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Game Info
Year
2020
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
Mechanic profile
Not enough video data yet
Vibe profile
How this game feels to play
Description
The King is dead. The kingdom is divided. Three factions — the Scottish, the Welsh, and the English — vie for control and, across the sea, foreign invaders prepare to take advantage of the chaos. Players must marshal their limited resources to influence this power struggle, while ensuring that the faction that rises to dominate the realm favors them above all other claimants to the throne.
The King is Dead: Second Edition refreshes the accessible yet strikingly deep game with updated graphic design, gorgeous new artwork, and a brand-new asymmetric game mode for advanced play.
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Rules Teach
The King Is Dead (2nd Edition) - How To Play
Playthrough
The King Is Dead GAME PLAY - Watch It Played!
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 7
This page: 7
Sentiment:
pos 5 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–7 of 7
Video J87hxzwQKgI
Getting Games Discussion at 37:59 sentiment: positive
video_pk 90859 · mention_pk 243240
Click to watch at 37:59 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- elegant ideas with late-game strategic depth
- nostalgic tie-ins to earlier editions
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- control and leadership across factions with fixed action cards
- area control with changing factions
Comparison games
- King of Siam
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control with faction control shifting — you try to influence control across factions with a set of action cards
- fixed set of action cards — you have a limited pool of cards you can play across the game
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 kMPOW1EE4N4
Watch It Played Top 10 List at 0:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 90040 · mention_pk 240067
Click to watch at 0:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Easy to make real life enemies when they snatch victory from you in the final round.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- A political power play to unite factions
- Britain during the chaotic period after the death of King Arthur
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- diplomacy — A leader must unite factions not by conquest but by diplomacy.
- influence — Players use their power to benefit factions, gaining influence among their ranks.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- What a game very easy to make real life enemies when they snatch victory from you in the final round not that I hold any grudges or anything
- Drawing for cards and playing them lost in time and space is a nice theme for Fluxx
- All in all in all in all in all in all in
- Such a great game and the frustration of almost having it worked out is definitely part of the fun
- Pearls add versatility to existing strategies and open up new paths to victory.
- It's the game that brought me into the hobby.
- This Marvel version really makes me want to dive in.
- More content for one of the best card games out there.
- Every artist working on this game keeps bringing the good stuff, expansion after expansion, card after card. Chef's kiss
- Curious to try this one out though. Love those cave person meeples
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video sq7BolFoB4o
Watch It Played Playthrough at 0:33 sentiment: positive
video_pk 68573 · mention_pk 242085
Click to watch at 0:33 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Close, tense competition (neck-and-neck throughout).
- Rich card-driven interaction with a variety of move types (negotiate, maneuver, assemble).
- Overall enjoyment of the playthrough by the players.
Cons
- Memory element requires recalling past actions, which can be challenging.
- A single late decision (a specific card) can cost a player the game.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Assemble – multi-color placement — Assemble cards let players place one red, one yellow, and one blue cube in chosen regions, then take a blue follower.
- Maneuver – swap cubes — A maneuver card lets the player switch any two cubes anywhere on the map.
- Negotiation — A negotiation card allows the player to switch places of two region cards, altering which regions are resolved.
- Negotiation (card) – switch positions of region cards — A negotiation card allows the player to switch places of two region cards, altering which regions are resolved.
- Regional support cards (English/Welsh/Scottish) – influence regions — Support cards place multiple colored cubes in regions to influence control and scoring.
- Resolve a contested region — When a region resolves, control is determined and cubes are adjusted accordingly; the region is marked as resolved.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "the king is dead second edition"
- "designed by pierce sylvester"
- "published by osprey games"
- "I love the cube you did"
- "this card right here cost me the game"
- "we were neck and neck the entire game"
- "we hope you enjoyed watching as much as we enjoyed playing"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video V2fJQsYCl7Q
watch it played Rules Teach at 0:13 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 64570 · mention_pk 158038
Click to watch at 0:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- political power struggles and manipulation to crown a ruler
- Britain with Scottish, Welsh, and English factions vying for control
- indirect influence and negotiation culminating in a power struggle
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- assemble_action — Two copies of assemble cards allow placing followers from the supply into regions.
