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Description
In The Vale of Eternity, players are tamers who hunt various monsters and spirits to tame them as minions. In this fantasy world, numerous creatures are living in harmony. Among them, dragons are the most valuable and noble ones, and all tamers dream of taming dragons. The player who manages to tame the most outstanding minions wins.
In each round, a player has three phases:
Hunting phase: Draft two cards from the game board.
Action phase: Take various actions, including selling cards, taming, or summoning cards.
Resolution phase: Use the active effects of cards they have summoned.
Successive rounds are performed until the end of the game is triggered. The game includes cards of seventy creatures from myths all around the world.
—description from the publisher
Year Published
2023
Max Players
8.00
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 4
This page: 4
Sentiment:
pos 4 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–4 of 4
Video oK6i01pBVDg
Board Game Garden top_10_list at 5:10 sentiment: positive
video_pk 40870 · mention_pk 123957
Click to watch at 5:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- high variability in engine combos
- unique rules around tableau size
- thematic and tactical depth
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- card tableau drafting and engine-building
- fantasy realm with engines and tableau
- fantasy/engine-building
Comparison games
- Hadrian's Wall
- Lost Ruins of Arnak
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — draft and arrange cards into a growing tableau
- engine building — build a card-based engine to generate actions and points
- engine-building — build a card-based engine to generate actions and points
- tableau building — manage a personal tableau to trigger chained effects
- tableau construction — manage a personal tableau to trigger chained effects
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Cascadia is my number 10, it is a fantastic puzzly tiling game
- the veil of Eternity this game is so good
- Twist on Hadrian's Wall in Paladins feels similar but fresh
- Wayfarers of the South Tigress, carvan mechanic is one of my favorite things in a game
- Castles of Burgundy is my number one game of all time
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video j2vb2MFZBQE
Stonemire Games top_10_list at 11:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 39765 · mention_pk 120031
Click to watch at 11:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Multiple ways to gain discounts via different card subsets
- Rich variety of discount triggers provides replayability
Cons
- Could be too cliquey for players who dislike heavy reliance on card combos
Thematic elements
- Utilizing card-type and color-based discounts to optimize plays
- Fantasy card-driven strategy with color/type subsets.
- Highly strategic with modular card interactions
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Discounts tied to card subsets and types — Various cards grant ongoing discounts for specific subsets (colors/types).
- Multi-use cards — Various cards grant ongoing discounts for specific subsets (colors/types).
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Skyler: My favorite game featuring ongoing discounts is Flamecraft.
- Dylan: This is my favorite of the West Kingdom trilogy, and managing ongoing discounts is a major key to success in the game.
- Aaron: Space the final frontier. These are the voyages of whatever you name your ship.
- Caitlyn: In Ark Nova, you can claim partner zoos in four of the five continents. And whenever you play an animal into your zoo that matches one of your partner zoos, you get a three credit discount on the animals cost.
- Skyler: This creates a very low conflict environment where everyone helps to improve the town, making it awesome for families.
- Jamie: Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle-earth really got me thinking about the decision space of do I spend money on a card now or wait to get the resource that a card provides so I don't have to pay it in the future.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 28xwbn2EKQ4
Unknown game_review at 0:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9853 · mention_pk 95414
Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Simple core rules that still enable deep strategic planning through card interactions and sequencing.
- High interaction and meaningful tension generated by drafting, blocking, and end-of-round choices.
- Crystal-clear card text and well-structured mechanics reduce teach-to-play friction and help early players ramp quickly.
- Strong replayability driven by a large variety of card synergies and the endless permutations of engine builds.
- Good scalability across 2-4 players with robust component quality and bright, accessible production values.
- The game rewards careful planning, experimentation with different card families, and adaptation to the evolving card pool each round.
Cons
- Take-that mechanics can be a turn-off for players who prefer purely engine-focused play without interference.
- Art direction is cartoony and bright, which some players may find garish or incongruent with a serious engine-builder vibe.
