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Game Info
Year
2017
Collection
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Expansions & Family
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Description
Description from the publisher:
A 1-6 player cooperative game of terrifying cave escape. Players take the role of amateur cavers attempting to escape an unexplored network of subterranean tunnels, before the lights flicker out or the darker things beneath the Earth catch up to them...
In Sub Terra players spend their turn exploring and revealing the tunnel system around them, attempting to survive the various perils of the cave, from floods and cave ins to gas leaks and scree. Players each have a role which gives them specialist abilities, such as an Engineer with dynamite to blast a new route or a Scout to find a route more easily.
New tiles are placed from a randomised stack of cave features, which determines whether you'll be hit with a dead end or a range of new options.
At the end of each turn, players face the reality of their situation, with a hazard card drawn to determine what danger causes them damage or cuts off their way out of the horror below.
These cards are finite, and when they run out, your torches flicker and the air feels tight, and your chance of survival diminishes quickly.
Sub Terra Family
(2 games)
This page includes videos and mentions from the whole Sub Terra family. Drill into a specific game below.
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Featured Videos
Review
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 10
This page: 10
Sentiment:
pos 8 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–10 of 10
Video Z_J0jrl8sdQ
Meeple University Top 10 List at 31:55 sentiment: positive
video_pk 90671 · mention_pk 242478
Click to watch at 31:55 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Looks fun
- Popular game
Cons
- Host has not played it
- Host feels like they are missing out
Thematic elements
- Survival horror
Comparison games
- Sub-Terror 2
- Darkest Dungeon
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Described as a 'cooperative game'.
- Dungeon Crawl — Mentioned in the context of Darkest Dungeon.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's like this awesome facial puzzle where you get to manipulate dice as well
- i feel like i'm missing out here
- it's the best example of how the platform can look
- i think it's a game that combat exists but you should only use it very strategically
- the gate bits for this game are really pretty as well
- it's fully free fully free on table
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OF1yz1OnAxw
Board Games UnLocked Top List at 1:27:34 sentiment: positive
video_pk 83358 · mention_pk 209817
Click to watch at 1:27:34 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Highly Positive
Pros
- Great atmosphere
- Exciting end-game sequence
- Fun with expansions
Cons
- Company is defunct
- Second game lacks the same atmosphere
Thematic elements
- Cave exploration and survival horror
- Underground caves
- Horror
Comparison games
- Descent
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players work together as spelunkers to find the exit and escape the monster.
- Dice Rolling — Dice rolls are crucial, especially during the escape sequence when players must roll a specific number to progress.
- Modular Board — The cave system is built dynamically with tiles.
- Tile Placement — Players reveal and place tiles as they explore the cave system.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game I never would have thought just looking at the cover and then like the side art of the cover and all that stuff all cutesy and the name is all cutesy.
- I think that's my favorite part of the game is that it's just nope, just you took a tile, place it somewhere.
- Still a great game. Still my top 100.
- this is the best racing game out there.
- the solo variant, even if you can call me, you can just throw in bots into into multiplayer games, uh, are some of the best bots in board gaming in my opinion.
- So it's like why the [ __ ] are you doing this? It's so stupid.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TvOtU8bU-Vc
The Dice Tower News at 13:48 sentiment: positive
video_pk 81460 · mention_pk 202385
Click to watch at 13:48 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bag-building — Players draw tokens from a bag to use for actions or resources.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- man, this theme and everything about this from One More Turn Games, I'm very pumped about this one. I love the I cannot wait.
- It's a cool cover actually. It's just not very legible, but it's a life.
- If you like gardens, that's great. You like dragons, that's great. You like them both, buy three copies.
- This is teetering on the edge. This is almost more of a tainted grail type of a look to me.
- I think of all the ones that we've mentioned, this is the one I'm least interested in
- Never mind. This might be the one I'm least interested in.
- Cuz Clank! Catacombs exists.
- that's a really good-looking prototype.
- This would have been my most anticipated game of the year or one of them had I known about it
- This is one of my most anticipated games of the year now.
- This is basically um a Star Trek version of Captain Sonar.
- We know about this for a while. We've been very excited. We've already played it actually.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 9jCGDjmM6Z0
BoardGameCo Preview at 0:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80615 · mention_pk 196731
Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Customizable gameplay through bag building, dice upgrades, benefactor tiles, and artifact cards.
