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Game Info
Year
2010
Players
1-4
Age
13+
Playtime
30 min
Collection
Mechanic profile
Not enough video data yet
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
Puzzle Strike: Bag of Chips is all that and a bag of chips!
Puzzle Strike is a card game played with cardboard chips instead of cards that simulates a puzzle video game called puzzle fighter that, in-turn, simulates the fighting game street fighter that is emulated in puzzle fighter
If you don’t understand any of that, that’s ok! Puzzle Strike is a complete game in a box that has the fun of a customizable card game without the marketing scheme of selling you parts of the game in random packs. You build your deck *as* you play the game. Every game is different because the bank starts with a different set of chips each game. Also, there are 10 characters to choose from, each with different gameplay. Between all that, there are over 411 MILLION starting conditions in a 4-player game.
A built-in comeback mechanic means that when you're on the edge of losing, you're also able to do even more combos than usual.
Shuffling cards takes too long and is boring, so in Puzzle Strike you just put your cardboard tokens in a bag and shake them up to shuffle! Plus, it’s pretty ballin’ to play a game with chips. Play it on your yacht, impress potential mates, etc.
Though the game is fun even if you're terrible at it, it's also balanced for high level play by veteran asymmetric game balancer David Sirlin (Street Fighter HD Remix, Puzzle Fighter HD Remix, Kongai, Yomi, and Flash Duel.)
Puzzle Strike contains:
Almost 350 cardboard chips
4 cloth bags
8-page full color rulebook
Colorful box with inside designed to separate the chips by type, for storage
Re-implemented by:
Puzzle Strike: Third Edition
Featured Videos
Rules Teach
Puzzle Strike - How To Play (Part 1)
Playthrough
Puzzle Strike - Game Play 4
Ask a Rules Question
All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 17
This page: 17
Sentiment:
pos 9 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 2 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–17 of 17
Video LG7kgL1sALM
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68748 · mention_pk 165028
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)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Pn5I51v6DEo
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68749 · mention_pk 165029
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)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video jPxFH8Tcua4
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68750 · mention_pk 165030
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)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video uR7sYkDmLeY
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68751 · mention_pk 165031
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)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video m6keQIuWvGM
watch it played Discussion at 5:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65615 · mention_pk 159340
Click to watch at 5:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- received as a surprise gift
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Yomi
- Flash Duel
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- if I left the show I wouldn't be missed but if they did I don't know I might have a riot on my hand
- that game is going to drive me insane
- Yomi is another game that you play with cards like Flash Duel but instead of having just two or three abilities you have an entire deck full of abilities for your fighter and then you face off against another opponent who also has their own unique deck of cards
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video H1JjZVriPsk
Watch It Played Discussion at 0:20 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65564 · mention_pk 159281
Click to watch at 0:20 · 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)
- welcome back to watch play my name is Lou Smith and this is Rodney Smith and we are doing an unboxing video and a draw video for puzzle strike
- for the last 5 days I've been scripting filming editing and and uploading that video it's actually uploading right now so it should be online in a day or so
- we're going to have another draw we're doing well in the Indiegogo fundraiser and we reached a perk level where I said I give away some more stuff
- Gamers you never fail to disappoint always a treat to get boxes from you guys a lot of fun
- we've opened a box we've done a draw we've given you some updates the next time you see us we're going to be playing and Mystics
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CksSfYB9WVg
watch it played Rules Teach at 0:44 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65565 · mention_pk 159287
Click to watch at 0:44 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- The game can go back and forth with crashing mechanics.
- Double crash gems allow for more gems to be sent.
- Risky Move chip offers a good reward for a risk.
- Knockdown chip can shut down opponent's reactions.
- Sneak Attack chip allows for additional attack actions.
- Draw Three chip lets you draw more chips.
- Gem Essence chip allows for playing multiple actions.
- Self-Improvement chip helps with hand management by trashing weaker chips.
- One Punch chip allows for two additional actions.
- One of Each chip provides multiple benefits.
- Combos are Hard chip is incredibly powerful for grabbing two chips from the bank.
Cons
- Playing a double crash gem when you only have one gem results in a wasted gem and less money.
- Using Combos are Hard early in the game might be less effective as you wait for the acquired chips to cycle back.
- The Combos are Hard chip must be trashed after use, making it a one-use chip.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Choosing which actions to take during a turn.
- attack — Chips that have a negative effect on opponents.
- bag building — Chips are drawn from a bag, which can be refilled.
- buy phase — The phase where players can buy chips.
