Trick Shot is a tense, tactical, fast-paced game of ice hockey with cool plastic miniatures and a streamlined rule-set. The game strikes a fine balance between luck and strategy, while still being easy to explain and get to the table. Use smart positioning, special abilities of your skaters, and press your luck to outplay your opponent and score the most goals. Whether you are a hardcore hockey fan or a board-gamer looking for a challenging tactical skirmish, we’ve got you covered!
Trick Shot is played over three periods, each period consisting of 10 turns. Whoever scores the most goals by the end of the third period wins.
On your turn, you may keep activating skaters, as long as the same skater is not activated twice in a row or a turnover is triggered by failing a dice roll. However, after each activation, a die is added to your pool, making each following activation more difficult.
Rolling a Reaction result lets your opponent perform a short move with one of their skaters, limiting the downtime to a minimum.
Double fail results in a penalty and gets your skater off the ice and may cost you control of the puck.
Stamina tokens can be used to mitigate luck by re-rolling failed activations.
-description from designer
PAXU Haul & Recap!
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- we are moving studios that is happening
- thank you so much for all the support
- we're hoping to attend conventions we want to start meeting some of you guys
References (from this video)
- Best sports game ever played
- Best hockey game ever played
- Neat dice mechanics
- Elegant and simple ways to create different game dynamics
- Snappy and fast-paced
- Retains a dynamic, fervent feel
- Hard to get the game
- Hockey
- Blood Bowl
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Play — different card abilities that you can kind of toss in to the game that just change up the gameplay just a little bit just enough to keep it fresh
- Dice Rolling — the dice mechanics in this are really neat
- Push Your Luck — increasing sort of almost like an exponential push your luck where you start adding more more dice to the pool to give you you know more possibility to do cooler cooler things but then you have more chances of it kind of blowing up in your face
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Man that really makes it sing
- All the other parts of the game just really make it a fun fun play
- This one boy Ankh is really good man
- This is one of my favorite games of all time now by far
- The solo app is freaking amazing
- It's like a subversion of about what power is
- The way that those all those things kind of swirl together is really really cool
- Don't sleep on this one if you can get it
- Heroquest is great
- The solo mode is really cool though
- The solo mode is really really well done
- Third edition has been great mostly like mostly great
- The narrative stuff is what sucks it and pulls it all the way at the top of the list again
- This is basically the same game as clash of cultures it's just way better
- Clash of cultures is definitely in my top 10 games of all time
- Which is totally new game but also kind of just Frostgrave in space
- I've had a really a lot of fun playing Stargrave
- The solo stuff is much better I think in Stargrave than it is in Frostgrave
References (from this video)
- faithful hockey feel with compact rules
- rapid, engaging turns
- cards and arena cards add depth
- best with 2 players; less ideal with 3-4
- not as widely applicable beyond 2-player play
- recreating hockey with a strategic card-dice-driven system
- tabletop hockey game
- game-centric rather than narrative-driven
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice pool / action economy — start with one die, add dice as you take more actions, risking busts
- limited turns with risk management — busts cause penalties; stamina tokens allow re-rolls
- Risk Management — busts cause penalties; stamina tokens allow re-rolls
- shared arena and team cards — Arena cards and line-change cards customize play and team style
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's not by no means a 10 out of 10 game
- value in the box is incredible
- the cards are the best thing about this game
- this is the number one game of the year for me
References (from this video)
- beautiful art
- fast play (15 min)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- set collection / bluffing — play cards face down or up for effects; points based on choices
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Gen Con was everything it was cracked up to be this year.
- it's a crisis management game that hits on all cylinders
- I think this game is going to be off the hook
- I would love to cover this game because these things are so cool
References (from this video)
- Has some English rules
- Sounds really cool
- Pool
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Trick-Taking — Described as a 'pool themed trick taking game'.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is the only game that I just straight up asked for this is this is actually iconic this is the only game in the history of uh Foster the meele that Jamie went up and just said hey I would really like a copy of that game
- I'm not like super big into RPGs but this is one that could get me into RPGs
- it is literally a pile of squishy poops
- I really wanted to focus this packs on getting um games that are really hard to find in Canada
- unless yeah something drastically changes just financially it does not make any sense for us to go
- we'll see what that other 10% says
References (from this video)
- Gorgeous appearance with beautifully painted miniatures.
