/pic6766397.png)
Game Info
Year
2021
Players
2-5
Age
10+
Playtime
30 min
Collection
Your Tier
Loading…
Mechanic profile
Percentile rank vs. all games
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
We need only lower our gaze from the stellar night skies to the planet below to see that beauty surrounds us! The biomes of planet Earth are as diverse and wondrous as the living creatures that populate them, and ideally you'll see more than your fair share of them in the strategic card game Subastral.
In the game, you collect cards that represent your notes on eight different biomes: subtropical desert, savanna, tropical rainforest, chaparral, temperate grassland, temperate forest, taiga, and arctic tundra. You start the game with three random cards in hand; each card depicts one of the eight biome types and is numbered 1-6. Eight cards are placed onto six clouds in the center of the table, with the deck to the left of the #1 cloud and a sun card to the right of #6.
On a turn, play a card from your hand onto the matching numbered cloud, then collect any pile of your choice to the left or right of the pile on which you played. If you choose a cloud to the left toward the deck, you add the cards on that cloud to your hand, then draw an additional card from the deck and add it to your hand. If you choose to the right toward the sun, you add those cards to your "journal", which is your collection of cards. Cards from the same biome go in the same pile, and you build piles from left to right in your journal as you collect cards from new biomes, with those piles being numbered 1-8. To end your turn, you draw a card from the deck to fill the empty cloud space.
When you hit the "game end" card in the deck, complete the round, then play one additional round. Each player then scores for their journal in two ways: Score for your two biomes that have the most cards, with each card in those biomes worth as many points as the number of the pile. (In other words, whatever two biomes you start collecting last, you want to collect a lot of them since those cards will be worth the most points.) Next, you remove one card from each biome left to right until you hit an empty space or run out of biomes; the set is worth 1-36 points depending on the number of cards in it. Then you create another set collecting cards from left to right, etc. until your leftmost biome is empty. Whoever has scored the most points wins!
Will your journal of research notes on the planet's biomes be deep and diverse enough to stand out amongst your peers?
Featured Videos
Ask a Rules Question
All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 19
This page: 19
Sentiment:
pos 14 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–19 of 19
Video Bs8cb4JQJ1g
Rolling Dice & Taking Names Top List at 17:31 sentiment: positive
video_pk 98386 · mention_pk 273211
Click to watch at 17:31 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Clever card game
- Deep strategy in simple mechanics
- Easy to learn but surprisingly deep
- No lot of text on cards (numbers only)
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Imperium Legends
- Dreadful Circus
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card game — A card game involving strategic play and interaction.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Brian Boru High King of Ireland as soon as you put that on the on the table and as soon as I saw trick taking I was like uh oh I'm all in I I pushed all the chips in I was fully engaged in this game
- Clash of cultures Monumental Edition I'd like to commend the design development and Publishing team behind K C it's varied in strategy epic in scale and thankfully foot powder free
- man it's one of those games for me that just created an experience every time I played and I've played with four player I've played with three player I've played with two player and every single time I enjoyed what that game brought to the table
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Bs8cb4JQJ1g
Rolling Dice & Taking Names Top List at 1:13:35 sentiment: positive
video_pk 98386 · mention_pk 273229
Click to watch at 1:13:35 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Positive
Pros
- A worthy nominee.
- Designers can keep doing it.
- Took stellar and moved it up to sub astral.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Exploration/Discovery
Comparison games
- Brian Boru: High King of Ireland
- World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Set Collection — Could be used to score points based on collected items or areas.
