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Description
The sun is shining, the wind is blowing, and you know just what to do — gather your friends to fly some kites!
In Kites, everyone works together to keep all their kites — represented by colorful sand timers — in the air. Take turns playing cards, flipping the sand timers, and coordinating with other players to ensure none of the timers run out. If it does, a kite has crashed! Add complication cards for additional challenges.
Play all of the kite cards in the deck, and everybody wins!
Year Published
2022
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 14
This page: 14
Sentiment:
pos 14 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–14 of 14
Video wlXbqp4F37k
Allies or Enemies top_10_list at 1:43 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61141 · mention_pk 153648
Click to watch at 1:43 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- strong summer aesthetic and feel
- timer mechanic adds fast, chaotic fun
- great with more players
Cons
- timers can be fiddly for new players
Thematic elements
- kite flying, outdoor competition, timing
- coastal sky and wind-driven activity
- Array
- positive
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 a light drafting racing game but it definitely has some summer vibes
- it's six different little mini timers
- it's bright and it's colorful and you are trying to defend the islands from oncoming monsters
- Banner Festival is a really interesting trick taking game
- it's all based on slasher movies
- the Heat is in the title
- Fireball Island ... the Curse of Volcar
- you flick marbles
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 5QRR3ANR0TY
Allies or Enemies top_22_list at 12:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61145 · mention_pk 153667
Click to watch at 12:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fast, chaotic energy that scales with group size
- great entry-level game
Cons
- can be chaotic and luck-driven in larger groups
Thematic elements
- timer-based chaos with kites and colors
- card-driven, fast-paced kite-flying theme
- light, chaotic, energetic
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- timer-based card flipping — two colors per card and multiple timers with varying sand levels drive play.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's such a good Gateway game
- the art on the cards looks fantastic
- it's one of those simple flip and write games that you just want to play again and again
- the lazy Susan is genius
- Planet Unknown just knocks our socks off
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video M7YppvBcVY8
Unknown Channel playthrough at 0:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 59699 · mention_pk 152218
Click to watch at 0:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Beautiful, thematic artwork with a compact design (18 cards) that feels substantial in depth.
- Fast-playing, with clear feedback from rounds that keep the tempo engaging.
- Solid solo mode that provides meaningful challenge and a distinct experience from two-player games.
- High replayability through variable card draws, tide shifts, and card sets.
- Strong thematic coherence between aesthetics and mechanics.
Cons
- Potential memory considerations: players who memorize card values across many plays may exploit patterns.
- Limited explicit two-player discussion in this piece; the focus is primarily solo play with a mention of two-player appeal.
Thematic elements
- Driftwood, sea glass, shells, jade and coastal artifacts used to build sets and score points.
- Coastal seaside environment with low tide and high tide phases, shaping scoring opportunities.
- Abstract, atmosphere-driven theme presentation focusing on resource collection and scoring.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — Players select cards from a row to build their own scoring potential while limiting what the opponent can take.
- Compound Scoring — A built-in solo scoring reference card simulates an opposing AI that scores sets and competes for the lead.
- deck turnover and re-dealing — At transitions between tide phases, discarded cards are reshuffled and redealt to form a new row.
- hand management — A hand limit is enforced and players may discard to stay within the limit, influencing which cards stay in play.
- Resource-based scoring — Points are earned by turning in sets of resources such as driftwood, sea glass, shells, jade, and related tokens.
- set collection — Cards represent resources that, when grouped, score points; the value of those sets depends on card types and timing.
- Set collection / scoring combos — Cards represent resources that, when grouped, score points; the value of those sets depends on card types and timing.
- Solo mode with AI — A built-in solo scoring reference card simulates an opposing AI that scores sets and competes for the lead.
- tide mechanic (low tide / high tide) — Two action regimes depending on tide phase; low tide allows two actions, high tide allows one, affecting strategy and card value.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- there is a lot packed into these 18 cards
- the theme is very beautiful and very unassuming
- the gameplay is very thinky for a small concise second action game
- mechanically sound, beautiful presentation and just a really fun time
- the solo play is adequately challenging
- I was shocked at how much I really enjoyed it
- there's not one surefire way to victory each time
- if you like this theme and artwork, it's novel
- this is about as close to the beach as I'm going to be getting this summer
- you can see the teamwork between theme and mechanics in how the tides shift
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _hOKlKEgCc0
Button Shy Games game_review at 0:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 59741 · mention_pk 152282
Click to watch at 0:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Tight, economical 18-card design
- Tension between when to score and what to collect
- Balanced two-player experience
- Clear implementation of tide mechanic affecting strategy
- Strong replayability for a pocket game
Cons
- Primarily designed for two players; other modes rely on the solo variant noted in the rules
- Possible repetition across plays due to a small card pool
Thematic elements
- Set collection and resource management driven by tidal phases
- Coastal environment with tides that influence scoring and card availability
- abstract, strategic, with hand-management tension
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — Players select cards from a central row of five each round, influencing future options.