- Decent push-your-luck element that keeps players engaged.
- Significant variety in locations and player attributes leads to replayability.
- Reactions can be frustratingly limited, allowing opponents to score easily.
- The board is a 'table hog' and feels larger than necessary.
- The scoreboard does not have a stand, lying flat on the table.
- Ice hockey sports game
- Ice hockey rink
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose a player to activate and then an action to perform on their turn.
- Dice Rolling — Used for actions like moving, passing, shooting, poking, and hitting. Success often depends on not rolling 'X's.
- Line Change — Allows players to refresh stamina tokens, enabling more rolls in the future.
- passing — Players can pass the puck to other players. Difficult passes have specific rules and consequences for failure.
- penalties — Can occur if certain difficult actions, like a hit, are failed.
- Player Attributes/Traits — Player cards give unique temperaments or attributes, influencing actions and providing variety.
- Player movement — Players move based on their speed attribute, moving diagonally or forwards.
- Push Your Luck — Taking more actions increases difficulty, tied thematically to stamina. Chances of success are not game-breakingly awful.
- Reactions — Opponents may get a reaction to an action, though these are limited.
- shooting — Players can shoot to score goals, with restrictions on where and when it can be performed.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is one of the best looking sports games that we have ever come across
- the game's got a decent push your luck element
- Aside from this minor foible Trick Shot Second Edition is probably the best sports game that we have played for a very very very long time
References (from this video)
- Thematic integration with billiards
- Increasing pressure and decision space as rounds progress
- Engaging trick-taking with a unique theme
- Described as challenging; not explicitly stated as a drawback, but implied by the mechanics
- pool/trick-taking
- billiards-themed world
- Age of War
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- ascending_descending_order — Round leader announces whether the cards are better in ascending or descending order.
- potting_scoring — Round ends when the eighth ball (the 'matic') hits the table; scoring based on cards matching pocket with penalties for pots.
- secret_pocket_card — Players secretly pocket a card to indicate stripes or solids.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I demoed this and it's the best game in the Key series since Keyflower.
- Keyflower is just frankly a miraculous game. It's so fun.
- I'm very excited about trying this one.
References (from this video)
- hockey players
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Movement — You have a bunch of hockey players moving around.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- A frenetic 10-minute game from Queen.
- This is one of the key games I have not played. This is the sixth one.
- That's a cool name.
- I felt it could have done a little better. Um, it's it's almost too slight for me.
- I found it a little too fiddly, but as you can see, it's moving up in ranks.
- So it it's kind of funny it took him so long to come out with an Axis and Allies World War I game.
- I know I enjoyed it, but also it's 10 years ago, so it's hard to remember.
- This is the prequel to Clue where you're going around trying to kill Dr. Lucky.
- And I found it to be a lot of fun.
- If you like He-Man, this really brings it out.
- I've heard good things about this game, but I have never played it.
- This game is very weird and unique but I like it.
- This is one of the classic war games.
- It's running a kind of like an engine building thing through the space station.
- I liked it, but it has been a while.
- This is the OG Fury of Dracula game.
- I have never played Peanuckle. I know a little bit about it, but it's interesting to see this one kind of rated way here in the middle.
- I find it very odd that they are they're basically the same game. I'm not sure why they have two separate entries.
- Bidding to take Bowolf down a path has almost nothing to do with the theme.
- I liked it fine.
- I do like that you use the box and stuff as terrain.
- This is kind of a holy grail for many people.
- I'm not as big on the horror theme as many other people are, but I know people like this concept here of horror games running around.
- Of the ones I talked about today, I think Masters of the Universe, the board game, um, is my favorite.
References (from this video)
- Captures the essence of hockey very well.
- Fast, exciting, and snappy gameplay.
- Strategic depth with line cards and arena abilities.
- Tense decision-making between pushing your turn and refreshing.
- Good component quality, especially pre-painted miniatures and scoreboard.
- Works perfectly as a two-player game.
- Offers a fresh take on dice mechanics.
- Asymmetric elements through line cards and arenas.
- Face-offs are always at center ice, never in offensive zones.
- Breakaway situations can sometimes feel like pure luck, though rare.
