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Description
Your mission, Martians, is to swoop down on the pathetic denizens of the primitive planet Earth and scoop up as many of the inhabitants as you can manage. We are interested in samples of the Chicken, Cow, and Human populations so that we can determine which of them is actually in charge. The Earthlings might manage to put up a feeble defense, but surely nothing that a small taste of your Death Rays can't handle. Make Mars proud – be the first Martian to fill your abduction quota!
In Martian Dice you will roll 13 custom dice in an effort to set aside ("abduct") Humans, Chickens, and Cows. With each roll you must first set aside any Tanks, representing the human military coming to fend off your alien invasion. Then you may choose one type of die to set aside as well - one of the earthlings to abduct, or Death Rays to combat the military. At the end of your turn, if you have at least as many Death Rays as Tanks, then you may abduct the earthlings you've been setting aside. You can't pick any type of Earthling twice in one turn, but if you manage to abduct at least one of each you'll score a bonus!
With each roll you will ask yourself, do you feel lucky?
Year Published
2011
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 5
This page: 5
Sentiment:
pos 4 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–5 of 5
Video G-RJYI5EuW8
Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews game_review at 0:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 62217 · mention_pk 154729
Click to watch at 0:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very quick and streamlined rules
- Excellent fit for short, casual play
- Portable and durable (dice-based, no fragile cards)
- Great for travel, camping, and casual gatherings
- Reprint improved accessibility and price compared to aftermarket
Cons
- Push-your-luck mechanic can feel repetitive for some players
- As a filler game, it may wear thin for players seeking deeper strategy
Thematic elements
- alien invasion and Earthling capture for points, with push-your-luck risk
- Earth invaded by Martians; humans, cows, chickens, and humans are pursued for points while tanks threaten the Martians
- light, humorous and casual review narrative
Comparison games
- Zombie Dice
- other push-your-luck dice games
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Category-based selection per roll — From the non-tank dice, you must choose and set aside one category per roll (death rays to counter tanks, or one type of Earthling: cows, chickens, or humans)
- Dice rolling — From the non-tank dice, you must choose and set aside one category per roll (death rays to counter tanks, or one type of Earthling: cows, chickens, or humans)
- end game bonuses — End a round by stopping before being defeated by tanks; score points for Earthlings and a bonus for having at least one of each Earthling type; reaching 25 points wins
- End-game scoring and win condition — End a round by stopping before being defeated by tanks; score points for Earthlings and a bonus for having at least one of each Earthling type; reaching 25 points wins
- Limited gathering per turn — Earthlings can only be taken once per turn; death rays and tanks influence what you can collect
- Push-your-luck dice rolling — Roll all dice each turn; you may stop after a favorable roll; tanks rolled must be set aside because you are being shot at
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a perfect five minute game.
- This is the perfect camping game because again, you can't get I mean, you can't ruin any cards.
- This is a game that we can take traveling anywhere, anytime.
- This is the perfect travel game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video m1MMwqvTXMM
Tantrum House general_discussion at 29:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11967 · mention_pk 35098
Click to watch at 29:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fast pace
- Fun, thematic dice mechanic
- Good crowd-pleaser
Cons
- High randomness
Thematic elements
- Push-your-luck dice game with aliens vs humans
- Mars; Martians trying to beam up humans and animals
- Lighthearted sci-fi chaos
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice_rolling — Roll dice and decide which dice to keep
- risk_management — Choose to keep more humans/cows or risk busts
- set_collection — Points awarded per set collected
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The show starts now.
- The tiles are nice. They look like acrylic; the scoring is modular.
- From the couch to the table and back again.
- Beasts is a new game from Panosaurus. The tiles are nice. The gameplay is different enough each time.
- Two to five players. We are putting groups of penguins together and trying to make the biggest waddle.
- This is a trick taking game; there can be two colors of suit in this trick.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 1uagcN1rhSc
Going Analog Podcast general_discussion at 24:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9060 · mention_pk 26730
Click to watch at 24:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- ridiculous, fast filler with apealing theme
- easy to teach and play in short sessions
Cons
- reliance on luck may be a turnoff for some
Thematic elements
- alien capture with quirky sci-fi humor
- Earth invaded by aliens; you are Martians trying to collect Earth subjects
- light, silly
Comparison games
- King of Tokyo
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-based combat and capture — dice faces represent cows, humans, chickens, etc., used to score captures
- light strategy, heavy luck — luck drives most outcomes but player choices influence risk management
- Quick Play — short rounds, fast setup and closing play
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's such a cute package.
- the bunnies hopped around a moon are so cute.
- I would play this every year during Mid-Autumn Festival.
- Roly is a game that is very, very simple on the surface.
- it's push your luck game though.
- the higher you can go, the more dice you can place, the more rewards you can get.
- If you like Skull King, this is almost exactly that, but more random.
- it's a ridiculous super quick filler game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xSdEfO9evIs
Going Analog general_discussion at 8:44 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2086 · mention_pk 6073
Click to watch at 8:44 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Classic filler with quick rounds
- Easy to teach and learn
- Great for crowds
Cons
- Luck-driven; may not appeal to strategy-focused players
Thematic elements
- Aliens plotting to capture humans, chickens, and cows
- Space/alien invasion theme
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Chaotic, light conflict — Fast rounds with escalating tension around rolls and outcomes
- dice pool — Roll a handful of dice; some outcomes score points; tanks and other results affect scoring
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "It's so simple, but it's really clever."
- "This is a two-player head-to-head card combat game."
- "We are the aliens."
- "Bot or Not has me laughing a lot more."
- "Gen Con party game of the show, Bot or Not, unanimous."
- "Flip Tunes is my Gen Con game of the year."
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 8BAq6YUM8Oc
Unknown Channel general_discussion at 0:50 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 123 · mention_pk 340
Click to watch at 0:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- unknown — Not discussed in transcript.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's still such a great game
- solo is such a good game
- dungeon there will be a video quite soon
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–5 of 5