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Description
The Wise One, immortal keeper of wisdom and knowledge, has sent Demigods endowed with earth-moving power to the far reaches of humanity. In Oros each player acts as one of these Demigods. They must instruct their Followers in the wisdom of the mountains through study, worship, and experience. And only in the heights of the mountains can the greatest mysteries be known.
Oros is a tile-colliding, volcano erupting, mountain-making, wisdom-gathering, action-economy strategy game. On individual player mats, players move their Followers between action spaces, allowing them to manipulate a shared environment like a giant puzzle of plate tectonics. Action spaces allow players to shift rows of land, move and collide land tiles, form and erupt volcanoes, worship to gain wisdom, journey their Followers around the ever-shifting landscape, and build sacred places of study and worship on mountains. Building sacred places and worshipping in sacred places brings wisdom which is used to improve the abilities available for each action space. Wisdom is also used to improve the end game value of each sacred place built as well as reach other goals worth end game points.
When building sacred places, the Demigods of the Wise One ascend a ziggurat which acts as a timer toward the end of the game. When one reaches the top, players finish the round and then tally a final score.
At the core of Oros is the unique ability to shift, move, build up, erupt, and reposition the land within an infinitely connected play environment. This mechanic turns every action into a puzzle of creative problem solving, abstract thinking, and a constantly evolving strategy. Another chief aspect of the game is the player mat which uses a minimal worker placement mechanic to govern action opportunity. The mat also maintains an action economy that evolves differently for each player as they invest their gained wisdom into a variety of action improvements. Because of these core aspects, there are dozens of strategies for players to explore, and every game plays out in a different, yet competitive way.
—description from the designer
Year Published
2023
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 9
This page: 9
Sentiment:
pos 8 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–9 of 9
Video DNBmXeuUkwU
Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews game_review at 0:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 62240 · mention_pk 154749
Click to watch at 0:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Unique gravity/locking placement mechanic adds strategic planning
- Clear, accessible scoring via biome patterns and Moon interactions
- Short, satisfying play session with approachable rules
- Eco-friendly design (no plastic components)
- Solid solo mode option
Cons
- Family mode is underwhelming; recommended to ignore it
- Some players may want more depth or decisions for longer play
- Token drafting can occasionally feel constrained by layout options
Thematic elements
- Conservation and ecology within a planetary-building puzzle
- Planet terraforming
- Strategic tile drafting and placement with gravity/locking motif
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Biome cards and pattern scoring — Biomes require matching landscape patterns for points
- Landscape transformation abilities — Special abilities allow changing some landscapes into others (e.g., melt glaciers)
- Moon scoring and placement — Moon tiles provide end-game scoring multipliers based on matching landscapes
- Planet and Moon placement with gravity/locking — Place tokens on a sliding row; once placed, tokens are locked in; can build a Moon for additional scoring
- Solo mode (Black Hole variant) — Compete against a Black Hole that consumes tiles and scores for itself
- tile drafting — Draft landscape tokens and place them on your planet to build biomes
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I would recommend just completely ignoring the family mode
- it's not filled with tons of big decisions it's not going to brain burn you
- no plastic I think kind of lends itself to that idea
- the moon keeps scoring and it's a nice synergy
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video A9Vpv1UstKM
Unknown Channel rules teach at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61825 · mention_pk 154481
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Beautiful tactile tiles
- Clear explanation of rules in excerpt
- Interesting twist on traditional trick-taking by using tiles instead of cards
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Tile-based management and trick-taking with hidden information
- Abstract trick-taking using tactile tiles instead of cards; rounds involve flipping a tile to reveal trump.
- Expository rule explanation with emphasis on mechanics
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Leading and winning tricks — The lead determines the required suit; the winner of the trick leads the next turn.
- tile placement — The round winner places two face-up tiles on their player mat; other players place the tiles they played, unless that tile was captured, in which case they gain the trump tile.
- tile placement and scoring — The round winner places two face-up tiles on their player mat; other players place the tiles they played, unless that tile was captured, in which case they gain the trump tile.
- tile-based trick-taking — Players play tiles from their hand following the lead suit; the highest tile of the lead suit wins unless a trump tile beats all.
- Trick-taking — Players play tiles from their hand following the lead suit; the highest tile of the lead suit wins unless a trump tile beats all.
- Trump reveal — One tile is flipped at the start of the round to reveal the trump suit, which beats all other suits.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Soros is a trick-taking game that swaps out the traditional deck of cards for beautiful tactile tiles.
