Kodachi

Video yfyyXUuPwKs Sir Thecos Analysis at 11:33 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 84228 · mention_pk 213887

Click to watch at 11:33 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

The first one, two or three games are really amazing when you play it.

Cons

Then like falls off a little bit.
The longtime potential isn't quite there for me.

Thematic elements

Comparison games

Endangered
The Otmus Project
Deep Sea Endeavor

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanism — Keshi has a really cool mechanism as well.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

This is just my opinion, right? Yours may differ from mine, and if it does, that's great.
It's a nice little abstract game for two players um trying to like again get like uh like the largest or smallest difference um between your own tableau and the one in the middle um that is shared.
Really really nice tableau builder.
I think I personally for my collection would put it in B, but um that wouldn't be quite fair because I need to like evaluate the game as it is.
Um, but I find it has like a loads of like little small parts um that are just not optimal.
It's one of my most favorite smallbox games, not just of last year, but ever.
Come on. Please, please release the physical version. I'm begging you, man.
I would say like the components are amazing. You actually build like up 3D terrain which is pretty amazing.
But it's still not it's not one of my most favorite dungeon crawlers because I just think like these scenarios are like a little bit too long almost.
But I think Unmatched is like way superior.
That may change because I'm playing a lot of dungeon crawlers at the moment, but currently it is definitely S my my favorite one.
So, you see, I this was a strong month. I didn't play a whole lot of games, but I played a lot of really good games.
Let me know in the comments which were the best and worst games you played last month.
Especially want to give a shout out to my generous patrons. The big thanks go out to Thagon for supporting me at the highest tier.

References (from this video)

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Video YHFEOUbGMZQ Grant Lyon Upcoming Games Preview at 16:51 sentiment: positive

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Click to watch at 16:51 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Unique track-activation loop
Satisfying combo potential and engin-building feel

Cons

none

Thematic elements

combining tracks and paths for engine-like progression
track-building with Japanese-inspired aesthetics

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Engine Building — Activate pawns to move tracks, triggering chained activations.
Engine-building through tracks — Activate pawns to move tracks, triggering chained activations.
tile/track-based comboing — Landing on tiles enables further actions and combos.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I love bag building because it always has that fun, exciting tension of like, I hope I get what I need.
it's a lighter weight, you know, quicker playing game.
Temple Twist has a table presents for days.
thematically you are putting together like a table at the lunch cafeteria.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video HZoKc1rJc40 The Board Game Garden Discussion sentiment: positive

video_pk 81720 · mention_pk 204185

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

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)

Send help, please.
My shelf of opportunity. There are a few games on here that I want to bring.
This bag is already full and I haven't even gone out to the board game room.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video HZoKc1rJc40 The Board Game Garden Discussion sentiment: positive

video_pk 81720 · mention_pk 271035

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

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)

Send help, please.
My shelf of opportunity. There are a few games on here that I want to bring.
This bag is already full and I haven't even gone out to the board game room.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video SuoMEN7dCLA Grant Lyon Other at 26:56 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81710 · mention_pk 204108

Click to watch at 26:56 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Moving meeples on tracks

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Combo Building — It's like moving up tracks, but using these like combos and these synergies to be like, "Move up here. Move up here. Move up here. Get this. Get that."
Engine Building — And Kokeshi is an engine building game...
track movement — ...you are going to be putting these tiles on various tracks on your board, and those tiles will let you sort of move up different meeples...

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

If you are interested in new board games that are coming to stores, to friendly local game stores, and other places right now, and you don't have to wait like 18 months to get the game, then this is the video for you.
I always try to include about 25 different games in this video, and I want there to be something for everybody, right?
So, if you are looking for like an introduction to worker placement, uh I think this is a good one for that.
So, yeah. And I love penguins. Love penguins.
This is intentionally a weird game. Uh it's leaning into It's weird.
This is a game that combines dice and deduction in a pirate theme.
This is another one I couldn't really find a lot of information on, so I don't know exactly how it plays.
So, yeah. And I hope you found something that you like.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video W8i0khf2a54 The Board Game Garden Other at 64:03:20 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81299 · mention_pk 201019

Click to watch at 64:03:20 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

So much fun.
Absolutely loved that game.

