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Game Info
Year
1999
Players
2
Age
8+
Playtime
20 min
Collection
Your Tier
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Expansions & Family
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Description
In Schotten Totten, nine boundary stones lie between you and your opponent. In front of each, you build poker-like formations of three cards on a side. Whoever plays the higher-ranking formation wins the stone. And in a unique twist, you may use your powers of logic to claim a stone even before your opponent has played all three of his cards, by demonstrating that the stone is impossible for him to win. Successfully claim five stones, or any three adjacent stones, and you win the game.
In 2000 GMT published a rethemed version as Battle Line which includes an extra 10 "tactics" cards that modify the standard game play, and with cards that run from 1 to 10 (instead of 1 to 9).
The 2004 Edition of Schottentotten has these "tactics" cards too.
Schotten-Totten FAQ.
Schotten-Totten Family
(4 games)
Part of the Schotten-Totten family — see Battle Line for the combined view.
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Schotten Totten 2 - Review
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 17
This page: 17
Sentiment:
pos 15 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–17 of 17
Video LIbxmEdnx7Q
Where There's A Wilz, There's a Play Top List at 10:38 sentiment: positive
video_pk 93043 · mention_pk 250940
Click to watch at 10:38 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Adorable artwork
- Works well as a two-player game
- Satisfying logic-based wins
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Extending land by gathering stones
- Neighbors battling over land
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — You are doing this by laying down different cards. There are several different colors and the numbers go from one to nine.
- Deduction — You can also get the win by um if you can logically prove that you the other person can't win.
- Hand Management — After you have three uh cards, after both people have three cards, you compare.
- Set Collection — You're trying to have the best set of cards on your side to win that stone basically. Um, so you can have a color run where you have the same color and you have three numbers in a row. You can have a um, a three of a kind. You can have a run. You can have three of the same color.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love this cover.
- How does a sloth escape a zoo? Very slowly.
- This one resonated with me the most and it just looks cute and cozy as well.
- I'm very intrigued also by the fact that this universe is going to be built through books and games and they're going to connect.
- Let us know what some of your um top games that were released pre previous to the this year. And let us know what games you are most anticipating as well down in the comments.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video eKFNtWTX5sE
Gaming with Edo & Jessica Top List at 4:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 89561 · mention_pk 238112
Click to watch at 4:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Heroes with abilities
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hand Management — you have essentially equivalent cars we have identical hands of like uh you know heroes that have um zero one two three four five six seven eight nine or however whatever those number values representing their value
- Set Collection — you're sort of playing the the now and the later ability as you're you know figuring out what your opponent is going to play
- Tie-breaker mechanism — it also has this fake die which is one of my favorite mechanics where essentially it's a tie breaker die but every time you use it to win a tie it gets more valuable and you pass it back and forth
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- 10 great games to bring along while you travel
- this is just sort of 10 games not uh in order per se just 10 great games to bring along
- i really do think those starter decks are great for this kind of thing for a little trip
- these are games that i really do think play well with lower player accounts too specifically somebody next to you or in front of you
- there's a lot of these are skilled games these are games where you can be better than the other person
- i think all these are pretty small easy to carry lots of life and fun in them you can get out of them
- this is definitely a group of games i i could easily recommend
References (from this video)
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Video ZFXiPrA6Oko
Watch It Played Top 10 List at 6:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 88319 · mention_pk 232554
Click to watch at 6:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- clever twists on a familiar motif
- compact yet strategic
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- battle line motif
Comparison games
- Battle Line
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- formation_based_victory — Highest ranking formation wins a stone; first to five stones or three adjacent stones wins.
- Hidden Victory Points — Highest ranking formation wins a stone; first to five stones or three adjacent stones wins.