- counter counter crashing — If gems are sent back to you from a counter crash, you have the opportunity to counter counter crash.
- counter crashing — If an opponent crashes gems at you, you can play a counter crash gem to send some of your gems back, which may cancel out some of the gems they were sending.
- crashing — When you play a crash gem, you are able to pick a gem from your gem pile and send it to your opponent's gem pile.
- Discard pile — Where discarded chips are placed.
- drawing chips — Drawing chips from your bag to your hand.
- gem pile — Where gems are placed.
- hand management — Managing the chips in your hand.
- ongoing effect — An effect that lasts for multiple turns or until a condition is met.
- Reaction — Playing chips in response to an opponent's action.
- trashing — Taking a gem and putting it back in the bank.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- you can only react once to each event
- the player with the least number of gem points in their gem pile is going to win
- basically you can grab any two chips you want from the bank
- it's a one-use chip but it is incredibly powerful
- the value of trashing chips is it allows you as you start collecting better and better chips to get rid of the older and not so great chips from your hand
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zXIkTn2J_zU
Watch It Played Unboxing at 0:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65572 · mention_pk 159293
Click to watch at 0:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Updated components
- Updated rules and game modes
- Comes with player mats to help organize game elements
- Everything comes in the base set now (boards and mats)
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Overloading opponents with gems to crash them out of the game
Comparison games
- Flash Duel
- Puzzle Strike Shadows
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck building — The game is a deck building game where chips are used instead of cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is our first watch it played exclusive
- we're actually getting the game before the designer has even gotten a copy of the game
- so this is the very first copy that is currently out
- it's a very interactive deck building game
- so i contacted him to see if he'd be willing to partner with us to make that series happen
- he did one better he told me to hold off
- david sterling has been hard at work and has also released an additional standalone expansion puzzle strike shadows
- david i hope you're enjoying the view from there as you get to see the first glimpse of the third edition of puzzle strike as well as the very first print run of puzzle strike shadows
- now for the rest of our viewers i'm going to tell you what exactly this game is as we look at some of the components
- so what is puzzle strike
- well i've been asked on more than one occasion if i would consider covering a deck building game on watch it played and that's what this is except instead of cards the game uses chips
- lots and lots of chips
- the game can be played with two to four players and it's modeled after the old puzzle fighter games where you are trying to overload your opponents with gems to crash them out of the game leaving you as the winner
- so it's a very interactive deck building game
- to help keep your chips hidden you store them in a bag like these
- which means you end up with a bag of chips don't get hungry
- and the game comes with player maps as well to help you organize the various game elements
- in the earlier editions you could get these different elements separately the boards and the mats but now everything comes in the base set
- if you were a kickstarter funder you should be getting your copy in or around september and then the game will be available online at cerlian games as well and in shops beginning around october
- now you might be wondering does a game like this that i can play with my eight-year-old really offer strategic depth of play
- well i'm not going to answer that because we're not a review series
- when you watch us play puzzle strike you're going to have to decide for yourself
- but that said david sterling and his team have produced an almost hundred page strategy guide for the game so that might suggest to you some of the strategic potential that this game has to offer
- now obviously it's a real treat to get early access to this game
- if you have any questions at all about the third edition of puzzle strike or puzzle strike shadows feel free to put them in the youtube comments below
- talking about bags of chips is making me hungry
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Og01q5_zbD8
watch it played Rules Teach at 0:57 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65567 · mention_pk 159288
Click to watch at 0:57 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Shares characters from other games but is a very different kind of game.
- Comes with over 300 chips.
- Offers variety by allowing mixing of base game and expansion chips.
- Starting deck is a mix of basic chips and character-specific chips that guide strategy.
- The game includes a mechanism to keep chips in hand (banking) using piggy bank symbols.
- Allows for chaining multiple actions through chips with plus arrows.
Cons
- Wound chips are bad because they are useless when drawn and take up space in the hand.
- Gems in hand are discarded at the end of the turn, so there's no benefit to holding onto them.
- Higher cost chips like the Double Crash gem take time to acquire.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Flash Duel
- Yomi
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- chip drafting — Players add better chips to their collection over the course of the game to improve their capabilities.
- Deck building — Players start with a small deck of chips, some decent and some not so great, and add better chips to their collection over the course of the game to have better things to do on their turn. Instead of cards, players use over 300 cardboard chips.
- Push Your Luck — Players gain a bonus to their draw based on the number of gems in their gem pile, encouraging them to accumulate gems but risking losing the game if the total value reaches 10 or more.