- In a four-player game, the drafting phase and snaking order can slow down pace and increase downtime, potentially reducing engagement for some groups.
- Expansion content is discussed as a possibility but remains hypothetical; without new content, longevity rests on the richness of the core deck and the depth of combos already present.
Thematic elements
- Elemental factions vie for dominance through a shaping of their power engines; momentum is built card by card, and victory is earned via a delicate balance of tempo, resource management, and strategic card synergies.
- A fantasy-inspired realm where elemental factions clash and mythical creatures populate a polyhedral cadence of power and prestige.
- Emergent, modular storytelling driven by card interactions; the game narrative is not a single linear tale but a tapestry formed by the combination of cards drawn, reserved, and resolved each round.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- drafting — At the start of each round, a set of cards is laid out for bidding and selection. Players choose one card to secure, and in reverse order (snake draft) the last player to pick goes first in the next step. This creates tension, signaling to players not only which card they covet but also how much agency they have to influence the choices available to others in future rounds. The design emphasizes forecast, strategic blocking, and anticipation as a core engine for ongoing decisions rather than rote picking. The mechanic scales with player count because the number of cards and the complexity of interactions increases as more options appear in the pool, while the round pacing remains approachable due to the constrained number of rounds and currency management embedded in the system.
- Drafting (snaking) — At the start of each round, a set of cards is laid out for bidding and selection. Players choose one card to secure, and in reverse order (snake draft) the last player to pick goes first in the next step. This creates tension, signaling to players not only which card they covet but also how much agency they have to influence the choices available to others in future rounds. The design emphasizes forecast, strategic blocking, and anticipation as a core engine for ongoing decisions rather than rote picking. The mechanic scales with player count because the number of cards and the complexity of interactions increases as more options appear in the pool, while the round pacing remains approachable due to the constrained number of rounds and currency management embedded in the system.
- end game bonuses — Many cards activate at round end, providing points, currency, or other incentives as the round concludes. Timing matters; you might hold back on using certain effects until you’ve resolved relevant end-of-round actions or until you’ve aligned your tableau to maximize the payoff. The presence of end-of-round triggers increases the importance of sequencing and planning several moves ahead, since you can influence not just what happens this turn, but how the next round's opportunities unfold based on your end-of-round choices.
- End-of-round abilities — Many cards activate at round end, providing points, currency, or other incentives as the round concludes. Timing matters; you might hold back on using certain effects until you’ve resolved relevant end-of-round actions or until you’ve aligned your tableau to maximize the payoff. The presence of end-of-round triggers increases the importance of sequencing and planning several moves ahead, since you can influence not just what happens this turn, but how the next round's opportunities unfold based on your end-of-round choices.
- engine building — Each card you acquire becomes an active or end-of-round contributing component in your personal tableau. Some cards provide one-time bonuses when played, while others grant ongoing or permanent boosts (e.g., coins, victory points, or enhanced values). The core thrill is chaining these cards together so that one card’s effect amplifies another, creating a domino effect of synergies. The system is designed so that the value of a card is highly contextual, depending on the current board state, the cards you hold in hand, and the end-of-round triggers that reward particular patterns. The engine feeling comes from incremental improvements rather than giant leaps, which makes the game both approachable and deeply strategic as players refine their engines over successive rounds.
- engine-building tableau — Each card you acquire becomes an active or end-of-round contributing component in your personal tableau. Some cards provide one-time bonuses when played, while others grant ongoing or permanent boosts (e.g., coins, victory points, or enhanced values). The core thrill is chaining these cards together so that one card’s effect amplifies another, creating a domino effect of synergies. The system is designed so that the value of a card is highly contextual, depending on the current board state, the cards you hold in hand, and the end-of-round triggers that reward particular patterns. The engine feeling comes from incremental improvements rather than giant leaps, which makes the game both approachable and deeply strategic as players refine their engines over successive rounds.
