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Description
Pergamon is a tactical collecting game with a theme based on excavating archaeological discoveries and managing their exhibition.
Set in the year 1878, the first excavations in what is now modern Turkey are uncovering the remains of ancient Pergamon. Soon the precious discoveries will make their way abroad to public exhibitions before a waiting audience, eliciting substantial honor and glory.
The players attempt to gain federal research grants to cover the costs of their excavations through a bidding mechanism. Whoever is modest and less demanding can travel to the excavating areas before his or her competitors, and the rule is first come, first dig. Only fragments will remain for the later expeditions. Recovered treasures are placed in valuable exhibitions, for which the discoverer receives glory and recognition.
The player who accumulates the most glory after 12 rounds wins the game.
The combination of soliciting funds and racing for the best locations to excavate makes Pergamon a variable game with rules that are easily accessible. Players are forced to make choices based on the money they can obtain and the sequence in which they choose where to dig.
Year Published
2011
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 5
This page: 5
Sentiment:
pos 5 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–5 of 5
Video bGXMVtgvdJ8
Chairman of the Board general_discussion at 12:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13390 · mention_pk 39265
Click to watch at 12:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- One of the coolest mechanisms in recent Euros
- Engaging blend of bidding, set collection, and patching exhibits
Cons
- Steep learning curve for new players
- Requires careful money management to avoid stalls
Thematic elements
- Archaeology / exhibits
Comparison games
- Isle of Sky
- Kier
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / money pool with hidden values — Money appears and is allocated via initiative order; you patch together exhibits by paying for halves and matching later scoring.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is where I talk about all of the non new to me games that I have been playing
- thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed this recent play
- it's just a lovely T placement game
- this is one of the best two-play games of all time
- I love this game
- an absolute blast of a game
- the combos are fantastic
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video waDP5PIi7PQ
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 12:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9225 · mention_pk 27197
Click to watch at 12:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- unique money mechanic that differentiates Pergamon in its weight class
- opportunity for aggressive vs conservative play
Cons
- requires planning around future buys with imperfect information
Thematic elements
- greed-style money mechanics
- set collection with a currency economy
- decisive take-and-pay dynamics
Comparison games
- Tenis Trail
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cash / currency mechanism — money on chests and bags; you decide how greedy to be by choosing how many coins to take; timing and risk matter
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the potential for this mechanism is you know we've barely scratched the surface
- there are so many ways you can invert that mechanism and make it different
- it's a brain burner it definitely makes you think in a different dimension
- mind games that can come into play here in terms of trying to intimidate your opponent
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video SbrlyPF8NKQ
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 4:26 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8053 · mention_pk 23708
Click to watch at 4:26 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- unique money/initiative synergy
- crunchy decisions and tight pacing
- strong thematic integration
Cons
- potentially punishing if money gets mismanaged
- some players may find it niche
Thematic elements
- money economy linked to initiative and tile drafting
- ancient world with artifact collecting
- crunchy, tense decision-making
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- money track tied to initiative — money gained depends on initiative placement and track draws
- tile drafting and upgrade pacing — select tiles to build and upgrade; timing affects availability and scoring
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- there aren't that many euros that do take an hour or less
- tons of different ways to win this game
- it's a very nice looking game you know nice fantasy feel
- this has a very distinct gamer; nothing else like this in my collection
- Ra has one of the best time-to-depth ratios I've ever seen
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6rga2FEKCjM
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 6:17 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5319 · mention_pk 15816
Click to watch at 6:17 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- unique, standout mechanism
- accessible entrypoint euro with depth
- attractive and relatively compact playtime (~45 minutes)
Cons
- box art may be misleading to first-time buyers
- theme is somewhat generic in abstract euro space
Thematic elements
- artifacts and exhibits as scoring
- artifact-bid and display exhibit-building
- accessible but rich in strategic play
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bidding — distinct bidding mechanism with items to string into exhibits
- set collection — collect and string artifacts into high-scoring displays
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- an absolute blast to play
- this is up there with those classics
- clearly elegant and tightly designed
- it’s a pure two-player gem that should hit higher on the radar
- the box art is a little bit misleading and it makes it look boring, but the gameplay is far from that
- the game hits so many checkpoints
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CACsxXw02AA
Chairman of the Board general_discussion at 3:36 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1653 · mention_pk 4818
Click to watch at 3:36 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- engaging money-generation mechanism
- pushing luck element adds tension
- strategy around early vs late money
Cons
- potentially tight money economy
Thematic elements
- money generation with probabilistic card orientation
- ancient trade and money economy
- push-your-luck with track-based money
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card/dice money generation (money track) — random orientation of money cards provides different payouts
- placement/worker deployment — place workers to optimize money on tracks
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is such a wonderful game
- I had a huge Monopoly on the money generating Viking
- it's such a great little programming game
- I like this little Jewel Rondell system
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–5 of 5