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Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon box art

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

Game ID: GID0313267
Game Info
Year
2019
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Tainted Grail: Kings of Ruin
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Description

Tainted Grail: the Fall of Avalon is an unforgettable, solo or cooperative adventure experience for 1-4 players. Blending Arthurian legends and Celtic mythology with a unique vision, it allows you to impact the game world in deep and meaningful ways. A deep, branching storyline allows you to tackle problems in different ways, ensuring no two games play alike. Difficult decisions or harrowing choices wait behind every corner and seemingly minor tasks may reverberate with major long-term consequences.

In a land slowly sinking into the Wyrdness and torn apart by conflict; surviving each day is a challenge on its own. Starvation, sickness, violent weather, and random incidents all conspire to end your journey. Guardian Menhirs, that ensured safe travel throughout the realm, are slowly going dark turning simple logistics into an involving puzzle. To overcome these challenges, your character develops along several conflicting lines, such as Brutality / Empathy or Practicality / Spirituality. These traits unlock a rich choice of mutually exclusive skills and lead to different deck-building strategies, making character advancement meaningful and deep.

The character you develop is going to be tested during dozens of combat and non-combat encounters. Sometimes you will need to brute force your way, but often diplomacy might be a better option. Regardless whether you fight with your strength or your wits, our unique dice-less encounter system makes resolving each conflict fun and exciting, while keeping you immersed in the game.

In Avalon, there’s a legend waiting behind every stone and every tree. All locations have their own rich stories and secrets to discover. Places and characters are often much more than they seem. As you slowly put all the pieces of the larger puzzle together, the land will always have a surprise waiting for you just around the corner. Many secrets can be discovered only after several games. Created by one of the best Polish fantasy authors, Krzysztof Piskorski, the story of Tainted Grail: the Fall of Avalon aims to push the boundaries of non-linear narrative, building upon the rich experience.

—description from the publisher

Description

Tainted Grail: the Fall of Avalon is an unforgettable, solo or cooperative adventure experience for 1-4 players. Blending Arthurian legends and Celtic mythology with a unique vision, it allows you to impact the game world in deep and meaningful ways. A deep, branching storyline allows you to tackle problems in different ways, ensuring no two games play alike. Difficult decisions or harrowing choices wait behind every corner and seemingly minor tasks may reverberate with major long-term consequences.

In a land slowly sinking into the Wyrdness and torn apart by conflict; surviving each day is a challenge on its own. Starvation, sickness, violent weather, and random incidents all conspire to end your journey. Guardian Menhirs, that ensured safe travel throughout the realm, are slowly going dark turning simple logistics into an involving puzzle. To overcome these challenges, your character develops along several conflicting lines, such as Brutality / Empathy or Practicality / Spirituality. These traits unlock a rich choice of mutually exclusive skills and lead to different deck-building strategies, making character advancement meaningful and deep.

The character you develop is going to be tested during dozens of combat and non-combat encounters. Sometimes you will need to brute force your way, but often diplomacy might be a better option. Regardless whether you fight with your strength or your wits, our unique dice-less encounter system makes resolving each conflict fun and exciting, while keeping you immersed in the game.

In Avalon, there’s a legend waiting behind every stone and every tree. All locations have their own rich stories and secrets to discover. Places and characters are often much more than they seem. As you slowly put all the pieces of the larger puzzle together, the land will always have a surprise waiting for you just around the corner. Many secrets can be discovered only after several games. Created by one of the best Polish fantasy authors, Krzysztof Piskorski, the story of Tainted Grail: the Fall of Avalon aims to push the boundaries of non-linear narrative, building upon the rich experience.

—description from the publisher

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Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 28
This page: 28
Sentiment: pos 15 · mix 9 · neu 0 · neg 3
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Showing 1–28 of 28
Video Jvt1B0lH86o slickerdrips Playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 85930 · mention_pk 221202
slickerdrips - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Engaging narrative and exploration
  • Satisfying character progression and upgrades
  • Challenging and strategic combat
Cons
  • Difficult rolls can hinder progress
  • Resource management can be demanding
Thematic elements
  • Exiles on an adventure, exploring and fighting enemies
  • The Basin, a land with mountains, forests, and fields
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Character leveling and upgrades — Gaining experience points to level up, improving stats, and choosing new skills or abilities.
  • Combat — Involves dice rolls, threat management, enemy attacks (slash, bash), and using character skills to deal damage and defend.
  • Event draws — Drawing cards that trigger narrative events or combat encounters.
  • exploration — Moving between locations, drawing location cards, and encountering events or NPCs.
  • Item Management — Collecting and using equipment, potions, and key items.
  • Resource management (SP, HP, MP) — Managing player action points, health, and magic points.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • The journey is difficult and your spirits sag.
  • I could do some damage we'll see so I'll use my carve stuff strength 20 ideally of course I haven't rolled a 20 I've rolled a six get eight.
  • He sounds like a real Rascal I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up again.