- deck management — If the draw deck runs out, the discard pile is shuffled to form a new draw deck.
- End-game threshold and scoring — Game ends when a player reaches 50 points; scoring opportunities vary by tide.
- hand management — Keep or reveal cards to influence opponents, adding strategic tension.
- Hand management and information control — Keep or reveal cards to influence opponents, adding strategic tension.
- Limited Points — Game ends when a player reaches 50 points; scoring opportunities vary by tide.
- set collection — Players aim to collect specific cards to complete scoring combinations.
- set collection / scoring sets — Players aim to collect specific cards to complete scoring combinations.
- Tide phases (low tide / high tide) — Rounds alternate between low tide (card acquisition) and high tide (scoring and discarding) phases.
- Variable Phase Order — Rounds alternate between low tide (card acquisition) and high tide (scoring and discarding) phases.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is Tides it is a really clever smart type game of set collection knowing what to collect knowing when to score and just really managing your hand
- the economy with the low tide high tide sides
- it's just really fun
- I love getting that button shy subscription
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video RGglnZNWaLI
Board Game Garden general_discussion at 3:43 sentiment: positive
video_pk 35284 · mention_pk 105279
Click to watch at 3:43 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very welcoming and easy to teach
- Beautiful art (Beth Sobel)
- Chaotic, humorous, and engaging cooperative play
Cons
- Can feel chaotic and hectic at times
- May have limited replay variety without expansions
Thematic elements
- cooperative timing and color-kite coordination
- Coastal summer environment with kite flying
- none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative Game — All players collaborate to clear the deck before timers run out.
- cooperative_play — All players collaborate to clear the deck before timers run out.
- hand management — Players hold a hand of cards (typically 3) and play one on their turn.
- hand_management — Players hold a hand of cards (typically 3) and play one on their turn.
- timed_challenge — Sand timers of different colors are flipped to advance actions and create time pressure.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it is so much fun oh my goodness it is just
- it has an app that actually like talks you through the story
- you are a crew on a pirate ship
- Sunset Over Water is published by Pencil First Games and it is an incredible game and you are painting photos or painting pictures
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _mnKbsa0aGs
Board Game Garden general_discussion at 0:08 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34109 · mention_pk 101541
Click to watch at 0:08 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- great fun
- easy to teach
- family-friendly
- timed tension is engaging
Cons
- can be stressful for some players
Thematic elements
- skies and teamwork under time pressure
- Cooperative real-time play about managing kites using sand timers
- none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative real-time — Players play kite cards and flip sand timers; if any timer runs out, a kite falls and you lose.
- real-time — Players play kite cards and flip sand timers; if any timer runs out, a kite falls and you lose.