- The trump suit is revealed and beats everything.
- The winner then chooses two of the face up tiles to place on their player mat.
- Other players place the tiles they played, unless it was taken, in which case they get the trump tile.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BJKc7Dls2VE
Let's Table It game_review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61826 · mention_pk 154482
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Beautiful tactile chunky tiles
- Playmats add variability and aid tile placement
- Unique twist on trick-taking with tiles
- Multiple scoring avenues provide depth and strategy
- Good replayability within a single game through rounds
Cons
- Scoring and special tile rules are tricky to remember
- Game can become long at higher player counts
- Tracking many rules can be overwhelming for new players
Thematic elements
- Trick-taking with tiles; spatial puzzle and scoring patterns
- Prehistoric, dinosaur-themed world; abstract tile-based strategy
- Abstract/educational emphasis on strategy and pattern recognition
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Compound Scoring — Points awarded for groups of adjacent dinos, eggs, bones, teeth, footprints, and other arrangement-based patterns
- mats rotation — Mats rotate to the next player after scoring
- multi-round per player — Number of rounds equals the number of players, affecting game length
- pattern-based scoring — Points awarded for groups of adjacent dinos, eggs, bones, teeth, footprints, and other arrangement-based patterns
- tile placement — Winner places two face-up tiles on their mat; placement patterns create scoring opportunities
- tile placement on mats — Winner places two face-up tiles on their mat; placement patterns create scoring opportunities
- tile-tile scoring rules for various features — Specific scoring for eggs, bones, teeth, footprints; penalties for unplaced tiles
- Trick-taking — Players play tiles to win tricks, with the highest lead-tile winning unless a trump tile is played
- trick-taking with tiles — Players play tiles to win tricks, with the highest lead-tile winning unless a trump tile is played
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Soros is a game unlike any other we've played.
- simple to learn but tricky to master.
- These tiles are amazing. They are the perfect chunkiness and feel so satisfying.
- Not only are you trick- taking with tiles instead of the usual cards, but winning those tricks isn't really how you score points.
- There are many different ways to gain points throughout the game, and the several rounds of play allow you to try out different strategies each round within one game.
- be longer at higher player counts.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video wlXbqp4F37k
Allies or Enemies top_10_list at 3:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61141 · mention_pk 153651
Click to watch at 3:51 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- bold colors and ocean/island feel
- distinct mechanic of moving land and warping rules
- fresh, different theme
Cons
- rules can be fiddly at first
- new players may need a longer learning curve
Thematic elements
- gods smashing land, creating mountains and volcanoes, worship
- island world that behaves like a Pangea in flux
- Array
- positive
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a light drafting racing game but it definitely has some summer vibes
- it's six different little mini timers
- it's bright and it's colorful and you are trying to defend the islands from oncoming monsters
- Banner Festival is a really interesting trick taking game
- it's all based on slasher movies
- the Heat is in the title
- Fireball Island ... the Curse of Volcar
- you flick marbles
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AHCSgvrf3nY
Board Gaming Doctor general_discussion at 28:34 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34315 · mention_pk 102207
Click to watch at 28:34 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- High variability from random map/card setups
- Rich potential for strategic planning and resource optimization
Cons
- Complex for new players; requires learning
- May feel lengthy or heavy in two-player mode
Thematic elements
- ship/track advancement and resource gathering
- explore and manage resources on a modular map
- strategy-heavy, modular resource engine
Comparison games
- Federation
- Concordia
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Modular board — Cards provide spaces and actions that shift per game.
- Modular map/cards — Cards provide spaces and actions that shift per game.
- worker placement — Customizable worker actions via seals to extend reach.
- Worker placement with seals — Customizable worker actions via seals to extend reach.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Harvest feels lighter than viticulture, but intriguing for quicker play.
- Castle Combo has quick play and surprising depth for a fast 3x3 card grid game.
- I think this game would play a lot better with more players because that way you would be able to move these highway men a lot faster and they would serve to be more of an impediment.