  • You get to max on this as well and then in terms of stats yeah I would like to go up in just generally in things but I would really like my Stinger to be more consistently better so I'm going to go for intelligence four from Two and I'm level three and then continuing along this level up path oh the next one is ready to rock to master as a reaction at the start of your your turn in combat when you are below your maximum HP spend 2 MP but then it's mastered what is it I haven't got a oh my HS are the healing aren't they soothing merties that bring health and energy but I think I might go for something maybe a bit more damaging or something moving let's go for ker dance there's a reaction for wounded but not defeating a foe with your Tano ra what are you going for so I have chosen to upgrade my SP and my strength up to level four and then I've chosen this tactic skill don't know what that's going to do called form up and I can learn it when I have paid for combo so now we need to do event 903 so the paths Thad walks up after your last training session your skills have grown since the HP began I can see all your hard work on display come with me they leads you to a large chest here we don't have much but I'd like you to take something from The Guild cach you've earned it so what should we go for in the chest then big or little little just to try and fill up the gaps in or yeah we're only getting one of these three aren't we so our options are an old glove you're still missing a glove a scared shoulder neither has have got anything on our shoulders and a clasped cuff I suppose ra you have got one one less spot than me covered up so okay pick something you would like protected I'll take the shoulder fad nods at you you've earned your next rank on your path there's still a long way to go but you should feel proud so out of the dossier we get lie three and in three you may replace your old path rank with this new one and then we get rid of this card so I can choose to have healer instead of Soo I'll take it and I can have minstril instead of noodler I do like noodler I'll go for minstril and let's try that out for a bit The Hungry feelish Minstrel that's all the level up stuff done that's everything we want to do here isn't it we don't want to rest when we've only used one token do we shall we to perhaps round out this episode shall we go to felsworn Village and see if that's the lady who said my shipment of hurts as you thought right so we go up into the planes you pass this way easily it's about time and then along the road to felsworn Village again we also need to pick up a job don't we Tommy rumbles uh yeah we're along the road so that's fine you enjoy your travels taking in the sights so were you thinking it was NPC 7 reach no told us about that small four oh in the shop oh yeah she her Shop's empty is it I remember now yeah Bandits had attacked the wagon so npc1 yeah it was Hall of the herbologist and she said my shipment of herbs has gone missing that's the key words my shipment of herbs so draw event nine Alla clasps her hands oh my shipment I'm surprised someone as unique as yourself was able to recover it you tell Harbor about your battle with the puckle and their halfling leader he sounds like a real Rascal I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up again I'll have to hire some security for the next shipment well I guess I was wrong you really aren't as useless as you look she produces a small wooden coin which by the way we realized after we stopped playing last time the there there is a sample squill in the Box these are the things that we are being handed by the people were helping around the Basin she produced a small wooden coin and a glass potion named hollus herbs she proceeds to unpack the boxes placing herbs of all kinds out on display so we gain job 10 into the deck which we could take on from here tonics and herbs I've got to get this carload of tonics and herbs down to kwick which I think it's been mentioned somewhere yeah somewhere west of PE kwick is the statue of Sor we need to go find key quick don't we that's an available job she changes to B and we get rid of the key the shop is now fully stocked as you can see point of Interest six has changed as well so we tried to go in there but there was no one home oh and then we've got dos2 so we've got her potion okay that's not much use to us but thank you and we've got the title not useless if anybody would like it I'll have that so we've got this potion which I don't know that we can sell it's just not as good as my wrapped potion is it if it healed to i' swapped it over keep this card as a squir brilliant we've got two squills now so do you want to head over to POI 6 while we're here or we can talk to her oh yeah talk to her again see what she's saying there well well well thank you for finding the shipment my shop can Now operate normally what can I do for you did you try drinking that potion I gave you uh your potion's lovely thank you very much for it ah now let me top that off for you if you come back again tomorrow you can have another refill oh so like the napsack we could just be topping that up for free instead of paying and by the way R you can be topping up your thing with an MP can't you do you want to say that you did that before you leveled up yeah you had MP to do it with didn't you uh are you are your future shipments in any danger only so many times I can tell you thanks my patience is running thin okay too bad those puckle got away I'm sure they'll be up to no good yeah what about the puckle and Iggle piggle whoever was in charge puckle Bandits usually we don't have to worry about puckle they're so hot-headed if they do get into a group The egotists can never agree on anything and just end up fighting each other it's that's halfling he's the real trouble igle pickle KY was his name right I asked W gray she saw a little redheaded halfling around here earlier gray thought he was in Exile I guess with you lot it's a bit of a mixed bag eh RP Point ra okay that's what she's got to say should we have a quick stop off at POI 6 now that it might be something so he's the guy that can get us across the sea isn't he that was gone yeah but now he is not gone well we assum not something has changed you're standing before a small shack there's a sign of a painted fery with a man punting the door here is closed but has a small hatch in it the sign reads knock for service it's hard for you to hear but it sounds like someone is talking on the other side to know knock you want a e drop don't you I think you should have an e drop first where could he be I told him he wasn't cut out for adventure I hope he's just lost and the Caro didn't get him there's a loud sigh and the voice Trails off into silence RP point what would you like to do now R now burn down the cottage knock on a man opens the hatch and looks at you Exiles eh how many squills have you earned if you have less than three squills I don't deal with useless Exiles he says before slamming the hatch okay come back when we've got more squirrels it's not interested in his ra come too early so with that we have now two squills we had to spend one of our Boons we've got them powerful one left we're level three I'm not useless and we're ready to head out into the world I'd like to try and remember next time maybe we need to go south to find this kwick cuz once we found kwick we can go west and try and find this statue maybe keep Wick's in this little tip down here we need to go west from it either way there's still a lot of the Basin to explore in there there's jobs to take up we could swap the job over if we wanted to but we still haven't found the other place on the other job have we plenty to explore and maybe we'll get one more sill and be allowed that hot for now though we're going to go thank you very much for watching everyone you can support the channel on patreon and Kofi there are links in the description if you are able to and want to do that really appreciate if you can because it's how we're able to do this these aren't sponsored videos no Siri no Siri no sir and there's a baby to feed Ranch maybe a baby probably not quite when this comes out but soon and we will continue our adventures next time thanks for watching everyone and see you later bye
References (from this video)
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Video NxIVil98scE Board Gaming Ramblings Top List at 15:29 sentiment: positive
video_pk 85567 · mention_pk 219567
Board Gaming Ramblings - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 15:29 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Invested in the universe, story, and environment
  • Big impact
  • Great story
  • Loved Tainted Grail
Cons
  • Did not finish campaign
  • Not on new list due to not playing since
  • Did not love card playing mechanism
  • Potential for grinding
  • New 2.0 version and Kings of Ruin exist
Thematic elements
  • Survival and exploration in a dark world
  • Avalon
  • Story-driven campaign
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Campaign — A campaign game that was not finished by the hosts.
  • Card playing — The host 'didn't love the card playing mechanism.'
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Wingspan is great. You probably know all about it.
  • Scout is a clever card game and yeah, it's a ladder climbing shutting game.
  • Pirates of Marbo hasn't made Mark Kybo worse. I think it has. I think I think it doesn't like not like it hasn't made the game worse, but it made it so if I go back and play Mario Kbo, I'll probably have fun. But I would also think I could get 80% of the same feeling in 80% less time.
  • Tainted Grail. Yep. I still think Tainted Grail is a great game. All the remembrance I have of it, but it has fallen a bit for me because of some of the things that I hope the new version makes better, but still a great game.
