Inventors and tinkerers abound in the Victorian era, harnessing the power of clockwork, steam, and electricks to build machines capable of anything to give glory to Queen Victoria!
In the steampunk worker placement game Steam Works, you'll put your mechanics to work collecting components and power sources, then you'll literally build devices by assembling those sources and components. What's more, those devices in turn become action spaces for other players to use!
Each player takes on an inventor persona with unique starting components or special abilities accessible only to themselves. But the heart of the game is in assembling modular component tiles into a device for other players to use. Sources may provide one or more of the three power types — clockwork, steam, or Tesla-style electrickal power — to the components connected to them, which in turn provide a wide range of effects for gaining resources, prestige points, or more component tiles. Devices start simple with just two components (one source and one component), but devices with three, four or more components will become possible — as soon as the players assemble a device to let it be possible. Because of the modular mix-and-match nature of the components, the available action spaces vary widely from one game to the next, providing great replayability: each game players will create devices never seen before!
- doesn't look great
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Engine Building — it's another engine building style game where you're trying to connect things and then they make other things work.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The Morrigan Game Factory though, what a great escape room game. It might it's it's definitely in my top escape room games.
- Noobs in Space is one of my favorite little games that's so unique and interesting. You have a deck of cards, you deal them out to everybody. Everybody has cards in their hand, and then you just solve those cards by saying things out loud, working together to play cards, and hopefully you solve it. It communication is the key. You can say anything you want, uh but you just can't show cards. And it's hilarious and fun. Very, very enjoyable.
- If you really like what we're doing here at the Dice Tower, then there are different ways to support Dice Tower.
- Tell your friends about the Dice Tower.
References (from this video)
- deep, satisfying engine-building feel
- accessible yet with meaningful choice
- solid solo support and strong puzzle cadence
- maybe a tad crunchy for casual players
- techy, engineered contraptions with a tactile, hands-on feel
- A modular puzzle factory where contraptions are assembled from parts
- abstract puzzle with clear progression and scoring goals
- Sidoku
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- contraption parts & scoring — controlling a row/column yields parts; players use ‘Contraption’ cards to gain specific components and points
- row/column control by last card — players act in turn order to place a card in a row or column; the last place gains control of that line
- sparking — look for adjacent cards that align to create sparks (positive interactions) for bonus effects
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- remember you are somebody's reason to smile
- it's storming outside and there's possibly going to be thunder
- a cozy game for one or more mins in need of a soothing rest
- I absolutely loved this game
- Gear Works is absolutely fantastic and I'm really happy that I tried it
References (from this video)
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- Candy production and order fulfillment
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- Candy factory conveyor belt
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- positive
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The heart of the game is the candy bonking on the conveyor belt.
- This is Sugar Works. There are two expansions that are a possibility for Kickstarter backers.
- Sugar Works is a straightforward game that takes about half an hour to 45 minutes to play.
References (from this video)
- Fast, approachable turns and accessible core mechanics
- Charming, cute presentation with a playful candy theme
- Flexible player count and short play sessions
- Chaos can feel random or frustrating for some players
- Luck of the conveyor outcomes may impact strategy
- Chaotic candy production with puzzle-like path-building
- A candy factory floor with shifting conveyors and candy production chaos
- Light-hearted, playful, humorous chaos
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Compound Scoring — complete personal and public orders; trigger special orders
- conveyor movement resolution — candies move along conveyors and collide unpredictably
- order management — drafting, fulfilling, and discarding orders to score points
- Risk Management — managing randomness from conveyor interactions to optimize orders
- risk management and strategic chaos — managing randomness from conveyor interactions to optimize orders
- set/shared and public/objective scoring — complete personal and public orders; trigger special orders
- Tile Placement — placing conveyor tiles to shape candy routes
- tile/conveyor placement — placing conveyor tiles to shape candy routes
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Sugar Works, a chaotic candy factory puzzle for one to four players.
- "How chaotic but cute are these conveyor tiles?"
- "please bonk responsibly."