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Description
In It’s a Wonderful World, you are an expanding Empire and must choose your path to your future. You must develop faster and better than your competitors. You’ll carefully plan your expansion to develop your production power and rule over this new world.
It’s a Wonderful World is a cards drafting and engine building game from 1 to 5 players. Each round, players will draft 7 cards and then choose which ones will be recycled to immediately acquire Resources, and which ones will be kept for construction to produce Resources each round and/or gain victory points.
When a card is fully built, it’s added to the player’s Empire to increase the player’s production capacity for each round. The mechanical twist being that the production phase works in a specific order. You'll have to plan your constructions carefully!
For a deeper insight of the gameplay, please follow this link : It's a Wonderful World - First steps
In addition to the base game, players can also enjoy expansions boxes introducing an innovative Campaign mode. Each Campaign offers a storyline to follow and many gameplay twists. At the end of each campaign, players will open a reward booster to unlock new cards, enhance their base game and keep a memory of what happened during the campaign. All the campaigns can be replayed and don’t imply game components destruction.
More info on the Campaign mode : It's a Wonderful World - Campaign Mode
—description from the publisher
Year Published
2019
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 14
This page: 14
Sentiment:
pos 13 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–14 of 14
Video _pXKWgDJNbg
The Brothers Murf top_10_list at 1:32 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13812 · mention_pk 40323
Click to watch at 1:32 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Elegant card drafting that drives civilization-building themes
- Clear, accessible production cycle with satisfying card completion
- Beautiful or appealing card art and thematic flavor
Cons
- Abstracted theme may feel distant to some players
- Indirect interaction can lead to feel-bad moments if drafting blocks occur
Thematic elements
- civilization development through technology, events, and production chains
- Drafting civilization-related cards spanning various time periods and themes.
- card-drafting with production and recycling discipline; abstracted civ progression
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — Players draft civilization-related cards each round to plan future actions.
- construction and recycling — Cards can be constructed or recycled to gain resources and activate effects.
- production sequencing — Resources are produced in a defined phase order and then applied to cards.
- Resource management — Resources are allocated to cards to complete builds and trigger effects.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We absolutely adore this game. It's super super fun.
- the big Mayan calendar in the middle
- you can place a worker on the symbol that matches the god card.
- This is a big deck building game where you are going to have a different nation.
- Every game I feel like is a little bit different because the board map will change.
- Civolution is very good.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 8kHqigWJRs0
Our Family Plays Games top_5_list at 27:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13518 · mention_pk 39535
Click to watch at 27:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- beautiful components, accessible, elegant drafting
Cons
- rules can be dense for new players
Thematic elements
- engine-building through card drafting and resource accumulation
- civilization-building via card drafting
- clear, strategic, modular
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — draft cards to build an engine of resources
- engine-building — combine cards for larger effects and points
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- our Kickstarter's coming
- we're gonna need your support
- we love playing them
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video l2E7_UY2l_w
Unknown Channel game_review at 0:08 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10343 · mention_pk 30521
Click to watch at 0:08 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Compact, fast play time that still supports rich engine-building decisions
- Relatively easy to teach and pick up, making it accessible to beginners
- High degree of variety and depth due to a large card pool and interactions between cards
- Distinctive, memorable theme that contributes to strong thematic flavor
- Strong emphasis on decision density, providing meaningful choices on nearly every turn
Cons
- Drafting speed and flow can be highly dependent on group dynamics; a slow drafter can stall play
- Quirky theme may not resonate with all players, and the balance between theme and mechanics can feel uneven for some groups
Thematic elements
- State-building with a quirky, surreal flavor
- Near-future city-state building and development
- Playful, slightly batshit whimsical, high-concept flavor
Comparison games
- 7 Wonders
- Terraforming Mars
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- drafting — Each round begins with a 7-card draft where players select one card to keep and pass the rest to the next player. The direction of passing alternates each round (left on rounds 1 and 3; right on rounds 2 and 4), creating changing interaction patterns and strategic tension as players attempt to assemble strong engine-building combinations.