  • The Magnificent. It feels kind of unique and that's why it's on my list now. I don't know why it wasn't in 2019.
  • Electropolis is a great game. One of my favorite city building games.
  • Clank Legacy. Even though it's a long time ago and yes, the other like legacy campaign games from that year has fallen off the list, that still holds a fun memory for me and it was a really fun experience.
  • Cooper Island. That's number one for the reasons.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video vR3wjj8ZLCA Board Games UnLocked Top List at 23:56 sentiment: positive
video_pk 82476 · mention_pk 207190
Board Games UnLocked - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 23:56 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Rose three spots from last year.
  • Has been as high as number two.
  • Does literally everything right for the host.
  • Huge fan of FromSoft games (Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, Sekiro).
  • Theme definitely matches FromSoft games.
  • Encroaching darkness enveloping the land.
  • Pushing back darkness by lighting menhirs.
  • Found the grind not that bad.
  • Menhirs stay lit for a significant portion and are found frequently.
  • Set the bar for writing in board games.
  • Awaken Realms has been one of the best in board game writing.
  • Drips in theme.
  • Cool element of secret cards.
  • Marking on a track carries over throughout the campaign.
  • Different options become available.
  • Deck constructing two different decks (combat and diplomacy).
  • Characters are unique.
  • Gripped the host since the beginning.
  • Made the top 10 campaign games.
  • Reminded the host of what a great game this was.
  • Gameplay is very very solid.
  • Great example of doing two different phases.
  • Story is excellent.
  • Players are engrossed.
  • Mystery box thing makes the first playthrough exciting.
  • Drop in drop out mode.
  • Character build is forced to change every chapter because weapons break.
  • Fascinating element to throw in.
Cons
  • Haven't touched it in a while.
  • Grindy nature.
  • Might be less surprising on subsequent playthroughs.
  • Host hasn't played Kings of Ruin yet.
  • Considered a stinker when it comes to some campaign modes.
Thematic elements
  • Dark Fantasy
  • Story driven campaign
Comparison games
  • Madara
  • Kings of Ruin
  • Dark Quarter
  • Kingdoms Four
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Campaign play — The host mentions originally doing a solo campaign and wanting to play with another person. The game has a story-driven campaign mode and players mark progress on a track that carries over.
  • Deck construction — Players deck construct two decks: combat and diplomacy.
  • Resource Management — The host mentions that gathering resources to light the menhirs is part of the gameplay.
  • Set Collection — The host mentions gaining keywords which then give more options when returning to locations.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • The easiest one is just to get um, get both of them. [referring to Sleeping Gods and Distant Skies]
  • So many of this game is go to a location and it asking if you have like three keywords and if you don't, then it takes you to a certain section. But it it gives the perfect feeling of exploration.
  • There's so much out for this game, you know?
  • The end so much gameplay in this like they always say like if you could pick like five games to keep, you know, this this would be one of them just because there's so much
  • The amount of uniqueness that this game brings.
  • This game has an excellent element of roleplay. [...] It incentivizes it. It it encourages role playing because you actually get like role playing points that you can use to modify a die roll.
  • It is damn near perfect. [referring to Aridia]
  • Once you once you sit down and learn the system then it's all about pretty much just getting your character down you know and and because that's the biggest crutch learning your character is the game I mean is is learning the game more or less
  • this combination of like otherworldly horror mixed with Greek mythology does just really works for me
  • The writing is absolutely exquisite for this game.
  • As you are damaging them, you make them stronger. As you get wounded with titans, your rage goes up and that gives you extra abilities.
References (from this video)
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Video J1mzm_Q2vMA Board Game Critique Analysis at 14:29
video_pk 81016 · mention_pk 199103
Board Game Critique - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 14:29 · YouTube ↗
Pros
  • The production quality was genuinely exceptional.
Cons
  • Significant pacing issues
  • a story structure that not every player found satisfying.
Thematic elements
  • story structure that not every player found satisfying
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • The noise is not organic. It's built.
  • The information environment around a game's launch is structurally compromised in ways most hobbyists have absolutely no idea about.
  • The hotness does not measure quality. It does not measure how many people are enjoying a game. It measures activity, page views and forum thread activity.
  • Previews are universally positive in tone because the entire purpose of a preview from the publisher's perspective is to generate excitement.
  • A preview is an advertisement that does not always announce itself as one.
  • The structural pressure that creates on the honesty of reviews.
  • The incentive to be positive is not always conscious. It rarely manifests as someone deciding to lie. It shows up in softer ways.
  • Publishers are not stupid. When they choose which creators to send games to, they tend to gravitate toward people who covered their previous games positively.
  • Crowdfunding campaigns are not just fundraising tools, they're psychological environments specifically designed to manufacture urgency and suppress rational decision-making.
  • It's behavioral economics weaponized against your wallet, and it works on us, too.
  • The FTC has actually noticed all of this, by the way.
  • There are documented cases of publishers going after creators who gave their game a negative review, including approaching the creator's sponsors to pressure them into removing content.
  • The board game content space has been slow to comply. Disclosure practices vary wildly.
  • The review copy is a permanent gift. Yeah, this one is wild when you actually think about it.
  • The game did not fail. The hype around it failed the game.
  • The hype machine is not going away. The economic incentives that drive it are too strong.
  • Once you can see the machinery behind the curtain, the magic stops working.
  • The publishers who rely most heavily on these tactics are not creating the hobbies best games. They're creating the hobbies most marketed games.
References (from this video)
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Video nMihwPNR2EI The Dice Tower Top List at 20:25 sentiment: negative
video_pk 80001 · mention_pk 193883
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Click to watch at 20:25 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Negative
Pros
  • Gorgeous components
  • Good story
Cons
  • Grindy gameplay
  • Repetitive tasks
  • Bookkeeping heavy
Thematic elements
  • Arthurian legend
  • Story-driven
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Bookkeeping — it pretty much towards the end became bookkeeping the game.
  • Storytelling — it just had a good story
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • The game mostly speaks for itself. We've all experienced it. We all want to forget about it. Sorry I brought it up here.
  • I think I think we live in a more innocent time and I miss that.
  • This was a huge, huge disappointment for me because I wanted to like it so much.
