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Game Info
Year
2007
Players
2-5
Age
10+
Playtime
75 min
Collection
Ratings
Mechanic profile
Not enough video data yet
Vibe profile
How this game feels to play
Description
Rio Grande Games' description:
The players take on the roles of the heads of influential families in Paris at the end of the 14th century. In the shadow of the Notre Dame cathedral, the players compete for prosperity and reputation. Each family controls one of the 3–5 boroughs that surround the site of Notre Dame. As head of his family, each player tries, through clever use of his action cards, to advance the power and prestige of his family, but penalties are assessed on those who do not take care of the health of the people who live in their borough. The player with the most prestige at the end is the winner.
Players play as well-off Parisians in the 14th century who wish to improve the importance and appearance of the city quarter around the famous Notre Dame cathedral. The primary game concept is original, but simple, card play players use to permanently improve their influence in the quarter. However, turn after turn, round after round, players must make choices that can have major implications. If one does one thing, then the other can't be done. Concentrating on one aspect means automatically ignoring another, which, above all others, is particularly dangerous in the case of the gradually approaching plague...
After 9 exciting rounds and about 75 action-filled minutes, Notre Dame is over. The maitre who has made the most of his cards and has garnered the most prestige points is the winner.
Description from Alea.
This game is #11 in the Alea big box series.
Expanded by:
6-/7-player expansion (unofficial)
Treasure Chest
Reimplemented by:
Notre Dame Express (unofficial)
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 13
This page: 13
Sentiment:
pos 10 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–13 of 13
Video R_lNhk-x1EE
Top List at 13:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 134309 · mention_pk 383065
Click to watch at 13:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Quick and elegant drafting
- Drafting is part of a larger game
- Favorite drafting game
Cons
- Can be punishing with rat population/plague
- Doesn't enjoy games where drafting is the entire game
Thematic elements
- Building up influence and managing rats
- Paris
Comparison games
- Year of the Dragon
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Taking actions with strength based on the number of cubes in a city section.
- area influence — Placing influence cubes on a map of Paris.
- Card Drafting — Players draft cards to perform actions.
- Resource Management — Gaining cubes and money, managing rat population.
- Set Collection — Picking up bonus tokens and spending coins for donations.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- only a few more videos in this series we are getting so close to my number one
- there's an electricity in the air folks a palpable Hue of anticipation
- I love games with simple rules and depth of strategy and I think raw definitely has that
- Such a simple idea that adds some amazing brain strain to the game
- this game is definitely epic takes up a ton of space and at least in our game of it it takes a lot of time
- it's often described as Star Wars in a box and I think that's pretty accurate
- this is the type of game where we set aside a day and make an event out of it and if I'm playing a thematic game that's exactly what I want I want to get caught up in the story of the game even if it takes all day for the story to reach a satisfying conclusion and I'm 100% okay with that
- even so playing this game makes me feel like I'm a part of that story
- distilled as being expertly crafted
- such a clever approach to uh the way the mechanisms work in this game
- I find it a very cozy game uh with the fireplace going and a glass of the good stuff
- I love a dice worker placement mechanism and this is one of my favorites
- this is the first game that I ever played with the overlapping score tracks
- that was such an amazing concept cept when I first heard about it and put the game immediately on my want to play list
- plus the game is so colorful uh between the box and board art and all of the translucent dice fun beautiful and great Gam playay
- these powers are super powerful they're all broken but because they're all broken none of them are broken somehow it works
- it feels good to have that kind of power in a game too it just makes it super fun to play
- I actually think that this one wouldn't have made it this high up
- I suck at this game but I still love it
- this was one of the first dice drafting action selection games that we played and still one of my favorites
- I think it's a brilliant game and one that I'm always excited to lose
- Scythe is my favorite
- This is a fantastic Resource Management game masquerading as a troops on the map Style game
- I think this is also one of my most tricked out games
- I honestly get a little turned off by the idea of campaign games at this point I just have so many that are still unplayed but even without Fenris I think Scythe is an amazing game that I love and love to play and Tinker with the different strategies
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video knN2ixC9XjU
Top List at 34:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 134300 · mention_pk 382957
Click to watch at 34:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Classic Stefan Feld design.
