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Game Info
Year
2025
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
Mechanic profile
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Vibe profile
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Description
Hen House is a climbing/shedding card game where players attempt to get rid of all the cards in their hands. Cards come in 4 suits, White Eggs, White Chickens, Brown Eggs, and Brown Chickens. Chickens can be combined with Chickens, Eggs can be combined with Eggs, White cards can be combined with white cards and Brown cards can be combined with Brown cards.
To help shed the cards, there are also animals that can help like snakes which can eat eggs and foxes that can eat chickens.
—description from the publisher
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 5 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video 3IhxxOdyHhM
The Cardboard Herald Interview at 7:13:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 84559 · mention_pk 286074
Click to watch at 7:13:49 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Chickens and eggs
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Climbing — Players play groups of cards rather than single cards.
- Set Collection — The game involves combinations of white chickens, white eggs, brown chickens, and brown eggs with specific pairing rules.
- shedding — Players aim to play groups of cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The art is beautiful and makes you want to just keep playing to see more.
- It feels epic, like you're part of a grand unfolding story.
- It's a challenging game that requires a lot of deduction and thinking.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video z7zDFeLitWE
Board Gaming Ramblings Other at 1:50 sentiment: negative
video_pk 83556 · mention_pk 305923
Click to watch at 1:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
none
Cons
- Not very exciting.
- Didn't stand out among other shedding games.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Climbing Shedding — Climbing shedding game.
- Rule-breaking cards — the twist is that like you have these critters that you can take that can like break the rules.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Keep or Cull, the series where we play all of the games and tell you if we keeping them or culling them.
- We are at the limit of our games.
- I was a bit unsure because this was a weird game and I do like some weird oink games.
- But in a world where there's so many trick taking and shedding games, this was just one of them.
- For me the biggest flaw of the game, it's a short game, which is a good thing, but there is very easily in the setup.
- It's kind of on the edge of keeping it or not but there's so many trick taking games and we can't keep them all.
- It felt a bit like it was a bit lagging like because it's like, oh, we
- I really enjoyed my time with this. Me, too. I uh for me it's a bit light but I'm very happy we got to play it because it's light but it is to the point where I feel like my decisions are meaningful.
- the tension, which is my favorite thing about this game is that you're thinking, "Oh, I really need that color, but I don't want to pay three cards to go all the way to the top."
- this is one of the one of the better light games I played this year.
- I really enjoyed my time with it, but I'm not going to keep it.
- Luther is a first off I have to say a really beautiful game.
- it has a nice theme and I like the worker placement planning in this game because you're um placing workers but they're face down so you don't see what the other players
- it's too long with four. I will never play it with four again.
- it's a big box. I don't know where it will fit. I don't know which other big game we are culling to get space for this.
- I really enjoy a lot of the things in this game.
- So, basically, this was the the keeper. So, I'm I'm I'm okay with keeping it for now.
- So, those are 13 more games and we called 10 and we kept three two tricking games and and actually there was only one game we agreed on which was a C. We agreed on a lot of the capes.
- My my least favorite I would say big wave. I wasn't too keen on that. And yeah, Luther was my favorite.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video pWLuq86uERA
Let's Table It Review at 0:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 83370 · mention_pk 321303
Click to watch at 0:14 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fast and accessible card-shedding mechanics
- Varied paths to shed cards (sets, runs, hen house, critters)
- Critter cards add strategic depth without overcomplicating rules
- Clear end-of-round scoring that rewards going out early
Cons
- Dependent on player order and card luck for some strategies
- Might feel chaotic for players who prefer less randomness in shedding games
Thematic elements
- card shedding competition with animal-themed modifiers
- farmyard environment centered on eggs and chickens
- lighthearted and brisk, focused on efficiency and strategy
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card shedding — Players aim to discard all cards by forming valid combinations (sets, runs) or playing a hen house; the goal is to end with the fewest points.
- Climbing Shedding — Players aim to discard all cards by forming valid combinations (sets, runs) or playing a hen house; the goal is to end with the fewest points.
- Color/non-mix rule — Combinations must be homogeneous: either all brown eggs, all white eggs, all chickens, or all eggs; mixing colors across types is prohibited.
- Critter cards — Snake, Fox, and Skunk cards interact with the current combination by allowing discards or adjustments, affecting how players can lay down cards.
- Hen House — A special combination of two consecutive pairs that can be played at any time and can only be beaten by a higher-ranking hen house.
- Scoring via critters — Critter cards count as points unless used to help you go out; unused critters at the end of a round punish the player with additional points.
