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Game Info
Year
2021
Players
2-5
Age
10+
Playtime
45 min
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
Expansions & Family
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Description
Your favorite lovably quirky city is back at it again! Welcome to Machi Koro 2, where new adventures await, but the bakeries and business centers still abound.
In Machi Koro 2, veteran players will notice some big changes. Under the new zoning laws, players receive a limited budget to choose their own starting establishments. The available cards are pulled from three decks and arranged for all to see. It's a race to grab the coolest new establishments and landmarks in the land!
The cards in this set have exciting, never-before-seen effects. But choose what you build wisely, as your landmarks might also benefit your opponents! With more variety than ever before, no two games will be the same. Machi Koro 2 will have fans visiting again and again!
—description from publisher
Machi Koro Family
(4 games)
Part of the Machi Koro family — see Machi Koro for the combined view.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 15
This page: 15
Sentiment:
pos 14 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–15 of 15
Video R-O0Ifz4j7s
The Discriminating Gamer Analysis at 0:11 sentiment: positive
video_pk 124059 · mention_pk 355405
Click to watch at 0:11 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Engaging for all players, even during others' turns.
- Nice upgrade to the original game's components (coins, dice).
- Appears to have plenty of room for future expansions.
Cons
- Not compatible with previous editions or expansions.
- Rulebook text is very small and difficult to read.
- Box has a lot of empty space.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Machi Koro
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card activation — Cards have different activation numbers and conditions, some are based on the player's roll, others on anyone's roll.
- Dice Rolling — The core mechanic involves rolling dice to activate certain cards and earn income. The game includes two chunky dice.
- Income generation — Players earn coins based on the dice roll and the cards they have built.
- Set Collection — Players collect different establishment cards which activate based on dice rolls.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- So how does a train eat? It goes choo choo.
- Now honestly I probably would keep this as a separate game and not try to even mix it with mine and just kind of play it as the standalone game it is.
- Oh my gosh, folks, that is it. Little quick reference and we're on our way.
- Wow, a lot of empty space in this box, a lot of room for expansions, and I know they keep doing stuff with them, so I'm sure we'll see some more.
- You know what? I love Machi Koro. I cannot wait to play Machi Koro 2.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 57LbV1KJDdQ
Board Game Sanctuary Review at 0:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 109864 · mention_pk 316074
Click to watch at 0:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Players can choose to roll one or two dice from the start, allowing for a more focused tableau and economic engine.
- The introduction of the landmark deck adds immense replayability and allows players to build the type of city they want.
- Players get to decide their initial starting tableau, giving them more power and ownership over how their city grows.
- The card synergy is strong, with multiple ways to earn coins and trigger combos.
- The Splendor-like drafting of establishment cards is well-received.
- The scaling of landmark pricing encourages faster income generation.
- A big improvement on the original game.
Cons
- Wish there were more landmark cards to increase variety.
- Would have liked to see more variety in lower-level establishment cards.
- Wished there was a new mechanic or card to modify dice rolls.
- Still an issue with the luck of the dice roll.
- At the beginning of the game, it's sometimes hard to get the economic engine started.
Thematic elements
- City building
Comparison games
- Monopoly
- Splendor
- Machikoro Legacy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players choose cards from the face-up rows.
- Cost escalation — Each landmark card now has three building costs listed, and the cost increases for each subsequent landmark built.
- Dice Rolling — Players roll dice to trigger their establishments and earn coins.
- Drafting — Players choose cards from face-up rows to add to their tableau.
- Engine Building — Players spend money on establishments to build their economic engine.
- Set Collection — Players aim to build a set number of landmarks first.
- Variable landmarks — The landmark deck includes 20 new landmarks that introduces immense replayability.
- Variable player powers — Players get to decide their initial starting tableau.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Remember that time when you discovered your first modern board game you probably had that little gleam in your eye when you realized that there were more to board games than monopoly.
- Machikoro is a city building game of dice rolling and coin churning goodness where players are aiming to earn large quantities of coins like some sort of super mario or mario kart bonus level.
- Machikoro 2 appears like a brand new casino appearing on the las vegas strip.
