Created by Paul Randles, designer of Pirate's Cove, and developed by Mike Selinker and Bruno Faidutti, Key Largo transports players into the Florida Keys in 1899. As the new century dawns, players ply the thriving trade of finding treasures in shipwrecks around the island. Before a hurricane hits, players need to search the many shipwrecks and sell the lost treasures to the island denizens for as much cash as possible.
This was designer Paul Randles' final game before passing away in 2003. Tilsit Editions published it in French, German, and Italian in 2005, and Titanic Games made it available in English for the first time, with an all-new graphic design and pieces.
The Titanic edition of Key Largo contains:
Full-color board of the island in the Florida Keys
5 wooden boats
1 diving helmet
130 cards
15 divers
40 hoses, tridents, and weights
Money
Full-color rulebook
The setting :
The action takes place on a Caribbean island, in the very last days on the 19th century. The island has long been a pirate's harbour, and it has recently be found out that there were many sunken galleons around. Hurricane Katty is due in ten days, so you have little time to hire a diver team and bring back as much sunken treasure as possible.
The systems :
Key Largo is a double-guessing game, like Paul Randles' other game, Pirate's Cove. Every morning, each player secretly decides what he will do the coming day - take tourists dolphin watching, search a wreck for treasures, sell treasures at the market, buy equipment at the local shop, or go to the tavern to hire more divers and listen to the rumours. It's also a light management game, where you start with little cash and must make your money grow through fruitful investment. The winner is the richest player when the hurricane breaks through and stops all diving around the island.
- Going for $75 on eBay.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I've never heard a song called October trees.
- Unless there's free stuff to it but I'd rather dress like a cow to get free chick-fil-a or go in a Krispy Kreme and get a free donut then it's long john silver's to get fish.
- There should be no time limit on dress like a cow day Tony.
- Fool I'm dressed like a cow right now could you just throw a brother a free sandwich or something and he didn't did he he did not.
- Why do you guys build power lines and canals?
- You are now mr. Instagram that's it it's done it's over.
- Good god there's people everywhere it's oh it's it was on real Wow lots of people dude lots about but the tube is amazing that was fun.
- And their main exports are sheep and coos all highland coos coos what Koot howls okay okay yeah.
- One thing I noticed and I know I didn't get all of them but I did notice that every gaming store I went into there was no place to play.
- I was watching one and they were like what what component of this game I'm like seven wonders people.
- Me I know you don't have a switch but let me tell you for a little portable handheld gaming system these games are gonna be amazing on that system so let me understand this you're now making me want to go buy a switch I had
- now and some one of the hottest games it's number one at BoardGameGeek and that is mezzo from colossal games so if you haven't checked it out Marty and I got to play to Gen Con and it was fun it was good it was like it was like blood rage mixed in with some other stuff it has that kind of feel to it
- I'm sure it's already funded go check it out Tony and I'd really liked it and Tony I'll be getting this game yes I agree it's it's one of those games that I'm excited for
- Wilke Forge be number one and two again we'll find out I was gonna ask you what was number one so key Forge and key for starter right yep he forged starter set was number one he forged X we're number two
- so be sure to head over to miniature market calm and get your pre-orders in for key forge and save your money and not spend it on eBay where they're going for $75 just wait people
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck Building — Buying a blind deck.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- my name is Marty these are my musings
- I love looking at empirical cells data whether it be for movies or comic books or albums it doesn't matter I like seeing what the top sellers are
- those four games have been around for quite a while which goes to show that either one people in this hobby are still buying those games or hopefully hopefully people are coming into the hobby and those are those gateway games that everybody recommends for people to check out
- evergreen as' I just made that term up
- it doesn't matter how often they refresh that game it's always a fantastic seller thing is though I bet it drops out of the top ten in the next quarter
- so to have this game that is a hundred bucks still continue to sell well quarter after quarter year after year is just a testament to how popular that game is
- exploding kicking kicking exploding chickens now that would be funny
- now when I first saw Dominion on this list I thought wait a minute that should be a board game but I guess when you really think about it it's nothing but cards 100% card game
- I love Arkham Horror LCG I have been into LCG games since they first came out
- with Arkham Horror LCG every time I play that game I am totally sucked into the story
- sweet sweet game if you have not tried it I highly recommend checking it out
- Seven Wonders is considered a card game come on it's got player boards it's got a lot of different tokens I think personally that should belong in the board game category and not the cards and dice Hey but maybe I'm wrong
- Games Workshop is killing it right now
- Dungeons & Dragons since the release of the fifth edition has just skyrocketed in popularity it has taken over everything
- it's yugioh TCG key Forge and Dragon Ball super
- it's really cool to see ki Forge up in there
- While it's not a CCG in the sense of you buy blind booster packs you don't know what's gonna be in there instead you're buying a blind deck and not sure what's gonna be in there I guess it still has a collectible aspect to it
- since that game just came out also fourth quarter of last year it was hot it was hard to find
- you were you surprised by any on this list or did you think there would be someone this list that weren't on there
- smash that like button and flip that subscribe button
References (from this video)
- Every deck is different, appealing to players who don't want to build decks.