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)

This is basically a board game industry kind of conference thing that is presented and run by Asthma Canada.
I kind of think of this as the Canadian Gamma, which gamma is kind of like the industry board game industry convention conference that is held every year in the US, but we kind of have a little mini version for us here in Canada where board game publishers as well as retailers and media all come together to just talk new games, better ways to help support the board game industry here in Canada.
So, we're here. Of course. There he is.
We've all been the first giants content creators in the wild behind the bushes in their natural habitat. In their natural habitat or oi none of that things batteries.
Guys, I am obsessed with this card game. It is fantastic.
This is the final version of nature. I believe this is like the retail edition.
As someone that loves like potions, witchy things, this is a party game that I could get down with.
This is a fantastic game if you haven't played it yet. Such a good hand management card game.
This is a very fun game. If you guys have seen me, I've talked about Ohanami quite a bit, which is a game where you're creating gardens of cards in a line that are either having to be in uh like ascending or descending order. This has that kind of vibe, but plays in a very different way.
Katan on the Road. I actually just did a how to play of this game and it's actually quite enjoyable.
Toil and troubles. Toil and troubles. This is a game from grandpa beck.
I love the like magical kind of uh forest creature kind of vibe to it.
Dixit kids, which is very cute. I love this.
One thing, one like big highlight for me was just being able to hang out with friends, either local friends. All of us are very local, but it is really nice to have some specific thing that brings us all together, to be able to hang out and play games.
Obviously, like I mentioned, I played Denup a ton. That was a huge highlight for me.
Remember, you are somebody's reason to smile.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video -Bxn88jC0bI The Board Game Garden Discussion at 30:01 sentiment: other

video_pk 81195 · mention_pk 200442

Click to watch at 30:01 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Obsessed

Pros

Very satisfying gameplay
Excellent 'bumping tracks' mechanism
Cute theme and appealing art
Available on BGA

Cons

Basic retail edition components may be less impressive than acrylic tiles (implied)

Thematic elements

Artisans constructing Kokeshi dolls
Japan

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Drafting — Players draft acrylic tiles when a track reaches an empty spot.
scoring — Victory points are gained from track positions and for being the furthest on animal tracks.
Set Collection — Victory points are awarded based on position on animal tracks.
Tile Placement — Players create tracks using different tiles, adding acrylic tokens that grant actions.
Track Bumping — The core mechanism involves players bumping tracks.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

April was crazy when it came to board games.
I played a ton of new to me games, which was so much fun.
Leaf has always been a game that has really intrigued me because it has such a cool mechanism with these different leaves that you're going to be able to play a card that'll then get you a specific leaf shape.
And overall, it's such a simple game, but it is just so lovely.
I am obsessed with this game. I really want to play this one solo.
If you enjoy games where you are bumping tracks, this game right here is the ultimate bumping tracks game.
This is such a good game. I am in love with this game.
It revolves around this seven bridge theory or concept where there are seven different bridges and you can only go over a bridge once.
And this game is a one versus many where the one player and very cool part of this game is you play it in the pitch dark. So fun.
It has a very sketched kind of art style to it, which I've always loved. And that game is just so beautiful.
And during this game, we were all just being so chaotic and just ending the game just like very abruptly and people just like not being prepared for it and just being chaotic and it was just the funniest thing.
And this game really messed with my brain.
Can't get enough of it. It's my most played game of April.
And this one I did a preview for. is a solo only game from Salt and Pepper Games where you are running a bakery or bake shop and you're trying to achieve these different um customers orders by first folding this piece of pastry which I think is such a unique part of the game.
Three Sisters is one of my favorite Roland rights.
I'm so sorry that I decided to do 10 games for this video. I will try for future months to only stick to five so these videos aren't too crazy long, but I just could not not talk about all these games cuz I just had a great month of gaming.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video f-KV94HuXdQ kovray Event Coverage at 7:36 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81129 · mention_pk 199987

Click to watch at 7:36 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Satisfying tile activation
Fun engine building

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

Kokashi on BGA

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Action activation — Placing tiles activates different columns and abilities.
Engine Building — Players build an engine by placing and activating tiles.
Tile Placement — Players place tiles on different columns.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It's a gem.
It's a bop.
It's just this combo-tastic game where there's a bunch of different actions happening that you'll have to go through.
It is such a clever game that is still very unnatural because you're trying to create gaps with tiles, and my brain despises that cuz I like when things go together nicely.
It is the silliest game because what you're trying to do is you have stacks of cards in front of you in different stacks, and you're trying to get each of those stacks to have all of one item.
This is such a good small card game from Capstone.
The art on Dixit is just unparalleled.

