Welcome to Arzium, land of ancient civilizations, bizarre creatures, unexplained wonders, and vibrant characters.
A great sleeping sickness has spread across the land, sending every type of creature to roam for hundreds of miles in a dazed, incoherent march. It's your job to seek them out and wake them from their sleepwalk, recruiting them to help you find even more lost souls!
In Roam, you and up to three friends compete to find lost adventurers. The game includes more than fifty unique, tarot-sized adventurer cards, which feature characters from Near and Far, Above and Below, and Islebound. The opposite side of each card depicts a landscape split into six squares, and two rows of three of these cards are placed in the center of the playing area to make the board.
Each turn, you may activate one of the adventurer cards in your party by flipping the card face down. Activating an adventurer allows you to place search tokens on the board in the shape depicted on your adventurer card. When every square on a landscape card has been searched, the player who did the most claims the card, finding the lost adventurer and adding them to their party. Each adventurer you add to your party gives you points and a new search pattern that you can use.
When searching, you also claim coins, which can be spent to use special actions or purchase artifacts with useful powers. When one player has ten adventurers in their party, the game ends, and the player with the most points wins.
—description from the publisher
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Learn to Play: Ulm
Board Gaming Ramblings – Playthrough
- High-energy real-time action
- Accessible and quick to learn
- Limited depth in short play sessions (implied by real-time party style)
- Array
- Tabletop arcade
- Abstract
- Beat Saber
- Half-Life: Alyx
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Real-Time — Players respond to fast-paced actions and events to survive waves.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- these blinks literally create their own light source
- rgb heaven
- unorthodox abstract board game
- VR both blinks and virtual reality have so much potential
- becomes even more accessible
References (from this video)
- fond personal nostalgia
- easy to learn
- versatile with players
- rules vary by region/version
- set collection and melding
- family/tabletop
- nostalgic
- Rummy Cube
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Climbing Shedding — Players lay down runs and sets to reach a target score.
- set melding — Players lay down runs and sets to reach a target score.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "it's absolutely hilarious"
- "it's a ton of fun"
- "Go Fish simple game"
- "shoot the moon"
- "our number one games match-up and it's euchre"
References (from this video)
- Nice RPG
- Devoid of violence
- Awesome artwork
- Cozy and non-violent
- Exploration and adventure in a world inhabited by dragons
- Countryside
- A lengthy book with lore and artwork
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- exploration — Travels through the countryside on adventures.
- Lore-heavy — Contains a lot of cool stuff about the lore.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- these are games that sort of get across that sort of childlike sense of wonder and going on adventures in your own backyard
- this is like Toy Story before there was Toy Story
- these are awesome do you can you get any more 80s than this
- playing as kids kind of just finding stuff really really cool stuff
References (from this video)
- Super cool
- Still cool
- Don't play it
- Lack of playtime due to 'too many games'
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Betrayal — you're trying to backstab
- Card Drafting — you're playing cards like in a Q
- Set Collection — you're playing cards like in a Q and they have best abilities
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this whole video is US looking at 40 boxes saying this is a great game let's never play it again
- so this is like a nice set for somebody want to play it you have everything need for like a lot of
- this is a game I I thought I had fun while I played it but then we tried to get it played again for keeper K and it just like I it was always something else I wanted to play more than this
- sometimes you have to know that the person you play these games with have the wrong taste and they will not play it with you
References (from this video)
- Interesting deck building aspect where you build your own deck
- Straightforward first phase
- Sneak attack mechanic can be rewarding
- Tense final resolution phase
- Easy to forget what cards were played
- Can be hard not to give away your strategy
- The tie-breaker rule can lead to no one getting a flag
- Clans battling it out to raise the most banners
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area influence — Players place cards in different areas (battlefields) to gain advantages and ultimately win flags.
- Blind bidding — Used in the recruitment phase and the resolution phase, where players secretly commit values to obtain cards or final scores.
- Deck Building — Players build their own deck of cards during the recruitment phase.
- Hand Management — Players manage the cards in their hand, deciding when and how to play them, especially considering face-up versus face-down plays.