- It's cheaper than CCGs, with starter decks costing $10.
- The faction calling mechanic is unique and strategic.
- There is no need to manage resources, allowing players to play any card they want.
- Players can easily jump into the game at any time without needing to catch up on expansions.
- The game is generally enjoyed by players, often described as good or great.
- It's a decent filler card game.
- Players who enjoy building their own decks may find Key Forge a letdown.
- The discard mechanic is limited to the called faction, which can be problematic when trying to play other cards.
- There are many keywords to learn, which can be confusing without readily available reference cards.
- Requires tokens for tracking damage, keys, and ember.
- One deck can be significantly better than another.
- A handicap system is questioned.
- The game itself, stripped of its business model, is considered a decent filler card game but not one that necessarily begs for repeat plays.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Discard Mechanic — A critique is that the discard mechanic is limited to the called faction, making it difficult to clear unwanted cards from hand.
- Faction Calling — Players must call a faction at the start of their turn, which dictates the actions they can take (discard, play, or activate cards of that faction).
- Resource Management (lack thereof) — Players can play whatever they want on their turn without resource management.
- tokens — Requires damage tokens, keys, and ember tokens, or a notebook for tracking.
- unique deck system — Every deck is unique and pre-built, eliminating the need for deck building.
- Winning condition — The goal is to collect six 'ember' which can be converted into a key, aiming to get three keys, rather than reducing opponent's health points.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I was wondering what you were thinking so we're gonna be talking about the game villainess later on yes we are cuz I was stupid
- you just survived you in con we've got a week back and we're back recording
- White smoke that's never good
- I don't know the reasons behind it it's kind of sad to see him go
- if nobody has that's that's really horrible English if you feel a person listening or you Tony have never seen a youtube show called spell slingers
- Every game that is sold is unique it's different in some way
- It's not like every LCG pulled us in right
- we don't have to worry about that with Key Forge but man I really have to worry about that if I walk into a store to a tournament
- The longevity it's easy to see they would keep releasing new booster packs right new sets Key 4ch I would zoom it's new factions maybe could be could be new factions but they can generate a quadrillion decks so they really don't know that's true they don't really need to
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- there were 1.2 million views on this channel last year
- the next goal is at fifteen hundred dollars a month
- it's a really neat very simple game
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's now becoming the sponsor moment in the description of this video
- I started with teaching and playing mansions Amanda's first edition and I absolutely loved doing it
- charter stone will be more fresh from the beginning
- I do have a tutorial video for it
- pandemic legacy season one has been a very popular
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- we are moving studios that is happening
- thank you so much for all the support
- we're hoping to attend conventions we want to start meeting some of you guys
References (from this video)
- Very accessible card game with unique decks
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I've absolutely adored this game.
- it's basically a civilization game you have cards that you're putting out
- I've absolutely loved this game and I can't wait to introduce more people to it
- for sale is probably my favorite filler game of all time
- Clank is a de facto eject builder
- the two phases that the game has are distinct from each other but influence each other
- it's a genius resource wheel
- Pandemic Legacy is one of the reasons I gravitated toward legacy games
- Ghost Stories is the toughest most brutal co-op I've ever played
- Quacks of Quedlinburg is absolutely hilarious and fun
- Key Forge is the most accessible card game out there
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- If there was a Mount Rushmore of game designers he'd be on it, Mr. Richard Garfield.
- Well, the uh the original inspiration I was walking uh around Portland and saw some birds uh seagulls jockeying for posts and uh I began to um fantasize that uh that the birds were choosing the better posts and uh acquiring them based on the pecking order because one would fly up and either be pushed off or manage to take the post they were trying to land on.
- And uh I thought it might be an interesting opportunity to make a game like Strateggo, but only one person showed uh showed their piece and the other one said who won, thereby keeping some of the the mystery in the game and uh that's what I applied to this idea of pecking order.