- Engine building / card construction — Players gradually construct a personal engine by building buildings and systems on their city/faction board. The cards interact to generate resources, unlock production, and enable point-generation pathways, creating a dense, scalable engine as play progresses.
- Production phases — There are five sequential production steps, typically moving from grey to blue resources, with certain buildings (e.g., nuclear plant) unlocking higher-yield production. Timing and ordering of production are crucial for maximizing output in a given round.
- Resource management — Resources are produced and spent across multiple phases. Players place resources on their faction sheets or directly onto cards to develop their board, balance immediate needs with long-term plan viability, and manage production timing.
- set collection — Victory points are primarily earned through collecting diverse sets of cards and resources, incentivizing careful selection and planning to maximize points across multiple categories.
- Wild/resource amplification — Rare red cubes function as wild resources that can be used on various buildings, adding flexibility and late-game amplification to engine-building decisions. They serve as occasional rewards for building cards and add variability to resource planning.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It’s a wonderful world crams a lot of decision making into its rather short play time.
- And it is a game for people who want to play an engine builder, but who don’t want to spend hours doing it.
- The theme is a little bit batshit weird. Building aircraft carriers to find the fountain of youth is both bizarre, yet strangely memorable.
- The best thing about this game is how densely packed it is with good decisions.
- However, drafting is a very group dependent game system, and with some groups this fast paced game can be brought to a standstill by one slow drafter.
- It shares a lot in common with the popular 7 Wonders
- And for a longer more complex engine builder, try Terraforming Mars
- It’s a wonderful world - it's a wonderful game a Gold medal game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video blNnN78Hf2o
Beyond Solitaire general_discussion at 25:10 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8813 · mention_pk 25991
Click to watch at 25:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- flow and joy of engine-building
- fun conversions
Cons
- score tracking can be a thread at times
Thematic elements
- engine-building with card drafting
- fantasy industrial empire-building
- positive, light-hearted
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — draft cards to build your engine
- variable scoring — scoring depends on objectives and conversions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Folklore is such a great classic Gothic horror kind of Dungeon Crawl.
- Snowdonia is still on here baby going strong.
- Pavlov's house should be in the top 100 because Pavlov's house is a solo game and it's not really multiplayer.
- it's the joy of It's a Wonderful World... the journey.
- pandemic Legacy season one is above it, I don't know maybe people play it solo
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 87Nwr8xq33s
Beyond Solitaire game_review at 0:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7483 · mention_pk 22214
Click to watch at 0:22 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- puzzly, highly strategic hand optimization
- satisfying card crunch and combo hunting
- scales to multiple players and supports solo play well
- smooth integration of expansion content
- relaxing yet addictive gameplay
Cons
- solo mode yields fewer card options and can feel draft-limited
- expansion can inflate final scores and requires reading rules
- theme is subtle rather than strongly thematic
Thematic elements
- resource production and science-driven development
- Abstract empire-building in a futuristic world
- abstract / procedural
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck building / hand management — managing the five-card plans each round, discarding/recycling and drawing new cards
- drafting / card selection — players choose cards each planning phase to build or recycle into resources
- expansion integration (corruption and ascension) — expansion adds corruption mechanics, mega scoring, duo scoring, and new empires
- Resource Production — production of gray, black, green, yellow, and blue resources in defined order
- scoring via empires and bonuses — points from built cards, empire bonus points, and red general token multipliers
- solo challenges — dedicated solo scoring thresholds and scenarios to chase high scores
- transmutation / wildcard resource — five cubes of any color can yield a wild red cube via transmutation/effects
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game is very much about maximizing your score
- there's always something to do
- has addictive gameplay
- it's all about that card crunch
- it's relaxing and meditative
- I'll rarely turn it down
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3KfT4NmLyiA
Unknown general_discussion at 0:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7254 · mention_pk 21458
Click to watch at 0:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Solid, accessible engine-building
- Generally quick and engaging
- Good for a varied game night
Cons
- Card draw variance can matter
- Crunchy decision space may overwhelm casual players
Thematic elements
- industrial development and resource management
- world-building economy
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-building — Draft and play cards to generate resources and victory points.
