Shadows over Camelot is a cooperative/semi-cooperative hand-management and deduction-based board game for 3–7 players.
Each player represents a knight of the Round Table and they must collaborate to overcome a number of quests, ranging from defeating the Black Knight to the search for the Holy Grail. Completed quests place white swords on the Round Table; failed quests add black swords and/or siege engines around Camelot. The knights are trying to build a majority of white swords on the Table before Camelot falls.
On each knight's turn, the knight takes a "heroic action", such as moving to a new quest, building his hand, or playing cards to advance the forces of good. However, he must also choose one of three evil actions, each of which will bring Camelot closer to defeat.
Moreover, one of the knights may be a traitor, pretending to be a loyal member of the party but secretly hindering his fellow knights in subtle ways, biding his time, waiting to strike at the worst possible moment...
But enough words... don your cloak, climb astride your warhorse, and gallop into the Shadows to join us in Camelot!
- strong thematic feel and memorable components
- simple core mechanics with deep emergent play
- great for a group that enjoys social interaction and suspicion
- rules can be opaque and setup lengthy
- group-dependent experience; some sessions can stall
- Betrayal within a fellowship, chivalry, questing
- Arthurian legend-inspired knights quest
- Semi-cooperative with a hidden traitor (Black Knight) optional
- Avalon
- The Resistance
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hand management — Players manage cards to undertake quests and advance the board state
- Narrative choice — Quest outcomes and events shape the ongoing narrative
- story-driven quests — Quest outcomes and events shape the ongoing narrative
- Traitor Game — One or more players may secretly be traitors working against the group
- traitor mechanic — One or more players may secretly be traitors working against the group
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the two Hitler and the fascist players are going to try to demolish democracy and take over the power
- it plays with giving everyone bad information
- it's a pretty decent social deduction game
- it's a backstabbing traitor Black Knight
- it's such a cool theme and it's such a cool game
- the game is like go kill player three oh damn okay that's the game from now on
- you need to lean into those secret things with 100% conviction
- the role playing in the game is essential
- it's all of these games but just cranked up to 11
References (from this video)
- Nostalgia and Arthurian theming
- Solid core mechanics and social interaction
- Strong art and component quality
- Older design may feel clunky to new players
- Trait or mechanic can be polarizing
- Cooperative quests with a hidden traitor element
- Camelot, Arthurian legend
- Semi-cooperative, thematic collaborative play with social deduction
- Mysterium
- Obscurio
- Detective Club
- Carcassonne
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card management / hand management — Managing cards to progress on quests.
- Cooperative play with hidden traitor — Players work together on quests while one may secretly oppose them.
- Quest cards / scenarios — Players undertake quests that require coordination and planning.
- Role-based / traitor dynamics — Possible traitor reveals and suspicion among players.
- Traitor Game — Possible traitor reveals and suspicion among players.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Power Grid. I'm never getting rid of my copy of Power Grid.
- I want to play Power Grid.
- Power Grid to be online somewhere to play.
- If you see me out in the wild... the answer is yes.
- Shadows Over Camelot is a great game. I would say yes.
- We should play Shadows Over Camelot.
- I love King Arthur and Camelot.
- Dixit is one of the games that got me into board games.
- Dixit comes with a lot of these abstract kind of esoterically beautiful artwork cards.
- It was the first game to have these beautiful abstract artwork cards on it.
- I really like the game Detective Club.
- Mysterium, Obscurio, Detective Club were inspired by Dixit.
References (from this video)
- hidden traitor forced to act
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's not even a game it's just like a story
- why is it there this is the game about inventions and this is basically telling me to make cutesy patterns with tiles
- the bane of my freaking life this horrible game
- I just want to feel like right I can do this I can do this
- just design one good game one good game one good mode
- why can't I tell you
- they just made them a lot worse
- it's a red flag to the game is going to suck
References (from this video)
- Strong thematic fit with Arthurian legend
- Solid cooperative experience with tension from traitor
- Trust dynamics can be divisive at times
- cooperative questing with a hidden traitor
- Camelot/Arthurian legends
- mythic, heroic adventure
- Track 12
- Five Tribes
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-driven quests — Actions resolved through dice and quest cards
- semi-cooperative with traitor mechanic — Players work together but one may be secretly undermining the group
- Traitor Game — Players work together but one may be secretly undermining the group
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- gaming is social relations
- solo variants are house rules
- my games are my games
- it's not a competition with myself
- i'm designing the games i want to play myself
References (from this video)
- Still fun despite age
- Plays up to seven players
- Cool traitor mechanic
- Pioneering mechanic for its time
- Newer games have built upon the concept
- Better versions exist now
- Cooperative fantasy with traitor mechanic
- King Arthur's Camelot
- Narrative-driven with hidden roles
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative gameplay — Work together against darkness
- Team vs traitor — Hidden role reveals later in game
- traitor mechanic — One player may be a traitor trying to sabotage
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Agricola is one of those games that you just got to have in your collection if you like euro style games
- Porta is one of my favorite underrated games
- Broom service I absolutely love food service one of the coolest mechanics in board games 100 percent recommend this game it is a hoot
- Barron Park is my favorite polyomino Tetris in a board game game
- Orleans is a top 5 game for me period just one of my favorite games to play ever
- Power grid this was the game that got me into board gaming y'all
- Seven wonders this is a modern-day classic
- Betrayal at house on the hill every game is different
- King of Tokyo one of those games that you have to have in your collection
- If you like board games one or percent recommend this game
References (from this video)
- strong theme integration
- great table presence
- can be lengthy
- player betrayal adds tension
- cooperative questing with traitor suspicion
- Arthurian Camelot with knights and quests
- mythic, collaborative with hidden betrayal element
- Mosaic
- Ravenshire
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play with hidden roles — Players cooperate while some may have hidden loyalties.
