How many players can play Too Many Bones?

Too Many Bones supports 1 to 4 players.

How long does a game of Too Many Bones take?

A typical game of Too Many Bones takes approximately 90 minutes.

What are the best video reviews of Too Many Bones?

MindForge has curated 131 video reviews of Too Many Bones from top board game content creators.

What type of game is Too Many Bones?

Too Many Bones features mechanics including Boss Battler, Combat: Deck/Hand, Combat: Dice, Dice Drafting, Dice Placement.

Too Many Bones - Board Game

Video 1HZ5Q3n056E Rolling Dice & Taking Names Discussion at 55:04 sentiment: positive

video_pk 93499 · mention_pk 253068

Click to watch at 55:04 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Top-notch components (dice, clay chips, neoprene mats).
Engaging character building and progression.
Unique mechanics like the battle queue and back-up plan.
Interesting narrative elements through encounter cards.
Visually clear health tracking.
Characters play very differently.
Can carry characters over for campaign play.

Cons

Learning curve due to extensive text on character and monster sheets.
Setup time can be significant.
The first play involves a lot of rulebook referencing.

Thematic elements

Adventure and combat against monsters
Fantasy world
Encounter-driven with flavor text

Comparison games

Too Many Bones

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Bag Building / Dice Pool — Dice are rolled from a pool determined by character stats and abilities.
Character progression — Players spend points to upgrade character stats (attack, defense, movement, dexterity) and unlock new abilities.
cooperative play — Players work together to defeat monsters and a final boss.
Dice Rolling — Dice are used for combat, modifying character stats, and activating abilities.
Health tracking — Uses chips placed beneath character/monster markers to track remaining health.
Scenario / Encounter Deck — The game progresses through days, drawing encounter cards that present choices and challenges.
Variable player powers — Each character has unique abilities, skills, and mechanics (e.g., Stanza the Bard uses focus and songs, Duster the Assassin uses damage and an ally).

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Marty we've been providing background noise for gamers for six years straight and we hope to do it to continue to do it for many more years
Krispy Kreme is just a mouthful of hot lard at their best cold yeasty goop at their worst gross
If you're a fan of overcooked you've got to try this board game and if you're not it's one of the best real time co-op games I've ever played
The art is incredible I love the art of this game it reminds me like brass Birmingham I just like that style that look at that late 1800s Victorian age type stuff the art is great
The rub is not the flavor text all the text with the spells and the monsters so this spell does this for me this in this monster has this option

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video imXc4vUN2JM Box of Delights Rules Teach at 0:10 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 90940 · mention_pk 243529

Click to watch at 0:10 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

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 is too many bones expansion splice and dice i've not opened it yet
what i'm going to do for you is play nobody's apprenticeship program i'm going to go through the box set up and play this game
the objective of the novelist apprenticeship program is we're going to play over the course of seven days and we're going to be successful if we successfully create a tyrant who's successful in battle against the nobulus's prototyrant before the end of day seven
the game is one of managing threats building tension getting through these threats and managing this enough that you can then divert attention to the lab
remember we want at least one positive splice per day
i hate this card it's horrible

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video imXc4vUN2JM Box of Delights Rules Teach at 1:34 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 90940 · mention_pk 243530

Click to watch at 1:34 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

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 is too many bones expansion splice and dice i've not opened it yet
what i'm going to do for you is play nobody's apprenticeship program i'm going to go through the box set up and play this game
the objective of the novelist apprenticeship program is we're going to play over the course of seven days and we're going to be successful if we successfully create a tyrant who's successful in battle against the nobulus's prototyrant before the end of day seven
the game is one of managing threats building tension getting through these threats and managing this enough that you can then divert attention to the lab
remember we want at least one positive splice per day
i hate this card it's horrible

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video xl9Kx7jVxhw Watch It Played Discussion at 3:12 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 90817 · mention_pk 243072

Click to watch at 3:12 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

Special promo chips with art from the core set and undertow expansion
Chips come with protective cases

Cons

Unclear how the chips are used in the game

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

And in this video we are not going to learn the 2-4 player game for gardens that's because this isn't a tutorial video this is a bgg store video
I'm a sucker for a good presentation and I love the look of this pagoda I was very curious about how it worked
I don't know how shut up and sit down does all the reviews crouch down by the table like this it's very uncomfortable
Admittedly a katana would be more precise but it seems like blowing up hordes of zombies with a bazooka would be a little more satisfying don't you think
I really like terraforming mars but what I don't like are some of the components in particular the plastic cubes that came in my set started to chip after the first game
And with that we've come to the end of another box of wonders

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video RXTZ6dBx_ZY kovray Challenge at 5:49 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 90544 · mention_pk 242027

Click to watch at 5:49 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

neutral

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

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 challenge i think it was really fun
i would definitely recommend uh trying it out
it was a blast
it's easier than i thought it would be but once you get stuck on a set it's so hard to branch out
i'm so nervous i have to unlock my phone
not very good
tag us if you do it because we'd love to see how you folks do

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video EGuiyGWmFZ0 kovray Top 10 List at 3:29 sentiment: positive

video_pk 89762 · mention_pk 238946

Click to watch at 3:29 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Referenced as a potential inclusion in Maggie's top 10, indicating high regard within the discussion.

Cons

none

Thematic elements

dice-based tactical combat and RPG-style character progression
Fantasy dungeon exploration with modular, dice-driven encounters
dice-driven progression with boss-oriented encounters

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Boss Battler — Encounters against powerful bosses requiring strategy and resource management.
boss_battles — Encounters against powerful bosses requiring strategy and resource management.
Campaign — Character upgrades and campaign-style advancement between encounters.
dice_resolution — Dice outcomes determine actions, outcomes, and enemy interactions.
dice-building — Players construct and optimize a pool of dice to resolve actions and combat.
progression — Character upgrades and campaign-style advancement between encounters.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

i'd like to think too many bones would be on it
april fools
most the games on her list are older than she is

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video sE2AtORTEUo Watch It Played Discussion at 8:19

video_pk 89723 · mention_pk 238789

Click to watch at 8:19 · YouTube ↗

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Trick-Taking — another trick taking Ry Kia style kind of game

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Amazon is the local shop to a lot of people
you never really know who you're buying from
I'm probably going to try an online local game store anyway first
I don't see it as that much of a problem
the thrill of the hunt I think probably more than anything else
more people making more games is a good thing for Innovation and for progression in the board game design and product sphere
as a consumer wow do I feel overwhelmed a lot of the time
the entryway into board games more daunting for people

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video tFQovidi5mU Allies or Enemies Top 100 List at 0:58 sentiment: positive

video_pk 89508 · mention_pk 237820

Click to watch at 0:58 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Cooperative play
Distinct character abilities
High-quality components

Cons

Steep learning curve
Heavy footprint for new players

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

cooperative combat progression — Players collaborate to survive dungeon encounters while upgrading their capabilities.
Dice upgrading — Dice are upgraded over time based on chosen skills to improve effectiveness against encounters.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

We are celebrating our second anniversary of our channel so we are doing our top 100 of all time.
It's a really smart dice placement game where your dice are slowly moving up every turn until they retire and new dice start moving around the track.
Meadow is super smart as a tableau builder with a simple, elegant arrow system.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video v5B2nyp3zcM Meeple University Discussion at 15:09 sentiment: positive

video_pk 89452 · mention_pk 237516

Click to watch at 15:09 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Heavy, substantial experience
Smaller, slimmer packaging for transport

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Fantasy/role-playing dice system (contextual from discussion)

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

cooperative game due to four players
this is turing machine we actually have how to play video this is a puzzle deduction game
it's really cute
not as rotationally heavy
two to six players
dexterity game
real time
pop-up book pop-up book

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video M4_wo1JlGpQ Watch It Played News at 9:25 sentiment: positive

video_pk 89240 · mention_pk 236757

Click to watch at 9:25 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Brilliant
Being reprinted

Cons

Host had to spend a lot of time and money to hunt down their own copy before the reprint.