  • Seal is one of the biggest hype to reality moments that I've ever had. Just that that gut check of like, yeah, you still live in a in a messed up earth. You lost faith in humanity.
  • There's so many mistakes and so many disappointments and we still tried to play through so much.
  • my number one is what my clear number one because it was the worst execution possible of any game.
  • And so on top of the fact that it didn't work, which is a huge problem, but if you didn't enjoy assembling them and if you assemble them just like a teeny bit off, not only would the marble like roll down and get stuck, but it would roll off the side of the first piece and just fall on the floor.
References (from this video)
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Video OemP3S7LZEM Interview at 1:18:25 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 78096 · mention_pk 189348
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 1:18:25 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • The narrative part is cool and the experience is unique.
Cons
  • The narrative part is sometimes hard to replicate and replay.
  • Less focused on mechanics and combat compared to Grim Coven.
Thematic elements
  • Narrative
Comparison games
  • Grim Coven
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Combat — The reviewer is more focused on mechanics and combat than the narrative aspect.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • The library to me is never the coolest place in town. It's a It's very rarely the crowdest place in town, but it's a place where people come to learn something to ignite the passion for something.
  • My only hope was to to find this uh to get this job at this local representative from London in London from the same company I used to work. And uh yeah and frankly the main reason I also went to London because I had a couple of friends who were very who were just very kind to me and saying you can stay here with us as long as you need to and that's basically was the only place I could ever go without money or anything.
  • I realized that even though I love all this nerdy productivity stuff, I'm just truly not really an expert in that.
  • And I think it was my wife because she she've been like keep telling me in the background this whole time like dude you're such a nerd. you should do some gaming stuff because you've been playing the whole life and you can talk about games for hours.
  • I would rather try doing that than going into the usual top 10 listicles and you know all the hottest latest stuff. It just resonate with me much more partly because I've been doing a lot of self-reflection and wanted wanted to do something I could do long term.
  • The fact that you're saying that you're happy doing that you can tell it's one of the things that uh sometimes whenever you know creators you know it's a hard balance whenever you want to make content as you said to feed the algorithm to make you know some videos and but I think like judging you know if you watched a couple of videos from the same person most of the time you can tell whether they're having a blast whether it's genuine experience for them and or not at least that that's kind of my take on it.
  • It is not. [laughter]
  • Elder Scrolls has the best character customization we have in a board game. Full stop.
  • The only reason I haven't done the video about it yet, believe it or not, is because I think I don't know the platform well enough to make a sort of video about this.
  • So, the only reason I haven't done the video about it yet, believe it or not, is because I think I don't know the platform well enough to make a sort of video about this. The same stories will reviews as you know, I haven't reviewed Desi.
References (from this video)
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Video k3YbhEibknM Top List at 4:46 sentiment: negative
video_pk 66684 · mention_pk 162476
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 4:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
  • Combat system was okay
Cons
  • Found the game frustrating
  • Did not care much for the story
  • Gameplay felt like a slog
  • Exploration was not interesting
  • Combat system made the game take longer
  • Felt like putting in a lot of work without much return
Thematic elements
  • Arthurian myths (dark retelling)
  • Avalon
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Diceless combat — This system was found to slow down the game and contribute to a slogging feeling.
  • exploration — The exploration aspect was found to be uninteresting.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • These are top 100 games for the people that do not appear in my personal top 100 solos list.
  • I've only played the original Zombicide and Zombicide Black Plague. Black Plague is much better than the original and, you know, it's fun for what it is, but I didn't really enjoy it solo.
  • I saw someone online call this game a slog, and honestly, I think that's the best word for what I felt.
  • I have no question that this is a great deck-building game.
  • I had very similar issues with this one as I had with The 7th Continent.
  • I love Scythe as a multiplayer game.
  • I get a lot of flak for not putting Nemo's War on my lists.
  • I think it looks hideous. It's a bad production.
  • I would choose Ark Nova 10 out of 10 times, 100 out of 100 times.
  • Let me know if there are any games that everyone seems to love that you don't.
References (from this video)
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Video xVXuNwo9zYY Shelfside Review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 60723 · mention_pk 153158
Shelfside - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • Immersive world and story worldbuilding
  • Atmospheric art and setting
  • Expansions attempt to address base game feedback and provide more content
Cons
  • Ending feels unsatisfactory and abrupt
  • Late-game padding and pacing issues
  • Balance concerns with health/energy and difficulty spikes
Thematic elements
  • quest, fate, survival, and cosmic influence
  • Avalon, Arthurian-inspired fantasy island with a dark mythic tone
  • story-driven, chapter-based with branching endings
Comparison games
  • Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon (base game)
  • Age of Legends
  • Last Night
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Chapter-based progression / story cards — Players advance through chapters via narrative cards and events
  • Dying card mechanic — Failed rolls can trigger 'you are dying' cards with major penalties
  • Encounters and random events — Random encounters drive exploration and risk-reward choices
  • Health and energy resource management — Character health and energy influence actions and outcomes
  • Resource Management — Character health and energy influence actions and outcomes
  • Resource management (food, wealth, magic) — Exploration and encounters yield resources used to progress
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • the ending of Fall of Avalon is just asinine
  • it's not satisfactory at all
  • this is a 40-hour long tutorial
  • the world of Tainted Grail is just so cool
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video VM3KbCz6874 Shelfside Discussion at 6:09 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 60732 · mention_pk 153170
Shelfside - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 6:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • Array
  • Arthurian fantasy
  • epic mythic quest
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 addiction of yours is destroying this family
  • oh god this is so stupid no one's biting
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Q_6TYHtBtMs board stupid Discussion at 0:40 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 38836 · mention_pk 117026
board stupid - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • Rulebook 2.0 streamlining compared to the original
  • Greater focus on adventure and narrative flow
  • Voice-acting/app option to deliver story without long reading stretches
  • High production quality and premium components
Cons
  • Heavy emphasis on story can slow down actual play
  • Notes on balance between reading and gaming; potential long gaps between chapters
  • Solo play stigma and perception remains; size and cost
  • Reading between chapters can be lengthy for some groups
Thematic elements
  • mythic quest and doom, heavy narrative with world-spanning stakes
  • Arthurian legends reimagined in a grim, perilous world
  • story-driven, text and art rich with lore; campaign pacing matters
Comparison games
  • Freelancer
  • Forgotten Waters
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Cooperative campaign — A team-based, sequential campaign with evolving storylines.