- Interesting card drafting and selection mechanism.
- Engaging player interaction.
- Plague mechanic adds a challenging element.
Cons
- Considered 'very beige' thematically.
- Not the speaker's favorite Stefan Feld game.
Thematic elements
- building, city development, plague
- France
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — doing different depending on where you go with your chariots
- Area Majority — put people into the middle which is shared by notredam
- Card Drafting — it's kind of like card drafting where you are you have cards in your hand and then you're playing one but then you have to pass them on to the other people and then they can play those
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it is a very cute game it is flamecraft
- my number 44 is wild duel
- it's got that really unique auction bidding mechanic
- number 43 is taco cat go cheese pizza and if you cannot remember all that you cannot win this game cuz you have to remember that
- I really like this game but I can only ever play it solo because Judy won't play it with me
- my 42 I always have hard time to remember the name is cartographers Heroes
- the theme is so like and I think this is why I love it it's very like 1950s sci-fi
- my number 41 is a stefen Feld game
- it feels like a stanfeld game very beige
- it's just it's not my favorite Stephen Feld game as you're going to find out later but it is in my it's number 41
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 8CmxsjRQJ-0
Top List at 6:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 134282 · mention_pk 382706
Click to watch at 6:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Enjoy the different characters acquired throughout the game.
- Enjoy the abilities they provide.
- Find the worker placement cube mechanism really cool.
Cons
- One of the meaner Stephen Feld games.
- Need to manage cube pool carefully to avoid limited actions.
Thematic elements
- Notre Dame
Comparison games
- Architects of the West Kingdom
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Pick and Pass Card Drafting — Another pick and pass card drafting game.
- Worker Placement — Place cubes in sectors of the city to trigger actions. Placing more cubes multiplies the benefit.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I have not made a top 100 list in three years and a lot has changed in the last three years in particular in the last two years I've gotten rid of lots of games from my collection I've had a purge if you will
- Last Bastion it was a spin-off not a spin-off it was a reskinning of ghost stories
- Wingspan is such a polarizing game I find that every time I mention it there are so many people that are disappointed that I don't like it more and then there so many people that are disappointed that I like it at all
- I find the game to be such a Serene experience such a Zen likee experience
- Also I find it to be educational as I'm playing the game I'm actually reading the information on the cards the flavor texts to know more about these different birds
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video P_l99jDPf2k
Top List at 7:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 134253 · mention_pk 382281
Click to watch at 7:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Tight interactive euro
- Focuses on card drafting and area influence
- Cards determine actions and deny actions to others
- Activate different districts with benefits and scoring opportunities
- Constant pressure
- Elegant design
- Ultra smooth gameplay
- Plays quickly with a robust game experience
- Demands constant attention and smart prioritization
Cons
- Rats are a 'freaking menace'
Thematic elements
- Medieval Paris
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Card drafting determines actions.
- area influence — Players activate different districts with their cards.
- Card Drafting — Players draft cards that determine actions and deny actions to others.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- These are games that will always stay in my collection.
- Games that I don't just enjoy playing, but games that I'll continue thinking about long after the table's been cleared.
- This stretch of games, uh, games 30 through 21, is where a lot of the design philosophies that I love start to overlap.
- All of them are amazing.
- As always, this is my personal top 100. Not a statement of objective greatness, just a snapshot of what resonates with me, my group, and the kind of decisions that I enjoy making at the table.
- This is my second highest rated game from Uve Rosenberg and definitely the biggest game from him that I've ever played.
- Without a doubt, the game can look incredibly overwhelming. uh when you first see the board and it's 60 some odd worker placement spaces, but it all starts to make sense fairly quickly because each row of spaces is more or less a variation on one certain type of action.
- This is such a clever game by one of my favorite designers of all time, Martin Wallace.
- All of this sneaking around is really what makes this game so great, and I'm usually side eyeing everyone the entire game.
- I usually get in trouble for saying this, but I've never actually read any of the Discworld novels. Uh, but I don't feel like that's impacted my enjoyment of the game at all.
