Collection Status
Your Rating
Description
Moon depicts an almost plausible rush to construct lunar bases that are attractive places to live and work for the people of Earth. The most prestigious base will become the new lunar capital!
The game employs the familiar "pick & pass" or "hand drafting" mechanism for players to select a new structure cards to add to their base. Each hand of cards represents a convoy of experts and equipment travelling between the players' outposts, giving the player the choice of one new construction each turn. In a new twist on the genre, each hand always contains one of a number of "Expedition" cards that grant a special free action every turn before passing on to the next player.
Wooden lunar rover tokens are a neutral resource that add a worker placement element to the game. They are also used to break ties and so must be used with care.
Over the three distinct eras of the game, players compete for majority in 5 aspects of their bases: housing, transportation, science, industry, and food production. At the end of each era, the leader in each of these areas as determined by flag icons on their constructed buildings, collects bonus victory points.
Each game also features a number of randomly selected "Reputation" cards which provide one-time or ongoing bonuses for the player who meets the requirement and claims the card.
Moon is the third game of a loose trilogy, preceeded by Villagers and Streets.
—description from the publisher
Year Published
2023
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 9
This page: 9
Sentiment:
pos 6 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–9 of 9
Video XgIeQuafBYY
The Broken Meeple game_review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 13728 · mention_pk 40087
Click to watch at 0:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Engaging drafting plus city-building combos
- Expedition cards add meaningful variety
- Strong solo mode with adjustable difficulty
- Solid physical components and tactile rovers
- Multiple viable strategies (flags, expeditions, resources)
Cons
- Downtime and length at 4–5 players
- Fiddly hearts scoring tokens
- Small text on some cards reduces readability
- Box design and lid interaction can be cumbersome
- Limited direct player interaction beyond rover parking
Thematic elements
- Space exploration, resource gathering, and city-building
- A space settlement in a sci-fi future
- Engine-building with evolving bonuses from expeditions
Comparison games
- Villagers
- Streets
- Great Western Trail
- Grand Austria Hotel
- Tides of Time Madness
- Caper
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — Players draft from a hand of cards to add to their personal tableau.
- End-of-round scoring on flags and hearts — Hearts and flags drive most scoring, with reputation cards influencing points.
- Expedition cards — Special one-turn bonuses that add variety and strategic twists across eras.
- resource production and conversion — Resources produced by buildings can be used to play cards and generate points.
- Rover placement on opponents' cards — Rovers parked on another player's card grant bonuses and serve as a tiebreaker at round end.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Moon overall is a pretty decent game to be honest
- I give it a 7 out of 10
- the solo mode is incorporated quite well here
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XysCKRfl-Qk
Three Minute Board Game game_review sentiment: positive
video_pk 12819 · mention_pk 37420
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive but with significant concerns
Pros
- Lots of game in a small box
- Minimalist art style that works well
- Great presentation overall
- Interesting expedition card mechanic with passed bonuses
- Social interaction through rover placement on opponent boards
- Adorable rover components
- Good for experienced gamers
- Solo mode available
- Three-era structure with escalating scoring opportunities
Cons
- Cannot use simultaneous player actions due to rover and reputation card mechanics
- Painfully slow pacing
- Takes twice as long to play as it should
- Can overwhelm inexperienced players with drafting and engine building complexity
Thematic elements
- moon colonization
- city building
- space exploration
- competition for lunar capital
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video N1UHgkImR0g
foster the meatball channel all about gifts and four gaming things top_10_list at 6:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12839 · mention_pk 37494
Click to watch at 6:03
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Space theme
- Compact, travel-friendly box
- Cute aesthetic
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- space colony building
- Lunar bases and space exploration
- hand drafting with pick-and-pass mechanic
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hand drafting — Draft cards to build lunar bases.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a sequel to a game we've never played, metropolis
- the artwork is amazing
- bidding in space
- we are canadian i'm excited for trick shot second edition
- it's the main objective of the game is simple defeat the tyrant
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video bRDUaUdI1m8
Meet at the Table playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10154 · mention_pk 29889
Click to watch at 0:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Engaging solo mode that captures competitive feel against an AI opponent
- Rich card variety with expedition and pink cards adding strategic depth
- Era-based scoring provides evolving goals and tension to the end
- Rover mechanics create tactical resource flow and board interaction
Cons
- Rule complexity can be steep for new players
- Late-game competition for roads/flags can become punishing
- Solo mode balancing and AI scoring can feel unforgiving in some runs
Thematic elements
- Base-building, resource management, and exploration on the Moon
- Lunar base building over three eras
- Array
- Competitive with AI-driven adversary (Gerps), large endgame scoring via era-based rewards
Comparison games
- Villagers
- Streets
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card assimilation and discard-pile interaction — Flip and assimilate cards from discard, or gain resources from the discard when paying costs.
