonuses or unlock new rows on the board.
- Rabbi actions and marble passing phase — There are two marble actions and one Rabbi action per round. The order of actions is determined by the rabbis on your board, creating a layered priority system. After all players have taken marble actions, there is a passing phase where marbles are redistributed, potentially allowing a second wave of marble actions or a rebalanced plan for the round. White marbles can count as any color for turn order, and passing can allow players to optimize the remaining actions.
- resource generation and expenditure — Actions generate and spend resources (knowledge, coins, and other tokens) to perform development tile purchases, buy books, artifacts, and other board assets. Costs are often colored-coded or value-labeled, and some actions provide immediate bonuses or long-term effects that compound across the round track and sets of tiles.
- Resource Management — Actions generate and spend resources (knowledge, coins, and other tokens) to perform development tile purchases, buy books, artifacts, and other board assets. Costs are often colored-coded or value-labeled, and some actions provide immediate bonuses or long-term effects that compound across the round track and sets of tiles.
- Scoring system and menorah multipliers — Score is earned via multiple channels: objective cards (achievements), menorah multipliers that scale with the number and type of constructions, and bonuses for completing various objectives. Multipliers depend on the color of the menorah you reveal when upgrading Golems, books, or artifacts, and there are multiple categories of objectives that reward different patterns (e.g., diversity vs. sameness). There is also a bonus point for leftovers, which incentivizes efficient end-game planning and resource management.
- Study track, books, and artifacts interplay — Buying books and advancing on the study track correlates with board-wide bonuses. Books may be used to push progress on the study track, which in turn affects other mechanics and action costs. Black books are wild and can trigger activations across multiple bonuses when placed, adding a layer of tactical depth to the market and placement decisions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this tutorial is designed to help you start playing Golem as quickly as possible
- the objective of this game is to have the most victory points after four rounds
- the number of marbles in a row give the action its value
- a big part of this game is managing your columns and preventing them from going too far
- that's unique about this game is that it is designed so that the marbles may not necessarily be evenly distributed
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dNl3OlnIYRs
Chairman of the Board Top List at 6:15 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13757 · mention_pk 40210
Click to watch at 6:15 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Deep, crunchy euro with strong synergy between parts
- Tight design and elegant escalation
Cons
- Heavy, not for casual players
- Lots of moving parts can be intimidating at first
Thematic elements
- ancient craft, golems, knowledge economy
- a synagogal workshop with golems and knowledge tokens
- strong thematic synthesis with euros
Comparison games
- Grand Austria Hotel
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action strength via marble count — the number of marbles in a column increases action power on that turn
- Golem activation — activate golems to perform actions, with movement affecting future rounds
- marble drafting / column-based rondelle — drop marbles into columns to determine available actions
- Rondel — drop marbles into columns to determine available actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- these are ten really really good games
- this is one of the coolest games in terms of like turn angst and frustration
- it's timeless and very clean design
- this is a co-design but it's definitely got a lot of the dna in it through that tile placement and other little mechanisms
- an absolute blast to play
- Arc Nova is going to stand the test of time
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UWqrcHJ9b80
The Dice Tower Top List at 16:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13743 · mention_pk 40152
Click to watch at 16:22 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- colorful for a euro
- complex and satisfying
- excellent comboing actions
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is my most played game of the year
- It is the perfect engine builder
- absolutely adore this game
- one that instantly I fell really hard for it
- would absolutely watch Oathsworn the HBO series
- the story and the setting is that rich
- for me the epitome of what a thematic game can be
- every click of the clock matters
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9b_kJwEtEf4
Our Family Plays Games Game Reviews at 57:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12336 · mention_pk 161695
Click to watch at 57:51 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- thematic and approachable for families
- engaging drafting with a tangible holiday flavor
- compact footprint suitable for two players and up
Cons
- rules may feel fiddly to new players
- two-player feel is good but benefits from more players for higher interaction
Thematic elements
- holiday teamwork, gift-collection and sleigh-building
- Christmas world with Santa, sleighs and reindeer
- light, whimsical, family-friendly
Comparison games
- Holiday Hills
- Jingle Bell Road
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players draft and place up to 10 cards to form lines; cards represent sleigh or reindeer with objectives
- Multi-Use Cards — Cards serve dual purposes (reindeer vs. sleigh) and contribute to meeting color-based objectives
- multi-use cards / set-building — Cards serve dual purposes (reindeer vs. sleigh) and contribute to meeting color-based objectives
- simultaneous placement/reveal — Cards are placed and revealed to determine which card is secured and which remains in play for others
- Simultaneous Reveal — Cards are placed and revealed to determine which card is secured and which remains in play for others
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Rudolph is cool.
