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Game Info
Year
2017
Players
2-4
Age
10+
Playtime
30 min
Collection
Mechanic profile
Percentile rank vs. all games
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
Publisher's summary
Rumble Nation — first released as 天下鳴動 (Tenka Meidou) — is an area control dice game and the 2018 Tokyo Game Market Awards Grand Prize winner.
You are Warlords during the Sengoku Era, the Civil War. Aim for supremacy in Japan by contending for its 11 Castles.
Three dice determine where the soldiers are deployed. Tactic cards are your trump to control the course of the war. Wisdom and luck are your keys for dominance.
Sparks spray from one battle to another, setting the nation on fire. Keep an eye on the reinforcement chains or use them to your benefit and turn defeat into victory.
- Contend for the 11 Castles in the nation.
- Roll the dice to send out soldiers.
- Aim for continuous victory with the reinforcements.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 16
This page: 16
Sentiment:
pos 15 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–16 of 16
Video 7F8jRBi2DAY
Top List at 13:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66582 · mention_pk 162259
Click to watch at 13:51 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- emergent narrative with minimalistic components
- excellent cascading effect in gameplay
Cons
- original version lacked art
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — the player who has the most units on any given territory earns points equal to the value of that territory numbers from 2 to 12. And uh second place gets half points.
- auto battler — you have kind of this auto battle for the last five minutes of the game as the as the map battle plays out.
- Dice rolling — you're rolling those dice to as you place workers on the board
- worker placement — you're rolling those dice to as you place workers on the board
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- games don't need no necessarily need a huge art budget to be a great game.
- I think this is one way for some games, not every game, but some games to really shine with a much lower sunk cost budget than other games.
- You don't need necessarily a bunch bunch of fancy components, dozens and do dozens of illustrations to have a really great game.
- We can all have slightly different definitions of this.
- It all leads to subtle and interesting choices.
- When everything feels like it's on fire around me, it's nice to find a bit of rest by respit in a gentle rain.
- This game is a chaotic good time, but in the best way.
- the components fit into a small box. They're they're very sparse components.
- But uh but they come across they end up having a fairly big table presence and I've gotten a lot of replayability out of multiple oint games.
- you can get a lot out of these games that rely on a wide variety of rules of words just by having words in the game. You don't necess you don't need
- By this I mean games with minimal components and or art.
- I think it's a great reminder for me and maybe you as a designer that games don't need no necessarily need a huge art budget to be a great game.
- So I think this is one way for some games, not every game, but some games to really shine with a much lower sunk cost budget than other games.
- there's a huge emergent narrative that comes through in Rumble Nation with very minimalistic components.
- I kind of thought of it as a combination of all those different things with some variances.
- investing in a really beautiful box cover is really really important for the game and investing in great graphic design is really really important for the game.
- I think valuing and investing in great graphic design is can can elevate a game even when you don't have much of an art budget at all.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video gHKvcjpPnA4
Board with Steve Top 10 List at 0:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65319 · mention_pk 158966
Click to watch at 0:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Can ramp up and spread across the board by controlling lower point scoring areas
- Never fails to entertain
- Pretty good for family
- Not a high rules teach
- Simple to play
- Really fun
Cons
- If you don't end up scoring some high scoring areas as well, you are going to lose the game.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Rumble Nation is an area controlled dice game.
- Dice rolling — Rumble Nation is an area controlled dice game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love a good mix of strategy and tactics in a game and this one is the perfect blend.
- Life of the Amazonia is like Cascadia on acid.
- Terraforming Mars is the ultimate engine building game.
- Every action in a Gria is critically important.