- set collection — Players can combine two gems in their gem pile with a total value of four or less to replace them with a single gem of their combined total value.
- take that — Players can crash gems into their opponent's gem pile, accelerating the opponent's collection of gems. Opponents can defend with crash gems, and four gems cannot be blocked.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is the game we're going to be playing puzzle strike third edition.
- Basically at the start of the game you're going to have access to some of these chips some of them will be decent some of them not so great and over the course of the game you're going to try to add better chips to your collection so that on your turn you'll have better things to do to give you an advantage in the game.
- As soon as a player has gems in their gem pile totaling 10 or more at the end of their turn they lose the game and then the other players look at the value of the gems in their gem piles and whoever has the smallest total wins the game.
- Wounds are bad because they're useless when you draw One into your hand later in the game you've basically got one less chip in your hand that can potentially do something good for you.
- You get the idea you just can't trade in any two gems that would total more than four so I couldn't combine a three and a three because there isn't actually a six gem to put together.
- The only time that chips go from your discard pile into your bag is when you go to reach in your bag to draw a chip and there's none there that's when you're allowed to dump your discard pile into your bag and then continue drawing as needed.
- For each piggy bank symbol that you play during your action phase you can choose to keep a chip in your hand rather than discard it.
- If I don't know the answer I'll go to the designer and we'll get David Serin to answer the questions for us.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video yh4m46WIFEU
Watch It Played Product Preview at 4:15
video_pk 65412 · mention_pk 159080
Click to watch at 4:15 · 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)
- This is just a good example of the functional benefits of a custom insert.
- This is just much more efficient.
- The inserts are shipped unassembled.
- Assembling these is very simple.
- The other nice thing about this insert over the original is that the cards are all in snug.
- Pretty clever design.
- So, I've switched over to using these Ultra Pro standard sleeves because they fit the inserts perfectly.
- But enough about inserts. Let's talk about bit boxes.
- But until the next episode, thanks for watching.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 43_ZGOsqvfk
watch it played Rules Teach at 0:22
video_pk 65182 · mention_pk 158810
Click to watch at 0:22 · YouTube ↗
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)
- As a rule I do not create Kickstarter previews but once a year I seem to break that rule.
- I am not being paid for this video and I am personally backing the game myself.
- Hopefully this video can help if you're interested in the game do keep in mind everything you see here is a prototype although the card design and art is final.
- In this way the game is completely asynchronous in other words when you're taking your turn the other player cannot interrupt you.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video URHPxPKXqO4
watch it played Rules Teach at 0:13 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 64331 · mention_pk 157778
Click to watch at 0:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
- Clear rule explanations with a visual example to help understanding
- Includes multiple bank decks and notes expansion with additional content
- Dynamic scepter mechanic introduces meaningful player interaction
Cons
- Complex rules and a lot of symbolography can be hard to learn
- Gem management and penalty mechanics can be punishing for new players
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Puzzle Strike
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- block and tokens — Block symbols remove gem tokens from the incoming area; there are temporary action tokens gained via symbols to use during the action phase.
- buy phase and bank decks — During the buy phase you must buy one face-up card; costs and bank structures (grand melee and birthday bash) determine how gems flow and when new cards are drawn.
- crash and height bonus — Crashing moves gems from your pile to color-mapped meters and can send gems to your opponent; crashing multiple gems can grant a height bonus and extra gem tokens.
- gem pile management — Gems are collected into a gem pile; at the end of the anti-phase and end of the action phase, gems drop into the pile and you must not exceed the bust threshold.
- scepter of power — Holding the scepter changes targeting and requires the holder to drop incoming gems at the start of their action phase; the scepter can be passed (yielded) to another player at the end of a turn.
- super moves and meters — Gems crashed fill super move meters; when a meter is full, it activates its special effect, sometimes granting extra actions or card draw.