  • Deck Building — Deck-building elements influence actions and encounters.
  • deck-building — Deck-building elements influence actions and encounters.
  • Narrative Choice — Character development, quests, and narrative choices shape outcomes.
  • Narrative-driven exploration — Journal-style and encounter-based exploration drive progression.
  • RPG-style progression — Character development, quests, and narrative choices shape outcomes.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's a big box
  • the exploration Journal so this is going to be extra adventures
  • these minis are world class
  • the state of that that is obscene
  • it's literally a book
  • there is an app for the game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Ko23MOMpZl0 The Board Game Garden Discussion at 42:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 37951 · mention_pk 114050
The Board Game Garden - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 42:42 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • rich atmosphere and depth
  • great solo campaigns
Cons
  • heavy rules and lengthy play
Thematic elements
  • mythic storytelling with grim atmosphere
  • dark fantasy island exploration
  • story-driven, deck- and resource-management
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Deck Building — draw and play cards to explore, combat, and survive the island
  • deck-building / exploration — draw and play cards to explore, combat, and survive the island
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • huge shout out to all my patrons
  • the patreon link down below
  • this video is sponsored by wsbg
  • it's so comforting to me
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video SHwM_ibmkZo Rob's Gaming Table Playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 37020 · mention_pk 111121
Rob's Gaming Table - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • rich lore and world-building with a branching, consequence-driven narrative
  • deep deck-building and resource management mechanics that reward planning
  • cooperative play that scales with two players and offers meaningful decisions
  • dynamic encounter design and a mix of exploration and combat moments
Cons
  • complex rule set and occasional rule interactions that can be confusing
  • heavy downtime during planning and sequencing, which may slow pacing for some groups
  • custom dice (dieice) mechanics can be hard to track in longer sessions
Thematic elements
  • dark fairy tale survival, exploration, and branching narrative paths driven by encounter outcomes and personal quests
  • A mythic, post-Arthurian Avalon; wandering travelers, kings of ruin, and a quest to restore balance across Western Avalon and Venedia
  • campaign-driven with choice-driven consequences, multiple realms, and evolving character arcs
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Character progression and gear — XP, abilities, equipment, and totems alter capabilities and open new play options.
  • combat and encounter cards — Skirmishes use sequences of cards, bolts, and connections; guardian encounters introduce boss-like challenges.
  • Cooperative Game — Two-player coordination with shared goals, turns, and combat success against threats.
  • cooperative play — Two-player coordination with shared goals, turns, and combat success against threats.
  • Deck Building — Players curate and upgrade diplomacy and combat decks; progression affects hand quality and options.
  • deck-building — Players curate and upgrade diplomacy and combat decks; progression affects hand quality and options.
  • dice and randomness — Rolling dice (dieice) with modifiers and day- or location-based effects that influence outcomes.
  • Dice Rolling — Rolling dice (dieice) with modifiers and day- or location-based effects that influence outcomes.
  • exploration and location discovery — Travel through a map, reveal and activate locations, build way stones, and unlock new paths and stories.
  • Narrative Choice — Active quests drive the campaign; choices impact future chapters and personal goals.
  • Resource Management — Tracking energy, wealth, food, terror, and magic to perform actions, equip items, and survive encounters.
  • story tracking and quest cards — Active quests drive the campaign; choices impact future chapters and personal goals.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Congratulations. You've completed your quest and managed to reach Venetian lands.
  • There is still so much unfinished business to take care of.
  • Please make sure to reach a decision that suits all players.
  • You are changed.
  • The weirdness has started to warp your body.
  • Two more lands in Western Avalon and two more Kings of Ruin.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video kCt4wj6VsiI Board Gaming Ramblings Top 100 List at 23:48 sentiment: positive
video_pk 32211 · mention_pk 95157
Board Gaming Ramblings - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 23:48 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Engaging, brutal story experience
  • Rich mythic setting with dark tone
Cons
  • House of learning curve and potential frustration
  • Story mode can be punishing
Thematic elements
  • Cooperative, story-driven campaign with high difficulty
  • Dark fantasy world with mythic questing
  • Story-forward campaign with challenging, harsh elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Cooperative campaign — Players work together through a branching story arc
  • Events — Exploration triggers events and potential encounters
  • Exploration / time-based events — Exploration triggers events and potential encounters
  • story/quest progression — Missions and chapters shape campaign outlook and difficulty
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • we're starting our journey to our top 100 board games of all time
  • this is kind of like a snapshot... a freeze frame picture of how our minds are right now
  • a top hundred changes more so it will be more interesting to revisit this in a year
  • it's a real-time game where you place tiles into your city
  • it's a streamlined shorter version who does most of the great things in mysterium
  • it's the most boring theme in the whole world… it's the marker
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video n5BKQYYnIY8 Quackalope Analysis at 3:40 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 30537 · mention_pk 89925
Quackalope - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 3:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • strong narrative focus and sense of journey through a mythic setting
  • high variability and impactful moments when decisions land well
Cons
  • some players feel the progression can be punitive or punishing
  • long play sessions and potential for stagnation if misfortune piles up
Thematic elements
  • narrative-driven, choice-driven progression with consequences
  • Arthurian mythos blended with dark fantasy in a war-torn Avalon
  • story-focused progression where each decision moves the narrative forward
Comparison games
  • Gloomhaven
  • Vanguard
  • ISS Vanguard
  • Kingdom Death Monster
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • campaign-driven narrative — story unfolds across chapters with outcomes affecting later chapters
  • consequence-based progression — losses and successes influence the evolving world and arc
  • Events — players encounter situations that can have severe or favorable consequences
  • Exploration and event resolution — players encounter situations that can have severe or favorable consequences
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • There is no such thing as failure. Well, until you lose the game, until your settlement dies, until you have to restart from the entire beginning.
  • If at a certain point your time is being sacrificed due to the rules of the game and the way that the progression system works and the fun is being sacrificed, it's okay to fudge the numbers here or there as long as it's within the boundaries that you and your gaming party have agreed upon to continue moving forward.
