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Description
Description from the publisher:
"For once, Zeus, Greek god of thunder and sky, is in high spirits. Hence, he decides to offer a generous gift to a worthy mortal and invite him, or her, to his realm, to Olympus. To determine a sufficient candidate, Zeus hosts a competition for his entertainment. Twelve legendary tasks are imposed upon the fearless participants: to erect graceful statues, to raise awe-inspiring sanctuaries, to offer capacious offerings, and to slay the most fearsome monsters. The first participant to master all the posed assignments wins the favor of the father of the gods himself.
Indubitably, you will not pass up this golden opportunity, so you clear your ship and rally your crew to follow on the trails of legendary Odysseus through the dangerous waters of the Aegean. But how could you find the righteous path onward? There is but one who can help you. Visit the mysterious oracle of Delphi and let her answers guide your ways.
In Stefan Feld's new game The Oracle of Delphi, the player's ships travel across a large variable game board of hexagonal tiles showing islands and the surrounding waters. Each player aims to reach certain islands to perform the twelve tasks given by Zeus: e.g., to collect offerings of different colors and to deliver them to corresponding temples, or to slay monsters of a specific type (and color), all of which can be discovered on the islands.
In order to execute these color-dependent actions, you are given three colored dice each turn, the so-called "oracle dice". Rolling the dice (at the start of the turn) is equivalent to consulting the oracle, whereas the results represent her answers. The answers determine which actions you will be able to take, but you will always have three actions per turn. However, a slight divergence from your fate is often possible.
In addition to the oracle, you can request support from the gods and you can acquire favor tokens, companions, and other special abilities that will help you win the race against other competitors.
Differently equipped ships and the variable set-up of the game board will offer new challenging and interesting strategic and tactical decisions with every new game of The Oracle of Delphi that you play.
Year Published
2016
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 7
This page: 7
Sentiment:
pos 7 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–7 of 7
Video 1eXxRZqB96M
Unknown Channel rules teach at 0:35 sentiment: positive
video_pk 59892 · mention_pk 152397
Click to watch at 0:35 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- accessible to learn with a clear setup process
- thematic integration of ancient Greece and Delphi oracle
- modular board setup provides variability
- dice-based action system adds tactical choice
Cons
- heavy components and fiddly tracking may slow play
- long playtime with 4 players
- rulebook could be dense for newcomers
Thematic elements
- mythology, temple building, divine consultation
- Ancient Greece, Delphi and surrounding islands
- procedural, modular setup with mythic tasks
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — completing island tasks and aligning with color-specific objectives to win
- area control / objective completion — completing island tasks and aligning with color-specific objectives to win
- Combat: Dice — fighting monsters on islands using dice and paying for re-rolls with favors
- combat/encounter resolution — fighting monsters on islands using dice and paying for re-rolls with favors
- Deck-building / card play — acquiring Oracle cards, equipment, and demigod cards to enhance actions
- Dice rolling — rolling Oracle dice and using them to perform a sequence of up to 11 actions per turn
- dice-driven action selection — rolling Oracle dice and using them to perform a sequence of up to 11 actions per turn
- end-game condition tracking — players race to complete 12 tasks and return to Zeus; tie-breakers based on oracle cards and resources
- Resource management — collecting and delivering offerings, statues, and god tokens to islands and temples
- tile placement — placing island and temple tiles to form connected water routes and scoring opportunities
- Unique player powers — god tokens and ship tiles grant unique starting abilities and storage interactions
- Variable player powers — god tokens and ship tiles grant unique starting abilities and storage interactions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The Oracle of Delphi is really simple to play.
- The game is described as medium weight.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video D8M5ZOC-o98
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 16:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10795 · mention_pk 31869
Click to watch at 16:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fast-paced and highly interactive
- Efficient design with meaningful choice within constraints
- Rule-breaking powers add flavor and excitement
Cons
- Subject to dice-driven variance
- Not as accessible to players who dislike race games
Thematic elements
- race to complete heroic tasks with modular powers
- Ancient mythic questing on a racing-map
- mythic quest racing with efficiency constraints
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card/power escalation — Charge powers to unlock strong abilities that can swing endgame scoring.
- dice-driven randomness with powerful mitigating powers — Rolls constrain and enable actions; players charge up god powers to tilt outcomes.
- route planning and resource routing — Efficiently plan boat routes and token usage to maximize results.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love the sense of urgency when it comes to rushing to these islands and getting them populated as quickly as you can.
- This game is the absolute best of the best. You know, the top 1% of the top 1% of the games that I've played.
- I could not speak more highly of this design.
