Collection Status
Your Rating
Description
Lisboa is a game about the reconstruction of Lisboa after the great earthquake of 1755.
On November 1, 1755, Lisbon suffered an earthquake of an estimated magnitude of 8.5–9.0, followed by a tsunami and three days of fires. The city was almost totally destroyed. The Marques of Pombal — Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo — was the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and the King put him in charge of the reconstruction of Lisbon. The Marques of Pombal gathered a team of engineers and architects and you, the players, are members of the nobility; members who will use your influence in the reconstruction and business development of the new city. You will work with the architects to build Lisbon anew, with the Marquis to develop commerce and with the King to open all the buildings, but the true reason you do all this is not for greatness or fame or even fortune, but for the most important thing of all in that time: wigs.
Lisboa is played on a real map of downtown Lisbon. During the planning of the downtown project, the type of business permitted in each street was previously determined. The economic motor is driven by the wealth of the royal treasure and this treasure is controlled by player actions during the game, making each game a totally different experience. The game ends after a fixed number of rounds and whoever gathers the most wigs by the end of the game wins.
Lisboa is played in rounds. Each round, all players play one turn. They may place one card on their display or replace one card from this display. During the game, players schedule hearings to get character favors, such as commerce, construction, and openings. The iconic buildings score the stores and stores provide income to the players. Players need to manage influence, construction licenses, store permits, church power, workers and money, with the workers' cost being dependent on the prestige of the players.
Year Published
2017
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 17
This page: 17
Sentiment:
pos 15 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–17 of 17
Video BJt8QC_rbY4
The Chris Jamie and Steve Show top_10_list at 7:15 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13631 · mention_pk 39841
Click to watch at 7:15
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Ian O'Toole's cover art and interior art are distinctive
Cons
- Art style may be dense for some players
Thematic elements
- Economic reconstruction and political intrigue
- Post-disaster 18th-century Lisbon
- Grand, architectural illustration
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Resource management / variable setup — City rebuilding mechanics with thematic art
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we value artwork in board games
- I love good amazing components and beautiful artwork to the point where I'll buy games just for the artwork
- artwork can really help bring your game to life and your theme to life
- there are definitely people out there who will say I don't care what it looks like it's a great game because they're all about gameplay
- I'll spend time sitting down at a table playing this game for quite a while I want it to look nice
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video LJQIKpO_eNo
John Gates Games impressions at 26:49 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 13661 · mention_pk 39936
Click to watch at 26:49
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Rich, thematic heavy euro experience
- Great footprint for long play sessions
Cons
- Steep learning curve and potential downtime
- Difficult to teach mid-game
Thematic elements
- complex economic and crisis management
- Lisbon after earthquake, tsunami, and fire; early modern urban reconstruction
- heavy euro
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card-driven action selection — Play cards to trigger actions and board effects
- Iconography-guided actions — Symbols indicate actions and resource flow
- Route planning and planning paralysis — Lots of choices and ripple effects across turns
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game is so much fun because it gives you such a wide variety of things that you could do
- I think this is a game of skill and you don't see games of skill very often with very short
- Isle of Skye Journeyman adds a lot to this game but it detracts from some of the greatness of the original game
- Lisboa is a heavy game; there's a lot going on
- Teotihuacan has a lot going on
- Western Legends is a sandbox with tons of directions you can go
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Xu9ZiP419V0
Before We Play top_10_list at 16:32 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12910 · mention_pk 37783
Click to watch at 16:32
Overall sentiment (raw)
very positive
Pros
- clean and elegant design
- viewed as a masterpiece of board game design
Cons
- high complexity; can be hard to top
Thematic elements
- famine of rebuilding with political and economic interplay
- early 19th-century Lisbon after a disaster
- unknown
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-building / hand management — play cards from hand to take actions and influence the city
- influence track / resource management — manipulate resources and track influence to drive scoring
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Lisboa such a good game
- The Gallerist was the first design that I saw that looked absolutely beautiful
- Kanban is a fantastic game
- it's a clean and elegant design
- Escape Plan is the outlier in this group
- On Mars is a great game, but it's hard to teach
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dfCcLi9vSC0
Secret Cabal general_discussion at 9:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12722 · mention_pk 37113
Click to watch at 9:50
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Dense, rich mechanistic design
- Beautiful, thematic presentation
Cons
- Very heavy, can be overwhelming
- Rulebook is long and dense
Thematic elements
- risk management, urban planning, and rebuilding
- post-disaster Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake
- grim realism with strategic depth
Comparison games
- Vinhos and other Vital Lacerda titles
- The Gallerist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Railroad / board economy and movement — Players manage a complex system of actions for city rebuilding.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Artwork does have a big impact on my interest in playing the game.