Thematic elements

Cooking ingredients

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Set Collection — Score points for filling up the cooking pot with ingredients that match the menu card.
Trick taking — Core mechanic of the game.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

players tried to escape from Minecraft's fiery Underworld the nether
in it you'll be sprinting through rugged Landscapes full of magma and lava navigating and defending against dangerous monsters and only if the players complete the dash to the portal in time while also taking out the mantras Guardians can you survive the adventure together
the quest can you protect the Village from raiding illagers is poised
an illager is the name of a persistent mob spawn in Minecraft this is an illager evil son of a gun
your helpful Animal Companions will stand Faithfully by your side whatever that means because you know that sounds nice to me
I was really surprised by Builders and biomes actually it was a quality game so why not more Minecraft board games I say I'm all for it

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video NB9VEIcra0Y Tim Chuon Discussion at 2:24 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 89093 · mention_pk 236090

Click to watch at 2:24 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

noted depth and customization
strong solo play options

Cons

steep learning curve
heavy to table and learn

Thematic elements

dice-driven engine-building with heavy tactical depth
fantasy world with dwarven factions and monster encounters
sandbox/automatic progression with boss battles

Comparison games

Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile
Frosthaven

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Boss Battler — presents heavy, scripted encounters with evolving threats.
boss battles/solo-coop play — presents heavy, scripted encounters with evolving threats.
Dice-based engine-building — players manage a dice pool to trigger actions and develop abilities.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

this is by far the most difficult thing that I've ever done on this channel
I'm getting rid of half my collection
convince me I should keep this
Title Blades Heroes of the Reef... one of my favorite worlds

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video ieaTmQ8V2mg Neon Gorilla Review at 8:23 sentiment: positive

video_pk 88696 · mention_pk 234444

Click to watch at 8:23 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

More content for replayability
High-quality components
New mechanics that shake up the game

Cons

May not feel essential if you already own Undertow or base game
Complex setup with new cards

Thematic elements

survival and baddie escalation
Fantasy dungeon-crawl with expanded content

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

New baddies and encounters — Adds additional encounters and baddies to the base game
New starting Day cards — Starting Day cards for each tyrant with new mechanics
Terrain changes — New terrain chips and lava map interactions
Two-sided baddies and alternate tyrants — New cards and chips with dual forms

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I'm a chip Theory Fanboy
there's just so much content here
the premium chips are an absolute must
this is the base game this is a standalone version of Too Many Bones
Too Many Bones is a fantastic, dense, premium experience
this is unbreakable it's the base game

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video ieaTmQ8V2mg Neon Gorilla Review at 21:28 sentiment: positive

video_pk 88696 · mention_pk 234443

Click to watch at 21:28 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Abundant premium components and weighty packaging
Innovative salvage/recipes mechanic
Deep, varied gear locks with high replayability
Excellent art and quality materials

Cons

Extremely complex and heavy learning curve
Large footprint and cost may deter casual players

Thematic elements

survival and loot through baddies and recipes
Fantasy dungeon adventure with boss battles
fantasy high-concept

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Baddie salvage and recipes — Defeated foes become salvage used to craft buffs via recipes
Delve dice and delve mechanic — Recovery phases unlock delve dice and multi-step dice resolution
Gear Locks — Character-specific modifiers and abilities unlocked via gear lock kits
Terrain chips and terrain mechanics — New terrain map with flip-able chip spaces that affect encounters

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I'm a chip Theory Fanboy
there's just so much content here
the premium chips are an absolute must
this is the base game this is a standalone version of Too Many Bones
Too Many Bones is a fantastic, dense, premium experience
this is unbreakable it's the base game

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video zxTh9hJnEmc BoardGameBollocks Top List at 12:45 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 88439 · mention_pk 233110

Click to watch at 12:45 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Neutral/Slightly Dismissive

Pros

none

Cons

Excessive component size and number
Takes up a lot of table space

Thematic elements

Adventure/Combat (implied by 'bones' and dice)

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Adventure game — Implied by the name and common themes in games with this style.
Character progression — Implied by the context of adventure games and potential for leveling up.
Dice Placement — The speaker speculates it might be a dice placement game.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

we'll be taking control of a plantation you'll be growing crops it'll be harvested in the crops sending them out to far off markets to get points
but they [__] the game up yeah the boards were all [__] up nothing fitted in the box or something or other and it was just a complete and utter [__] show
I'm sort of sick to death of Marvel six the death of [__] Star Wars and all that crap
Pax Premiere second edition can shove itself up its own [__] and consume itself before I even think about playing this Abomination pile of dog crap ever again
it looks like it's been penned by a three-year-old who's been given a king-size Crayola set for Christmas
sometimes I think spot or a trolling people you know they keep releasing these games that have got no artistic Merit but when you're actually playing you start to be convinced that they are actually worth their weight in gold
somebody's proudly displayed this phallic Tower of expansions that they're never ever going to use
this is a fantastic game can be a little bit complex but it's one of the rare occasions where a Euro game actually Blends well with its theme and its mechanics
it's just a fantastic game it's one of those sort of games that is quite leisurely it's not taxing or demanding in rules or mechanics and you could just sit back and just feel like you're pissed out your face sort of thing
this is our favorite solo game ever made
it's a bog standard Euro game with a little bit of a Twist which is why we find it a little bit more interesting than some of the others
a lot of people want to live out their sylvanian families incest fantasy
all the owns is a super fantastic game
number 31 is everdale this is a card driven game where you'll be placing your workers out of board to take actions playing cards it's going to give you actions as well building up your to blow with these cutesy little Woodland creatures and you get the bonus of owner big [ __ ] off cardboard tree in the middle of the [ __ ] table
it's okay I'm not going to masturbate over this game too much but yeah it's an average game
it's number 30 on this list is a game called all he owns
in all the owners you'll be doing right things you'll be moving your dudes around the map collecting cheese and stuff you'll be reaching into your bag to pull out your workers placing them on a map you might send them off permanently to sit in a chapel or something
this game uses the same artwork as Tua in it so like a medieval bio tapestry style it's a super duper bag building game
get the deluxifier components it makes the game easier to handle and all the owns is a super fantastic game
tell us what you think of our opinions of these games so far are you upset with my critique of everdale as my analysis of pax Premiere giving you a new set of hemorrhoids to deal with tell me in the comments below and I will gladly send you some anusol for your trouble
we're going to come back probably with the final bit I don't know I might do 20 more and then 10 because I am feeling a little bit knackered but if I could find some maybe we'll crack it all off in one go