- Tile Placement — Likely involves placing tiles to explore or build.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Brian Boru High King of Ireland as soon as you put that on the on the table and as soon as I saw trick taking I was like uh oh I'm all in I I pushed all the chips in I was fully engaged in this game
- Clash of cultures Monumental Edition I'd like to commend the design development and Publishing team behind K C it's varied in strategy epic in scale and thankfully foot powder free
- man it's one of those games for me that just created an experience every time I played and I've played with four player I've played with three player I've played with two player and every single time I enjoyed what that game brought to the table
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Bs8cb4JQJ1g
Rolling Dice & Taking Names Top List at 1:15:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 98386 · mention_pk 273366
Click to watch at 1:15:42 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Positive
Pros
- Moved up from Stellar
- Enjoyable games
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)
- Brian Boru High King of Ireland as soon as you put that on the on the table and as soon as I saw trick taking I was like uh oh I'm all in I I pushed all the chips in I was fully engaged in this game
- Clash of cultures Monumental Edition I'd like to commend the design development and Publishing team behind K C it's varied in strategy epic in scale and thankfully foot powder free
- man it's one of those games for me that just created an experience every time I played and I've played with four player I've played with three player I've played with two player and every single time I enjoyed what that game brought to the table
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video J87hxzwQKgI
Getting Games Discussion at 35:24 sentiment: positive
video_pk 90859 · mention_pk 243238
Click to watch at 35:24 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Reiner Canizia pedigree and exploration theme
- presents a light-to-medium weight experience
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- exploration, exotic animals, flowers, culture
- Sumatra expedition with research teams
Comparison games
- Eldorado
- Elysium
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- grid-based scoring with GPS tokens — place collected items on a grid to score via various conditions
- research track with movement — collect and push the research token along a track
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video D-XkKY1g490
Hungry Gamer Top 10 List at 5:44 sentiment: positive
video_pk 89988 · mention_pk 239912
Click to watch at 5:44 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- simplicity and elegance in design
- easy to teach and quick to play
Cons
- demo before full playtime; may not appeal to all heavier euro players
Thematic elements
- space exploration with streamlined mechanics
- set collection in a space-themed framework
- simple, accessible design
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action chaining / rondelle-like action planning — connecting actions to maximize efficiency
- Area Movement — using actions to traverse a space-themed map
- movement on a map via resources — using actions to traverse a space-themed map
- Set Collection — collecting sets of resources/tiles to optimize actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the core game is basically the vcr and then you buy separate movies VHS tapes type things to put into your core box and you play different adventures
- this is a solo game dice rolling
- it's set collection very very simple and it's in its simplicity that it is so much fun
- this is jerry hawthorne's follow-up to aftermath
- it's an adventure book game but man does it pop
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Pxq_WX2FU6E
Meeple University Top 10 List at 6:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 89960 · mention_pk 239809
Click to watch at 6:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Simple
- Easy setup
- Interesting decisions
- Quick to play
- Portable
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- abstract
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Drafting — Players will play a card from their hand into the matching number and then you'll pick up one of the other columns.
- Hand Management — You've got to be careful to keep a decent hand of cards so you can keep having flexibility on actions but also get enough of them into your scoring area.
- Set Collection — The scoring is also a set collection plus as well so you're trying to collect sets of different of different cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It has deck building, the mechanic of deck building that I wish I have in some others that makes my life easier in deck building.
- It all fits together very cleverly.
- This is the first sort of ultra heavy, above 4 on BGG type of game that I've liked this much for quite a while.
- It makes for really interesting decisions.
- The components are really great in here as well, they've got lots of little buildings and metal coins and all sorts of fun stuff.
- It's really a three-dimensional puzzle.
- The limited amount of actions you can do makes it like it's so tight that you have to think ahead.
- It's just a really simple, really elegant, thinky, you know two player push and pull back and forth sort of game.
- The theme is so fun, it's like the puns in the shop and everything else.
- It is also a lot more interactive than your typical one.
- It's really a deep strategy game.
- It's been really close every time, with high scores around about 100.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video eGiCAWug1cs
Rolling Dice & Taking Names Discussion at 16:21 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 89698 · mention_pk 238641
Click to watch at 16:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Enjoyed the game a lot
Cons
- Not good for people not used to the strategy side of it
- Can be frustrating if players are denied cards they want
- Can be hard to find a good mix of players
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players draft cards, and the frustration arose from being denied desired cards.
- Set Collection — Building up sets of cards to score points, which was a strategy that led to a high score for one player.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The questions were so hilarious in the d i mean it was it was just i don't know i don't want to give any spoilers away but some of them were laugh out loud funny because of the of the answers that guy would give
- I absolutely love this game
- My body is made for something different
- It's an amazing game
- The battles i think are absolute genius i love the battle mechanic
- Decorum is a cooperative hidden information game where you and your housemate share the same objective decorate your home in a way that makes you all happy The problem is different things make each of you happy and nobody says exactly what they need Can you find a happy compromise or is it time to move out
- A game of passive aggressive cohabitation
- The insert of this is really really nicely done
- it's a very light game it's a very light area control game but i really love games with tech trees and i enjoyed rolling the dice and re-rolling and trying to take over what's nice
- you're a winner because you purchased this game and you bought it and you played it together
- it's not very heavy by any means sometimes the dice can mess you up
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xTqhFjwBL9w
Chairman of the Board Discussion at 3:38 sentiment: positive
video_pk 86842 · mention_pk 226180
Click to watch at 3:38 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Lovely set collection style game
- Nice flow to the game
- Still one of my favorite set collection games
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Set Collection — Players balance their hand with cards played into their tableau to collect sets.
