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Menara box art

Menara

Game ID: GID0207058
Collection Status
Description

As a tight-knit team in Menara, players use pillars and wondrously-shaped temple floors to build a spectacularly soaring structure full of nooks and crannies. Cooperation and static skills are in demand since for each mistake in construction, you have to add another floor to the temple.

A steady hand, an alert mind, and mutual assistance can help you successfully complete what seems to top out at dizzy heights...

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
Mentions per page
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Showing 1–6 of 6
Video DTWTibVE9dY CA Couple game_review at 0:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 60343 · mention_pk 152768
CA Couple - Menara video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Approachable head-to-head play
  • Chess-like depth with accessible rules
  • Fortify mechanic adds strategic depth and bluffing
  • Good head-to-head interaction and take-that moments
  • Clear path to mastery through practice and opponent adaptation
Cons
  • Limited variability between games (replayability) unless players deliberately vary strategies
  • Prototype status may mean balance or component finalization is still in flux
Thematic elements
  • Insect-themed pursuit and capture with a light competitive narrative.
  • Board with a central fence dividing two sides; caterpillars, butterflies, and monarchs move to capture the opponent's monarch.
  • Abstract-strategy with light thematic flavor
Comparison games
  • Picky Eaters
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Capture — Landing on the opponent's monarch captures it, ending the game.
  • Collision — If two units finish on the same space, they both return to their home spaces.
  • Fortify — If a die is placed on the opponent's space and you predict their move, you fortify and send their unit back home.
  • Piece-specific movement — Caterpillars move orthogonally; butterflies move in any direction including diagonals; monarchs move like butterflies but cannot cross a central fence.
  • Simultaneous Actions — Players secretly select a unit to move via a die; both moves execute simultaneously.
  • Simultaneous movement planning — Players secretly select a unit to move via a die; both moves execute simultaneously.
  • transformation — Caterpillars transform into butterflies when reaching the opposite side.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's an approachable head-to-head
  • it's definitely about learning how to play the game and the intricacies of like the strategy behind it
  • you've outsmarted me in a really clever play
  • the fortify action now if you do nothing and you predict your opponent's movement you fortify
  • it has ages five plus which I think is awesome because you can play it with a lot of younger children
  • friendly approachable vibe
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6JVMgTqpZyc John Gets Games top_10_list at 7:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11862 · mention_pk 34738
John Gets Games - Menara video thumbnail
Click to watch at 7:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • unique tactile/kinetic experience with high-energy social interaction
  • highly replayable co-op with varied challenges
  • great for groups that enjoy face-to-face collaboration and problem-solving
Cons
  • cooperative constraints may be frustrating for some players who prefer competitive play
  • learning curve around the aerial/dexterity mechanics can be nontrivial
Thematic elements
  • cooperative engineering/stack-building with thematic towers
  • cooperative stacking/dexterity style game centered around a stylized tower/zen-like construction
  • story of building and stabilizing a tall tower through teamwork
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • cooperative challenges — teams must work together to meet a flip-based challenge (easy/medium/hard) without toppling the tower
  • Cooperative Game — teams must work together to meet a flip-based challenge (easy/medium/hard) without toppling the tower
  • Dexterity/stacking — players place and stack wooden cylinders/holders as part of a cooperative tower-building challenge
  • real-time — on each turn a challenge card dictates the required placement or movement, driving discussion and coordination
  • Stacking and Balancing — players place and stack wooden cylinders/holders as part of a cooperative tower-building challenge
  • timed/turn-based execution — on each turn a challenge card dictates the required placement or movement, driving discussion and coordination
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • the asymmetries which are really wonderful
  • every turn is the main engine; you're trying to build up these combos
  • this game is a big winner
  • holy cow this is amazing
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AC0OZsvhWXg Foster the Meepolo top_10_list at 10:24 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8303 · mention_pk 24359
Foster the Meepolo - Menara video thumbnail
Click to watch at 10:24 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Had a freaking blast playing it
  • Very unique dexterity game
  • Love it
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • Dexterity challenge
  • Architectural
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • dexterity
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
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)
No references stored for this video.
Video 40f7UEKf4pQ Unknown Channel general_discussion at 1:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7142 · mention_pk 21139
Unknown Channel - Menara video thumbnail
Click to watch at 1:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • cooperative play that is accessible to families
  • unique twist on a familiar Jenga-like idea
  • learns together with kids
Cons
  • can become fiddly coordinating colors and columns
  • may require older kids to maximize efficiency
Thematic elements
  • cooperation and tower building
  • abstract cooperative stacking
  • procedural/abstract
Comparison games
  • Jenga
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • cooperative building with color-coded columns — players use limited colored columns to build upward toward a goal, coordinating turns and colors to reach a high structure
  • spatial/tile restriction — you can only use specific columns at specific times, enforcing teamwork and planning
  • Tile/Map Shifting — you can only use specific columns at specific times, enforcing teamwork and planning
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's very important that kids and grown-ups enjoy it
  • you either lose together or win together
  • menara would be a great unique option for this
  • one guy is a quick polyomino speed game ... it's a bit thinky
  • the avengers robin hood is a storytelling adventure game
  • it's a story game where you are pirates and try to fulfill your destiny
  • you can play magic maze... it's a real-time experience
  • don't blame the kid if you lose
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 5tDzvghiMcY Beyond Solitaire interview at 4:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7013 · mention_pk 20780
Beyond Solitaire - Menara video thumbnail
Click to watch at 4:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Good for ADHD treatment
  • Requires focus and presence
  • Tactile experience
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • Building tall structures
  • Tower construction
  • Dexterity challenge
Comparison games
  • Rhino Hero
  • Ice Cool
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • dexterity — Tower building game with balance challenges
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • change your mind you can change the world
  • there's a tool for every task
  • 95 percent of therapy is building relationship
  • the opposite of anxiety is not calmness it's actually trust
  • games are vehicles for emotion
  • i'm a mood doctor
  • failure you the winner you learn
  • there is no such thing as a purely rational logical gaming experience
  • every single aspect of your life is emotional
  • grades are fine but like the way we use grades to evaluate people that is violence
  • it's all contextual and it's all what i'm doing it's all what the person is responding to
  • games are part of the human experience
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zD_qiW67avc Foster The Meatball general_discussion at 16:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2025 · mention_pk 5794
Foster The Meatball - Menara video thumbnail
Click to watch at 16:51 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • unique, tactile, engaging
Cons
  • can be fiddly for new players
Thematic elements
  • Resource gathering and upgrading a central structure
  • Middle eastern-inspired tower-building
  • engine-building flavor with a vertical track
Comparison games
  • Rhino Hero
  • Agricola-inspired titles
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Dexterity-like stacking and action choices — stacking elements to build a tower/structure and take actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's a deck deconstruction game where you have a bunch of cards in your hand with differing values
  • it's mean but like the funny thing is it's mean but like you don't necessarily get a Target so somebody usually ends up being the punching bag
  • we did a video on the new iteration of libertalia Winds of galecrest from stonemeyer games you can go check that out
  • this is one of those games where it's like a badge of honor if you win and we've just had such a great time with it
  • it's a really cool experience I think that's the best way this is a really cool experience of a game to play
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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