- Five Tribes is the game that if I had to get rid of everything else from the collection and only have one game for the rest of time, it would be Five Tribes.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video lyrT4jUQapo
All You Can Board Discussion at 36:15 sentiment: positive
video_pk 62452 · mention_pk 154973
Click to watch at 36:15 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- satisfying, fast-moving yet dense dice-based combat
- tactics cards and variable setup create interesting decisions
- snappy enough to feel like a filler with depth
Cons
- mathy multipliers can swing swings dramatically
- async play and light rule fatigue may affect depth on repeated plays
Thematic elements
- area control via dice and strategy
- Japan's Sengoku era; rival warlords
- thematic, historical flavor with dice-driven tactics
Comparison games
- Caesar's Empire
- Orango
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice placement — roll three dice and place soldiers according to results
- recruitment and reinforcement — after battles, reinforcements can be deployed to adjacent regions
- region control scoring — control majorities in regions for points, with a big castle token determining value
- tactic cards — one-time use tactic cards; availability changes per game; cards affect actions or scoring
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a dig in for me
- the tactical decision space is really interesting
- this is going to be one of my go-to filler games
- the tipping point for every row and column is the funnest thing
- the dice are great
- this is a behemoth
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video cMGWh8fz07U
Board Game Garden Top 10 List at 20:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34532 · mention_pk 102829
Click to watch at 20:42 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- surprisingly engaging dice-driven area control
- easy to teach and accessible with different player counts
Cons
Thematic elements
- dice-driven area control
- Area majority with dice and tiles
- light, accessible Euro-style
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- adjacency scoring and expansion — Winning a region can add meeples to adjacent regions, shaping future turns.
- dice drafting — Roll three dice; use two to claim a region and one to determine how many meeples to place.
- dice-drafting and region control — Roll three dice; use two to claim a region and one to determine how many meeples to place.
- one-time cards — Certain cards grant single-use abilities to modify play.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's this very cool puzzle of drafting cards that will get you victory points in the trick
- I absolutely loved it and I cannot wait to get a copy of that
- Caution Signs feels very unique and a lot of fun
- Crafting the Cosmos just makes my brain really happy
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video LQo8CUl3jZg
The Board Game Garden Discussion at 19:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 33325 · mention_pk 98997
Click to watch at 19:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- watercolor look
- gorgeous painting-like cover
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- artistic posters / watercolor aesthetic
- Japanese-inspired watercolor world
- visual-forward with watercolor vibe
Comparison games
- Flamecraft
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area drafting / set collection — collect pieces to build a tableau or painting-like scene
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Spirits of the Forest. Absolutely gorgeous box cover. I am just obsessed.
- I can't stop staring at it.
- Mysterium's box cover is gorgeous.
- I love the box art for Portals—the circle and portal motif just draws you in.
- Flamecraft is just so, so pretty.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3CYTaF7WULo
Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Top List at 5:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 32185 · mention_pk 95058
Click to watch at 5:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- easy to teach and share with new players
- engaging area-control with a playful theme
Cons
- not actually wrestling despite the name
Thematic elements
- wrestling-flavored but implements territory control
- tiny map of Japan; area-control focus
- lighthearted, playful
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — dice-driven placement of units on a small map with territory scoring
- Dice-driven actions — dice outcomes influence placement and unit count
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We gamified it.
- This is the board game version of DigDug.
- 90% done. I adore the game.
- It's so silly. It is so fun and I don't think very many people know about it.
- It is love at first sight.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video gpXfOUK5HdM
Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Top List at 2:30 sentiment: positive
video_pk 30999 · mention_pk 91380
Click to watch at 2:30 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- engaging dice-driven tension
- thematic and crunchy
Cons
- potentially luck-influenced for new players
Thematic elements
- conquest and area control with dice-driven placement
- feudal Japan
- thematic, somewhat abstract strategic depth
Comparison games
- Risk
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players compete to overtake castles and regions on a grid.
- dice drafting — Three dice are rolled and split to determine placement and force.
- Dice drafting / allocation — Three dice are rolled and split to determine placement and force.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- If you like Carcassonne and you want to go cooperative nicer, you might try Beacon Patrol.
- Kinfire Council gave me a real Lords of Water Deep vibe when I play.
- Katon with nukes. Yes, katon with nukes. That's all you need to know.
- This is like Ticket to Ride but with polyomino drafting—it’s Sunrise Lane for Tickets to Ride.