- The changes to Machikoro 2 are like a brand new line of clothing giving the mechanics and the establishments a little bit of a facelift.
- The number that a player rolls on their turn triggers the activation of any card that matches that number.
- Card triggering actions essentially light up plays tableaus like some sort of christmas tree display providing coin exchanges like an arcade game.
- I absolutely love the city that I've built.
- Machikoro ii takes some of the best elements of the original game and some of the really cool unique powerful cards from the expansions and melds them together into a single board game.
- I like how that simple rule change means that players are able to mitigate some of the luck and swinginess factor of rolling dice in this game.
- The card synergy that appears in Machikoro 2 is quite strong.
- Discovering the right combination of cards that synergize together well and stacking them so that you can kind of build a economic curve is really crucial to winning this game.
- Introducing the landmark deck into Machikoro 2 is probably one of the biggest draw cards that this game has to offer and it's definitely one that I really really like.
- It's like real estate and trying to buy your dream house and realizing that your dream house is not for sale.
- Machikoro 2 is a big improvement on the original game.
- If you don't have Machikoro or never played it this is definitely the one that I recommend that you should get.
References (from this video)
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Video LqyMWq4mpJQ
Meeple University Top 100 List at 18:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 84599 · mention_pk 215123
Click to watch at 18:51 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- keeps everyone engaged at the table
- fast and fun once understood
Cons
- some downtime when solving turns
Thematic elements
- dice-driven tableau building
- city-building tableau with dice
Comparison games
- Machikoro
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-driven activation of tableau — build a tableau; roll dice to activate actions; out-of-turn activation keeps players engaged; can be quick game.
- Tableau Building — build a tableau; roll dice to activate actions; out-of-turn activation keeps players engaged; can be quick game.
- tableau-based planning — you stack to activate actions corresponding to dice results; players can resolve elements out of turn to stay active.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- What makes this game really great? What I love about it, it generates a lot of great conversations and also a great icebreaker for other people.
- it's a great icebreaker to get to know other people as well.
- it's a reverse settler game
- I learned to lie with coup. It's like, okay, I learned poker face and lie through coup
- it's the unique dexterity element
- it's dragon coin and dragon scale looking coin and that actually you can spend it to get more action
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video RInRo7Fb6dA
Good Time Society Discussion at 9:26
video_pk 81025 · mention_pk 199152
Click to watch at 9:26 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Tokaido
- Paper World
- Shackleton Base
- The Mind
- Soulmates
- Tricky Kids
- Boxcar Pinball Haunted House
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- super cute um draft card drafting game.
- It is a trading card game with a mech concept.
- So, you're Ruel and I'm Bailey. But then your shield is Rueld and my shield is Shieldly.
- The two ways you can flip your over flip to your overclock which gives you your mech super cool new powers is either for a good reason or a bad reason.
- Looks like a sexy bat.
- Crab fried rice sounds really good.
- So, if I get, you know, if I knock you your shield down to zero, if there's any excess, normally it would just you just lose it, but I get the shockwave that would apply to your your character then.
- Orcs together strong.
- I love this game. I really
- It's got the sauce. I'm going to play this a lot.
References (from this video)
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Video 7pLyT7R1iyo
Stonemaier Games Top List at 194:32:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79961 · mention_pk 193687
Click to watch at 194:32:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Clever mechanism where buying a landmark gives benefits to all players.
- Nice slight catch-up mechanism.
- Encourages positive player interaction and close games.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- City building
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Landmark Acquisition — Players aim to acquire three expensive landmark cards to trigger the end of the game.
- Positive Player Interaction — Purchasing landmarks provides benefits to all players, encouraging positive interaction and keeping the game close.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I think it's really neat that a game like this has progression.
- So, it gives you this feeling that I think is so brilliant in a push your luck game, where you have a chance, even if you have not rolled well throughout most of the game, that you can come down to the wire in that last turn, and you have a chance to win, even if you have two points over the course of the game. Someone else has 50. You can still win if you roll seven bells.
- And I thought that was a really clever mechanism to put in the game, where previous to this, you always just wanted the force to be with you.
- I really like the game that the game presents this fairly organic timer to you.
