How long does a game of SET take?

A typical game of SET takes approximately 30 minutes.

What are the best video reviews of SET?

MindForge has curated 74 video reviews of SET from top board game content creators.

What type of game is SET?

SET features mechanics including Area Control, Compound Scoring, Engine Building, Hand Management, Multi-Use Cards.

SET - Board Game | MindForge

Video NKwoDt0ihBQ Getting Games Discussion at 17:22 sentiment: positive

video_pk 89789 · mention_pk 239056

Click to watch at 17:22 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

very kooky and unique components
interesting concept

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

blocking/placement — placing shoelaces to block and trap the opponent
Dice Placement — rolling dice and threading shoelaces through a board with holes

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's a relatively lightweight card game
looks very pleasant
i would love to try at some point
aesthetically pleasing vibe
i'm genuinely curious to learn more about this

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video NKwoDt0ihBQ Getting Games Discussion at 44:02 sentiment: positive

video_pk 89789 · mention_pk 239070

Click to watch at 44:02 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

elegant components
cascade flipping mechanic looks neat

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

double-sided tiles with arrows — tiles flip and reorient as arrows dictate
Two-Player Only — two players only game

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's a relatively lightweight card game
looks very pleasant
i would love to try at some point
aesthetically pleasing vibe
i'm genuinely curious to learn more about this

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video kGWETVxgg-k UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 2:04:17 sentiment: positive

video_pk 87757 · mention_pk 229896

Click to watch at 2:04:17 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Positive

Pros

Gorgeous looking game

Cons

Looked heavy

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 was a little too long 12 hands was too many I would have preferred playing the 500 instead of a thousand
this system was had its cool things it had some cool things but it also had just some garbage ideas
it's just like who came about these rules it's just like these aren't streamlined these are garbage they are horrible
the Marvel superheroes game was like the Marvel Universe
spacehulk spacehulk spacehulk space Hulk I knew it was Warhammer I just didn't know
it's the one where you uh you're playing as a disease trying to kill everybody take over the world it's like an AA control game
I think it's in my top 25 or 50 games of all time
the game just chef's kiss
Shadows of Brimstone game and it's just like yeah doing nothing
Brimstone is our money maker they they'll milk the dead
it's sort of a Rog likee and I think it doesn't get enough credit
like you're doing the same thing just longer and more tedious and more like that's that's bad
the deluxe version of it um had a basically kind of a foil cover like as the person's casting a spell and so there's this kind of rainbow effect foil cover of like the magic that's coming up
it was it was insane yes crazy what people go foil covers bring to the end
the Cliffhanger game with a more compact box size streamline rule book and over a decade's worth of Polish and AATA worked in this is the ultimate edition of the classic Cliffhanger Adventure game
the cards were tiny
Shadows of Brimstone game and it's just like
we couldn't get any traction we couldn't get anybody to notice the game even existed anywhere
it was like it sold it we sold out day and a half just because it had a foil had a foil rainbow cover
I hate those things yeah I pick every box sleeve off of every game I've ever got
we would rather be cheated out of money than refuse a customer service request from somebody who honestly needed it
the owner said why isn't that guy allowed in the store and they told him why and he's like it's a free country he can say whatever he wants
I was like Rich if like quite literally Rich you should just tell people that I will be there and that will get more people to come in and and sell stuff and I and give me the table for free
I don't make anything so what's the point of
I don't have to pay $5 just so sit at a [ __ ] table now
we're not coming here anymore you come to my house for board game night that's it
well how about you buy it and when you're done with it bring it back to me and I'll give you the money back minus five bucks

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video wbfy9ww1BCM Hungry Gamer Discussion at 22:53 sentiment: positive

video_pk 87337 · mention_pk 227973

Click to watch at 22:53 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

based on real science
artistic presentation

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

science-based exploration — based on real science, deep space exploration

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Gen Con was everything it was cracked up to be this year.
it's a crisis management game that hits on all cylinders
I think this game is going to be off the hook
I would love to cover this game because these things are so cool

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 9-c8bdTf8uI Board Gaymes James Discussion at 15:29 sentiment: positive

video_pk 87053 · mention_pk 226891

Click to watch at 15:29 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Ancient/Ancient Near East theme

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

unknown — New pre-order item; details not fully disclosed in transcript

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I'm interested to see how sensitive or how insensitive this may end up being as a theme because I have gone through the therapy process I am diagnosed you all know that um and Freud wasn't the most reputable therapist back in the day uh but it's a period piece so we'll see how that goes
this is a game where you are playing assistance of Freud to heal your um patients through DreamWorks and stuff
this was hot hot hot because they only had 75 copies a day
I like it
look out for the review on that one because this one was really fun
rules are very poorly translated so it's kind of hard to understand at first
the show was packed it sold out every single day
Sunday sold out the slowest

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video IYT5yQHxwR8 Foster the Meeple Top List at 16:29 sentiment: positive

video_pk 87031 · mention_pk 226816

Click to watch at 16:29 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Very viby
witchy Vibes
Vibes are on point
definitely a little bit lighter than that for sure

Cons

Jeff hasn't played this game

Thematic elements

Witch covens

Comparison games

Anachrony

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mind clash — A mind clash game that involves a lot of elements like simultaneous card play.
Potion brewing — Players brew potions as part of the gameplay.
Simultaneous card play — Cards are played out that dictate actions, with some level of simultaneous play.
track movement — There's a track that players move up.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

we haven't done a strictly like Halloween top 10 in a while now
these are 10 games that we recommend you try for the happiest of seasons of Halloween
I just feel like I know we've talked about a million times but I feel like I can't have this list without horrified being on it
if you are looking for a good like murder mystery style deduction game that isn't too like horror themed but is murder themed you know but it's so much fun and I we play it every Halloween so I would highly recommend it
Castle party is super accessible very fun um and one we also play every Halloween and it is freaking adorable
it is notoriously difficult to play
it plays incredibly quickly and it's one of the one of my favorite social deduction games
it is just it's so much fun it's so colorful and cute but in like a not so scary spooky kind of way
I really love the way this plays it too I think it's really fun
this game is total nonsense total chaos so much fun it will burn your brain though
it's very very very good and very spooky like the artwork on the on the tiles is beautiful
it is very viby it's witchy Vibes
Cobble and fog invokes spookiness

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video ZopQWOXnAMk Board Gaming Ramblings Analysis at 18:01 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86718 · mention_pk 225476

Click to watch at 18:01 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Great fun game
Plain fun
Gives the feeling of having fun

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Control — Implied by the context of aliens and space, though not explicitly stated.
Movement — Players can fly around in space.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Time is weird because it goes very quickly and also slowly at the same time.
It was so fun. And it was so frustrating when you try you have a plan and you don't do the thing that you're trying to do, but it was very very fun.
I'm basically decided that I was going to surprise you with relearning the rules and getting that back to the table so that you didn't have fun with it is kind of sad.
My biggest surprise for real is Stevens. Uh because I like uh Roll & Costa, the designers. We played games from them before a lot of them that we really liked, but Stevens was like something else and I just keep getting uh what you call it? Like uh impressed by their skills of making games.
I would rather play Via Nebula if I'm playing like a pick up and deliver like gateway game.
It's a distilled campaign experience. Every like the the combat has been like 45 minutes. There's only like these called combat scenes because you're going to have only like three or four rounds. It's not like oh this combat might last three hours. It's made to be more bite sized.
It's just like it is plain fun. It is one of those games where I just have fun while I play it. It gives me that feeling of I am having fun.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video vYqb5R-SPjo Meeple University Top 5 List at 13:31 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86633 · mention_pk 224829

Click to watch at 13:31 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

dense, well-integrated engine-building design
timing and rotation add a unique twist
varied endgame scoring via aliens

Cons

mechanisms are complex and may have a learning curve

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

area majority and endgame objectives — scoring revolves around stars and endgame objectives that vary by alien race
rotating solar system — the board rotates, affecting relative positions to stars and timing of actions
space-themed, science-inspired engine-building — player actions upgrade their boards; actions are rotation-tied
Timing-based actions — timing considerations influence when to take actions for best outcomes

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's a simple draft and place type mechanism
this has got some layers of strategy that I didn't realize until I played it
the rotating solar system that's the critical part of this game
it's not a reskin so there are some changes here
the Lost Fleet expansion for guia project
if you pass F you get to choose the action that's available

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video YYDMN20FRvE Heavy Cardboard Discussion at 36:22 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 86646 · mention_pk 224924

Click to watch at 36:22 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Cool solar system movement

Cons

Aliens are a letdown
Missed opportunity

Thematic elements

Aliens
Solar System

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

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

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 1aWl9Sxtfec Man vs Meeple Top List at 29:36 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86594 · mention_pk 224577

Click to watch at 29:36 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Highly Positive

Pros

Satisfying gameplay
Cool rotating solar system board
Lots of scoring opportunities
Sense of exploration and discovery
Surprising alien species reveals that change the game
Versatile gameplay with different scoring and setups
Great card play
Multi-use cards add strategic depth
Allows for different strategies and paths to victory

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Exploration
Space

Comparison games

Galileo

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Card Drafting — the cards are great too... the cards can have you do anything like any actions you can do any things that you couldn't usually do with actions just crazy stuff with the cards
Modular Board — you reveal one or two of those aliens and it's like now we're doing this... it comes with five different aliens you're only playing with two each game
Multi-Use Cards — they're kind of multi-use too because you can some of them like let you they can be slided as income so you're like do I really want this or do I want a different income or you have to discard cards to pay for other things
Set Collection — there's all these different ways you can find these traces and the hook like the coolest part for me is once you have enough traces of life you get to discover one of the two alien species
Variable player powers — when you reveal the alien species you get to go to this whole other like component set and there's cards there's tokens there's a whole bunch of things that are going to be added into the game and a rule sheet
Worker Placement — sending out these probes to all these different planets for a ton of different scoring opportunities

