How many players can play Power Grid?

Power Grid supports 2 to 6 players.

How long does a game of Power Grid take?

A typical game of Power Grid takes approximately 120 minutes.

What are the best video reviews of Power Grid?

MindForge has curated 99 video reviews of Power Grid from top board game content creators.

What type of game is Power Grid?

Power Grid features mechanics including Auction / Bidding, Grid Building, Market Pricing/Manipulation, Network/Route Building, Resource Management.

Power Grid - Board Game

Video 5TOvIvqIZoM Board Games UnLocked Top List at 34:00 sentiment: positive

video_pk 99505 · mention_pk 276663

Click to watch at 34:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Incredibly solid
Great balancing element
Ton of different maps
Different types of buildings
Works for a lot of people

Cons

Not the most exciting theme
Best at four players, requiring a solid game day

Thematic elements

Power plant construction and resource management

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — Players bid on power plants.
Market manipulation — Resource costs increase based on player order and demand.
network building — Players place cities and power plants across different maps.
Resource Management — Players need to power buildings using various resources.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

And then you have to balance the Defcon track and then balance your military while also uh balancing the victory points
The fact that every player has a very busted player power, but because they're all bro because they're all broken, none of them are.
This was the first game that I played that had that element. And I've always liked that ever since.
It it's the battle of Helms's Deep H just with a different theme.
So it wasn't the most highly narrative game, but it was something that I feel like this game needed right off rip.
Just buddy cop buddy cop the game.
The problem with modular expansions for games like this. And the reason why it's on this list is because I don't play this all the time.
I would go out of my way to probably say this is the best pirate game.
this one's gameplay just really does it for me.
It hit number one because I'm I'd be more inclined to play BattleCon than I would any of these other games, but it also has been games that I haven't touched in a long time.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video Cvdb4g93hnA Heavy Cardboard Discussion at 1:09:53 sentiment: positive

video_pk 99408 · mention_pk 276408

Click to watch at 1:09:53 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

There have been some really good ones, haven't there?
Power Grid continues to just be stellar.
It it really is.
I honestly just want to play the Germany map repeatedly just to be able to show folks that even though there are other maps and I w I support and think the other maps have viability like that they're they're they're different and they're good, but you can have an amazing experience over and over and over with the same map in that game. It is so good.

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

Age of Steam

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Map-based — The game features different maps, with the Germany map being highlighted for its replayability.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It's about 90% of what it is we're trying to do. Okay.
So, here is my answer to you, George, and to everybody else out there.
We sometimes feature games that are obscure, uh, like maybe an incorporated or like a Granville or anything like that to highlight it so that it might get picked up and reprinted.
The star of the show is whatever game we're featuring. That's what's the star.
It's a logistics card game for two players.
I have no affinity for Star Trek or Star Wars for that matter. Different animals, I understand. Don't don't yell at me. I'm just saying it.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 5AWQyb-l2B4 Analysis at 24:41

video_pk 93396 · mention_pk 252621

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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)

Felt a little bit lackluster in terms of big releases for me.
But you know, if uh there's no one around to Does the forest still shuffle?
This is a game of managing resources, is a game of um uh territorial control and tableau building.
Dexterity games are not ball games.
IV Studios smashed it out of the park with this one.
My main point of contention with Drillers is maybe it might run long with too many players and there is a little bit of downtime in the game when you're waiting.
It's all to play for. It's only half time.
The industry is backloaded. It's like heavily weighted towards the second half of each year.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video tYTMl1Kog-g Watch It Played Discussion at 2:18

video_pk 92455 · mention_pk 248456

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Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

none

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 was just really fun and was unlike all the games I played growing up.
I saw Snakes and Lattes in Toronto and I realized that the board game cafe atmosphere is is just more fun to me.
The board game cafe atmosphere is is just more fun to me.
It was it opened a door in my mind, in my heart.
Made me realize that there was more out there than Monopoly and risk.
The most satisfying thing, of course, working in this sort of environment is uh is the light bulb moment is uh that moment that I had myself several years ago.
Suddenly you're like awesome and we all get to recreate those light bulb moments for other people on a daily, sometimes an hourly basis.
I think really when it comes down to it, nothing really can uh compare to that to that moment of of sharing the games that I love and uh passing that passion on to somebody else.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video uB4ZH7tFRgw UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 13:03 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 91721 · mention_pk 246128

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Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

deep strategic appeal
classic design with enduring popularity

Cons

setup and tracking can be involved

Thematic elements

Array

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I am officially over winter now
Just want it all gone

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video bb6-qMKvAn4 Meeple University Analysis at 7:05

video_pk 90881 · mention_pk 243327

Click to watch at 7:05 · YouTube ↗

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — An auction game that is also an economy game, where the auction is a critical part. It's possible to hide money, and the auction can lead to very high bids if rules are misunderstood.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

a lot of those questions which makes auction and it's an interesting mechanic it's a very pure mechanic because if everyone knows what something is worth to them and understands what something is worth to somebody else then it becomes a very tight and very pure mechanic that avoids luck
because you're not quite sure what to price something
i recognize it's it's a pure strat it's a pure um it's a cool mechanic but it's not going to work well the first time you play
i think you like to think quite mechanically where um well you actually said it earlier as well so if you because you your brain the way it works it's mechanics so if you can't really put a value on it you'll be lost
i don't want to come out and say auction as a bad mechanic i understand the deficiencies in my gameplay style that make auction not work for me

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video MQ_QVOBukV4 Drive Thru Games Discussion at 4:43 sentiment: positive

video_pk 90360 · mention_pk 241345

Click to watch at 4:43 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

really like power grid

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)

I'm genuinely curious about your origin story and sort of how you got more involved in whatever hobby it is.
Exposing a child to games is probably a really important thing.
It's like baseball cards but you play a game with that seems stupid.
I really loved it and got into that
I just got sucked back into board game geek because I had you know been on it like in 2005
I just got like sucked in
I never really liked Puerto Rico or Princess of Florence but I really like Power Grid
The DM sucked and I didn't really like it at all
He's just like the worst, you know pictured like the worst kind of DM RPG type of personality that was that guy

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video vjIfF8nOj2g Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews Discussion at 9:36 sentiment: positive

video_pk 89750 · mention_pk 238899

Click to watch at 9:36 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

tight economic decisions
accessible yet deep

Cons

thematic flavor may be lighter
depends on player count for pacing

Thematic elements

resource management and network growth
electricity market and expansion
economic-optimization euro

Comparison games

Dominion
Catan

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Economic system — buy power plants, acquire resources, and connect cities

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 Pql3gf-Qrpg Getting Games Discussion at 26:17

video_pk 89713 · mention_pk 238710

Click to watch at 26:17 · 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)

i understand a lot of people really enjoy solo games but um generally they're they're not really for me
it's essentially a fun thing that we like to do and we have to make sure that it doesn't turn into work
thousands of games come out every year and i feel like every couple of months i bump into something that i'm just like whoa that's totally new
i personally think patchwork is engine building because you're just kind of building up an income engine
sprinkles on the icing on the cake

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 9i_aE22BWuo 3 Minute Board Games Analysis at 2:08 sentiment: positive

video_pk 89456 · mention_pk 237539

Click to watch at 2:08 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

what a euro game should be
tight
competitive

Cons

slightly frustrating

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)

when do i finally get to make a decision
century spice road is an excellent light set collection game
this version just has golems and is way cooler
twilight imperium works hard to cram four hours of fun into its 12-hour playtime
this fun and fast-paced dice drafting game crams a ton of decisions into its six rounds
a slightly uninspiring math puzzle that really didn't need to be set in the south pacific
a one note party game that gets very old very quickly
wild space is a wildly swingy set collection game whose novel presentation covers up its average gameplay
a modern take on the traditional trick taking game that doesn't really bring that much new to the table
a truly unique and sprawling euro game about one of the most fascinating periods of history the meiji restoration
a truly awful dungeon crawler inspired by the wildly successful book
still a very pleasant worker placement game about wine
a very unusual game about gambling on blood sports where the players are the crowd not the fighters
what are the original 4x games that spawned a massive franchise
also manages to cram four hours of fun into its 12 hour playtime
a dinky little dexterity game about balancing ninjas on precarious tiles
another perfectly good example of a deck building game where you actually get to do something with the cards
a dinky little dice manipulation co-op game and a rare example of a game where the app is not only better it's a thousand times harder as well

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video gM5OGYh0jFo Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews Discussion at 6:15 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 89458 · mention_pk 237563

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Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

deep strategic energy market mechanics
replayable with multiple strategies

Cons

hefty setup and teach
can feel tight on player interaction

Thematic elements

power production and resource management
industrial energy networks
strategic, economic

Comparison games

Dominion
Carcassonne
Risk

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

auction / resource management — bidding for power plants and buying resources to power cities.
network building / route planning — players build electric networks connecting cities.
Network/Route Building — players build electric networks connecting cities.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Masterpiece was kind of this bluffing art bidding game that was one of my favorites.
Risk was one that we we played a lot with the new Meyer side of the family.
This is the only hobby where you can walk into a game store, play a game with people, and then a stranger will invite you to their house next weekend.
I would say it was Gen Con 2013 that convinced me this is a real hobby.
it's a social hub this is why we do this these things because we like to talk to people.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video kEkB4P2xXIY Shelfside Top 100 List at 36:54 sentiment: positive

video_pk 89113 · mention_pk 236236

Click to watch at 36:54 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Array
Industrial/Energy

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Here's the best way to teach games if you ask me.
the format of rulebooks has me convinced that like dude your game should just always have here's like the how to play.
this game is a euro... it's all about tech trees that's that's all I've heard of.
it's the best like World traversing pandemic scale level of like Eldritch Abomination fighting.
the most interaction... that's what Dominion is all about.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video dmgkcXUs2bg All You Can Board Discussion at 17:46 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 88709 · mention_pk 234556

Click to watch at 17:46 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

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)

we're trying out a little bit of a different format here
you've all been waiting patiently for us to get back to this series
this is wild
it's been a long time

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video v6ocajo45bk UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 3:10:07 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 88525 · mention_pk 233516

Click to watch at 3:10:07 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Clever system
Jen loves it

Cons

Too much luck
Core still is flawed
Bad rolls can lead to bad turns
Not enough mitigation for bad rolls
People fixate on the vacation mechanic, but it's not as big a deal as people think.