- But I thought this was really really clever that you're scoring these special abilities based on the current trick as well.
- But I just love that without any shuffling.
- And I think that's such a clever twist that I really want to use it in the game where you are kind of crafting a deck but you're inserting cards in specific places in that deck and how that matters.
- So, there's this nice, slight catch-up mechanism.
- And so, uh I just like that. I like positive player interaction, but I also like close games, and I think this does it in a really nice way.
- I think what this does is that lets players be themselves.
- And I think that is so cool that these cards give you that flexibility.
- I think that is so clever that you have a few chances to take over your opponent's cards.
- I really appreciate when games do this, especially fairly complex games like Sanctuary.
- And uh yeah, I think this this short-term goal system um of things to pursue, I think, is really really helpful in Sanctuary.
- There's this shared trauma in this game cuz when this robot comes up, it hurts everybody.
- I think it's such a clean system.
- I really love the variability that adds and how it kind of can shape the decisions that you make on any given game. It's such a clever system.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ZB1ZGggmatA
Top 10 List at 8:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 78877 · mention_pk 192210
Click to watch at 8:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- love machikoro
- like machu koro legacy
- sure we'll love machi koro too
Cons
- twice as many bad rolls
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Machi Koro
- Machi Koro Legacy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — The available cards are pulled from three decks and arranged for all to see.
- Engine Building — It's a race to grab the coolest new establishments and landmarks in town.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game only gets better and better with each playthrough and has one of the best communities i've ever seen
- some things don't need to be changed and we're fine just the way they were like people's choice videos it's always been the people's choice video it was it's never been changed before
- you may want to play distilled in moderation after seeing tony case slurred assessment of the game whiskey booze board games three wonderful words
- this game brilliantly brings beer and birmingham's boom to brass bestowing a bonus boost in the board game rankings
- i love coffee who doesn't love coffee
- it seems to be abound with complex decisions without being over complicated to learn
- a lot of people claim this game continues to rise in their ranking the more they play so adding an expansion just made sense to continue this hype
- gloomhaven is my favorite game of all time and as i sit here twiddling my thumbs waiting for frosthaven i'd love to get in some fresh gloomhaven gameplay and its compact nature count me in
- gloom holding sounds gloriously ridiculous
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 399ZYgY_Unw
Analysis at 0:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66786 · mention_pk 162592
Click to watch at 0:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Faster start
- Engaging landmarks
- Catch-up mechanism integrated with landmarks
- Interactive elements
- Well-crafted elements
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Space Base
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice choice — The player rolling the dice can choose to roll one or two dice, influencing the number that triggers card activations.
- Dice Rolling — Players roll two D6 dice, and the result is used by most or all players to activate cards in their tableau.
- Landmarks — A card type that is how players trigger the end of the game and win. Some provide one-time benefits, while others impact all players.
- Tableau Building — Players activate cards in their tableau to gain benefits.
- Take That — Some cards have interactive effects, such as taking coins from opponents.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- So, all players are engaged in every turn. That's great.
- I think that's a neat twist on it compared to Space Base.
- this sequel gives you a faster start in that at the beginning of the game, you have a little bit of money, and you get to spend that money player by player on cards that are available to you.
- So, in both ways, when you get a landmark, not only are you advancing yourself towards a potential victory, but you're also doing something that helps all players participate, engage, and potentially catch up, which I thought was really clever.
- That is definitely I think my favorite mechanism in this game.
- Even in a vacuum, I think these elements are really well crafted for Machi Koro 2 and made me really enjoy the game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video gUex6WEgNOc
Meeple University Playthrough at 6:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 64446 · mention_pk 157903
Click to watch at 6:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fast-paced and quick to play
- two-dice-from-start mechanic speeds early turns
- starter cards and auto coins accelerate the start
- variety of landmarks with varying costs and effects
- two-player dynamic with less stealing can feel more approachable
Cons
- landmarks can feel flat or less interesting for some players relative to other editions
Thematic elements
- developing a city by constructing various establishments to earn money and attract tourism
- building a city among competing towns
- tabletop play-by-play narration during a live playthrough
Comparison games
- Space Base
- Happy City
- Machi Koro Legacy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- auto coin — If you have no money at purchase time, you gain an auto coin to buy something.