- End Game Bonuses — Game ends via coronation (region control and influence) or invasion (three instability disks).
- endgame_conditions — Game ends via coronation (region control and influence) or invasion (three instability disks).
- maneuver_and_outmaneuver — Maneuver swaps followers between regions; outmaneuver swaps a single follower in one region with two in a neighboring region; requires a full swap.
- negotiate — Negotiate allows swapping face-up region cards and placing a negotiation disk to lock a swap.
- Negotiation — Negotiate allows swapping face-up region cards and placing a negotiation disk to lock a swap.
- power_struggle — Resolve a power struggle in a region based on follower presence and discs.
- summon_to_court — After each action you add a follower from any region to your court to increase influence.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- on your turn you can either take an action or pass if you choose to
- the map of britain is divided up into various colored and named regions
- this type of ending is known as a coronation
- the game will also end immediately with a french invasion
- summoning followers to your court is how you increase your influence over the related factions still on the board
- you'll have no cards to play for the rest of the game rendering you effectively powerless
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video rb8tLjEp7Ig
Board of It Discussion at 23:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 37658 · mention_pk 113102
Click to watch at 23:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- simple core actions but highly strategic
- short, sharp, and replayable political gameplay
Cons
- tiebreaker rules can feel fiddly
- some players may find it abstract
Thematic elements
- political intrigue and region control
- medieval Britain; a power struggle for the throne
- lean, strategic voting and placement
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card play for actions and passing — Each round consists of playing a card or passing; end-of-round scoring uses region currents and tiebreakers.
- region majority and tile control — Players place a card to influence control of regions; the region with majority assets decides control and scoring.
- tiebreakers and scoring — Ties generate further strategic considerations and can influence who ends up crowned king.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we format this in the way of giving each game a prestigious award
- it's weirdly strategic
- the writing the story writing of the story
- the game that makes us lol the most
- it's so simple... it's so strategic
- it's a sandbox for experiences
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video K9GC6Qn2ntA
Rolls in the Family Top List at 17:13 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 7354 · mention_pk 116391
Click to watch at 17:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- fascinating balancing of checks and balances
- clever card-driven action economy
Cons
- the feel can be abstract and less immediately satisfying
- endgame clarity and win conditions can feel underwhelming
Thematic elements
- control and influence over regions
- medieval political maneuvering, kingdoms and factions
- area control with strategic card play
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control + card-driven actions — you manipulate map regions to influence factions and win points
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I think Great Western Trail is the game for me, but this one could be the one I want to own.
- this is a game that a lot of people hail as a modern classic.
- the decision space in Whistle Mountain is an ocean.
- the deduction mechanics are cool, but it can drag.
- Spirit Island is the board game for people who don’t typically like cooperative games.
- the ending of Viticulture can feel abrupt in a race-to-20 structure.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TRjrqWzKPmU
The Cardboard Herald Discussion at 9:53 sentiment: positive
video_pk 285 · mention_pk 98079
Click to watch at 9:53 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- short, teachable, accessible
- highly replayable with social interaction
Cons
- some players may want deeper political mechanics
- branding/editions can vary in quality
Thematic elements
- succession and influence
- medieval court/politics
- elegant, political bluff with quick rounds
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control via influence — player influence sections of the board to gain power
- negotiation and bluff — players bid and bluff to influence outcomes
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- spirit island is really in my heart of hearts it's a game that i love solo and playing multiplayer it has unending amount of replayability and the synergy between the thematic resonance and the mechanical aspect of it the clock working and puzzle as you figure out every single scenario is just outstanding
- it's a condensed and succinct version it doesn't completely strip things away and it does add new mechanics to it
- distilling a larger concept into its most germane elements
- Between two castles is as far as i'm concerned one of the unsung heroes of the tabletop gaming world
- the cat's pajamas
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–7 of 7