In Loot, players send out their pirates to attack and defend trading ships in order to get the most gold coins. The game box contains 78 cards consisting of trading ships, pirate ships, captains, and an admiral. Players send out a trading ship on a voyage in which it must survive a round of attacks from other player's pirate ships. You defend your traders with your own pirates and collect the spoils of your attacks elsewhere. The game ends once the draw deck is depleted and one player is out of cards. The player with the most gold coins wins.
Description for the Heidelberger release:
Essen release, 2002. In the nice small black box, with embossed lettering. This game has 25 Trade ships worth different amounts of gold (from 2 to 8), 48 Pirate ships, 12 each in 4 colors. The Pirate ships are worth 1-4 skulls (the player with the most skulls played on a trade ship captures it if the lead is kept for one full pass around the table). There are 4 Pirate Captains (1 of each color) to help win the battles and 1 Admiral to help defend the trade ships. The game is playable with 2-5 players individually. With partners it can be played with up to 6 or 8.
- Interesting piece quality and prop design
- Exciting demo with a fresh prototype
- Prototype status; details unclear
- Puzzle and puzzle-like driving mechanisms
- Loop-based board game with modular pieces
- Abstract
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Modular Board — A prototype with modular pieces enabling varied play.
- modular components — A prototype with modular pieces enabling varied play.
- Physical repair story — A tale of a dog-chewed component leading to a reissue moment.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- stay dorky and as long as you're dorky you'll win at everything
- the people and the connections and that's what board games do
- my goal in getting into board games is to one day be a community manager
References (from this video)
- Fun name
- Interesting mix of mechanics
- Collecting resources and building a Fjord as Vikings
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — There's a shared area on the board to take over buildings and get different areas under your control.
- Resource Management — Collecting resources.
- Tile Placement — Building out your Fjord.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- ukge which is the UK's biggest board game convention and it takes place from May 31st to June 2nd and it is in Birmingham
- this is just based on the descriptions that we've read about
- Yonder and this is published by Sinister fish with the same designer who did Moon streets and villagers and we really like all three of those
- it's very different than the the trilogy that I just did
- the art looks very Whimsical because the designer also does the art as well and I really like his style
- Terminus and this is published by inside up games and these are in terminous you are competing Subway companies so you are I think building Subway routes and competing with each other to build Subway Roots
- we just like really like the underground and so anything that has that I am immediately interested
- Deep regrets and I actually did get to play a an earlier play test like prototype version of this game and it kind of mixes um cthulu and fishing together like and that what an interesting mix that is
- Shout out to an indie designer who's based right here in Edinburgh and so you always want to support those
- if there's one in particular you're looking forward to please do let us know in the comments
- on Saturday from 1:30 to 4:30 I will be play testing last week of summer in the Play Test Zone
- if you can't make it for that and you just see me around and you want to do a play Test please do ask because I will be more than happy to do that
- please let us know in the comments what new game you're most looking forward to
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
References (from this video)
- Cozy and nice
- Very fun game
- Can be very tense
- Cozy and nice, but also tense.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Resource Management — Players place tiles onto their player board.
- Tile Placement — Choosing what tiles to place by placing adjacent to other tiles on a resource board.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this year's V-era game
- it's a game of optimization and timing and what do you call it combo
- everything as a package it's really good
- this is a great like combination of dice rolling combat but also Euro stuff
- flip seven is a stupid game it's a silly game but also probably or most played game of the year
- it is just pure fun in a package and I recommend that this is one that you should just have everyone buy it
- it's a heavy big game
- it's so hard to get victory points but you're having so much fun because this game is great and it looks beautiful as well
- we really like this spatial puzzle
- it looks like this simple game like this very nice artwork and then it really has more depth to it than it looks
- unconscious mind is a really good game
- just and so many things to think about
- flip seven is our go-to game to bring to any where we play games also with people who normally don't play a lot of games
- I don't like push your luck usually that's not my favorite mechanism at all but this is just like it's so fast it's so fun when bad stuff happened you just laugh
- just like an amazing game that I think as you said everyone should have
- spectacular is a it just has things I like it has drafting of D drafting of tiles it has placement of D placement of tiles and a spatial puzzle so it's just like everything I like in the game
- it is just a superb game that I love
References (from this video)
- Visually appealing art
- Quick to play, potentially replayable
- Clever tactical placement
- Good for abstract strategy fans
- Potential for negative points if longships are not fulfilled.
- Can be easy to forget about fulfilling longships.