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 0Mp1hn3SFMk Watch It Played Discussion sentiment: positive

video_pk 88208 · mention_pk 232060

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I advise anyone to get it I know it looks like a slice of pizza
I'm a massive fan of what we all call the Seven Wonders dual box size
the best ball game insert is any game that comes with enough baggies to put things in
art matters in games obviously it does it's marketing it's like you wouldn't produce a movie and then not Market the movie
I like to play with as many people as there are sitting around the table
this is too many cooks brilliant art love it absolutely fantastic you everything is an anthropomorphized vegetable
I played a game called perch recently... best first play mechanism I've ever had
Polish version of battle line it's amazing I want to buy that game again

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 0Mp1hn3SFMk Watch It Played Discussion sentiment: positive

video_pk 88208 · mention_pk 272581

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I advise anyone to get it I know it looks like a slice of pizza
I'm a massive fan of what we all call the Seven Wonders dual box size
the best ball game insert is any game that comes with enough baggies to put things in
art matters in games obviously it does it's marketing it's like you wouldn't produce a movie and then not Market the movie
I like to play with as many people as there are sitting around the table
this is too many cooks brilliant art love it absolutely fantastic you everything is an anthropomorphized vegetable
I played a game called perch recently... best first play mechanism I've ever had
Polish version of battle line it's amazing I want to buy that game again

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 54ndWMW4G30 Neon Gorilla Review at 0:53 sentiment: positive

video_pk 88228 · mention_pk 232151

Click to watch at 0:53 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Rich production quality typical of Chip Theory
Deep strategic decisions with meaningful choices

Cons

Very rule-heavy and high overhead for new players

Thematic elements

Dice-driven RPG-like exploration and combat
Fantasy-inspired dice-based adventure with a heavy mechanical focus
Campaign-style progression with boss encounters

Comparison games

Solar Sentinels
H.O.P.O.

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Boss Battler — Bosses with distinct mechanics and escalating difficulty
boss_encounters — Bosses with distinct mechanics and escalating difficulty
dice_driven_combat — Rolling a pool of dice to perform actions and attacks
inventory_and_upgrades — Items and abilities modify dice and actions for future encounters
mission_progression — Missions shape progression and affect encounter difficulty

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I was actually most excited about Solar Sentinels
it's probably the first one that I would recommend you get to the table
the system rocks
it's the most simple implementation
there is a lot of agency and decision
the very low kind of need to refresh on rules
spoiler alert to my other reviews that is not the case with the other two decks
I will continue to buy these decks as I find them interesting

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video rulAqJiPHds UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 32:45:16 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 88101 · mention_pk 231390

Click to watch at 32:45:16 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Fun
Has a lot of game
Cool components

Cons

So much game
Need to relearn it every time

Thematic elements

Players are adventurers fighting monsters and developing their characters.

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Character progression — Players develop their characters' abilities and skills.
Dice Placement — Players use dice to perform actions and fight monsters.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It's one of those games where you are freaking out about the game ending
You got your special little tiles to build the map with and then you got your different colored tokens that go on the board
They all have special abilities that are different
The end game scoring can be brutal, but it's so good
You can spend like an hour trying to figure out the rules and then you still don't understand some of the rulings
It's really satisfying placing your little tiles and seeing how the map grows and develops

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video _U5JnRJ04_4 3 Minute Board Games Top List at 8:06 sentiment: positive

video_pk 87072 · mention_pk 226991

Click to watch at 8:06 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Positive

Pros

Satisfying clink of pearls
Excellent drafting game

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Creepy court full of malignant figures
Undersea Court

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Drafting — a car Drafting and set collection game
economic — you're trying to bring onto your side to win the game
Set Collection — a car Drafting and set collection 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 FPPW6mrCS1w Quackalope Other at 19:08

video_pk 86777 · mention_pk 225799

Click to watch at 19:08 · YouTube ↗

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

what do you enjoy what made you subscribe to this channel why are you still here why are you clicking on a video that's a channel update why are you interested in uh whatever it is that's going on behind the scenes and in front of the camera
if I don't enjoy creating it it's not going to make it to The Cutting Room floor
it's hard right now to sit down in front of the computer for six seven eight hours and dive head first into a video project
I love collaborating with people I love sitting around and playing games and having fun with friends it's one of the best feelings ever
I'm not an actor I am me This is how I talk if you were to meet me in person this is the way that that we would engage with each other
if you don't want me talking about things like ADHD like mental health like depression like the type of whiskey I like like the books that I'm reading like my son who is the most remarkable incredible wonderful thing to exist in my life outside of my marriage then I don't I don't I don't know what I don't know what to offer you
we will lower the production quality as far down as necessary so that we can continue and get back to regular consistent scheduled posting
go get married and make a baby it's a pretty good it's pretty good pretty good part of life

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 64PRwvTzu9o Quackalope Top List at 3:46 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 86566 · mention_pk 224329

Click to watch at 3:46 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Incredible game
Desperately want to get to the table
Excellent character progression
Nuance in strategy
Storytelling is fun
Some of my closest friends have this game as their number one lifestyle game

Cons

Too much stuff
Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff in front of me
Daunting every new character is a new set of rules
Too many expansions
Makes me not want to play it
Little nails that poke out of it from the bottom [of the Trove chest]

Thematic elements

Adventure, character progression, strategy
Storytelling is fun

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Character progression — The character progression, the way you level up and gain experience is excellent.
Combat — The combat mechanics don't leave me overly excited.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

one of the most incredible pieces of artwork I've ever seen
one of the most ridiculously compelling Euro style hand management action selection style board games I've ever experienced
if you're willing to sit through the 2-hour teach with notes sitting in front of your section to learn how to use like the 17 cards that are in front of you and the multitude of actions you can take with them this is worth it
don't do like I did and immediately rush out and buy everything for it
Mark Swanson is one brilliant two ridiculous three has made a a beautiful wonderful incredible game that I'm still going to continue to own
you got to punch like 700 chits and then get them all organized you got to figure out a tub or a container to organize them on
whole economy system a whole blind space exploration a AA control combat style head-to-head Skirmish
masterpiece where the economy of your ships get leveled up technology gets added
I had one friend who fell in love with this who had a copy for himself who taught me how to play it who made me love it
I point at that game and I said that game's amazing one of my favorites of all time and then I clarify and I say I'm not teaching it to you no we can't open it
hold on to that board game that you have high hopes for it's not hurting anyone hopefully
it's not just getting them to the table sometimes it's looking at them and thinking about what it'll be like when you do get it to the table or what it was like when you did

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video EucviY0bcv0 Rahdo Runs Through Top List at 42:11 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85808 · mention_pk 220635

Click to watch at 42:11 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Strong sense of character growth and progression
Satisfying tactical combat
High quality components and table presence
Unique encounter system with the Automaton of Shale
Undertoe is a good entry point

Cons

Story doesn't feel "that significant" to some
The "riddle" aspect of the Automaton of Shale is more of an internet scavenger hunt
Complexity disparity between Undertoe characters