  • There’s no option to level up past the character that you're playing.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CvP-Oui_duQ No Pun Included Review at 0:01 sentiment: negative
video_pk 29733 · mention_pk 87274
No Pun Included - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
  • ambitious open-world card-based map with branching quests
  • strong atmospheric world-building and setting when the story is engaging
  • progression system with permantent skill cards
  • art direction and scale conveys a vast, cinematic fantasy
Cons
  • rulebook convoluted and often missing or inconsistent rules
  • long, tedious padding and busywork that slows narrative progress
  • heavy resource management leads to fatigue and perception of slog
  • narrative payoff and characters are weak or unmemorable
  • excessive, sometimes gratuitous dark/disturbing tone without sustained payoff
  • linear gating makes exploration feel scripted rather than open
  • sometimes arbitrary decision points hinder immersion and progress
Thematic elements
  • survival, mystery, fate in a grim world
  • Avalon, a dying dark fantasy reimagining of Arthurian legend, explored via a continental map of card locations
  • open-world exploration with branching narrative cards and quest-driven chapters
Comparison games
  • Batman: Gotham City Chronicles
  • 7th Continent
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • chapter-based progression — the game is split into 15 chapters, each offering a quest direction rather than wandering aimlessly
  • Combat puzzle system — combat is a card-matching puzzle with turn-based sequencing and variable enemy behaviors; strength and stance matter
  • Energy management — players have a daily energy budget that governs when they can explore, fight, or progress; depleting it slows or stops advancement
  • narrative cardbook exploration — the map is built from location cards; each visit reveals narrative text and choices in a choose-your-own-adventure style
  • Narrative Choice — the map is built from location cards; each visit reveals narrative text and choices in a choose-your-own-adventure style
  • Once-Per-Game Abilities — experience unlocks permanent skills that modify energy, resource efficiency, or combat costs
  • plot seeds and narrative gating — story seeds and plot threads are embedded to hint at future arcs, encouraging notebook notes
  • Resource Management — players have a daily energy budget that governs when they can explore, fight, or progress; depleting it slows or stops advancement
  • skill card progression — experience unlocks permanent skills that modify energy, resource efficiency, or combat costs
  • statue weirdness and Munir dials — statues across Avalon track day progression; when a dial reaches zero, certain places drop out of reach and exploration changes
  • Track Advancement — the game is split into 15 chapters, each offering a quest direction rather than wandering aimlessly
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Tainted Grail is broken up into 15 chapters each providing you with a quest
  • the rule book is not only convoluted but omits a lot of rules
  • open-world board games with a 40-hour campaign
  • it's a cheap Dark Souls knockoff
  • the game is fully rife with meaningless twaddle that you're forced to constantly engage with to get anything done
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video o1Gsffg8hys ON TABLE Board Games Discussion at 12:52 sentiment: positive
video_pk 29473 · mention_pk 237991
ON TABLE Board Games - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 12:52 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • strong world-building vibes
Cons
  • often lengthy play sessions
Thematic elements
  • mythic quest with evolving map
  • grim fantasy world with exploration
  • dark-fantasy epic
Comparison games
  • Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Open-world exploration — campaign-driven exploration with narrative beats
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • this is a simple card party game where three to six people will try to stay alive by playing actions from cards will push other players out hide behind cars or even make alliances so as to escape las vegas or italy
  • in the box you can expect that as many as 100 miniatures may appear on the board
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video WoyWR9aLmd4 The Broken Meeple Top List sentiment: mixed
video_pk 13601 · mention_pk 39748
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
none
Cons
  • too hard difficulty
  • punishing gameplay
Thematic elements
  • narrative
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 not even a game it's just like a story
  • why is it there this is the game about inventions and this is basically telling me to make cutesy patterns with tiles
  • the bane of my freaking life this horrible game
  • I just want to feel like right I can do this I can do this
  • just design one good game one good game one good mode
  • why can't I tell you
  • they just made them a lot worse
  • it's a red flag to the game is going to suck
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video -lJPkaHJ21A The Broken Meeple Top List at 7:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11038 · mention_pk 32489
The Broken Meeple - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 7:49 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • strong atmosphere and writing
  • weaves a gritty Arthurian vibe
Cons
  • heavy rules
  • house rules common to keep it sane
Thematic elements
  • grim, narrative-driven
  • Arthurian legend with dark tone
  • campaign-driven
Comparison games
  • Gloomhaven
  • Age of Legends
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Campaign progression — ongoing story with decisions
  • card combat — card-driven combat system
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Ticket to Ride on the other hand should be the number one on Board Game Geek.
  • it's got great Lord of the Rings theming; I wish there was more actual Lord of the Rings music on the app
  • I hate the fact that you have to get a full family otherwise you lose.
  • it's quick simple; you can get this game done in 30 minutes.