- Claiming resources and loot as Vikings
- A deserted area being claimed by Vikings
- Calico
- Castle Combo
- Title Blades Rise
- Bomb Busters
- Seasons
- Qo to
- Cto
- Pirates americ Ibo
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players vie for control of buildings by meeting specific placement patterns around them.
- Pattern Building — Buildings require specific arrangements of adjacent tiles to be claimed.
- Set Collection — Players collect sets of resources to fulfill requirements for buildings and longships.
- Tile Placement — Players place Viking figures on the board to claim resources and trigger actions.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- hello and happy New Year it is Happy New Year 2025 amazingly we made it
- This is a game that I wished I'd played back at Gen Con.
- The look of it is totally my kind of jam.
- The placement of tiles and the fulfilling of them starts to feel a little Calico e.
- I don't know if you have enough girlfriends you can play the board games you don't even need extra players
- You tuned in for the board games but you're staying for the polygamy it's been a couple years
- The game is described as pretty short and potentially playable twice in a session.
- I completely absolutely forgot about the negative five points per cuz I could have fulfilled this one but I was like it's only three points but actually it was eight because I lost negative five points for it
- you crush you had 94 and I had 83 points I wouldn't have won even without the negative Crush
References (from this video)
- Liked by people the host has talked to.
- Host has not played this game.
- Developing a fjord by gathering resources and capturing buildings
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Set Collection — Players collect resources and buildings.
- Tableau Building — Players build their own village with collected tiles.
- Worker Placement — Players place workers on a common board to take actions.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Nontaku Temple of the Ice. This is a cosmos game by designer Kane Keno. Fantastic game drafting set collection. Building a three-dimensional pyramid area control. Not super heavy. It's pretty light, but it's probably a little too heavy for the spiel. This is a perfect kenner spiel pick.
- Aqua, Biodiversity in the Oceans from the OP. Uh, another great one that is again a little heavier than a Spielus. A puzzly game where you're tile laying, you're trying to attract animals to your coral and then have bigger animals eat the animals that you've already got. It's a puzzly game. Very good. Little too heavy for Spiel, I think, but perfect for Ken Spiel.
- This next one is probably the heaviest of this list. Craft Wagon Age of Engineering. This is a re-implementation of a of a heavier mediumweight Euro game, Craft Wagon.
- And the last one I'm going to mention is Enaria demo by Michael Keesling. This is like a step heavier than Azul, but has lots of similarities to Azul. Uh so, but it's definitely heavier.
- I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of hate mail in the comments just like I did last year when I or two years ago when I uh was blasting the the the challengers whole debacle and then the Sky Team thing. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of people from Germany hating this video, but this is how people outside of Germany feel about the award and it doesn't seem like the Germans really care.
References (from this video)
- liked by many people
- collecting loot and expanding territory
- Viking
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Grid Movement — players navigate a constricted grid to collect loot and expand territory
- spatial optimization — employing spatial um optimization and limited action choices to outmaneuver opponents
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I love Rebel Princess. I want I love it so much. I want to play it again right like right now.
- It was a puzzle, y'all. It was a puzzle.
- We beat Eric three times in a row.
- Can't really communicate, but it's a lot of fun.
- Mike won. Yeah. Mike on.
- Transgalactica has about a thousand stickers that you have to put on there.
- They don't tell you that you got to add a thousand stickers to make those beautiful components.
References (from this video)
- unknown
- Loot themed game
- unknown
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- unknown — Promo copy mentioned; specifics not discussed
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's time to log these all into BGG, and we will see you next time.
- the trump changes based off of the phases of the moon
- Has English rules, but it's in Japanese.
- I won that by pulling a duck out of a hat.
References (from this video)
- Classic Euro feel
- Good balance of accessibility and strategy
- Potential for high player interaction
- Tactical scramble for the best loot
- Viking
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Majority — you are moving and placing your um um movement your marker adjacent uh or moving adjacent to previously placed uh you know markers which is yours or your opponents. And so you can only get what's in this collective central space that you add to your personal board
- Grid Building — adding tiles to your personal grid
- Resource Management — you're trying to figure out what's your scoring, what's your multipliers, what are you doing, how are you really maximizing this particular, you know, uh, resource is going to be, um, essentially, uh, benefiting two different requirements that it's adjacent to.
- Tile Placement — essentially adding tiles to your personal grid
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- So, the first nominee is Endeavor Deep Sea...
- Now, the crazy thing about far away is that you are playing down in your tableau going from left to right tiles that will activate at the end of the game going from right to left.
- This is the kind of most classic Euro game in my opinion of all the three that are here.