Thematic elements

Power lines

Comparison games

Power Plants

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Dice Placement — Roll dice and place them as workers on your Tableau/board.
Resource Management — Managing dice rolls to complete power lines.
Set Collection — Completing power lines by connecting numbers in exact color order.
Variable player powers — Each player board is different with the setup of PIP numbers.
Worker Placement — Dice are used as workers.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

you only have five tries to do it
it's too lucky
someone can just Crush by getting some good roles
The core still is flawed
I want to like it more than I do
she got that Mr carcasson age
Kickstarter is still where you gotta go
we call those people normies
I like to think that nobody's above the law
it's a train wreck
the acting is great
there's not a weak person weak actor in that group
the last lost no wow
absolutely sucks that Lance Reddick is no longer with us
The Mamas and the Papas I listen to that song a lot
It was great and then and then they just [ __ ] all over themselves
it's a little late

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video v6ocajo45bk UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 3:14:14 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 88525 · mention_pk 233525

Click to watch at 3:14:14 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

It's a clever system.
It's interesting.
Players can get points for connecting lines.

Cons

It's not quite good enough.
There's a little too much luck in it.
The round track thing is annoying.
Once in a while you just get screwed with the dice.
You could have a turn where you get nothing.
The core still is flawed.

Thematic elements

none

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Dice Placement — Players roll dice and use them as workers, placing them on their player board to complete objectives.
modules — The game has modules on the back side that can be used.
Set Collection — Players aim to complete 'power lines' on their boards, suggesting a form of set collection or pattern building.
variable player powers/boards — Each player board is different with the setup of the PIP numbers.
Worker Placement — Dice are used as workers to take actions on player boards.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

you only have five tries to do it
it's too lucky
someone can just Crush by getting some good roles
The core still is flawed
I want to like it more than I do
she got that Mr carcasson age
Kickstarter is still where you gotta go
we call those people normies
I like to think that nobody's above the law
it's a train wreck
the acting is great
there's not a weak person weak actor in that group
the last lost no wow
absolutely sucks that Lance Reddick is no longer with us
The Mamas and the Papas I listen to that song a lot
It was great and then and then they just [ __ ] all over themselves
it's a little late

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video zxTh9hJnEmc BoardGameBollocks Top List at 1:17 sentiment: positive

video_pk 88439 · mention_pk 233090

Click to watch at 1:17 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

The auction mechanism is utterly compelling.
It's the best train game that isn't actually a train game.

Cons

Looks a bit crap; it's just a board with some cities on it and a bag full of houses.

Thematic elements

Generating electricity through cables

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction system — Engaging in an auction system that allows you to power these cities.
network building — Placing little houses out onto different cities to connect them together.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

we'll be taking control of a plantation you'll be growing crops it'll be harvested in the crops sending them out to far off markets to get points
but they [__] the game up yeah the boards were all [__] up nothing fitted in the box or something or other and it was just a complete and utter [__] show
I'm sort of sick to death of Marvel six the death of [__] Star Wars and all that crap
Pax Premiere second edition can shove itself up its own [__] and consume itself before I even think about playing this Abomination pile of dog crap ever again
it looks like it's been penned by a three-year-old who's been given a king-size Crayola set for Christmas
sometimes I think spot or a trolling people you know they keep releasing these games that have got no artistic Merit but when you're actually playing you start to be convinced that they are actually worth their weight in gold
somebody's proudly displayed this phallic Tower of expansions that they're never ever going to use
this is a fantastic game can be a little bit complex but it's one of the rare occasions where a Euro game actually Blends well with its theme and its mechanics
it's just a fantastic game it's one of those sort of games that is quite leisurely it's not taxing or demanding in rules or mechanics and you could just sit back and just feel like you're pissed out your face sort of thing
this is our favorite solo game ever made
it's a bog standard Euro game with a little bit of a Twist which is why we find it a little bit more interesting than some of the others
a lot of people want to live out their sylvanian families incest fantasy
all the owns is a super fantastic game
number 31 is everdale this is a card driven game where you'll be placing your workers out of board to take actions playing cards it's going to give you actions as well building up your to blow with these cutesy little Woodland creatures and you get the bonus of owner big [ __ ] off cardboard tree in the middle of the [ __ ] table
it's okay I'm not going to masturbate over this game too much but yeah it's an average game
it's number 30 on this list is a game called all he owns
in all the owners you'll be doing right things you'll be moving your dudes around the map collecting cheese and stuff you'll be reaching into your bag to pull out your workers placing them on a map you might send them off permanently to sit in a chapel or something
this game uses the same artwork as Tua in it so like a medieval bio tapestry style it's a super duper bag building game
get the deluxifier components it makes the game easier to handle and all the owns is a super fantastic game
tell us what you think of our opinions of these games so far are you upset with my critique of everdale as my analysis of pax Premiere giving you a new set of hemorrhoids to deal with tell me in the comments below and I will gladly send you some anusol for your trouble
we're going to come back probably with the final bit I don't know I might do 20 more and then 10 because I am feeling a little bit knackered but if I could find some maybe we'll crack it all off in one go

References (from this video)

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Video vHufO7pzgLk All You Can Board Collection Roast at 36:05

video_pk 88127 · mention_pk 231581

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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)

I think if I had one word to describe this collection I think it would be precarious
Move Modern Art to the top of that stack so that you don't accidentally Crush that precious precious box
this shelf is failing like this shelf is going to spill
the best organized collection we've seen today
I love the shelves doing all the work

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video FL1npNLHu0k Board Game Buzzz Top 10 List at 18:24

video_pk 87571 · mention_pk 229106

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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)

I love this game so much
Cascadia truly is fantastic
I adore this game

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video _U5JnRJ04_4 3 Minute Board Games Top List at 11:48 sentiment: positive

video_pk 87072 · mention_pk 226999

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Overall sentiment (raw)

Highly Positive

Pros

Classic Euro game experience
Dynamic market
Interesting player interaction through territory

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Building a power network and power plants

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Control (limited) — early game restriction on occupying areas, later allows cohabitation
Market Simulation — live market where costs fluctuate based on player investment
network building — building a power network
Resource Management — developing the power plants to run it

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 Zq8Lw_tpCfI UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 57:31 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86798 · mention_pk 225987

Click to watch at 57:31 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Positive

Pros

New version is supposedly pretty good
Looks nice

Cons

none

Thematic elements

The Moon

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

nice I played the expansion of after the Empire with a guy who it's his favorite game ever so that was that was a lot of fun
The implementation of the 'revealing thing' for the keys is frustrating and annoying.
The way to feed the key in is face up, but it should be face down.
everybody's just a jackass I mean you're basically just giving away all the food that we set aside for you
BGCon competes with the vendors because it's a good convention in my opinion
The older I get the more my calendar fills with funerals
You know that guy was making crystal meth by the way this is sort of like on the politics Spectrum
he survived the shooter was sentenced to 36 years in prison the man appeared seemingly out of nowhere and stood in front of our van and pulled out a gun aiming it right at us I yelled duck as The Gunshot rang out the guy shot he didn't even like oh that's c a lunatic
it's a buying crowd nobody plays games it's just a buying crowd

References (from this video)

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Video YYDMN20FRvE Heavy Cardboard Discussion at 8:39 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86646 · mention_pk 224908

Click to watch at 8:39 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Alternate Plant Deck — The host mentions revisiting Power Grid with the alternate plant deck.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

There's no way to be I I can't I can't even get people to tell me their schedule two weeks in advance so it's very much a week to week thing
I hold it to a higher level than that and so on the downside it doesn't allow us to stream games as quickly as I would like sometimes
if if if the expansion for oath were included in that I would I would put that above arcs okay wow okay
universally okay
don't I think it's great the way it is just get more maps which they're doing so honestly that's my answer
a reprint of ground floor would be great so I can get a copy of it

