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Description
Higher and higher, the construction grows. Before long, the steel girders reach dizzying heights. Fearlessly, the workers carry on, with nothing more than hardhats to protect them. The danger of collapse hangs over everything — so just make sure that nothing happens! You also have to impress Rita, the boss, if you want to be Employee of the Month. There's a lot to do, so let's get going!
Men At Work is a stacking and balancing game in which players compete as workers on a job site who are carefully constructing a tower to avoid accidents and, maybe, earn Employee of the Month. The game includes three gaming modules to add loads of replayability, as well as wooden components housed within a well-designed insert for easy set up.
—description from the publisher
Year Published
2018
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 6 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video mIn-na2yY0c
top_10_list at 2:57 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10570 · mention_pk 31129
Click to watch at 2:57 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Rich visual production and tactile pieces
- Dynamic, evolving structure encourages strategic thinking
- Varied challenges with strong table presence
Cons
- Rules can feel dense for newcomers
- Some setups may become fiddly with many pieces
Thematic elements
- architectural play with a playful, rugged construction aesthetic
- A construction-site-themed dexterity challenge
- humorous, energetic, down-to-earth
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-driven construction — draw a card that dictates how to add to a growing site with color-coded beams
- color/beam matching and placement — place beams to connect colors while managing the evolving structure
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the maple syrup of dexterity games
- it's the best dexterity game ever made
- this is the collection starter
- it's almost the cinema of dexterity gaming
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Ok7xvOBEed0
top_20_list at 26:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10558 · mention_pk 31069
Click to watch at 26:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- very tactile and communal
- rewards skillful play and balance
Cons
- dexterity can lead to table noise or mistakes
Thematic elements
- dexterity, competitive teamwork
- construction site, girders and building
- playful, communal
Comparison games
- Junk Art
- John Carrera (Dexterity)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- competitive cooperation — players work on the same site but compete for awards
- dexterity, stacking — players manipulate heavy pieces and construct a shared site
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's one of those games that can be played by anyone
- it's basically Taboo but trap words
- one of the best-looking covers of a ball game I've ever seen
- a dynasty of games that feels different to anything else
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Ok7xvOBEed0
top_20_list at 26:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10558 · mention_pk 31081
Click to watch at 26:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- cooperative yet competitive; communal play
- visually appealing and tactile
Cons
- may be more chaotic in larger groups
Thematic elements
- cooperative building with competitive tension
- construction site with girders and bricks
- dexterity-driven, communal
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dexterity / stacking — players build a construction site with physical components
- shared construction, competitive turn order — teams work toward common goals but vie for rewards
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's one of those games that can be played by anyone
- it's basically Taboo but trap words
- one of the best-looking covers of a ball game I've ever seen
- a dynasty of games that feels different to anything else
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video KE96zhqWpp8
Unknown general_discussion at 4:52 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10281 · mention_pk 30345
Click to watch at 4:52 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- spectacle on the table makes it great for families and groups
- bright, attractive components and theme
- simple entry point but with meaningful decisions
Cons
- not at the very top tier of dexterity games for some players
- requires mindful control in smaller groups to maintain tension
Thematic elements
- collaborative yet competitive building with risk of collapse
- construction site, playful industrial theme
- spectacle-driven dexterity with humorous tone
Comparison games
- Catch the Moon
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- balance/toy-block manipulation — risk of tipping or failing if you misplace pieces; maintain safety certificates
- dexterity-based placement — placing girders and construction workers according to decked card prompts
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a very simple conceit there's not many rules and you're straight into discussing what happened
- I think this is a great game if you love Marvel then the theme really comes through
- I would compare this to something like catch the moon because it also has the desire to place your pieces at the highest most point
- it's incredible how this game simulates a tower defense puzzle
- not that interactive but very satisfying in terms of decision making
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video F8nhBvCOIc4
Board Game Club playthrough at 0:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6004 · mention_pk 17816
Click to watch at 0:42 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- High-energy, spectator-friendly chaos with lots of laughter and banter
- Strong sense of tension and relief when a risky placement works or a brutal accident occurs
- Crane/rescue mechanics add dynamic interactivity and tactical depth
- Clear, humorous theming that pokes fun at safety culture without being mean-spirited
Cons
- Can be punishing or frustrating for newer players, especially with tense placements and near-misses
- Rules around touching and balancing can feel opaque until a few rounds are understood
- Table space needed can be large due to all components in active play
Thematic elements
- Workplace competition, teamwork under pressure, and the absurd humor of a dangerous construction site turned into a social dexterity spectacle.
- A densely packed urban construction site where pride, chaos, and danger collide as workers and girders are stacked and balanced while a looming boss figure (Rita) lurks in the deck.
- humorous, chaotic, satirical—played for laughs as players jockey for highest configurations and avoid “accidents” that end lives (tokens) and reshuffle the field.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action-pacing and card-driven placement — On a player's turn, a top card reveals two elements: the material to place (a girders or workers) and the placement rule (which color, which contact constraints, and whether a new support is required). This card-driven constraint creates a push-and-pull between risk and reward.
- dexterity — Players physically manipulate tiny wooden workers, girders, bricks, and beams, balancing pieces on delicate configurations. The core tension arises from the risk that any accident—pieces falling—ends a turn and costs safety tokens.
- pattern-building — The site grows as girders and workers are added according to face-up cards. The objective is either to place the highest piece or worker (for a Point of Employee of the Month) or to create patterns that maximize stability while avoiding collapse.
- risk-management and resource tracking — Safety tokens serve as lives. An accident costs a token and moves play to the next player. Running out eliminates a player, forcing a shift in strategy toward attrition or racing to Rita’s boss-card win condition.
- tableau-building and spatial reasoning — Players must assess spatial layout, color adjacency, and balance constraints. Strategic choices include balancing across colors, using the crane or rescue hook to manipulate pieces, and deciding where to place a worker to maximize future opportunities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is the hard pit.
- We’re going to demolish our opponents and win the Employee of the Month tokens.
- I officially retired from the Brooklyn Club.
- This game is stupid this is health and safety.
- I live for danger.
- This is the best day of my life I just want to say these men now I don’t care about women I just want to save them.
- Fridge magnets... the fridge magnets that oh crab sticks.
- I’m the best player with the highest dexterity.
- The crane does count though.
- Fridge magnets, fridge magnets, fridge magnets again.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video P9zZvuyYDis
Dice Tower library_tour at 1:45 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4840 · mention_pk 14245
Click to watch at 1:45 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- construction
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Shelf 16 is kind of a an odd mix here
- This shelf has twice as many games as most shelves
- one of my favorite two-player games, but it's very difficult to learn and play
- Fantastic abstract strategy game
- Such a classic game and I like it a lot
- I don't know why I like it so much, but I do
- one of the most beautiful dexterity/party games there are
- There are so many games on the shelf
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6