- Some quirky moments can occur, especially early in the game.
- Minor gripe about the player aid cards not being part of the game.
- hockey game
- hockey rink
- Blood Bowl
- Blitz Bowl
- Rumble Slam
- Concordia
- Flotilla
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose from a variety of actions like move, pass, shoot, poke, or hit, each with associated dice rolls and potential consequences.
- Area Movement — Players move their miniatures across the hockey rink board, with movement rules dictated by player speed and board conditions.
- card drafting/hand management — Players use a hand of line cards, each providing a special team ability, and these cards are cycled through during the game, with advanced rules for drafting them in league play.
- dice pool building — Players add dice to a central pool as they take actions, increasing the number of dice to be rolled for subsequent actions, which also increases the risk of negative outcomes.
- Dice Rolling — Dice are rolled for actions, with results determining success, failure, or triggering special events. Players add dice to a pool for subsequent actions.
- Push Your Luck — Players decide how many actions to take and dice to add to their pool, risking failure to achieve more, or stopping to refresh for the next turn.
- Set Collection — Players cycle through a set of four line cards, aiming to strategically use their abilities before picking them up again.
- stamina/resource management — Stamina tokens are used, and exhausting them limits actions. A 'line change' action refreshes these tokens and allows for cycling of line cards.
- Turn structure — Turns involve adding dice to a pool, performing actions, and potentially triggering failures. A 'line change' acts as a refresh mechanic.
- Variable player powers — Different player positions (goalie, defenseman, winger, center) have distinct stats (size, speed), and line cards provide temporary special abilities.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is one of my absolute favorite sports games.
- This is right there because this is like as close to as perfect a hockey game as I think you could really get and still have it be fun and quick and exciting and snappy and just really engaging without miring down too many mechanics.
- It does the turns are snappy and they quicken and they flow and that you can't undersell that in a sports game.
- Hockey's like the fastest game in the world and this really kind of captures that essence.
- If you're a hockey fan, my god you have to get this, it's so fun.
References (from this video)
- hockey
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice Rolling — You are rolling dice pushing your luck trying to score a goal.
- Push Your Luck — You are rolling dice pushing your luck trying to score a goal.
- special abilities — All of your players have different special abilities.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- In honor of the Super Bowl here are five great board games based on Sports
- I hope your team wins the Super Bowl and I also hope your team is the 49ers
References (from this video)
- Brilliant translation of ice hockey to a board game
- Strong balance between realism and playability
- Versatile with arena and home-field variations
- Can slow down due to tactical depth
- Not a light, casual hockey experience
- sports simulation translated to board game
- ice hockey on a tabletop
- Grand Austria Hotel
- Lorenzo Magnificico
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Asymmetric Teams — different team roles with distinct powers create varied strategic options
- dice-driven action resolution — dice pools determine success of actions with line-change elements and pacing akin to real-time sports
- line-change tokens — tokens refresh dice and allow risky play at the cost of potential turn penalties
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the moments where the whole table erupts
- this is definitively the best sports game I've ever played
- the cards are the secret sauce of the game
- it's a brilliant translation of ice hockey to the tabletop
- there's no better example of how variable gear locks can be
References (from this video)
- Highly thematic and close to the feel of real hockey in a board game
- Strong sense of push-your-luck tension that can be exciting and humorous
- Three play modes (quick, regular, arcade) offer flexibility for different players
- Clear asymmetry adds depth and variety between matches
- Rules can be confusing for non-hockey players
- Luck can overwhelm strategy in certain dice-heavy sequences
- Visual design and components can be hard to parse during play, especially for new players
- sporting competition, team dynamics, athletic prowess
- A hockey arena with red vs blue teams, arena modifiers, and in-game fights
- thematic, fast-paced push-your-luck skirmish with asymmetric roles
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Arena cards — Arena cards alter rules or provide constraints (e.g., entering the crease) to shape how you approach plays.
- Asymmetric player abilities — Each arena/position gives different movement speeds and special actions, creating varied strategic options per player.
- Asymmetric Player Powers — Each arena/position gives different movement speeds and special actions, creating varied strategic options per player.
- Dice pool escalation — As you pass the puck and advance, your dice pool grows; you can re-roll via stamina tokens or bench options to keep going.
