In Kingsburg, players are Lords sent from the King to administer frontier territories.
The game takes place over five years, a total of 20 turns. In every year, there are 3 production seasons for collecting resources, building structures, and training troops. Every fourth turn is the winter, in which all the players must fight an invading army. Each player must face the invaders, so this is not a cooperative game.
The resources to build structures and train troops are collected by influencing the advisers in the King's Council. Players place their influence dice on members of the Council. The player with the lowest influence dice sum will be the first one to choose where to spend his/her influence; this acts as a way of balancing poor dice rolling. Even with a very unlucky roll, a clever player can still come out from the Council with a good number of resources and/or soldiers.
Each adviser on the King's Council will award different resources or allocate soldiers, victory points, and other advantages to the player who was able to influence him/her for the current turn.
At the end of five years, the player who best developed his assigned territory and most pleased the King through the Council is the winner.
Many alternate strategies are possible to win: will you go for the military way, disregarding economic and prestige buildings, or will you aim to complete the big Cathedral to please the King? Will you use the Merchant's Guild to gain more influence in the Council, or will you go for balanced development?
- high interaction and tension
- robust historical pedigree in the genre
- fantasy kingdom building
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- differential dice allocation — players allocate dice to influence actions; outcomes are determined by dice ownership and placement
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- There are so many possibilities, Jamie, even if you took it and decided to make it a campaign-based game where you took scenarios from the actual show, took the characters from the show and decided to, okay, you can play any of these characters, here's the scenario, solve the scenario with the people that you have.
- Deck builders are a good way to tell stories well. I think they tell stories well.
- There are so many subtleties that could happen.
- Paradise has been something that I have enjoyed actually.
- It's a wonderful distraction, wonderful information, wonderful source of joy when you're doing other things that require like a lot of physical attention and it's a stress reliever.
- There are so many tricks and twists you can do with the two universes; the campaign could progress season by season with an evolving core game.
References (from this video)
- expansion had event deck module
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's not even a game it's just like a story
- why is it there this is the game about inventions and this is basically telling me to make cutesy patterns with tiles
- the bane of my freaking life this horrible game
- I just want to feel like right I can do this I can do this
- just design one good game one good game one good mode
- why can't I tell you
- they just made them a lot worse
- it's a red flag to the game is going to suck
References (from this video)
- Clear progression through yearly phases
- Engaging dice-based mechanics with multiple strategic levers
- Visible production and build paths
- Exciting monster phase with clear outcomes
- Can be heavy and lengthy for new players
- Rules complexity and setup may be challenging for beginners
- defense against invading monsters while pleasing a king
- medieval fantasy city-building across five in-game years
- procedural, dice-driven engine with episodic yearly phases
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- advisor_influence — spend dice to influence king's advisors for bonuses
- building_construction — buildings unlock powers and scoring incrementally; prerequisites require higher-level buildings
- combat_and_penalties — combat outcomes depend on strength vs monster; losses may impact resources or buildings
- dice_rolling — dice are rolled to produce resources and determine turn order
- enemy_deck_and_fog_of_war — enemy cards are revealed to determine monster strength and bonuses; top card seen during phase 8
- monster_encounters_and_deck_depletion — monsters are revealed and defeated; monsters removed in end-of-year step
- plus_two_tokens — use modifier tokens to increase dice totals for influence
- resource_management — gather wood, stone, gold, and other resources to build structures
- scoring_and_tracks — final victory points tracked on a scoring track; strength track interacts with power in buildings
- turn_order_manipulation — production phase uses dice totals to determine new turn order
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the game is played over five years and each year consists of eight phases
- the player that has the most victory points by the end of the fifth year is declared the winner
- phase 8 the dreaded monsters approach
- when the enemies destroy one of the player's buildings the player must choose his highest level building
- there is also a king envoy marker with two different uses
References (from this video)
- Dynamic and competitive placement
- Keeps players engaged round after round
- Can run long, especially with many players
- Some iterations feel slightly bloated
- Dice-based resource management and defense
- Medieval frontier city
- Euro-style with thematic veneer
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice drafting — Roll dice and place them to take actions