- Expedition card utilization — Expedition cards provide optional bonuses and can be used to influence scoring and actions.
- Pink card activation — Pink cards offer activatable abilities when flipped, affecting scoring or production.
- Production phase refresh — During production, players produce resources from their bases; in solo mode, the AI does not produce resources itself.
- Reputation-based bonuses — Bronze, silver, and gold reputation cards act as long-term scoring objectives throughout eras.
- Rover-based resource cycling — Move a Rover to a base to gain required resources or tags, limited to one Rover action per turn.
- Tag-based majority scoring — At scoring rounds, players compare tag counts to determine Hearts and points.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Moon is a pick and pass Base building game on the moon
- this is normally a competitive game where you're going to try to be building the best base that you can
- I'm going to be showing you the solo mode
- this game is by Sinister Fish
- it's a super cool game I love the fact this came down to the wire
- you don't know you're gaining all these cards with points on them but you don't add them up till the end
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 8TwR7fWiUCs
Foster the Meeple general_discussion at 11:37 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9482 · mention_pk 28029
Click to watch at 11:37
Overall sentiment (raw)
very positive
Pros
- fast play for 3 eras
- high interactivity of engine-building
- clear path to scoring Hearts
Cons
- potentially opaque for new players without setup experience
Thematic elements
- resource engine building
- engine-building on a planetary/colony theme
- compact, interconnected engine-building
Comparison games
- Villagers
- Streets of Villagers
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card combo chaining — cards enable combos that unlock future actions and scoring opportunities
- engine-building — build an engine by chaining card effects to generate resources and scoring opportunities
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a perfect convention game
- Moon is by far my favorite of the three
- She-Hulk is very fun to play
- Spider-Man ended up winning
- this is a push your luck game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dfNhxwE3GlA
Our Fat Place general_discussion at 1:27 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8246 · mention_pk 24166
Click to watch at 1:27
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Thematic progression through three distinct eras keeps the experience fresh and aspirational.
- High interactivity with opponent settlements adds tension and strategic depth.
- Vibrant, colorful presentation is appealing and helps immersion.
- Each game in the trilogy (Villagers, Streets, Moon) feels mechanically distinct rather than a simple reskin.
Cons
- Competitive, potentially zero-sum gameplay may not appeal to players seeking cooperative or lighter experiences.
- Interaction and disruption can be frustrating if players prefer a gentler pacing or less direct disruption.
Thematic elements
- space-based colonization, territorial development, and reputation-driven competition
- Moon colonization across three eras representing the first century of lunar settlement
- era progression with strategic card drafting, resource management, and rivalry between settlements
Comparison games
- Villagers
- Streets
- Suburbia
- Castles of Mad King
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — Players draft and pass cards to shape their settlement capabilities and actions.
- era-based rounds — Three distinct eras structure the game flow, with production, construction, and scoring phases per era.
- Resource management — Gather resources, rovers, and hearts to develop structures and influence scoring.
- rover movement / area interaction — Move rovers to opponents' settlements to obtain resources or trigger effects, creating competition.