- So much so that for me the game I think is going to win Kenner Spiel and I am basing this off of the previous winners.
- And I feel like loot is right there in the middle. And I find that it's the one that just again feels so euroy to me. It feels so accessible with still having a lot of strategy, a lot of personal player strategy.
- Yes. And I don't I just I'm really feeling it. And I felt like all the games were very satisfying. I felt like when I got done playing all of them, I wanted to play them again. I just think that Endeavor Deep Sea is big big and I think that Loot is just right. I think it's just right there in the middle.
References (from this video)
- Fun little game
- Endeavor
- Far Away
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Bomb Busters has a deeper level of strategy than Flip 7 for sure.
- In flip seven, it's really just a game of statistics and probabilities that you're you're just kind of considering.
- Endeavor is a different class of game.
- Over the years, the spiel, the Kenner spiel has had an identity crisis in my opinion.
- this one was already on my radar now that it's won the Kinder Kinder Spiel I think it's even more so if and when it comes out over here.
References (from this video)
- compact, approachable box
- fast, tense push-your-luck
- colorful dice and fish theme
- Sagrada
- Quacks of Quedlinburg
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-rolling with adjustable pool — Players choose how many dice to roll each turn.
- Push Your Luck — Fewer dice rolled means picking first for fish; balance between risk and reward.
- push-your-luck / bidding for fish — Fewer dice rolled means picking first for fish; balance between risk and reward.
- Set Collection — Catch fish cards by meeting dice requirements; score points.
- set collection / fish acquisition — Catch fish cards by meeting dice requirements; score points.
- special dice and color-dice system — Different dice types and colors with unique effects; a mini-expansion adds a D4 die.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I think dogs are better than cats.
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- On the live cast a couple days ago, Jamie mentioned that in 2 weeks he was going to start talking about the Scythe versus Expedition standalone game / expansion for both of those.
- The Scythe versus Expeditions and the 30-minute Wingspan one are both listed as Gen Con events.
- So, if you want to play Stonemaier games at Gen Con, you can kind of see here, there are some Wingspan games, new Sharks and Reefs, and the Scythe versus Expeditions.
- The summer release in the mini expansion, so that's going to be 21 superhero and supervillain cards in the pack. So, you'll have three of them to choose from instead of two.
- It is on Board Game Arena, if you didn't already know.
- So, always fun when you get a new Gloomhaven newsletter if you're into the challenges.
- I love Gloomhaven.
- It was my favorite game last year cuz I love story building, but man, oof.
- It I don't always get to the table as I feel like it's just such a time commitment.
- So, obviously, Forgotten Circles and Fins and Fish are already here.
- Jaws of the Lion versus versus expeditions is Q3.
- Bones is supposed to be here in Q4. It is currently in components, it says here.
- And then Code Name Deep is supposed to be quarter one of next year. Not sure what that is, but that is in the graphic design.
References (from this video)
- Enjoyable gameplay mechanics during the game.
- Strategic placement of Vikings and resource collection.
- Interactive element of potentially blocking other players.
- Nominated for Spiel des Jahres award.
- Good use of tokens to break rules (e.g., placing two Vikings in one spot).
- The victory scoring system is very convoluted and time-consuming.
- The scoring process takes up a significant portion of the total playtime.
- Negative points if longships are not filled.
- Vikings gathering resources to capture buildings, develop their fjord, and fill longships to complete construction sites.
- Viking fjord
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Majority — Placing Vikings to connect locations or fulfill requirements for structures like watchtowers (string of four Vikings) or castles (four connected Vikings).
- Resource Management — Collecting and managing various resources like ore, wood, and gold is essential for fulfilling building and longship requirements.
- Set Collection — Collecting specific combinations of resources for buildings and longships is key.
- Tile Placement — Players place hex tiles on their personal player board to build structures and generate victory points.
- Worker Placement — Players place Viking meeples on hex spaces on a central map to collect resources. Placement often requires adjacency to another Viking.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- We don't come to this show with our intro like what can we talk about this time? Literally a lot of the topics we talk about are what we sit around and talk about during game night.
- If you've played Undaunted it's going to feel very familiar
- The point is what if you're not familiar with Undaunted, will people like it? You know, I I think so because of how streamline and fast it plays where Undaunted can drag.
- I was really surprised at how good this game is. when you just look at it on the table, you think this is just like a colorful kids game.
- This is probably one of the most convoluted victory scoring systems I've seen in a while.
- Man, this is one of those games that just totally surprised me and how much I like the co-op thing.