- Strategic pivoting opportunities due to dice rolls, blocked actions, and favor tokens.
- Escalating challenge over seven rounds with increasing complexity.
- Thematic integration of tasks with specific guilds.
- Tactical dice placement with consequences for future actions.
Cons
- A lot of iconography to learn, though intuitive.
- Guild clash winners are reset to zero, which can be a setback.
- Artifact cards can be expensive.
Thematic elements
- Competing to impress different guilds (Artisan, Alchemist, Merchants) through various tasks.
- A seven-week Ascension Festival
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players select actions based on the dice they roll and the spaces available.
- Bag Building — Players build a personal bag of dice, drawing from it to perform actions.
- Dice Placement — Dice are drawn and placed onto specific action spaces on the board.
- End game scoring — Victory points are gained through prestige and objective cards.
- Set Collection — Collecting shards allows players to craft artifacts.
- Track Advancement — Players advance on various influence tracks for guilds and the High Council.
- Variable player powers — Players start with different faction cards that determine their initial dice.
- Worker Placement — Dice act as emissaries placed on action spaces, with some spaces becoming blocked after placement.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Now, in Al Terra, players are going to be competing, but they're not exactly fighting off against each other. Instead, you are performing in an Ascension Festival.
- So, in this game, there is a lot of iconography, but a lot of it is very intuitive.
- So, it's a really interesting mechanic where players are going up on these different guild tracks with influence, and then they're going to be dropping down to zero as well when these guild clashes happen.
- So, players are just going to be racing trying to get as many victory points as possible as well as completing their objective cards to have some secret surprise victory points at the end of the game as well for themselves.
- So, this has been a preview of Altiplano by IV Studios.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video fjflB_K7iEk
Review at 0:17 sentiment: positive
video_pk 72304 · mention_pk 170528
Click to watch at 0:17 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- The board is constantly changing between deployments.
- The dice are just as important as the workers.
- The end-of-round guild rewards create ongoing tension.
- Artifacts provide new abilities, ongoing bonuses, and customization.
- Progression is a core theme, with steady faction building.
- The artwork combines fantasy, magic, and technology in a distinct world.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Struggle for prestige, influence, and a seat on the High Council through manipulation and gathering reputation.
- The mountain city of Al Terra during the Ascension Festival
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Majority — Each round, guilds reward the faction that impressed them the most on reputation tracks.
- Bag Building — Players draw dice from their personal bags and roll them to determine options for the round.
- Dice Rolling — Dice rolls are important for determining available actions and resources, and dice can be recruited and upgraded.
- Engine Building — Players build their engine by unlocking new abilities, recruiting better dice, and upgrading existing ones.
- Simultaneous action selection — Players secretly choose a die and reveal it simultaneously before placing an emissary.
- Worker Placement — Emissaries (workers) are sent to action spaces, and their placement determines guild reputation and rewards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Welcome to the city of Al Terra. The Ascension Festival approaches and with it your struggle for prestige, influence, and a seat on the High Council.
- Do you have what it takes to manipulate the fates in your favor?
- Over seven rounds, you'll build your engine, unlock new abilities, and hopefully ascend to the High Council.
- But unlike other worker placement games, your workers aren't the only thing driving your decisions. Your dice are just as important.
- As your influence grows, you'll also gain access to powerful artifacts. These ancient relics are tied to the shards that once fueled the conflicts of the world, and now serve as tools for advancement during the festival.
- And progression really seems to be one of the core themes running throughout the entire design. You're not just earning points, you're steadily building a stronger and more capable faction.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video vyJGpXIdhjM
Top List at 1:23:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 67341 · mention_pk 163417
Click to watch at 1:23:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Very positive
Pros
- Atmospheric
- Tense and challenging
- Different cave layout each time
- Unique flashlight mechanic at the end of the game
- Fits well with Spooky Season
Cons
- Release of expansions was handled poorly
- Miniatures are terrible
Thematic elements
- Survival, escape from a collapsing cave
- Cave exploration
- Cooperative
Comparison games
- Subterra 2
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — everyone can die. One person can just escape. You have like a score thing at the end of how many people survive.
- Modular Board — You're going to get a different layout of the cave every time.
