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Game Info
Year
2023
Players
1-4
Age
14+
Playtime
90 min
Collection
Mechanic profile
Percentile rank vs. all games
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
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
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 17
This page: 17
Sentiment:
pos 13 ·
mix 3 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–17 of 17
Video p2nLWJWj5Mg
Review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 67733 · mention_pk 163956
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Intricate beauty and grandeur of a medieval engineering marvel
- Mesmerizing rotating gears and vibrant apostles
- Satisfying sense of completing the whole picture
- Motivating problem-solving within tight restraints
- Wouldn't hesitate to play
Cons
- Desire for effects to complement each other doesn't always work out
- Manual shifting forces deviation and potential loss of victory points
- Pressure can be paralyzing and slow down the game for some
- High degree of epistemic luck, little known about future choices
- Player ahead might force a deviation changing everything
- No interaction when it's not your turn
- Pieces more for looks than function, a little dysfunctional
- Pieces slide around too easily
- Not as well executed as comparable games
Thematic elements
- engineering marvel
- medieval
Comparison games
- Praga Caput Regni
- Shipyard
- Woodcraft
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — One track focuses on enhancing your production abilities, while the other track involves contributing to a specific area of the clock. Essentially, one track gives you something, while the other typically costs you something.
- card drafting — Workshop cards, which can be drafted, paid for, and added to your player board, are the only element of aleatory luck in Orloj.
- Manual Track Shifting — players can manually shift one ring or the other, but this forces a deviation, and if that isn't rectified, the token can result in the loss of valuable victory points.
- worker placement — Gameplay revolves around advancing the clock to place a worker and trigger the effects on two rotating action tracks.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The allure of Orloj lies in its intricate beauty.
- What I loved about Orloj was that at every turn I felt torn in multiple directions.
- Every action has not just a resource cost, but also an opportunity cost.
- But, for me, I found it very motivating, like problem-solving within tight restraints.
- However, it does have a huge degree of epistemic luck.
- When it is not your turn, there is nothing that you can do.
- I really did enjoy playing Orloj, but I don't feel the need to buy it.
- I get the sense in Orloj that the pieces are more for looks than for function, and that being the case, they are a little dysfunctional.
- Personally, I would give the game four out of five.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OC7-sSwuG98
Rules Teach at 2:11 sentiment: positive
video_pk 67724 · mention_pk 163923
Click to watch at 2:11 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very good rulebook with clear structure, examples, and well-written rules.
- High production quality with thick components and clean punching.
- Clear iconography and graphic design that does not distract from gameplay.
- Strategic depth with multiple viable paths to victory.
- Satisfying combo-heavy turns that allow for epic plays.
- Good variability from different round tracks and starting cards.
Cons
- The 'X' icon on gears is good (repair), but can be confusing as 'X' usually signifies something bad.
- The main clock mechanism can be a little shifty.
- Missing apostle tokens in the initial setup.
- The game can end abruptly if players focus on specific objectives too early.
Thematic elements
- The Prague Astronomical Clock
- Prague
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose actions from a central clock mechanism, which involves moving dials and selecting associated actions.
- Push Your Luck — Players can use "deviation tokens" to move the clock mechanism further than the default, but this risks damaging cogs, which incur penalties.
- Resource management — Players collect and spend resources (wood, iron, paint, gold, coins) to perform actions and build components.
- set collection — Completing rows and columns of apostle tiles on player boards provides bonuses and end-game scoring opportunities.
- Track advancement — Players advance on various mastery tracks (innovation, precision, observation) to unlock abilities and bonuses.
- worker placement — Players place workers on action spaces to perform various tasks like gaining resources, building, or moving markers.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a very, very good rulebook.
- The color palette is really nice. I don't think it distracts from the game.
- Solid components that punch out really cleanly, don't tear, none of that stuff.
- The way that they've done the graphic design, like when you construct, here's the sequence for constructing. You don't have to remember many rules because it the steps are all there.
- My anger is at those publishers, and it just shows you that you don't need to be a big publisher to do a good rulebook.
- There are definitely different routes to victory and and different strategies.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OaI3Sd1vO6M
Review at 0:20 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 67383 · mention_pk 163488
Click to watch at 0:20 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- The main board is visually appealing with its interactive clock face.
- Player boards are functional with cut-out sections for cubes.
- Wooden bits and uniquely shaped, printed meeples are appreciated.
- The bumping mechanic allows players to take desired spots, even bumping their own workers.
- Asymmetrical elements from setup (resource cards, workshop cards) offer variety.