- Engine-building / resource optimization — Assemble and sequence actions to optimize production and scoring.
- Set collection / combination — Strategic card drafting to maximize synergy and points.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a wonderful world again
- they are simple they are quick and still very very fun
- Happy City, which is a decent drafting game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UOQND_uz3P0
Beyond Solitaire top_5_list at 5:29 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5327 · mention_pk 15842
Click to watch at 5:29 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- accessible for players new to euros
- strong solo experience and good with groups
- engaging production rhythm and decision-making
Cons
- theme may feel a bit abstract to some players
Thematic elements
- engine-building and production throughput
- Fictional production world with resource optimization
- focused on mechanics and efficiency
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — draft cards to develop your engine and capabilities
- engine-building / cube management — place and manage resource cubes to generate output and scoring
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- not only is it just a delight in general but it's a game that's good solo and it's fun to teach people
- it's rare to find a game that just everybody likes so much
- what a good game it's so tense every time I get really excited
- we really really fight it out all the way to the end
- it's interesting I'm not sure it's the best solo game but I still can't quit playing it solo and I absolutely love with other people
- it's a wonderful world
- the third game on the list is one that I wasn't sure I was going to like mainly because there are aspects of its historical presentation that I have issues with, but I just cannot get enough of Hadrian's Wall I absolutely love that game
- haplo remastered and victorum both made it to my apartment
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video FeTAVPnP-_0
Watch It Played top_10_list at 4:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4807 · mention_pk 14109
Click to watch at 4:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Blends best elements of Seven Wonders and Terraforming Mars
- Multiple scenarios to try
- Extended eight-round format
- Great for drafting and engine building fans
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Weird and wacky pseudo-futuristic theme
- Futuristic world building
- Engine building
Comparison games
- Seven Wonders
- Terraforming Mars
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Beat Your Score — Different scenarios with various challenges
- drafting — Draft cards to build your civilization
- engine building — Build gnarlier engines across eight rounds instead of four
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I've played about 300 solo games so this represents the top of all the solo games I've played
- These are entirely my opinions based on my personal play experience
- I think this is one of the cleverest solo modes on the market
- When you win a game of Robinson Crusoe there are very few things in solo board gaming more satisfying
- The closest experience in board gaming to being the captain on a bridge in a sci-fi movie where everything is going to shit
- I'm probably a solo board gaming masochist
- I just love Thunderbirds as a solo game
- It feels like Legendary Encounters was built for the Alien theme and was built as an upgrade to the original Legendary system
- Probably the best AI opponent in all of board gaming
- Few games have that genuine sense of exploration
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9hFbUTtmFUw
Dice Tower top_100_list at 10:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4432 · mention_pk 12992
Click to watch at 10:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fast-paced drafting with engine-building payoff
- interesting interaction through drafted card choices
Cons
- resource balancing can be tight
Thematic elements
- engineering and drafting
- empire-building flavor
- card drafting and engine-building
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card_drafting — draft cards to build engines and manage resources
- engine_building — activate combinations of cards to produce resources and points
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This game is all about balance and efficiencies with a good dose of theme.
- The race to get your stars out is kind of what's driving this game.
- The two main reasons why this game is on my list. First is the tech trees.
- This game offers me the perfect balance of euro mechanisms and card play combined with randomness of events.
- That patching mechanism is just so fun and engaging that patch history is my number 75 on my list.
- The production wheel. These wheels have rotating spokes that split the wheel into two sections.
- Kickback actions are one of the reasons why I love this game.
- The theme in this one is, well, to be fair, not exactly sure beyond being an empire looking to expand.