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video vuhe_iyrWkw UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 2:39:15

video_pk 86395 · mention_pk 223321

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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)

Forest Bower has a wonderful story it's not a story he has a wonderful story not much about how how he he struck at rich
I bought it at 11 bucks I woke up there at $72 and I thought I'd be cute I thought I'd be super cute and I was like yeah I'll hold on to this until the inauguration because surely it'll go up till then
that son of a biscuit had to have his wife launch her own shitcoin the next day day which plummeted the value of his coin which is fantastic
I made like 1,200 bucks or over two days which uh and like I was telling Scott like the only reason I only made 1,200 was because I didn't have more money to throw at it that very moment
Karcassonne Power Grid was 2004 Kis was 2000 uh Ticket to Ride is 2004 Kis was 2005 Twilight Struggle 2005
Dominion it's a good game because it's it's it's foundational right it's like how many games did did Dominion create right like just that mechanic of deck building or deck uh yeah deck building
Lords of water deep is a good game
Castles of Burgundy oh that's got to be in there at least in my opinion
I should probably kick it in I got an early morning
well next week I'll I'll be able to let it fly but I just couldn't too fresh too fresh

References (from this video)

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Video xtZmYl_S0Es Watch It Played Discussion at 2:16 sentiment: negative

video_pk 86348 · mention_pk 223062

Click to watch at 2:16 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

negative

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)

it's incredible it's fantastic I was super surprised by it it's really good
quadropolis is a game I'd love on there I love quadropolis
the tile placement game it's just one of those little perfect games
transform your TBL toop into a Galaxy at your fingertips in flickering Stars
flick your spaceship across the table
quirl quirl is a fantastic game I I truly love it

References (from this video)

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Video _wkOFjUlkPg Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews Top List at 21:51 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85884 · mention_pk 220956

Click to watch at 21:51 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Extremely Positive

Pros

Was an eye-opening introduction to hobby gaming.
Engaging economic gameplay.
Fun with different map variations.
Paper money adds to the experience.

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Powering electrical grids of cities

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

auction/bidding — Implied by buying power plants and resources.
network building — Use them in order to power the electrical grids to these cities.
Player Powers/Engine Building — The more cities you own, the more you have access to, the more power you able to provide.
Resource Management — You are trying to buy resources, buy power plants.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

So, you have to get rid of this engine you think you have going for you, but you don't because you have to get rid of something.
Coffee is how you run this whole game because it's the way you manipulate dice and change the pit.
We win this rarely, but it's still awesome.
She was able to tell us what everything said. I mean, you can kind of guess based on the pictures on it, but she was like, 'This is this, this is this, this is this.'
It was one of the first hobby games that I played where my eyes were just wide open just this is what games can be.
It's got paper money. It's got the paper. Get rid of that poker chips. It adds to the experience every time.
There's just another farmer in the game who means well but just messes you up the whole time.
Three Sisters is just such a solid game. It's such a great game.
It's not a mancala, but it gives you kind of mancala like the feelings as you're trying to map out where you need to be in the future rounds.
There's nothing hidden. There's no cards. There's no dice. There's nothing nothing random in the entire game.
I personally believe like I personally believe that Castles of Burgundy is kind of like an essential for a board gaming collection.
The artwork was so drab in the original that everybody was like, 'If you do a deluxe version, we will supply that.'
This is another one of those heavier, thinkier cooperative games. very very challenging.
So you have to keep on trying because each one of these is going to fail often.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video I74K9QFv5-s Heavy Cardboard Analysis at 1:18:22 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85914 · mention_pk 221104

Click to watch at 1:18:22 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Very positive; a well-loved classic, surprisingly popular as a spectator sport.

Pros

Not a surprise on the list.
Played a lot.
A surprise that its streams are well-attended and clamored for.
A very good spectator sport.
Great game.
Lots of drama.

Cons

One speaker was surprised by its popularity as a spectator sport.

Thematic elements

none

Comparison games

Age of Steam

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's Dominoes Ah
based on reviewing the Wikipedia for dominoes um that doesn't that seem that year seems wrong. That seems way late.
but anything that is like a Domino's game we would recognize doesn't occur until the very end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century.
and tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m., we're finishing up with Antiquity, which is pictured behind Ken's head over there.
Of our 402 games, only 13 are published before 1990.
So you got Spirit Island, you got Lizboa, you got Quest for Elorado, and 22 other games that are on one person's list.
2019, PAX Premiere, Crystal Palace, and 24 other games.
2015, Gallerist, Trickarion, Food Chain Magnate, 16 other games.
Brass, Birmingham, Obsession, Root.
John Company, sure. Weather Machine, Carnegi, 19 other games from 2022.
Age of steam. Age of steam, right? Yeah. Yeah. Obviously, right. Yeah.
Like trying to narrow it down is a hard thing when you when you have maybe the newer you are, the less hard that is.
there's going to be another one tomorrow where we go through tutorial number four of Atlantic Chase.
I might have a latest greatest version of Crossrox. I'm so excited about this game after hearing you guys talk about it.
Every game that you guys play, you're playing. It's oath.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video Lmna5_9KfVo Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews Top List at 13:28 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85594 · mention_pk 219736

Click to watch at 13:28 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Highly Positive

Pros

Plays wonderful at every player count
Higher player counts (4, 5, 6) are better
Many different maps available
Auctions shine with higher player counts
Great catch-up mechanism
Wonderful tension
Great at five players

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Providing power to different parts of the map
Power distribution/City powering

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Control — There's a little bit of area control going on as you're trying to be the one to be the first one to power cities, these cities.
Auction — There's an auction for [power plants] and the auctions really shine with the higher player counts.
catch-up mechanism — The further behind you are in like points and success, the better you're able to purchase things for.
Player order — The player order is one of the key features of this game because there's a really great um catch-up mechanism.
Resource Management — There's scarce resources, resources kind of populating out on the board. And again, those are bought in player order.
Route Building — The further out you are, the more you have to pay in terms of like connection routes, basically if you think about it like that.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

We've all had this scenario happen. You've got a game h game night planned. There's going to be you and three other friends. So a total of four of you are all going to play a game together. ... But what what happens? Somebody brings a friend with them and now all of a sudden you thought you were going to have a great strategy night, but now you got five players.
We have a list of 10 strategy games that you can pivot to when you thought you were going to have a four-player night, but now you're going to have a five player night.
These are all games that are kind of give that classic two to four player feel um with some twists that play well with five player counts.
Flash Point Fire Rescue is a cooperative game.
It is a really cool tense firefighting game where you get a chance to all have different roles trying to put out this fire.
Power Grid.
This plays wonderful at every player count, but I would argue that the four, five, and six players. The higher the better.
The player order is one of the key features of this game because there's a really great um catch-up mechanism.
It is the number one game that we recommend for five players when you were thinking you were only going to play with four players.

References (from this video)

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Video dkViBAwawoY The Brothers Murph Top List at 3:57 sentiment: positive

video_pk 84712 · mention_pk 215563

Click to watch at 3:57 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Was so happily surprised by its weight level and cool strategy to explore.

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)

Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization is the engine builder to end all engine builders.
In Twilight Struggle, one of the more interesting times in history is played out. And I love that each card is a real event that happened.
Gaia Project built on Terrammystica and perfected the form. It's the best one.
Gloom Haven: Jaws of the Lion has the best tutorial system I have ever seen in a game, and I think it legitimately creates new board gamers constantly because of the way they make it so approachable.
Each Spirit in Spirit Island can be played over and over as you learn how to master their abilities, and there are so much content in the box. It also just plays amazing solo.
Dune Imperium Uprising took Dune Imperium to a whole new level of scale and scope, and it's got them worms.
It's impossible to have a bad time playing Star Wars Rebellion, especially if you love Star Wars. Okay, mostly only if you love Star Wars, but it's really fun. It's Lord of the Rings in a box, and it's perfect.
For a solid like 6 years, Terraforming Mars was absolutely the king of the board game hobby. Unreal staying power.
Dune Imperium uses art based on the movies, but it doesn't feel at all like a movie tie-in cash grab.
The scale and epic stories that come out of Twilight Imperium fourth edition make it everlasting. Every time you play, you get a permanent memory and story. It's truly impressive.
The sheer amount of content in Gloom Haven and the card play makes this dungeon crawler a Eurogamer's delight.
Ark Nova takes Terraforming Mars' cardplay in Civilization's action card mechanisms and put it into a theme we're just way more interested in. just the absolute pinnacle of mashing up mechanisms into a masterpiece.
Pandemic Legacy Season 1 has deserved every single ounce of acclaim and accolades it's received over the years. It was an absolute phenomena when it came out.
I don't want to say anything nice about this game. I don't want to say anything nice about this game. I don't like this game though.
Fine. Fine.
Brass Birmingham is objectively a board game. Done. Easy. That was nice. Words that are written.
Brass rhymes with ass. Got him. You're done.
Brass Birmingham has one of the best examples of positive player interaction and a game I'd actually seek out to play for a player. Was that so hard?
So, that was one nice thing about every single game in the Board Game Geek top 100. Many games that we actually don't even really like, but there's always something nice to say. Exactly.
Just engage.
We had a lot of fun making it.

