In Portugal, some restaurants serve traditional Portuguese food alongside performances of fado, a music genre that can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal and is often characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, while being infused with a sentiment of resignation, fate, and melancholy.
People spend their entire evenings in these restaurants, called Casa de Fado ("House of Fado"), dining and listening to the music, which speaks about "saudade", a Portuguese word meaning "longing, nostalgia, yearning, missing something or someone". Typically, there isn't any rotation of the tables. Once you enter the restaurant, you stay until it's closed.
In its traditional form, fado is played by a trio of musicians: a guitarist plays "Guitarra Portuguesa" (a twelve-string Portuguese Guitar); a singer, that is, a "fadista"; and a guitarist playing "Viola de Fado" (classical guitar). The Portuguese guitar has a unique sound, and the chords are played in different bars from those of the classical guitar.
In the game House of Fado, players have to manage their restaurant, attract customers, and contract and promote fadistas and musicians, thus gaining prestige for their fado house. Managers will move their staff members to different places to perform some actions, using the same bump action as in The Gallerist.
- Simultaneous play reduces downtime and keeps tension high.
- Four maps provide replayability and variety in scoring strategies.
- Abilities add meaningful variability and allow planning choices across turns.
- Short play sessions (roughly 15–20 minutes) make it approachable and replayable.
- Theme and artwork are visually appealing and approachable for lighter gamers.
- Lack of direct player interaction can feel solitaire or less social for some groups.
- Theme is fairly loose relative to mechanics, which may disappoint players seeking stronger narrative.
- Weights toward a lighter game; may not satisfy those seeking heavier strategy.
- Endgame can hinge on a few tight spaces, which can feel punishing.
- Cats and mice within a house; scoring tied to room layouts and critter interaction.
- Players build a house by placing room numbers; cats and mice populate rooms, with cheese as a thematic element.
- loose, lighthearted, whimsical
- Track 12
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Ability tiles — Ability tiles are drawn and can be saved for later use; some tiles (lightning) must be used immediately and can swing scoring.
- dice drafting — Four dice are rolled each turn; players simultaneously select three dice to draw on their sheets, with adjacency constraints.
- endgame scoring and penalties — Points are tallied from rooms, mice, cats, and a bonus letter scoring; empty spaces deduct points.
- Modular maps with variable scoring — There are four different maps; scoring varies by map and by endgame bonuses for each layout.
- Pattern Building — Selected dice values must form connected groups on the sheet to complete rooms.
- Pattern building and adjacency — Selected dice values must form connected groups on the sheet to complete rooms.
- Roll-and-write/dice drafting — Four dice are rolled each turn; players simultaneously select three dice to draw on their sheets, with adjacency constraints.
- Room completion and walls — Completing a room with a group of numbers allows you to mark walls and unlock an ability in the corresponding number slot.
- Tile/Map Shifting — Ability tiles are drawn and can be saved for later use; some tiles (lightning) must be used immediately and can swing scoring.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a rolling right but in that genre and it fit in that space really well
- the mice are usually worth more points than the cats
- it's simultaneous play
- the theme in this game is definitely quite loose
- every decision certainly matters in this game
- the best part about House of cats for me is the levels
- short enough and variable enough
References (from this video)
- approachable variant to a heavier title
- tight pacing
- not as deep as Gallerist for some players
- curation and presentation of photographs
- photography studio, gallery-themed play
- Gallerist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Pattern Building — Create rows/columns of scoring opportunities.
- pattern-building — Create rows/columns of scoring opportunities.
- tile placement — Arrange action tiles and photos to maximize scoring.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this trip was the best board game related trip that I've been on thus far
- I'm officially a Adam alumni now
- Vienna was probably my favorite game of the weekend
- remember you were somebody's reason to smile
- it's so nice here, silent and peaceful
References (from this video)
- fluid movement, tight player interaction
- highly thematic and well-integrated with mechanics
- potential for longer teach and heavier weight than some players want
- cultural hospitality, music, and restaurant management
- Cultural cafe in Portugal/European vibe with musical performances
- romantic, old-world charm
- Lesta’s other heavy euro titles
- Viticulture
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — bump other players' workers for benefits; upgrade actions over time
- area-control/interaction — bump other players' workers for benefits; upgrade actions over time
- worker placement — three workers, placing on shared and private boards to perform actions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is like the Super Smash Brothers kind of. I know, I know.
- If you're a heavier gamer and you don't like, you know, people messing with your plans, you'll hate this.
- This was absolutely beautiful. I love how well it moved.
- The goddess made me do it.
- I would buy it.
- Moon Colony Bloodbath... engine destroying game, sick sense of humor
References (from this video)
- gorgeous production typical of Eagle-Gryphon
- shorter weight than typical Vital Lacerda designs, but with depth
- described by the speaker as potentially complex
- restaurant management with musicians and live performances
- Portuguese cafe/restaurant with music
- elegant, culturally evocative
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- market/commodities — commodity management and scoring around the Starlight venue
- Work replacement — dice workers perform actions and drive the engine
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the idea of it is so cool
- algebraic blackjack
- it's a brain flexor
- it's relaxing board game
- I really want to try this
- Planet Cute it's got a wonderful vibe
References (from this video)
- family-friendly, cozy theme
- Upcoming title with a cat/household theme
- light and pleasant
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the market is manipulated because you have these cards that are sat between you and one of your neighbors
- the rules are so thin
- it's fantastic I think it's criminally underrated
- the rich and the good definitely one of the highlights of the period
References (from this video)
- simple and approachable
- charming theme
- quick play sessions
- cat theme may not appeal to everyone
- potential repetitiveness with repeated plays
- dice roll and write; cat/mice interactions
- Cats and mice in a house
- light and whimsical
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cat/mouse interaction — tracking actions and scoring on sheets
- Flip/Roll and Write — roll dice and fill in scoring sheets
- Roll and Write — roll dice and fill in scoring sheets
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is the newest board and dice game at least one of the newest
- a very straightforward Euro definitely on the lighter end of the medium
- I'm glad I did
- these are the kind of Euros I tend to really get along with
- the old ones are normally the best ones
- this is a stripped back Euro
- no bloat to the rules or anything like that
- it's so easy to table
- two to four players 40 minutes just sounds like it's taking all those boxes for me