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Game Info
Year
2023
Collection
Your Tier
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Expansions & Family
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Description
Moon River uses the Kingdomino game system — but without dominoes.
In the game, you will build a personal landscape of tiles to score points, but instead of tiling dominoes in your landscape, the game uses half-dominoes in which one edge has a jigsaw puzzle-style connection. You combine two of these half puzzle pieces to craft your own dominoes. This mechanism is meant to provide more variability and randomization in each play.
Instead of building your landscape around a central castle, you start from the river and expand away from it. Also, the crowns (i.e., the victory point multiplier) from Kingdomino are replaced by cow meeples, with players being able to use cowboys to move them.
Kingdomino Family
(6 games)
Part of the Kingdomino family — see Kingdomino for the combined view.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 7
This page: 7
Sentiment:
pos 3 ·
mix 2 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–7 of 7
Video 8t09mqalJRY
Getting Games Discussion at 23:33
video_pk 88973 · mention_pk 235620
Click to watch at 23:33 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
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 I5qhAwv6TiQ
Board Gaymes James Playthrough at 1:29 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 83506 · mention_pk 210532
Click to watch at 1:29 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Balanced gameplay relative to Nar
- Engaging engine-building through card and dice synergy
- Beautiful or appealing components and aesthetic discussions
- Supports variants and flexible play styles
Cons
- Some card abilities feel underpowered or not immediately useful
- High end-game luck can dramatically swing the outcome
- Component quality issues (bends, humidity effects) noted
- Complexity and multiple variants may hinder new players
Thematic elements
- Array
- Prohibition-era tavern economy
- Competitive engine-building through card and dice combinations
Comparison games
- NAR
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players draw, view, and select cards to keep and use for future turns.
- card drafting / hand management — Players draw, view, and select cards to keep and use for future turns.
- Dice Rolling — Players roll colored dice to determine actions and resources; orange and blue dice unlock different active effects.
- Engine Building — Cards provide ongoing benefits and enable stronger future actions; players try to chain benefits.
- Resource Management — Moon tokens and other tokens are earned and spent to perform actions and acquire cards.
- resource management with tokens — Moon tokens and other tokens are earned and spent to perform actions and acquire cards.
- Set collection / color matching for scoring — Points are earned based on color cards and color-based bonuses.
- Simultaneous Actions — After initial rounds, actions are performed simultaneously rather than strictly sequentially.
- Simultaneous Play — After initial rounds, actions are performed simultaneously rather than strictly sequentially.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Nar is a great game.
- I did not like Nar. I mean, it's very unbalanced, runaway leaderish. This was much more balanced.
- This is Elus's galaxy blue. It's so pretty.
- What a ridiculously sized box though.
- I think this game is better with more people.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video p23Rm9i_EIg
Review at 0:28 sentiment: positive
video_pk 69560 · mention_pk 166085
Click to watch at 0:28 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- 100% free with no strings attached
- Runs on low-end hardware and Steam Deck
- Appeals to fans of tabletop and classic RPGs
- Features overland adventure, dungeon crawling, random encounters, loot, mood, and mystery
- Fascinating old-school feel with modern amenities
- Deep systems like devotion, sin, and madness
- High replayability
- Excellent music and sound design
- Visually appealing, especially with its use of dark colors
- Developer's intent to give back and spread goodwill
Cons
- Controller interface takes getting used to
- Steep learning curve due to lack of handholding
- Can die quickly in combat if not careful
- Throwing daggers could not be equipped initially due to stat requirements
Thematic elements
- Spreading goodwill and positivity
- Dialogue choices, in-game notes
Comparison games
- Dungeon Keeper
- Fable
- Ultima
- Ease (first game)
- Quest for the Lost Pixel
- Folklore: The Affliction
- Rune
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Crafting/Building (Implied) — Mention of 'scraps of ancient metal' that can be used to build things, though not extensively demonstrated.
- Devotion and Sin — Devoting to a god provides benefits, but certain actions can incur sin, breaking trust with that faction.
- Dialogue System — Players interact with NPCs by typing keywords or phrases, with suggestions provided through floating words.
- Faction system — There are five religious factions players can follow, which involve completing side quests for the gods to learn skills.
- Hex Crawling — The Overworld map is presented in a hex crawl format, allowing for exploration and travel between locations.
- Madness Mechanic — Spending time in magical fog can cause madness, leading to visual distortions, hallucinations, and effects on combat and dialogue until it wears off.
- Persistent World with Instanced Dungeons — The Overworld is persistent, but dungeons are instanced and randomly generated upon entry.
- Resource Management — Players need to manage food, health, and energy (for spells/abilities), and lanterns need oil to protect from madness-inducing fog.
- Rogue-lite Elements — Dungeons are randomly generated and require completion in one go. Death resets progress within the dungeon, but the overall world is persistent.
- Skill Progression without XP — Skills are leveled up by completing side quests for deities, not through traditional grinding for experience points.
- Stealth/Quiet Mode — Players can enter 'quiet mode' to reduce their detection radius, moving slower but with less risk of being detected.