References (from this video)

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Video kV3t_oH6Ea4 Heavy Cardboard Discussion at 17:20

video_pk 83797 · mention_pk 211945

Click to watch at 17:20 · 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)

So, we're going super cash today.
We are going to see.
So, you get that back this way.
All right. So, uh, Robert came up with a cool little trick.
So, mine is slowly ticking down to below 20 seconds and it should be similar for you all if you want.
So, my delay for what I'm looking at here is about 15 seconds.
So, we're not going to do anything like no top down cameras.
And before I did, I wanted to kind of clean up the table this way when I come back.
So, we've been running tests for the last couple hours, me and the patrons, but I was like, 'Hey, why don't I just go live?'
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
So many pixels.
So, T-Ball says, 'I've always found it difficult to tell the difference between 2K and 4K.'
It's about 2K difference.
And it is it is a massive undertaking to be able to stream at 4K, especially with six cameras.
So, here's my question for y'all watching.
So, thanks for being my little lab rats.
But also in the end it benefits y'all.
Okay. All right.
So, I will certainly send Jess uh everyone's best.
T-ball says, 'The recent stream of Aegis Steam looked fantastic.'
So, I thought so, but however, uh there uh I had a viewer point out the fact that even if I'm able to stream at 2K or 4K, which obviously I can, not everybody can receive it in that.
So, therefore, they still I I'm still going to make use of the PTZ cams.
So, Diffy brings up a really good point.
Also, the the difference between 4K and 2K is much smaller.
Diminishing returns, right?
So, if you drop down from 4K to 2K, you notice a difference, but it's pretty minimal.
Where you're really going to notice the difference, and again, I didn't turn on the overhead cuz that's not what today is about.
So, the biggest difference in my testing is going from 720 to 1080.
That is the most significant difference.
That jump up.
Then the jump up from 1080 to to 2K is noticeable but not dramatic.
And same from 2K to 4K.
Noticeable but not absolutely dramatic.
So, on my end, just to kind of since this is kind of a test slash, you know, kind of how the sausage is made to some degree for the public.
So, I've worked hard to get it that way.
But my point is if on your end you're able to see how many drop frames and how stable your connection is.
So for instance, I am broadcasting on the main new super high-end computer that we built here for the studio.
What I am watching it on is on the old PC which there's a reason it got replaced.
So, Just again trying to give context.
Plus you all get to play around and look at some of the numbers that we've been messing not messing with but um using to troubleshoot.
So, Salt Pestian said, 'I think it's awesome you can stream in 4K, but I also hope this doesn't mean you're always going to be zoomed out.'
It doesn't.
Still going to use the PTZs.
I got them for a reason.
Don't worry about that.
So, rest assured the like nothing negative.
The goal of this is only to continue to evolve and and get better and everything you're used to is going to continue.
It's just a matter of upping the quality.
So, the PTZs and all that stuff, uh, those are going to be in use.
Uh, we currently have two.
I am working I'm using one of them on most streams.
I will eventually integrate the second one as well.
It's a process and it it it requires more up here for me.
So, I'm I'm gradually working my way up to that.
But don't worry the the zooming in and the PTZs and all that stuff that is still going to live.
So, rest assured on that.
So, Bob says, 'Even at 4K, assuming I'm actually getting 4K, I couldn't read that, but it's close.'
So, all right.
But that's the difference.
That's really what it's going to come into where where things are going to come into play a little bit more.
This would be a little bit easier.
Like you can pretty easily read those numbers I reckon at 4K, right?
So, so yeah, that's that's all we're working on is because we focus on medium and heavy strategy games here at Heavy Cardboard, upping the quality is going to allow y'all that are capable of being able to receive the 4K is you're just going to be able to see and read things better and it's just going to make for that much better of a presentation.
So it that that's all it is.
It's just prettier and easier and and more user friendly in that regard.
That's all.
That's all it is really.
Well, the reason 1080 is going to be crisper than it was in the in the old studio is um
A lot of money went into these cameras.
That's why the cameras have been upgraded.
Cameras and lenses.
So, that's how this looks, right?
So, um, Diffy says, 'The only problem is going back to the old streams.'
I get it and we're aware of that.
And so, what that means is we're going to revisit games.
I mean, I don't know, three, four streams a week.
Do the math.
As always, we're going to mix and match old with new.
Like Friday, we're doing Sweet Lands.
That I I would categorize that in the new category.
Uh, last night we did Power Grid.
That'd be in the old category.
So, yeah, I think y'all can rest assured that it's going to be a a a really good mix.
I I feel very comfortable with where we're at in general on the streams with the mixing of old and new.
So, it seems that nobody is having here.
Let let's just pause the the the chat for a moment here.
And for anybody that's having any kind of issues, like chime in, speak up, let me know what they are.
But it seems as of now everything's going pretty all right for y'all.
That's awesome.
Obviously, I didn't turn on any of the lights behind me other than the uh Ow, don't do that.
The Edison bulbs.
I think those fill that space pretty well.
Don't mind the box over here on the edge of the table here.
But well, that that's encouraging.
I like that.
The lighter says everything looks and sounds perfect.
The sound is so good.
So good.
I appreciate that. Thank you.
Um, the everything has been a it's been it's been a lot, but so it's good to hear that the work's paying off.
I'm glad to hear that.
Max says, 'I'm pretty ecstatic for you, Edward. Really deserve this. Best board game content creator, hands down.'
I appreciate it.
Now, now if we can just get the numbers bigger, that'd be awesome.
That'd be cool.
But I think that'll come in time.
Uh, the quality, I think, is is there.
So, I think we'll get there.
I appreciate that though, Zack.
Did I say Zack?
Really Max?
My bad.
Thank you, Rob. I appreciate that.
By the way, Rob is in work with new merch uh for for Heavy Cardboard.
So, that that is going to be coming.
Uh, hopefully by the end of the year we'll have something for y'all.
Um, and that'll be a constantly evolving process of what's available and that.
So, the salt pest say other than having to swap a new stream link at the start of every stream everything looks great.
Well, that's what today's troubleshooting uh behind the scenes was.
And I think we finally eliminated or found the culprits.
There are potentially six six gotcha points in the process of setting up and starting streams that can cause issues.
And I think I've caught all of them.
Knock on wood.
I think so.
It's now a much more involved process to stream honestly.
But once the stream is actually going, uh, today was kind of a a test to see, hey, is this going to work?
Um, and and so yeah, so far so good.
All right, John. Maybe maybe it's a New England thing.
So the glory to Rome board, it exists over there.
It's too big for the shelves.
So the previous shelf didn't had a didn't have a lid lid or other shelves on top of it.
So uh Greg is aware of this.
He is the creator of the Glory to Rome board.
And so he he has the dimensions and it will it will make an appearance when it's ready.
Okay.
That's crazy.
Okay, that's a little disturbing.
Ian says 4K has so many pixels I can zoom in on my phone and read the monitor and the reflection in your glasses.
I might have to start wearing different glasses.
Chip says, 'Part of me wants to say 'relax, it's good enough.'
Then I watch other streamers with the shadows, the bad sound, the player boards that are always offscreen.
I realize I've been spoiled.'
I You know what? I will not disparage any other content creator, period. The end.
Um, you know what? It's a lot of work doing this.
And I I am happy for other people to be in the the content creation space.
You know what? It's a lot of work.
I get it.
So if if somebody wants to put in the effort, regardless of who that may be,
Hey NB, I I've seen your messages.
Now that now that I'm getting the the the studio squared away, uh, I'll be reaching out to Rachel.
So, thank you.
Um, I'm hoping and I I'm not trying to put you on the spot, but I'm going Whenever somebody says, 'I don't mean to.'
Yeah, they do.
That's exactly what they're about to do.
They're about to do the thing they say they don't mean to do.
So, I'm not going to lie to you, NB.
I'm going to totally put you on the spot.
Uh, here at the table, we have we have we have six chairs and off camera at the end of the table.
I'm just saying there's a there's a chair with your name on it.
If you want to come up and when we stream, I would love to have you in the studio for that.
Just throwing that out there.
By the way, uh, non-breaking space, NB, um, designer of Cross Bronx Expressway and a number of other upcoming games.
Isn't it nice to have a real challenge to make you feel real satisfaction?
Didn't need to be that big a challenge, though, Chip.
I'm just saying.
I will take care of that salt.
Thank you.
Martin says, 'The Glory to Rome board suffering from exhaustion due to all the glory to Romes Edward uttered during setting up the new studio.'
So the patrons saw a lot of the uh a lot of the behind the scenes on a near not exact but near daily basis.
The amount of this that this process has had has been enormous.
At some point it'll be funny.
It's not there yet.
Little fresh.
NB says let's do it in December.
You name it, dude.
It's on.
Awesome.
I'm here for it.
Yeah.
Oh, Max, it's your chair when NB is not here.
Oh, this feels good.
All right.
So, while we're while we're chitchatting, I'm actually going to do the thing that I was going to do here, which is try and clean this up.
But feel free chat chat away.
Uh, I am excited at that prospect.
MB, I would love to have you here in studio.
That'd be awesome.
So yeah, just cleaning up Power Grid from last night.
By the way, how many of y'all have watched last night's stream of Power Grid?
I thought that was that was pretty epic.
The the turnaround and the just the the the way the game played out and everything.
Pretty awesome.
I was very pleased at how that turned out.
Let's put it that way.
Uh, Ian says, 'We focus on the studio side, but are you feeling settled into your new home?'
No.
The priority has been to get this space ready.
And it's still not finished.
There's a lot of stuff that you guys will never see, like tying up some of the cables that are up through here and a little bit of just refinement.
But there's still a fair bit up and around and with the background and all that that I want to finish.
But the focus has been getting this space ready.
And now that this space is ready, I'm going to be able to do things in the rest of the of the studio here that will make it way more way more comfortable.
Um, it's just not there yet.
But that's okay.
The priority is here.
And doing I mean this week we're only streaming twice tonight not with or today notwithstanding cuz this is kind of a really informal thing but last night's Power Grid and Friday's Sweet Lands like this weekend I don't really have a whole lot going on.
Now if we have a game day during the day on Saturday cool but if we don't the entire weekend is going to be spent trying to organize this place a little bit and it's going to take more than a weekend.
But yeah, that'll that'll certainly help get settled, get me settled.
And the other thing, if you're not a patron, you don't really know about this, but up there is a whole second studio we're setting up.
And by we, I mean me, and I guess Lincoln watches me set it up.
But that is going to be where we do these things.
There's not going to be a lot of that down here because this is cool.
Don't get me wrong.
I it's comfortable.
I'm in a comfortable chair.
I think the background's all right and the camera is great, but I want to be a little bit more intimate whenever we do Ask the Elephants or top 10s or whatever stuff.
So, I'm going to be doing all that in the other studio.
I still got to come up with a good name for the the talking studio.
But that is basically whenever I don't need the overheads and everything.
I'm going to do stuff up there with it.
But as it is right now, that's still a work in progress, but it's there.
The background's there.
The chair is there.
The the monitor.
Um, I still got to go buy a new laptop to be able to do it, but we're not far from being able to do that.
So, uh, definitely I'm thinking by the by the new year we should be doing the second be able to have the second studio.
And once that's done, um, that tells me this whole place is just about settled.
So, by the end of the year should be golden.
I appreciate you asking.
The end that was really nice.
Yeah. Oh, Max, it's your chair when NB is not here.
All right. So, while we're while we're chitchatting, I'm actually going to do the thing that I was going to do here, which is try and clean this up.
Yeah. Oh, Max, it's your chair when
I generally think that I tend to lean more towards Oath than Arcs as far as at least with arcs in the campaign game. That's not my favorite way to play the game because I think it's a little too Calvin ball as Kyle says for the third chapter and it's just the rules get in the way too much.
But even then, Oath isn't my favorite go-to. But I like them both quite a bit.
But I think I lean a little bit more towards Oath than Arcs.
So, um, historically games are streamed on heavy cardboard one of three ways. Edward wants to stream it, that's one. One of the loco group wants to stream it too. or paid sponsored uh streams by the publishers. That's three. Now, patrons also get a say in this as well.
And that is 1817.
So they they legitimately just straight up said, "Hey, can I go ahead and pay to get a a game streamed and the idea like had been floated in my head previously to allow something like that like non-publishers to be able to, hey, I really want this older game or this other game that you haven't streamed or to reream or whatever and to make it a priority."
Have I played Twilight Imperium? We have. We have not done it on the channel though.
Could we stream Twilight Imperium? It's not a priority at this moment, but yes, that is something that we could possibly do.
So, hey, 4K is doable, y'all. Uh, I didn't hear, outside of the delay, I didn't hear any issues from y'all as far as any negative results with a higher bit rate, which is really, really exciting.
We're going to be playing Sweetlands. I'm looking forward to that.
My goal is to get it as good as anything else that you're going to hear, whether it's in the board game content space or outside of it.