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's probably the hardest video we do all year because we have to look back at the entire year and think just about 10 games only 10 games that we really enjoyed this year
this is seti
this game is it's just so satisfying
the coolest part for me is once you have enough traces of life you get to discover one of the two alien species that were set aside at the beginning of the game and when you reveal the alien species you get to go to this whole other like component set and there's cards there's tokens there's a whole bunch of things that are going to be added into the game and a rule sheet
it's so much going on at once
I love a sense of exploration or like I I love the reveal
my number game for the year was set it was so I was so close to putting it number one
the card play for me along with everything what you said it's like it's like a heavier game where you're doing efficiencies everything I love
my number one game of the year Star Wars unlimited
This game took me completely by storm
I am all in on it I am buying boxes Galore
this is the only ccgm play

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video ruot2bjYNpg Man vs Meeple Top List at 39:08 sentiment: other

video_pk 86586 · mention_pk 224501

Click to watch at 39:08 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Flawless

Pros

A perfect game, possibly flawless
Incredibly thematic
Elements of surprise
Weight of choices, not rules
Satisfying choices and gameplay
Plays out differently each time
Close scores among players
Not too long if you're enjoying it

Cons

Some might find it a bit long

Thematic elements

reaching out to alien life
space

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — there's so many choices in this game that feel right
Area Control — move my my satellite
Card Play — you're playing cards to do a wide variety of things the cards are multi-use
Resource Management — am I going to use this car to tuck for my my engine or am I going to play this card and say or save it
variable setup — there's a couple aliens that are going to be in each game and both of those are these big tiles that'll eventually get flipped but you have to find these Trace pieces of evidence to make contact

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it is a bag of chips and once everyone's done this is the beauty to score
this is what title blades is and why it's so high on my list is because it does exactly what I want in a in a in a Dungeon Crawl type game it's it's actually top tier to me
fantastic game really really love fantastic game
this game feels right every time like everything feels right
I think seti is a is a perfect game I actually have played my first game where I'm like I'm not necessarily sure there's anything wrong with this game
has some of the best dice mechanics and mechanisms in gaming in my opinion
they did revive which was one of our fav always always a fave of mine

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video YiMKu-IFHx0 Meeple University Top 10 List at 4:12 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86512 · mention_pk 223974

Click to watch at 4:12 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Engaging engine-building
Interesting rotation mechanic
Enjoyable thinky feel

Cons

none

Thematic elements

scientific SETI-style probing of alien life
space exploration and search for life

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

card_drafting — Cards provide income or upgrades; you manage limited actions.
engine_building — Engine-building elements on your player board; multiple developments; rotating board adds timing.
rotation_mechanic — Board rotates, adding timing considerations.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's so hard I mean look at us like complaining about this you know this thing that shouldn't be complaining about anyways
starting with number 20 on my top games of 2024 is flat iron
Captain Obvious ... bulletproof sentence that features the word

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video YK-T_HmsasI UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 2097:14:40 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86514 · mention_pk 224009

Click to watch at 2097:14:40 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Loved everything about it except the scanning.
The aliens are unknown at the beginning, offering variety.
Has potential for expansion.
The rotating board and gravitational forces are fun.
The alien sample collection mechanic is interesting.
It's a Eurogame with good mechanics and art.

Cons

The scanning part is the weakest aspect.
Not recommended for people who don't like Eurogames.

Thematic elements

Exploration and contact with aliens.
Space

Comparison games

Dragons Down
Rymd
Galaxy Defenders
Sword and Sorcery

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Control — Players place settlements on the map, which act as units for attacking.
majority scoring — Players compete for majority through scanning, filling discs into slots.
Modular Board — The board rotates, adding a dynamic element to movement and positioning.
Set Collection — Players collect cards and potentially alien samples.
Variable player powers — Players choose two aliens out of several, each with different mechanics.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It's the longest running weekly live stream uh on YouTube.
I felt like garbage, I still got this stupid cough that just will not go away.
After the Empire, it's a game where you really feel like you're in charge.
The complexity is part of the appeal.
It's like a cute woodland creature war.
Every game feels like a different experience because of the factions.
Everdell, it's just so pretty to look at on the table.
I love the feeling of building up my little city.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video LSjupA-zRdg Meeple University Top 10 List at 36:23 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86470 · mention_pk 223796

Click to watch at 36:23 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Extremely Positive

Pros

All actions have timing engaged
Interactive and timing-dependent actions
Clever rotating solar system mechanism
Well-optimized integration of mechanics and theme
Encourages scoring points early for endgame objective choice
Strong game that will be remembered
Innovative rotating board

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
Space Exploration

Comparison games

Arc Nova
Terraforming Mars

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Control — there's all these little area controls around the board
Push Your Luck — you have a choice on whether you make the planets rotate or not because it costs you six popularity reputation
Race for Objectives — there's an incentive for going there early there's an incentive for going later because later breaks the tie
Rotating board — the way the solar system rotates you got three rings of the solar system that's moving the planets around
Timing-based actions — all the actions have timing engaged in them

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Rebel princess is a trick taking game where the theme is amazing you are princess is a you are a rebel princess you're trying not to marry Prince Charming because you a rebel basically
it's very fun fre taking game and there are a lot of variability as well
very very clever card drafting game
hunt for really broken combos that will give you a whole lot of points
currency in the form of stones which are worth one three and six points but you're not allowed to make free change and you're limited to the specific number of stones not the value of stones you can hold
feels a lot like dwellings of elderil but set in in the space
I just love that mechanics just makes it feel you have to balance how many workers you do and then how often do you do that action
when you bring a piece back you can essentially use it with some energy resources to activate an entire row of your Tableau
all the actions have timing engaged in them
everything is so Linked In with timing for what other players do
the most clever thing is the way the solar system rotates
you are encouraged to score points this and this was in your um I think it was 19th you sorry so it's the way you being encouraged to score points Within game because then you get to pick the uh the better objective for endgame scoring
it's going to scratch the itch of someone who wants sandx gentle sandbox do your own kind of thing
action selection mechanism unlimited advancement rondle
every action is so re what other players do the timing uh wanting to do something before somebody else is so baked into every single action
limited capacity for storage which makes it really tight
it's like Dominion with every good expansion cram into a really compact deck building game
six unique captains in the game as well with their own decks and some of them have their own powers

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video e34Tr29sQ88 Rolling Dice & Taking Names Analysis at 10:22 sentiment: negative

video_pk 86365 · mention_pk 223157

Click to watch at 10:22 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

negative

Pros

Well-designed game.
Plays smoothly and well.

Cons

Biggest disappointment.
Didn't grab the reviewer as expected.
Long playtime (40 minutes per player).
Stayed on the table too long.
Not for everyone, even if well-designed.

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Eurogame — Mentioned in the context of needing to be different and tight to appeal to the reviewers.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

If we knew more about our sleep, what would we do differently?
Usually [music] you add sauce to the food, but when the sauce is this good, the food is just there to get the sauce [music] to your mouth.
No kidding, y'all. Marty had written school wagon for me to say, like he's from the 1800s or something.
God, Atlanta traffic. Y'all y'all can have that. Just have it.
The ones that's come out in retail, like a Barnes & Noble, is a bigger box, and people don't want that. people want, you know, the small box so they can just throw it in their pocket or throw it in their bag or something like that.
So, it was remade, like you said, look like it's a in the same that would come out like with Uno or Rook or something like that.
Free cookies and milk.
You know, there's there's a lot of businesses around there. So, it was a great location.
So y'all, we got to play two hot games from last year that everybody talked about and then two games that are newer for this year.
Biggest surprise of the games that we played.
Biggest disappointment of the games that we played.
So, after the when they say 40 minutes per player, they ain't lying.
It's just one of those things, Tony, you and I, it's like maybe it's just not for us, right?
Basically, what we used to think was just fun is now considered death traps and you'll never see them again sort of deal.
When there is the least chance of snow, the guys who have the brine trucks to get it ready, they they get excited and they have to go spread brine.
You look like an old man sitting there with a blanket around your shoulder. Turn on the heat.
Can't do it. State can't State won't allow it. Too many crazy people out there.
They'd pick you up, take you back, and that's how they made their money. Hey, worked.
So, what that is is when a bus in North Carolina, cuz you know, we don't have crossing guards here for tracks.
Now, hopefully you looked for the reason why you were running the tracks. You needed to see if there's a train coming.
I got off the bus. I looked left. I looked right. And there was this big ass train sitting there.
So, they were shifting the um tanks around, shifting them around u disposing or unloading them.
It's a civ style tech tree game, which is what it was with the Beyond the Sun.
The game was coming to the to to an end.
So, I I don't Here's my final thoughts on this game. I'd play it again. No doubt.
So, that is Chu Han from Tom Leman and Mato Games.
So, that is Beyond the Horizon from Kio Creations and Capstone Games.
Another reason come visit the Discord channel for Rolling Dice and Taking Aims.
Did you see they're re-releasing Nurosima Hex?
So, for moving wild, it is fast. It's quick. Those are synonyms, but that's all right because that's the intent of it.
So, I I definitely think leave it in your game bag for a 10 to 15 minute game at night.
And the first thing I'm going to say about this game is it is not a trick-taking game.
Flowcharts. I know you don't need rule books if you got a flowchart. A good flowchart.
This is definitely a player interaction conflict game. This isn't a Euro where you're just sitting there playing look at your own player board.
So, the ambition you set is also determined by the cards.
So, I mean, yes, you're going to get [clears throat] screwed if you don't have a higher value than what was played because you're going to be denying yourself actions, but you're always guaranteed to at least do one of something.
So, I wish there was a way to take care of that.
So, a lot of people said Arcs was their game of the year. I think it's a very solid game.
I like the mechanics that were in there. I would play it again with people who know it. I would not go through the teach again.
And believe it or not, it is a trick-taking game.
This is definitely a player interaction conflict game.
I really enjoyed the battle perspective of this game. It was very quick and it was over very fast and you took on the chance of getting hurt based on the dice that you were rolling.
It was a tough teach.
It's a unique experience. I haven't played another game that's like this.
Believe it or not, it is a trick-taking game.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video E2_544A6S0A Sir Thecos Top List at 11:26 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86264 · mention_pk 222697

Click to watch at 11:26 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Positive