References (from this video)

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Video SzWQwq8oDrU BoardGameCo Other at 12:55 sentiment: positive

video_pk 80419 · mention_pk 195696

Click to watch at 12:55 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Fun little game
Charming

Cons

Not necessarily amazing

Thematic elements

Fashion Show

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Bid Selection — Described as "bid selection, basically. You're trying to position cards in your hand to bid on which columns you want."
Hand Management — Described as "a little bit of hand management."

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I did not love this one. I I drastically prefer Hey, That's My Fish.
This felt like a less fun version of Hey, That's My Fish.
I thought the game was very dry.
This was very charming. I I like what the game was doing as far as the real-time speed nature of trying not to be the last one holding the bag when everything goes bust, while also trying to collect sets of cards through real-time live trading. This was very fun.
I was very impressed by how well the game is designed. Uh ultimately it was it was fine to play a few times and then move on from it.
This was very solid uh going along with Triangulation and Decrypto. It's another one of those clue intercepting games, uh, but done very differently.
Biggest complaint I have against it is I'm just keeping too many of these games and I can't have all these small box games be everything.
It's cute. It's fast. It's thematic. I've enjoyed this one, but this kind of real-time game is just not overall my jam.
Basically, it's a fun charming game. I'm just not overly uh enthused by it.
Vestige is a great game. I think I just prefer Vindication.
Vindication will almost always get picked over Vestige each time.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video -zg1-xQkik8 Top List at 1823:40:00 sentiment: positive

video_pk 79656 · mention_pk 193201

Click to watch at 1823:40:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Production is absolutely fantastic
Art is absolutely adorable
Chunky acrylic tokens are so incredibly satisfying
Such a wonderful game

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Artisans creating Kokeshi dolls
Japan

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

token placement — Uses chunky acrylic tiles.
Track building — Players are creating their own tracks.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

This is a tag made by the wonderful Rolling Reggie.
It is a series of, I believe, eight questions that we are going to answer midway through the year.
What is a game that you've played in 2026 that you want to take on a second date?
Druids of Adora is the most recent title from the wonderful Stefan Feld, and I am a huge fan of Stefan Feld games.
This game makes me so happy.
What is your biggest surprise so far this year? And then also, you can, if you would like, answer what is your biggest disappointment so far this year.
Fyfe is a Sudoku-esque puzzle of taking these chips out of a bag and they all have different colors, icons, and numbers and you're placing them into this 5x5 grid of tokens that then each row and column is progressively going to have a different kind of objective added to it and you're trying to achieve as many of these objectives as possible.
I think I'm just obsessed with Sudoku. Am I okay? I don't know.
Postcards. So, I was so excited for Postcards.
Kokeshi, which in this, if you guys do have this game, this game is full of chunky acrylic tokens that are so incredibly satisfying and I have absolutely loved playing this game with those tokens.
Trismegistus, um by the wonderful Board & Dice. This game is absolutely stunning.
Todoku. Apologies if you can hear someone mowing their lawn in the background.
Onirim. This is a I I don't actually think it's solo only, but a lot of people just play this one solo.
Crits and Tricks from Inside Up Games.
Flip Voyage, which is another game from the same publisher that did Flip Town.
Iris from Crimson Board Games. Honestly, her content I feel like is most aligned with the type of content that I really enjoy that is still within the board game space.
Kimothy Reads and I have been loving her content recently over on TikTok.
J&J's Cards and Collectibles in uh Waterloo, Ontario. It is the best friendly local game store.
the video where I was showing you guys the expansion that I designed with my friend Daryl for Mythic Visions. So we designed the Herbalist, and I did a video kind of showcasing my journey with that.
tags were all the rage, favorites videos, which I kind of do here on the channel with my monthly wrap-up videos, but yeah, just like olden days YouTube just makes me really happy.