Thematic elements

hero's journey, growth, combat
fantasy world
curated encounters

Comparison games

Betrayal of the Second Era
Elder Scrolls
Oathsworn

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Character progression — Players level up stats and skills over multiple days/encounters.
Combat — Features tactical combat against various enemies.
cooperative play — Players work together to defeat enemies and complete objectives.
Dice Rolling — Uses custom dice for combat and abilities.
pop-up book — The "Automaton of Shale" features a pop-up book for encounters.
scenario-based — Can be played in shorter campaigns or against specific tyrants.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Time Stories is a system to have adventures, and there are a ton of different expansions that let you have adventures in, um, you know, you know, ancient Greece or, uh, you know, the the Roaring 20s or in the future, all kinds of things.
Every time you play, you get a new adventure. And, um, it's absolutely brilliant. the best some of the best storytelling I've ever seen in board games because this game forces players to become the storytelling...
the original White Cycle, the I think it was 13 adventures in Time Stories is some of Jensen and my favorite adventuring gameplay we have ever seen and I highly recommend it...
It is constantly under attack from wave after wave of bad guys.
This is probably my most combat heavy game that I have talked about today and it's really saying something how good this is considering the combat is very dice roll to resolve which is something I normally don't like. But here the gameplay and the adventure uh and the replayability of the original Andor mission 3 had a really wonderful system...
one of my favorite cooperative games of all time. Although of all of Andor, it's the original box is still the best.
Runebound second edition, not third edition. Third edition is okay, but they made some big changes moving away from second edition. and second edition is where it's at.
what always pulled me in was the adventure of travel. I have to admit travel is often my least interesting element of of an adventure game unless they do something really interesting. And this game's travel system is brilliant.
you roll dice when you're going to move and all uh a bunch of different terrain types show up and every time you want to move it's a puzzle of right well with these dice what is going to be the way I travel through the world?
they're the coolest dice you've ever seen. Big and chunky. And then solving that puzzle.
the original uh Runebound Second Edition is absolutely phenomenal. one of the all-time greats uh for a true sense of adventures. We race against the clock to save a fantasy world and I love it to pieces and that would have been I believe uh my number four
for honorable mentions, the one that didn't make it on my mind that Richard point out was Dead Reckoning. I really like that one.
We just had an adventure, folks. The internet blew up on us.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video EucviY0bcv0 Rahdo Runs Through Top List at 51:31 sentiment: neutral

video_pk 85808 · mention_pk 220637

Click to watch at 51:31 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Neutral

Pros

none

Cons

Viewed as more of a combat simulator than an adventure game by one speaker.

Thematic elements

Combat Simulation

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Time Stories is a system to have adventures, and there are a ton of different expansions that let you have adventures in, um, you know, you know, ancient Greece or, uh, you know, the the Roaring 20s or in the future, all kinds of things.
Every time you play, you get a new adventure. And, um, it's absolutely brilliant. the best some of the best storytelling I've ever seen in board games because this game forces players to become the storytelling...
the original White Cycle, the I think it was 13 adventures in Time Stories is some of Jensen and my favorite adventuring gameplay we have ever seen and I highly recommend it...
It is constantly under attack from wave after wave of bad guys.
This is probably my most combat heavy game that I have talked about today and it's really saying something how good this is considering the combat is very dice roll to resolve which is something I normally don't like. But here the gameplay and the adventure uh and the replayability of the original Andor mission 3 had a really wonderful system...
one of my favorite cooperative games of all time. Although of all of Andor, it's the original box is still the best.
Runebound second edition, not third edition. Third edition is okay, but they made some big changes moving away from second edition. and second edition is where it's at.
what always pulled me in was the adventure of travel. I have to admit travel is often my least interesting element of of an adventure game unless they do something really interesting. And this game's travel system is brilliant.
you roll dice when you're going to move and all uh a bunch of different terrain types show up and every time you want to move it's a puzzle of right well with these dice what is going to be the way I travel through the world?
they're the coolest dice you've ever seen. Big and chunky. And then solving that puzzle.
the original uh Runebound Second Edition is absolutely phenomenal. one of the all-time greats uh for a true sense of adventures. We race against the clock to save a fantasy world and I love it to pieces and that would have been I believe uh my number four
for honorable mentions, the one that didn't make it on my mind that Richard point out was Dead Reckoning. I really like that one.
We just had an adventure, folks. The internet blew up on us.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video BnRPjFsjALw Foster the Meeple Discussion at 11:35 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85587 · mention_pk 219690

Click to watch at 11:35 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Extremely thematic

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Band of gearlocks on an adventure
Adventure
Choose your own adventure style, with cards telling the story and players making choices.

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Card Play — Card play is used to advance the story and make choices.
Character progression — Players can choose to do a skill build.
Combat — Players fight battles.
Dice Rolling — A significant mechanic involving dice.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Survival of the fittest, baby. It is what it is.
you need to win. you need to defeat everybody else and it is not a nice game
Root is a very mean game because it does have kingmaking which is very mean and also very competitive
It's so freaking cute.
because what's more whimsical than a cafe where cappy bars are serving you?
I think Get Bit is not loved enough.
Phenomenal game. Phenomenal solo trick taking. Amazing.
It is meant to be a mindful activity for solo players.
you can play it so many times in a row, you will never get sick of it.
It's a great game for me time.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video vLPelkEGfeM Rob's Gaming Table Playthrough at 57:13 sentiment: positive

video_pk 85335 · mention_pk 218434

Click to watch at 57:13 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Playing previous playthroughs from 5 years ago
The game has changed over time

Cons

none

Thematic elements

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 is episode two. Episode one already happened. Surprise.
It's down below in the video description. There is a playlist and you can find past and future episodes there.
I did it a long time ago and now I see people do it.
This game, however, since it came out in 2021, I think it's considered a old, busted, dead game.
This is the best dungeon crawler ever made.
It's like I feel like it feels like a band-aid solution made to like they were like play testing without it and then like they were like oh in dungeon crawlers people always like start getting really good
It's like I mean, it's succeeding at that, but yeah, it's just it's a frustrating mechanic.
For me, it's not such a big deal to replay a game if I wasn't streaming it and if it's just you and I playing in our home. But I always just think of that worst case scenario of like you have four buddies that that take the time away from their family, their life, their school, their kids or whatever they're doing to come over for game time or meet at a game store or go over to their house.
I don't know if that's like good game design. I think that's like it's very the opposite of respecting the players time, right?

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video vLPelkEGfeM Rob's Gaming Table Playthrough at 2:20:55 sentiment: other

video_pk 85335 · mention_pk 218437

Click to watch at 2:20:55 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Mentioned

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

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 is episode two. Episode one already happened. Surprise.
It's down below in the video description. There is a playlist and you can find past and future episodes there.
I did it a long time ago and now I see people do it.
This game, however, since it came out in 2021, I think it's considered a old, busted, dead game.
This is the best dungeon crawler ever made.
It's like I feel like it feels like a band-aid solution made to like they were like play testing without it and then like they were like oh in dungeon crawlers people always like start getting really good
It's like I mean, it's succeeding at that, but yeah, it's just it's a frustrating mechanic.
For me, it's not such a big deal to replay a game if I wasn't streaming it and if it's just you and I playing in our home. But I always just think of that worst case scenario of like you have four buddies that that take the time away from their family, their life, their school, their kids or whatever they're doing to come over for game time or meet at a game store or go over to their house.
I don't know if that's like good game design. I think that's like it's very the opposite of respecting the players time, right?