- I bought games just for artwork that I've never played.
- Santorini doesn't turn me off, and Arcadia Quest doesn't turn me off exactly but I would prefer it to be more realistic in general.
- I think games with Xavier Colette his kind of artwork he did the a lot of the dixit stuff.
- I love getting up and coming down here and shooting a video and editing a podcast and developing content for the next show.
- quit drinking soda it's poison.
- Feast for Odin is a Viking-era title that rewards careful planning.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dfCcLi9vSC0
Secret Cabal general_discussion at 9:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12722 · mention_pk 37125
Click to watch at 9:50
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Dense, rewarding design with strong theme
- High-quality production and component aesthetics
Cons
- Very heavy, not beginner-friendly
- Extensive setup and rulebook
Thematic elements
- risk management and urban planning
- Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake and city rebuilding
- grim, realistic economic simulation
Comparison games
- The Gallerist
- Vinhos
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Resource management / action economy — Complex decision matrix guides reconstruction and growth.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Artwork does have a big impact on my interest in playing the game.
- I bought games just for artwork that I've never played.
- Santorini doesn't turn me off, and Arcadia Quest doesn't turn me off exactly but I would prefer it to be more realistic in general.
- I think games with Xavier Colette his kind of artwork he did the a lot of the dixit stuff.
- I love getting up and coming down here and shooting a video and editing a podcast and developing content for the next show.
- quit drinking soda it's poison.
- Feast for Odin is a Viking-era title that rewards careful planning.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9tReR2V0iNk
Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast top_10_list at 5:43 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12498 · mention_pk 36451
Click to watch at 5:43
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- strong thematic integration
- beautiful artwork and production
- deep strategic depth
Cons
- heavy rules overhead
- long play time
Thematic elements
- economic crisis and urban rebuilding
- 18th-century Lisbon during reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake
- historical simulation with heavy theming
Comparison games
- Nemo's War
- Stockpile
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-building — action selection using a deck of cards
- economic/resource management — managing funds, goods, and reconstruction efforts
- roundel/action grid — actions chosen via a central action wheel/grid
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Eric Lang is the rock star of board-gaming
- artwork and production matters; artwork and production matters; it's not just putting a game out
- Jamie Stegmaier... Kickstarter guru
- it's not just putting a game out, artwork and production matters
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video EZNG-YXgO7E
Foster the Meatballer general_discussion at 3:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11377 · mention_pk 33449
Click to watch at 3:42
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- rich thematic flavor and elegant design
- high strategic depth for experienced players
Cons
- very heavy rules; intimidating for newcomers
- indirect player interaction can feel limited
Thematic elements
- city planning under catastrophe
- post-disaster Lisbon, rebuilding district economies
- heavy thematic narrative with mechanical tension
Comparison games
- The Gallerist
- Lisboa expansion packs reference
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action programming — plan sequences due to repression tokens and penalties
- Worker placement / consequence tracking — areas yield different penalties and rewards; managing outcomes
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is the a to z board game challenge
- we love to challenge ourselves and each other
- there's no timer this isn't speed round because there's going to be some where it's going to be harder
- you should definitely do this at home it was super fun
- that is not easy that is so much harder than you would think
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Z74LO-XMWYA
Marty's Tail top_10_list at 17:30 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10641 · mention_pk 31412
Click to watch at 17:30
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- tight economic engine
- deep strategy
Cons
- heavy rules overhead
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Feast for Odin
- Glenmore 2
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Economic engine / tile placement — City-driven scoring through tile placements and economic management.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's basically that we are we're not quite at the 10th anniversary yet, but we are in in the 10th year of the channel
- This is a very unfair top 10
- Welcome to the Moon is one of the best one of the first big flip and fill games
- I love it again like with me and Ra we've played like 60 70 games of it
- If you could only keep one, would you keep X or Y? It's a terrible question
- It's an unfair top 10. It's the same 10 L games with some Garfields
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video SVG-JP8JJXs
Bored with Steve top_10_list at 11:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10200 · mention_pk 30079
Click to watch at 11:22
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- one of the heaviest and most satisfying euros in the collection
- crunchy decisionmaking that pays off when it clicks
- beautifully designed and visually striking
Cons
- very heavy; not beginner-friendly
- long playtime can be taxing for two-player sessions
Thematic elements
- interlocking mechanisms driving a heavy euro engine
- Lisbon after disaster; city reconstruction and financial reorganization
- deep, crunchy strategic narrative
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card-driven actions — Four-action per turn framework with deep interlocking decisions.
- heavy euro dynamics — High weight and long playtime with a strong emphasis on planning.
- interlocking mechanisms — Actions interact in layered ways to create a dense strategic puzzle.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Blocking becomes super important because you can only build roofs and pillars so many times during the game.