- It's honestly was just one of the best games I have played in a very long time.
- The acting is incredible.
- My game of the year by far.
References (from this video)
- Components outweigh the cost
- Charming and easy to play
- Good value for a puzzle Euro game
- Vikings
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Set Collection — almost like set collection style game.
- Tile Placement — those tokens are going to be populating your own playerboard.
- Worker Placement — As you're deploying your little adventurers on or your Vikings onto this map, collecting tokens
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- And the final one is three chapters.
- very reminiscent to a kind of recent hit called Fantasy Realms.
- In this one, you are playing kind of a trick taking game.
- And then you're building a tableau with all the cards you've collected throughout the game to score points.
- Just over a tenner, so just about10 to buy this one.
- I think it's a great value with tons of, you know, where you get like 50 unique cards with great artwork, different combos throwing themselves at you throughout the entire game.
- And the final game I'm going to talk about is a straightup Euro game, a kind of maybe a lighter Euro game with Loot.
- Loot is a kind of a hybrid of a puzzly almost like set collection style game.
- As you're deploying your little adventurers on or your Vikings onto this map, collecting tokens, those tokens are going to be populating your own playerboard.
- And it's all about this kind of spatial puzzle on how you line things up and position things next to each other to try and optimize your layout and squeeze every point out this game as you can.
- the uh components you get here way outweighs the cost of the game.
- You know, you can get this one for, I think, less than £20 for a full puzzle euro game experience.
- brilliantly done, and it's so charming and easy to play, too.
- So, I definitely recommend casting your eye over that one.
- So, that's all the games I wanted to talk about, and I will say, you know, I will personally advocate all of these.
- They are all in my own personal collection and I'm sure there are way more games out there which I think is a a nice sign of the strength and the position of the hobby at the moment because again despite there being um you know huge price hikes in some aspects of the hobby, there are still tons of great games out there that you can buy at a very affordable price.
References (from this video)
- The interaction is interesting, allowing piggybacking off other players' efforts.
- Good turn pacing; the board display of resources gets depleted quickly.
- Clean, smooth, and fast gameplay.
- Very puzzly nature mixed with tension.
- Well thought-out game.
- Mistakes made early on can be regretted later.
- Resource areas on the board can become dry quickly.
- Fighting many things at once, like connecting pieces and managing resources.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Point Allowance — you do have a pretty limited amount of workers which dictate your turns in the game.
- contract fulfillment — When you're placing these tiles on your own player area, you are trying to almost fulfill these contracts by surrounding particular requirements with particular tiles.
- Objective Fulfillment — you will have the option to claim these other objectives and place them on your playerboard, which will have their own requirements based on the resources.
- Route Building — you want to try and connect them together with an unbroken route of your own meeples
- Tile Placement — taking tiles from it and placing them on your own player board.
- Worker Placement — as you are deploying your little workforce onto this shared board, taking tiles from it and placing them on your own player board.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is where I take a look at the last five new to me board games that I've played and I rank and review them in order of preference.
- It's just one that's not really for me because it's just too straightforward.
- But, you know, I like it. It does what it, you know, it does what it's supposed to do.
- So, yeah, I like games of this nature.
- I was really impressed with how clean this game is.
- And I just generally like the the overall feel of the chaotic nature of this game because it does really pack in to that car park and you can't really have much maneuverability as the game goes on.
- I would say give a give overparked a look because I think this one might be one of the best ones I've ever played.
References (from this video)
- Viking raiding and resource management
- central island with Viking clans who loot resources and build structures
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- capture_buildings — Buildings (houses, watchtowers, castles) are captured by meeting specific conditions (adjacency clusters, paths) and added to the player's board.
- construction_sites — Construction sites show a mix of resources and buildings; matching icons with adjacent tiles completes and scores the construction site tile.
- End Game Bonuses — The game ends after all Vikings are placed; final scores come from resources, buildings, long ships, trophies, and penalties for unfinished long ships.
- end_game_scoring — The game ends after all Vikings are placed; final scores come from resources, buildings, long ships, trophies, and penalties for unfinished long ships.
- long_ships — Five long ship tiles can be taken from the ocean; they depict resources and scoring modifiers and can be completed for extra points, or cause end-game penalties if uncompleted.
- Once-Per-Game Abilities — Shields grant special abilities that can be used once per game, such as placing a second Viking or gaining extra resources; shields can be spent to extend capabilities or alter normal rules.
- path_building — Connecting Vikings to form paths between watchtowers scores additional tiles.