- Dice drafting/placement — Roll dice and place them to take actions
- Resource accumulation and building — Gaining resources to construct structures and gain perks
- Round-based defense against a Horde — Defend against threats at the end of each round
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Fury of Dracula this is a one versus all hidden movement game
- Battlestar Galactica is a carbon copy of the ill-fated TV show
- it's Christmas coming up it's the ideal time to go and get this one in it you filthy bastards
- it's fully deserved it's probably going to be a classic in years to come in it
- you can pull off some amazing shots with this
- endless laughter
- one of the best area control war games that we have played
References (from this video)
- quick to teach and accessible for gateway players
- tension from defense against monsters adds excitement
- balanced between luck of dice and strategic building choices
- scales well with player count (2-5)
- last round can feel anticlimactic once a lead is established
- some players may experience analysis paralysis around die placement
- luck can create swings in short bursts
- defense and development of a feudal town under looming threats
- Fantasy frontier town facing seasonal monster invasions
- seasonal rounds with recurring invasions and growth opportunities
- Stone Age
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- defense versus invasion tension — risk-reward decisions to balance expanding your village with defending it
- dice drafting — roll dice and select them to assign to actions or characters, influencing outcomes
- dice placement — place dice to activate buildings, defenses, and other effects based on die value
- dice-drafting — roll dice and select them to assign to actions or characters, influencing outcomes
- dice-placement / worker-placement — place dice to activate buildings, defenses, and other effects based on die value
- end game bonuses — points awarded for buildings, soldiers, and other achievements throughout and at the end
- end-game and round scoring — points awarded for buildings, soldiers, and other achievements throughout and at the end
- seasonal rounds with invasions — three seasons per game with end-of-round monster attacks requiring preparation
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the end scoring can be as much or more than the scoring during the game
- it's pretty anticlimactic
- there's a tension that is constantly there
- the higher you roll, the more Goods you get
- Stone Age you're the head of a clan
References (from this video)
- Variability due to dice outcomes
- Engaging action selection
- Fun thematic flavor
- Can feel overlong
- Some rounds may drag
- courtly action selection via dice
- Medieval court / feudal kingdom
- humorous, conversational
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice drafting / allocation — Roll three dice and place or split them to activate courtly actions (e.g., king, buildings, bonuses)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Blocky Mountains was infinitely replayable.
- This is an action selection game that involves dice.
- it's a fantastic dice chucking game
- Power Boats looks completely out of dog [ __ ] Looks ugly, unappealing
- the thrill you get of powering through the water and pulling off that amazing prediction of where you're going to go
- I love this game. It's just a nasty feel of it.
- ungrateful [ __ ] bastards.
- kill your own [ __ ] turkey.
- it's one of them stuffy Euro games
- The Mayan Calendar is a gimmick, but it works brilliantly
References (from this video)
- kingdom building
- dice placement
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's only a game
- you're listening to the broken meeple show a podcast that speaks passionately about board games
- I am very much a cold blooded I'm a cold blooded lizard I need cold
- the top 50 has finally finished finally it's done
- there is nothing apart from it being bright and sunny there is nothing about the summer that really gets me like you know excited or interested because it's just too hot
- I look at these top 50s uh they certainly increase a bit
- there's a lot of good feedback in terms of what's up next hard to say really
- I would give it at least a seven out of 10 right now and say it's good
- the Arkham Horror games are still pretty solid and you know they're fun to play but they are definitely getting to a point where I don't think I can uh like really say that they're practical
- my tastes were new at that point you know I respected terroriser for its thiness
- I have definitely developed to want more theme in my games
References (from this video)
- Medieval kingdom building
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice placement — Players roll three dice and allocate them to characters on a central board
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Dice are an extremely versatile tool for a designer
- Random effects can snowball creating statistically unlikely runs of bad or good luck
References (from this video)
- Multiple routes to victory; engaging mix of luck and strategy
- Personal anecdotes and stories enhance the discussion
- Older design; may feel dated to modern players
- Dice-driven turn order and city planning
- Medieval city-building with a Viking-era flavor
- Asymmetric advancement with multiple paths to victory
- Charterstone
- Risk Legacy
- Pandemic Legacy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice drafting — Choose and allocate dice to build and take actions.
