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Welcome Heroes! Many magnificent contestants have signed up for the tournament but only a handful will be chosen to join the Tidal Blades, the elite guards of our island realm. To succeed in the Tournament and be chosen as a Tidal Blade, you must compete in Challenges held in the 3 Arenas, rise to the top of the Champion’s Board, and protect the realm from the ever increasing threat of the Monsters from the mysterious Fold.
It has been fifteen years since the Great Battle; 15 years since the Arcanists from the Citadel of Time made their terrible choice and created the Fold; 15 years since the last assemblage of Tidal Blades. The Arcanists folded space and time to stop the onslaught of creatures from the depths, but now new Monsters have appeared, the hard-earned days of peace are coming to a close and the islands need protection. A tournament has been called, the Arenas are ready, the inhabitants of all the islands are gathering, and young heroes from across the realm are showing up to compete to be named a Tidal Blade: Hero of the Reef.
In Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef, each player takes the role of a young hero competing to be named a Tidal Blade. The tournament takes place over 5 Days and Nights. By gathering the needed resources, signing up to compete in Challenges and timing your arrival at different islands you can make the most of your Hero’s turns and rise in the ranks of the contestants.
Each day you will send your hero to take actions on the different Locations and to undertake Challenges. Each action will gain you the resource or effect listed on the action space as well as the Location bonus. At the Arenas you may then attempt a Challenge that matches your Location, and at the Fold you may battle a monster. Completing Challenges and fighting monsters will advance your character in the four traits of Focus, Spirit, Resilience and Synergy.
Each Tidal Blade will be judged at the end of the 5 rounds based on the Challenges they have completed, the level of each of their Traits, their standing on the Champions Board, and the monsters they have fought.
- Beautiful aesthetics
- high component quality with deluxe edition
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is the game out of every single on the list i recommend the highest
- it's a tableau builder where you're sort of building up the strip on santa monica
References (from this video)
- Stunning visuals and thematic vibe
- Engaging progression and engine-building feel
- Dice-driven hero progression with sea/ocean motifs
- Fantasy world with oceanside adventures
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice drafting — Roll and upgrade dice to improve outcomes in trials.
- Dice drafting/upgrading — Roll and upgrade dice to improve outcomes in trials.
- Trial/monster encounters — Trials against monsters consume dice resources and reward upgrades.
- Worker/character progression — Characters level up and gain stronger capabilities over time.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's gorgeous
- everything about this game is gorgeous
- it's jazz chess with insects
- it's a combat game that I really like
- don't be turned off by it being too pretty
References (from this video)
- bright, colorful presentation
- engaging island-defender theme
- solid engine-building feel
- heavier than pure light filler games
- can require a longer commitment than some summer picks
- defend islands, magic, and power struggles
- islands and a mythic world where gods and contestants compete
- Array
- positive
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a light drafting racing game but it definitely has some summer vibes
- it's six different little mini timers
- it's bright and it's colorful and you are trying to defend the islands from oncoming monsters
- Banner Festival is a really interesting trick taking game
- it's all based on slasher movies
- the Heat is in the title
- Fireball Island ... the Curse of Volcar
- you flick marbles
References (from this video)
- Theme and look appeal
- Strong integration with original and other Realms
- Depends on dice luck
- Rolling Realms
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- combat/trophy progression
- Track advancement
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's exactly the same as the original Rolling Realms but there is a bunch of stuff that's different
- I feel like one of the big reasons this game even exists is because it's kind of the big box for Rolling realm
- I will say that it is not waterproof we learned that the hard way
- this is our first one back in London so let's see if this sticks or not
- what we're going to do from now on is I think just mix it in with the rest of the Rolling Realms
- Meadow has this terrific drafting mechanism where you're putting your little number arrows
- Planet Unknown is probably my favorite of all the games represented
- this would have been in the fourth category but we played it just recently again and it grew on me
- I like this one a lot
References (from this video)
- Adds a satisfying battle mechanic to the mix
- Flavorful fantasy theme
- Can be mechanically dense for some players
- combat competition & champion track
- battle monsters in a fantasy arena
- fantasy combat tournament
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- combat resolution with dice and tracks — defeat monsters to gain trophies/resources; battle track
- Combat: Dice — defeat monsters to gain trophies/resources; battle track
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This game is so fun.
- This is like one of the games that I often like lose myself in, if that makes sense.
- Rolling Realms Redux is a really good addition.
- I got a score of 41.9.
- Meadow is really fun because you are writing a number one through four on any of these little fences here.
References (from this video)
- Worker-placement/dice throwing
- Fantasy arenas
- Abstract
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- unknown — Worker placement/dice mechanics
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I am really looking for feedback from people because this is something very new
- Cube rails games have kind of grabbed a hold of my brain in a really interesting way
- Trans-Siberian Railroad is a wacky game
- I am in the throes of infatuation with this new genre of gaming
- I would really appreciate you considering that
References (from this video)
- Good balance of planning and tense moments
- Decision about when to upgrade vs save dice for boss
- Feels rewarding to complete stunts
- Fun character differentiation
- Requires deluxe version for best experience
- Heroes performing stunts to face creatures
- Underwater reef arena
- Competitive dice-driven action game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- boss battle — Final battle against arena creature
- Competitive Dice Rolling — Perform stunts to level up character
- Dice Hedging — Choose which dice to commit to stunts
- Super Fruit Resource — Spend resource to reroll dice
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- It's like a gumbo. You want to have a little bit of worker placement? Cool. You want to have a little bit of interesting card play? Cool.
- You're trying to colonize the moon, baby.
- I love that there's just positive interaction that is people trigger the incomes.
- When do I kill my people? Like when do I use them for such a strong action and then reset them down to one?
- This game is stupid good.
- Don't be an alpha player. Done. This game is fantastic.
- Look what we all made.
- I'm so sorry I'm over here. (Said repeatedly in Project Elite)