- Turn flow and passing — Play proceeds in order with higher-ranking or larger sets/runs; players may pass, and the last player to play starts the next trick.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a card shedding game of eggs and chickens
- The golden rule when playing cards together in a set or in a run or with the hen house is that you cannot combine white chickens with brown eggs or brown chickens with white eggs
- Getting out first is the best thing that you can do
- It's a fun, quick game of getting rid of your cards in many different ways
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video p3Q7HOK5LiU
Board Game Animal Analysis at 7:33 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80762 · mention_pk 287748
Click to watch at 7:33 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Really inventive domino play
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Back porch
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Majority — Players compete for control over areas on the board.
- Board play — Incorporates a board element into the gameplay.
- partnership — Played with partners.
- Trick taking — A card game genre where players play cards in rounds (tricks).
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This iceberg in and of itself is maybe, in fact, the tip of an even bigger iceberg.
- What's great about all of them is you just need some traditional sets of dominoes.
- Because they have two big big things. What are those two things? Well, the aforementioned concept of the numbers, orientation, and all that, but also the physical component, the delectable clicketity clack, that tactile nature.
- I already know that dominoes make games better from a physical standpoint.
- The game is just so satisfying when playing with the dominoes in their true clicketity clacky forms.
- It was so funny to have that revelation, that realization that wait a minute, I like that in games and Domino's are just already bringing that to the table.
- That means dominoes have been hiding in the games you've been playing and you didn't even know it.
- I think dominoes need to be given a little love.
- you can get a Domino set or two anywhere. And for a few dollars, you're opening yourself up to a tremendous world of gaming that is just hidden right there beneath the surface.
- Dominoes really are infectious, and I have put out two domino designs now on Board Gamegeeek.
- Dominoes make games better. Yeah. Yeah.
- I've fallen for it. I've fallen for the delightful sounds of the clicketity clacky.
- I'm buried in bones.
- If you have any questions, comments, or want to discuss any of the games mentioned here, please, please do.
- get yourself some dominoes, fall down the rabbit hole, and don't forget to play board games.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video E8n0huq1XhI
Unknown Review at 0:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 78542 · mention_pk 191321
Click to watch at 0:51 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Color-coded components and hand management with puzzle-like play
- Farmyard with colors of eggs and cards
Comparison games
- Wine Seller
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a trick-taking game, but of course it has a twist because we no longer just play rook or hearts or spades. We play games that have those as their DNA, but we've twisted them so that they are a little more fun.
- The hand can last anywhere between usually on average six to 10 rounds or tricks.
- Secret bidding when you reveal at the end because you know if you're getting close to your bid or not, but you don't know what other people's bids are.
- The artwork is really clever. I think the cards look great. I have a great time with this one.
- I also really appreciate that they're not in a tuck box, but that they're in a nice thick box and that the cards are really nice quality linen cards
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video f9Z156kzkh4
Tabletop Tolson Review at 1:58 sentiment: positive
video_pk 41018 · mention_pk 296654
Click to watch at 1:58 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Beautiful, thematic art with brown/white egg and chicken visuals that reinforce the mechanic.
- Clever, if slightly intricate, system that rewards planning and hand analysis.
- Solid player range (2–5) and flexible play time (15–45 minutes), good for varied groups.
- Wild-life modifiers add strategic depth without exploding complexity.
Cons
- Core mechanic (non-leading dynamics and hand-formation) can be punishing for players who dislike memory/forward planning.
- The rule set is clever but a bit dense; may require a learning curve for new players.
Thematic elements
- Birds and farmyard competition; hand-building through combos
- Farm setting with hens and eggs; color differentiation by brown and white; animal tokens with egg/chicken aliases.
- Abstract, playful farmyard theme used to justify combinatorial hand-building
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- combo types — Possible combos include single cards, runs (two to four consecutive ranks), sets (two to four of equal rank), hen house (two consecutive pairs), and best combos like two pairs with same rank.
- end-of-hand scoring — The hand ends when everyone passes; the last collection of cards played is discarded and the next hand begins, affecting momentum and scoring.
- golden rule of combos — All cards in a played combo must share the same component (color and/or type) for the combo to be valid.
- Matching — All cards in a played combo must share the same component (color and/or type) for the combo to be valid.
- negative-point animals — Animal cards (fox, skunk, snake) impose negative points or modify scoring, enabling players to break or bend the rule to gain advantage.
- non-leading risk and mitigation — If you’re not leading, you’re often not winning; mitigation comes from wild eggs and wild chickens that can alter value and allow access to better combos.
- Trick-Taking — Players form valid combos from their hand where each combo must share a single trait (color, type).
- trick-taking with combinatorial hands — Players form valid combos from their hand where each combo must share a single trait (color, type).
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Beautiful cards, really, really nice design.
- it's clever, maybe a little bit too clever for my brain.
- That's the trick. That's the whole pitch.
- I love a game that asks you to guess how many tricks you're going to win.
- Solar Eclipse does something similar to Three Tricky Pigs, which is why those are the two top ones.
- It's really cool. I like it. I like cooperative games. And I like the twist on the playing out your cards and not knowing what your number is.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6