- poker_hand_influence — Players use poker-like hands to claim stones.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the Temptation may be to make the simplest path possible but there in lies the strategy of foolishness
- it's a really good game you can play with a bunch of people and you it's like a light war game but of civilization building war game
- a zombie game a survival horror board game
- the game that most other games taste like if you want a yachi like experience but in a way that's just like got a theme it's lovely to look at
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video kwfWxZKGqc8
Board Gaming Ramblings Other at 18:38 sentiment: other
video_pk 86956 · mention_pk 226611
Click to watch at 18:38 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Keep
Pros
- Unique twist on shedding/climbing games by disallowing runs.
- Special card abilities add strategic depth.
- Event cards significantly improve gameplay.
- Drawing extra cards can be a good strategic move.
Cons
- Can be longer than stated playtime (45-50 minutes instead of 25).
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Climbing Game — Playing the same and trying to play higher and higher.
- Hand Management — Managing cards including special abilities on certain cards.
- Set Collection — Collecting sets of cards to win points.
- shedding — Players try to play cards to win tricks.
- Variable round rules — Event cards change the rules of the round.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Double call
- Did not like this one too much this was sadly very boring
- I think the main reason I didn't like it is that it's all about destroying for the other person
- It's a bluffing a double psychological game
- it was good it was fine it was but it was for me I would not choose this over Hanoi G Ro or Shadow Oro
- The big problem is that it felt too random
- This is one that we have been enjoying a lot
- The only negative for me is that it's a bit long
- I think that the concept of this sounded more exciting than in I thought it was
- it was just a fine game that I don't need to play again
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video DSJJ_QG5zZE
Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Other at 8:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 85947 · mention_pk 221322
Click to watch at 8:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Can be played with a traditional deck of cards
Cons
- The term 'fifth column' in the original iteration's name might be confusing when playing with a standard deck.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Blue Moon
- Royal Visit
- Lost Cities
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Play — The game can be played with a traditional deck of cards, implying a card-based mechanic.
- columns — Discussion revolves around the concept of columns in card placement.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- if it isn't obvious who won the game is a draw
- The 1995 Reiner Knizia game the fifth column M played with the traditional deck of cards is the original iteration of what famous Knizia two-player game
- it is Stone Age it is Stone Ed age
- this is the evolution of one of my all-time favorite top five games oh my God Las Vegas oh the dice game
- The player who has accumulated the fewest marriage proposals after five rounds wins
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video j-_gUSAilZo
kovray Top 10 List at 21:58 sentiment: positive
video_pk 84313 · mention_pk 214186
Click to watch at 21:58 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Highly Positive
Pros
- The core mechanic of points canceling out is brilliant.
- Every card played feels meaningful.
- The strategy evolves and becomes more apparent with play.
- Supports both cooperative and competitive interactions between players.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area influence — Collecting cards into scoring areas.
- Hand Management — Managing cards in hand to play strategically.
- player interaction — Ways to support or gang up on other people.
- Set Collection — Collecting cards to form scoring combinations.
- Trick-Taking — Plays tricks, but the description focuses on point cancellation and card collection.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The Lord of the Rings is something that I really, really enjoy.
- In most instances, you are playing out your entire hand in this game.
- The packaging and the product design of this game is also just phenomenal.
- It's that one thing that's like everybody's trying to push their points up a little bit more like they want to, but you don't want to do it too much because everybody starts to gang up on you.
- The scoring because you do better if other people do worse. And don't meet their bids.
- Every time I played this game, it just has tickled my brain in the best way possible.
- It takes this simple idea, I guess, and then elevates it just enough that it feels like Ilia said classic, but also doesn't um pull away from the uniqueness of this game.
- It does have grand moments, which I love in games, as many of you know by now. You can be so confident that you're not going to take another trick and you're sitting at 25 and bam, you did. You've busted. Eat it.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video FZyXtEGY5Ik
Rahdo Runs Through Top List at 380:50:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80705 · mention_pk 197402
Click to watch at 380:50:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Classic for a reason
- Easy to teach
- Smooth gameplay (play a card, draw a card)
- Holds up to this day
- Art is better than Battle Line
Cons
- Art style can be a little silly
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Battle Line
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Majority — And once you play a certain number of cards on a stone here, in this case like um the middle one there, you play three cards, you compare it to your opponent, and if your hand is better, you're going to win that stone. You're trying to win five throughout.