- The dice-driven twist, the engine-building, the tension—this is why I play board games.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video kl0mMHVGl1M
Foster the Mea top_10_list at 12:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9536 · mention_pk 28225
Click to watch at 12:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
very positive
Pros
- Fantastic fun factor every play
- Great immediate fun on first play
- Excellent introduction game
- Replayable and engaging
Cons
- No significant criticisms mentioned
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)
- Jeff and I rank with our hearts and not with our brains
- our list is if you don't like it Move Along
- we play as many games as we do in a year which is literally hundreds thousand
- our rankings are extremely fluid
- there's so many good freaking games out there
- oron hits The Sweet Spot of combo
- this Oracle Delia Oracle Del like what is this game
- if you love puzzles and sudoku or whatever you're probably gonna love it
- don't poo poo on tapestry it's freaking good
- three ring circus is going to continue to increase for me
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TBwLlbtPbZM
Unknown Channel game_review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4866 · mention_pk 121130
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- deep engine-building with dice-driven action choices
- rich interaction between multiple systems (god powers, tokens, oracles, monsters)
- high replayability due to modular board and variable starting bonuses
- tight race tension and rewarding when chaining actions
- thematic and flavorful, consistent with Feld's design philosophy
- clear symbology and friendly for colorblind players
Cons
- setup can be fiddly due to scattered components around the board
- longer playtime for heavier sessions and more players
- not extremely interactive in terms of direct conflict on a turn-to-turn basis
- aesthetics are serviceable but not standout
Thematic elements
- mythic tasks to Zeus, offerings, statues, monsters, and travel
- Ancient Greece, modular board with hexes, missions around the map
- engine-building, race to complete twelve tasks
Comparison games
- Castles of Burgundy
- Trajan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- combat resolution with monsters — combat uses dice, with higher successes needed to slay monsters; benefits from tokens and God powers
- dice-driven action selection — three dice determine action phases; colored symbols drive movement, statue collection, and temple actions
- favor tokens and die manipulation — collect favor tokens to alter dice rolls and expert actions; can also modify die faces and movement order
- god powers progression — activate God powers by charging dice and advancing on tracks to unlock powerful abilities
- Modular board — interlocking hex tiles create different board layouts each game
- modular board with variable setup — interlocking hex tiles create different board layouts each game
- oracle and power cards — special cards provide one-off or ongoing benefits and synergy with other systems
- Race — first to complete twelve legendary tasks and return to Zeus wins
- race-based victory — first to complete twelve legendary tasks and return to Zeus wins
- wound management — end of round Titan dice wounds require resource management and defense on boats
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I've enjoyed every single one of his games I've played this one is very comfortably my second one my second favorite one ever
- I think it is fantastic
- it's a race game
- the level of engine building and combos and the ways you can use these dice effectively
- balance of the game is excellent
- this game is absolutely fantastic
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video uSHgWNqjXok
John Gets Games top_10_list at 23:35 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3265 · mention_pk 127274
Click to watch at 23:35 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Vibrant dice-based planning
- high variability per game
Cons
- Dice luck remains factor
Thematic elements
- mythological quest with dice
- Greek myth/ Delphi racing with dice
- race to fulfill tasks for Zeus
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-drafting / dice evaluation — roll oracle dice and place on hex grid; modify with energy/favor; race to complete tasks
- Resource management — spend energy/favor to modify dice and move boat
- resource management (energy/favor) — spend energy/favor to modify dice and move boat
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- you take the game of Scrabble and you get rid of all of the letters from the tiles and you replace them with colored symbols
- this is a very tactics heavy game
- from turn-to-turn you are reading hand of cards and planning around options
- the legacy aspect introduces new rules
- it's my number one
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 5Kry7ELGvsw
Before You Play top_10_list at 29:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3112 · mention_pk 9071
Click to watch at 29:49 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- cryptic yet rewarding puzzle
- beautiful components and thematic integration
Cons
- out-of-print status can hinder new players
- rules-heavy for newcomers
Thematic elements
- oracle-guided quests
- mythology-based task fulfillment in ancient Greece
- order-for-task, scavenger-hunt style
Comparison games
- Castles of Burgundy
- Bonfire
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice pool with action selection — roll and allocate dice to perform tasks, with each task requiring different outcomes
- gods track and end-game triggers — advancing gods on a track unlocks special abilities
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's basically discussing our top 10 games that were new to us in 2022
- this is like a podcast today
- Weather Machine ... would have made this list if it came out this year
- it's a pure Euro for sure through and through
- hirelings ... game changer for the two-player Root
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video LHeRAdHHs6s
Foster the Meeple top_10_list at 13:35 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1634 · mention_pk 4731
Click to watch at 13:35 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- loved by Jamie
- older game that plays well
- wanted to teach others
Cons
- haven't played in a while
- fell off list
Thematic elements
- mythology
- ancient Greece
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we're products of what we've played
- objectively most games are good
- the longer I'm in this hobby the more I have identified that I love very heavy strategic War based games
- people play games differently
- I just wish people would be a little bit more cognizant of what the people around the table are doing to the game
- every year there's a new card game that comes out that we just go head over heels for
- the odds that I'm going to get a chance to play this game are probably pretty limited
- I would argue none of them are like something I'm like itching to get out and play
- it's all about betting the right amount of hands and trying to screw other people over
- how do you compete with new content constantly being released
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–7 of 7