- The board in here is very beautiful.
- Seven bells, seven bells wins.
- I am in love with Holiday Hills.
- This is a fun Christmas game with lots of variants.
- Wouldn't it be great to have a Christmas train running around the house with the nutcrackers?
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video IKc0MTcOIjs
Getting Games Discussion at 24:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11787 · mention_pk 34553
Click to watch at 24:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Top-of-board stacking that can re-activate cards
- Clear chaining mechanic when activated
Cons
- Activation windows can limit play flow
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Darwin's Journey
- Golem
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- furnace hits the my definition of an engine builder.
- it's a feeling not a mechanism.
- Terraforming Mars as being like a quintessential engine building game to me.
- Concordia... your hand in and of itself is an engine that you are building towards.
- Steampunk Rally matches your definition and it also matches mine in that it is you're making this frankenstein's monster of a racing machine.
- Golem is where you stack the cards and then you keep reactivating them.
- Darwin's Journey comes to mind.
- Dominion is deck builders but can build engines; it sits in a spectrum.
- Villages, vineyards, and aging workers can feel engine-like but not always.
- income is not an engine.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 4T4IQtuQRLQ
The Broken Meeple Top List at 3:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11338 · mention_pk 33341
Click to watch at 3:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Excellent variety in action selection
- Rewarding combo experience
- Solid heavy euro game
- Good opportunity game for planning
- Good marble action selection mechanic
- Opportunity-driven rather than purely strategic
Cons
- Rules heavy - not for casual gamers
- Theme is disjointed and minimal
- Point salad structure
- Table hog due to complexity
- Not recommended for non-heavy gamers
- Lots of iconography to learn
Thematic elements
- Moving golems and students along streets to generate points and bonuses
- Medieval or fantasy setting with golems and streets
- Light thematic wrapping on a heavy mechanic
Comparison games
- Lorenzo
- Barrage
- Newton
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Activation — Golems trigger locations for special abilities as they move
- Combo Building — Chaining activated locations together to create powerful turns
- Marble Action Selection — Using colored marbles to select actions, with different marbles enabling different character cards
- Worker Placement — Moving students along different streets to gain income bonuses
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- definitely kicks like Calico to the curb
- this is definitely the gateway seven wonders game, seven wonders is not a gateway game
- it's an opportunity game that's what I like
- it's interactive one of the more interactive euros out there
- no one is talking about this
- wow does it burn your brain
- the uniqueness factor at this game really works
- it's like the most flexible DM in the world
- every decision I make feels meaningful
- Ark Nova easily easily my number one of the year
- I fell in love with it like halfway through the game
- it's so good
- cannot wait to have this in my collection
- hallmark of a great game where you play it and you'll want to play it again as soon as possible
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video iYS2l-G-nEg
Chairman of the Board Top List at 10:52 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10843 · mention_pk 31998
Click to watch at 10:52 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very well designed with rich depth
- Fast, satisfying, and mechanically dense
Cons
- High rules overhead and complexity
- Requires heavy investment of time and headspace; not always suitable for casual groups
Thematic elements
- Stacked actions, marble drafting, and progression of golems
- Golem-driven city and student apprentices across three streets
- Felicitous euro puzzle with rich symbol-driven feedback
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- grand_au stria_hotel-inspired_logic — Core engine with nesting rule interactions and modules
- marble_draft_and_run_tracking — Draft marbles into runs; color and count influence action strength and student movement
- multi-layered_draft_and_path_construction — Build routes, upgrade golems, and connect symbols to unlock stronger actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I did like the way that two of these mechanisms synergize with each other.