- sand-timer driven flow — Timers represent kite stability; managing multiple timers is required to survive the deck.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Hadrian's Wall is my favorite game of all time
- I love the theme, it warms my heart
- The end of the first chapter broke my heart
- Portals is an abstract strategy game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video hYT_s4FdvA0
Board Game Dad analysis at 13:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 31378 · mention_pk 92431
Click to watch at 13:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Innovative use of time as mechanic
- Fast-paced and social
- Low downtime
Cons
- Can be stressful for some players
Thematic elements
- cooperative timing and speed
- time-based cooperative play with color-coded timers
- light, fast-paced cooperative puzzle
Comparison games
- Escape (board game)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- color-coded timers and card play — cards indicate which timer to flip; speed and coordination are key
- Cooperative Game — players cooperate to flip sand timers according to color-coded cards; avoid timers running out
- Speed matching — cards indicate which timer to flip; speed and coordination are key
- time-based cooperative puzzle — players cooperate to flip sand timers according to color-coded cards; avoid timers running out
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- five board games with a perfect mechanic score
- the four factors to consider so let's describe what each of them means
- I personally really enjoy simultaneous action selection and I dis like Press Your Luck but that's just me
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video tNcfJJXMEaI
Rolling Dice and Taking Names general_discussion at 1:11:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10297 · mention_pk 30372
Click to watch at 1:11:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fast, tense, easy to teach
- high interaction and verbal engagement
- short playtime fits well for a quick session
Cons
- timer variance can be chaotic for some players
- replayability tied to timer order; can feel random
Thematic elements
- timing, risk, and air-sculpted control
- airborne kite competition; urban aerial sport
- abstract
Comparison games
- Blitzkrieg
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- color-token timers — each kite color corresponds to a timer; running out of a color ends that kite’s presence
- lightweight card drafting/stack interaction — players choose which kite cards to play while managing the state of multiple timers
- simultaneous action resolution with timers — players flip sand timers when playing kite cards; timers control pacing and end-of-round pressure
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a fast moving game
- it's like checkers on steroids
- life is a highway my friend
- the painted canyon is awe-inspiring
- calmly talk to each other
- communication is key in this game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video PWL9yirB40s
OFPG Voices general_discussion at 11:48 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8640 · mention_pk 25431
Click to watch at 11:48 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- cooperative theme
- innovative timer mechanic
- quick to teach
- family friendly
Cons
- potentially luck-driven
- limited replayability
Thematic elements
- cooperation under time pressure
- summertime cooperative session to keep kites flying
- abstract thematic
Comparison games
- Catan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative gameplay — players work together to keep sand timers from running out
- hand management — managing dealt kite cards to avoid timer failures
- timer flipping — flipping sand timers when playing kite cards
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- enlightened growth makes you a better person
- our goal is to make this world a better place one board gamer at a time
- this is a game that my students would love
- it's a quick get it in where you can fit it in
- an excellent analogy because trying to keep a bunch of plates spinning can be quite frustrating
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ENZqrEL5Wuw
Mighty Suggested Game Production game_review at 2:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7802 · mention_pk 23069
Click to watch at 2:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fast, chaotic, and highly engaging
- Great for new players and game nights
- Short playtime with high energy
- Encourages teamwork and quick thinking
Cons
- Can be chaotic and slightly overwhelming for very large groups
- Timer fiddliness may frustrate some players
- Requires strong communication to stay synchronized
Thematic elements
- team communication under time pressure
- Cooperative kite-flying context with real-time pressure
- none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative Game — Players work together in real time, coordinating actions to keep kites aloft and progress when playing kite cards.
- Cooperative signaling and pacing — Communication and quick reading of the table state are essential to keep flow and avoid bottlenecks.
- Real-time cooperative play — Players work together in real time, coordinating actions to keep kites aloft and progress when playing kite cards.
- Timer-driven tension — Sand timers of varying lengths drive pacing; players must juggle multiple timers to avoid a collapse.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game is fast and chaotic but it's also super fun
- perfect appetizer for your game night that's quick and easy
- i really enjoyed this game
- ahoy was a great medium weight game
- fans of root are really gonna like ahoy
- this game is super simple and really fast paced but it leads to a ton of laughs
- end your game night on a high note
- if you're looking for the next big party game to finish off your game night
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video --kWaNv_Wlc
Three Minute Board Games top_10_list at 3:59 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5448 · mention_pk 125046
Click to watch at 3:59 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Officially ruins family dinners
- Word nerdy family loves it as much as Bananagrams
Cons
- Limited availability outside certain regions
Thematic elements
- Word building cards
- Word game
- Family word game
Comparison games
- Bananagrams
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Word building — Card-based word building
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Do not adjust your set
- This list is quite different to last year's and I think that mostly reflects what an absolute 2020 has been
- My subjective opinion is biased skewed irrational and probably wrong