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video dkViBAwawoY The Brothers Murph Top List at 9:27 sentiment: positive

video_pk 84712 · mention_pk 215602

Click to watch at 9:27 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

feeling of powering up
rules are not that complicated despite complex characters

Cons

characters can get pretty complex

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization is the engine builder to end all engine builders.
In Twilight Struggle, one of the more interesting times in history is played out. And I love that each card is a real event that happened.
Gaia Project built on Terrammystica and perfected the form. It's the best one.
Gloom Haven: Jaws of the Lion has the best tutorial system I have ever seen in a game, and I think it legitimately creates new board gamers constantly because of the way they make it so approachable.
Each Spirit in Spirit Island can be played over and over as you learn how to master their abilities, and there are so much content in the box. It also just plays amazing solo.
Dune Imperium Uprising took Dune Imperium to a whole new level of scale and scope, and it's got them worms.
It's impossible to have a bad time playing Star Wars Rebellion, especially if you love Star Wars. Okay, mostly only if you love Star Wars, but it's really fun. It's Lord of the Rings in a box, and it's perfect.
For a solid like 6 years, Terraforming Mars was absolutely the king of the board game hobby. Unreal staying power.
Dune Imperium uses art based on the movies, but it doesn't feel at all like a movie tie-in cash grab.
The scale and epic stories that come out of Twilight Imperium fourth edition make it everlasting. Every time you play, you get a permanent memory and story. It's truly impressive.
The sheer amount of content in Gloom Haven and the card play makes this dungeon crawler a Eurogamer's delight.
Ark Nova takes Terraforming Mars' cardplay in Civilization's action card mechanisms and put it into a theme we're just way more interested in. just the absolute pinnacle of mashing up mechanisms into a masterpiece.
Pandemic Legacy Season 1 has deserved every single ounce of acclaim and accolades it's received over the years. It was an absolute phenomena when it came out.
I don't want to say anything nice about this game. I don't want to say anything nice about this game. I don't like this game though.
Fine. Fine.
Brass Birmingham is objectively a board game. Done. Easy. That was nice. Words that are written.
Brass rhymes with ass. Got him. You're done.
Brass Birmingham has one of the best examples of positive player interaction and a game I'd actually seek out to play for a player. Was that so hard?
So, that was one nice thing about every single game in the Board Game Geek top 100. Many games that we actually don't even really like, but there's always something nice to say. Exactly.
Just engage.
We had a lot of fun making it.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video ktv9DcnXJgM Gaming Rules! Interview at 1:44:06 sentiment: negative

video_pk 84719 · mention_pk 215675

Click to watch at 1:44:06 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Negative

Pros

Jeremy Howard's calm demeanor helped the host get through a difficult stream.
Jeremy is a great person.

Cons

The stream experienced constant technical issues, with the software crashing every 30 minutes.
The host had no idea what he was doing and found it to be one of his least enjoyable playthroughs.
The game is very complex and difficult to understand, especially when playing complicated gear locks.

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Complexity — The host struggled to understand how the game works and the complicated gear locks for the characters.
Remote Play — The host did a remote playthrough with Jeremy Howard during lockdown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I don't think Project L should have the video theme category applied to it. I don't think so.
my solo cadet mode for captain's chair is the best video to watch to learn how to play the game.
you only score points for your tracks if you have completed at least one of your missions.
Many of you, especially Mage Knight fans, will know Ricky because he did the solo playthroughs of Mage Knight, which helped make Mage Knight what it is today.
I have news. I am not allowed to share that news. I am under um effectively an NDA.
Marvel Champions is a fantastic, fantastic game.
The stream was crashing and literally every 30 minutes the stream would crash and my software would crash and people would be in the chat saying the stream's gone down.
Too Many Bones is a good game, but me being so far out of my comfort zone that I literally cannot understand how to play the characters that I'm playing whilst hosting a live stream. Yeah, I don't want to do that again. That was uh that was horrible.
Monopoly is in that situation where it's popular because it's popular.
It's still a terrible game. It is. It is a terrible, terrible, terrible game.
The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship, the new pandemic style game from Matt Leo. I'm going to pick that one. But caveat, I've only played it once and I haven't actually played that many games that technically have come out from 2025.
You can't. There's too many games coming out every week.
If you are not a Patreon supporter and you want to support me directly, you can for as little as $1 a month or $3 a month if you want access to the Slack channel, patreon.com/gamingrules.
The secret word for this month is the game that arrived this afternoon that none of my patron supporters were able to guess.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video lQ00LZAx7l0 One Stop Co-op Shop Top List at 1:14 sentiment: negative

video_pk 84143 · mention_pk 213515

Click to watch at 1:14 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

negative

Pros

Interesting backup mechanic that works well.
The fights get harder and harder.
The scouting mechanic offers more choice.

Cons

Only four bosses isn't always enough variety.
Uses mostly the same cards in every play, leading to a lack of variety.
The experience can feel a bit "sy" (stale).

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

backup plan — When dice are missed, they can be placed on matching spots to be used later. Filling all four spots allows for a level-up.
day/night cycle — The difficulty of the game increases with each round and encounter.
scouting — Allows players to have different piles and more choice in who they battle against.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

So, these are just my current rankings at this point in time. And honestly, it's really pretty close.
The very worst one worst, the number six one, as you'll see, is still one that I enjoy quite a lot. And the number one one I still have some problems with. So, uh, none of them are flawless.
The Tangle Woods sets are much more similar to each other than Victorium is the Too Many Bones is the Solar Sentinels the original three sets. They have similar mechanics, repeated elements, repeated enemies, almost like they're riffing on the same system, whereas I feel like Victorium and Too Many Bones go in wildly different directions.
Solar Sentinels is when you get down to it 20 strong distilled to its simplest components. And in some ways, that shows the game off at its best.
But still with the great dayight mechanic, with the less out of control leveling, with the more epic fights, this is my number one out of all six sets.
If you want a season that is more drastically different, I would go with the original three. They really change up the mechanics in wild ways. If you want something that is, I think, a bit more consistently strong and interesting and complex. Uh you can see that they're just like kind of thicker boxes with more stuff in them, I think you got to go with Tangle Woods.
And as long as they don't have AI art, which I don't think they're going to, then I'm very excited to play those.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video C-1hs_-oJmg Board Games UnLocked Other at 0:22 sentiment: positive

video_pk 83432 · mention_pk 210250

Click to watch at 0:22 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

High production value and durable components.
Modular campaigns that can be played in a single session.
Unique characters with distinct abilities and progression paths.
Puzzly combat system that makes misses valuable.
Keeps everything going, not going out of print.

Cons

High overall cost if buying everything.
Intimidating rule sheets and a steep learning curve.
Limited narrative and world-building directly presented.
Small battle maps can lead to feeling cornered or swarmed.

Thematic elements

Original IP, unique fantasy world with gearlocks fighting tyrants.
Players create their own story by choosing gearlocks and tyrants, with lore delivered through adventure cards and tyrant blurbs.