- Turn-based combat — The game is turn-based, meaning enemies react when the player reacts, and players can wait for enemies to move.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- if this game was made as a tabletop game it could very well be in my top 10 games of all time it's fastic uh for it's really really fun I love this game
- it is basically an old school Ultima Style game with some Modern Things going on
- I would if I paid $50 for this game I would be happy with what I got that is how much I like this game
- this game has a lot of appeal to fans of the kinds of games we cover on the dungeon dive and that's really why I wanted to cover this game I think it's fantastic especially because it's 100% free no strings attach
- yeah it's just really fun this is a great old school style game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video IQQViyty9zM
Review at 0:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 68019 · mention_pk 164338
Click to watch at 0:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Well-written and creepy prompts
- Simple and light on rules, good for travel
- Creates a unique ritual text with each playthrough
- Easy to pick up and have fun for about an hour with low commitment
Cons
- Journaling aspect not as crucial as in some games
- Not amazing or mind-blowing
Thematic elements
- A witch wishes to end the reign of the cursed blood moon by venturing into a labyrinth to find moon rings and cast a ritual.
- A dangerous labyrinth
- Journaling prompts and encounters described in a book guide the narrative.
Comparison games
- Cyber Flesh
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card-driven Labyrinth — A deck of cards is used to create the labyrinth layout in a 6x4 grid, with specific cards representing key locations like the start and ritual room.
- Dice Rolling — Players roll 12-sided dice to overcome challenges, with different target numbers based on the card encountered.
- Journaling/Prompt Response — Players respond to prompts presented on encounter cards, with the option to journal their character's experiences.
- Press Your Luck — Players can choose to 'press their luck' to try and achieve better outcomes, but risk taking damage or facing worse consequences.
- Resource Management — Players manage 'blood' (HP), 'umbil shift', and 'mana touch' to influence dice rolls and mitigate bad luck or consequences.
- Set Collection — The main goal is to find five moon rings, which are associated with specific cards in the labyrinth.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- So this says that moon rings is a solo journaling game.
- This is a very very simple game and so if you're just looking for something very light on rules, this might be something that you want to look into.
- I think the prompts are well written. They are creepy and I have enjoyed reading the ones that I have discovered.
- As a cool little very simple game that's easy to travel with, it's easy to play...
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TcVP9IhmdM0
Allies Are Enemies Review at 9:49 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 67334 · mention_pk 163343
Click to watch at 9:49 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Engaging engine-building loop with constant participation from all players
- Accessible entry point that nods to Splendor and Space Base while offering a unique theme
- Beautiful art and cohesive look with the Stonemaier universe
Cons
- Endgame can come quite quickly, which may surprise players expecting a longer engine
- Tracking moons and active powers can be tricky for newer players
- Pace can vary, potentially losing momentum for some groups
Thematic elements
- Array
- 1920s Prohibition era with bootlegging animals in a speak-easy
- Euro-style engine-building with thematic engine progression
Comparison games
- Machi Koro
- Space Base
- Splendor
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice Rolling — Players roll dice to gain drinks, food, music, and other goods; outcomes affect all players and power actions for fulfilling animal customers.
- Engine Building — You tuck animal cards under your speak easy and add moons to activate bonuses, building a growing engine of powers.
- engine-building — You tuck animal cards under your speak easy and add moons to activate bonuses, building a growing engine of powers.
- Resource Management — Moon tokens and various icons modify how you fulfill cards and upgrade your engine; spending moons reduces some bonuses but unlocks higher-point cards.
- Resource/point scaling and moon tokens — Moon tokens and various icons modify how you fulfill cards and upgrade your engine; spending moons reduces some bonuses but unlocks higher-point cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I do find this game super adorable.
- Very easy to teach.
- For such a tiny box and just like a cute little independent game, I think this does a pretty good job.
- I think it’s a really easy one to teach and to bring in new gamers as well.
- It’s a very quick game.
- We have played this, I think, 10 times so far. We have won two or three of those games.
- The two-player mode and the mindmelding is really where this shines.
- If you have played Smitten, you know how this plays already.
- The engine gets stronger and stronger as the game goes on.
- The end can come surprisingly soon.
- It’s a little bit like Machi Koro because everyone benefits from those dice rolls.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ywg6HW1aXjk
Board Gaming Ramblings Discussion at 4:56 sentiment: positive
video_pk 42389 · mention_pk 128631
Click to watch at 4:56 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- interactive take on a river-themed tile game
- variety in tile layouts leads to different strategies per game
Cons
- rules overhead can be non-trivial for newcomers
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- King Domino
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control / pattern-building — scoring rewards strategic patterns or river shapes.
- Tile Placement — players place landscape tiles to create a connected river pattern.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's been fantastic we have spoken to many Fantastic people
- the party is a punching party we're going to punch games and we're going to edit
- we haven't played the next Station London yet but we've heard really good things about it
- it's a through taking game which uses dice
- King Domino which we really enjoy
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video i6ZG2Fs6-ck
BoardGameCo Review at 4:35 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 36213 · mention_pk 208394
Click to watch at 4:35 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm going to be reviewing 17 board games from Board Game Arena.
- I will be going from least fun to most fun.
- There are some great games that I love that I do not think Board Game Arena is the best platform for them.
- This is not one of the videos where I have a lot of them.
- I hope you enjoyed this video and as always I hope you have a good...
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–7 of 7