- Card types — Cards are color-coded (red, blue, green, purple) with different activation rules (opponent, any player, self, and more expensive purple cards).
- Dice Rolling — On each turn you roll one or two dice to activate buildings in your tableau or in your opponent's tableau.
- dice-rolling — On each turn you roll one or two dice to activate buildings in your tableau or in your opponent's tableau.
- landmark pricing — Landmarks have three price tags depending on whether they are bought first, second, or third, creating variability in the early game.
- Landmarks — Players purchase landmarks that provide ongoing effects and contribute toward the win condition; three landmarks are needed to win.
- Multi-Use Cards — Cards are color-coded (red, blue, green, purple) with different activation rules (opponent, any player, self, and more expensive purple cards).
- starter phase — An initial phase lets players purchase three starter cards with five money to kickstart the game.
- two-dice from start (MK2 only) — In MK2 you can start rolling two dice from the outset, speeding the game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Machi Koro 2 does play in very much the same way as classic Machi Koro
- on each turn you'll roll one or two dice and you'll activate buildings that are in your tableau or opponent's tableau
- the landmarks will get more expensive as you go along
- the aim is to build three landmarks and the first to build three landmarks wins
- you can start rolling two dice from the beginning if you wish
- there's an initial phase of purchasing three starter cards with our five money to kickstart
- if you have no money at the start of purchasing you gain an auto coin
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video tGUCXV9pgBU
kovray Discussion at 13:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 64423 · mention_pk 157881
Click to watch at 13:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Easy to grasp and good for introducing to friends
- High replayability and multiple viable strategies
- Strong interactivity through simultaneous play
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- building up a town with dice-driven production
- an island town
Comparison games
- machikoro
- katan
- kanban ev
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card_purchase_and_buildings — Purchase buildings as cards to expand your island and generate actions.
- Dice Rolling — Roll dice to activate buildings you own and others' buildings.
- dice_rolling — Roll dice to activate buildings you own and others' buildings.
- interactive_economy — Card interactions and purchases influence other players' income and options.
- Landmarks — Aim to complete three landmarks to win the game.
- Simultaneous Actions — Multiple players perform actions in parallel; each player's role can affect others.
- simultaneous_play — Multiple players perform actions in parallel; each player's role can affect others.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we are omni gamers so we basically enjoy anything you put at the table
- it's important to stay on the positive things
- open communication is key for success
- board games are for everyone
- they bring people together
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _gRREJIsZG0
Board Game Dad Discussion at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 42505 · mention_pk 129114
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- familiar family-friendly engine with refinements
- less broken than the original according to the speaker
Cons
- rule familiarity required; the speaker was unsure how to play at first
Thematic elements
- family-friendly urban development
- city-building with a light, accessible theme
- casual and approachable
Comparison games
- Machi Koro 1
- Harbor expansion (referenced)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-based city-building — dice determine income/actions; core to Machi Koro family play
- set of strategies — original Machi Koro had a few viable strategies; the sequel aims to reduce perceived brokenness
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I've decided not to do paid Kickstarter previews. we want to hear about what reviewers actually think of games.
- the first one is Trolls and Princesses... I thought it was a cute theme.
- Beacon Patrol is a Cooperative tile placing game.
- it's a draft and write records a game about building a band.
- I don't like trading mechanic but here's the thing when you're trading to a Cooperative end we had a really fun time with it.
- the White Castle is a dice worker placement game which I love. I love engine building.
- Praga Caput Regni... it's messy. teaching it... not fun.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video scjND2HP0p8
Board Game Dad Top List at 1:41 sentiment: positive
video_pk 40335 · mention_pk 122076
Click to watch at 1:41 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Clear engine-building loop that remains accessible
- Interactive income generation that benefits all players
- Fast-paced and easy to teach
Cons
- Dice luck can dominate early progress
- Limited depth for veteran euro players
Thematic elements
- dice-triggered income and property development
- Modern city building and development
- Analytical overview of engine-building and accessibility
Comparison games
- Monopoly
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice Rolling — Income is triggered by dice results, and those results can affect all players with matching cards.