- You kind of like take something that's typically done and you completely turn it on its head.
- I try a lot and uh and uh many many don't make it past uh casual play.
- In my opinion, there's been some recent good examples of what to do with the reprint.
- I don't typically do a lot of negative reviews. That game got a negative review for me.
- I feel like publishers try to do too much. I feel like they don't listen to what the people actually want.
- Old games uh games in general when they reach a certain quality level just stand up to a lifetime of replay and they there's no logical reason why they should expire.
- It's not that I don't care about themes. I do. Um I I don't uh but but I I I want them to resonate with whatever the mechanics are.
- I totally approve of that as a as as a way to play. That's the way I play. I find it very enjoyable to have those deductions on the table rather than to have to memorize them.
- The game the game worked really well, but it was positioned as sort of a heavier game than it should have been. It came in a in a bigger box than it needed to.
- With uh Spyet, I actually presented they they said they wanted to uh with Shadow Blades, they wanted to change the flavor to being uh instead of spies sort of set in a modern context, they changed it to uh Asian warriors uh Korean Asian warriors. And I I actually redesigned the entire game based on that.
- With uh Vanguard Exiles? It's on Steam with uh as in early release, so there's a long way to go, but uh but you can play head-to-head.
- I've tried to make auto battlers myself. Uh and uh they always felt when when I was working on them, they always felt like uh I I I they always stalled at this point where I said, "Oh, this is kind of fun, but you know what? It would be better on computer."
- Recently I played uh zombie kids with uh with my seven-year-old twins. And and this worked this worked really well is getting a legacy experience which was a you know which which worked for that age was marvelous.
References (from this video)
- Mulligan is a low-risk decision since you redraw up to a full hand (six cards) after discarding your entire hand.
- Mulligan can help you set up important combos or favorable board presence, especially when chasing specific synergies (e.g., Witch of the Eye combos, archiving strategies).
- Using external resources (e.g., blinkingline's probability analysis and Arkon Arcana database) can guide mulligan decisions.
- Call of the Archons
- Mass Mutation
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Mulligan — Discard your entire hand and draw the same number minus one; at the end of the turn you still draw back up to six cards.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The mulligan is really a skill it's something that you have to master to know when to get a sense for when it makes sense to mulligan.
References (from this video)
- unique deck concept
- historical charm for collectors
- described as a 'curse' by players
- shipping costs and aging components can be a barrier
- fantasy/faction contrasts
- duelist card game with fixed decks
- card-driven, thematic
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Combat: Deck/Hand — Players play cards to amass advantage and resolve effects.
- dueling combat — Players play cards to amass advantage and resolve effects.
- fixed-deck card game — Each deck is unique; no deck customization allowed.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's high tension, high drama, high fun.
- it's a gambling game.
- the winner of the game gets to wear the lanyard for the next game.
- I love that purple lanyard.
- I thought his head might explode.
- cooperative is not so much our thing, but I'm starting to maybe come to the realization.
References (from this video)
- Unique deck concept with three houses per deck
- Key forging as a victory condition provides a non-traditional objective
- Strong fit with one-day tournament play due to deck learning and memory
- Tactical decision-making between attacking and reaping
- Deck randomness can lead to variance in outcomes
- Balancing issues in a diverse deck pool for tournaments
- Steep initial learning curve for new players
- Key forging as a victory condition; Amber resources drive key-forging; memory of opponents' decks informs strategy.
- Deck-driven sci-fi/fantasy world with three houses per deck; no fixed setting, play unfolds through combinations of factions.
- Procedural, emergent storytelling driven by the unique, randomly drawn decks and the day-long tournament arc.
- Dice Masters
- Marvel X-Men Dice
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Amber resources and key forging — Players gain Amber and use it to forge keys, which is the primary path to winning.
- Attack vs. reap decisions — Players choose between attacking to remove threats or reaping to gain Amber and progress toward keys.
- deck uniqueness — Each deck is unique, created randomly at setup, ensuring no two games are identical.
- Hand draw to six — At the start or end of a turn, players draw back up to six cards, shaping options.
- House declaration per turn — On a given turn a player declares a house and can only play cards from that house that turn.
- Memory — Tournament play emphasizes learning opponents' decks over the day, influencing decisions in later rounds.
- Memory and prediction — Tournament play emphasizes learning opponents' decks over the day, influencing decisions in later rounds.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Key Forge, man, it just nails it.
- the unique deck is cool.
- I think it's absolutely brilliant on that front.
- forging of keys instead of just attacking because suddenly you have this interesting decision...