- Tableau Building — Cards played from the hand populate the player's tableau.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is where I talk about all of the games that I have been playing over the last couple of weeks
- will it maintain its um top spot this year you'll have to stay tuned to my top 100
- it was quite nice to see that she enjoyed it um as much as we did despite her not really dipping her toe into Euro games yet
- I did have a a bit of a game from hell where nothing really seemed to be going my way
- it's one of the best games ever made in my opinion
- it's going to be a bit of a sleeper hit already I think there's going to be a hidden audience for this one
- it came get very close game actually
- it's becoming one of those games that I would never really turn down
- it's a lot of fun and um you know always guaranteed a good time
- it kind of reminds me of that Nish Shaw of games like high society and so on but this is a good example of the genre
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 1QoSrAIslM0
Chairman of the Board Top List at 9:56 sentiment: positive
video_pk 86873 · mention_pk 226341
Click to watch at 9:56 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Sister game to Stella with a similar feeling
- More traditional set collection
- Balancing act of scoring vs. hand management
- Can score multiple sets (though in fixed order)
- Rewarded for most numerous columns
- Can be approached in different ways
- Lovely game
Cons
- Need to play more
Thematic elements
- Set collection.
Comparison games
- Stella
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Playing cards to a communal row and choosing which cards to take from the left (for future hand) or right (to score).
- Hand Management — Balancing scoring cards with keeping enough cards in hand for future turns.
- Set Collection — Collecting runs of cards, aiming for different types and the most numerous columns.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- hey everybody and welcome to the 2024 into 2025 edition of my top 100 board games of all time so this is the best of the best and to celebrate that more than I did last year I'm going to revert back to a 10p part Series where I talk about 10 games at a time this episode being the first of those covering covering game 100 up to number 91
- so that is long shot the dice game at number 92
- so that is par at number 91
- so there we have it that concludes the first installment of my top 100 Bard games of all time hopefully you've enjoyed it and discovered a game or two if you have please be sure to hit like And subscribe to my channel and check out my other videos too and for everybody else I'll see you next time on chairman of the board bye-bye
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video O_6t2lqq_Zo
Hungry Gamer Analysis at 5:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 86256 · mention_pk 222662
Click to watch at 5:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
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)
- this is my video where I recap what games hit the table the most
- it is the best game that didn't make my three idiots game of the year list
- it's got the craziest and most amazing toy Factor at least in the deluxe edition wonderful components
- I don't get any cash here but I'm just able to use it to get more games
- all the money that I'm making from YouTube and channel memberships it does all go back into this hobby
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video v2B6qiErqJ8
Chairman of the Board Analysis at 9:09 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 83871 · mention_pk 212267
Click to watch at 9:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
- Slightly down from last year
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Baron strong debut at number 77 as well.
- Floriferous has actually been in my collection for many years, but year after year it does nudge up and up and up, which goes to show it strength because of course we play more games each year, which naturally makes things fall down. But the fact this has gone from number um 98 to number 78 and it's a new best foriferous 2.
- kind of a passive rise for underwater cities. It's such a quality little engine building game from back onto the list from number 107 up to number 83.
- NAR as well has actually again been in my collection for a couple of years now, but last year in its debut year, it came in at number 124. So, it's pushed onto my top 100 for the first time at number 85.
- Get on board has come back into the top 100 as well, going from number 110 up to number 89.
- another debut with Toy Battle at number 90.
- Far Away, come back onto the top 100 from number 116 up to number 91.
- The same goes with QE went from 120 up to number 92 because I did play that one recently and obviously enjoyed it.
- other than that, we had a bit of a fall for games like Gold West, a bit of a fall for games like Mexico.
- Even brass fell a little bit, just hanging on to my top at 100, going from number 78 down to 96. Now, I really like brass, but I don't really play it too often um anymore.
- No Thanks, the classic little bidding or anti bidding game goes from a 104 up to number 97 back onto the list.
- interestingly, um Subastral and Stellar, two card games I recommended. They've always kind of just held on onto my top 100. Um they are now at number 98 and number 100. Um which was slightly down from number 95, 96 last year.