  • this is the number one board game on Board Game Geek
  • Energy Empire though which is Luke Laurie's baby in this one is definitely the best of the trilogy
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Ik7KmgIZEX4 Meet at the Table Top 10 List at 34:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10430 · mention_pk 30731
Meet at the Table - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 34:42 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • rich, multi-layered strategic depth
  • three pathways for character advancement
  • great storytelling and world-building
Cons
  • bookkeeping can be heavy
  • complex rule set may overwhelm new players
Thematic elements
  • three-way leveling and a grand Arthurian quest
  • Arthurian myth in a dark fantasy world
  • complex story with diplomacy and combat intertwined
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Narrative Choice — narrative unfolds through quests with alternate outcomes
  • Storybooks and branch decisions — narrative unfolds through quests with alternate outcomes
  • Triple leveling (combat, diplomacy, character growth) — you can level up in three tracks to customize playstyle
  • Two distinct decks for combat and diplomacy — engagements use deck-building with strategic synergies
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • this game is fast and fun
  • the themed aliens is a wonderful sci-fi universe it's probably my favorite one of all time
  • the living world of folklore said in the dark fantasy comes in at number 9
  • it's such a unique game and has a really cool feel
  • the continent is absolutely huge and the crafting system is unique
  • fail forward is a huge bonus in my book
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video t-JQ9ACyRvk The Broken Meeple Top List sentiment: positive
video_pk 8810 · mention_pk 25973
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Best story and world setting of any campaign game played
  • Exceptional artwork and production quality
  • Dark gothic aesthetic with strong atmosphere
  • Excellent tarot card map building system
  • Multiple campaigns with different themes
  • Deeply immersive narrative
  • Strong character development options
Cons
  • Difficult to get to table due to campaign nature
  • House ruled design flaws (Menhirs too grindy)
  • Very long time commitment per campaign
  • Storage and setup challenges
  • Requires dedicated table space for campaign setup
  • Lengthy rules learning curve
Thematic elements
  • Arthurian Legends
  • Dark Gothic Fantasy
  • Post-Apocalyptic World
  • Horror Atmosphere
Comparison games
  • Descent
  • Gloomhaven
  • Imperial Assault
  • Sleeping Gods
  • Nemesis
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's a unique twist on a genre that has you know like i say i love deck building but it has been bloated with a lot of uh entries
  • it's a breath of fresh air it's like oh no one's really tried this before
  • thank you viewers because you kept banging on at me to play this game finally i did and you were right
  • my god do i i mean i love coffee i love coco but man do i hate the stuff i have to play this game
  • it's like inside out the board game as in the pixar movie which is vastly underrated
  • wow for someone like me who loves like variety as the spicer life this is certainly one where you've just got so many different ways to tailor the game
  • tainted grail is one of the best story world settings for any campaign game i have played forget dissent forget gloomhaven
  • gameplay imperium is sound it really is a good fun deck builder it would be so much higher on this list if it was just a bit more streamlined
  • this is a really streamlined game that works with six players you don't get many of those
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video lWrv5cfQCh8 3 Minute Board Games Review at 0:09 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 8403 · mention_pk 24720
3 Minute Board Games - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • epic, highly open-world feel with substantial freedom to explore
  • deep and layered combat and diplomacy systems with meaningful choices
  • large map with around 100 locations and rich, player-driven storytelling
  • different characters reveal unique parts of the story, enhancing replayability
Cons
  • requires a significant time commitment (15 chapters) which can be daunting
  • steep learning curve for mastering combat and diplomacy mechanics
  • menhir mechanics can obscure locations and reading the dial is fiddly
Thematic elements
  • grimdark corruption, mystery, survival, and mythic quest
  • Avalon island during a sprawling, dark fantasy Arthurian-inspired saga
  • epic campaign with branching storylines, lore-rich world, and character-driven moments
Comparison games
  • The 7th Continent
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Card-driven combat — combat uses cards that align with previously played cards; some cards unlock powers for extra damage, creating a stack-based tactical puzzle with resource costs
  • character progression and motivation — each character has distinct starting stats, motivations, and paths that unlock different narrative arcs and outcomes
  • Combat: Deck/Hand — combat uses cards that align with previously played cards; some cards unlock powers for extra damage, creating a stack-based tactical puzzle with resource costs
  • diplomacy — diplomacy cards influence NPC opinions and outcomes rather than direct damage, enabling persuasion and alliance-building
  • location-based exploration — movement is constrained to nine surrounding locations around an active Menhir; exploration involves flipping cards and following on-card instructions
  • menhir maintenance — menhirs guard civilization; they must be maintained, and their upkeep is integral to game continuity and options
  • Narrative Choice — storybook-like events reveal insights and steer the campaign through narrative choices and consequences
  • Negotiation — diplomacy cards influence NPC opinions and outcomes rather than direct damage, enabling persuasion and alliance-building
  • resource and stat tracking — players manage energy, health, terror, plus resources like food, wealth, magic, reputation, and experience to progress
  • Resource Management — players manage energy, health, terror, plus resources like food, wealth, magic, reputation, and experience to progress
  • story-driven events — storybook-like events reveal insights and steer the campaign through narrative choices and consequences
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • this game is an epic sprawling adventure where you have a huge amount of freedom to search around and discover things
  • Tainted Grail: grimdark meets King Arthur
  • the best thing about this game is how different characters can reveal different parts of the story
  • a 15 chapter epic is not something you can casually commit to
  • the 7th continent uses a similar system for exploration and storytelling
  • Beorn has sufficient skills to get bonuses from all of these
  • there's a huge world to explore with around a hundred different locations
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qhJ1p0NRgGE Board Game Coffee Top List at 4:28 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8364 · mention_pk 24648
Board Game Coffee - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 4:28 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Deep, well-written story; considered one of the best written games
  • Strong character development and customization
  • Innovative map mechanic and exploration feel
Cons
  • Very dark and potentially disturbing; not for everyone
  • Complex rules; intimidation factor for new players
Thematic elements
  • grim storytelling, personal corruption, and mythic quests
  • Dark, Grail-themed fantasy world; 1920s vibes
  • heavy, campaign-style with branching paths and character arcs
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • campaign with branching paths — episodic structure where choices affect future chapters
  • character development and upgrades — XP powers per character; upgrade trees and abilities
  • dice-based combat and companions — dice resolution with companions and items; dark fantasy combat
  • map-system with waning visibility — map reveals slowly as you explore; areas become inaccessible as you progress
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's disturbing it might not be for everyone
  • it's a two-hour nightmare
  • the first five levels are set up as a tutorial
  • it's easier to get into gloom haven
  • it's like going to the movies but it's a date night and interactive
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video f9x0DLrug4Y Board Game Coffee Discussion at 24:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8029 · mention_pk 23624
Board Game Coffee - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 24:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Dense storytelling and evocative art
  • Varied exploration paths yield high replayability
  • Deep lore makes every play feel unique
Cons
  • Heavy, long learning curve and lengthy sessions