- Hand Management — Play a card then draw a card. That's that's all you're doing every turn.
- Set Collection — You're playing cards poker style. You're creating little hands on each of the little blocks such as straights or flushes or uh uh trips or three of a kind and whatnot.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I think the Event deck for this game is fantastic. It's like you're reading the Iliad in card form.
- it's a game that really, really rewards that backstabbing
- It's the game that just takes up your entire day.
- It's long. It's long. It's a long game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video cHZTvD7AgI4
Board Games UnLocked Other at 2:13 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 80654 · mention_pk 197034
Click to watch at 2:13 · 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)
- Underrated game, 100%. I wish they would do an expansion.
- God damn, I suck at this.
- It was okay.
- I was close
- I'll give myself the four points. I knew it was Eggertspiele, but I was trying to do both the publisher and the designer at the same time.
- Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is Reiner Knizia as the designer.
- It's not, dang it.
- Oh my god. Oh my god, I'm so mad. I'm so mad.
- That's so frustrating.
- Significantly better this time around.
- Let me know how well you did in the comments below.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xd9a4mSLTr0
The Dice Tower Top List at 48:30 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80626 · mention_pk 196805
Click to watch at 48:30 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Positive
Pros
- Brilliant game
- Good balancing act
- Held in high esteem
Cons
- Has been hard to get a hold of due to being in and out of print.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deduction — Players need to anticipate when others might play cards to make them go over 40.
- Push Your Luck — Players must balance being close to 40 with the risk of others causing them to go over.
- Set Collection — Winning cards to form score piles, aiming for a sum close to 40 without going over.
- Trick-Taking — Players play out tricks as per normal, and the winner takes cards played off-suit.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Did it in such an unbelievably clean way
- within a few missions, you are doing zany things that you that oftentimes feel like they're not possible.
- If people know trick taking then you can pull off some awesome awesome moves.
- This is why you're an idiot. Let me break it down for you in front of everybody.
- It's so smart. It's so smart.
- this one is a little more approachable.
- No, this is my favorite because it's so dead simple.
- This is your starting point here. I think this is the gold standard.
- It outdid the crew for me recently.
- This is now coming out as Trick to the Future.
- I hate that name so much.
- It's basically Hearts with Special Powers.
- Rebel Princess is fantastic.
- This is one that's also very easy to teach people.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video YuGtl0r7tNQ
Where There's A Wilz, There's a Play Review at 14:24 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80079 · mention_pk 194306
Click to watch at 14:24 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Really fun two player only lane battler.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Battling over extending your land into the other person's land.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card ranking — Playing different cards and you're trying to either get a better rank on cards.
- lane battler — Playing up to three cards on both sides of this row of rocks. Battling over extending your land into the other person's land.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- My number five is just a silly wheelie card game that just makes your mind go because you're used to doing one thing but you got to say another thing.
- It's a lot of giggles and laughs as well.
- This is a nice cozy game.
- Absolutely love this.
- This is my number one polyomino game of all time and cartographers which is my number one flipping right game of all time and number two overall action right game of all time.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6v9qN4t10zY
Where There's A Wilz, There's a Play Analysis at 20:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80105 · mention_pk 194402
Click to watch at 20:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Positive
Pros
- Enjoyable artwork
- Engaging gameplay requiring thought
Cons
- Can be complex for overthinkers
Thematic elements
- Territorial expansion
- Border dispute
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bluffing — Implied through trying to win lanes and anticipating opponent's moves.
- Hand Management — Players must play a card each turn unless they have three cards.
- lane battler — Players battle over different lanes, trying to win them.
- Set Collection — Players try to make sets of three cards like three of a kind, color combinations, or sequences.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- So, one of the games that I recently actually just learned is one that I would love to play again and see where it goes.
