Spyrium is set in an alternate world, an England set in a steampunk-based universe. Players build factories, needing workers to manage the production of a commodity previously unknown to us called "Spyrium". Producing Spyrium in one factory, then processing it in the next results in victory points (VPs) for that particular player. Alternatively, Spyrium can be purchased, but the material is rare and expensive, and players are constantly scraping for money.
Only those who from the beginning of the game manage to increase their regular income or their base of permanently employed workers (who can be used again and again to raise money) will be flexible enough to get their hands on the important end-of-game buildings to generate many VPs.
The circular nature of the game is flexible as each player can decide for himself when to move out of the placement phase and into the activation phase. With the two tracks in the game, those involved with delivery during the worker phase can then be used to raise money, to purchase an adjacent card, or to work on their own in an idle factory. All of these things are important, but in the end only the player who has dealt best with the lack of money, workers, and Spyrium will win.
Spyrium Review
- We love it.
- New medieval
- Medieval village
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- It is not a new game. game. This is by Looping Games is 1998 iss.
- this was another great experience.
- loosely speaking it's worker placement but it's got a couple of types of workers.
- the timing there is critical.
- it's really interactive and really brutal if you're not watching like you need to invest make sure you have astronaut at the right time at the right place sometimes giving up the action that you really want so that you can have some opportunity to do your like action otherwise if you don't have the astronaut in the right place you are going to I mean not for the game but basically like you can't do anything
- highly recommend it.
- Game number one for me is Omens by Hashet Games.
- This is a team versus team game.
- it plays very quickly in that way because you're not dealing with very many cards.
- but it's a different way of thinking.
References (from this video)
- Every action is essential to overall strategy.
- Constant action and reaction.
- Many ways to win.
- Player interaction through money earning or building acquisition.
- Plays well with 2-5 players.
- Easy to understand and hard to master.
- Good components and rulebook.
- Unique art style.
- Good concept.
- Not lasting 2 hours.
- One small error in calculation can put you in jeopardy.
- Resources can be scarcer with fewer players.
- Leading an industrial conglomerate to be the best in the business by constructing buildings, employing workers, mining rare element spum, and gaining wealth to invest, gain new techniques, and call on influential characters.
- Victorian England
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Market cards are drawn and placed in a grid, and players can choose to build or patent them.
- Resource Management — Players manage resources like spum and pounds to construct buildings and patent techniques.
- Set Collection — Players can gain victory points from their neighborhoods, techniques, and bonuses.
- Track Advancement — Players advance discs on the residence track and score track, which can trigger bonus tokens and influence income.
- Worker Placement — Players place workers to perform actions like earning money, activating cards, using turn events, constructing buildings, patenting techniques, or calling on characters.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Spum no spum but you got to say with the English accent cuz six place in Victorian England and that sounds nothing like an English accent not can you do one
- Medium yellow that was worse than mine
- every action you do is essential to your overall strategy and what order you do it
- It's constant action reaction and there are so many ways of trying to win the game
- It's easy to understand and hard to master
- The art is unique. It's as if what steampunk would be imagined in England's Industrial Revolution a sense of realism mixed with a touch of sci-fi with the rare green spum crystals.
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Remake — Gray Loon is a partial remake of Spearium, described as a 1.5 version.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is the new way they're doing campaigns.
- The core box comes with a three-chapter campaign, and when you buy a campaign, it's just three chapters.
- So, it's a much more like, I guess, approachable, you know, campaign.
- Questline, which is a card drafting game set in their definitely not D&D universe.
- It sounds a little bit like Fantasy Realms.
- This is a new standalone board game set in the same world as Isle of Cats
- Your expedition to the frozen lands in the north has suddenly become a rescue mission and you must rescue as many penguins as possible before the ice melts.
- So, it's an open drafting and penguin placement board game.
References (from this video)
- Deep, brain-melting experience for players who love heavy euros
- Rich potential for thematic immersion and long-term strategy
- Very high complexity and long playtime can be daunting
- Setup and rule comprehension require patience and familiarity with heavy games
- Complex narrative and brain-burning mechanics that reward long-term planning
- A heavy, highly strategic title with multi-layered decisions and deep pacing
- Intense, theory-dense with a focus on systems interaction
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- long-form strategic planning — Players navigate a dense decision space with multiple scoring tracks and consequences that ripple across turns.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- hello everyone this is Johannes and this is cinon and you are watching board gaming ramblings
- this is more of a normal month for board games
- we played 59 Place versus 112 in November
- how many times did I win I did win a 28 times how many times did I win 33
- it's new party game in our collection but is going to be one of the default party games think you should get
- great game about trying to not lose all your points
- it's a great game about trying to not lose all your points from John de cair
- if you like like this heavy intricate brain melting games which we really enjoy then you should check this out
- Spoiler alert it's Sor um which we have done a review for
- it's going to be in retail soon
References (from this video)
- Sounds cool
- Like worker placement
- Industrial
- Steampunk
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Worker Placement — Unique worker placement game set in the steampunk world
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- We love trick taking games
- This game is so much freaking fun
- I adore GMT games, they are becoming one of my favorite game publishers
- If you remember Vast Crystal Caverns is in my top five games of all time
- We bloody love it
- We can't stop playing
- It's a blimp game not a train game
- That's just work
- I don't think I want to play it
- I'll get it eventually