- the card mechanism did not do it for me and it was enough for me to part with this one
- it's a very smooth game, very definitely fine-tuned
- A series of mini games here are held together through that core tile placement system
- it's a hell of a lot of fun
- the gimmick and the novelty wore off pretty quickly
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video SVG-JP8JJXs
Board With Steve Top List at 1:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10200 · mention_pk 113952
Click to watch at 1:14 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- strong two-player design that shines with direct competition
- dynamic scoring that keeps the board state tense
- tight interaction and meaningful choice with every turn
Cons
- can be punishing if misread the board state
- theme may be abstract for some players
Thematic elements
- territorial dominance and shifting influence
- Abstract/medieval-feel area control with a wolf-themed map
- abstract strategy with competitive tension
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Region scoring over time; control of regions yields points at certain intervals.
- terrain/tiles flipping — Terrain tiles flip to reveal available actions, driving forward planning and timing.
- Tile/Map Shifting — Terrain tiles flip to reveal available actions, driving forward planning and timing.
- timing / pacing — Two-player pacing means regions score twice; timing is critical to maximize scoring opportunities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Blocking becomes super important because you can only build roofs and pillars so many times during the game.
- There's a ton of mind games involved in this game.
- The dice rolls affect everybody equally. So, we both have to work with the same puzzle.
- It's tense, it's brainy, and it's super satisfying.
- I don't understand why it's not up there with the likes of Brass, Terrammystica, Bough Island, even a bunch of other big strategic games.
- For me, it is Magnum Opus and it deserves all the credit in the universe.
- This is my favorite co-op game of all time and I believe it's the best two-player co-op experience ever.
- There are multiple ways to win and the exploration of discovering new scoring methods is thrilling.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video pInvgnKl-iw
The Broken Meeple Discussion at 49:25
video_pk 9833 · mention_pk 28982
Click to watch at 49:25 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- temper your expectations people
- i want board games to be different
- it's the hotness news at the moment
- i definitely want publishers to push the envelope
- i'm not hyped about this at all
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Thm6tiSG8Ns
Chairman of the Board Review at 0:02 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 6415 · mention_pk 18988
Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Deep crunchy euro with multiple viable strategies
- Strong integration between main and personal boards
- Innovative synagogue mechanism that creates tension and meaningful choice
- Good scaling and replayability with variable rounds and spots
- Thematic scoring with menorahs providing clear endgame incentives
Cons
- Very long and punishing; not a casual game
- Iconography can be confusing and rule references frequent
- Synagogue randomization not ideal and can bias outcomes
- Components can feel cheap (clay tokens, small coins, thin tiles)
- Character cards feel somewhat tacked-on and underutilized
- Limited interaction beyond drafting and placement; slower with four players
Thematic elements
- Golem management, resource optimization, and a layered, highly strategic euro framework
- A three-street board where students and Golems drive actions; synagogue-driven action selection; endgame multipliers via menorahs tied to tracks
- crunchy euro with interlocking systems and emergent strategies; heavy planning and optimization
Comparison games
- Grand Austria Hotel
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card market and upgrades — Draft and acquire cards from a market, upgrading your personal board and gaining ongoing bonuses.
- Endgame scoring via menorahs — Endgame multipliers are unlocked by climbing tracks and purchasing artifacts; menorahs represent scoring multipliers tied to strategy choices.
- Golem activation — Golems on tiles activate the associated actions, creating a link between the main board and the action tiles.
- marble drafting — Draft colored marbles to determine actions and force movement of your students; color and number influence outcomes.
- Player Board | Main Board — Flip upgrades on your personal board to gain persistent bonuses and reduce some costs.
- Resource Management — Manage gold, coins, clay, and knowledge to upgrade and activate different parts of your board.
- Synagogue action selection — A semi-random, modular action pool generated by the synagogue drives the available actions each round.
- Upgrades on player boards — Flip upgrades on your personal board to gain persistent bonuses and reduce some costs.