- Dice-driven income — Income is triggered by dice results, and those results can affect all players with matching cards.
- Engine Building — Players acquire cards that generate income; buildings synergize to increase revenue over time.
- Investment — Investments accumulate as players buy more cards to extend income streams.
- Set/portfolio growth — Investments accumulate as players buy more cards to extend income streams.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Monopoly is the bestselling branded board game of all time
- engine building is what makes these games addictive
- Isle of Sky what makes this game so cool is you're acquiring let's say properties again but in this case it's tiles
- it's such an active game it's practically chaos
- no thanks is a game for three to seven players
- everyone's in the game until the very end
- Isle of Sky is my favorite game on this list
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ggeEVsxwkwI
might i suggest a game Interview at 7:07 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13658 · mention_pk 90583
Click to watch at 7:07 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- quality-of-life improvements for playability
- increased replayability with one-to-two-dice option and market variation
Cons
- some nostalgia around the original may linger
- rules complexity remains modest; newcomers still required to learn basics
Thematic elements
- playful, urban development with bright components
- city-building on a small grid
- cheerful, accessible
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice activation — players roll dice to trigger building effects and income
- two-dice option — start with one or two dice for different pacing
- variable market — the market cards available change each game to alter pacing
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Galaxy Trucker is a game about watching something you love get destroyed.
- the rules are dead simple
- a quirky cute tableau builder with dice activation
- collect dinosaurs fossils score points win big
- my landscaping crew is better than your landscaping crew
- a true epic adventure
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 8oJT0pFAml0
Our Family Plays Games Top List at 26:48 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10382 · mention_pk 30568
Click to watch at 26:48 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Easier than the original Machi Koro
- Simplified landmark system (only 3 instead of 4-5)
- Fun card selection
- Random dice rolling adds excitement
Cons
- Take that can feel mean sometimes
Thematic elements
- City development and commerce
- Building a city
- Light theme
Comparison games
- Machi Koro (original)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Collection — Collecting different establishment cards (cafe, bank, farm, flower shop)
- Dice Rolling — Rolling dice to determine card activations
- Take That — Players can affect each other negatively
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- do those things that's going to keep us safe yeah so that we don't get overcome again
- the games from 2021 that we loved and we picked our top 10 games from that
- board games that bring the fun to the table
- i used to read yes you did when we first got married i would read yes i loved uh books
- i can do so much more yeah with board gaming than with golf
- they want to be known as the steam platform for board gaming
- embracer is becoming that you know so big that they're gonna be so diversified for geek culture
- we want to be that one-stop shop where if you're looking for people of color you want to hear what they have to say
- diversity inclusion that's what we're shooting for
- it's a beautiful game and you know the market you know because you gotta always look at the market
- i ain't mad at you
- the dice ain't nice
- we love you guys we we we're just glad you're still with us and keep on coming back
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UMn_gSUPVD0
Rolling Dice & Taking Names Discussion at 1:12:44 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7472 · mention_pk 86166
Click to watch at 1:12:44 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- easy to teach
- cards change every game providing variety
- family-friendly
Cons
- somewhat luck-driven
- not as deep as Cascadia
Thematic elements
- modern city-building with modular cards
- city-building with dice-based card activation
- light, approachable engine-building through dice
Comparison games
- Space Base
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting / deck-building — choose from two decks and build your engine
- dice drafting / dice-activation — roll dice to activate cards each turn
- set collection / engine-building — collect cards that synergize to generate income
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- absolutely loved it
- epic civ style, four to five hour epic game
- this is not solitaire at all
- two decks of cards provide variety
- it's gorgeous
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video GQTTk53Ow8M
Our Family Plays Games Discussion at 12:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2965 · mention_pk 8646
Click to watch at 12:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- accessible for families
- quick plays between sessions
Cons
- some players may seek deeper strategy
Thematic elements
- light, family-friendly city management
- city-building with dice
- humorous, casual
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card drafting / set collection — acquire buildings to build your own city
- Dice Rolling — dice determine which buildings activate
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We love you and we will always love you.
- these are games your family will enjoy.
- I love Unmatched.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
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