- Set Collection — The ability to have two of the same creature cards is important for playing them later.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a two-player game where we are going to battle it out throughout the lands to try to raise the most banners in our Clans symbol that is the goal
- it's interesting that you build your own deck
- this is tense because I'm trying to like old Manu you yeah and you're trying to do the same
- the whole goal of the game is to get as many flags as possible and if you have less than a tree difference let's say I have a five and you have a seven you get only one flag but if I have a five and you have an eight you get two flag so it's harder for me to to take that like back so it is good if you think you're going to lose to try to lose by as little as possible
- the winner winner chicken dinner
- I won by one flag
- if you do not subscribe to this channel you might never see us again
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the colonist and I feel so bad for whoever had to sort that afterwards
- Yakob this is how you should store your games you're never going to play them more than once
- ah World War II war game number 567
- this is Atlantic Chase
- we're going to be getting started late just so you know it's probably going to be 7:30 but um this is this is what I'm streaming here in about an hour and a half realistically cuz uh uh stress btic Odyssey is still set up on the table
- stress btic Odyssey is still set up on the table
- it's going to take me a solid 40 minutes to put up stress spct Odyssey
- this feels like a a worthy game for a giveaway
- this is Weather Machine from VTO lerta
- what's your best piece of corrective criticism what what's something that we could do better here on heavy cardboard
- I'd like to hear that as well that's that's actually a really great idea
- the community is really amazing uh inclusive welcoming Comm Community
- if you are watching this and not a patreon I'll see you tomorrow night for laav otherwise if you're a patreon I'll see you in about 90 minutes
References (from this video)
- null
- null
- null
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Where we have a telescope style rondel looking to the skies for planets and constellations and stuff, but now we're looking over at the moon and there's grand inquisitors coming for us and there's new characters and things.
- Usually you need to mix two colors to see a major object. You need to mix three colors to go and look at the moon.
- When you look at the moon, you pick one of the face up one of the bits of the moon with a face up scoring tile. They'll turn face up as the phases change. You get the reward that's printed on this tile. And then you earn the points according to the scoring tile.
- The solo mode's been expanded a little bit. It's got some new movement tiles and you use a particular set of movement tiles based on the difficulty you want to play.
- And then we get dice and look at the moon.
- So, the end game trigger is the deck running out. Just so there's probably like there is a card in the deck.
- But, you know, you got to be on board, aren't you? So, it was very weird and I basically haven't played it, but I've been watching just as related to something else. I've watching a series called Dimension 20 and that's been great.
- There's so much stuff kind of in various stages of finishing.
- I really enjoyed this game. I've kept it like I am having to be I've been saying this for ages now, but I have to be increasingly cutthroat to try and reduce the amount of space my games take up.
- The new Cascadia that's coming out, there's a playthrough for that. There's a game called Moon from Mariposa Games um that have previously done the Trailblazer games. This one's called Garage Rock about like having bands in the summer holidays, you know, in 80s America and getting ready for Battle of the Bands.
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The stakes are so low. You can actually just like try to do good without worrying about like, you know, doing good, right?
- I feel like I'm playing Dominion and just watching somebody go off.
- Reading is fundamental.
- This guy needs to be beaten twice, right?
- My gun goes away, apparently.
- This is hell.
- The thing I learned today last chance.
- Last Chance is actually very fitting because I felt like most of those turns were our last chance.
- It's crazy how much horror this dealt you guys.
- I took 10 horror from evil past.
References (from this video)
- Higher production value and art design
- Can be played solo or cooperatively (intended for solo)
- Includes a campaign mode
- Presents harsh challenges
- Sailing and overcoming challenges
- Sea
- Campaign mode available
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Campaign play — Includes a three-chapter campaign mode.
- Hand Management — Managing cards that are multi-use for sailing and overcoming obstacles.
- Tableau Building — Cards are used to build up capabilities for sailing and overcoming obstacles.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- For anybody who's new to the channel, the way this video works is I include three types of board games here.
- I put a lot of work and a lot of research into these videos and I'm glad it is useful to all the board gamers out there.
- It's a great learning tool as well if you're trying to teach uh family members about history, um whether that being kids or whatever.
- If I knew a couple that was wanting to get more into the world of board games, I think Patchwork is one of the best recommendations.
- I think these are some of the best cooperative card games out there.
- It is, you know, a dexterity game at its heart.
- This is legitimately one of the heaviest weight strategy games out there.
- You often do destroy some stuff in the game. Like you might cut things, you might rip things, uh but that kind of adds some fun layers to the challenge of the game.
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Undaunted 2200 which is a very good game. Tactics II, very very good.