- swap and deep swap — Cards allow swapping adjacent gems (optional, up to two swaps) and deep swaps allow swapping non-adjacent gems as a special case.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's all about maintaining a careful balance
- the scepter is powerful but it's also dangerous
- grand finale
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video URHPxPKXqO4
watch it played Rules Teach at 0:25 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 64331 · mention_pk 157779
Click to watch at 0:25 · 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)
- it's all about maintaining a careful balance
- the scepter is powerful but it's also dangerous
- grand finale
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video q0WFJiTGWFk
One Stop Co-op Shop Playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34215 · mention_pk 101873
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fast-paced, high-interaction puzzle-strategy
- Distinct gem-crash mechanic with color placement and synergies
- Solid solo and co-op modes with scalable difficulty
- Thematic components (giant gems, scepter) feel distinctive in a deck-building space
Cons
- Early balance issues in legacy editions (noted historically by players) but addressed over time
- Ambitious production can feel oversized or busy (large gems and accessories)
- High randomness in gem drops can lead to brutal turn outcomes
Thematic elements
- puzzle-fighting deck-building with real-time gem manipulation
- arena-style competitive clash with a dragon boss, using colored gems and a market-driven engine
- gameplay-forward, tutorial-esque expository run-through with live commentary
Comparison games
- Dominion
- Puzzle Fighter
- King of Tokyo
- Yomi
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- anti-up — cards that accelerate gem flow into the shared supply and increase action allowance over time.
- boss battler — solo or co-op boss with attack patterns based on power and colors; scales with players and anti-up effects.
- boss/dragon mechanics — solo or co-op boss with attack patterns based on power and colors; scales with players and anti-up effects.
- Card/Chit Market — buy market cards to add to your discard pile, influencing future draws and options.
- color-coding and positioning — gems of different colors interact with specific cards and bonuses; strategy revolves around color order.
- crash chains and energize — crashing gems can trigger additional effects; accumulating energy enables powerful actions.
- Deck building — start with a basic 10-card deck; acquire cards from a market to improve your deck.
- deck-building — start with a basic 10-card deck; acquire cards from a market to improve your deck.
- Engine Building: Triggered/Cascading — crashing gems can trigger additional effects; accumulating energy enables powerful actions.
- gem drop and crash — incoming gems drop into positions; players can crash groups to deal damage and trigger bonuses.
- Market cards — buy market cards to add to your discard pile, influencing future draws and options.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Puzzle Strike 2 is a 1 to four player competitive game that also has a solo co-op mode
- it's a great take on competitive deck building
- The gems are really big and chunky
- There are 10 characters in the base game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video uIiZuvmlBnM
Going Analog Other at 10:26 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9473 · mention_pk 28015
Click to watch at 10:26 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- clever, puzzle-like feel
- fast-twitch gameplay that scales well
Cons
- can feel solitaire-ish for some players
Thematic elements
- assemble combos to construct a puzzle-strategy
- puzzle-based deck-building
- abstract, puzzle-driven
Comparison games
- Dominion
- Ascension
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-building — players build a deck to perform actions and combos.
- push-your-luck/stacking combos — the goal is to execute efficient sequences before your opponent.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- welcome to the Going Analog Quiz Show
- you've earned a place on the leaderboard today
- the name is Mallory, but the game is Megaland
- it's War of Mine—the board game, not the video game
- Puzzle Strike's puzzle-strategy vibe is surprisingly satisfying
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video kgg8H70sdlc
The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast Discussion at 59:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8105 · mention_pk 23853
Click to watch at 59:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fast, accessible gameplay
- great for lighter sessions and families
Cons
- less depth for heavy-game players
- randomness can dominate at times
Thematic elements
- deck-building with resource-based abilities
- abstract fantasy/arena confrontation
- board-game abstraction with competitive play
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-building with market chips — buy chips with special abilities into your deck and play from it
- sack-drawing and attack — draw and use chips to attack opponents
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's not at its peak right now it's just gonna keep getting better and better
- I enjoyed Twilight Imperium, I really enjoyed it, it's just a shame that it took like six hours and two turns
- Legacy of Dragonholt looks cool; it's closer to a role-playing game than a board game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video mY3Th1L8CGU
The Dice Tower Discussion at 24:25 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2521 · mention_pk 7363
Click to watch at 24:25 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fast, tactile and accessible
Cons
- Abstract feel may not appeal to all players
Thematic elements
- Lightweight, abstract puzzle flavor
- Card-based action economy with chip tokens
- Procedural, tactile gameplay
Comparison games
- Deck-building games
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bag-building / chip economy — Players assemble chips to activate combos and actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The hobby has become all about quantity.
- More stuff is always better.
- Bag building is a worse version of deck building.
- House ruling should only happen if a question scenario is not addressed in the rule book or BoardGameGeek.
- Ties in games are fine, especially if they're rare.
- Kickstarter exclusives will kill a game in the long term more than it helps the game in the short term.
- The great thing about board games is we can create new types of auctions that don't work in real life.
- Phase 10 is not as bad as some people make it out to be.
- I would rather air on the side of smaller boxes than bigger ones.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–17 of 17