- We are getting so close to the end of this list now, and I am very excited to finally get to my top 10.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 7N5eMmIwhOY
Getting Games Qa Session at 1:52 sentiment: positive
video_pk 89767 · mention_pk 238957
Click to watch at 1:52 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- hand drafting with ongoing engine building
- unique mechanics that feel fresh
- multiple players often remark it's something they've never played before
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Mod X
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's 12 years old and i was just i remember uh playing this game feeling like how are more people not talking about this game this game is so neat
- i decided to play it again and i really enjoyed it
- i can't give you a good answer on that because like most games that i make videos for i never really actually played it
- i'm a big champion for pioneers i think that game is really cutthroat and lovely
- abstract recommendation is home world it's a fantastic game with a mix of tactics and strategy
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 0NwYb79CE5U
Getting Games Discussion at 21:11
video_pk 89373 · mention_pk 237266
Click to watch at 21:11 · 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 a-pW--VCbHo
Chairman of the Board Top List at 2:19 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 81231 · mention_pk 200599
Click to watch at 2:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Appreciates the niche the game is going for
- Interesting idea of not being able to do everything
Cons
- Not necessarily one of my favorite Stefan Feld games
Thematic elements
- Drafting cards and placing cubes on actions, fighting off rats
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Investing more in certain actions makes them more potent.
- Area Majority — Donating tokens to Notre Dame Cathedral to win majorities.
- Card Drafting — Players draft cards and use them to place cubes on different actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- So, I believe it or not out of all the board games out there, there aren't actually that many that sit at that hour time frame mark.
- So, it's a bit of a sweet spot that I personally like. I I really do like those games that you can kind of get done in about an hour's time because it kind of feels meaty enough to sink your teeth into, but it's not necessarily got to be the kind of main event um of your gaming night.
- So, if you do want a a catalog of hour-long games, then this could be a good place to start.
- And it's just a very nice, well-put-together game.
- So, kind of kind of like an economic uh tile placement game, Foundations of Metropolis is a great place to start.
- And I love that kind of being so confined and restricted in a game like this.
- So, if you like these card driven mechanically sound games that's a little bit subtle but clever then I would really recommend giving Arigato a try.
- So, fantastic game, but maybe at the lower player counts or if you're more familiar with the game, you can get it into that hour mark.
- And it's just so engaging and it just keeps you on your toes from start to finish.
- So, for me, it takes all the best parts of all the uh the best deduction games.
- So, I'd definitely try that one out. And again, I think so many people could enjoy this one.
- So this is one of the purest, most beautiful area control games uh that you will ever play and that unlike a lot of other area control games it's it's quite subtle and it is card driven through this kind of trick taker adjacent mechanism and I wouldn't let that put you off because you know I I hate trick taking games. This one does have some similarities and but it's fantastic.
- So this is such a cerebral, beautifully balanced clever you know intelligent sophisticated game in my opinion
- And for me, that is just fantastic. And I'm always excited to see what he comes out with next.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _suwXwl7Uzw
Discussion at 8:51 sentiment: negative
video_pk 65997 · mention_pk 160333
Click to watch at 8:51 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- noted as from Stefan Feld
- 3-5 player experience
Cons
- two-player mode requires concessions; pandemic limited 3-5 play
- not likely to see table soon
Thematic elements
- Stefan Feld design; 3-5 players; similar vibe to Castles of Burgundy
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- multi-player strategy — 3-5 player game; 2-player mode requires concessions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a dungeon building card game
- I would play Overboss instead to get my fix from that theme
- this is the only game I'm getting rid of and the only thing I've gotten rid of so far that I have not played
- it's basically a party game that doesn't look like a party game
- Mysterium... better with more players
- tainted grail is just too much of a slog for me to enjoy
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video m-LonNBhUYQ
The Dice Tower Top List at 12:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 62600 · mention_pk 155313
Click to watch at 12:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- cohesive central mechanism
- thematic roman/medieval setting appeals to many
Cons
- rules complexity
- possible frustration with card availability
Thematic elements
- cubes and rewards in a city quadrant system
- medieval city-building (Rome/European context referenced as theme)
- mechanics-driven with thematic framing
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — players draft cards to influence city layout and scoring.
- tile/area control with cubes — placing cubes in sectors to gain rewards and mitigate risks.