- There's a ton of mind games involved in this game.
- The dice rolls affect everybody equally. So, we both have to work with the same puzzle.
- It's tense, it's brainy, and it's super satisfying.
- I don't understand why it's not up there with the likes of Brass, Terrammystica, Bough Island, even a bunch of other big strategic games.
- For me, it is Magnum Opus and it deserves all the credit in the universe.
- This is my favorite co-op game of all time and I believe it's the best two-player co-op experience ever.
- There are multiple ways to win and the exploration of discovering new scoring methods is thrilling.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9f-aWsP9-vM
The Dice Tower top_30_list at 8:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9061 · mention_pk 26739
Click to watch at 8:50
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- deep, cascading interdependencies create thematic depth
- strong transition between actions via noble negotiations
- excellent balance between planning and adaptability
Cons
- rule complexity can be intimidating for new players
- heavy decision space may slow shorter game sessions
Thematic elements
- resource management, political influence, and urban reconstruction
- rebuilding a city after disasters in 18th-century Lisbon
- interconnected decisions with cascading consequences
Comparison games
- Lisboa (itself as subject)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cascading repercussions — actions on one top-level choice trigger further options and chain reactions
- interlocking action choices — top-level actions unlock subsequent, dependent options via nobles, goods, and tools
- portfolio card play — play cards to generate goods, trade with nobles, or influence the royal court
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Players take on the role of farm managers who want to deliver the goods to the market stalls, local towns, and hopefully to the ports of Palma.
- the same basic mechanisms as Lacrania, just kind of turned up to 11 essentially.
- with the dice drafting mechanism, you're going to be drafting a die and taking out the inner and outer action.
- One of the key other points I really enjoy about this one is the help your neighbor.
- This is the engine building that I find so enjoyable.
- You're working towards gaining the most prestige before the arrival of the Napoleonic forces.
- The main mechanism in this one is kind of a common action selection.
- There will be more workshops opening up along the way as where players can play their cards.
- This is another Euro game that has some very intricate working cogs.
- Trade with a noble action, cascades into more options depending on which noble you trade with.
- Everything is tied together in interlocking cogs.
- I love planning everything out and cursing the other players when they foil my perfectly laid plans.
- It's a game of chains. I want to take this task because I think I can achieve it.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UDfT4UzFiiM
Unknown general_discussion at 1:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7967 · mention_pk 23397
Click to watch at 1:40
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- strong thematic immersion in a historical setting
- multi-step planning with a satisfying payoff
- great table presence and decisions
Cons
- complex rules
- maybe less accessible to new players
Thematic elements
- history, disaster recovery, urban planning
- Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake and reconstruction
- historical, resource-driven with a strong theme
Comparison games
- Kanban
- On Mars
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control / influence — influence districts and reconstruct the city on a board
- Resource management — manage concrete resources to rebuild and score
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's kind of fun right
- it's kind of structured
- we're gonna be playing them in order of release so we're gonna be starting with video this first release and all the way up until on Mars
- we'll probably do it again in the future with a whole new list of games
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video QFwa6limKSc
Rolls in the Family general_discussion at 15:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7789 · mention_pk 23020
Click to watch at 15:42
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong thematic integration
- Beautiful production
Cons
- Can be dense and heavy
Thematic elements
- Socioeconomic planning and resilience
- Post-disaster reconstruction of Lisbon
- Deep thematicEuro
Comparison games
- Gaia Project
- Brass
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Simultaneous action selection — Multiple actions chosen with hidden costs
- worker placement — Place workers to influence outcomes
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I think it might just be the most underrated feature on Board Game Geek.
- I found it to be very very helpful for myself.
- the analyze feature is actually built into every game page.
- Lisboa might be one that I want to check out.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XbDEop9wGMU
Broken People top_10_list sentiment: positive
video_pk 7448 · mention_pk 22049
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Excellent card system with portfolio mechanics
- Multiple card play options with meaningful choices
- Visually appealing board
- Complex decision-making
Cons
- Board visibility can be challenging
- Intricate game system
Thematic elements
- City Building
- Historical
- Portuguese Reconstruction
Comparison games
- Co2
- Escape Plan
- On Mars
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- these are my top 100 games not necessarily the top 100 games
- the lower end of my top 100 is still games I rank 8-9 out of ten if there are no sevens on this list
- everything on here is the creme de la creme as far as I'm concerned
- it hurt a lot
- this can really destroy friendships if you're not careful
- I have played through the whole game and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface
- there is such a thing as too much for a game
- I really want to play this but maybe not quite every single week
- I am serious and don't call me Shirley
- there's a lot of new content to throw in there
- I do love a good sandbox game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video vDv30tZLouk
Unknown Channel playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6473 · mention_pk 19149
Click to watch at 0:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Excellent thematic integration: theme and mechanics reinforce each other, especially around reconstruction and governance.