- I've got all the Killforths.
- Nemo's War, great game.
- Defenders of the Realm, love that game. Love it.
- I got some BattleTech on painting. Going to start painting again.
- Ogre, great game.
- We're going to be back in business, folks. We're going to be back in business.
- We're going to be back to full strength again. Just like the old days.
- People that want to work with me, great. People that don't want to work with me, great. Don't care.
- Getting hacked, man. It was very It took a lot of wind out of my sails.
- I'll get us there. All right, we got the other cable coming within the next month or so. Uh, they're going to be running that up here, so we're going to have fiber.
- I got 10 videos I got to get done. I got more stuff coming.
- We're turning the old game around.
- I don't think I've ever been this busy. And I'm pretty happy about it.
- We'll come back and uh, next week we'll start we'll start doing nice little short live play. Maybe we'll do uh, Val Petra.
- Everything feels better. You know, everything feels good.
- It is your old pal Earl.
- This has been a long time coming and it's showing the subscriptions have gone up.
- It's been a rough 2 days. But don't worry about it. I'll shake it off. I'll come back stronger than ever.
References (from this video)
- Collecting descendant tiles.
- Collecting city coat of arm tiles.
- Moving your barge down the river.
- Placing seals to become influential.
- The Ohm Chronicle provides historical and game information.
- Setup for 3 players takes 11 steps.
- Immediate victory point bonuses from silver city coat of arms.
- Victory point bonuses for seals in quarters from gold city coat of arms.
- The tile pushed out of the 3x3 grid is not an action you can take.
- If playing the basic game, round tiles are placed facedown.
- If playing the basic game, tower tiles are placed facedown in the cathedral.
- Becoming the most influential citizen by expanding influence and constructing the world's tallest steeple.
- Ohm during its heyday
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players perform actions based on the tiles moved in the 3x3 grid, choosing from river, money, card, clear away, and seal actions.
- area influence — Players place seals in city quarters to gain effects and victory points, especially in relation to their barge's location.
- Card Drafting — Players can draw cards from a deck, with options to draw one or two and choose.
- Set Collection — Players collect descendant tiles and city coat of arm tiles.
- Tile Placement — Players draw action tiles from a bag and place them in a 3x3 grid, sliding rows or columns.
- Worker placement (implied) — Action tiles are placed in a grid, and the actions triggered by those tiles are then taken by the player. Sliding tiles affects which actions are available.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- how do you become the most influential citizen and win the game by having the most victory points at the end of 10 rounds
- The Ohm Chronicle has information about each card tile and location on the board as well as historical information
- The description of each of these tiles is located in the Ohm chronicle
- all of the quarter bonuses cards and tiles are listed in the Ohm Chronicle
References (from this video)
- More strategic than it appears.
- Competitive and fun.
- Involves strategic card denial.
- Rummy Cubes
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hand Management — Players must strategically decide which cards to keep and which to discard.
- Set Collection — Players collect runs of three or four cards, or sets of consecutive cards.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- We're transitioning into a food podcast, and I think that's okay.
- We're the bad boys of board gaming.
- Baseball for me is more of a social experience than a sporting experience.
- The designers wouldn't say it's a more stuff expansion, but it really is.
- This is like my jam. This is my jam.
- I love that. That's really It's one of these it to me, this is a great version.
- The idea is to come away from this game with as few points as possible.
- It's a brilliant simple but brilliant card game.
- It really depends on the group, but it is a wonderful, wonderful game.
- I wanted to talk about my experience with Huddle, the fantasy football game.
- The game does such a wonderful job. They couldn't have done better to make it feel like a fantasy football game.
References (from this video)
- Good mechanistic part
- Strong story
- Strong narrative with characters
- Strong campaign structure
- Keeps the player hooked
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- campaign structure — The game features a campaign structure which is noted as a key element that keeps the speaker engaged.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
References (from this video)
- Accessible and quick to teach
- Feels like a compact battle royale on a tight board
- Engaging loot, traps, and combat system
- Fame track provides a clear, visual progression
- Asymmetric abilities add replayability and depth
- Team-play synergy options
- Prototype is unfinished; rules and components are still in development
- Balance and depth may be limited for hardcore players
- Final Kickstarter content may alter some mechanics
- Celebrity fame and corporate sponsorship in a battle royale setting
- A dystopian near-future televised arena where cloned super soldiers battle for fame.
