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Description
High Rise is a strategic city-building game with a bit of corruption. You can get bonuses on your actions by gaining Corruption, but the game will periodically penalize the most corrupt players, and everyone loses VP for Corruption at the end of the game.
You'll perform all your actions — like collecting resources, constructing buildings, and repaying favors — on a one-way track. Like other one-way track games, you can go as far as you'd like, but you'll only get another turn when everyone else passes you. You gain 1 VP per floor for each building you construct. Tenants offer powerful actions that change each game. You can collect a tenant power by landing on its space or constructing a building on its card.
The round ends after everyone makes a lap around the one-way track. Players score bonus points for tallest buildings in each neighborhood and the game. You'll play 2 rounds in the Standard Game (about 90-120 minutes for 3-4 players) and 3 rounds (about 2.5 hours) in the Full game. After the appropriate number of rounds, players lose points for Corruption, and the player with most VP wins.
—description from the publisher
Year Published
2020
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 7
This page: 7
Sentiment:
pos 6 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–7 of 7
Video i1j3fWK1qsg
game_review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61433 · mention_pk 154105
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Highly portable with bag or magnetic box packaging
- Wooden components and glass beads; durable and pleasant to handle
- Beautiful color palette and visually appealing design
- Depth and strategic complexity emerge quickly despite simple core rules
- Short, punchy rounds suitable for casual and gamer audiences
- Two-player focus makes it ideal for head-to-head play and travel
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Abstract strategy
- Center-focused abstract two-player game with a circular board and a central neutral tile; variable setup via bag.
- Instructional and analytical during playthrough
Comparison games
- Hive
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Bag-based randomization — Remaining tiles are mixed in a bag to determine variations in setup each game.
- Center-neutral piece and color scheme — There is a fixed center neutral piece; players use distinct colors around it.
- Exposed-sides rule — A piece can be moved only if it has at least two sides exposed.
- round-based win condition — Play multiple rounds; the first to win three rounds claims the game.
- Stacking and moving top piece — On a turn, a player moves only the top piece of a stack to a higher adjacent piece.
- tile placement — Neutral and colored tiles are placed around a center tile to create a circular setup; setup varies with each game.
- Visibility scoring — At the end of a round, the player with more visible pieces wins the round.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This game there is a neutral color and two player colors.
- I think it's really, really excellent in my opinion.
- The pieces are wooden, so it is something you can play outside easily.
- If you enjoy Hive, I do think this is a game that you will like.
- It's portable. It's small. You saw the entire footprint that it takes up.
- This is a wonderful game from Underdog Games.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video m5F4QRdpggY
general_discussion at 0:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61445 · mention_pk 154114
Click to watch at 0:49 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Adorable aesthetic
- Fits with the speaker's love of the Trekking series
- Potential for light, accessible gameplay
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Exploration and environmental awareness
- Coastal, nature-themed locations as the backdrop for exploration
- Casual, accessible, family-friendly
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Gen Con has been a bucket list thing for me that I have always wanted to do and I am so excited to go.
- High Tide from Underdog Games. They make the trekking series, trekking through history, the world, and the national parks.
- This game looks adorable.
- I really want to check that one out.
- I love all things '88s nostalgia, so I really want to see more about that game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 5oAzj4I5qm4
Board Game Animal game_review at 0:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 39751 · mention_pk 151381
Click to watch at 0:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- elegant, simple rules that lead to deep tactical decisions
- fast, smooth, and replayable due to variable setup
- cozy, appealing production and components
- great two-player abstract experience
Cons
- limited to two players (not scalable to larger groups)
- depth may be light for some players seeking heavier euros
Thematic elements
- tide, elevation, opposing strategy with stacking/visibility
- Cozy, minimalist hex-grid island/shoreline environment
- abstract puzzle with elegant, almost zen-like feel
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Compound Scoring — A move is only valid if the destination ends higher than the origin, influencing control through height.
- elevation-based scoring — A move is only valid if the destination ends higher than the origin, influencing control through height.
- Face visibility scoring — At game's end, the color with the most visible faces scores points; ties are broken by the highest piece.
- Hex tile movement — Players move a hex tile to a neighboring hex where the top surfaces alignment allows it to end up higher.