- Coffee Rush snuck into that category—tower defense vibes without real-time play.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2DpTrBgcKTo
Chairman of the Board Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12552 · mention_pk 36622
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Simple and quick to learn with deep strategic options
- Two-phase structure provides a crisp, satisfying rhythm
- Cascading boosts create engaging chain-reaction opportunities
- Strong replayability due to board variation and card/scarcity dynamics
- High player interaction and tension without excessive downtime
Cons
- Production dice are small and inexpensive; upgrading them can improve tactility
- Scarcity of action cards may limit strategic options in some setups
- Potential for analysis paralysis if players overthink distributions
Thematic elements
- territory control, conquest, resource bolstering
- Modular map with regions where players place cubes to control territories
- abstract area-control with cascading resolve
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action cards with scarcity — Players may play or draft action cards before/after rolling; once taken, cards are removed from supply and not replenished
- action drafting — Players may play or draft action cards before/after rolling; once taken, cards are removed from supply and not replenished
- Adjacent-region bolstering — Winning a region spawns extra resource cubes in adjacent regions, creating cascading pressure and extended influence
- dice placement — Roll three dice; separate into a single die deciding the region and a pair deciding how many cubes to place in that region; rerolls allowed
- Dice-driven region placement — Roll three dice; separate into a single die deciding the region and a pair deciding how many cubes to place in that region; rerolls allowed
- player interaction — Positioning and card play can push opponents out of regions and influence rival strategy
- Positive player interaction — Positioning and card play can push opponents out of regions and influence rival strategy
- Re-roll option — Players can re-roll dice to adjust distribution before finalizing placements
- Region scoring and token distribution — Regions are scored by most cubes; rewards include a high-value token (10) for first, 5 for second, plus smaller tokens for other outcomes
- Tie-breakers and sword tokens — Sword tokens are used to break ties in region scoring, influencing end-game positions
- two-phase gameplay — First phase builds influence by placing cubes; second phase resolves regions and awards points; no housekeeping or reset between phases
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love how simple this game operates
- The game is divided into two distinct halves
- This cascading abdominal effect is something I haven't seen before
- It's snappy and punchy
- Replayability is very good
- The production looks nice and crisp; color differentiation is clear
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video hJuqBrJc1lY
Going Analog Interview at 13:36 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11850 · mention_pk 34707
Click to watch at 13:36 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fun autoplay battles
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Unit combat
- Battle arena
- Japanese game style
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Autoplay Battles — Battles play out automatically
- Unit Placement — Control where units are placed
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's sort of like war with actual decisions
- It'll take two minutes
- That was amazing. I wonder if that game is like that every time
- It turns out that it was
- So many card games following it have been inspired by that obviously
- The coolest combo you can make in Mystic Veil is like here. The coolest combo you can make in Mystic Lands is like here, right? And the average is like there
- What I made, right? Even if you didn't win, right?
- The most unique way that I have ever encountered an engine builder
- An unbelievably satisfying gameplay experience to destroy
- Betting is like a way to make people care about an outcome
- Poker is a terrible game if you're just playing it right? Uh but the second you're betting with money and you care, right?
- Why do we root for sports teams, right? Like our the day after go Dodgers
- The sitting back and then seeing what happens - yeah there is a really fun aspect to that
- Train making time. When all the technology moves to a certain thing, everybody is making trains, right?
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CUUr0Mbqajs
Chairman of the Board Discussion at 11:48 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11169 · mention_pk 32848
Click to watch at 11:48 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- gateway-level area majority with dynamic cascading scoring
- fun, approachable yet strategic
Cons
- dice randomness can be a factor
Thematic elements
- militia/territory expansion feel
- area majority with dice-driven resolution
- tension-building with cascading scoring
Comparison games
- Celtics
- Lost Cities (conceptual parallel)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice-driven area majority — dice outcomes determine control; regions resolved in order to trigger cascades
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a very tense um small and compact little area majority game
- it's definitely one of the best two-player games to come out in quite some time
- the way that these tokens kind of go on the border lines between two different areas
- this is a really cool little filler all this building i suppose but it's mainly a set collection style game
- it's a real pleasant experience that you know what
- the word association is a bit more difficult and it's the pairing of words sometimes just do not go together
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AI1omwj64kE
Going Analog Discussion at 47:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10964 · mention_pk 32305
Click to watch at 47:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fast play with tense battles and satisfying combat resolution
- compact footprint and quick rounds make it great as filler or opener
Cons
- older title with less known modern take; clocked as niche by some
Thematic elements
- dice-drafting and variable powers across territories
- thematic, mythic civilizations with factional factions
- fast-paced, tactical, bag-building flavor
Comparison games
- Rumble Nation
- Dangerous Trader games in a similar vein
- Patchwork and mandala as lighter two-player strategy comparators
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- battle resolution order — battles occur in a set order after unit placement, adding timing dynamics
- dice placement / area control — rolls determine actions and territories; victory is claimed through strategic placement and battles
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Silos is all about area majority and being in the right spot at the right time because the UFO is moving around the board and you have to predict where it's going.