- I really enjoyed this game. Some people complained about the um the quality of the components.
- I don't listen to those people. You listen to Stacy get Santa table.
- And Shot and Totten is a push and pull.
- It's a thinky game where you have to lay down your cards and hope that you win that lane.
- This will help you determine what part of the states maybe you want to go visit.
- It's a fun game. It's game of bluffing, which I am terrible at.
- So I'm very excited about this. Um, it just I think it's going to be really cool having like these books and this these games that align with each other.
- And it's got an otter in it, so therefore it's automatically good.
- So, thank you to Nish Nation and if you have a moment please check them out.
- They do it all in a very positive manner.
- So, thank you to both of them for being so positive and bringing so many smiles to everybody.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qbqzM9zNgRE
Before You Play Top 50 List at 32:30 sentiment: positive
video_pk 39738 · mention_pk 208544
Click to watch at 32:30 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- great travel game; compact box
- tight two-player dueling with memory elements
Cons
- two-player only nature limits replay on larger groups
- depends on luck and discard timing
Thematic elements
- fast, tactical dueling with stones and cards
- ancient battle-stone stacking; two-player card duel
- abstract, highly tactical
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / Bidding — powerful powers exist as optional twists
- auction_and_flexibility — powerful powers exist as optional twists
- poker_hand_like_scoring — use cards to form strong hands at stones
- two_player_card_game — win by achieving a set of stones or blocks in a row
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is an epic asymmetric game.
- The ultimate travel game for two players.
- It's the generator of mind-blowing experiences when played with the right group.
- Witness is a clever take on the 'telephone game' but with clues and deduction.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6kJsoRtRyyQ
Board With Steve Top List at 7:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10455 · mention_pk 100374
Click to watch at 7:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- tight two-player duel with deep tactical choices
- fast to play but with meaningful decisions
- accessible entry point to abstract strategy
Cons
- two-player only design may limit audience
- strategy can feel punishing for beginners
Thematic elements
- duel-like, tactical block-building with cards
- two-player dueling card set collection
- concise, competitive, skill-driven
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Pattern Recognition — Decide to place or misdirect to gain control of stones; end conditions rely on patterns.
- pattern recognition and bluff — Decide to place or misdirect to gain control of stones; end conditions rely on patterns.
- three-card battles per boundary — Each round, players place up to three cards per boundary and compare sets.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Pitch Out is such an underrated game I rarely hear anybody talking about it
- Skull is a game that's all about bluffing
- it's a d little game but absolutely anyone can play it
- Scout is my favorite card game of all time
References (from this video)
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Video Xsalh1c5lVM
actualol Review at 5:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7534 · mention_pk 85664
Click to watch at 5:22 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Simple rules
- Strategic depth
- Quick gameplay
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Clan rivalry
- Scottish border conflict
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card set collection — Building poker-like sets of cards to win territory
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- More than any video I've ever made I would swear by these games
- We've played over a thousand games together
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BZexrfakw50
Before You Play Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6533 · mention_pk 100570
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Elegant asymmetry that preserves the core tension from the original while adding depth
- Travel-friendly footprint and compact two-player format
- Cauldron tokens introduce meaningful risk and timing pressure
- Humorous, high-quality artwork that reinforces the theme
- Two distinct roles create engaging head-to-head decision points
Cons
- More heady and less casual than the original; may be less approachable for casual players
- Cognitive load increases due to tracking multiple wall segments and their conditions
- Strictly a two-player experience; not ideal for solo or larger groups
Thematic elements
- Asymmetric competitive duel with hand management and bluffing, framed through a kitchen siege motif.
- A whimsical siege duel around a central wall where a cook attacks and a chicken defends, framed as a compact two-player cook-versus-chicken contest.
- Humorous, lighthearted with tongue-in-cheek kitchen imagery and art; the theme supports tense, head-to-head decisions.
