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Description
Once upon a time in the Far East, deep in the mountains of a mythical land, there was a world-renowned Dim Sum restaurant by the name of Steam Up.
It was the first restaurant of its kind to achieve the three Gold Ingot status. According to the Gold Ingot Guide, Steam Up was best known for its top 5 most popular Dim Sum: juicy shrimp dumpling, tender meat dumpling, soft and fluffy BBQ meat bun, flavorful sticky rice, and exotic phoenix claw. These heavenly tastes drew food enthusiasts and gourmets from all over the world!
Come join us on a feast of Dim Sum. You are invited!
Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum is a competitive 2-5 player light-medium weight Dim Sum set collection and action management game offering a delicious cultural experience.
At the beginning of the game, steamers, filled with different types of Dim Sum, are stacked and placed on a Turntable. Each player takes turns performing 2 different actions each round. Actions include gaining and spending food tokens to purchase Dim Sum in Steamers within their Feast Zone. Players may also play Fortune cards to benefit themselves or affect their opponents. Starting the 2nd round, a Fate card is revealed each round to trigger an event that may affect all players.
The game ends when a specific number of Steamers is purchased or the Fate deck is emptied. Final scoring is then calculated. The player with the most Hearty Points wins and leaves the table with the fullest stomach!
Year Published
2023
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 4 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video xxk7ls5EgKw
Unknown game_review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 36172 · mention_pk 108319
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Inviting table presence and vibrant, thematic components
- Strong social playability; approachable for casual players
- Bright artwork and components that reinforce the kitchen/dim sum theme
- Good entry point for new players seeking a light, social experience
Cons
- Reported balance concerns with asymmetrical powers and card interactions
- Perceived lack of deep strategic depth for players seeking heavier euro-style gameplay
- Potential for uneven experiences across playgroups due to power variations
- Drafting can occasionally lead to suboptimal choices if not managed carefully
Thematic elements
- Resource gathering, set collection, and card-driven actions centered around a lighthearted food-sharing competition.
- Dim sum-themed culinary world where steamers operate in a bustling kitchen and players compete to gather ingredients and fulfill orders.
- Bright, social, and accessible; focuses on table presence and interaction rather than deep storytelling.
Comparison games
- Flamecraft
- Dog Park
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric player powers — Different player roles or stacks grant unique abilities, adding variety but raising potential balance questions.
- Asymmetric powers — Different player roles or stacks grant unique abilities, adding variety but raising potential balance questions.
- Card-driven actions — Cards grant special abilities or effects, influencing players’ choices and table dynamics.
- drafting — Players select cards from a shared pool to add to their hand or tableau, shaping their strategy each round.
- Multi-use cards — Cards grant special abilities or effects, influencing players’ choices and table dynamics.
- Objective Fulfillment — Players complete defined goals to trigger scoring, encouraging goal-oriented planning rather than purely tactical play.
- Resource management — Players manage various ingredients or resources to perform actions and optimize scoring opportunities.
- set collection — Players accumulate specific combinations of resources or cards to fulfill objectives and score points.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The table presence is fantastic and inviting to players, which helps bring people together around the game.
- Some players feel it lacks meaningful strategy and may be unbalanced with the cards and powers.
- The light rules complexity and visual aesthetics are reminiscent of Flamecraft and Dog Park, which can be appealing to fans of those titles.
- This is a good social activity for friends, even if it doesn't boast grand, deep decisions.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video o9dLEnvzesQ
Our Family Plays Games general_discussion at 42:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13709 · mention_pk 40030
Click to watch at 42:14 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- immersive theme
- excellent production
- distinctive components (steam baskets)
Cons
- deluxe edition recommended to appreciate components
Thematic elements
- dim sum dining
- dim sum kitchen / steam baskets
- cultural immersion with tactile components
Comparison games
- Dimsum games
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- set collection / tableau building — players build a tableau of dim sum dishes
- Variable player powers — different character cards add asymmetry
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's a Gateway game.
- Black history is American history.
- This hobby deserves that innovation and theme.