- the last kind of debut taunt game onto my top 100 is Tag Team. Um, a game I've reviewed recently uh on the channel.
- So, those are all the new games this year.
- So that's kind of why I didn't want to do the whole top 100 again because I thought, you know, it's going to be quite similar to last year's with a few jiggles up and down.
- a lot of these more unique games are going up. card game seem to be climbing for me quite a bit and those euros may be holding their place or slightly falling but the great euros of course I'm anchoring themselves at the top of my of my top 100.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video navw8T9-GE0
Chairman of the Board Other at 14:03 sentiment: other
video_pk 82279 · mention_pk 206826
Click to watch at 14:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Consistently High
Pros
- Has remained in the host's top 100 games.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Set Collection — Described as one of the little set collection games by Riddlin Pinchback.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TjcxWuTfc40
Meeple University Review
video_pk 70036 · mention_pk 166935
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a smart and balanced system
- the artwork is amazing
- as an experienced gamer it makes for exactly the sort of decision space i like in a filler
- it's a filler or a filler plus or the sort of game
- I think it's really good
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TjcxWuTfc40
Meeple University Review at 0:32 sentiment: positive
video_pk 70036 · mention_pk 239855
Click to watch at 0:32 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- smart and balanced scoring system
- replayable with different player counts
- beautiful artwork by Beth Sobel
- accessible for newcomers
- interesting decision space around which cards to take and how to place them
Cons
- requires sorting cards for different player counts (three/four/five) which can be tedious
Thematic elements
- biomes and landscapes
Comparison games
- space race
- fleet
- three sisters
- terraforming
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Compound Scoring — score across horizontal sets by left-to-right presence and vertically by rightmost position with a tie-breaker to the left
- picking from piles — choose piles to draw from: left adds to hand; right adds to journal (scoring)
- play to matching number — play a card onto its matching cloud number
- refill mechanic — end of turn refill empty spots so there are always cards available
- scoring method — score across horizontal sets by left-to-right presence and vertically by rightmost position with a tie-breaker to the left
- Set Collection — collect sets of biomes across eight image cards and six clouds
- wrap-around option for 1/6 — if you pick 1 or 6, you may either place in journal or keep in hand, with wrap-around allowing both options
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a smart and balanced system
- the artwork is amazing
- as an experienced gamer it makes for exactly the sort of decision space i like in a filler
- it's a filler or a filler plus or the sort of game
- I think it's really good
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XAkGukD4crg
kovray Review
video_pk 68893 · mention_pk 165187
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I really like this game. It's fun. It's as simple as placing a card and taking cards, but it has a lot of complexity.
- This game hurts my brain a little bit because it's so hard to plan ahead.
- The art is beautiful. It's such a gorgeous game to have on your table.
- it's not very calming. It's a little bit stressful.
- It's super fast to play.
- The designers did a really good job.
- It's basically an open information drafting card game.
- Because there is rarity on the cards, it makes it fairly open knowledge with also having everybody else's boards visible.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XAkGukD4crg
kovray Review at 0:28 sentiment: positive
video_pk 68893 · mention_pk 241144
Click to watch at 0:28 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- rapid play with quick setup
- beautiful art and table presence
- open information drafting with strategic depth
- replayability with different player counts
- two to five players makes it versatile for gatherings
Cons
- not calming; can be stressful at times
- competition for high scoring columns can be contentious
- hand cards cannot go directly into your journal; you must take from the field
- uncertainty about optimal strategy in 2p vs larger player counts
Thematic elements
- biome exploration and cataloging
- Earth with eight biomes
Comparison games
- Arboretum
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card picking and hand/deck action — on your turn, you pick up cards either into your hand (left) or onto your journal (right) depending on direction
- card play on clouds — play a card on a cloud, the cloud number must match the card's number
- end game trigger and scoring — end the game when the end game card is drawn/available; score based on mixed rows and top two matching columns
- journal assembly and scoring — the journal has eight pages per biome; placing cards in left-to-right order; scoring uses mixed and matching sets
- path to points via columns — points for the column multiplied by number of cards in that column
- rarity influence — card rarities influence choices and knowledge while players' boards remain visible
- row refill — after taking, you refill the row and place the new card in the vacated spot
- two-way interaction — players can influence others' collections by taking cards that disrupt opponents' sets
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I really like this game. It's fun. It's as simple as placing a card and taking cards, but it has a lot of complexity.