- Upgrading the workshop provides more production and combo potential.
- Passing provides benefits like activating the moon and repairing gears.
- High variability in setup components (objectives, track bonuses, calendar order).
- The three mastery tracks offer progression and scoring opportunities.
- It's a point salad game allowing for multiple strategies.
- The game doesn't pigeonhole players into a single strategy.
Cons
- Setup is involved, including randomizing calendar tokens and other elements.
- The clock face tokens (zodiac symbols) are oddly shaped and difficult to identify.
- The main board can be overwhelming with a lot of iconography initially.
- The length of rounds and the game itself is heavily influenced by player actions (passing, moving wheels), which some players may dislike.
- The theme doesn't strongly connect with the actions, feeling more like resource collection.
- The game can trigger analysis paralysis due to numerous options and changing board states.
- Player actions can disrupt others' plans, forcing reassessment.
- Thematic integration of building the clock could be stronger.
Thematic elements
- Building the Prague Astronomical Clock
- Prague
Comparison games
- Praga Caput Regni
- Tzolk'in
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Rondel — Players move a clock hand on a rondel to select actions, with movement influenced by an innovation track and gears on the player board.
- set collection — Players collect resources to build sections of the calendar and complete objectives for points.
- Track advancement — Players advance on three different mastery tracks (innovation, precision, observation) to gain various benefits and bonuses.
- Variable player powers — Asymmetry is introduced through resource cards and workshop cards drafted during setup, providing unique bonuses.
- worker placement — Players place workers on action spaces on the clock face to gain rewards. The game includes a bumping mechanic where workers can be moved off spaces.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Orloj, the Prague Astronomical Clock, is a worker placement rondel game.
- The main board really catches your attention, especially with the clock face and the aspect that it the hand can move one way and the other section can move the other way.
- This one the players have a lot of influence on the length of the rounds, like how many turns it'll last.
- For me the critique is I don't know if the actions you're taking really connect to the theme.
- And that triggers my analysis paralysis, AP.
- This is a worker placement game. I enjoy worker placement games. And this one has this cool bumping mechanic.
- This game is a point salad. I like point salads where you can try different things to get points.
- I I would rather play those two over this one because of these two main critiques that I had, the amount of influence players have on determining the game length, how many turns I get to take, and the amount of analysis paralysis that it gives me with so many options to have.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3Se3jXhEG3s
Rules Teach at 0:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66806 · mention_pk 162611
Click to watch at 0:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- The game has nice tiles and good quality components.
- The aesthetic is very nice.
- The game is fun and engaging.
- The scoring combinations can be satisfying.
- The unique playmat rotation adds an interesting element.
- The T-Rex tiles are fantastic.
Cons
- The reserve rule was unclear in the rulebook.
- The T-Rex mechanic can be a bit too fast or feel a bit selfish.
- Some player boards (like Thor's Hammer) are considered rough or difficult to score well with.
Thematic elements
- dinosaurs
Comparison games
- Tangerine
- Nestlings
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- End-game scoring — Scoring occurs at the end of the game based on tile placement and combinations on the playmat.
- hand management — Players manage their hand of tiles to optimize trick-taking and tile placement.
- Must Follow Suit — Players must play a tile of the led suit if they have one.
- set collection — Collecting sets of specific tile types (e.g., footprints, eggs) for points.
- tile drafting — Players acquire tiles by winning tricks.
- tile placement — Players place acquired tiles onto their personal playmat adjacently to form scoring groups.
- Trick-taking — Players play cards to win tricks, which determine tile acquisition.
- trump — A trump suit is determined each round, which can win tricks even if not of the lead suit.
- Variable player powers — Players use different playmats, which might offer unique advantages.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The aesthetic is really nice.
- This is so pretty. This is so awesome that this box is the exact right size.
- Good design, good quality. I really love the tiles.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video pO5E40vN8rU
Allies or Enemies Top 100 List at 5:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65828 · mention_pk 159743
Click to watch at 5:51 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- deep, clever game with hidden depth
- high interaction and strategic planning
- expansion (Invasion) is highly regarded
Cons
- rules-light surface; heavy in practice
Thematic elements
- village management with worker roles
- village-building in a historical/fantasy world
- clever, resource-driven
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bag building — Draw workers from a bag and assign them to jobs to progress on tracks.
- bag-building — Draw workers from a bag and assign them to jobs to progress on tracks.
- center-area scoring multipliers — Placement can trigger multipliers when you place or activate certain workers.
- Compound Scoring — Placement can trigger multipliers when you place or activate certain workers.
