In Marrakech each player takes the role of a rug salesperson who tries to outwit the competition. Each player starts with an equal amount of money and an equal number of carpets.
On your turn, you may rotate Assam 90 degrees. Then roll the die and move him forward as many spaces as showing (d6: 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4). If Assam reaches the edge of the board, follow the curve and continue moving in the next row. If Assam lands on another player's carpet, you must pay that player 1 coin per square of the contiguous carpet area in that color. Then, you place one of your carpets orthogonally adjacent to Assam (but may not directly overlay another carpet).
The game ends when all players have played all carpets. Each gets 1 coin per visible square of carpet. The player with most coins wins! Tie breaker: most carpet area visible.
- Silly, fun time
- Great components (fabric rugs)
- Fast to teach and play
- Engaging player interaction
- Stellar production quality
- Leads to laughter and groaning
- Tactical decisions despite luck
- Can be unlucky due to die rolls
- Massive swings of points from last die roll
- Trading in a marketplace
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players place carpets to cover areas, and payment is based on the size of the area the Sultan lands on, which is influenced by the carpets.
- roll and move — The game involves rolling a die to move a pawn (the Sultan) a certain number of spaces.
- Set Collection — Points are awarded at the end of the game based on money and 'half carpet that's showing'.
- variant rules — The host discusses playing with a 'mean variant' that changes the order of operations compared to the standard rules.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a really silly, fun time. I very much enjoyed myself.
- It's a really great component, and they kind of stack on top of each other. It looks ridiculous
- We were laughing and groaning and swearing and having a really great time with this.
- The production quality is stellar on this one.
- Like, raw fun. Like, a really good time.
References (from this video)
- Exciting new title from Stefan Feld
- Use of a cube tower is exciting
- Trade for influence in the city.
- City of Marrakech
- Amerigo
- Shogun
- Frostpunk: The Board Game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players use 'cylinders from behind their player screen and using them to perform actions'.
- Bag Building / Draw Bag — After cylinders are used, they 'go back into a cube tower before taking more from the cylinders that fall out of the tower'.
- Simultaneous action selection — Players are 'playing simultaneously and secretly'.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- hello welcome it's been a week of game announcements new releases and upcoming projects that i'm excited about so join me for this week's quote of the news
- i like the look of this one it sparked my interest
- but the one that i was most excited about was marrakech because marrakech is a completely new title and now we finally have some information about it
- so i'm pumped
- that time you killed me now that's a title that's more my speed
- this looks unique which is why i wanted to mention it and i'm looking forward to being confused when i play it at some point
- look at it it's pretty rad
- i have some friends that i know will be insta buying this game and given the recent slew of games from the op i'm hopeful that this will be a solid family co-op game that kingdom heart fans can enjoy later this year
- this just looks excellent and i'm very excited about it
- i'm intrigued by this one i'm looking forward to it sometime next year
- what made me very interested in this one
- the sequel looks fantastic and i can't wait to find out more about it
- and mobile markets is the new game from arcane wonders and cosmodrome and is slated in many ways as smartphone inc the card game which is why i'm talking about it because i love smartphone inc i think it's an excellent game so a new game in that line seems exciting to me
- it's definitely immediately high up on my radar
- please know that you are not alone
- listen to them
- don't tell them to brush it off or to stop making it a big deal
- say something to them about it
- they may not realize they're doing it
- don't be the safe haven that a harasser or abuser uses to hide behind and access victims
- if we work together and look out for each other we can help make this hobby a safer more joyful environment for all people
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Remember, you are somebody's reason to smile.
References (from this video)
- The intersection between programming, engine-building, and mini games is interesting.
- Earning keshis makes mini games better and actions stronger.
- The system of choosing between leveling up an action or using it is clever.
- The shared uncertainty of the keshi tower changes the draft dynamic.
- The idea that you can make mini games stronger based on drafted keshis and by using actions to add keshis is clever.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Drafting — Players take turns drafting keshis from a tower.
- Engine Building — Earning keshis makes mini games better and actions stronger over time.
- Programming — Players choose actions to activate on their turn.
- Set Collection — Collecting sets of keshis seems to be implied by the mechanic where taking two of the same color is possible if there are two or more.
- Worker Placement — Workers are placed on actions to decide which ones to activate or to add a keshi to an area.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- And it's the intersection between those things that I find the most interesting.
- But what I liked the most is the idea that these keshis that you earn, they make the mini games better. They are the engine-building. They are making you stronger at each of these mini games {slash} actions.
- So, often times, that is the choice here. You were choosing, do I want to level up this action, um or do I want to use this action? What is the timing, the balance of making it better before you actually use it, um versus actually using it.
- So, yeah, I thought this system was really clever, especially when combined with the shared uncertainty of the keshi tower.
References (from this video)
- Widely accessible Feld title in a compact footprint
- Good for family and lighter-heavy players
- Falls between lighter abstracts and heavier Feld titles
- Some players prefer more thematic depth
- Tile placement and route-building through a city market
- Moroccan bazaar-style market
- Mechanistic with spatial puzzle
- Gallerist
- Castles of Burgundy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area_control_and_control_points — Position influences to score based on market sections.