- Hand/board size scaling by round — The game imposes a progressive cap on the number of active cards you can have in front of you, rising with each round. This design choice slows the initial, tighter phase and allows for a more expansive late game where your engine can become highly developed. It also helps new players manage cognitive load by gradually expanding their tableau, making the game accessible to a broad audience while preserving depth for veteran players as rounds accumulate.
- Resource management — Playing cards requires spending currency tokens. The game uses a token economy with three denominations, and there is no change given for spends, which invites precise budgeting and value optimization. Tokens are constrained by the current round, which means early rounds force players to be economical and plan ahead for mid-to-late rounds when more expensive or more valuable cards become accessible. This mechanic fosters a rhythm where you must decide whether to invest early for long-term payoff or conserve resources for a bigger payoff on a later turn. It also creates a visible pacing constraint that communicates progress to all players and helps prevent analysis paralysis from spiraling into unmanageable decision trees.
- Resource management (currency tokens) — Playing cards requires spending currency tokens. The game uses a token economy with three denominations, and there is no change given for spends, which invites precise budgeting and value optimization. Tokens are constrained by the current round, which means early rounds force players to be economical and plan ahead for mid-to-late rounds when more expensive or more valuable cards become accessible. This mechanic fosters a rhythm where you must decide whether to invest early for long-term payoff or conserve resources for a bigger payoff on a later turn. It also creates a visible pacing constraint that communicates progress to all players and helps prevent analysis paralysis from spiraling into unmanageable decision trees.
- take that — A subset of cards in the deck can disrupt opponents by forcing discards or altering their tableau. While not ubiquitous, these tools add a competitive edge and a social dimension to decisions, since you must gauge not only your own engine but also how best to impede rivals who threaten to outpace you. The price of these effects tends to be high (resource-intensive or restricted in use), creating a trade-off between offense, defense, and engine progression.
- Take-that / disruption options — A subset of cards in the deck can disrupt opponents by forcing discards or altering their tableau. While not ubiquitous, these tools add a competitive edge and a social dimension to decisions, since you must gauge not only your own engine but also how best to impede rivals who threaten to outpace you. The price of these effects tends to be high (resource-intensive or restricted in use), creating a trade-off between offense, defense, and engine progression.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game is ultra simple all the gameplay is however inbuilt into the cards
- it's quite remarkable how these cards interact with each other and the different Paths of victory that you can try to take
- the order in which you resolve the cards is important
- I think this game is absolutely phenomenal
- the sky really is the limit to this game
- lots of tough choices to make in a simple system here
- the engagement of the game is Just brilliant throughout
- there are so many choices within the choices because even when you build up your Tableau it can become a bit of an efficiency puzzle
- the production for this game is pretty excellent nice and bright
- I pulled a few cards here out not particular ones just to show you some examples of the abilities on these cards
- the card anatomy and the way everything is worded it is pretty much immaculate
- this is one of the best games probably a top three game maybe even a number one game of 2023
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video oTJimwO3Tuo
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 11:59 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7842 · mention_pk 87852
Click to watch at 11:59 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
highly positive
Pros
- Mind-blowing combinations and powerful synergies
- Elegant currency system and deep strategic depth
Cons
- Complexity may deter lighter gamers
Thematic elements
- creatures and characters with evolving powers
- combo-rific tableau-building
- synergy-driven, highly strategic
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card synergies and action efficiency — Combo-driven play with card interactions and efficient action use.
- cooperative actions — Combo-driven play with card interactions and efficient action use.
- Tableau-building with currency management — Build a growing tableau of cards; manage a four-piece currency pool.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I think out of all of these videos that I've done this is probably the highest quality list that I've done in terms of game recommendations
- gorgeous production I mean the pieces here are absolutely lovely on the table
- one of my favorite deduction games of all time if not my favorite game
- I like how pure and simple it is
- it's criminally underrated
- this one is an absolute absolute belter
- I could not recommend it enough
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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