Pros

Great party game
Fun
Works well with music integration

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Party Game — Described as a great party game.
Scanning/App Integration — You scan the code, Spotify plays it for you.
sorting — You try to sort the songs by year.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

this one is an abstract game that actually worked pretty well
oh boy oh boy this is a game I don't have to think about it I I I could even think about giving it lower than a d but I will give it a d now
the design doesn't work at all it's so specific there's like so much text on the cards it's i' I've I've never seen cards like that
this is we have the suspicion that this is AI generated or at least some of it uh like what the regarding the rules in the design because wow this is really cumbersome
it's a solid game this is like a game that is has a cool premise it works very well but it's nothing special but still I keep coming back to it because the Bame Marina implementation is so great
Kaber of course uh this needs to be an S tier because it's my top three game in both my list solo and general
Secret identity I will also give an a yeah it works really well
it's very very tough but I like it it's always fun
very good Abra game I can just I just recomend can recommend that to pretty much everyone
Not turn I just reviewed on my channel uh I like this game I will give this a B I think B is fine uh it's a good game it has a very interesting Bing mechanism and a it has a few mechanisms that are very unique
Missana uh I'm still really torn now that I played the cave of Gins which is really good um I might rank this higher I would also give this a B I don't know this game I think this game like will become even better like when you have more expansions right the base game is okay it's fine probably just a b Toc
just one srank one of the best party games out there definitely srank uh I always like to pull it out it's one of my most favorite party games
K grip also clear srank let me just put it up here clear srank game is one of my most most favorite portable solo games ever
Kites Kites I will give a H A or B uh it's a very good game but I think I will give it a b it's also like a fun time you play like one two three four games and then you're over it and then you don't want to play it for a few weeks right at least that's how I feel but every time I pull it out it's very very fun I like it
fun facts also clear S rank I like this a little bit more than just one uh but they're both incredible party games so definitely also S rank
belati um a game that is not very well known I think internationally but a very cool deduction party game I also have to give this an S it's always a fun time like really really fun party games

References (from this video)

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Video uGTxxtPTXao Discussion at 10:58 sentiment: positive

video_pk 86156 · mention_pk 222211

Click to watch at 10:58 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

good
excited to play

Cons

don't know if a copy is needed

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)

that is above retail it's very far above retail I don't know what's going on there
oh Critter kitchen I was like now means we got to play this five times you got to commit to it
it's terrible it's it's it's like I have nothing that's how bad the production is
all of us think it's the the best of all of them
which everyone knows was my my game of the year
it's a legacy now I think it's like a 10 or 12 game thing and it's tile laying and it has an app
every game you add one new section of map that is whoever I think it's whoever wins whoever wins or whoever loses gets to pick the new section of map
every single section introduces a new mechanic to the game
the story wasn't super compelling
Betrayal Legacy is brilliant the way they do the story and unlocking stuff is incredible
however not a satisfying ending story-wise and never remember it
it still felt weird even up to the last game was that you don't score points as you go
the mechanics it's very sound and I legitimately am interested in playing the game again
make sure you're taking time for yourself and one of the best ways to do that is to play games with people you enjoy

References (from this video)

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Video ElKuQxHyueM UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 42:47 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 86203 · mention_pk 222427

Click to watch at 42:47 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

none

Cons

Higher weight than desired
Longer playtime

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I don't know I'm not loving it.
It seems it seems like a little bit of a game of chicken.
I found that mechanism interesting so if like if that mechanism was in a game that I found more compelling.
It's good, it's good enough for the show, it's it gives it like a nice little logic puzzle.
It has a ton of game.
My character was getting developed, I was getting all kinds of cool stuff to do.
I thought it was cool.
The rule book is good but you want I for some reason I was like annoyed with the real book.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video a3NVftbhPkE The Broken Meeple Discussion at 18:53

video_pk 85935 · mention_pk 221263

Click to watch at 18:53 · 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)

Ark Nova is my favorite game of all time.
Look at how gorgeous that thing is. Oh my god, I am drooling. This is such a pretty insert to get out.
So, inserts I think are worth it.
The money you get in those two games is garbage.
I do have a lot of inserts in a lot of my games. Now, some of them I probably shouldn't have bought because the game doesn't get played often enough.
Upgrade it from something that's crap to something that's really good. Don't upgrade something that's already good to something that's just a bit more good. It's not worth the money.
People don't respect wood enough. Wood pieces are great.
I don't care about miniatures in games now. I'm getting sick and tired of gray miniatures in all my games.
The Folded Space insert for Civilization and New Dawn is a thing of genius.
Do bling your games is good, but remember that you're paying a lot of money for it.
Live comedy these days has suffered a lot because of all the political correctness nonsense.
The golden age of comedians is sadly dying out.

References (from this video)

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Video c5r2mefPR2Q UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 32:43 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85601 · mention_pk 219801

Click to watch at 32:43 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Very positive

Pros

It's a really good game.
It won the award for thematic game.

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Space

Comparison games

Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth
Galactic Cruise

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It was fantastic. It was just there was so much stuff going on that was really enjoyable.
Well, I think there's that one Warhammer guy that syn There's some synthesizer show synthesizer synthesizer shows that I watch that have been around for a long time.
We must slay them.
Thanks for nothing, Danny Nunan.
It's like, Oh, honey, I'm so sorry.
This is the longest running weekly live stream thing held on YouTube 10 years or so in a row.
Americans don't even like America.
It's not like we're keeping track here yeah, who's keeping score
Oh, really? Runner up code names.
You don't make a podcast.
I mean, the definition I don't even know what you're saying.
You're just making up words.
So defeist.
Yeah, that gumballs.com. They suck.
This is not a good website.
The two eyes are swords.
It's like, how does anybody know this guy exists?
I'm always impressed when things like that exist.
Oh, yeah. I guess you can. Yes, you can. But that's not the same because podcast is a different
It's like, oh, you know, use use use non like you have didn't make this game colorblind uh friendly.
Be excellent to one another as Bill and Ted would say.
The fact that the dice rolls were so unlucky against me.
I love the game, but it's when those dice rolls don't go your way.
It's like, Oh, you know, should he fight the wolves or should he run away?
This is the most evil, most powerful terrorist organization in the world that never wins.
It's like, 'No, nobody's died. This is realistic.'

References (from this video)

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Video U5LJvMT7aFs The Broken Meeple Discussion at 43:42 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85580 · mention_pk 219656

Click to watch at 43:42 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

expansion fixes original issues
great cover art
thematic mechanics
innovative touches

Cons

original game could have been a 9/10

Thematic elements

search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — The game involves 'space agents coming out at different times'.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It takes elements of The Mind and those sort of games where you have to you can't communicate and you've got to figure stuff out.
But the game uses Texas Holden Poker to do it.
So flip seven.
It's literally just the equivalent of an Uno card game of push your luck.
I found Slay the Spire to be boring as a computer game.
The rinse repeat nature of a rogike game is just not fun to me because you just rinse and repeat the same thing.
Let's Go to Japan actually did a pretty good job of doing the theme well with that.
Let's Go to Japan is mostly about the scoring phase.
SETI search for extraterrestrial intelligence one win it wins it over
But, Seti, yeah, I'm I'm happy with this one.
war game. To be honest, I'm not interested in war games. Arcs is I mean, that is basically what Arcs is.
I don't find what you do in the game that interesting, period.
the card system has a major problem.
the ambitions as well, this is one thing I really do not like.
So, my scoring objectives are based on random chance.
How is that a good aspect of design?
the defenses I was getting from some people were really bad.
It's only a game.

References (from this video)

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Video U5LJvMT7aFs The Broken Meeple Discussion at 57:58 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85580 · mention_pk 219663

Click to watch at 57:58 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

beat Arcs and Civolution
thematic integration
interesting mechanics

Cons

abstracted in places

Thematic elements

search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Comparison games

Arcs
Civolution

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — Involves 'beaming out messages to outer space' and 'aliens revealing themselves as the game goes on'.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It takes elements of The Mind and those sort of games where you have to you can't communicate and you've got to figure stuff out.
But the game uses Texas Holden Poker to do it.
So flip seven.
It's literally just the equivalent of an Uno card game of push your luck.
I found Slay the Spire to be boring as a computer game.
The rinse repeat nature of a rogike game is just not fun to me because you just rinse and repeat the same thing.
Let's Go to Japan actually did a pretty good job of doing the theme well with that.
Let's Go to Japan is mostly about the scoring phase.
SETI search for extraterrestrial intelligence one win it wins it over
But, Seti, yeah, I'm I'm happy with this one.
war game. To be honest, I'm not interested in war games. Arcs is I mean, that is basically what Arcs is.
I don't find what you do in the game that interesting, period.
the card system has a major problem.
the ambitions as well, this is one thing I really do not like.
So, my scoring objectives are based on random chance.
How is that a good aspect of design?
the defenses I was getting from some people were really bad.
It's only a game.

References (from this video)

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Video 6tEXNWdfh6E Sir Thecos Analysis at 16:36 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85278 · mention_pk 218244

Click to watch at 16:36 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Positive

Pros

I like this a lot.
This has potential to rise up to an S at some point.

Cons

I've only played once

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)

This is clearly um an Srank game.
This is an amazing game that definitely deserves an S rank.
Can you give a really simple game an S? Yeah, I think you can if it works well and it does work really well.
I know almost all the cards by now. It's not that exciting anymore.
Azul is amazing. I love this.
This is one of my most favorite dungeon crawlers to be honest, and it's not very wellnown, I think.
It's just really luck based.
I like this a lot.
Cluster is like where you put like magnets in like um a circle made out of um some string and you are trying to like place magnets so they don't are not attracted to other magnets otherwise you have to take them into your hands and when you have no magnets left you win.
It's not a bad game but it's more like an activity right and not everybody likes it.
The theme sells it for me, right?
This is like Yatsi just a little bit more interactive because you have like uh you have like specific cards in the middle like 16 cards in a 4x4 grid in the middle with like the things you need to reach with your five dice by rolling three up to three times but you like put your token on it when you reach that so you block it for other players.
This was one of the most positive rankings within the last I don't know a few months because we don't have one single D title and we have only one title in C and this one is like nice curve here right so actually if you ignore C and D we have a nice curve here how it should be in a tier list just very positive

References (from this video)

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Video LyjBUn-Eb4Y One Stop Co-op Shop Top List at 4:48 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85198 · mention_pk 217862

Click to watch at 4:48 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Great table presence.
Tight actions that combo together.
Great Euro game.