- Competitive spectacle with a game-show flavor centered on gaining fame
- Apex Legends
- Fortnite
- Spartacus: Blood and Sand (Gale Force Nine remake)
- Call of Duty: Warzone
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric_abilities — Characters have alternate sides with unique abilities to increase replayability and style variety.
- beacons_and_achievements — Beacons grant fame; achievements provide tokens and align with the loot and trap systems.
- building_and_traps — Players can build walls to block movement and place traps; traps use a rock-paper-scissors mechanic when activated.
- dice_pool/combat_resolution — Attack and defense use five action dice per player; dice are lined up from highest to lowest and compared to determine injuries.
- fame_tracking — A long fame track where players gain fame via various actions, aiming to reach Superstar status.
- injury_tracking — Each injury moves a die into an injury category, reducing future dice pools; if all dice are injured, the player must reload.
- loot_and_equipment_progression — Loot actions yield equipment across three tiers; drop boxes provide higher-tier loot via map events.
- parachuting_and_landing — Initial parachute deployment onto a randomly generated board, with landing success determined by dice.
- toxin_and_zone_closure — Toxin tokens tighten the play area, forcing the game toward a closing safe zone.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- building walls to defend yourself
- death is never the end but you don't want to go quietly into the night
- there's lots of really interesting ways that you can customize your character
- the combat system is clean and simple
- it's quick, it's clean, and it's accessible to a wide range of people
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I would never trust an AI in a dice rolling game.
- It's cheap.
- They better go full on like battle chess. I want to see those monsters walk in there and do the fighting.
- This is coming to iOS and Google Play from Mantita Games and Salt and Pepper Games.
- King of Tokyo is coming to Nintendo Switch and PS5.
- This is the perfect companion to cat flux and a great addition to the flux line.
References (from this video)
- Thematic flavor tied to exploration and the West
- Progression through region unlocking provides a sense of advancement
- Strong two-player strategic potential
- Transcript lacks details on conflict resolution or combat mechanics
- Publishers/designers/year data not provided
- Exploration, tools, and transportation shaping regional expansion.
- The American West, explored through pen-and-card mechanics and character-driven action.
- Adventure-focused, with character-driven tasks that unlock regions as play progresses.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- pen-and-card character matching — Use drawing or card-based elements to align characters with tools and transport for actions.
- region unlocking — New territories open up as players meet certain conditions, expanding options and scoring potential.
- tools and transportation — Acquisition and deployment of tools and transport options enable exploration and region progression.
- Two-Player Strategy — Head-to-head play emphasizes tactical positioning and counterplay in a shared theme.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
References (from this video)
- Elegant area control feel within a thematic Egyptian setting
- Promising design in a universe with Imhotep
- Public information on Ohm is sparse; some may find mechanism novelty limited
- Potential barrier to entry due to unfamiliar historical context
- Influence and prestige within a growing urban center around religious landmarks
- Ancient Egyptian city around a cathedral, political dynamics among elites
- Eurogame‑leaning territory/influence with historical flavor
- M Hotep Das Dual
- Tarji
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players compete to influence surrounding districts and spaces to unlock benefits around the cathedral.
- area control / influence — Players compete to influence surrounding districts and spaces to unlock benefits around the cathedral.
- Resource Management — Players allocate resources to extend influence and activate actions.
- resource management (influence/resources) — Players allocate resources to extend influence and activate actions.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "Ohm is at its heyday but the construction of this city's Cathedral hasn't been completed yet"
- "I'm glad that it did"
- "it's the modestly produced games that can sometimes now stand out and catch your attention such was the case with Escape the Dark Castle"
- "This may be the tiny epic game that I have been the most excited about"
- "expansion brings new modes for victory six new territories new cards and new actions but most importantly what I've been waiting for support for a fifth player"
- "Have you played Ohm? Did it stink like feet? Let me know in the comments below"
- "I'm a big fan of the game Imhotep"
References (from this video)
- Iconic euro staples and strong player interaction
- economic strategy with rerouting supply
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control / auction — competitive bidding and spatial strategy shape the map.
- Auction / Bidding — competitive bidding and spatial strategy shape the map.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm trying to only keep the games that I really love because of course I have so many games coming through on the channel.
- Theme isn't really important to me. It's all about the mechanisms.
- I do share a collection with my brother.
- Beige euros.