- Press Your Luck — When that event deck runs out, it's not over. It's just it's pretty much over, but it's your flashlight going out and you have to roll before you do everything. And if you get a five or six and you get to keep going.
- Tile Placement — You're just exploring out of this cave that's sprawling. You're going to get a different layout of the cave every time.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The theme really doesn't come through. It's just how the scoring and the gameplay is why it's here.
- that that thing is always the thing that catches people that very first time. They're like, 'Oh, I see now.'
- It's such a short game.
- It takes longer to score the game than it does to play the game
- Guards of Atlantis 2 is a MOA style uh t 2v2 game.
- I absolutely love that there's a reason why I'm not a big fan of exceed or onward in this in this mobile case is because I don't like randomness in these head-to-head games
- if I'm outplayed, I know my opponent outplayed me.
- every single uh, hero has only five cards that they can play and they'll play four of them in a given round.
- I really like that that level up system.
- Onward 100% feels more like a MOA than Guards of Atlantis does.
- I've had a great time every single time I've played it.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video JB4C89D-YL4
Allies or Enemies Discussion at 9:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65855 · mention_pk 159907
Click to watch at 9:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong asymmetry creates varied experiences for players
- Tense, accessible dungeon-crawl feel
Cons
- Some players may want deeper rules or longer campaigns
Thematic elements
- Array
- Asymmetrical dungeon crawl with lava threats
- cooperative, tense exploration
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Asymmetric Player Powers — Different characters provide unique abilities that shape how teams approach dungeon exploration.
- cooperative exploration — Players work together to collect keys and reach goals before hazards (lava) trigger failure.
- Simplified Turn Actions — Turns consist of minimal choices, enabling broad participation and quick decision-making.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this was really the bell of the ball i think yeah i think this ended up being the favorite game that we played and that we purchased at the convention
- we immediately bought it
- it's a track game and and just the combos that you can do
- the giant t-rex is so worth it
- gaia project which is one of my absolute favorite of favorite games
- the look is amazing the fact that they all look like vhs tapes and how it fits together
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video KU3_kTTZAmk
The Board Game Garden Top 10 List at 6:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34093 · mention_pk 237525
Click to watch at 6:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- strong atmosphere and thematic cohesion
- cooperative teamwork is satisfying
- great for group play and families
Cons
- availability in printings can be limited
- can be challenging for new players to coordinate
Thematic elements
- cooperative escape from a dangerous cave environment
- underground caves and subterranean exploration
- tense, thematic, exploration-forward
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative Game — Players work together to achieve a shared goal before time or resources run out.
- cooperative play — Players work together to achieve a shared goal before time or resources run out.
- Tile Placement — Tiles form the cave network the group traverses.
- Tile placement (board building) — Tiles form the cave network the group traverses.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- tile placement is basically you know placing tiles
- it's my number one or number two favorite mechanism in a board game
- it's easy to get to the table and teach
- the art is adorable just the overall vibe of this game makes me so so happy
- chef's kiss
- it's such a fun relaxing game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video vwNcT48viZI
The Dice Tower Discussion at 12:48
video_pk 29912 · mention_pk 161425
Click to watch at 12:48 · 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)
- We added them together. That was the incorrect usage there.
- Blast some imps. Do it.
- Tea fatigue is what I'm calling it.
- We’re going to show you 200 through 101 and talk about them.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3p9EgLBgG-M
Chairman of the Board Analysis at 0:34 sentiment: negative
video_pk 4697 · mention_pk 13690
Click to watch at 0:34 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- cooperative feel and hazard management
- pacing can create tense moments with fast decision space
Cons
- tends to feel too long and plateau
- endgame can be anticlimactic
- potential for player elimination and disjointed moments
Thematic elements
- cooperative dungeon crawl and hazard management
- Mine shaft exploration with hazards
- cooperative problem-solving under pressure
Comparison games
- Jaipur
- Pandemic
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — all players work together to survive the mine
- pandemic-style actions — a set action economy with shared consequences
- Tile Placement — placing tiles to navigate a mine shaft and reveal hazards
- timer/pressure mechanism — the longer you take, the worse things get
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is an absolute masterpiece this game is
- this is like the best game ever made
- it's a real cool idea a really cool concept
- when you get the right cards together, it can be fantastic
- the more you play it the better it becomes
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–10 of 10