- High production quality: art, components, and the player aid book are praised for clarity and aesthetics.
- Huge replayability due to a large pool of decree cards and clergy tiles; plays differently across game sizes.
- Scales well to 2-4 players; two-player games have tighter airflow but still offer meaningful decisions.
- Deep planning and strategic depth with a clear, rule-based decision tree that rewards foresight.
Cons
- Steep learning curve: the decision tree and interplay of actions can lead to analysis paralysis for new players.
- Component footprint and box size can be unwieldy for small spaces.
- Some rule clarity issues around the temple/clergy tiles and scoring interactions can be confusing without reference aids.
Thematic elements
- reconstruction, political influence, public works, and urban planning
- Lisbon, 1755, rebuilding after the earthquake, tsunami, and fires
- historical reconstruction intertwined with resource and influence management
Comparison games
- The Gallerist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- building construction and storefront effects — Public and private buildings are built across the downtown grid, with storefront colors determining what goods they produce and how scoring works based on rows/columns.
- card drafting / action selection — At the start of a turn you draw five cards and choose one to either place on your portfolio or to visit nobles via the Royal Court, then follow a decision tree on your board to resolve subsequent actions.
- clergy track / church scoring — The clergy track provides ongoing bonuses and triggers Church scoring when clergy markers move or land on specific spaces, influencing treasury and scoring opportunities.
- deck/resource/portfolio management — Treasury cards and noble cards go into a portfolio, which has distinct top (nobles) and bottom (Treasury) zones and capacity limits that expand with rubble sets.
- royal favorites / following actions — Royal Favorite tokens let you follow another player's noble action, spending influence to choose one of the three actions, adding a layer of interaction and planning.
- set collection / rubble management — Rubble cubes come in blue (tsunami), beige (earthquake), and red (fire) colors. Completing full sets increases warehouse capacity and drives scoring opportunities.
- worker placement / officials in offices — Players place and move official tokens into different noble offices to unlock state actions and main actions, with influence and treasury modifiers affecting costs.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The theme of this game is based off of something that happened in history in the year 1755.
- This game is a heavy euro; everything works in synergy with mechanics.
- Lisboa is a masterpiece.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video IeljLh9Orxs
Before You Play top_10_list at 44:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5991 · mention_pk 17773
Click to watch at 44:40
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- exceptional elegance and design
- beautiful components and aesthetic
- great for teach-and-play sessions
Cons
- can feel opaque to new players at first
- weight and pacing can be intense
Thematic elements
- city rebuilding through card-driven actions
- Lisbon after a major disaster, rebuilding
- elegant, puzzle-like
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-driven action-selection — play a card to determine actions on two halves of the game
- point-based scoring with layered actions — timing and card usage affect scoring
- two-phase game flow — first half and second half with different payoff rules
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's like a TV show, you're going from one episode to the next
- this is my number one game of all time
- it's a true point salad game
- money equals points
- the life cycle of everything
- the auction phase and the multiplayer solitaire space
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OmoOfV_cTUo
Going Analog quiz_show at 1:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1610 · mention_pk 4666
Click to watch at 1:42
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- deep strategic depth and theme coherence
- integrated city-building with historical flavor
Cons
- very high complexity and lengthy plays
- rules density can be intimidating for new players
Thematic elements
- urban planning, disaster recovery, economics
- Lisbon and colonial era institutions
- historical economic simulation
Comparison games
- On Mars
- Through the Ages
- Gaia Project
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- city-building and resource management — placing and upgrading structures to affect future income and influence
- economic engine-building — players develop city assets and infrastructure to generate income and leverage influence
- rondel-based action selection — a central action wheel/roundel that governs available actions each turn
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Lisboa was about a 4.57 and on mars was 4.64 and through the ages was 4.41 so oh wow
- Viticulture viticulture yeah this is viticulture from the essential edition
- Navigator assured us that the island was indeed as yet uncharted
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Ttpw1MBgVjc
Adam Porter (inferred from speaker) analysis at 17:54 sentiment: negative
video_pk 133 · mention_pk 405
Click to watch at 17:54
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
none
Cons
- Pale blue and beige color scheme looks dull
- Characters possibly avatars but unclear
- Doesn't convey theme clearly
- No sense of excitement
Thematic elements
- City building
- Lisbon
- Historical
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Strategy — City building game
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The box cover makes a promise to the customer
- Every box cover tells me what I'm going to be doing and how I'm going to be feeling
- This artist is one of the best board game artists working in the industry right now
- This is how you do it
- This cover is a mess
- Striking iconic design
- The box cover is not selling the game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–17 of 17