References (from this video)

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Video 6mvjL-qPDyk Review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 79435 · mention_pk 192850

Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Extremely addictive to play
Satisfying snowball effect leading to explosive turns
Good ideas
Great presentation
Satisfies the itch for an uber distilled engine builder

Cons

Limited direct player interaction
Gameplay is one-dimensional
Thematic elements are detached and feel pasted on
Every turn looks exactly the same
Lack of emotional attachment after playing

Thematic elements

making traditional Japanese Kokeshi dolls
artisanal workshop

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Engine Building — The game involves building up abilities through tile placement, leading to more explosive turns, though the term is used loosely.
Race for Objectives — There's a race to have the most tiles in a column to claim point tiles and trigger the game end.
Set Collection — Players collect animal Kokeshi dolls to reap points.
Snowballing — Initial actions have paltry results but snowball into explosive turns due to chain reactions.
Tableau Building — Players claim tiles from a market and place them into columns in their tableau.
Worker placement (abstract) — Kokeshi dolls move onto spaces on a track, activating abilities, though this is abstracted.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It is extremely addictive to play and it's something where immediately as soon as you play it, you just want to grab all these tiles and the presentation looks nice and inviting, but still keeps it fundamentally squared in this I am going to make the numbers go up spreadsheet sort of scheme of the game
As far as the theme itself, the Kokeshi dolls are completely detached from the the game.
The actual gameplay itself is kind of one-dimensional. Good in that one dimension, but drier than the snare sound on Deftones Digital Bath
after I've stepped away from the game, I have almost no emotional attachment to it whatsoever.
if you are wanting something that's extremely focused and distilled as a tableau engine builder where you are building that engine for the engine building's sake, then this is maybe the game that's really going to satisfy that itch for you.

References (from this video)

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Video HiOwTLO-54I Board Game Dad Review at 0:01 sentiment: positive

video_pk 35910 · mention_pk 107514

Click to watch at 0:01 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Chaining mechanics create satisfying, emergent gameplay that rewards planning
High-quality wooden components and hefty tiles enhance tactile appeal
Simple core loop that scales in depth as more tiles are added

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Happiness as a measurable resource achieved through deliberate, interconnected actions and chain reactions.
A tabletop setting featuring five Keshi dolls racing along individual action tracks, with satisfied players watching happiness accumulate as tiles are added and chains occur.
Mechanics-driven, puzzle-like progression where success grows from chaining effects rather than isolated moves.

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Chain reaction chaining — Advancing a piece can trigger other pieces’ effects through adjacent relations, so early moves set up cascading benefits that increase overall happiness.
Engine Building: Triggered/Cascading — Advancing a piece can trigger other pieces’ effects through adjacent relations, so early moves set up cascading benefits that increase overall happiness.
movement on track — On each turn you move any one Keshi token up its track and resolve the action printed on the tile you land on, creating immediate value and potential chain effects.
Tile-add trigger — When a Keshi reaches the top of its track, you may add a new tile to that track, extending options and creating opportunities for new chain interactions.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

This is the kind of chain reactions that bring happiness to the kokeshi maker and make the game so much fun.
It's simple at first, but as the game goes on, the satisfaction is all about chaining effects.
Plus the highquality wooden pieces and hefty tiles make it so satisfying to play with.

References (from this video)

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Video 09-0rwdPZR4 Board Game Dad Top 10 List at 10:06 sentiment: positive

video_pk 32847 · mention_pk 97344

Click to watch at 10:06 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Delightful, approachable; works with both adults and kids
Fast to teach (under 3 minutes)
Good player interaction and cascading effects

Cons

Limited to four players
Might want more player count or expansions

Thematic elements

Cause-and-effect chain reactions
Shelf of Kokashi dolls and a stacking shelf
Delightful, approachable

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Chain reactions — Doll movements trigger cascades up the tracks for points.
Engine Building: Triggered/Cascading — Doll movements trigger cascades up the tracks for points.
Tile Placement — Move a Kokashi doll up a level; trigger tiles or other dolls to move and activate effects.
Tile placement / engine building — Move a Kokashi doll up a level; trigger tiles or other dolls to move and activate effects.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