- Worker Placement — Each turn includes a worker placement opportunity that adds a layer of sequence and interaction.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Golem is a pretty heavy game
- it's a brain burner
- the game puts on you under a lot of pressure to constantly keep up with your golems
- not having to move the extra movement on the character card
- there's not enough time to do it
- I would recommend it to the right person
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TH4AhBUSMRU
The Broken Meeple Top 10 List at 3:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5360 · mention_pk 15918
Click to watch at 3:42 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Meaty, thinky gameplay
- Satisfying power turn moments
- Solid euro mechanics
- Good replayability
Cons
- Gold development path is overpowered
- Contraption can be finicky
- Artwork could be better
- Theme is minimal
Thematic elements
- Building and manipulating golems
- Abstract fantasy
- Minimal theme overlay on pure engine-building mechanics
Comparison games
- Newton
- Lorenzo il Magnifico
- Barrage
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Engine Building — Activate golems to trigger power turns and cascading bonuses
- Marble selection mechanism — Take two marbles from contraption to select actions
- Track Advancement — Move golems across three different tracks for bonuses
- Worker Placement — Select different rabbi actions using marbles
- Worker placement variant — Select different rabbi actions using marbles
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Thank you for listening and enjoy the rest of the video
- I think that we do get some really good quality games but I think we are kind of rinse and repeating the same formula a bit lately and we're not putting out enough belters
- These are quite useful lists actually because you can sometimes get caught in the spur of the moment
- It's not a Flawless game by any means
- I love me tomorrow
- Different Strokes for different folks
- I love it yeah it's one of my favorite Euro games that there is
- You're now in the spot you deserve to be
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video g2ZRFfT_2EE
The Dice Tower Review at 21:55 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5269 · mention_pk 15628
Click to watch at 21:55 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Clever method of card values
- Clever chip system
- Card leveling mechanic great
- Cute artwork
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Card upgrading
Comparison games
- Pipoka
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card-leveling — Play chips onto cards to change their value
- Dual discard — Must empty both chips and cards to win
- hand shedding — Empty hand of cards while collecting tokens
- Token upgrading — Tokens collected can upgrade cards
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is an excellent, excellent trick taking game that you should have in your collection
- One of the most brilliant trick-taking games I've ever seen
- The game has the word kids in the title, but it's better than you might think, but it's simpler than you might think
- Really pleasant. Really surprising how good this is
- There are games that are fine and then there's games that have a lot of tension and those like those games that are really tense, that's when I love it
- It's awful. It's really awful
- I think that it's wonderful. It's an eight for me. Oh, I lost that bout, but my popcorn's popping. Love it
- This is a cool trick taking game
- I would 10 out of 10 times recommend you play distilled instead of this
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video -ibusN5riTM
Getting Games Discussion at 0:04 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 3067 · mention_pk 8946
Click to watch at 0:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Engaging engine-building with cascading actions
- Tight action selection and meaningful decisions
- Three golem tracks create multiple strategic levers
- Randomness provides variability and exciting moments
- Two-player mode emerges as a strong option
- Explicit feedback on plan execution and payoff
Cons
- Heavy AP and analysis paralysis
- Iconography and fiddliness can be intimidating
- Replayability may be limited by score ceilings and tile order predictability
- Complex setup and teaching time
- Potential for sameness across games via fixed golem tracks
Thematic elements
- Golems as city workers with cascading actions and risk management.
- Medieval fantasy city with walking golems on central streets.
- Analytical playthrough with personal anecdotes and play pace.
Comparison games
- Grand Austria Hotel
- Ark Nova
- Concordia
- Castles of Burgundy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action tiles drafting and ordering — From ten possible action tiles, seven are chosen and arranged, affecting strategy.
- Customer cards and color-specific bonuses — End-of-round bonuses and interactions depend on selected customer colors.
- End-round income and scoring — Players earn income and score; scoring cards and tracks influence endgame.
- Golem street tracks and activation — Golems walk paths down central streets; advancing provides power but increases risk.
- marble drafting — Randomly poured marbles determine available actions based on marble positions.
- Rabbi actions and turn order — Rabbi tokens chosen per round add variability and control turn order.
- Upgrades and cascading actions — End-of-round upgrades can unlock additional actions and trigger cascades.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- there's just so much to think about here
- analysis paralysis is bonkers
- the golems are the one thing you can control
- the randomness in this game can feel bad but i think largely it is a boon
- two player would be my favorite way to play this game
- i love the engine you can create on your personal board
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–39 of 39
Game Deep Dive