- resource_gain — After placement, a basic resource matching the space is taken from supply (sheep, wood, gold, axes) and placed on the player's board.
- Shields — Shields grant special abilities that can be used once per game, such as placing a second Viking or gaining extra resources; shields can be spent to extend capabilities or alter normal rules.
- Tile Placement — Players place one Viking onto a legal space on the central island, with adjacency rules to oceans or other Vikings.
- tile_placement — Players place one Viking onto a legal space on the central island, with adjacency rules to oceans or other Vikings.
- trophies — Trophy tiles are claimed based on axes; claiming a trophy flips it face down and creates a race to obtain the highest-scoring trophy.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Loot is a tile placement game
- The play who has the most points by the time all of the Vikings have been placed will win the game
References (from this video)
- fun worker placement mechanic that teaches you as you play
- puzzle of collecting tiles and objectives
- surrounding goal tiles scores points and adds strategy
- replayability, especially at higher player counts
- area control / board and set collection synergy
- the cover on the box is gorgeous but the on-table presentation can look like a green blob and lacks character on the player boards
- The Gang
- The Crew
- Quacks of Qued Quedlinberg
- Wingspan
- Daybreak
- Seven Wonders
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control / set collection synergy — balance area control on your own board with set collection for points
- blocking spaces — players can block worker placement spaces to influence others' choices
- end-of-game scoring with negative points — some long-term goals are worth negative points if not finished
- tile collection / map-building — collect tiles and resources to expand your map and surround goal tiles
- Tile/Map Shifting — collect tiles and resources to expand your map and surround goal tiles
- Worker Placement — place workers on spaces to collect resources and tiles and to block others
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Now, this is a big game and this is a big box full of components and glory.
- There's been a snub.
- The board tells you exactly what to do. It's intuitive.
- The first game is going to break people's brains.
- It's only eight rounds.
- artifact cards that are always part of your scoring set.
- the cover of this game is gorgeous. It's such a beautiful game. But on the table it is ugly.
- It's a little bit heavier. Than some of the other games that have won this game in the past.
- Endeavor Deep Sea has table presence that's absolutely fantastic.
References (from this video)
- easy to learn and teach
- quick playtime (2p ~20-30m, 4p ~60m)
- high interaction on a shared board
- strong puzzle with multiple viable strategies
- excellent component quality and clear icons
- good replayability with four double-sided boards
- some randomness (long ship tiles score unknown until flipped)
- component misinterpretation: rocks look like fish (gold) causing confusion
- balance changes with player count (2p vs 4p) can affect pacing and strategy
- the need to plan around token availability for 4p games (special bonus tokens)
- resource management via tile drafting and building to fulfill goals
- Viking-era land with resources, towers, castles
- abstract puzzle
- Calico
- King Domino
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- End-game trigger — game ends when all Vikings are placed on the board
- pattern scoring via flipping tiles — flip completed tiles to score; long ships scoring, trophies scoring, end-game penalties for incomplete ships
- tile drafting / drafting by placement — choose tiles by placing Vikings on a shared board, influencing what you can take
- Tile Placement — place resources and tiles adjacent to construction sites, long ships, houses, towers, castles
- tile placement and building — place resources and tiles adjacent to construction sites, long ships, houses, towers, castles
- Worker Placement — place Vikings on a shared board to collect resources and adjacent tiles
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The rule book is four pages long and it's pretty easy to explain
- There is a huge amount of interaction because you've got that middle board and those two things bouncing off each other at the same time
- Loot is a fun name to say
- It's a lighter quicker game that you can teach to new gamers
References (from this video)
- Fast, satisfying tile-laying puzzle
- Quick turns and smooth pacing
- Clear tension between planning and adaptation
- Punishing endgame scoring if one building is missing
- Not forgiving for mistakes
- Abstract theme may not appeal to all players
- Resource gathering and tile-based territory development
- Viking-era raiding and settlement construction
- Abstract, puzzle-driven theme
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Navigate nearby placements to optimize tile acquisitions and build sets.
- area_control-lite — Navigate nearby placements to optimize tile acquisitions and build sets.
- Set Collection — Collect resource tiles by placing next to spaces and buildings; longer-term planning to complete long ships for endgame scoring.
- set_collection — Collect resource tiles by placing next to spaces and buildings; longer-term planning to complete long ships for endgame scoring.
- Tile Placement — Place Viking tiles and resource/building tiles to meet endgame requirements and gain points.
- tile_placement — Place Viking tiles and resource/building tiles to meet endgame requirements and gain points.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Loot is a fun, fast puzzle that feels great when everything clicks.