- Variable victory conditions — Multiple routes to victory via different buildings.
- Worker placement / action selection — Workers (dice) are used to gain resources and build.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the paragraph book in Legacy of flame is several hundred paragraphs and we have several envelopes of if you make this choice you open this if you make this other choice you open this
- you could go back and play any of those episodes you wanted with any previous flash point stuff
- Pandemic Legacy season 1 blew my mind
- it's cinematic and a different experience than any games I'd played before
- the difference between Faith issues and religious issues
- the best strategies are ones where you help others at the same time you're helping yourself
References (from this video)
- complicated but well-designed
- beautiful board
- character interactions
- complex to teach
- fantasy
- medieval
- Tokaido
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Formula D is really the epitome of roll and move games in the modern era
- Settlers of Catan which was perhaps the most significant euro game that really sparked this whole new wave of modern board games
- Yahtzee has become a mechanic in its own right
- epitomises dice games really and how far they've come
- this is a bit of a tricky one to learn, it's well worth the effort
- ridiculously more fun than it should be
- playing with children it's fantastical
- absolutely brilliant
- this is my top 10 different ways to use dice in wooden board games
References (from this video)
- Simple core mechanic with deep strategy
- Engaging dice economy
- Some may find luck factor high
- Defensive planning and resource allocation
- Medieval kingdom; governors in a five-year cycle
- Dice-driven tension and advisor influence
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- adviser placement — Lowest roller places first on advisers; limited per adviser
- Dice rolling — Roll dice to determine actions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- deliciously confrontational game with everything out in the open, no hidden information.
- you only have 16 actions for the entire game
- There are two ways you can go in the game. You can stay a merchant for the entire game, and there are definitely some advantages for that, like there's a lot of income, but you can also decide to become a monk
- the action selection progress
- this is the most player interactive game I have in my list, and it is mean, but so much fun
- I love the aliens; at the beginning of the game, there are random aliens placed on the board face down
- you don't roll your dice. You set them to whatever numbers you want
References (from this video)
- Accessible entry point to heavier euro systems
- Dice-driven tension with expansion paths
- Original version had balance/production issues that expansions addressed
- Less accessible than some modern designs
- Dice-based worker assignment and city-building
- Medieval city-state context
- Traditional euro with thematic trappings
- Viticulture
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice placement — Roll dice and assign to actions to develop the city and defend against threats.
- dice-placement — Roll dice and assign to actions to develop the city and defend against threats.
- Worker management — Balance limited workers and dice outcomes with expansion options.
- worker placement — Balance limited workers and dice outcomes with expansion options.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a gun to our head situation.
- The fate of board games hinges on our decisions.
- Gloomhaven gets lives to fight another day.
- Unlock is evolving; Exit is gone for now, but Unlock lives on.
- Terraforming Mars is the quintessential modern classic.
References (from this video)
- classic dice-drafting feel with accessible rules
- easy entry for new players
- invasions and some corner cases can be fiddly for new players
- feudal planning and dice-driven progress
- Medieval frontier town
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice_placement — placing dice on tracks to gain resources and buildings
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Nar is a Viking themed whole thing, but the whole timing, the sequencing when you get to fire off those banners, when you're actually making that, it's one of those games that is a small footprint, but I think it builds really well.
- With the expansion, I think it's fantastic. And they integrated some of that stuff in the new version, Sakura Slam.
- I love Clask so much.
References (from this video)
- effective catch-up mechanism that is transparent
- supports players who are behind
- luck of dice can still influence outcomes heavily
- balance of risk and assistance from a monarch
- fantasy kingdom building with king’s aid
- fantasy governance with luck-based aid
- Isle of Skye
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- king’s aid/roll-based reinforcement — the player at the bottom of the priority die ladder receives extra dice to help catch up
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's brilliantly incorporated into this.
- the final sprint is at the end of the game and the wind can change everything.
- these are old games like Monopoly and Risk.
- hidden information is always wonderful … so games like Ticket to Ride stay involving while you don't know who the leader is.
- Power Grid has that brilliant turn order mechanism whereby the player who's furthest back gets the advantageous positions in turn order.