References (from this video)

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Video mUX_t5T4AJI Heavy Cardboard Playthrough at 4:44:00 sentiment: positive

video_pk 83815 · mention_pk 212076

Click to watch at 4:44:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

The map layout is interesting and offers different strategic approaches.
The mixed power plant decks add variability and replayability.
The game provides a dynamic and engaging player experience.
The game is enjoyable for both players and spectators.

Cons

The mixed decks can lead to chaotic and swingy gameplay.
Some players might not enjoy the increased randomness.

Thematic elements

Power grid management in Quebec
Quebec

Comparison games

Age of Steam

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — Players bid on power plants to add them to their grid.
market fluctuation — The prices of resources and power plants change based on player actions and card draws.
network building — Players build connections between cities to expand their power grid.
Resource Management — Players manage money and resources (coal, oil, trash, uranium, wind) to power plants and build networks.
Set Collection — Players aim to collect sets of cities of the same color to increase their power generation.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

This was super dynamic.
I like it. I think it adds a little little spice that, you know, Power Grid doesn't normally have.
I enjoyed it. This was super dynamic.
The maps don't really have as much impact in Power Grid as they do in Age of Steam for the system games that we tend to play.
I like that the variability is there. Uh, there's a couple of ways you can set up the decks by the way if you're going to mix them.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video EzyPn3aMjbE Watch It Played Discussion at 1:49 sentiment: positive

video_pk 83780 · mention_pk 211798

Click to watch at 1:49 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Great at six players
Masterpiece of mathematics
Love auctions

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auctions — Mentioned as a core element that the host loves.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I very rarely very rarely want to play the big old Euro at the full six player count.
Power Grid is the game that's so popular, so successful, but still feels like an underdog when compared to other games.
The auction here is very tense at six players.
Cursed Court is a fantastic betting game that really shines at higher player counts.
Lifeboats. H you want to play a game with six friends but you don't necessarily want six friends at the end of it.
Zu Vardis, that's a fantastic game where everyone's trying to help each other get to the top of the board, the zoo in Zuardis. But you also want to be the person who gets to the very top the first.
The jazzy pattern, which doesn't always make for great cognition of a board and what the heck is going on.
It's an incredibly dark board. I think they reprinted it with a lighter board, just they already did this. It's like no one can This is very dark. No one can see what's happening.
I did learn that if you mix red wine and white wine together, that's how you make rosé. That's fact according to Viticulture.
the main thing that I've learned from games is that little insight into different worlds all around the world and beyond because of board games.
I've learned that from board games. And while I can't say I've learned a bunch of hard facts, I think board games have kind of opened up the world to me a little bit from my table.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video c0UZHFSz4WE Board Gaming Ramblings Top List at 13:20 sentiment: positive

video_pk 80878 · mention_pk 198559

Click to watch at 13:20 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Shines at higher player counts.
Simple rule set.
High tension.
Plain fun game.

Cons

Can take three and a half hours with six players.
Requires significant money management.

Thematic elements

Building power plants and networks

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — You are using in auctions to bid on different power plants.
network building — And also you have the board where you're trying to build the houses and cities that need the electricity that you want to.
Resource Management — You also need to buy the actual resources you need unless you're going for like the green energy like wind energy and stuff like that.
Turn order manipulation — Depending on where you are in the player order, the prices will go up if it is a high demand on that kind of resource.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

And you are watching Board Gaming Rambling.
So today, we are taking a look at 10 games that are great with five players.
The reason is because we wanted to. Yeah, just because it we did it was fun this time to do it.
And this is a bit unusual because usually when we make top 10 list, we make each list we make that's not a sentence. We make our own list. And this time somebody else made a list. It's someone It's Bob. Bob made a list. No, we have a joint top 10 this time.
I feel like the pool of games I would put into this list is way smaller than for example if we did top 10 heavy games or top 10 worker placement games.
Because if we play three players, I don't care if it's a multiplayer solitaire game. But if you're five people, I need to be also more engaged in when the other players have their turn, which then interaction is a big part of that.
And there is like a tendency from newer Eurogames to have less interaction than older Eurogames. That that be a topic that would be interesting to talk about in the future.

References (from this video)

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Video nr3eyRXZ1Rc Board Game Critique Top List at 15:01 sentiment: positive

video_pk 80202 · mention_pk 194786

Click to watch at 15:01 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Vicious, especially at five players.
Clear increase in pressure at five.
Decisions feel personal and harmful.
Becomes an economy under stress at five.
Turn order has dramatic consequences.
Highlights both efficiency and fragility.
Makes reasonable decisions feel like betrayal.