- Turns are quick and smooth, and the tile laying puzzle is genuinely satisfying.
- But scoring can be brutal.
References (from this video)
- Strong two-player suitability and concise session length
- Rich variety from many cards with special abilities to keep gameplay fresh
- Clear, readable art and distinct color-based armies aid quick recognition
- Prediction scoring adds strategic depth beyond simple trick-taking
- Accessible to new players while offering depth for experienced players
- Art and theme support a cohesive Viking aesthetic without cluttering game state
- Newcomers may find the Trump and ability interactions initially complex
- The prediction mechanic adds a layer of bookkeeping that could slow pace for some players
- Limited to primarily two-player play, which may constrain groups seeking larger social play
- Rise to power through battle outcomes and strategic card play within a Viking motif
- Viking-themed dueling trick-taking card game for two players, aiming to become the Viking King
- Competitive duel with evolving strategic twists from special ability cards
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card cycling and hand management — Certain cards allow you to draw from the closed deck, discard to the bottom, or steal from the opponent's hand under specific conditions
- Closed deck and draw dynamics — Twelve cards are set aside to form a closed deck; the top card can influence play and color when revealed
- Compound Scoring — 1 point per trick won; +10 bonus for perfect prediction; +5 bonus for achieving 3–5 tricks; round ends when a player reaches 50+ points
- Prediction mechanic — Each player writes a prediction of how many tricks they will win before the round, cannot be changed mid-round
- Predictive Bid — Each player writes a prediction of how many tricks they will win before the round, cannot be changed mid-round
- scoring system — 1 point per trick won; +10 bonus for perfect prediction; +5 bonus for achieving 3–5 tricks; round ends when a player reaches 50+ points
- Special ability cards — Multiple cards have special effects that can alter the outcome of a trick or round (e.g., canceling/trashing cards, changing lead, etc.)
- Trick-Taking — Players play one card each trick; must follow suit if able; trump cards can alter trick outcome
- Trick-taking with following suit — Players play one card each trick; must follow suit if able; trump cards can alter trick outcome
- Trump color determined each round — A face-up card from a closed deck sets the trump color for the round; certain conditions can negate trump or alter play
- Two-player focus with a variant for three players — Designed primarily for two players but includes a variant for three; lead dynamics are altered by card effects
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- become the Viking King
- I like how there are plenty of cards with special rules on them
- the strategy is totally different for this two-player game
- it's perfect for two players
- I love the art style on the cards and how each color has their own army shown on them
- this is nice because it's an action without even having to win the trick
References (from this video)
- Tight abstract strategy with attractive visuals
- Engaging tile interaction and scoring
- May be less thematic for players seeking thematic depth
- Building a tableau by placing tiles to match adjacent types
- Abstract tile collection with Viking theming
- Strategic abstraction with area-control flavor
- AUL
- Village Rails
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Pattern matching objectives — Match tile adjacencies to claim points and towers
- Shared board interaction — Interact with neighbors’ boards and tiles for scoring opportunities
- Tile Placement — Place Viking tiles on a shared board and then on your own tableau
- Tile placement / tableau building — Place Viking tiles on a shared board and then on your own tableau
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The Mundus cards really only affected the new wonders and diluted the base game.
- I think a 7.0 is a very appropriate score for this game.
- This is a lightweight game that has a puzzle aspect to it.
References (from this video)
- Highly interactive with strong table presence
- Works best in the right group
- treasure hunting and sea-roving piracy
- pirate-themed hand management
- competitive adventure
- Other Knizia hand-management games
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hand Management — interactive interruption and scoring through card play
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Not to mention recording a over-the-top dream sequence music video for one of his games as well.
- Definitely not any sort of objective best of list.
- These are my favorites.
- I definitely don't have time to go into crazy detail on them, especially for the first 50 or 70 or more.
References (from this video)
- tight turn economy with meaningful decisions on every placement
- three different reward streams per action
- downtime can appear in larger player counts
- scoring can feel fiddly for newcomers
- spatial/resource collection and placement
- shared map with working elements and tiles
- abstract, spatial puzzle
- Wingspan
- Sagrada
- Orleans
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- multi-path resource gain — each placement yields 1-3 benefits and can unlock tiles
- shared map worker placement — place workers on a map to gain benefits and resources
- Tile Placement — scoring tied to tile placement and spatial requirements
- tile-based scoring and spatial positioning — scoring tied to tile placement and spatial requirements
- Worker Placement — place workers on a map to gain benefits and resources
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- These aren't necessarily sprawling long games or even complex complicated games, but they're games where you feel like you've accomplished something fairly big over the course of the game despite having a small number of turns.