- This game hurts my brain a little bit because it's so hard to plan ahead.
- The art is beautiful. It's such a gorgeous game to have on your table.
- it's not very calming. It's a little bit stressful.
- It's super fast to play.
- The designers did a really good job.
- It's basically an open information drafting card game.
- Because there is rarity on the cards, it makes it fairly open knowledge with also having everybody else's boards visible.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dNl3OlnIYRs
Chairman of the Board Top List at 2:52 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13757 · mention_pk 87546
Click to watch at 2:52 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Simple, modernized take on drafting
- Good filler length (~45 minutes)
- Clear flow and accessible rules
Cons
- Thematic flavor is lightweight
- May feel repetitive if played back-to-back
Thematic elements
- cars as the collection set, scoring through types and order
- card drafting with a row-based drafting mechanism
- compact, streamlined filler
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — on your turn you draft from your hand and place on a row; numbers to the left/right influence future drafting and scoring
- card drafting and row placement — on your turn you draft from your hand and place on a row; numbers to the left/right influence future drafting and scoring
- Set Collection — collecting types of cars and sequencing them for higher points as the row progresses
- set collection / sequencing — collecting types of cars and sequencing them for higher points as the row progresses
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- these are ten really really good games
- this is one of the coolest games in terms of like turn angst and frustration
- it's timeless and very clean design
- this is a co-design but it's definitely got a lot of the dna in it through that tile placement and other little mechanisms
- an absolute blast to play
- Arc Nova is going to stand the test of time
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6hz4QSS1ZgI
Our Family Plays Games Interview at 5:15 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9182 · mention_pk 27075
Click to watch at 5:15 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Accessible core mechanics with meaningful decisions each turn
- Strong replayability from multiple cloud/card interactions and endgame strategies
- Clear, visual scoring framework and intuitive setup
- Thematic art by Beth Sobel reinforces the biome concept
Cons
- Rule density can be a bite to digest for first-time players
- End-game timing can feel abrupt if players are not tracking the end card
- Some players may prefer more direct interaction or player-versus-player tension
Thematic elements
- Biomes and ecological collections expressed through a sky/cloud metaphor
- A skyborne, biome-driven tableau world where players draft and place biome cards to build a scoring tableau
- abstract/strategic; scoring driven by set-building across rows
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card drafting / selection — Players choose from cloud cards and biome cards with placement constraints that affect future moves.
- End-game condition via reveal — The game ends when a specific end card is revealed, after which players take a final round.
- Hand management with end-turn choices — Placement on cloud cards determines whether you draw into your hand or advance your tableau, creating hand-size and tempo decisions.
- set collection / pattern scoring — Score is driven by achieving the two largest matching sets in the tableau plus other combinations according to a reference scoring chart.
- Tableau Building — Players place cards to form a personal tableau in front of them, shaping future options and scoring opportunities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- there is no place for bias in the board game hobby
- check your bias
- we're playing games because we are playing games
- the identity of the game is important to establish early in your design journey
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video sLbO4RF_GXs
Chairman of the Board Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5943 · mention_pk 81526
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- elegant and well-balanced scoring that rewards both set-building and strategic timing
- quick play (~20 minutes) with high replayability
- beautiful production and clean art
- scales well with more players; keeps engagement high
Cons
- setup can be a bit bulky on small tables
- initial scoring mechanism may require explanation to new players
- the game hinges on resolving timely card access; can be punishing if you get the wrong cards
Thematic elements
- set collection and competition over card stacks
- Abstract astral-themed card stacks with a shared tableau
- abstract / procedural
Comparison games
- Stella
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card placement on matching numbers — Play a card to a matching-number column to build stacks.
- Compound Scoring — Edges (1 and 6) wrap to opposite side offering additional choices.
- end-game scoring curve — Score from the beginning for each set, plus the two largest stacks at end.
- Hand Management — Keep a hand of cards and decide to draw or replenish.
- Matching — Play a card to a matching-number column to build stacks.
- Set Collection — Players collect varieties of suits and track progress to maximize scoring.
- take-left or take-right action — After playing, choose to take a left-side stack into hand or add to scoring area from the right.
- wrap-around scoring for extremes — Edges (1 and 6) wrap to opposite side offering additional choices.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I think this is so well done. I always love it when designers come out with fresh concepts of board games but still without being overwrought and simple.
- top notch
- lovely little card game that deserves a lot of credit
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–19 of 19