Cons

Only five aliens, seen quickly.
Excited for expansion content due to limited aliens.

Thematic elements

Search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Comparison games

Lost Ruins of Arnak

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — The actions are super tight, but they combo together.
Set Collection — There's only five aliens and you see them pretty quickly.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It's the end of June, so it's time for one of my annual traditions, which is to talk about my favorite games of the year so far, six months in.
This is a great game. If you like puzzles specifically for two-player play, uh, this is one of the best out there.
Even without me playing the game correctly, even without me realizing that that was an option, this was still one of my favorite games of the year and that's just pushed it up even further.
My other my last uh favorite game that is new to me but not new to 2025, although this one did get a big reprinting in 2025, so it's closer, is Wondrous Creatures.
Pixel Tactics is a game that I always really enjoyed the core mechanics of, but I found it just like so harsh and mean.
I just forgot what a good boss battle this is and what a good like representation of a JRPG combat system this is.
This is a war game set in Vietnam that is a mix of narrative exploration and like choose your own adventure and this really crunchy combat mode that is actually pretty cool to play even by itself.
Now, my one complaint that kept this from being like number one or number two is that the game can be uh pretty swingy.
Now, y'all, if you watch the channel, know that I love like exploration games.
This is a cooperative mind sweeper, if you want to call it that. you are logically deducing where to go while trying to survive in this harsh wilderness.
I said that I like narrative games with an exploration feel. I said that I like uh choose your own adventure games. This is one of the coolest, best ones I've ever got that got me emotionally.
This is my number one of 2025 so far. Unstoppable, the uh card deck, what is it? Deck building, card construction game.
Let me know in the comments what some of your favorite games so far this year are.
War Story Occupied France. I said that I like narrative games with an exploration feel. I said that I like uh choose your own adventure games. This is one of the coolest, best ones I've ever got that got to me emotionally. I had incredibly tough choices and these incredible cinematic battles that felt like I was playing a war movie. Yeah, this one is one of the greatest experiences I've had this year and I can still replay it a few more times and like show it to my family and stuff. So, even though it is like a choose your own adventure kind of narrative game, it's not just a one-off. Absolutely love this one.
That's my number one of the year so far. Unstoppable, the uh card deck, what is it? Deck building, card construction game. The quick play time, the tactical action choices, the co-op and two players is fine. Not my favorite way to play the game, but it works. And even the boss variety is fun. Yes, I would like more bosses. Yes, I do hope they come out with an expansion, but honestly, I'm super happy with just the core game. And I would play that for years, I think, with just what's already in there. But yeah, Unstoppable easily my favorite game of the year so far. It's kind of far ahead of the other ones.

References (from this video)

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Video tzN7N9WJpuk Gaming Rules! Discussion at 40:28 sentiment: positive

video_pk 84991 · mention_pk 216908

Click to watch at 40:28 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Considered the best game to have come out last year.
Considered the host's second favorite game overall.

Cons

none

Thematic elements

SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence)

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Endeavor Deep Sea is very, very high to the top of the list.
I am 90% sure they would say yes.
My current three favorite games that don't have any kind of space or science fantasy whatever uh element to them is through the ages feast roadin and Maraca.
So, yeah, it's very much a multiplayer solitaire game, but it's very good.
I believe it's a much improve a much better version of Hrien's Wall and I love the way that the combat works against the actual the the puzzle of trying to defend yourself against the different forces that are attacking you. I really like it. So yeah, Anarchy gets a big thumbs up for me.
Flam Rouge, fantastic game. Definitely Flam Rouge.
I personally don't feel it's right for me to do them at the end of the year because most of the games I will have only played once and some of them I won't have even played.
I personally prefer Flam Rouge to heat.
Anything that wins Spiel Dejars will go on to sell way more copies, especially in the family category if it gets that Spiel Dejars award on it, which they have to pay for. They have to pay to have that award put on there, which is how Spiel Dejares makes its money. But it will sell many, many copies of the game.

References (from this video)

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Video cXfwLRQqw7k The Broken Meeple Analysis at 12:18

video_pk 84885 · mention_pk 216549

Click to watch at 12:18 · 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)

Devir Games really need to make less games in less games in a year because then they might actually put out some belters rather than just a bunch of meh games.
It's using the conveyor belt mechanism that I adore from uh art from AR Nova and Civilization: The New Dawn, but there's only four slots.
All right, so this is giving me a very um pursuit to happiness vibe here, but with a slightly different take on it.
It's a very dry mechanical game.
This artwork looks nice. Oh, wow. Oh god. Yeah, that is pretty.
I like Underwater Cities. It's on my shelf. Um I like this game a lot.
Cascadia, which is already probably one of the best gateway games in existence.
So you've got new artwork, new graphic design, updated mechanics, wooden meeples, uh same quick play time that gives a 4x feel in under 90 minutes.
This is an expansion that's not going to really add that much to the game?
It's basically the snorefest of themes, but this is a new version of it.

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Video xYcKA9NcANI Gaming Rules! Analysis at 4:46 sentiment: positive

video_pk 84169 · mention_pk 213611

Click to watch at 4:46 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Expansion adds corporations with asymmetric abilities.
Expansion adds more aliens for variability.
Expansion includes a quick start option.

Cons

One of the criticisms of the base game was its two-player scaling.
The first round of SETI was described as 'really slow and boring' by some, though not by the speaker.

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Asymmetric Player Powers — The expansion adds 'corporations with asymmetric abilities', which 'nudge you in a direction that you probably go I didn't even know that was a play style'.
Modular Board — The game has 'various objectives that you need to try and accomplish during the game' and the 'layout of the board' changes.
Variable player powers — The expansion adds 'corporations with asymmetric abilities' and 'more aliens', which adds 'more variability in the aliens'.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I did not enjoy my first play of Echoes of Time.
this is a light tableau building card game.
Flow... it looks gorgeous.
Covenant. Number two on my most anticipated list.
Vlaada Chvátil. Do you know what the last game that Vlaada designed was? ... He's not actually designed a new game and had a new game published for almost 10 years.
It's called Severton.
I have spent the last 15 years of my life telling everybody that Talisman is such a bad game... And with the fifth edition, I've had to sort of eat my words on that.
There just isn't enough time to play all of the games.
IR from Osprey Games. Children of the Sun. Yeah. It is really good.
Druids of Adora, new Stefan Feld game from Alea
There may be some Essen live streams while we're there.
I have written to the publisher to ask for a potential review copy, yeah, but to be fair, I only emailed them yesterday.
Covenant. I completely forgot that was a thing. Started looking at the pictures and and thinking, yeah, I'm down for that.
The The Void Voynich Puzzle. Voynich Yeah. Don't forget go to bed reading the Wikipedia articles about the Voynich manuscript.
Saboteur is the other one which I did know. I saw it on your shelf uh today earlier, but I didn't know much about it. But now you've explained what it is, I'm kind of getting that um like Enid Blyton vibe from it. Yeah. what was it called? The Famous Five. Famous Five. Famous Five. Of that kind of stuff. Yeah. And weirdly, I'm interested. All right. And I've looked at the pictures of that, so yeah. Yeah. Yeah, Saboteur is good.
I'll be demoing, but I'm demoing um uh Revenant um I think twice on the Saturday from 12:00 till 4:00.
Trickerion with the Arcane Arts expansion. I think that's my schedule.
Now, the one game that I am going to be looking at is there's a new game that Mighty Boards have just announced recently called Gods. All right. Which is designed by David Thompson, Trevor Benjamin, and is right up my alley.
And they said, "Well, at least come round and have a look at it." And I'm like, "Yeah, I'll come round and have a look at it." But I've already agreed that I'm going to be doing content on that.
I find it really weird and unusual that and and everybody else does this. I'm the odd one, but all of all of these content creators go to Essen, they go to Gen Con, and they have meetings with publishers where they sit down and they make deals about payment and what videos they're going to Right. That's the worst place to have a meeting.

References (from this video)

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Video bG5Vt8VHvMc Rahdo Runs Through Top List at 38:13 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 84001 · mention_pk 212794

Click to watch at 38:13 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Clever cooperative word game
Smart design
Tiny and portable

Cons

Too easy as a two-player game
Likely better at higher player counts

Thematic elements

Cooperative word game

Comparison games

Gem

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

cooperative play — Players work together to get rid of all their consonant cards.
Deduction — Players deduce what consonants other players have based on cards played.
Set Collection — Collecting sets of letters to form words.
Word Game — Players try to spell words using consonants and vowels.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Ants. And I loved this game. Um it is a phenomenal worker placement game where we are controlling a colony of ants trying to, you know, spread out into the uh the countryside, um you know, set up pheromone trails of scavenging ants, exploring, dealing with big scary bigger bugs than us, like centipedes and millipedes and whatnot, getting to the far reaches where there are huge benefits if we're the first player to occupy, and, you know, basically expand our little ant kingdom.
And unlike most other ant colony civilization games, there is no player versus player in this game. No direct attacking. We just have to fight, you know, the the other big bugs that are out there.
this is a conveyor belt game, folks, and I love conveyor belts. The conveyor belt here is the life cycle of our ants.
Everything about this game is fantastic.
It's the second best game we played this month. It's Ants.
The Last Droids.
This game is phenomenal.
It's an I split, I choose game, which is a fun little thing.
That decision, which do I keep for myself, which two do I give to the other players, is phenomenal.
The rules actually suggest that once the cards are revealed before the lead player hands them out and keeps one for themselves that players could say, "Hey, I really want that one."
The art in this game is stunning.
It is the best game I played this month as a three-player game.
As a two-player game, I don't know. So, I'm going to have to do a follow-up in a future roundup, I assume.