- the order of operations puzzle is what you're really thinking about on your turn
References (from this video)
- Potentially engaging due to familiar cover art
- Interest sparked by similarities to another title
- No concrete details available in vlog
- Ambiguity about exact edition
- loop mechanics (same cover motif as two girls)
- Unspecified loop-themed concept
- ambiguous, exploratory
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Loop-based mechanic (unclear from video) — Mentioned in passing; exact rules not clarified
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Pixies I have played a few times on BGA and I have really really enjoyed it
- I think it's the cutest thing
- milk curo it is very cool looking trick taking game where cards actually have two ends either the black side or the white side
- Harvest ... plays one to six players so does play solo and that is this game right here
- Loop has the same two girls on it but it's purple
- I'm looking for Nana Christmas
- I picked up Nana for my friend Aiden
- this is one that I've really wanted and it is on the board game bliss website
References (from this video)
- Innovative mix of personal board and central actions
- Great value for money
- Appeals to families
- Some resources and flows may be fiddly for newcomers
- Viking raiding and resource gathering
- Viking-era / mythic exploration
- Family-friendly, tile action-based strategy
- Cascadia
- Acropolis
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Majority — resources gained by placement and surrounding areas
- Area majority / resource gathering — resources gained by placement and surrounding areas
- Area placement / central actions — each player sends workers to central area to perform actions
- Multi-board action selection — individual player boards and central action area
- Player Board | Main Board — individual player boards and central action area
- Tile/resource exchange — collect and then place resources on your board
- Worker Placement — each player sends workers to central area to perform actions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- World Order is very very smart clever
- it's not going to be an easy game
- it's going to be low cost because it's just cards
- I'm super excited for this to come out
- it's an amazing two-player game
- one of the best two-player games ever released
References (from this video)
- Good tile-laying mechanic
- Nice mix of personal player board and competitive placement
- Quick gameplay (45 minutes or less)
- Cool theme and art
- Competitive interaction without being unnecessarily mean
- Can be cutthroat depending on player group
- Randomization of tiles can make some objectives difficult or impossible
- Some luck elements in tile distribution
- Viking exploration and resource collection
- Islands where Vikings land to raid and trade
- Tile-laying exploration
- Rebirth (Cania game)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- player interaction — Competitive placement and resource blocking on main board
- Set Collection — Connecting locations or surrounding them to collect towers or castles
- Tile-laying — Building out from the shore to collect resources
- Worker Placement — Competing for location control
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Multiplayer blackjack in two words.
- It's infectious fun and almost everybody enjoys it.
- They just have to be mean sometimes to get what you want.
- It's a really cool idea in a fairly standard game.
- I really think Endeavor is amazing.
- You so want to do so much and you cannot do everything each turn.
- I could play Flip Seven with my entire family from age 7 to 87.
- The reverse scoring is fantastic and brilliant.
- I love the whole theme. I love the exploration. I love going deeper.
- If you bring this to the US, give it a new name.
- It's not approachable for casual family gaming.
- The jury preferences have changed - they're not easy to predict.
References (from this video)
- Spatial expansion feels intuitive and tactical
- Older design; may skew toward mid-weight players
- Resource gathering with spatial goals
- Spatial worker placement where placement expands future options
- Strategic, spatially aware planning
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Spatial worker placement — Workers placed adjacent to existing workers open more options.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Actions always succeed in Vantage; the challenge is how much time, morale, and health you lose along the way.
- the limited information of I can see something that you can't see and how that encourages communication and cooperation.
- one player is playing a card and that card has instructions that the other player must follow or you lose.
- if you roll seven bells on your turn, you just instantly win.