- World Wonders is a fantastic game and we love it.
- Steam Up wonderfully done game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AW10cGcOX24
OPG Family top_5_list at 19:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10986 · mention_pk 32360
Click to watch at 19:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Cute miniatures/trays
- Engaging family-weight strategy
- Deluxe components
Cons
- Some players may find it overly cute or light for seasoned gamers
Thematic elements
- Chinese cuisine, zodiac-influenced gathering
- Dim sum restaurant/festival theme
- cute, flavorful, family-friendly
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- pattern building / network building — assemble patterns with trays and dim sum
- set collection — collect dim sum items and ingredients
- take-that-style effects via fake cards — opponent-interaction elements via indicators/cards
- Variable player powers — different character abilities per player
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's live folks it's live
- the cute factor is off the charts
- binder clips... off the charts
- I can't wait to see that too
- it's so cute and you've got your little board that's got the that moves you can put the little trays in there
- the year of the card games
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BKwC9OVHEKM
Unknown game_review at 4:18 sentiment: negative
video_pk 7135 · mention_pk 21129
Click to watch at 4:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- Cute Steamers
Cons
- Excessive randomness
- Unbalanced player powers
- Lack of strategic depth
- Uninteresting gameplay
Thematic elements
- Food and Cuisine
- Dim Sum Restaurant
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric player powers — Different character abilities
- set collection — Collecting food tokens and dim sum steamers
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I feel with content creators these days everything is just so overly positive
- our goal with this channel has always been to treat you the viewer as if you were a friend
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CPVV30WasrM
Our Family Plays Games top_10_list at 15:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5379 · mention_pk 15993
Click to watch at 15:22 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Beautiful components and theme-rich presentation
- Cultural depiction and strong production value
Cons
- Deluxe edition components may not be essential for all players
Thematic elements
- Cuisine and cultural exploration
- Dim sum restaurant culture
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Set collection / fortune cards — Players collect and use fortune/event cards to influence outcomes; includes thematic components like rubber steam buns in deluxe editions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Black History Month is American history.
- There's positive change in the hobby, even with some pushback.
- We see more diversity in artwork and the people at events.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ZV1Qf1ecvFA
Before You Play rules teach at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2692 · mention_pk 7915
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong thematic coherence (dim sum) with accessible rules
- Asymmetric mats create variety and replayability
- Clear visual cues for end-game with steamer track
- Turntable mechanism adds spatial strategy and interaction
Cons
- Prototype copy on Kickstarter; final components and balance may change
- Two-player demonstration lacks broader multi-player interaction
- Potential complexity from asymmetry for new players
Thematic elements
- Competitive dim sum dining with asymmetric character mats.
- A bustling dim sum restaurant table where players collect dim sum to assemble steamers.
- Asymmetric mats define abilities and scoring; turntable mechanic influences availability.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Asymmetric character mats — Each player chooses a character mat with starting resources and scoring rules; mats affect strategy.
- end game bonuses — Game ends when the steamers track empties or the fate deck runs out; end-game scoring tallies remaining tokens and fortune cards.
- End-game via steamers or fate deck — Game ends when the steamers track empties or the fate deck runs out; end-game scoring tallies remaining tokens and fortune cards.
- Fortune cards — Draw and play fortune cards to gain effects; some actions allow playing additional fortune cards.
- Roll/Spin to Move — Optional rotation of the turntable by 90 degrees to affect which steamers are accessible.
- Scoring by steamers — Dim sum on steamers scores points per piece and includes potential hearty points based on dim sum count.
- Token collection and exchange — Collect food tokens to exchange for steamers filled with dim sum.
- Turntable rotation — Optional rotation of the turntable by 90 degrees to affect which steamers are accessible.
- Two-action turns — On your turn you may take two distinct actions from five options; you cannot repeat the same action.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "the first type of action allows you to take one of these food tokens"
- "two actions on your turn"
- "rotate the turntable 90 degrees"
- "end game scoring"
- "there are five different types of dim sum"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6