"The theatrical run"
"It's very intuitive"
"I love how the auctions work in this game"
"This is not their first board game at all"
"Donkey Hot the Ingenious Adalgo is one to check out"
"Shallow Sea is the name of that game"
"Seven Wonders Dice is the best Seven Wonders game made so far"
"Origin Story plays one to five players"
"Epona is my choice for the number one game this year"

References (from this video)

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Video NC8IFIFStFg Chairman of the Board Review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 12615 · mention_pk 36814

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Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Strong fusion of deck-building with push-your-luck mechanics
Varied card effects and rewarding incentives to chase tokens
Clear sense of progression as you improve your deck
Production values are polished with clear symbology
Player turns offer interesting interaction as others draw and buy cards

Cons

Luck can feel punishing or unpredictable, leading to frustrating runs
The 45-minute playtime often stretches longer than desired for a light push-your-luck title
Acquisition phase can feel jarring when you cannot buy anything
Replayability is limited after a few plays

Thematic elements

Ninjas, stealth versus strength, and deck-building progression
Feudal Japan ninja-themed push-your-luck duel
Abstract tactical skirmish with thematic flavor

Comparison games

Quacks of Quedlinburg
Can't Stop

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Deck Building — Each player starts with a small fixed deck and improves it by acquiring new cards with in-game currency.
deck-building — Each player starts with a small fixed deck and improves it by acquiring new cards with in-game currency.
End Game Bonuses — Tokens collected via certain cards or purchases advance toward the game-ending condition.
Endgame trigger tokens — Tokens collected via certain cards or purchases advance toward the game-ending condition.
Hand Management — Careful sequencing and card selection to hit target values while managing risk of busts.
Push Your Luck — Players decide how far to push by choosing stealth or strength and by undercutting enemy values to defeat foes for rewards.
push-your-luck — Players decide how far to push by choosing stealth or strength and by undercutting enemy values to defeat foes for rewards.
Resource economy — Currency tokens are spent to buy cards; tokens also influence end-game scoring dynamics.
Resource Management — Currency tokens are spent to buy cards; tokens also influence end-game scoring dynamics.
Tableau Building — Progression occurs as players expand their deck and reach deeper into the enemy/reward stacks.
Tableau progression — Progression occurs as players expand their deck and reach deeper into the enemy/reward stacks.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

This is a push-your-luck style game.
the deck building and pushy luck synergize with each other
I cannot really warrant recommending this game
45 minutes to play and it would have been nicer to be shorter
production is attractive, artwork polished and clear symbology

References (from this video)

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Video SAPlvaxwOGg Chairman of the Board Top List at 5:06 sentiment: negative

video_pk 8568 · mention_pk 25248

Click to watch at 5:06 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

negative

Pros

clever concept blending deck-building with push-your-luck
interesting thematic synergy

Cons

felt convoluted
tends toward being too long and luck-driven
not a good fit for my preferences

Thematic elements

deck-building, push-your-luck
Japanese samurai-themed hybrid
theme-driven mechanics

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Card-driven combat — Resolve encounters using cards that determine strength or stealth outcomes.
deck-building — Construct a deck to overcome enemies via strength or stealth.
push-your-luck — Decide whether to continue drawing or stop to secure rewards.
Resource management / Currency — Acquire currency and buy new cards to strengthen your deck.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

this is probably one of the best abstract style games I've played
it's a shame it's not taking off as well as it could have
I could still appreciate this game and I think it has huge untapped potential
it's way better than it sounds on paper
the best way to play it is shortening the map to keep it nice and snappy
co-op isn't really my forte

References (from this video)

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Video 5p9Lfrw1kwY Chairman of the Board Discussion at 10:29 sentiment: neutral

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Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

push-your-luck, deck 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)

you start rich and you're trying to blow as much money as you can as quickly as possible by making bad investments
this one however has a quite a different feel to a lot of the other rolling rights
it's strictly two player puzzly abstract style game
this is the newest printing of the bunk
this one actually uses the between two cities mechanism where you're working with the people to your left and right except on this one
it's a game that's fascinated me
the idea of puzzle this stuff around get the ideal family photo
gamers bingo

References (from this video)

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Kokeshi and the art of doll automation - TCbH Review

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