- hexagon grid — Moves can be made on neutral hexes only if they have at least two free faces on top.
- Neutral hex with free faces — Moves can be made on neutral hexes only if they have at least two free faces on top.
- variable setup — Tiles are drawn from a bag to create different layouts each game, increasing replayability.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a solid 9 out of 10 for me.
- an ideal coffee table sort of game
- playfully tactical
- elegance of design from a gameplay perspective
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video tMcWwW1qe5k
Our Family general_discussion at 13:26 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12348 · mention_pk 36005
Click to watch at 13:26 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed to positive
Pros
- beautiful, 3D building aesthetics
- engaging spatial decisions
Cons
- requires three players for best experience
Thematic elements
- City development with stacked buildings
- Urban skyline and towers
- Strategic but accessible
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- route/track efficiency — manage actions around a circular track
- tile placement — build a city with varying heights
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a gateway game
- the artwork will make you hungry
- we love talking to you guys we do we love it
- awesome to see the final product
- Parks just looks beautiful
- we're going to check it out
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AzRj5_4lnPY
Our Family general_discussion at 4:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12240 · mention_pk 35743
Click to watch at 4:49 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong visual appeal mentioned
- Forecasted to be engaging within the shelf-to-table plan
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- city growth with a hint of corruption or intrigue
- Urban skyline and skyscraper development
Comparison games
- Smartphone Inc.
- Nevada City
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- City-building / area control — Players build and manage a city’s skyline, balancing growth with competing interests.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "five about five games from our shelf of shame that we are going to play and put on the table"
- "we're going to go that is the goal"
- "we're swimming because you know no family... we are a family first"
- "learn the rules"
- "we are going to do this because we're telling family"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video f5m-APTBfJE
Good Morning Society general_discussion at 28:15 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11902 · mention_pk 116553
Click to watch at 28:15 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fast to learn
- Tense, impactful decisions
- Strong two-player head-to-head experience
Cons
- Limited to two players
Thematic elements
- tides and rising water; strategic placement
- Coastal town; sea tiles
- thinky, puzzle-like
Comparison games
- Hive
- Santorini
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Combat: Deck/Hand — Jacked Up Matchup designed for 2 players
- Tides/tokens — Tides force higher placements; mobility decisions matter
- tile placement — Place tiles to create elevations and pathways
- Two-player duel — Jacked Up Matchup designed for 2 players
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Grenle, the game of Crime and Mayhem
- I cannot recommend Grenle high enough
- Must go higher
- Two-player head-to-head
- This game is such a thinker
- I love a simple game I can teach in 20 seconds
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qRGg3GzaDM0
The Dice Tower game_review at 0:12 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 788 · mention_pk 100531
Click to watch at 0:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Portable and quick to learn
- Beautiful minimal production; tasteful but unobtrusive components
- Randomized setup increases replayability
- Good filler option for abstract game fans
Cons
- Presentation as cozy can be misleading; some players find it stressful
- Small footprint may not appeal to players seeking a larger physical presence
- Abstract market is crowded; may have a high hurdle for non-enthusiasts
Thematic elements
- Cozy seaside ambiance paired with strategic stacking and control of vertical height.
- Coastal/ocean/beach-themed abstract stacking game with neutral pieces and varying board setup.
- Abstract strategy with minimal thematic storytelling; emphasis on spatial reasoning.
Comparison games
- Devon
- Chess
- Checkers
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- adjacency movement — A piece must move to a directly adjacent space and on that move, must increase in height.
- End condition and scoring — Game ends when no moves are possible; scoring is based on the number of own pieces visible from the top and, if tied, tallest heights.
- neutral pieces — Non-owned pieces can be moved; they serve as strategic tools for climbing or blocking.
- randomized setup — Initial board setup is randomized, creating varied learning and discovery space each game.
- stacking/vertical growth — Players move pieces onto adjacent spaces and can stack on top of existing pieces, creating higher towers.
- Variable Set-up: Board — Initial board setup is randomized, creating varied learning and discovery space each game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's a stressy sort of game.
- Look, this game looks incredibly cozy.
- I'm so stressed when I play this game.
- This is a great kind of filler game.
- I would argue it is a potato chip game.
- I'm giving it an eight out of 10.
- The game in a bag maybe for traveling.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–7 of 7