  • Complex rulebooks and setup
  • Could be brittle with resin minis if not handled carefully
Thematic elements
  • Mythic horror, grim destiny, epic exploration
  • Dark fantasy world with questing through a mythic land
  • Narrative-driven with heavy lore and world-building
Comparison games
  • Gloomhaven
  • Terrible Glory (fictional narrative comparison for scope)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Campaign-style progression with outcomes affecting future play — Past choices influence future scenarios and world state
  • Cooperative exploration with narrative tiles — Players uncover tiles and read lore to progress quests
  • Lore-driven combat and encounters — Encounters push the story and require decisions that drive outcomes
  • Miniatures and resin kits for expansions — The physical components include resin minis and expansions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's the best game ever
  • this game is a nut job
  • the art is amazing the storytelling is amazing
  • Nemesis is fan Fantastic so it's it's semi-cooperative I guess it depends
  • it's the best alien game I've ever played that's not the alien license
  • Photosynthesis is a beautiful game
  • the core box is amazing
  • it's so heavy but it's worth it
  • awaken Realms sponsor this they’re so awesome
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video sL7NwkNOeC0 Foster the Meeple Discussion at 9:17 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 6660 · mention_pk 19799
Foster the Meeple - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 9:17 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • dark fantasy / Arthurian-inspired world
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • dice/engine-building hybrid — story-forward exploration with resource management and exploration
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • we will block you or we will hide your comments and you won't even know that you're commenting Into The Ether
  • be kind to people and if you don't want to be kind or you don't agree with people that's okay just move on
  • Shelf of Shame down to 50
  • I would like to host another 24-hour gameathon that is better planned out
  • I want to do more collaborations with friends
  • we smashed that one smashed it out of the park
  • we did 444 different games this year
  • I want to play more war games
  • the last 24-hour gameathon we did was amazing
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video jsVkwdoTLtY The Broken Meeple Top List at 30:45 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5964 · mention_pk 17698
The Broken Meeple - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 30:45 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Best writing in any campaign game
  • Excellent world-building and atmosphere
  • Dark, gritty aesthetic supports immersion
  • Strong character development
  • Freedom of exploration
  • Kings of Ruin version fixes many first edition mechanical issues
  • Rich thematic storytelling
Cons
  • First edition has mechanical issues (improved in Kings of Ruin version)
  • Very long campaign commitment required
  • Luke rants about over-use of campaigns in games
Thematic elements
  • Exploration and survival in a dying world
  • Dark, gritty fantasy world with Arthurian mythology
  • Epic campaign with rich world-building and character-driven narrative
Comparison games
  • Sleeping Gods
  • Gloomhaven
  • Oathsworn
  • ISS Vanguard
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Campaign — Extended campaign with 12-15 chapters per setting
  • campaign system — Extended campaign with 12-15 chapters per setting
  • Character backstories — Every character has dark, dismal backstory
  • Combat card system — Unique cool combat system with tactical elements
  • Combat: Deck/Hand — Unique cool combat system with tactical elements
  • exploration — Freedom to explore and discover secrets
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • good mechanics will make a game good but a good theme will bring me back for the second play
  • Luke's law: theme makes a game a lot better for me
  • immersion is not just a case of oh the game has a good theme but it's how immersed in the world am I
  • there is a little bit of a difference between the two [thematic and immersive]
  • it doesn't matter how rich that story you make it would still suck as a game
  • I feel like I'm just basically telling my own MCU movie
  • the world feels alive and therefore I'm going to get immersed in it
  • when I'm playing the game I don't feel like I'm just playing a bunch of mechanics I feel like I'm telling my character story
  • I am invested in what people are doing I am role playing my character
  • this is a very dark game okay and not for the fainthearted not for the easily triggered
  • I have never sweated in a card game so much before
  • you will be sucked into this world and you will care about the characters
  • the king of all campaign story driven games that I know of
  • some of the best writing I have seen in any campaign game to date
  • regardless of what kind of world you'd find yourself immersed in remember to come back to reality at some point and still remember it's only a game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video RlmHg-2bB10 Meet Me At The Table Discussion at 44:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 292 · mention_pk 894
Meet Me At The Table - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 44:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Gritty aesthetic and mature tone
  • Strong world-building hints
Cons
  • Rule complexity and learning curve
  • Can be heavy for casual players
Thematic elements
  • Mythic survival with bleak, fate-driven storytelling
  • Dark fantasy quest across a grim Avalon-like world
  • Campaign with evolving encounters and story-driven decisions
Comparison games
  • Kingdom Death Monster
  • Oathsworn: Into the Deep
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Deck-building / card-driven actions — Mechanics revolve around card play and resolving events with narrative impact.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • you don't have to be fantastic to put some paint on a miniature and put on the board
  • every game is awesome I want to play them all
  • the only way to play that game is permadeath
  • I'm excited to play tomorrow
  • I love Wander Cult of Barnacle Bay
  • Dry brushing fixes everything
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 1vYS01PJ2B4 Gaming Rules! Discussion at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 200 · mention_pk 562
Gaming Rules! - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • immersive campaign feel
  • strong thematic integration
Cons
  • risky complexity for some players
  • reliant on long play sessions
Thematic elements
  • interwoven narrative and exploration with moral choices
  • Dark Arthurian fantasy with RPG-like campaign arcs
  • open-world campaign with evolving storylines
Comparison games
  • ISS Vanguard
  • Frost Haven
  • Gloomhaven
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • campaign-driven narrative — story advances through scenarios with choices and consequences
  • character progression and dungeon management — player-driven character growth and resource management
  • Dungeon Crawl — player-driven character growth and resource management
  • Narrative Choice — story advances through scenarios with choices and consequences
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • I want to show you how the game plays and not to sell you the game.
  • I’m one of the more genuine content creators.
  • Mage Knight is the best game ever.
  • Gaia Project beats Age of Innovation for me.
  • I don’t like the idea of being a used car salesman.
  • Star Trek: Captain’s Chair is an exciting licensed approach with lots of thematic promise.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Ttpw1MBgVjc Adam in Wales - Board Game Design Analysis at 8:18 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 133 · mention_pk 383
Adam in Wales - Board Game Design - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon video thumbnail
Click to watch at 8:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • Striking flames in center
  • Beautifully painted
  • Grim and dark atmosphere
Cons
  • Very dark color palette
  • Not appealing to reviewer
  • Text disappears into dark background
  • Not to personal taste
Thematic elements
  • Dark fantasy
  • Arthurian legend
  • Grim
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Adventure — Dark, death-themed game
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • The box cover makes a promise to the customer
  • Every box cover tells me what I'm going to be doing and how I'm going to be feeling
  • This artist is one of the best board game artists working in the industry right now
  • This is how you do it
  • This cover is a mess
  • Striking iconic design
  • The box cover is not selling the game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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