- scoring via hearts / reputation — Hearts indicate popularity and drive end-game scoring; reputation bonuses can shape mid- and late-game decisions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's so thematic and the gameplay is so strategic
- Moon is an interesting game interesting it's so thematic and the gameplay is so strategic
- you gotta check it out
- check it out now family
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 5iDXR8SLh0E
Unknown Channel top_10_list at 42:21 sentiment: negative
video_pk 3921 · mention_pk 11475
Click to watch at 42:21
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- ambitious concept with a novel mechanic
Cons
- interrupts slow drafting rhythm
- felt slow and grindy; not fun
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- It's a Wonderful World
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- drafting with interrupt actions — Draft cards with actions between steps that slow momentum and extend play.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is the list of games that I got rid of this year.
- I try to view one to two games a week, logically about 80 games come in every year and games going out this year I think is in the 40s.
- Frost Haven is Gloomhaven on steroids; it is a serious commitment.
- Moon breaks drafting momentum with interrupt mechanics that slow the game down.
- Marvel Dagger is a photocopy of a photocopy of Arkham Horror Second Edition.
- I prefer Legendary Encounters and I prefer the IPS of The Matrix and Aliens as well.
- Stroganov is a ginormous pain in the butt to teach as well; utterly nightmarish to tell people how to play.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3_86oS4eLb0
Meet Me At The Table unboxing at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3052 · mention_pk 8905
Click to watch at 0:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- High-quality packaging and sturdy components (wood tokens, dividers, and separators).
- Rich variety of scoring options and multiple paths to victory (flags, end-game cards, bronze/silver/gold cards).
- Solid solo mode included with its own deck for solo play.
- Expansion content (Valkyrie) adds depth and new strategic avenues.
- Good box organization and sleeve compatibility; cards can be stored neatly.
Cons
- Rules can be dense; learning curve may be steep for new players.
- Expansion content increases complexity and may require more setup and teaching time.
- Early game may hinge on acquiring the right tags and resources, which can slow initial progress.
Thematic elements
- space exploration, base-building, and resource management
- Moon base, lunar resource production and trade
- futuristic, resource-driven strategy with drafting and expansion options
Comparison games
- Villagers
- Streets
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- assimilation — Unused cards can be assimilated to gain resources or bonuses.
- building with tags — Cards require matching tags to be buildable, guiding strategic choices.
- card drafting — Players draft cards (eight dealt per round) and select one to play, cycling through the deck.
- end-game and expansion content — End-game scoring via gray (production) cards and bronze/silver/gold card batches; expansions add more scoring and mechanics.
- expedition and end-of-era scoring — Expedition cards provide bonus actions; eras end with scoring determined by flags and cards.
- Resource management — Tokens (energy, water, metal, bio) are produced and spent to acquire and play cards.
- rover interactions — Lunar rovers can be sent to other players' bases to gain resources or bonuses, creating interaction.
- solo mode — A dedicated solo mode (GURPS-style) with its own deck.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm a huge fan of sinister fish's game titles.
- this is their third game called Moon I'm super excited to dig into this
- this is my Kickstarter copy that I backed for the game
- there's a solo mode that is going to be this right here it is a gurps solo mode
- cardboard separators for the Box I've really always dug the box
- I love the fact that they actually are just the back of the card they're not clear card sleeves they're the actual cards
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Cq14mzw0O_U
Unknown Channel general_discussion at 0:26 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 2966 · mention_pk 8652
Click to watch at 0:26
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Satirical exploration of political influence and election mechanics as metaphor
- Abstract, non-specific; a segment that uses a sci-fi/micropurposed 'Moon' motif rather than a literal setting
- satirical commentary with repetitive, looping dialogue
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- there's an election it didn't take
- us long to work out the best racket is
- the political racket so you're going to
- put money to become one of the
- candidates the benefit of getting
- elected is you can pull some strings at
- City Hall make sure no one's going to be
- bugging your properties you get a five
- turn Immunity on that what was happening
- over here well I put in 800s
- $800 I really wanted to win so you
- you're a moon too IM Moon you're a moon
- you're in a
- moon you're a don't disrespect me you're
- a moon you're get back into space you Moon
- you're a moon you dirty Moon I hope I'm
- a moon cuz my gums must be the size of
- you're definitely not aood to
- Mom I'm slightly worried that my face is
- going to look like this for at least a
- week watch the full video on YouTube
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–9 of 9