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 53v1aAc7pps
Peaky Boardgamer Rules Teach at 0:24 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13554 · mention_pk 39616
Click to watch at 0:24 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- described as a classic, easy to learn and easy to play family euro
- engages with a rich drafting and action-selection loop
- the plague track and church/Notre Dame scoring add thematic tension and strategic depth
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- political influence, city management, religious institution dynamics
- Medieval Paris/Notre Dame era, city-building and influence within a religious-institutional setting
- historical management euro with drafting and area control
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control and scoring via tiles — the Notre Dame tile provides victory points proportional to its current influence on the tile
- Card Drafting — players draft action cards by selecting one from a trio and passing the remaining cards to neighbors, ensuring a mix of colors each round
- carriage / market movement — carriage tokens move along market spaces to collect messages and bonuses; movement restrictions apply
- hire powers / engine building — at round ends, players may hire a person card to gain a special ability and further their engine
- influence markers / worker placement — placing influence cubes to activate actions; more cubes in an area amplify the action's power
- message tokens / market bonuses — messages provide points and bonuses; collecting sets yields additional benefits
- plague track management — advancing or regressing plague markers affects scoring and resource availability; excessive plague incurs penalties
- two-action rounds — each round consists of two actions taken in sequence per player, chosen from available cards
- two-player variant with neutral boards — a variant using neutral decks to allow two players to experience the system with different drafting dynamics
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- one of the most classic , easy to learn and easy to play family euro games out there
- a game that will always have its place on my shelf, and on my table of course
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video kDRq1MGNwYY
Getting Games Discussion at 24:39 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11290 · mention_pk 33191
Click to watch at 24:39 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- classic design with depth
- replayability
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- medieval/renaissance-era strategy
- historic city-building with drafting
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Drafting — choose cards to perform actions and score
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- If this was just a job if i was just doing this for money well first of all the channel would be a lot different
- it's been a real problem you know i mentioned that these playing with friends videos have been taking a lot longer to make
- these update vlogs are about me being transparent about stuff
- two cameras that work
- i'm tinkering around hitting a bunch of things with a hammer to see if things get better
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UIU74i2IfK4
Adam in Wales - Board Game Design Discussion at 1:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10636 · mention_pk 31336
Click to watch at 1:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Enjoyed owning it
Cons
- Traded away and regrets it
Thematic elements
- Medieval city management
- Medieval Paris
- Thematic
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Play
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It wasn't just the hundred sort of best designed games this was the hundred games that I feel that I'm particularly sort of connected to
- The games that have a place in my heart really games that I've got a lot of nostalgia for
- It felt a bit like doing a roll and write game but without all of the sort of convenience
- I wish I still had castles of burgundy and notre dame
- The main thing that got in the way for me was all the iconography
- I do use board games as an escape from screens and technology
- I really like the production of cockroach poker
- I found it was a game where I could see the ending coming and then someone would just go and there we go we've got another 20 minutes now
- It feels like something other than a board game
- The decisions you make in the game are very very slight
- Right up my alley
- I do really like push your luck
- That's my favorite game
- Abyss is my second favorite game
- I love pekka pig
- I just think it's ugly
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9LPSlgBtxvw
Chairman of the Board Discussion at 14:15 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4956 · mention_pk 14755
Click to watch at 14:15 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- ambitious engine-building with tight resource management
- highly regarded designer with strong pedigree
Cons
- some players may find it heavy or dense for two players
- complex scoring may require a longer teaching time
Thematic elements
- engine-building and token-driven action selection
- Notre Dame cathedral management with rat-threat mitigation
- tight euro with dramatic tension
Comparison games
- Earth
- Get on Board
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Drafting — draft actions and build engine to gain access to places and resources
- action/draft engine-building — draft actions and build engine to gain access to places and resources
- cathedral/rat threat dynamics — advance cathedral and defend against rat threats via strategic moves
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this little Tableau building game is where you're building up this little engine of money creating cards as well as Point creating cards
- it is aged very well
- a gimmicky Style game that feels so distinct
- the top row is worth negative points everything after it is worth positive
- fascinating I think it is a wonderful deduction game
- spiritual successor to photosynthesis
- this Japanese game where you are trying to create these routes connect these passengers
- Notre Dame cathedral in the center of the board
- notredam cathedral and the rat threats
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–13 of 13