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Building and running a power network
Cities and power infrastructure

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — Players bid on power plants.
Market Economics — Players buy resources (coal, oil, uranium) to run power plants.
network building — Spreading infrastructure across a map of cities.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Five players gives them the exact amount of tension they seem to need.
Every alliance has to think not only about what it gains, but about what it's accidentally giving the outsider.
At five, there are enough minds at the table for bluffing to become a real art form.
The fifth player looks under control. And then one mandate later, the whole thing shatters.
With Five, the diplomacy stops being a side feature and becomes the game's heartbeat.
At five, when the company stumbles, it's rarely one player's fault in a neat way. It's usually the accumulated result of half a dozen self-interested little compromises.
Five gives the game enough voices to feel like politics rather than bargaining.
The table pushes back.
The friction [in John Company] sings.
At five, there are enough possible relationships and enough normal mistakes that doubt has room to grow.
At five, those explanations coexist long enough for paranoia to become fun.
With five players, there are multiple plausible suspects, which makes that conversation dramatically better.
The game feels like a desperate, barely coordinated crew trying to survive catastrophe.
That balance is what makes Five so strong.
If you throw me in the brig, you are handing the game to the monsters.
And five is where the table starts to feel like a real pirate crew.
Five gives you enough energy for that without burying individual characters.
The next scene feels less like what action do we take and more like, what kind of crew are we becoming?
Five makes the game feel like an ensemble

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video KWXYh22-R8E Review at 5:48 sentiment: positive

video_pk 72650 · mention_pk 172019

Click to watch at 5:48 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Strategic depth
Engaging economic decisions
Satisfying engine building
Replayability through different maps and power plant availability
Good for people who like math and strategic planning
Can be a skill-based game where leading from the front is possible

Cons

Can feel slow in the later stages for some players
Early game can be punishing if players don't grasp the valuation
Lack of direct player interaction can be a drawback for some
The math involved can be intimidating for new players

Thematic elements

Power plant management and city expansion
Industrial era

Comparison games

Age of Steam
18xx games
Brass: Birmingham
Inventors
Dominant Species
Terra Mystica
Twilight Imperium
Power Grid: Outpost

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — Power plants are acquired through an auction system where players bid against each other.
Hand Management — Players manage their hand of power plants, with a limit of three active plants.
Resource Management — Players buy and manage different types of resources (coal, oil, trash, uranium) to power their plants.
Route Building — Players build connections between cities to expand their power network.
Set Collection — While not the primary focus, collecting sets of power plant types can be beneficial.
turn order track — Player order is determined by various factors, primarily the number of cities built, and is dynamic throughout the game.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Mechanically it's it's brain bending because of the way value works
Money games I very rarely do the hard calculations even as someone who's so my engineering degree that you love to bring up yes I rarely ever do it
I always agree to sit down to play game of power grid and then when I'm done I'll be like why did I sit down
It is very much a skill game and I made mistakes early
I love this game I hated it early on
The maps the game is the order of the power plants and the order in which those come out that is the game
I don't have the deck memory none of that and you can still enjoy it without getting to that level
The one thing that sort of sour me is when you're I mean and yes you manipulated the turn order 100% that's 25 25 like that that was gross that's not fair
It's not just oh I pay you paid 25 for 25 and I'm like okay I can see that that's important for you because that's a Fiverr which is important for the end game you got it instantly it runs relatively cheaply onto coal right the coal Market was competitive but you had good money the whole time all you had to do is build the cities up and keep that pumped with two coal I like but then when I paid overpaid for the 50 right probably with like 84 you did not overpay if it goes one more round yeah that's fair
I don't have the knowledge of the deck I know 50 is a free six yeah okay there's some sevens out there I know there are a couple of and I don't know how many there might be two or three I don't know how many but my point is I have no idea I don't and so for a maybe I'm not that good at this game I'm not saying I'm an expert at this by any stretch but my point is I feel like I'm at least competitive and I don't have I'm not mathing everything I don't have the deck memory none of that and you can still enjoy it without getting to that level
The one thing that sort of sour me is when you're I mean and yes
money is simply a tool in this game
I don't math it out that close
this is strategically deep because of the way value works
I love power grid but I hated it early on
The maps you could just honestly and look I know this isn't great for Rio Grande but you could just play the base two maps and just get the alternate deck and you got 50 plays right there
It's not a perfect information game and that can still be surprises
I made mistakes early
The one trash that I bought for literally no reason is the difference in the game
This is a skill game
I'm the only one that I think saw that maybe when you say since there's there's at the moment of the auction there's no randomness
I hate all of you right now
This is how we play the game
the value of this plant depends whether we go one or two more rounds
This is a lot of money but he's already out
I hate it
I don't know what I was doing
I can't risk that
I can't risk that Ken has maybe uh I can't risk that Ken sees something that I don't or I can't or he sees the same thing I do
I'm planning on ending the round
I don't want to put in $200 because I can't risk that the card that comes up is not the one I need
The maps have less impact than in games like Age of Steam
I don't know why I lost the game I don't know why you guys won and I don't know why I lost and I've played probably about 10 games of Power Grid and I have like no idea

References (from this video)

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Video T_kqs2nLqJo Review at 0:00 sentiment: negative

video_pk 70466 · mention_pk 167456

Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

negative

Pros

Strategic blocking is enjoyable for those who like it.
The economy is malleable and can be manipulated.
The game doesn't necessarily come down to who has the most cities connected.
The game was likely very good and rated highly for its time.
Some players, like the host's daughter, enjoy the economic and number-crunching aspects.

Cons

The game is visually ugly with a 'filmy grime' and 'soot' aesthetic.
Thematic resources are 'dirty and gross' (garbage, coal, oil, uranium).
The iconography is not good, with confusing color/icon pairings.
The rulebook is text-dense, hard to navigate, poorly translated, and lacks crucial information on the board.
The game phases are fussy and the turn order can be complex.
The game is math-intensive, requiring calculators by the end, which can be uncomfortable.
There's a risk of 'math mockery' for players who struggle with arithmetic.
The game feels dated compared to modern productions.
The original German title 'Funkenschlag' is not localized well on the board (e.g., plug/socket imagery).

Thematic elements

Rival electric companies competing to provide electricity to cities
1950s industrial era

Comparison games

Ticket to Ride
Dungeon Pets

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — Players can bid on power plants, with the risk of driving up prices for themselves or ending up with something they don't want. There's also a mechanic where the last player to bid can take an item at face value.
Market manipulation — Players can buy resources to deplete the market and make them scarce for opponents.
Resource Management — Players need to acquire resources like coal, oil, garbage, and uranium to power their plants and connect cities.
Route Building — Players connect cities on the board by paying for connections between them.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

power grid is a board game where you and your friends play rival electric companies competing to provide juice on the grid to every city in the country by burning fossil fuels uranium and trash
this game is ugly
it's gross it's gross i don't want to look at it i don't want to be here
the resources are gross thematically but they even look gross
the iconography is not very good at all
i'd rather have my head on the game not nosing through the rules all the time
this game is all math all the time
power grid opens you up to mockery of the worst kind math mockery
power grid isn't fun
it's kind of like when movie critics laud this old movie and they say oh my gosh it was ahead of its time it's amazing and you sit down and watch it and you say yeah i can see why that movie is impressive for 1939

References (from this video)

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Video JfvCc9uGN-U Meeple University Rules Teach

video_pk 70151 · mention_pk 167052

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

none

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Power Grid is played in three steps
Power Grid is to a large extent an economic game
the end of the game is triggered when one player builds a number of cities equal to this row in the table

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video JfvCc9uGN-U Meeple University Rules Teach at 0:10 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 70151 · mention_pk 244518

Click to watch at 0:10 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

Clear step-by-step rules explanation for Power Grid
Includes tips and strategies for players

Cons

none

Thematic elements

building power networks to supply cities
electricity market with power plants and cities

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction / Bidding — Players bid on power plants in an auction; opening bid equals plant number; market consists of 8 plants with a top half for sale and a bottom 'future' market.
Auction for power plants — Players bid on power plants in an auction; opening bid equals plant number; market consists of 8 plants with a top half for sale and a bottom 'future' market.
Building power grid — Players build houses in cities connected by grid lines, paying costs based on sector, with limits on houses per city; later rounds allow more builds per city.
Bureaucracy scoring — At the end of each round, players power houses and earn money based on a table; costs and diminishing returns for powering more houses.
Grid Building — Players build houses in cities connected by grid lines, paying costs based on sector, with limits on houses per city; later rounds allow more builds per city.
Power plant management — Maximum number of power plants owned, and rules to discard when upgrading; power plants are managed via a deck and market reshuffle.
Resource (fuel) market — Players buy coal, oil, garbage, and uranium from a fuel market in reverse turn order; fuel is consumed to power plants and has storage capacity limits.
Resource Management — Players buy coal, oil, garbage, and uranium from a fuel market in reverse turn order; fuel is consumed to power plants and has storage capacity limits.
Turn order based on power and houses — Each round's turn order is determined by how many houses a player built, with tie-breakers based on power plant highest numbers; some phases run in reverse order.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Power Grid is played in three steps
Power Grid is to a large extent an economic game
the end of the game is triggered when one player builds a number of cities equal to this row in the table

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video pQ348fP-a-s Top List at 3:19 sentiment: positive

video_pk 69728 · mention_pk 166406

Click to watch at 3:19 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

So good that a flaw can be forgiven

Cons

Have to section off a region regardless of player count

Thematic elements

Power station control and resource management

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — bidden in an auction to gain control of different Power stations
network building — link different cities together so that you can provide power through your stations
Resource Management — convert different types of resources into energy