References (from this video)
- Strong production quality and art
- Flexible play modes add replayability
- Rules can be a bit dense on first play
- Theme and mechanics feel loosely integrated for some players
- multi-mode trick-taking/speculation with bidding-like elements
- mythic treasure-hunting with Viking-tinged aesthetic
- abstract with thematic flavor
- Bottle Imp
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hidden-value card interaction — Different card types interact with price dynamics to score points
- multi-mode play — Includes free-for-all, team play, and two-bottle modes for varied play
- Trick-taking with an innovative price element — A central price track (bottle-like) sets a price; players may bid under the price to win tricks
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a very strange game
- it's also really cool if you're watching this on YouTube
- the look as we said was really great
- this game might be my favorite Red Raven game to date
- simultaneous turns the dice placement and the races for scoring
- the rules are pretty intuitive
References (from this video)
- Haven't played any of the Dice Masters
- Dice building
- Marvel universe
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice building
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- We love trick taking games
- This game is so much freaking fun
- I adore GMT games, they are becoming one of my favorite game publishers
- If you remember Vast Crystal Caverns is in my top five games of all time
- We bloody love it
- We can't stop playing
- It's a blimp game not a train game
- That's just work
- I don't think I want to play it
- I'll get it eventually
References (from this video)
- Unique concept
- Deep social commentary
- High replayability
- Interesting art style
- Educational elements about behavioral economics
- Potentially complex economic mechanics
- Tight money management
- Life cycle of work, consumption, and pursuit of happiness
- Modern consumerist society
- Social commentary
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Career selection — Players choose different careers with unique abilities
- Favor trading — Players can request and trade favors with each other
- Resource Management — Managing money, materials, and happiness
- Trading — Players can request and trade favors with each other
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Are you capable of breaking the loop?
- Money is a little bit tight in this game but don't worry you can just get a credit card
References (from this video)
- Clever game design
- Quick gameplay
- Allows player interaction
- Unique puzzle-like experience
- Viking conquest
- Viking raids
- Competitive raiding
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players block opponents and capture resources
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I spent an entire year preparing for this video to make this list
- I think this has been a pretty good year
References (from this video)
- Engaging dual-board interaction
- visual appeal
- Not revisited frequently
- score optimization via tableau
- Viking-themed dual-board puzzle
- strategic, interdependent
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dual-board placement / tableau building — Interact with a communal board and build on personal board
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I had so much anxiety about making this change for months and months, arguably years if you watch the last update, but people really took to it.
- You mean Getting Games? That just that really sealed the deal.
- It's just a fun thing to consider.
- I'm really looking forward to it as opposed to putting these things off and like stressing about them.
- recording my opinions episodes live as well as other vlogs. I did a 2024 favorites video talking about all my favorite games from last year.
References (from this video)
- highly interactive and antagonistic
- tactical and satisfying when you score
- can feel unforgiving when opponents block you
- tile drafting with blocking and competition
- medieval town-building
- accessible, competitive, social
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- meeple adjacency scoring — tiles score when placed adjacent to meeples—yours or others.
- tile placement with blocking — place tiles to build your town and block others from optimal spots.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Starting off with the two-player game, Agent Avenue.
- It's a boatload of fun and it's another game which I've just brought out and it just never misses.
- This is another two-player abstract game that I can't stop playing and that's Zenith.
- Rival Cities takes Tug of War to another level.
- The production on Shackleton Base is through the roof.
- Ponzi scheme is one of the most stressful games you'll ever play and it's brilliant.
References (from this video)
- Engaging, accessible core rules
- Asymmetry creates varied strategies
- Tactically tense due to token values and space management
- Enjoyable theme of recycling Vikings
- Can be mean due to blocking and snatching spaces
- Tower/castle stack rules require mental overhead
- Tile availability can feel random
- Board state can be unforgiving on first plays
- Viking exploration and resource recycling
- Islands with Viking clans, ecological twist: Vikings recycle material to build structures
- abstracted euro-style puzzle
- Looney Quest
- Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetrical boards/starting buildings — Each player starts with different buildings and bonuses
- resource collection — Tokens from board provide resources used to build buildings and gain points
- set collection/collection upgrades — Tokens and enhancements modify values and end-game scoring
- simultaneous decision and timing — End of turn choices and tokens that modify values require planning ahead
- Tile Placement — Place Vikings adjacent to longboats to collect tokens and build buildings
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- We are PC Vikings. We are recycle Vikings.
- This game can be extremely mean and not because someone is playing against you.
- the little card times two makes you get double the resources but only one of the four resources, not the buildings.
References (from this video)
- Simple to learn
- Depth of strategy
- Flexible play styles
- Quick gameplay (under 30 minutes)
- Optional player interaction
- Variety in each playthrough
- Element of luck in tile drawing
- Potential for unbalanced boat tile draws
- Viking conquest and resource gathering
- Viking raids on mainland
- Competitive resource acquisition
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players place Vikings to capture buildings and resources
- contract fulfillment — Complete boat contracts by surrounding specific structures
- Tile Placement — Players place pillaged tiles on personal board
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Light doesn't necessarily mean shallow or too simple
- The important part of making a light game is to provide players with as many choices as possible without giving them too much rules overhead