References (from this video)

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Video zxbW8uEpUJ8 The Broken Meeple Analysis at 42:48 sentiment: positive

video_pk 83756 · mention_pk 211671

Click to watch at 42:48 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Positive

Pros

Variable turns per round feel more fulfilling.
Focus on short-term goals reduces excessive planning and analysis paralysis.
Fixed rounds provide some structure without overly restricting player agency.

Cons

Can still have some downtime if waiting for another player to finish a round.

Thematic elements

none

Comparison games

Covenant
Ark Nova
Lost Ruins of Arnac

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Fixed Rounds — The game has a fixed number of rounds (5, or 4 with expansion), but the number of turns within each round is variable.
Short-term Goal Focus — Players focus on immediate, short-term goals rather than extensive long-term planning due to the variable turns.
Variable Turns per Round — Players can take a variable number of turns in a round, depending on their performance, making it feel more fulfilling if they take more turns.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Spike did ages ago. God, that was an old review.
I don't take Christmas that seriously really.
Call me a Grinch if you like.
It's like I don't get that hyped about Christmas.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video mTHA4uOcpK4 Board Gaming Ramblings Analysis at 18:21 sentiment: positive

video_pk 83367 · mention_pk 209898

Click to watch at 18:21 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Fantastic game
New expansion is really good
Fun from the beginning till the end
Unique and new thing

Cons

Cannot play the same game two months in a row (rule)
Had the same two games on the top three last time

Thematic elements

Comparison games

Terra Mystica
Lost Ruins of Arnak

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — One action can make things work for many things.
Resource Management — Feels like you have very little and are trying to make it work for many things.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

We played 81 plays versus 98 in November.
We played 38 different games versus 68 in November.
We played 14 new to us games, which is also much lower than the 50 new to us in November.
We played 89 hours of games. So more than the 77 game hours you will November.
You will see why later. Uh, the most important thing of course is how many times did you win? How many times did I win? How many times did you win?
That's also because we played cooperative games which is weird. We don't usually do that.
We played 826 place.
We played in 29 locations last year. This time we played in 26 locations.
We played with 130 different players last year. This year 130 different players. So exactly the same amount but different people probably some of them are the same.
The age index was eight last year. So we had eight games. We had playlist eight times. This year we had nine games. We played this nine times.
Last year we played 366 different games which was like one one for each day. How many do you think it is this year?
Last year or 2024, we played 306 new draws. How many do you think that was in 2025?
We played I'm just going to do the DOS too because guessing is fun for me. 675 hours of gameplay lost the hour. 2024 2025 657.
We played 261 different days. How many do you think it was in 2025?
We had fun with the channel this year. I feel like we had a lot of fun.
What I would have liked there to be more people watching it always like and I think like but for me and we talk about this from time to time for me like now it is at a point where I just have fun with it.
I would always love the growth to be a bit more because I feel like what we do is fun. We might not have the biggest the best like production values and stuff like that.
But thank you to everybody who has subscribed this year. We appreciate you a lot.
But what I think is incredible is that I say silly, stupid, and also wrong stuff like my Norwegian brain just like whoop words. What are those? And people still watch our stuff and that's I don't know why, but thank you so much. I really appreciate you.
How many views do you think our videos got this year?
How many videos do you think we made in 2025?
137 uh new videos, how many views do you think our channel got?
How many board games do you think we reviewed?
We played many different escape room games and campaign games. We had a lot of fun with that this December.
That's basically the reason why we played very much fewer games, but still more time because we had a great lot of fun playing campaign games and diving into more.
We have a huge shelf over there with just campaign games that we would love to play more of in 2026.
My most fun experience is Kings of Ruin because we had so much fun with it. We played it for almost 30 hours, I think, in December.
That said, both the setup and clean up of this game is super hassle-free. It's very simple to do and also there is multiple like chances that's very easy to save your game throughout the game.
My biggest letdown is The White Castle Duel. Not because it was a bad game or it's the worst that we play this month, but because I really love the White Castle and I had really high hopes for the dual version.
My biggest letdown for the month is sadly Rove.
My biggest surprises of this month was Dangers in the Deep and Curse of the Dark. Those are two escape room puzzle games.
If you get if you want to get something from from that company, get these two.
They're like uh two to three hours each.
My number three is Lost Ruins of Arnak. It was fun to play it again.
My number three is a game you didn't play this month. Yeah, it's Underwater Cities.
My number two is a co-op game. It is Bomb Busters.
My number two is another one that you didn't play and it's STI.
In SETI, it's one of those games where you really feel like you have nothing and you do one action and you're done.
My number one of the month, Tinder Grail, Kings of Ruin.
Thank you for another year. Thank you for uh all of you that watching and doing commenting and making us feel like there's somebody out there in the void watching what we do. We really appreciate it and we are really thankful.
Thank you to James that has been editing all our videos. You are amazing.

References (from this video)

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Video Rt4srP3CtrY Gaming Rules! Interview at 4:13 sentiment: positive

video_pk 82273 · mention_pk 206669

Click to watch at 4:13 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

great game

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I don't feel any pressure to create content.
This is my full-time job, right? I don't have another job to go to.
I'm producing all of this content and honestly, if I could produce more, I would because I love what I do.
The category here or the criteria here is massively popular, really well-respected, solid Euro games that have been around for a while and stood the test of time and are known as just really, really good games.
No games do. It doesn't need all of the bling and everything else.
I think most people in life are affected by what's called seasonally adjusted disorder.
Entering is absolutely free. It doesn't cost you anything whatsoever.
The secret word this month is haggis.
All of my advertising revenue from all of my videos goes to charity.
I don't make any money out of the videos themselves on YouTube. People call me crazy. They would be right.
It's only 70 to go.
I have not. No. Not Not even heard of that one.
I would strongly recommend you just do it because you want to do it. Don't go out and spend £4,000 on a fancy camera, lights, and everything else and think 'Right, I'm going to be the next big channel and I'm going to get 50,000 subscribers in 6 months.'
One thing that really annoys me is when the games come out at retail like the same time or even before and they're cheaper.
I personally believe it is fundamentally, morally, and ethically wrong for me to sell a pre-production prototype copy of a game.
It's International Unplayed Games Day. And the date that I've chosen... is the 1st of July.
I have already got two of them on my channel, if not three, and I'm doing another one next Wednesday.

References (from this video)

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Video E98K6N21a-s Neon Gorilla Playthrough at 12:25 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 81643 · mention_pk 203680

Click to watch at 12:25 · 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)

I love the art. This is crazy.
The art on that is crazy. I don't know what that is.
Space pandas.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 9hgw4bgyg6s Zilla Blitz Other at 8:10:36 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81619 · mention_pk 203554

Click to watch at 8:10:36 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Really clever game
So many cool things that you can do
Never feel like you're making a bad move
Ton of fun
Had a great time at the table

Cons

Always feel like you're not quite making the optimal move

Thematic elements

Space Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

exploration — Players explore planets.
Probes — Players send up probes and explore planets.
scanning — Players can scan in the game.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

There's a lot of designers and company representatives that are there, like GMT Games is there, uh Uwe from Sound of Drums was there coming in from Europe.
So, if you're looking at a chance to play up-and-coming games with some of the designers that are designing on them, it's quite an experience.
You really get some insight into the design process, into how historical board games are created as you're playing them and giving feedback to the designers.
In this game, you take on the role of companies that are trying to win military contracts uh from the US

References (from this video)

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Video cDDZc1CtFYE Get into games Top 10 List at 24:51 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81415 · mention_pk 201959

Click to watch at 24:51 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Enjoyable slow burn and catch-up mechanics.
Interesting gameplay based on alien combinations.

Cons

Some alien combinations can be disliked.

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

If I wanted to play the same game but be really stressed, Silver Frost would be my go-to.
I argue I'd almost argue that it's the best artwork of any of the Everdale games.
Whereas normal Everdale, you can kind of chill and just be like, 'Yeah, let's build these fun things and look at my little critters.'
the landlord's game was the basic blueprint for Monopoly.
and arguably the best game ever made. So really what we've ranked is completely wrong.
that is quite dull. Let's say you're rolling. The only so I feel like the boring bit about it is that you're just rolling dice and you land where the dice tells you.
Monopoly Legacy.
The board state changes. Buildings go into disrepair and crumble around you.
There are elections. Hire one of you becomes a mayor of the city. You can control other people's turns and what properties they're going to buy.
How do you improve Cludo Legacy?
Well, just dying over and over again.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video cDDZc1CtFYE Get into games Top 10 List at 50:49 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81415 · mention_pk 201981

Click to watch at 50:49 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Positive

Pros

Enjoyable slow burn progression.
Tactical adaptation based on aliens.
Interesting interaction with random events.

Cons

Some alien events can be overly punitive.

Thematic elements

Aliens
Space

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Movement — Implied by the theme and player interaction.
random events — Aliens appearing change the game dynamic.
Variable player powers — Different aliens emerging dictate tactics based on player abilities.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

If I wanted to play the same game but be really stressed, Silver Frost would be my go-to.
I argue I'd almost argue that it's the best artwork of any of the Everdale games.
Whereas normal Everdale, you can kind of chill and just be like, 'Yeah, let's build these fun things and look at my little critters.'
the landlord's game was the basic blueprint for Monopoly.
and arguably the best game ever made. So really what we've ranked is completely wrong.
that is quite dull. Let's say you're rolling. The only so I feel like the boring bit about it is that you're just rolling dice and you land where the dice tells you.
Monopoly Legacy.
The board state changes. Buildings go into disrepair and crumble around you.
There are elections. Hire one of you becomes a mayor of the city. You can control other people's turns and what properties they're going to buy.
How do you improve Cludo Legacy?
Well, just dying over and over again.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video NyJ0GfKrkU0 UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 1:48:28 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 81172 · mention_pk 200323

Click to watch at 1:48:28 · 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 called Schllock. It's pretty good.
I love Habitats.
You're making a you have a movie theater and you're making like Bem movie posters to draw people into your theater and uh Yeah. It's pretty neat.
It's like a poker game where you're trying to predict who wins the wins the hand.
I had for our quiz today, I had I even showed the three frigin stripes. I'm like, that was way too easy.
The scammers have figured out a way around my anti-scammers work.
It's like an arms race.
It's like, you know, like you you know what you want. You have expressed it. But but when it was like the the fourth and fifth time that he brought it up in the thing trying to get people to to ban behind him that that was that was the you know I I I understood shooting his shot, you know, saying saying what he wanted out of his out of his board game so he could have a really awkward game night.
It's like, Oh, I want to play X. Well, I've got X. I can bring it. And so, it has matches.
The thing I couldn't figure out was I finally got it to figure out how to go to the geek and like if your game is like, 'What the hell is this game?' You can click on it, it'll go to the geek, it'll do a search for Ghost Tower.