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

if you don't like top 100s then you may as well go and sit in a Walkin freezer a
splotter have got a reputation for producing games that look like [___] but they actually play really really well
power grid is essentially a train game but I'm glad that it isn't because I [___] hate trains
Vinhos is one of the greatest Cold War Games ever made nobody ever speaks to this game
this is a real backstabbing game cuz there's a mechanism in this game that lets you remove your opponent's cubes from the map
if you love Ron's yeah Shipyard has them in spades it's just a fantastic Euro game experience
as a roll and move racing game this is one of the best year
one of the most infuriating games that we have ever played
Robinson Crusoe is an example of when Portal Games used to make stunning titles over the years their offerings have seemed to become more and more disappointing but this it's like a Beacon of Hope

References (from this video)

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Video g4-pd62FWKI Discussion at 0:53 sentiment: positive

video_pk 69249 · mention_pk 165663

Click to watch at 0:53 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

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)

I really just enjoyed my time there I started daily chatting in the ston me Discord which I can't praise enough that place is great
Carol was always right because I I loved doing it
I've been able to collect every stone Meer game
as a strong thematic and component gamer I'm always very happy and excited to see what's coming and to play and get my hands on them

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video mNO0-gOgo3s Playthrough at 5:52 sentiment: positive

video_pk 69188 · mention_pk 165563

Click to watch at 5:52 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

The game is considered phenomenal with strategic depth.
Turn order matters significantly and can be manipulated.
The fluctuating resource market adds excitement.
Auctions are a fun and engaging part of the game.
The new power plants add welcome variety and spice.
The Germany map is described as tight and challenging.
Every decision matters, contributing to high replayability.

Cons

The math can be a bit much at times, but is calculable.
Some players find certain turns or decisions frustrating when plans don't work out.

Thematic elements

Power plant management and resource acquisition
Germany

Comparison games

Age of Steam
Concordia

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — Players bid on power plants, with the lowest bid being one, and the auction system dictates turn order in subsequent rounds.
Engine Building — Players upgrade their power plants to generate more income and power more cities, creating a progressively stronger economic engine.
Hand Management — Players manage their hand of power plants and resources to optimize their turns and build strategy.
market fluctuation — The prices of resources change dynamically throughout the game, requiring players to adapt their strategies.
network building — Players build power stations in cities on the map, connecting them to expand their reach and power cities.
Resource Management — Players must acquire coal, oil, uranium, and garbage based on the available power plants, with resource availability and cost fluctuating.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

This game is phenomenal.
Turn order matters.
The math is a little much sometimes, but I don't I'm not down on that at all.
The way the market fluctuates is really fun.
Anytime there's an auction, I enjoy that.
The Germany map is just harder.
This is just such a good game.
Every decision matters.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video TrwkNt9rwMw Watch It Played Live Chat at 43:00 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 68670 · mention_pk 248041

Click to watch at 43:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

didn't dislike it

Cons

a bit more of a thinky Euro style game
not always fun to watch playthroughs

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)

if you haven't watched the gameplay yet and you plan to then stop watching
we won just at the last minute on the last thing we couldn't have anything else go wrong
Steve we're on you yeah we're on you Steve
who cares if a tiny Kingdom get it's just tin one tiny Kingdom what's the who cares if it burns
I don't like to use my platform to share opinions of games
you want to just stick a GoPro on my forehead I'll do whatever
I did promise that I would do Arkham Horror eventually
I don't review things Tom can do that he can say whatever he wants about whatever game he wants because it's his opinion
I don't think you want to send your family we have not attended the Asylum as a family and we are not going to play Arkham horror probably as a family either
I only do games I like at least somewhat I don't have to love the game I have to like it somewhat
my mom always said don't talk to strangers
people don't just get an accent though like you just got an accent well I mean maybe I'm normally hiding it
you're really about it's about sort of betting do I have what I think I have
Watch It Played has eaten my life and I love it I love that it has eaten my life this is what I want to be doing
I don't want to make supporting our show be similar to your electric bill
I hope it still exists not to beat this drum too loudly or too often but I mean it will come down to the fundraisers honestly
my my what I want to do is I want the show to be something that I retain control of I get to play the games I want to play work with the Publishers I want to work with
I would love to have a dedicated Studio I'm in my basement right now it's unfinished it's pretty good I'm pretty happy with where it is now but I I I could be happier
Pep should get his own segment on watch it play Pep's Pep's play period make it happy Rodney you're holy back
this is what I want to be doing I find the work people sometimes say oh you must have so much fun when I'm staring down the barrel of 15 hours of shooting an instructional video I'm not sitting there going wow this is fun but is intensely satisfying

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video y8mARLJrkUg Review at 1:03 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 67417 · mention_pk 163540

Click to watch at 1:03 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Variable connection costs add replayability.
Simplified resource management.
Shelter/power plant slot system creates a different land grab dynamic.
Technologies add interesting twists.
A different take on Power Grid that some may enjoy.
Can be played standalone.

Cons

Fonts are whimsical but hard to read.
Clunky rulebook.
Whimsical art style detracts from usability.
Simplified resources remove an element some enjoy.
Arguably more fiddly with three building types.
Feels like a lesser version of Power Grid for some.
Tendency for some players to be inactive or fall behind.
Map is on a moon with no basis in reality.
Some players trapped themselves on the map due to connection costs.

Thematic elements

Expanding the Power Grid experience
A unique new planet/moon

Comparison games

Power Grid

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Control — Players build structures on the board to claim territory and expand their network.
Auction — Power plants are acquired through auctions, with randomized connection costs adding variability.
Resource Management — The game features a single resource (workers/Soylent green) that players manage to power plants and shelters.
Set Collection — While not explicitly stated as 'set collection,' the acquisition of specific power plants and shelters to optimize a player's engine is a key aspect.
Tableau Building — Players build up their player board with power plants and shelters to house workers and generate power.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

The fonts that are out here for down here at the bottom. Uh they make seeing in reading a struggle.
It's human meat.
So, uh the the workers are going to live in one of two places.
The player board is another big McGuffin.
The robots are are giving Cyberman vibes.
The rule book is amazing, isn't it?
The rule book sucks.
I I I do like this game. Um I think it's a it's a it's it gives you a different it gives you different things to think about in terms of in terms of Power Grid.
The variable connection costs I I I I think yeah, it it does mean that maybe it's life less less of like, 'Oh, everybody should like the one person's going to start in this city.'
The fonts, horrible choice. Yeah.
I don't think it's more enjoyable. The stuff that it takes out, the resources and the resource market effectively, it makes it arguably more fiddly with the three different buildings.
It's Power Grid stretched to a point to where it feels like Power Grid, but it feels like a lesser version of Power Grid for me.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video j4EXjDSJqRo Analysis at 3:14 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 67337 · mention_pk 163366

Click to watch at 3:14 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

Puerto Rico

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

put if you're going to put terraforming Mars, why don't you put Everddale, okay?
Or Wingspan, okay? Uh why not Wingspan? Why not Wingspan more than terraforming Mars?
for sale. I mean, really.
Acquire makes sense.
you know I'll even you know Magic makes sense.
if if you're talking about Grail Games, you have to talk all Arkham Horror.
the third edition really wasn't, you know, I mean, maybe that hurts.
all these other games that were spawned out of this universe was was was because of Arkham Horror and the popularity of it.
I hate taking it out of the box because I think it's such a classic.
Maybe, you know, it just it bewilders me.
This is just my opinion. and I would love to hear your opinion as well.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video XEiul89jNLg Top List at 35:00 sentiment: positive

video_pk 66604 · mention_pk 162304

Click to watch at 35:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Offers surprising depth and unexpected moments
Highly competitive and strategic gameplay
Engaging bidding and market manipulation mechanics
Can lead to fascinating endgame scenarios and comeback victories

Cons

Can be humbling when a dominant position is lost due to strategic play or game end conditions
Requires careful resource management and market prediction
Players can be blocked from building by opponents taking all available spots

Thematic elements

Power plant management and city power supply
Industrialized world

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

auction/bidding — Players bid on power plants and other resources.
Market Simulation — The game simulates a market where resource availability and cost fluctuate.
Modular Board — Different maps, like the Germany map, offer varied gameplay.
network building — Players build power lines to connect cities.
Resource Management — Managing money and resources (coal, oil, garbage, uranium) is key.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It really is like one of the best bang for your buck experiences.
This game, as we're going into the Midworn stuff, in my mind, I'm thinking this could be play of the year.
It is I am just playing this unbelievable experience.
Um, so it's these types of systems, you know, I think of a Yellow and Yang some of these where there's like just some really interesting interconnected pieces that you can get a moment that you're like, I didn't even know this could happen.
So, so first they all come together and they block me out. So, now suddenly I can't end the game. Well, now that put a new guy into first place and now it was okay. Well, the only we can't stop him from building. we gota we got to short the market and so we all are buying and the only way to do that is you have to have because you can store resources on your power plants, you can have three max three power plants in front of you and you can store resources up to double of what it can produce. So we had to buy power plants that were the same type that he needed of the resource and then buy the like we're just doing all this crazy stuff but it worked.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video NPB6SzRILcs Matthew answers the internet Analysis at 10:28 sentiment: positive

video_pk 65979 · mention_pk 160250

Click to watch at 10:28 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Power Grid is a great game
It's a perennial kind of classic never gonna go away game
sheer joy and fun that power grid can provide