- What sets this one apart is you only draft once during the game at the very beginning.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 8ifbatuMWfk
One Player Guild top_20_list at 7:38 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3121 · mention_pk 9155
Click to watch at 7:38 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- simple rules with near-terraforming-esque depth
- minimal components, accessible to new players
Cons
- theme is considered by some as flat or non-immersive
Thematic elements
- civilization building
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- engine-building — simple rules; minimal components; civilization card drafting
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's one of the most beloved solo board games out there
- this is a wonderful engine builder
- a game that you can take anywhere
- the rule book was perfect in my opinion
- one hell of a title by chip theory games
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video QdrVqft3K5Y
The Brothers Murph top_10_list at 15:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2921 · mention_pk 8544
Click to watch at 15:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Card drafting games scale well to multiple players
- Simultaneous play keeps game time manageable
- Players focus on own world/civilization
- More players add more cards into drafting mix but don't change core experience
- Game time doesn't lengthen significantly with more players
- Stays short, tight, and engaging
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Building construction projects for society
- Global civilization and society building
- Abstract civilization building
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — Drafting cards representing construction projects
- dual-use cards — Each card can be built for its effect or recycled for specific colored resources
- engine building — Building cards give production increases for specific resources
- Production Phase — Producing resources in specific order to chain completions
- Resource management — Managing specific color resources for building projects
- Simultaneous Play — Much of the play is simultaneous
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Let's be honest board game publishers be lying sometimes
- Most people would consider most games to not play really well at all of those player counts
- That's something you can contribute to the site. We recommend you do that
- I think the world is too small and so we got to fight over that land
- The AI on this is super easy to run and they are really competitive and difficult to beat frankly
- I forgot how much I really, really enjoy this game
- Something I want to see more of in the future
- It's one of those games where you are all building up this kind of like modern eco city
- The gameplay is just really, really elegant
- We really have... they're really really outstanding games
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video X3LxsFWgV24
Our Family Plays Games general_discussion at 22:10 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2532 · mention_pk 7396
Click to watch at 22:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strategic despite short play time
- High decision density
- Synergy-driven gameplay
- Resource generation is key
Cons
- Shorter game duration
- Steep learning curve for card selection on first play
Thematic elements
- World building
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's getting hot in here - be safe family
- I can't play green then I will play purple
- Go get the expansion and put the green in there
- Five Tribes is my number one analysis paralysis game
- I taught chat GPT to teach me board games and now I won't ever go back
- Netflix now has announced Bridgerton the board game
- Those games are not really solid games they don't have the right mechanics
- Everything Western - you've got it
- The hype is real
- You're eliminating, eliminate yes
- Simple rules but hard to master
- Watch the playthrough all the way to the end
- Don't cut it off family don't you cut it off
- She cannot handle it and I love it
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video yqJiv2mrTeg
Brothers of Marath top_10_list at 12:59 sentiment: positive
video_pk 873 · mention_pk 2505
Click to watch at 12:59 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Smooth drafting with a clear production ramp and fast play.
- Engaging production chain from drafted cards to production row.
Cons
- Can involve fiddly optimization with resource ordering for new players.
Thematic elements
- production ramp and drafting
- civilization-building with resource production
- drafting to build a production tableau
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- drafting — Draft seven cards per round, choosing one and passing the rest to the left or right.
- production sequencing — Allocate resources produced by cards to activate further production and final scoring.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is one of those games that kind of was an evangelism game for us for a while because it kind of came out and then like seemingly no one ever talked about it.
- It's the epitome of like an elegant game. This game, like we said, has a lot going on, many different mechanics, many different kind of like things going on, but it just works.
- The ramp up effect that you kind of hope to see in these tableau builders where things kind of chain together, and power up each action.
- Ark Nova is obviously a very popular game on Board Game Geek in particular.
- It's just a simple, smooth tableau builder drafting game. It's absolutely outstanding.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video A27D4n_cSWQ
Cardboard Rhino q_and_a at 0:58 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 499 · mention_pk 1461
Click to watch at 0:58 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
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)
- Deep down it's because it brings out all the qualities that makes you feel like a kid again
- Life with cats is so much better
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
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