- Legacy-style quests — Series of quests drive the campaign arc.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Forge of Ravenshire... you're a cute animal black Smith for one to four players
- Shadows over Camelot is one of the prize possessions I have
- it's brand new from Amigo games
- we are actively looking for more Community involvement
- Kabanga is a really easy card game but can frustrate you especially when people cheat
References (from this video)
- Early hidden-traitor classic; loved by hobbyists
- Bare-bones by modern standards
- hidden traitor / cooperative
- Arthurian legend
- Null and Nishtig
- Shakespeare
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hidden traitor / social deduction — Players work together with one or more traitors among them.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Rick dawn of Kiev this has been on my Grail list actually for a very long time
- damn Friedman fries
- I want all the fastest losses of racing game
- forbidden stars is one I'm really really excited to add to the collection
- Balloon Cup to the collection I want the OG Balloon Cup
- Monster Slaughter ... it's your turn to hunt down and slay those insufferable teenagers
References (from this video)
- engaging cooperative experiences with social deduction spice
- strong theme integration with modular quests
- traitor mechanism can polarize players
- learning curve due to simultaneous objectives and multiple tracks
- knightly virtue, loyalty, and the tension of possible betrayal
- Arthurian Camelot; a cooperative quest with a grim undertone
- cooperative yet suspenseful with hidden traitor mechanic
- The Lord of the Rings (cooperative)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative quests — Players cooperate to complete quests and keep Camelot safe.
- hidden traitor / social deduction — Some players secretly oppose the group, adding tension to cooperative play.
- resource and event management — Managing factions, resources, and event cards to advance or derail the narrative.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- there's no fun game for everybody there are different approaches and people can pick what they like
- we didn't have the trouble of getting all the approvals from the movie side
- read Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck as a kid and suddenly I'm doing games about it
- the best thing is to give your best every day you don't know how many days you have left
- you've only one life
- Steve Jobs changed our world in our times probably like nobody else
References (from this video)
- beautiful production values for its time
- iconic for early hidden-traitor design and social deduction vibes
- some find it less balanced compared to later hidden-traitor titles
- less table presence than bigger modern games
- hidden traitor mechanics in a cooperative adventure
- Camelot; knights; traitor intrigue
- mythic, ensemble quest with a possible traitor among players
- Battlestar Galactica
- Nemesis
- Unfathomable
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- easy-to-teach — simple structure that is accessible to new players
- hidden traitor — one player may secretly undermine the group
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- these bones are there all the foundation is there to make something truly epic
- i would love to be the designer to do that
- the core mechanic is this bag management system
- it's a fantastic solo game
- the queen's gambit is a rare thing for the time a good star wars game
References (from this video)
- strong thematic fit and striking visuals
- still looks amazing; a classic in the space
- thematic setting can be brittle at higher player counts
- hidden traitor among knights; cooperative with deceit
- Arthurian legend; Knights of the Round Table
- mythic and collaborative with a traitor mechanic
- Shadows Over Camelot (classic hidden traitor)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hidden traitor mechanic — you may be the traitor; reveal or conceal actions
- team actions vs individual misdeeds — balance doing good for the group with possible betrayal
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This game is skull and roses.
- This is a game called Forbidden Stars.
- The first action that you put down is going to be the last action that you activate.
- It's a fantastic tease and you get this tragic sinking feeling when you know that you [__] the card that you want to play at the end of your turn.
- This is another hidden trader game called Shadows Over Camelot.
- you can change allegiance when it suits.
- you could make the people on your side think that you are aligned with them and then just basically jump ship and tell them to [__] off.
- If you like being dripfed morphine-like rewards, then Space Base definitely going to be a game for you.
- This broke new ground with the advent of the crossroads cards that have largely been absent since Gen 7 itself.
- Risk Legacy is basically Risk, but you will be changing the way the game plays.
References (from this video)
- strong thematic fit with Arthurian legend
- engaging social dynamics and tension
- rules can be complex to teach
- trajectories of betrayal can slow play
- variability in perceived closeness to other games
- cooperative exploration with potential traitor mechanic
- Arthurian Camelot with a dark, modern interpretation
- mythic, collaborative with tension
- Shadows over Brooklyn
- Shadows over Camelot (original)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative with traitor element — Players work together to achieve goals, but one or more players may secretly oppose the group.
- Traitor Game — Players work together to achieve goals, but one or more players may secretly oppose the group.
- Unique player powers — Each player role provides unique abilities affecting decisions and outcomes.
- Variable player powers — Each player role provides unique abilities affecting decisions and outcomes.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Don't worry about it basically you've got an awful lot to gain by showing your game to an awful lot of people.
- act professionally recognize that this is a business so it's all about relationships building relationships with people trusting people
- it's a numbers game before you've published your game your game is going to have been seen by…
- you cannot copyright an idea
- non-disclosure agreements are pretty much a non-starter in the industry
References (from this video)
- strong theme and cooperative tension
- varied expansions and replayability
- trauma of betrayal mechanic can be tense for some players
- older editions can be fiddly to set up
- cooperative adventure and betrayal twists
- Arthurian legend with a cooperative quest structure
- mythic/co-op narrative
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — players work together to complete quests against a common threat
- hidden trait / suspicion — some players may act as traitors or deal with conflicting objectives
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the publisher retains the right to produce your game in whatever form they want
- five percent of income from digital editions seems very low to me
- this clause is an important clause and it's pretty limiting for the designer
- negotiation should be constructive and respectful from both sides
- the author shall first submit to the publisher any add-on expansion or new version which he or she intends to develop
- all derivative works based upon the game are hearing acquired by the publisher
- it's fairly common that a different designer will work on expansion material