Cons

heavier game than something like Ticket to Ride
a lot of mathematics involved

Thematic elements

building power grids

Comparison games

Ticket to Ride

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — a lot of auctions
network building — trying to make these power grids you're trying to set things up
Resource Management — taking all these resources

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

dealing with cheaters is easy you simply burn down their house but with board game cheaters ah I don't feel like I run into that many people cheating in board games
I think cheating by its very nature denotes intent there has to be an intent to cheat for it to be cheating otherwise it's just playing the game wrong
no game is that important who cares it's not like the world league of Poker there's no money on the line it's just meant to be a bit of fun in a make-believe world pushing cardboard around a table it's just not that important
should I just buy the games in the top 100 on Board Game Geek no good Lord no
Board Game Geek leans heavy the games that are popping on Board Game Geek most often lean heavy they are heavier more complicated games and when you're just getting to the Hobby they're not the games that I would recommend you play
people will rank lighter weight games easier games lower than heavier games and by that I mean if the game is very easy to play learn it's just a very quick and easy game regardless of the fun factor of the game people will rank it lower
what they're looking for is what are the fun games what's the most fun and I often think those late games are the games are going to really get someone who is just nuzzling into the heartbeat thinking oh this is fun that's what's gonna like latch them on Like A Parasite and grab them and keep them in and suck them into our world our board game world
Dominion is a fantastic one of the absolute OG death building games
The only problem with Dominion is it it is a dangerous pit to fall in because I tell you you'll want more sets
Keyflower is just amazing I love that game
The incomparably fantastic Five Tribes
Azul one of the modern Evergreen games I think people will be playing us all for many many years to come
The devious nature of it is that is is when you're Drafting and putting them onto your board there's some limitations there that mean that you can really get screwed and you can really screw other people and that's the fun bit
Crocodile one of the games that was there then went away for a very long time and now it's back again
Power Grid is a great game in it it's got the best color palette of any game I think out there
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea is my favorite game
Mission Deep Sea is just better than Quest Supply 9 in every single way
Viticulture is a game of making wine and selling wine and it's just the most wonderful worker placement game I can think of
Seven Wonders Duel one of the best head-to-head card games
The Castles of Burgundy is one of the best games ever made
it's probably just the closest thing I can think of to a masterpiece in Euro board games

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video tcLbxnlsMK8 Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Discussion at 10:00

video_pk 65546 · mention_pk 159256

Click to watch at 10:00 · YouTube ↗

Pros

Accomplishment to go from Paperback to Power Grid

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

Paperback

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

network building — Described as an electro grid mapping management game.
Resource Management — Described as a big, meaty, mathy game.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

there's a few things more satisfying than telling someone your hobby is tabletop gaming and getting raised eyebrows that look to say that's a hobby then introducing them to modern board gaming and waiting for that moment when they say oh that was fun let's play again
my gateway introductory go-to game has been camel up
that was actually such a proud moment as a gamer having a game that I introduced to someone that they in turn then wanted to introduce to someone else and that other person enjoyed it so much that they asked to keep the copy of it
the mechanism where the camels stack on top of each other or underneath and whoever camels on top is actually in the lead it can lead to some moments of oh interesting when you're playing
Catan Carcassonne tickets ride and Dominion they teach virtually all the mechanisms you play those and you can play anything
it really depends on the person that you're trying to get to play board games do they play any kind of games you know video games RPGs card games if yes try to build on that and find the right game for them
pushing a game on to someone who's not interested in it is not going to do as much to help introduce them to the Hobby in a good way as kind of finding out where they're coming from

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video KHr6FU0Vf_k Let's Table It Top List at 0:40 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 64584 · mention_pk 158058

Click to watch at 0:40 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

economic optimization and infrastructure planning
countrywide electricity networks
system-level

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — bid for power plants to acquire energy sources
Auction / Bidding — bid for power plants to acquire energy sources
network building — connect cities to supply power across a map
Network/Route Building — connect cities to supply power across a map
Resource Management — manage resources to power cities efficiently

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 xQmLvrs6teY Meeple University Discussion at 0:02 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 64035 · mention_pk 157533

Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

spend Electro to obtain coal — Host states 'I spent 15 Electro for four coal', indicating a resource exchange mechanic.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I spent 15 Electro for four coal

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video LhrSRCiRXiI Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews Top List at 6:05 sentiment: positive

video_pk 62225 · mention_pk 154734

Click to watch at 6:05 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Engaging economic tension that scales with player count and session pacing.
Clear but deep strategic options; rewards foresight and adaptation.
Lodging room for house-rule experimentation can enhance pacing and player enjoyment.

Cons

Steep learning curve for new players; setup and teardown can be lengthy.
Thematic clarity can feel opaque to newcomers without guidance.
Rules interactions are nuanced; misinterpretations can slow early plays.

Thematic elements

Resource management, market dynamics, and network expansion under price-pressure constraints.
Industrial electricity market in a modern world where cities compete to secure power supply and infrastructure expansion.
Economic, strategic, with social underpinnings as players negotiate sourcing, energy production, and city connectivity.

Comparison games

Monopoly

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction — Players bid for power plants and energy sources, balancing short-term cash needs with long-term plant efficiency and grid coverage.
Auction / Bidding — Players bid for power plants and energy sources, balancing short-term cash needs with long-term plant efficiency and grid coverage.
economic_engineering — The interplay of plant costs, fuel supply, and city demand creates a moving target that rewards strategic sequencing.
network_expansion — Players lay track to connect cities to their grid, aiming to maximize reach while minimizing sunk costs and supply gaps.
Network/Route Building — Players lay track to connect cities to their grid, aiming to maximize reach while minimizing sunk costs and supply gaps.
Resource Management — Money (electro) and energy sources are consumed to build and operate plants; careful budgeting shapes growth and end-game viability.
resource_management — Money (electro) and energy sources are consumed to build and operate plants; careful budgeting shapes growth and end-game viability.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

The goal is the laughter. The goal is the fun. The goal is interaction around the table.
A card laid is a card played.
Jump in in real time as fast as possible and the gameplay continues in that direction.
Dirty Spades is like ... this is how we're playing the game. It's silly. It's fun. Adds a little level of chaos to the thing.
Bus rules. You could play it out and take a lot of time or it could just okay, now we know this what's going to happen.
If the game state hasn't changed, go ahead and pay for it now.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 28XkKDV6XO0 Neon Gorilla Top List at 18:30 sentiment: positive

video_pk 59482 · mention_pk 152034

Click to watch at 18:30 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Tightly designed auction/vector economy
Engaging market tension

Cons

Appeals to heavier gamers
Iconic but heavy to teach

Thematic elements

Utility network expansion
Power production economy with energy markets
Strategic, market-driven

Comparison games

Brass Birmingham
Concordia
Barrage

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Auction / Bidding — Bid on power plants and manage resources
auction/resource market — Bid on power plants and manage resources
network-building — Connect cities via power lines to supply electricity
Network/Route Building — Connect cities via power lines to supply electricity

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's a wonderful starter game for nearly anyone.
how have I not played dominion
when I played Dominion I just felt like an absolute idiot
the quintessential racing game out there
it's an absolutely brilliant game
the best network builder of all time

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video -bBI3Gk7P4I Board Gaming Ramblings Discussion at 12:57 sentiment: positive

video_pk 41602 · mention_pk 126150

Click to watch at 12:57 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

interesting variation on Power Grid
well-executed ideas and integration

Cons

not a direct replacement for Power Grid
execution can feel like an art project rather than a polished game

Thematic elements

outpost management with a Power Grid feel
space frontier / outpost setting
conceptual, system-driven

Comparison games

Power Grid

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

card-driven / action sequencing — players choose actions and manage limited spaces and resources
resource/engine driven action selection — combines familiar Power Grid mechanics with new twists and outpost flavor

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It's a very fun little game.
We are going to keep it.
This is a roll and write game. It was fine enough.
I thought this was a fun resource management game.
The core concept are very good. I do not recommend playing this game.
It's so easy to teach. People understand it even though they haven't played a lot of games.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Power Grid

Power Grid: Baden-Württemberg Expansion- 5p Teaching, Play-through, & Round table by Heavy Cardboard

Power Grid Board Game - How to Play. By Stella and Tarrant

Power Grid: Quebec w/ BOTH New PPs - 5p Teaching, Play-through, & RoundTable by Heavy Cardboard

Power Grid

Power Grid: Baden-Württemberg Expansion- 5p Teaching, Play-through, & Round table by Heavy Cardboard

Power Grid Board Game - How to Play. By Stella and Tarrant

Power Grid: Quebec w/ BOTH New PPs - 5p Teaching, Play-through, & RoundTable by Heavy Cardboard

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