Comparison games
- Shot and Totten (original)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- advanced variant: tactical cards — An optional tactical deck adds cards with special powers; players can draw from it and play one more tactical card than their opponent, balancing risk and tempo.
- asymmetric roles — Players assume opposite roles (cook vs chicken) with distinct objectives and tactical options, creating inherent strategic imbalance and counterplay.
- cauldron tokens — Chicken can place up to three cauldrons to remove the first card of the opponent’s hand on a chosen line, creating disruption and timing decisions.
- poker-style hands — Wall segments specify a required hand strength; players compose hands from their cards to try to beat the segment's requirement.
- preparation action — On a chicken turn, players may activate a preparation action to use cauldrons; chefs have similar, role-dependent preparation options.
- siege deck and drafting — The deck provides cards; players draw after playing. Sequences and card distribution shape how hands can form and when to push or defend.
- wall-tile mechanics — Each wall segment has a scoring condition. When a segment is claimed, it flips to a new condition and both players discard the current hands.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a very tactical game
- it's a nice delicate balance between the two
- two-player only game
- it's more heady
- it's clever
- the cauldron tokens make it super interesting
- sequels are always really hard to make
- we clearly loved it
- I think we would keep both of them
- there are two things that make it a lot more heady—0s and 11s on wall sides
- you must remove all the cards from the segments that you're removing from you
- time is literally what the chicken is trying to buy
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BZexrfakw50
Before You Play Review at 0:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6533 · mention_pk 100571
Click to watch at 0:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Preserves the core tent of a shared hand-management duel
- Simple, approachable entry point for two players
- Distinct visual style and tactile components that differ from the sequel
Cons
- Less depth and fewer moving parts than Shot and Totten 2
- Original's mechanics can feel more straightforward and less tense than the sequel
Thematic elements
- Two-player confrontation with relative advantage and defense, relying on bluff and hand strength rather than tactical cards.
- Two-player duel around a wall using stones to symbolize segments; a more tactile, stone-based siege in contrast to the 2nd edition's wall segments.
- Minimalist and straightforward duel setup with a focus on core mechanics rather than thematic flourish.
Comparison games
- Shot and Totten 2
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- poker-hand mechanics in a siege — Players form hands to breach segments of the wall, with wall segments driven by a fixed set of rules based on hand strength.
- two-player asymmetric framework — Each player has a different role with specific aims and counterplay options, but the core engine is balanced toward head-to-head tension.
- wall-based scoring/attack structure — Climax occurs when a wall segment is breached or when a segment is completed, leading to endgame conditions similar to the sequel but with different tokens and constraints.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a very tactical game
- it's a nice delicate balance between the two
- two-player only game
- it's more heady
- it's clever
- the cauldron tokens make it super interesting
- sequels are always really hard to make
- we clearly loved it
- I think we would keep both of them
- there are two things that make it a lot more heady—0s and 11s on wall sides
- you must remove all the cards from the segments that you're removing from you
- time is literally what the chicken is trying to buy
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 4Z8_t2e4MEY
Before You Play Top List at 50:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4734 · mention_pk 119135
Click to watch at 50:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- poker-meets-board-game tension
- compact and portable; easy to teach
Cons
- the base game can feel dry to players seeking heavy themes
- some players may find it less accessible if unfamiliar with Knizia's auction feel
Thematic elements
- poker-hand-based competition on a row of stones
- Poker-inspired battlefield; stones and betting
- poker-lie and bluff driven
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / Bidding — Players assemble and bid hands to win stones on the table.
- Hand Management — Decide when to play strong versus hold resources for later rounds.
- Poker-hand bidding — Players assemble and bid hands to win stones on the table.
- Sequential stone competition — Winning stones adds to your overall position in the round.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we are embarking on our top 50 journey
- the games for the most part are going to be shipped directly from the publishers
- we have excluded games that we've only played one time
- crossovers obviously because we share a collection a lot
- please keep in mind we are not here to sway you one way or the other but we do have to disclose
References (from this video)
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Transcript Navigation
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