- It's basically a meeting of a strategy game and a pure party game; it's hilarious.
- The Cosmic Silos Trilogy—Silos, Ego, Orbits—launched as a bundled Kickstarter with big box content.
- El Grande is a classic; Silos flips the idea by making the card actions feel like a slot machine, more frequent and dynamic.
- I love the retro Quan Moria art; it's quirky and visually striking.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video J042jF6QPg0
Chairman of the Board Discussion at 11:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10467 · mention_pk 30823
Click to watch at 11:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Clever and streamlined area control
- Compact and satisfying filler
Cons
- Can swing on dice luck
Thematic elements
- Strategic placement and regional influence
- Filler-area control with dice-driven region work
- Compact strategy with clever balance
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Roll dice to claim regions and place influence cubes.
- Dice-driven region resolution — Deployments are resolved in order; outcomes affect neighboring regions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a very nasty auction style game.
- I think it's a great design.
- One of my favorite games if not my favorite game.
- It's nice that it plays in about 30 minutes.
- I think it's a wonderful design.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zF3rDMbl020
Chairman of the Board Top List at 15:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8268 · mention_pk 24220
Click to watch at 15:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Versatile and engaging area-control experience
- Compact duration with deep decision space
Cons
- Supply chain and distribution issues limit accessibility
- Less-known in some regions reduces reach
Thematic elements
- dice-based area control and chain reactions
- arena-themed territory control with dice
- strategic, competitive
Comparison games
- Risk
- Small World
- Gaia Project
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-driven area control — Roll three dice, split into a pair and a single for placement and limits.
- Sequential region resolution — Resolve map regions numerically with chain-reaction effects
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's absolutely fantastic how engaging this game is
- i've never had a duff game of this one
- this one should be considered one of the best party games out there
- this game did have a couple of production issues as well
- this game is unbelievable good it has so many things that people like
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video P9zZvuyYDis
The Dice Tower Other at 7:41 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 4840 · mention_pk 14321
Click to watch at 7:41 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
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)
- Shelf 16 is kind of a an odd mix here
- This shelf has twice as many games as most shelves
- one of my favorite two-player games, but it's very difficult to learn and play
- Fantastic abstract strategy game
- Such a classic game and I like it a lot
- I don't know why I like it so much, but I do
- one of the most beautiful dexterity/party games there are
- There are so many games on the shelf
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video khVt8nzIk7c
Chairman of the Board Top List at 8:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4117 · mention_pk 12054
Click to watch at 8:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- novel dice mechanism
- dramatic cascading scoring
- engaging and fun
Cons
- luck can influence outcomes; some may find it random
Thematic elements
- dice-driven area control and influence spread
- 12 regions with dice as main mechanism
- roll-and-claim with cascading scoring
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-driven area control — roll three dice, keep two to determine region, remaining die shows troops
- resolution cascading scoring — resolve regions from lowest to highest, with cascading point flows
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's basically a race to deploy or all your influence markers on the board
- this screen really did blow up this last year or two and rightly so
- it's a classic; it feels like I'll be playing this in five or ten years time
- Hidden Gem
- insanely clever
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TMfzPhJNIL0
Going Analog Analysis at 46:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1283 · mention_pk 3745
Click to watch at 46:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- clever dice-math balancing
- fast and atmospheric despite complex ideas
- unusual and distinctive flavor
Cons
- obscure to new players
- less mainstream; might be niche
Thematic elements
- quirky, Japan-origin area-control with dice interaction
- Area-control wargame with dice-driven tension
- fun and chaotic strategic play
Comparison games
- Cosmic Encounter
- Spirit Island
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- balancing risk vs reward — grouping dice into two vs single dice adds strategy
- dice-driven area control — players roll dice to determine region strength and placement
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's pure abstract two players
- it's so clever
- the rules are easy but then the more you play the better you get
- the setup for Fantasy Realms... there is no other setup than that
- the Marine World's expansion for Arc Nova is a nice touch
- the dice tracking in Rumble Nation is really clever
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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