- It is very political all war games are political
- So say we all
- What am I doing with my life
- Squishy squishy squish squish squish
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XQt6JdOLtEs
Board Game Coffee general_discussion at 14:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4618 · mention_pk 13526
Click to watch at 14:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- easy to learn and quick to play
- fun balancing mechanic that scales with players
Cons
- thematic depth is light; best for families or casual groups
Thematic elements
- balance and timing with a light, family-friendly feel
- colorful kite festival with hourglass mechanic
- quick, tense turns as players try to keep the hourglasses flowing
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- timing-based dexterity/placement — players flip hourglasses to advance or block others while maintaining flow
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the matrix mechanic changes how you buy and when you fight—adds tension
- it's cool that you must exit the matrix to buy and upgrade—adds tension
- the Goooddies minis look great on the table
- hourglass mechanic in kite game is a tension-builder
- the art and components feel premium in Gutenberg
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video JXgk8B-R8U4
OFPG Voices top_10_list at 7:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3020 · mention_pk 8820
Click to watch at 7:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Excellent for family gatherings
- Lively chaos and lots of laughs
- Intuitive and quick to teach
Cons
- Can be chaotic; some players may prefer stricter structure
- Requires constant communication and pace control
Thematic elements
- flight, teamwork, chaos
- Family-facing cooperative session with sand-timer mechanics
- high-energy family puzzle-solving
Comparison games
- Codenames Duet
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative card play with time pressure — Players discard cards to collectively keep sand timers in the air; success depends on maintaining a continuous flow until all cards are cleared.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the first one on my list is a co-op game for two players
- this one is codenames duet from cge
- it's all about how well do you know your partner to be able to create the great clues
- the sand timers… those are the kites that you're trying to keep in the air
- perfect for those family get-togethers
- you can bail out early and however many cards you're gonna have in your hand will determine the amount of points you give your opponent
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video H8EtbqslT2o
Unknown Channel game_review at 0:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 783 · mention_pk 86223
Click to watch at 0:14 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Small and portable; quick to set up; easy to teach
- High interaction and player disruption that keeps players engaged
- Multiple variants and seasoning cards add replayability
- Encourages creative word choices and strategic word-changes
Cons
- Reliance on dictionary; disputes can slow play
- Negative scoring pile can be punishing and reduce enjoyment for some players
- Can be chaotic if players don't converge on validity standards
Thematic elements
- Vocabulary competition and wordplay under pressure, with a light emphasis on social interaction and misdirection.
- A quick, portable word-building game played around a table where players attempt to form or alter words using a shared letter card pool.
- Procedural party game mechanics with explicit dictionary verification and dynamic scoring.
Comparison games
- Bananagrams
- Scrabble
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Active word declaration — The first player declares the active word for the round, and subsequent players must add the next letter if they can.
- Completion and scoring — If a word is completed, the declarer claims the cards to a positive scoring pile; if not possible, players can shift strategy and declare a new word, moving cards to a negative pile.
- Difficulty and challenge mechanics — Challenging a word invokes a dictionary check; if challenged successfully, the challenger captures the negative card; if failed, the challenger takes the negative card.
- Letter card placement and word-building — Players take turns adding letters to form a continuing word, or rewrite the active word when possible, with the word judged valid by the group.
- Rule cards variants and flip mechanism — Three rule cards add variants; in the full version, completing a word flips a counter to prevent double flipping in a row.
- Scoring piles and draw rules — After each word resolution, all players draw back up to eight cards, and play continues; the round ends when letter cards run out.
- Seasoning cards — Four seasoning cards spice up play by adding easier/harder/complicated twists to the routine.
- Word building — Players take turns adding letters to form a continuing word, or rewrite the active word when possible, with the word judged valid by the group.
- Word validation and dictionary — A dictionary is recommended to confirm word validity; challenges depend on common lexicon standards (e.g., Wiktionary for example words).
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "Kiitos is a game for 2 to 4 players attempting to complete words using letter cards from their hand."
- "Valid" is a subjective term, though.
- "The game strongly recommends players agree on a dictionary to check the validity of words before playing, because if someone doesn't think your word is real they can challenge it."
- "If the challenge succeeds, you add the challenge card to your negative pile and think of a new word."
- "If the challenge fails, because Wiktionary totally accepts \"octopodes\" as a plural of \"octopus\""
- "Every time a word is completed or scrapped, each player draws back up to eight and whoever last pick up cards from the table begins again."
- "Not quite."
- "a word they flip one, marking it with a counter to ensure it isn't flipped twice in a row."
- "There are a lot of different ways you could play this. Go deep into the probabilities and card-counting,"
- "Go light-hearted and pick the first word that comes to mind, because it's confusing enough as it is."
- "Kiitos is definitely one for the word nerds who are looking for a bit more interaction and opportunities to mess with your opponents than Bananagrams or Scrabble affords you."
- "It's small, portable, quick to set up, easy to teach, and a complete bastard to master."
- "Damn."
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
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