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Game Info
Year
2011
Collection
Your Tier
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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.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 9
This page: 9
Sentiment:
pos 9 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–9 of 9
Video UUCkB1NHfrs
Chairman of the Board Top List at 9:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 86694 · mention_pk 225281
Click to watch at 9:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Relatively lightweight Euro game
- Artifacts generate victory points
- Impressive displays can generate future points
- Love the money system conundrum
- Plays into the initiative value
- Wonderful little blend of mechanisms
- Money mechanism is the standout feature
- Nice way to introduce Euro mechanisms
Cons
- Value of display decreases each round as spectators get bored
- Money might have dried up by the time you get to it if you go late in the queue
Thematic elements
- Collecting and displaying ancient artifacts
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- initiative bidding — Going earlier on the initiative track grants first pick but potentially fewer coins; going later risks less money but potentially more.
- Resource Management — Managing money gained from the coin bags.
- Set Collection — Collecting ancient artifacts and chaining them together.
- Worker Placement — Placing meeples on a track to determine how many coins you want to take from bags.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- hopefully you have enjoyed it if you have please be sure to hit like And subscribe to the channel and keep an out for the remainder of the series
- hey everybody and welcome back to my 2024 into 2025 edition of my top 100 board games of all time today I'll be covering game 70 up to number 61 and I have a massive four new games to the list on this portion of the video
- before we get started on the games I want to give a shout out to the show sponsor kendra.co.uk who are my goto online retailer and if you use the link in the show notes or the QR code then you can get 5% off your first order
- be sure to check out my new game Thalamus and send me an email if you want to secure yourself a copy
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video FfEjSA3qw6M
Meet Me At The Table Top List at 10:08 sentiment: positive
video_pk 83794 · mention_pk 211890
Click to watch at 10:08 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Combines fun characters with a great story.
- Unique missions feel like a new game each time.
- Map in a book for fast setup.
- Unique characters.
- Dynamic map exploration with uncovering new things.
- Choices pull at morals.
- Characters unlock new abilities and gain items.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Book Map — The map is in a book helps get the game to the table fast.
- Character progression — The characters each unlock new abilities and gain new items.
- Choices and Consequences — There are choices that will pull at your morals based on decisions you make through cards or events in the game.
- Dungeon Crawler — This is a dungeon crawler.
- Uncovering Map Elements — You can uncover new things that can aid you in your mission or could potentially change what you need to do in those missions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love campaign games that uh I haven't finished and I need to finish these.
- Isoparian Guard is a game that involves exploration with a compelling story.
- This is Stars of Aarios. This is a ship battling game, and it works really well.
- Aon Trespass Odyssey is the game for you.
- The boss fights are epic.
- Number one on the list is Madara.
- There's so many things that make this game a mustplay that it tops my list of campaign games that I need to complete.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BC-i6GZtAu4
All You Can Board Discussion at 17:23:36 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80556 · mention_pk 196359
Click to watch at 17:23:36 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Set Collection — Described as a set collection game with jockeying for position and planning ahead to future rounds.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The scoring in The Princess of Florence is really unique and it's one of the main draws for me.
- Pax Pamir is just such a masterclass in creating a really tense and dynamic political game.
- Catacombs is such a fun dexterity game. The flicking mechanic is just so satisfying.
- Root is a prime example of an asymmetric game done right. Every faction feels so different.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video bGXMVtgvdJ8
Chairman of the Board 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 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 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 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)
- Auction / Bidding — distinct bidding mechanism with items to string into exhibits
- 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 oODJ-ZEUK24
Board Game Spotlight Playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1923 · mention_pk 146220
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Elegant two-player design with tight interaction
- Clear mechanical loop combining drafting, resource management, and timing
- Museum countdown and oldest artifact scoring create meaningful decisions
- Polish and theming feel authentic for an archaeology exhibit
Cons
- Roman numeral track can be visually challenging to read at a glance
- Polish costs can be high and late-game pacing can be punishing
- Some players may feel exposure to luck via robber placement and tile draws
Thematic elements
- Archaeology, artifact collection, and exhibition management across centuries
- Ancient Mediterranean archaeology and museum curation
- Exhibit-driven, educational exploration with competitive drafting
Comparison games
- Tiles of Arabian Nights
- Dinosaur World
- Mind Management
- Pokémon
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- End Game Bonuses — At round end, oldest artifacts yield bonus points; ties broken by artifact age.
- End-game and oldest artifact bonus — At round end, oldest artifacts yield bonus points; ties broken by artifact age.
- Polishing and value modification — Polishing tiles increases their value and can grant extra victory points when exhibited.
- Robber/Interference — A modular robber that steals money/resources, influencing how players pay for actions.
- Set Collection — Assembled artifacts are placed into a museum exhibit, earning victory points and potentially advancing other tiles.
- Set collection and exhibit placement — Assembled artifacts are placed into a museum exhibit, earning victory points and potentially advancing other tiles.
- tile drafting and placement — Players draft and place artifact tiles with ancient centuries (Roman numerals) indicating depth and value.
- Tile Placement — Players draft and place artifact tiles with ancient centuries (Roman numerals) indicating depth and value.
- Time-based degradation of artifacts — Scoring gates move down over rounds, causing older artifacts to fall out and affecting end-game scoring.
- Two-player efficiency and turn order — First player advantage interacts with tile availability; the two-player dynamic emphasizes efficiency.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a classic game that needed to be reprinted
- hate drafting is a real thing
- it's a really clean and efficient way to use a third blocker
- the timing aspect... the museum pieces are going to get lower
- this is an awesome exhibit
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CACsxXw02AA
Chairman of the Board 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
- Worker Placement — 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 1–9 of 9