References (from this video)

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Video 0R5X5RjU85k Going Analog Discussion at 2:59 sentiment: positive

video_pk 80308 · mention_pk 195225

Click to watch at 2:59 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Thematic
Cool systems
Colorful and nice-looking
Fantastic game

Cons

none

Thematic elements

search for extraterrestrial intelligence
galaxy/solar system

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Set Collection — Players collectively find enough bits of hints of life to discover alien species.
Variable player powers — Discovering alien species introduces new mechanics and things to do to score points.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It's a very, very cool game.
It's thematic. It has a lot of cool systems. It's very colorful and really nice-looking on this on the table.
The game we're actually talking about today, our pick is actually City Space Agencies.
It's basically a quite light memory party card game where each of you is dealt four of these little goose cards face down and you are only allowed to look at two of them.
The best rule, which is that if you think you have the lowest number on on your like grid at the end at the start of your round, you have to honk loudly.
It never stops being funny when someone goes to reveal a card in any game like this and then is so confident that they know exactly what it is and it's something completely different and I think that will never get old in any game design ever.
The UK Games Expo has actually changed a lot in the last few years uh to become what I imagine is much closer to your big conventions like Gen Con and such.
This year was um the highest total number of people. I think they had uh I think it was 87,000 people um total footfall across the weekend.
So Hachette have repeatedly made a very good impression with me mainly because you actually just get to play games.
The premise is quite simple. You just take one card from whichever one of these um pantheons you're picking from that turn, and you choose to put it in one of nine spaces.
The art for the game is phenomenal.
That's been, honestly, my favorite time of the expo because for all the fun of like going to walk around and see the new stuff, the more time you spend like playing board games and in the board game space, the more I think, as adults, I just appreciate getting to spend time with different friends and play games together.
One of my favorite memories was our very first Gen Con where you know like you said and you're surrounded by people here who want to play board games and we were at this like very swanky little inn where they had a gaming spot and we had just purchased Abyss this new game didn't know how to play it and just started opening and punching and somebody walks by and like hey do you do you want me to teach you this game and we're like yes.
One of one of my like firm memories of UKGE is in one of the earliest years my wife and I went we just sat down at a demo table and it was for a game that had more spaces and if you don't know at these conventions when there are open spaces at a table a lot of the time demos will be like do you mind if these other people join so that we can get more people in and a father and his child who I I'm going to guess she was about maybe 10 years old maybe younger sat down opposite us and the first thing that her dad said to us was just to warn you she's very good at board games and we were like oh okay and then this 8 to 10 year old proceeded to just wipe the floor with us on this game that we'd never played before and we've never forgotten it since of just being humbled by a child at the UK Games Expo.
It's so beautiful that words can't even describe it properly.
Wouldn't do it justice.
Exactly.

References (from this video)

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Video tNUPh1k_-nU BoardGameGeek Discussion at 1:04:01 sentiment: positive

video_pk 80155 · mention_pk 194649

Click to watch at 1:04:01 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Positive

Pros

Logical and satisfying once it clicks
Comprehensive player aid included
Allows for learning mechanics mid-game (aliens)
Good for teaching heavy games

Cons

Heavy strategy game
Can take significant playtime (similar to other heavy games mentioned)

Thematic elements

Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence
Space

Comparison games

Kanban
On Mars
Sweet Land
Green Team Wins
Civolution

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Set Collection — Players likely collect sets of data or resources to advance their search.
Variable player powers — The introduction of aliens with their own rules suggests potential for unique player interactions or objectives.
Worker Placement — Implied by the 'heavy strategy' and logical gameplay description, though not explicitly named.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

But even when I played for the first time, it does not mean anything until you score a goal.
It's very easy to grok that you want to put your goals out first and then get the resources, but it's so hard to implement until you played it a couple of times.
I really enjoy this game. I like teaching it because it's one of those lighter strategy games that really get people into the mindset or into trying heavier strategy games.
And it is so much fun to just watch people act like they don't care initially about whatever green team. And then like when they're winning like I have I have 17 points.
I like teaching heavy games when it's very logical.
The fun thing about Settlers is that you only are teaching kind of like 70% of the game because when the aliens come out, they have their own set of rules, and you cannot teach them until they actually show up.
But if you're a hobbyist it's like this like when can we play this again? It's It is so my wheelhouse. It's not even funny.
And it doesn't outstay its welcome. It's really pretty at the table.
It's not a stressful real time game.
Are you Amanda from the BGG podcast? ... Someone recognized me from my voice

References (from this video)

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Video 86ttS70toS0 Banter and Boards Top List at 11:15 sentiment: positive

video_pk 80038 · mention_pk 194176

Click to watch at 11:15 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Genuinely straightforward actions
Offers a buffet of actions
Flexible multi-use cards
Offers flexibility without feeling punished
Discovering aliens introduces fun mechanics and objectives
Much replayability

Cons

Can feel paralyzing due to the number of actions
Resources are hard to come by

Thematic elements

Searching for extraterrestrial life by launching probes, scanning planets, and analyzing data.
Space.

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — on your turn, you're going to do one main action.
free actions — And you can take as many free actions available.
Multi-Use Cards — I love the multi-use cards in this game.
Resource Management — Resources are hard to come by in this game with energy and money overall
Set collection (discovering aliens) — you're going to find different markers, different signs of life where you're going to discover an alien.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Moon Colony Bloodbath is a engine building, engine losing, deck building game.
you must protect your colonist because, well, bad things are going to happen. They are inevitable where you will be slowly losing your colonists.
It's so quick and simple, but I think there's just a lot of replayability within just that engine as the engine building aspect, trying to find ways to squeeze out more colonists so that you can survive one more round.
Moon Colony Bloodbath just really does so well in capturing the feeling of just one more round, just one more game.
it just feels more quick, a lot more streamlined where you're not waiting for everyone for a long period of time.
In Neponatu, you will be creating factories producing goods all across Japan.
And the goods that you produce across the lands of Japan will create influence in that area.
In Nepon Zipatu is a game that has completely surprised me.
But when I sat down played it with my wife, I was completely blown away.
you have to pay attention to the different amount of colored workers that you have on your player board. Because when you consolidate and these workers leave, you have to pay them now. And you have to pay every worker $3 for every different colored worker.
I love how streamlined the actual actions are, as you're just grabbing a worker and doing said action that's available to you where the worker was.
the game offers these two different aspects of just gaming in general and it puts it all in one experience.
Nepon Zipatu is just a game I can't stop playing. So, so good.

References (from this video)

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Video sHr67sZ0kOw Discussion at 8:29 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 79910 · mention_pk 193515

Click to watch at 8:29 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Fun to play with enthusiastic players
Enthusiasm for getting a 'beast' of a game to the table

Cons

Issues with the game, possibly related to having too much to do and unclear impact of actions.

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)

vocal turbulence oh yeah we'll take we'll take the back then and joined by my lovely T Tumblin co-host Jack
that's the funniest thing to me is that the newer games that are coming out are getting more and more simplified I feel like in terms of how they are presenting themselves.
I think the the touchstones of RPGs would be familiar enough that uh this could be a good translation but other wi um I don't think it's necessarily the strategy that's a barrier in a lot of games I think it's the uh interconnectivity of systems and the Reliance on you know like touchstones to build someone up
adults have been conditioned that it is bad to look silly in front of other adults and that's a problem as a society that we need to overcome
the cardinal sins uh that I committed in my early content creation uh Journey as I was talking about Gateway Games in another I don't know was it a video was it an essay I publish or or something but I listed War of the ring as a game that I think could be a great uh showcase for the hobby
don't be a jerk and try to know your audience and have a degree of understanding of what someone else is going through
what do you consider your like one of your gateway games like that got you into the hobby that got me into the hobby yeah um absolutely would be hero Quest um as a kid
Small World was the game that really convinced me like I want to be a part of this Hobby and I want to explore all the games because if this is what we can do then sky the limit there's all kinds of things this is so cool

References (from this video)

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Video QcvzJ0BZ2qE Discussion at 26:31 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 77747 · mention_pk 187917

Click to watch at 26:31 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Concept is loved
Enjoyment increases with play

Cons

Sandbox was too open
Could be rudderless

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

sandbox — it was almost like the the sandbox was a little too open for me.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I'm not a businessman. Uh, I am not jack business Eddie.
If you build it, they'll come.
The cult of new is so strong that I feel like having a lot of content saying older games are also still really great. Um, yeah, can also counteract that.
The entire Carboard Herald experiment, uh, has been about a dialogue, uh, between the people hosting it and an audience about sharing enthusiastic love for tabletop gaming and the people who make it.