Comparison games

The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
Cloudspire
Hoplomachus
Unbreakable
Burn Cycle
Root

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

action selection — Players choose actions on encounter cards, which can lead to fights or checks, and then progress through days on a tracker until they are ready to fight the tyrant.
Character progression — Characters have individual mats with unique dice, health/attack stats, innate abilities, and skill trees where dice are slotted to upgrade abilities. Players can choose different builds or playstyles for each character.
Dice Rolling — Players roll dice, and the 'bones' collected can be used for special abilities, with misses having value through a backup plan system.
modular campaigns — The game features campaigns of varying lengths (short, medium, long) that can be played in a single session. Players choose a tyrant and a path on the world map to progress.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I don't think I can ever straight face tell someone hey just spend $1,100 on a [ __ ] game.
Too many bones walked so Elder Scrolls could run
The push and pull system is and it's it's just so much better than than Too Many Bones is
The Elder Scrolls is more akin it's it's more of a campaign.
This one's more to me more plug and play like like you just so because what you do when you pick start this deal is you're going to pick one or two gear locks.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video VoJB79sQY7s Rob's Tabletop World Discussion at 42:50 sentiment: positive

video_pk 83409 · mention_pk 210118

Click to watch at 42:50 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

I like the one straight out of the box. The cards are really really nice. It's just an allaround great thing.

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I've been through way too much, too much adversity, and I've been able to overcome so much and and still have this channel go for for 11 years, which for me was really impressive.
It's so easy to run your mouth on the internet nowadays instead of just, you know, being a decent human being.
I didn't have a great upbringing, but um my first year we lost every game in the first bracket.
When you feel what it's like to lose you know it stings. It stays with you.
How you succeed in life is the fear of losing.
It's just time. It's just time. I'm okay. I'm good.
Kickstarter and GameFound have have really made things kind of ugly.
Descent is garbage.
Things should be more affordable.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video oVze6_9rCJg Board Games UnLocked Top List at 10:11 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 82604 · mention_pk 207542

Click to watch at 10:11 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Insane complexity in characters
Fantastic character depth
Cooperation between different characters
Puzzly combat

Cons

Fell off the list, considered 'hot trash' by one host
Combat has minimal tactical movement
Combat is more of a puzzle

Thematic elements

Gearlock characters fighting tyrants
Fantasy world with gremlins

Comparison games

The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
20 Strong

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Character progression — The host describes leveling up your gear lock.
cooperative play — The host mentions cooperation between different characters.
Dice Rolling — The host mentions it's a dice based game.
Set Collection — The host mentions collecting items and characters.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Um, this one for the price of the game and for what you get like all those monuments and stuff that you get or the you know the the wonders.
They're like painted. They're all like chunky wood stuff. you know, it's a they're that's just retail relief and it's super nice.
This game is just so good. I really this theme that I just absolutely love.
That Cuphead style, what is a rubber hose animation?
So it completely changes the way that you're that you fight them versus all the other ones.
The components are outstanding for this game.
This one was one of those that I saw the cover, I nabbed it, and it's was such a a surprise for me, you know, like uh it's it's because it uses that brand.
Technically, you are not fighting the boss, but you're fighting things on the boss and the boss is fighting back for you.
I this one I just absolutely love it.
Every single boss is completely unique in in their their systems and mechanisms.
If you played Shadow of the Colossus, uh, then you're going to love I I feel like it's just a shoe.
Plays super well solo.
Phenomenal cooperative game.
It has so much content. There's so many uh spirits for this game that are all 100% unique.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video vR3wjj8ZLCA Board Games UnLocked Top List at 2:34:20 sentiment: positive

video_pk 82476 · mention_pk 207201

Click to watch at 2:34:20 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Extremely positive

Pros

Deep character customization and progression
Unique 'bones' dice mechanic
High-quality components
Satisfying gameplay loop
Variety of characters and scenarios

Cons

Can have a steep learning curve
Setup time can be significant
Campaign expansions ('Age of Tyranny') have not been fully explored by the speaker.

Thematic elements

Adventure and character progression
Fantasy world
Scenario-based with character-driven mechanics

Comparison games

Elder Scrolls: The Board Game
Gloomhaven
Carcassonne
Unbreakable
Lab Rats

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Bones system — A mechanic where un-used dice rolls can be collected as 'bones' to activate special abilities.
Character progression — Characters level up and can be customized through upgrade trees.
Dice Rolling — Core mechanic involving rolling custom dice for actions and abilities.
scenario-based gameplay — Played through scenarios, often with a time limit dictated by a 'tyrant'.

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)

No references stored for this video.

Video wZbveF9ZBOw Board Games UnLocked Top List at 18:14 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 82401 · mention_pk 207022

Click to watch at 18:14 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Captures the feeling of the original Too Many Bones game.
Misses can be used as a backup plan.
Solid job of making it feel like Too Many Bones.
Rulebook is a proper book, not a folded sheet.

Cons

Solo play is difficult due to being swarmed by enemies.
Lack of variety in gear locks and tyrants compared to the original board game.
Considered a missed opportunity due to limited content.

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Baddy points system — Enemies brought in are equal to the player's level (baddy points), leading to more enemies in solo play.
Event and encounter decks — Different types of decks can be included, such as events or encounters.
Gear lock items — Used for 'lockpicking' and other actions.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Hofflamus Vtorum. This one gets a lot of credit because at the time I played this, I did not like Hoffamachus Vtorum as a game.
All that being said, the 20 strong version I did enjoy because I already knew that the system was a push your luck element and this kind of it's also not 8 hours long.
So, if you like the idea of Hoplamakus Victorium, but don't have a couple hundred bucks to shell out um or you don't have the time, let's say you do own it, but you don't have the time to actually sit down and commit to a, you know, eight hour campaign. Well, then play this.
Cloudspire came around and I was like, oh no, this system is good when you take it back to its roots and you don't add a bunch of [ __ ] that makes it way too long and way too random and you streamline it.
my favorite one of 20 Strong is the original Solar Sentinels
This I feel like is obviously it's it's just the OG. And I think it does it best. It it fits this 20 strong system the best.
And in and of itself just makes this one my favorite to play.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 7YzsTssgtYA One Stop Co-op Shop Discussion at 4:09 sentiment: positive

video_pk 82112 · mention_pk 206184

Click to watch at 4:09 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

strong theme integration
robust boss fights and tactile components
lots of personality with factions and weapons

Cons

rule memory can be challenging
heavy setup and downtime

Thematic elements

dice-building, RPG-inspired
fantasy dungeon-boss combat
campaign-style, boss-centric

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Boss Battler — fight multi-day boss encounters with distinct phases
Boss battles — fight multi-day boss encounters with distinct phases
dice-building — dice are rolled, drafted, and enhanced for powerful actions
Hand Management — manage a hand of ability cards and resources

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

this one continues to be amazing.
I'm usually not a FOMO buy everything kind of guy, but I wanted to have every single faction for this one.
Love Leviathan Wild. Very happy that my son loved it too and requested to play it multiple times.
I could see myself culling the original Unstoppable.
It's like you're solving word puzzles almost like Wordle ish, but you're moving around like this little map with this card-based action system.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video cH-UxTUcl_4 Neon Gorilla Interview at 41:16

video_pk 82063 · mention_pk 205936

Click to watch at 41:16 · YouTube ↗

Pros

none

Cons

none

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)

You gotta keep throwing spaghetti at the wall, man.
I would love to make content, but it's that where does it fall on the gaming? I'd rather game personally.
That is what I wish I would have done from the get-go.
Clip that.