- Track advancement — Dudes move you along multiple tracks to unlock resources and points.
- worker movement along tracks — Dudes move you along multiple tracks to unlock resources and points.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we suck at drawing oh our cats are terrible
- it's a flip and write version and they did such a great job of turning the big game into a flip and write
- resting is like the most exciting because when you rest you bring all of your people back
- asymmetry is phenomenal
- this is my most played solo game
- it's a brain burner
- it's a little interactive but a step removed
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video HlI3vOoZHmM
watch it played Rules Teach at 0:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65181 · mention_pk 158807
Click to watch at 0:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Allows for strategic decisions regarding follower placement and action selection.
- Technology tokens offer ways to customize and improve action efficiency.
- Citizen tokens provide end-game scoring opportunities.
Cons
- If coins run out, players may have to resort to 'torture' to pay obligations.
- Certain actions may become unavailable once a player reaches the final space on a track.
- The 'torture' mechanism for failing to pay requires using various game components as substitutes.
Thematic elements
- Guiding various tradesmen, knights, and monks towards a great purpose for supremacy.
- Medieval times
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players take turns performing one action at a time until all players have passed for the round. Actions are only available if the required follower spaces are filled.
- bag building — Players collect various follower tokens and place them into their personal bag. During the game, players draw a number of these tokens from their bag to be used for actions.
- Event resolution — Each round starts with revealing an hourglass tile that indicates an event to be resolved later in the round, affecting all players in various ways.
- set collection — Players collect goods tiles and citizen tokens throughout the game, which contribute to end-game scoring.
- Technology Acquisition — Players can collect technology tokens that can be placed on their player board to modify or enhance existing actions, reducing the follower cost or providing other benefits.
- Track advancement — Players advance markers on various tracks (e.g., Knight's track, development track) which can unlock new abilities, provide resources, or affect end-game scoring.
- worker placement — Players assign followers to action spaces on their player board, and once the action is resolved, the followers are returned to their bag. Some actions require specific combinations of followers.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- if you have any questions at all don't hesitate to put them in the comments below and I'll gladly answer them as soon as I get a chance but until next time thanks for watching
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video GpTvXUjS4hU
meeple University Playthrough at 0:43 sentiment: positive
video_pk 64034 · mention_pk 157532
Click to watch at 0:43 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fast, elegant rules that still enable deep strategy
- great for two players; quick to learn and play
- deluxe components add tactile appeal
Cons
- no official Board Game Arena (BGA) support mentioned
- randomized setup can be fiddly and easy to misinterpret during setup
Thematic elements
- abstract tile placement and path/cluster-building between galaxies and hazards
- space/galaxy setting with galaxies and black holes on a hex grid
- non-narrative abstract game
Comparison games
- Lost Ruins of Arnak
- Everdale
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- end condition when multiple criteria met — If multiple conditions are met on the same turn, play continues until one player has more winning conditions.
- symmetrical/random setup — The game supports a symmetrical setup, with discussion of sample setups and a randomized legal setup.
- three win conditions — Win by: (1) creating a path of your color between opposite sides of the board, (2) forming a cluster of four galaxies, or (3) forming a cluster that connects three black holes.
- tile placement — When placing on a Galaxy or black hole, the color placed must connect to that color already on the board.
- tile placement with adjacency/connection rule — When placing on a Galaxy or black hole, the color placed must connect to that color already on the board.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game plays fast you really build it out right
- it's a very quick game and we can go again
- it's very thinky and you have to focus
- I really enjoy this game I think it's it's so uh quick and elegant
- very simple rule set
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video DNBmXeuUkwU
Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews 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
Let's Table It 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 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 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 _-JDaHvM174
The Board Game Garden Discussion at 18:36 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 41718 · mention_pk 126408
Click to watch at 18:36 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- ambitious design with interesting choices
- appealing components
Cons
- some players find the path to win predictable
- may require adjustments for new players
Thematic elements
- world exploration and route advancement
- Fantasy exploration and strategic expansion
- exploratory, strategic
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Resource management — Develop capabilities and upgrade locations
- Resource management / upgrading — Develop capabilities and upgrade locations
- worker placement — Allocate workers to gather resources and perform actions
- Worker placement / action economy — Allocate workers to gather resources and perform actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I am indecisive and cannot pick favorites.
- I can't get enough of this game.
- Negotiation is definitely not as bad as I thought it was.
- Cascadia is one of my favorite games this year.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AHCSgvrf3nY
The Board Gaming Doctor 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 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 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 Time Society 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
Chairman of the Board Top 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.
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