References (from this video)

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Video MZ9Tx3gA2lc Top List at 44:16 sentiment: positive

video_pk 77041 · mention_pk 185405

Click to watch at 44:16 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Positive

Pros

Tight resource economy
Exploration mechanics
Variable alien races
Engaging card play
Streamlined setup with expansions
Satisfying strategic depth

Cons

Scanning mechanic is considered the weakest element

Thematic elements

Exploration and discovery
Space exploration, alien races

Comparison games

Terraforming Mars
Arnak
Under Falling Skies
Codenames

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — Players choose actions such as scanning.
Card Drafting — Implied by the use of unique cards with special bounds.
exploration — A core mechanic of the game.
Resource Management — Characterized by a 'tight resource economy'.
Set Collection — Implied by scoring and triggering card abilities.
Variable player powers — Implemented through different alien races.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It is better than I remember it from the first edition. Certainly, I think it's improved like streamlined a few things.
This one doesn't seem to know when it wants to finish. It just seems that too much is dependent on the players in this one.
I hate Concordia. I've hated Concordia since its inception. It's now a running meme that I hate Concordia. I have always hated it. I don't like it. It's boring. It's boring.
I just find it so tedious and dull that I practically fall asleep playing it.
it's just not a fun game for me. I just find it I don't I don't like it. It's I find it boring, tedious, and punishing for all the wrong reasons.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video Zq2IVlfoHcY Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive

video_pk 69436 · mention_pk 165925

Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Both players liked it a lot.
The reveal of the alien species adds a new and exciting part to the game.
The game feels like a new scenario each time.
The boards of the alien species behave very differently.
The cards offer a lot of flexibility and unique ways to play.
The rotation of the solar system is impressive and works well physically.
Upgrades significantly enhance gameplay and player abilities.
The game mechanics effectively integrate the theme.
The variability from aliens and endgame scoring makes each game different.
The score track interactions are motivating and impactful.
The game offers rewarding turns with significant point gains.
The clever currency system adds depth to strategic choices.

Cons

Can feel like you have limited resources.
A four-player game might slow down significantly.
Running up the score track too fast without setup can be detrimental.
One player experienced a game where they didn't launch any probes.

Thematic elements

Finding alien traces or trace evidence of alien life
The solar system

Comparison games

Galileo Galilei
Tea Garden

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — Players choose one main action and can perform unlimited free actions on their turn.
Area Majority — Competing for majority in scanned sectors grants points and traces.
Card Play — Cards are used for various effects, including gaining data, moving probes, and obtaining technologies. They can also be discarded for movement or tucked for production.
Data analysis — Collecting data pieces and placing them on a player board leads to analyzing data to gain blue traces.
Endgame scoring — Variable endgame scoring tiles influence player strategy and are claimed based on position on the score track.
passing — Players can pass their turn to draw cards and potentially gain other benefits.
Probe Launching and Movement — Players launch probes from Earth and move them throughout the solar system to orbit or land on planets.
Resource Management — Players manage resources obtained between rounds, dictating the efficiency of their turns.
scanning — Players scan sectors of the solar system, which can lead to obtaining pink traces and competing for area majority.
Set Collection — Collecting yellow, pink, and blue alien traces is the main goal to mark and reveal alien species.
Technology upgrades — Players can acquire technologies that enhance actions like probing, scanning, and data analysis.
Tucking cards — Cards can be tucked for production benefits, which provides resources like money and energy.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

we both like like it a lot
it feels like such a new yeah scenario for the game
this is one of those games where you get resources between rounds and your round is dictated by making the most of those resources
the theme for me really feels like it's there all throughout
when those aliens flip then it really feels like oh wow this really not just theme but it just adds this dash of I wouldn't even say narrative but it kind of feels like there's these events happening and these events have flavor and not only flavor but they have like not thematic and mechanical impact on the game
I'm guessing this one's going to be on at least both of our top 10 lists

References (from this video)

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Video BI-we4SaZNs Other at 1:14 sentiment: positive

video_pk 69372 · mention_pk 165849

Click to watch at 1:14 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Game of the Year for multiplayer and solo
Very modular
Engaging AI
Cards offer multi-use and tight resource decisions
Potential for future content to expand the game

Cons

May require a 'get good' portion of play
Solo experience might be better with future content releases

Thematic elements

exploring and colonizing planets
solar system

Comparison games

Lost Ruins of Arnak

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — Players take actions by selecting from available options.
AI Opponent — The game includes an AI with adjustable difficulty levels.
area domination — Players scan to unlock parts of the board to dominate.
Resource Management — Data is gathered and used to take actions or unlock upgrades.
Set Collection — Players aim to bring in different aliens which have different abilities and scoring methods.
Worker Placement — Players place a worker ('Orbiter') to take actions.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

2025 is here and I'll tell you what I am really excited to talk about 2025 games because games have delivered that are already going to be at the top of the solo 202 list
Seti is a game that is my game of the year for uh multiplayer and for solo
this game is worth it this is worth that
you're going to buy this game I know you
I have the highest recommendation for this game

References (from this video)

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Video 9c9ulEttpHI Review at 0:36 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 69333 · mention_pk 165786

Click to watch at 0:36 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Incredibly impressive interlocking elements
Feast of possibility
Cool exploration among a shifting landscape
Awesome jockeying for best position
Moments of greatness
Dynamic sequence of play possible
Shines in solo and low player counts
Interesting pieces
Buck wild shaped board

Cons

Elements become so distilled they lose meaning
Cracks reveal themselves, becoming near unassailable gulfs
Maddening obstacle to work around
Can be ignored until too late, then cursed for disruption
Encourages overly conservative and opportunistic play
Constantly shifting landscape makes things hard to sus out
Unpredictability of aliens makes specific planning difficult
Lack of guiding light leads to doing things because they seem good now
Less emotional investment due to being adrift
Frustration
Unpredictability of success
Long-term planning is opaque
Hard to know if actions were good
Too many systems, making the automa more involved than preferred
Feel like you're always just shy of the capability to meaningfully participate in half the stuff on the table
Love it only in parts
Emptiness that it otherwise makes me feel

Thematic elements

Scientific glory in the field of xenobiology and searching for extraterrestrial life
our solar system

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — Each turn, players take an action listed on their tableau.
Area Movement — Players move probes to various bodies in the solar system.
Pickup and delivery — Mentioned as a system sometimes used for alien reveals.
Resource Management — Players use resources over five rounds to compete for scientific glory.
Rotating board elements — The solar system rotates, changing proximity and aligning Earth with new sections of stars.
Set Collection — Players gain points for collecting evidence of extraterrestrial life in three flavors.
Tableau Building — Players eventually upgrade actions on their personal tableau.
technology development — Players can gain powerful technology that may warrant negative points for the player who uses it the most.
variable scoring objectives — Revealed aliens set up new mini-games for scoring points, sometimes with new cards and rule sets.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

do you ever find yourself caught in between loving and kind of resenting a thing for the reasons that you expected to love it
SE seti or the search for extra tasty intelligence is a dense strategy game about using resources over five rounds to deply compete for scientific glory in the field of xenobiology
one of the central gimmicks of this game is that for various reasons and at least once each round the solar system rotates
this Central conceit is fascinating beautiful and a maddening obstacle to work around
this game is effing Bonkers it's a space fairing sandbox of incredibly impressive interlocking elements that are in some way so crisply tuned that they start to lose all meaning
this feeling of being a drift amongst the intricacies of an unsympathetic and if not hostile at least mildly irritated solar system means at least for me less emotional investment which I hate because I love so much about the game and concept
every time I played SE I've had fun but that fun was accompanied by a not insignificant amount of frustration and not really knowing how best to lean
this is a game where you're thinking a couple of turns ahead rarely rounds
there's something to admire in Si's uncompromising refute of modernity from its interesting pieces to its Buck Wild shaped board
in spite of loving a lot of what it offers I only love it in Parts in moments where it shines past the frustration and the emptiness that it otherwise makes me feel
if you love sprawling dense Euros with exploratory elements and particularly ones where you can dig your teeth into solo then said may be right up your alley but otherwise it's a spectacle worth seeing but not one that I think most people need to own

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Video AoA_hNWROyY Top List at 15:45 sentiment: positive

video_pk 69300 · mention_pk 165736

Click to watch at 15:45 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Truly skyrocketed in popularity
Simple individual actions but deep chaining
Not hard to teach
Good player aid
Alien species add variety
Expansion adds asymmetric powers

Cons

Aliens don't drastically change the game, but offer variety.

Thematic elements

Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence
Space, solar system

Comparison games

Lost Ruins of Arnak
Terraforming Mars

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — Players choose from simple actions, but the depth comes from how they are chained together.
Card Play — Cards provide one-time benefits or missions that can lead to scoring opportunities.
Engine Building — Implied through gathering data and producing traces of life.
Set Collection — Gathering different types of traces of life to reveal alien species.
Worker Placement — Launching probes and visiting planets.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

This is the people's choice.
the highest ranked Golden Geek Game of the Year winners.
the consensus overall favorites of all time.
It's just like that perfect blend of like fun game mechanisms, uh great art to help sell it, a unique theme that we hadn't really seen at that time.
It really that's I think one of the infinite exploration.
This is a game of of woodland might and right.
It's just a complete package.
Gloom Haven is a classic.
This was a phenomena like it like we've all played Pandemic for many of us, very much us included. Uh it was our gateway game into the hobby and now like what legacy game? What do you you're ripping up cards the gate?
Ark Nova doesn't do anything new per se in terms like there's not like a new mechanic that no one's ever seen before.
It's living and breathing and and things are shifting all the time based on who's playing what, who's clicking on what, how people rate games and stuff.
It's just most awesome resource we have for board
This is Pandemic Legacy season 1, which won in 2015.
Pandemic Legacy season 1 was this phenomena like it like we've all played Pandemic for many of us, very much us included. Uh it was our gateway game into the hobby and now like what legacy game? What do you you're ripping up cards the gate?
it was it was cool, man. It was a whole event. Yeah, it really was massive because like you said, it'd be hard for something like that to happen again
But there was like one maybe two and that was kind of it. But you're also taking, right? So yeah, by Rob Davio. But you're also taking one of the most popular to this day games of all time, Pandemic. Yes. And then giving it this kind of treatment.
I also think they executed so well. And it's also insanely good. That's the thing. It's like it's not just like, oh this look at this like kind of gimmick that it's a legacy thing. Like no, it was really fun. So memorable
Uh number one is the Ark Nova. You probably knew this one was happening. Um Ark Nova won in 2021. Um, and uh, yeah, Arc Nova is so good.
Arc Nova is about running a zoo.
It's got this great kind of tableau engine building uh where you're going to be building enclosures, putting animals in them, which are, you know, the the different uh animals you're taking care of in your zoo.
And makes it um you know like you get more points through conservation efforts because again the track uh the appeal track has you know for every three spaces on the appeal track there's one conservation space. You are literally rewarded more heavily for doing conservation which I think is how it should be.
And that's the thing is like Ark Nova doesn't do anything new per se in terms like there's not like a new mechanic that no one's ever seen before. Sure. And I've always argued like you don't need to do anything new. Like you can just take things that already exist and put them into a really excellent package. And that's literally what Arcan Nova is.
Um, it's it's now number two. It wasn't number two recently, so it's very recently number two. Just passed up Peggandic Legacy. We'll see if it can catch Brass Birmingham.
Make sure to rate, talk in forums, upvote images, videos, all the different kind of stuff. Engage with BG because it really does change things like this, this list.
It is userdriven. It's like the hotness. It's like what's on the hotness? Whatever people are clicking on, BG doesn't choose any of that, right?
It's just most awesome resource we have for board gaming. We love taking a look at like the data to see like what you know what has captured people's interest