- Memoir 44 is a classic thanks to its approachable yet tactical WWII battles.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video gGKpqTpHu2A
The Board Game Garden top_10_list at 35:35 sentiment: positive
video_pk 33724 · mention_pk 100285
Click to watch at 35:35 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- dense, strategic bag-building with productive decision points
- two-sided board adds strategic depth and cost choices
Cons
- theme and naming can be confusing with similar European titles
Thematic elements
- guilds, books, and development through track-based scoring
- Medieval Europe-inspired bag-building and resource management
- elegant but densely strategic
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bag building — draw and manage workers from a bag to draft actions on tracks
- bag-building — draw and manage workers from a bag to draft actions on tracks
- track-based worker placement — workers placed on tracks to access actions and resources
- two-sided board with sun/shadow scoring — placement on sunny or shaded sides affects costs and scoring
- worker placement — workers placed on tracks to access actions and resources
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a dice worker placement game where basically it is hidden information of your dice
- I would love in the collection
- life of the amazonia is like Cascadia Plus
- galactic cruise is ginormous
- auzl duel is a two-player only game but with more strategic depth
- Explorers of Neoria has a very unique drafting-to-working mechanic
- Puerto Rico Special Edition. Fantastic
- Heaven and Ale was super fun, very strategic and satisfying
- Galileo Galilei is a fantastic game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TXL1vsKLhbU
Board Stupid game_review at 0:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 30491 · mention_pk 89733
Click to watch at 0:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Unique twist on trick-taking with no-follow rule
- Exciting bidding mechanism with risk-reward
- Good value for price (~£10)
- Portable, compact design with quality art
Cons
- First-edition rule gaps (missing tie-resolution details)
- 3-player variant rules less robust
- Might feel longer for pub game (30–45 minutes)
Thematic elements
- Alchemical metals and transforming base metals into gold
- Alchemy-themed trick-taking strategy in a modern abstract setting
- abstract
Comparison games
- The Crew
- Fox in the Forest
- Uno
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Bid-based scoring — Before each hand, players bid how many tricks they aim to win; exact bid doubles the points, over/under yields no payoff.
- Compound Scoring — Winning the majority of round tokens yields victory; game ends when tokens are collected.
- Predictive Bid — Before each hand, players bid how many tricks they aim to win; exact bid doubles the points, over/under yields no payoff.
- Round-based token scoring — Winning the majority of round tokens yields victory; game ends when tokens are collected.
- team play option — In four-player games, players form two teams with shared bids and coordination.
- Trick-taking — When a red card is led, players may not follow red; any other card can be played.
- Trick-taking with no-follow rule — When a red card is led, players may not follow red; any other card can be played.
- Trump cards and gold cards — Special cards (gold/trumps) provide scoring opportunities and strategic leverage.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Trick taking is a bit of a boom at the moment; Orum adds a twist with no-follow.
- Backwards with a twist so instead of having to follow the suit in Orum you cannot follow the suit.
- It's a great mechanics... basically bet on yourself.
- For £10 I'll pick it up and give it a go.
- The bidding system behind it is what makes this thing really sing.
- Best thing about this is the shiny gold box.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BSVLXbgnQFQ
Good Looking Kickstarters kickstarter_review at 0:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6559 · mention_pk 19441
Click to watch at 0:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Unique tectonic theme
- Worker placement mechanics
- Strategic depth
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Demigods rearranging terrain
- Tectonic landscape manipulation
- Competitive strategy
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Map building — Constructing terrain and idols
- Tile shifting — Plate tectonics movement mechanism
- worker placement — Leveling up demigod abilities
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We want to spread board games everywhere we can to every part of the world
- There are board games everywhere folks and they're the passion that we have for them is worldwide
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 4B_lv0UK_xA
top_10_list at 0:32 sentiment: negative
video_pk 899 · mention_pk 120015
Click to watch at 0:32 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- Accessible roll-and-write format
- Familiar, quick gameplay
Cons
- Clunky pattern mapping
- Fiddly scoring
- Uninspired artwork/visuals
Thematic elements
- pattern formation and spatial tiling
- roll-and-write with dice-generated numbers forming Tetris-like patterns on a personal sheet
- abstract
Comparison games
- World Hard West
- World Wonders
- Wild West
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Flip/Roll and Write — dice determine numbers to place in Tetris shapes on a player sheet
- Pattern Building — arrange placed numbers into patterns to score
- pattern-building — arrange placed numbers into patterns to score
- roll-and-write — dice determine numbers to place in Tetris shapes on a player sheet
- tile placement — placing shapes to form patterns on the sheet
- tile-placement — placing shapes to form patterns on the sheet
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Hidden Gem
- I think this one's going to have his audience if you can kind of dabble with Euro games but Euro games aren't your main focus
- it's a fantastic job of being so broadly appealing
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–9 of 9