- tile_placement — Arrange tiles to construct market paths and earning opportunities.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- there are hundreds and hundreds of board games he has set up, alphabetically the way they were organized was unbelievable
- The Gamers Ranch... Bland, Missouri... you ain't got to bring a game, there are hundreds of games here
- Inventions... the board is laid out in such a way that it's one of those I'm not even trying to explain what it is
- Terminus... the heaviest game that Vital has asked to play, and it's going to come out on Kickstarter in June
- karaoke night... a lot of show tunes... it was amazing
- shrimp and grits was amazing, but the texture was surprising; grits look gross but taste good
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice drafting / tower interaction — Drafting and dropping cubes into a central tower; multi-use actions.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "Adam experience at The Gamers Ranch"
- "we played 18 games this weekend"
- "it's heavy but we loved it"
- "I won Vienna; I love this game"
References (from this video)
- Central decision to adapt playing space
- Meaningful directional choices
- Elegant integration of roll and move with spatial strategy
- Rug placement, trading
- Moroccan marketplace
- abstract
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- directional movement — Players choose direction (straight, left 90°, right 90°) before rolling dice
- roll and move — Directional choice before rolling, moving shared pawn Assam on grid-based board
- Rug Placement — Players layer rugs on board to create connected areas, opposing players pay coins for landing on rugs
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Where once randomness ruled modern games prioritized player agency designers strived to incorporate meaningful decisions into their games and role and move became a dirty word among the modern tabletop community
- I myself put out a video called dicer not the answer back in 2017 one of my most watched lamenting role and move
- In 2022 i feel like maybe just maybe we've tipped too far in the other direction thrown the baby out with the bath water
- This video is a quest for redemption
- When done well roller move is one of the most intuitive exciting mechanisms out there
- In a pure roll and move game the player rolls a die or spins a spinner and moves their playing piece according to the result
- In talisman you roll the die and then you choose to move clockwise or anticlockwise around the board that one deviation from the purest role of move games the decision to go left or right immediately put talisman head and shoulders above most board games on the market at the time
- Hero quest showcases the strength of the roller move mechanism its elegant simplicity and the excitement of a successful role outrunning an ogre
- It can be really frustrating to lose a long game which you were totally invested in purely because you rolled badly
- Spooky stairs is a great example of a game where the roll and move mechanism itself isn't tampered with but the basic race mechanism is turned on its head by incorporating a chaotic memory mechanism
- This game beautifully highlights the intuitive nature of roll and move as a mechanism
- More than any other on this list this game demonstrates how such a simple mechanism can create agonizing decisions and a hugely interactive variable board game experience I can't recommend this one enough
- Roll and move games don't have to be devoid of meaningful choices
- Formula d has a great roll and move mechanism which i haven't seen replicated in any other game
- Push your luck and roll and move complement each other nicely
- Among hobby gamers roll a move is widely considered something of an untouchable mechanism in 2022 and that's a shame
- Roll and move isn't a cursed mechanism
- Like every mechanism roller move has strengths and weaknesses
- It can be used effectively to create an exciting intuitive system or it can be used ineffectively to create a wildly random experience which feels primitive and unfair
References (from this video)
- Tightly designed, fast rounds
- Presents a satisfying puzzle in a compact package
- Some players may find it repetitive after multiple plays
- area control, pattern building
- Marketplace city vibes in a North-African-inspired setting
- abstract
- Alhambra
- Kingdom Builder
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Tile Placement — Players place tiles to create routes and score points.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- It's a Twist y'all it's a Twist.
- I am the librarian custodian of our game.
- Need some help, I can help you.
- We gotta match Creature Comforts for me too.
- Ding, ding—we're matching our creature comforts.
- The heart of the episode... we're going to talk about relationships and board games.
References (from this video)
- tight, quick two-player engine
- clever carpet placement mechanic
- pacing supports tense decision moments
- thematic setup may feel abstract to some
- interaction is indirect but sharp
- tactical resource placement and route control
- carpet merchants in a market town
- thematic flavor via carpet trades
- Seven Wonders Duels
- Splendor (duel variants)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control / area majority — players compete to control lucrative market spaces via carpets
- card/resource placement with penalties — placing carpets affects future moves and punishes over-extension
- roll-and-move with choice — you roll and decide where to move to begin your action, with strategic choices
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's definitely on my top 10 of the year
- two-player editions by Bruno Cathala kill it
- it's so good
- this is one of my all-time favorite
- it's really smart; the three win conditions were a big perk
References (from this video)
- Feld pedigree and fresh take on cube tower
- Simultaneous play and thematic weight
- High price mentioned in discussion; may deter some buyers
- cultural/trade-focused urban development
- City-building in a cube-tower style environment
- reimagined classical euro
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cube_tower — Cube tower mechanic with simultaneous, secret action selection.
- simultaneous_action_selection — Players secretly choose colored cylinders and reveal them to perform actions.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the publisher track record is appealing
- this could be a big big hit
- something with a bit more of an edge a bit more cutting like this does appeal to me
- this is going to be a big production