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Video uGTdKYF1stA Top List at 16:27 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 69202 · mention_pk 165614

Click to watch at 16:27 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Excellent design
Great card play
Good use of sci-fi/space theme
Awesome table presence with rotating planets
Clever combos and good card play
Min-maxing and squeezing everything out of the round
Milestone objectives offer good strategic choices

Cons

Area majority mechanic feels a bit weak
Game is rather long (around 3 hours)
By the end of the game, the reviewer was ready to move on
Has been on the shelf for a year or two before playing again
Not a game the reviewer would pull off the shelf regularly or choose over other epic Euros

Thematic elements

Launching probes, exploring planets, competing for majorities, gathering data, unlocking alien races.
Space

Comparison games

Underwater Cities
Terraforming Mars
Civilization
Barrage

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — Players choose from actions like launching probes, landing, orbiting, or scanning.
Area Majority — Players compete for majorities in different segments of the board (scanning).
Card Driven — A heavy and involved Euro game driven by card play.
Engine Building — Building an engine on the player board to improve action efficiency and gain income.
Milestone Scoring — Hitting milestones on the score track allows investment in endgame scoring categories.
Multi-Use Cards — Cards can be used for main abilities (engine building, one-off benefits, objectives) or discarded for corner abilities (boosts).
Resource Management — Managing money, data, and energy as secondary currencies.
Set Collection — Collecting DNA types and investing in endgame scoring categories.
Variable Goal — Collecting three different types of DNA to unlock alien races, which alter game rules.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

This is where I take a look at the last five new to me board games that I've played and I rank and review them in order of preference
I think this game does have some pretty clunky flaws and that is because there's sometimes such a huge incentive just to draw that many cards simply to top your hand up
in practice this is very themeless it's definitely a spreadsheet style of game
all in all I think this game is is solid as you'd expect albeit maybe a little bit forgettable
and this one feels more like a a traditional Euro
it is very tight and compact pretty quick as well you're looking at around 45 minutes to play this one
it does become quite a crunchy game especially considering how few turns you get you know this is a very fast game
it's actually a a more refined version of all of them
definitely one of the hits from 2024
the main fun of the game lies at least for me is in the in the card play so this is definitely one of those multi-use card games
the game is rather long so each time I play this one it's taken around 3 hours to play
for me the main issue is that I simply wouldn't play it I think
objectively a fantastic design got love the card play

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Video RaNMH5fyfZQ Top List at 0:00 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 69162 · mention_pk 165526

Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Engaging and clever card play.
The shifting board mechanic is interesting and adds dynamic changes.
Strong theme integration with the sci-fi setting.
Excellent table presence.
Satisfying engine building and strategic depth.
Polished design.

Cons

Area majority mechanic felt weak and often ignored.
Game is rather long (around 3 hours per play).
After a few plays, the host felt they had experienced all the game has to offer.
Not unique enough compared to other epic euros like Colosseum or Barrage.

Thematic elements

Launching probes into space and landing on different planets.
space

Comparison games

Underwater Cities
Ark Nova
Colosseum
Barrage

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Area Majority — Players compete for majorities in different segments on the board, which is used for scanning and gaining data, though the host found this element a bit weak.
card-driven — Cards have multiple uses, including paying for benefits, engine building, one-off effects, and endgame objectives.
Engine Building — Players build up their player board to improve action efficiency and develop an income engine based on tucked cards.
Multi-Use Cards — Cards can be used for their main ability, discarded for a corner ability boost, or used for income engine development.
Set Collection — Players aim to collect three different types of DNA to unlock alien races.
Variable board — The board rotates passively as the game progresses, changing planet orientations and distances.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

And finally, at number one, I have Seti.
So, what you're trying to do is that you are launching these probes into space, landing on these different planets on this based on this really cool kind of universe system where as the game goes on, just passively the board is going to rotate, which means the orientation of these planets is going to change and line up differently.
So, there's a lot of moving parts on to this game, but um it's actually pretty simple to play because all you're doing is you're either kind of launching a probe, landing, orbiting, or or scanning essentially.
So, again, lots of moving parts here, tons of strategies you can go for.
So, I don't really have many negative things to say about it other than I thought the competing for the majorities was a little bit weak. Um, and most importantly, the game is rather long.
For me, the main issue is that I simply wouldn't play it.
Objectively, a fantastic design. Again, love the card play.
So, this game is probably more suited for a review when you can actually see everything and um a more in-depth star review, but I just wanted to share my overall overarching thoughts on the game where it's a solid game.

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Video E_TpGhrO338 kovray Review at 0:09 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 68848 · mention_pk 234923

Click to watch at 0:09 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

setup is quick and easy to teach
great table presence and experience
retro/nostalgic vibe that appeals to families and fans of classic games
feels like a card game with strategic depth
short playtime (20-25 minutes) and replayability

Cons

if you're behind, catching up can be difficult due to lack of a dedicated catch-up mechanic
luck factor from random tile draws can affect outcomes
board changes quickly, making advanced planning harder
limited personal control (only two tiles under full control) can reduce agency

Thematic elements

Comparison games

Shifting Stones
Scout

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

bonus squares interaction — using tiles on other players' bonus squares grants one point per tile used
center vs. personal control — only two tiles are fully controlled by the player and two placement spots, with the central four tiles changing during play
Compound Scoring — score one point per tile placed and one point for each tile that interacts with the tiles you placed
directional and multi-set creation — you can form sets in any direction and can create multiple sets in the same turn
End condition — the game ends when a playing piece crosses the finish line; if multiple cross in the same turn, the lead ahead wins
hand and board setup — each player starts with a tile holder containing four tiles and a scoring marker placed on the board
luck element — tile draws from the bag introduce variability and luck into the game
scoring rules — score one point per tile placed and one point for each tile that interacts with the tiles you placed
swap action — if you cannot or do not want to make a set, you can swap tiles from your hand for the same number of tiles from the bag
Tile Placement — on your turn you place tiles to form sets that are either the same number or consecutive numbers of the same suit
tile placement to form sets — on your turn you place tiles to form sets that are either the same number or consecutive numbers of the same suit
use of board and hand tiles — tiles placed can use tiles already on the board to build or enhance the set

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

it's retro yeah board game vibe, like is this game from the 80s
nostalgia and really just like good feelings right off the bat
looks like Mahjong
it's a race to finish not necessarily how many points you're gonna have at the end; it's the person that finishes

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Video rGYPZWDG8OA Review at 0:16 sentiment: positive

video_pk 67611 · mention_pk 163759

Click to watch at 0:16 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Adds more cards, increasing variety.
Introduces engaging player powers and asymmetric starts.
The quick start cards and player powers help new players by directing them into strategies.
Cutting out round one makes the game faster and more manageable.
The new aliens (Arcos, Ameeba, Glyphtis) add variety and interesting mechanics.
The expansion provides more of the 'good stuff' from the base game.
Corporations are a great addition and the host would like to see more.

Cons

The signal tokens could have more impact and their availability is unreliable.
The scanning part of the base game is a weak link, and signal tokens only offer a partial solution.
Some quick start cards that give victory points at the start are considered less impactful than resource gains.
The Arcos alien's exploration deck draws bonuses randomly, which is a negative for determinism.
The Arcos alien's gameplay is described as 'finicky' or 'fiddly'.

Thematic elements

card play

Comparison games

Marine Worlds
Arrakis
Terraforming Mars
Underwater Cities
Stone Age
Anak

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — Signal tokens allow players to bin a card from the display to get another data token, enabling more 'bang for your buck'.
Area Control — The Arcos alien involves breaching security to access levels and gain control of lower levels.
Card Play — The host enjoys the card play and the options it provides.
Deck Building — The expansion adds more cards to the deck.
Resource Management — The player powers affect starting credits and income.
Set Collection — The Glyphid alien mechanic involves collecting unique tokens in a pyramid structure.
Technology research — The Turing System corporation grants publicity when researching computer tech. Deep Sky Survey involves analyzing data. Glyphids reward researching uninvented technologies.
Variable player powers — The expansion introduces player powers and asymmetry through corporations.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I gave it a 10 out of 10 when it came out.
It's no secret that Sette is one of my favorite games.
I really love its mechanics. I love its theme. I like the card play. I like all the options I've got.
So of course, naturally, I was somewhat excited to be getting an expansion that could make one of my favorite games even better.
It directs new players into what to do. I find these pretty cool.
The whole idea of these two in combination is to remove round one. You only play a four-round game now.
They help but it's not going to fix the problem entirely and I would have liked these to have had a bit more impact.
It's a simple expansion. If you love the game, you're going to want to get this. If you don't like the game, this isn't going to suddenly fix it for you.
Shut up and take my money.
For me, it's still a 10 out of 10 now. I think it's more comfortably in the 10 category for me. I absolutely love this game,

References (from this video)

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SETI and the gulf between love & hate - TCbH Review

Let's Play Arcs | Don't Sleep On The Tortoise | ep_002

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SET

SETI and the gulf between love & hate - TCbH Review

Let's Play Arcs | Don't Sleep On The Tortoise | ep_002

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