References (from this video)

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Video 7K5BoJfrP94 Neon Gorilla Interview at 0:11 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81790 · mention_pk 204414

Click to watch at 0:11 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

whimsical, unique character design
engaging dice-driven combat with meaningful decisions

Cons

none

Thematic elements

whimsical, dice-driven, bespoke character design
Too Many Bones universe
character-driven, humorous, with deep tactical choices

Comparison games

Ether Fields
Elder Scrolls
Tainted Grail
Tangle Woods

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

dice-based system — central dice pool drives actions and combat in a highly tactical way
hero-specific dice and skills — heroes have unique dice and skills that drive their play style
tactical decision-making over raw stats — focus is on leveraging skills and dice effects rather than simple stat bumps

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

the cards have an A and B sides. They have different things.
20 strong really can mean whatever we want it to mean.
Ether Fields is the deck I'm most proud of.
This is the most direct, faithful one-to-one adaptation of a 20 strong deck yet.
The dice is the thing.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video 6CaXVxy_QBc Meet Me At The Table Top 20 List at 2:13 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81436 · mention_pk 202197

Click to watch at 2:13 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

If you're not in the mood to lose, don't even try and pick this one up.
This is a no-brainer for any solo player looking for a deduction style game or logic style game.
The core system of the game remains the same but the variety of different decks you can buy for the game is what makes this game tick.

References (from this video)

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Video 3mrJ4ygxdmQ Board Game Critique Top 10 List at 18:16 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81435 · mention_pk 202194

Click to watch at 18:16 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

backup plan mechanic is the mechanical heart of the deck
every outcome feels narratively meaningful
high engagement with macro strategy decisions

Cons

cognitive overhead
not the deck to start with

Thematic elements

fighting through escalating encounters toward a tyrant boss
Gearlock RPG-based fantasy
narratively meaningful outcomes across deck-driven progression

Comparison games

Cloudspire

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

backup plan system — misses during combat are stored to activate minor abilities or permanently upgrade your character
risk-reward progression — grows power through misses and upgrades toward the tyrant fight
tyrant timing — the tyrant timing and upgrade path shape the run's strategy

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

It's the grammar textbook before the novel. Nobody reads the grammar textbook for fun, Eve.
The trail mechanic is genuinely cool.
The atmosphere is incredible and the trail mechanic is a real innovation.
Gorgeous art from Manny Tremblay.
The premise is simple. The execution is the most elegant in the system.
Misses are not wasted. They get allocated to offset incoming enemy damage.
The backup plan pool and tyrant timing layer add cognitive overhead that simpler decks avoid.
Owning all three Tanglewoods decks without Baba Yaga feels like reading three chapters of a novel and skipping the finale.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Video SLGhlYMpcdo DaniCha Top List at 31:40 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81447 · mention_pk 202316

Click to watch at 31:40 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Great components
Unique dice builder RPG system
Tactical gameplay

Cons

Challenging to win
Rules can be complex
Large box and many components can be cumbersome

Thematic elements

Adventure/RPG with dice
Dice builder RPG

Comparison games

Undertoe

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

cooperative play — Can be played cooperatively, though the host prefers multiplayer for learning.
dice building — Players build up their character's capabilities using dice.
Player mat — Uses playmats to insert dice and track character stats like movement, attack, and defense.
RPG Elements — Features character progression, movement on a mat, and combat against enemies and bosses.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I always get excited about your list and I get weary about my wallet when talking about your list.
it's gorgeous. Like the the cards are beautiful. The card art is amazing. Um the dice are even more beautiful.
And you don't really have to know how to play. Um, kids can play as long as they can, you know, use their fingers or something to hit hit the disc.
This one I could probably
So, my number three, we have Legendary, a Marvel deck building game.
This one has great replayability as well. You can have um mix and match.
So, this number two is Marvel Champions.
I just love the comic book theme. Like like the uh the overall theme of it is is very fun.
My number one is a gentle rain.
So, this is a solo must. Like, if you're a solo player, I do recommend you give this a try.
This is the game for me that I just immediately pull out. I don't have to think too too hard.
It scratches the right itches of like cozy kind of game. Like this is a very cozy experience.

References (from this video)

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Video lS0DedxtOLw Neon Gorilla Discussion at 8:41 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81355 · mention_pk 201524

Click to watch at 8:41 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

Durable components
Playable in water
Enough gameplay to last

Cons

Sun fading on mats

Thematic elements

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 the best channel on YouTube. You should work with us.
I don't have a good filter. I just, you know, you get excited, right?
It's it's a representation of you. That's true.
So for me, the why is 100% just spending time with my friends.
It's it's a labor of love and it's just because we love board games and we love each other.
I want the soul to still be there. I still want it to be at its heart friends just having fun and playing games.
It's it's literally the thing that I put the most effort into ever, and it gave me the least amount of return.
The incentives on this are so backwards and drive me absolutely. No, for sure.
you know, like you said, you'll you'll put a lot of effort into a video and then it won't get a lot of views.
If I had like one piece of advice, there's a lot of channels that could improve their audio.
We never see you just naturally, right? which is hilarious because Ivy Studios is probably the most concerned with production across their videos, their playthroughs, their their actual games.
Not being afraid to be told no because like that's the worst that's gonna happen is they're gonna say no.
I want them to look up is there a Grove how to play on it. That's my that's my goal.

References (from this video)

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Video OvZScU450Bk The Brothers Murph Unboxing at 198:19:40 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81313 · mention_pk 201215

Click to watch at 198:19:40 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

Highly Positive

Pros

Unique dice-based combat
High production value
Cooperative adventure

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Adventuring and fighting monsters
Fantasy World

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Character progression — Characters improve their abilities throughout the game.
Combat — Players engage in tactical combat against enemies.
cooperative play — Players work together against the game.
Dice Rolling — Custom dice are used for combat, skills, and progression.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

Our board game collection has surpassed the 1,000 board game mark.
It feels like it's time to do another collection tour.
This is Tiny Epic Galaxies. It's a really fun dice rolling, resource management, engine building kind of game.
Terraforming Mars. This is a classic.
The feeling of terraforming Mars is just epic.
Too Many Bones. This game has some of the coolest dice I've ever seen.
It's a cooperative adventure game with really satisfying combat.

References (from this video)

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Video _qeaVjxzhck Neon Gorilla Interview at 29:10 sentiment: other

video_pk 81273 · mention_pk 200858

Click to watch at 29:10 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

nostalgic

Pros

First video made

Cons

Reviewer feels it was not good upon rewatch

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)

I mean, you had ready, set, bet. Like, uh, The Last Kingdom was like a a fantastic game that just flew under the radar. Do you know what I mean? Nobody nobody played it at all, you know?
They charged a hundred quid for a game that was made out of a bog roll.
I think I compared my copy of War of the Ring to a Garen Hospital.
I have 15 burner accounts just just tearing you down.
It's all me. I've got 15 burner accounts just just tearing you down.
I don't care whether AI has had a hand in designing it. If the game is good and I find it fun, then I'll play it.
I don't care whether it's designed by a woman, by a man, by, you know, a capybara.
The incentive system is totally broken.
I honestly think like the whole board game review system in general is like is broke, especially if you are and we can't afford to get all these games. You do have to get some review.
I think there's something to say for people um wanting to maintain publisher relationships.
You know, my core audience are grumpy old white men that just want to hear somebody slag off a game.

References (from this video)

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Video iDmc2xLeXko Neon Gorilla Interview at 18:09 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81223 · mention_pk 200541

Click to watch at 18:09 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

indestructible
last on the island

Cons

none

Thematic elements

neoprene, indestructible

Comparison games

Sentinels of the Multiverse

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Dice — I can't look down. I can't turn back. My lion's heart will keep me on the right track.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I love Spirit Island. One of my top games of all time. Amazing design, but it's a game that will often have a boring ending...
if you make your game fun enough, like it's just a blast to play, you can forgive a lot.
Pandemic has a lot of problems with this. Alpha player will creep in.
I do think some games like you can design against alpha player without like totally hiding everything.
The biggest one is like the more your game is a puzzle and there are sudden must-win like moves that need to be made.
The only way the only reason it was uh beneficial was because of the asymmetry. If we both could do the same thing, it would just be kind of annoying to sit there and have a discussion on strategy past, you know, a couple minutes.
I love the idea that this is a new starting point. We're going to be going they yes yes they want me to keep buying more stuff but we're going to go through what seasons essentially
I mean Arkham is my favorite Arkham is my favorite game that I tell people not to buy.

References (from this video)

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Video z2rBy7RR_mY Neon Gorilla Discussion at 0:44 sentiment: positive

video_pk 81196 · mention_pk 200454

Click to watch at 0:44 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

They are my favorite elements in games generally.
I love Root. I love Bullet. I love Sentinels of the Multiverse. Too Many Bones. Elder Scrolls kind of gets in there with the different like skill tree combinations and things.
That was kind of where games live for me.

References (from this video)

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Video Xeas4ZDWBwA Neon Gorilla Analysis at 0:55

video_pk 81197 · mention_pk 200458

Click to watch at 0:55 · YouTube ↗

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

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 general rule I shoot for is five to 10 plays.
I don't enjoy a game enough to play it more than maybe twice
I just did a play and review recorded play and review of Flip Tunes. I probably played that like 20 times cuz the game takes like 15 minutes, you know?
I just recorded my review of Nippon's Abattoir and I think I played that four times, twice competitive, twice solo.
It's like Too Many Bones, just to pick the one you just, uh, named, I played that a billion times before I reviewed it.
I would want to get some good coverage of a game like that or, I don't know, Sentinels of the Multiverse, anything that had or things that have like a ton of, like a long campaign game, I want to Yeah. I want to try to get to at least the halfway point.

References (from this video)

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Video HHcBpGMGKts Neon Gorilla Interview at 13:22 sentiment: positive

video_pk 80505 · mention_pk 195960

Click to watch at 13:22 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

positive

Pros

defined hobby identity

Cons

none

Thematic elements

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 is so chaotic. It is so fun.
Is it balanced? Absolutely not. And that is half the fun.
I think the action programming is super unique in board games in general, but also done really well here.
I have a feeling pro uh Grim Coven is going to be my top 10.
Grim Coven is incredible. Yeah, it is. It It really is. Not cozy either.
Oh my god, they're so cool. Yeah, the artwork is just such a uh just amazing.
It may and most likely will replace primal for me uh as my favorite uh boss valer.
Why do we like board games so much? Um, because they're fun, because they're relaxing, they're enjoyable, you're spending time with people, you're spending time with yourselves.

References (from this video)

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Video n7VydR0ibT4 Review at 0:15 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 79939 · mention_pk 193592

Click to watch at 0:15 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

Awesome gameplay inherited from base game/Undertow
Figment is a blast and an amazing gearlock
Item design is fun, tightly designed, interesting, and distinct
Encounter and enemy designs are interesting and challenging
New mechanics (lava, darkness, shaking ground) add interesting twists with low rules overhead
Rock and Roll tyrant is interesting, not complicated, fun, and unique

Cons

Gale is not a strong selling point
Tyrant designs for Cinder and Domina are unfun and overly complex
Cinder's encounter can be a problem if you draw too many ranged baddies and can't lure them to flip lava tokens
Domina adds too much to remember, especially in solo three-handed
Domina's scout mechanic invalidates Carcass's mechanic
Lava mechanic chip design makes it difficult to track gear locks on lava tiles
Tyrant designs are mechanically obtuse and difficult to keep track of
Carcass's cooking deck and gross food card mechanic is confusing

Thematic elements

RPG

Comparison games

Too Many Bones
Too Many Bones Undertow
Too Many Bones: Rage of Tyranny

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Collecting defeated bodies — Carcass's mechanic of collecting defeated bodies from the discard pile is mentioned.
Darkness — An additional mechanic or effect some encounters have.
Dice builder — The game is described as a "dice builder RPG".
Lava — A new mechanic introduced in this set, used in conjunction with encounters.
Shaking ground — An additional mechanic or effect some encounters have.
Time manipulation — Figment's mechanic of manipulating time is highlighted as a positive aspect.
tyrant encounters — Specific boss-like encounters that are a major part of the endgame.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

this is good old Too Many Bones and that means that it's all the awesome gameplay that you know from playing the base game or Undertow.
Figment was a blast and definitely a gear lock that if they sold it individually, I would buy a Figment. Figment is amazing.
my biggest complaint, folks, is the tyrant uh designs.
I would not recommend this as your entry point to Too Many Bones.
Just go with the base game if you're considering which entry you should get into just go with the base game.
I prefer Undertow over this much more

References (from this video)

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Video HBa_8DScMeQ Discussion at 9:56 sentiment: mixed

video_pk 79462 · mention_pk 192892

Click to watch at 9:56 · YouTube ↗

Overall sentiment (raw)

mixed

Pros

The big box is visually impressive and 'glorious'.

Cons

The large box is heavy and difficult to store or move.
Its size and the amount of components can be overwhelming.

Thematic elements

Comparison games

none

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Big Box Edition — The large 'trove chest' is a prominent feature, but its size and weight make it difficult to handle and store, contributing to the game being less likely to be played.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

I want the whole rules. I want reference cards. I want you to go above and beyond to make the game playable out of the box.
Are phones a cardinal sin? Is a digital thing intruding upon our physical space an unforgivable fault?
At what point for you do the expansions, upgrades, deluxeifications, big box editions when does it become so much game you don't find yourself actually pulling it out to play?
I would rather see, instead of a big box for something like Root to come out... I want to see the trend of big boxes, I want to see it die down a little bit.
games good, digital space bad.

References (from this video)

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Video OemP3S7LZEM Interview at 15:18

video_pk 78096 · mention_pk 189341

Click to watch at 15:18 · YouTube ↗

Pros

none

Cons

none

Thematic elements

Comparison games

Elder Scrolls
Gloomhaven

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

Mechanics unknown.

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)

No references stored for this video.

Too Many Bones

Too Many Bones in about 3 minutes

First Martians - Game Play 3

Ryan & Liz Play The Elder Scrolls, Pt. 3

1000+ Board Game Collection Tour

Too Many Bones

Too Many Bones in about 3 minutes

First Martians - Game Play 3

Ryan & Liz Play The Elder Scrolls, Pt. 3

1000+ Board Game Collection Tour

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