- Push Your Luck — On each action you roll a pool of dice; successes allow you to continue, failures end the action early unless mitigated by other mechanics.
- Push your luck with dice — On each action you roll a pool of dice; successes allow you to continue, failures end the action early unless mitigated by other mechanics.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the perfect game for this series and it's a perfect game because we're Canadians
- it's very thematic, it plays like hockey, it is as close to a game of hockey you can get in a board game
- I freaking love this game
- this game is going to board game night this week
- I think it's a really good middleweight light middleweight area control game
References (from this video)
- Stunning components and presentation
- Surprisingly deep strategy for a lightweight genre
- Strong thematic integration with dice mechanics
- May be luck-driven for some players
- Not a deep sports sim
- Sports competition with dice and miniatures
- Ice hockey push-your-luck dice game
- Energetic, sports-like environment
- Power Boats
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Board movement and weapon targeting — Move on ice and equip weapons to affect opponents
- Character abilities and routes — Defenders block, Striker scores; each character adds strategy
- Push-your-luck dice drafting — Dice pool grows as you perform actions; you risk busting
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- two action wheels and they interact together
- the best racing game that's been released this year
- hands down the best game that we have played in 2024
References (from this video)
- Compelling gameplay
- Highly visual minis
- Strong two-player focus
- Board can feel empty at times
- Limited player count on ice
- sports simulation
- Ice hockey rink
- excited, descriptive
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice chucking — Roll dice to gain actions; manage risk of busting or stopping
- team/player control — Coordinate positions on the board and goalie management
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Blocky Mountains was infinitely replayable.
- This is an action selection game that involves dice.
- it's a fantastic dice chucking game
- Power Boats looks completely out of dog [ __ ] Looks ugly, unappealing
- the thrill you get of powering through the water and pulling off that amazing prediction of where you're going to go
- I love this game. It's just a nasty feel of it.
- ungrateful [ __ ] bastards.
- kill your own [ __ ] turkey.
- it's one of them stuffy Euro games
- The Mayan Calendar is a gimmick, but it works brilliantly
References (from this video)
- Unique sports theme rarely seen in board games
- Visually appealing on table
- Pre-painted miniatures look cool
- Push mechanism works well for theme
- Streamlined rule set in second edition
- High shipping costs
- Never widely discussed or reviewed
- Difficult to find original version
- Factory painted quality uncertain
- Ice hockey sports simulation
- Ice hockey arena
- Competitive sports
- AG Warp Gate
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Player activation — Activate players to spend stamina
- Push mechanism — Players use push or luck mechanism with dice
- stamina management — Stamina tokens track player actions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Kickstarter is here to stay whether you like it or not
- I give my honest opinions regardless of whether someone a hero or not
- Just because the creator of pandemics on it doesn't make it an instant hit
- This is the best fantasy based story driven campaign game I've ever played
- The value you get is obnoxious... it's obscene
- Put the how to play Early in the campaign all right not miles at the end
- Board games just aren't worth this kind of money anymore
- I'm not spending 330 on this thing
- Money is tighter the world economy has gone to pot
- Quick turns and simple actions is such a marketing tool line that I can't place any reliance on
References (from this video)
- Pure winter hockey vibe
- Accessible for players who like sports themes
- Ice hockey tactics and mini(board) game battles
- Winter hockey skirmish
- skirmish-style with dice and puck-passing
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hockey actions on a board — Roll dice to activate passes, shots, checks; manage team movement on ice
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- winter is coming okay winter is oh shoot
- there's a game called winter this one's perfect good God
References (from this video)
- fresh pool-themed twist on trick-taking
- engaging and memorable with pool-inspired play
- theme may not appeal to non-fans of pool
- pool-based trick-taking with predictive bidding
- pool hall tabletop
- light, thematic pool-room atmosphere
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- predictive betting — each player selects a card to predict the pool ball they aim to score.
- Trick-Taking — standard trick-taking rounds with predictive bids.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Rhinelander is a fantastic abstract strategy game that I truly enjoy playing.
- The artwork is simply superb with stunning visuals that really capture the atmosphere of the game's theme.
- Enguard is an awesome two-player game from Rhino Kinetsia.
- Castle Razor is an abstract strategy game with tile placement and stacking and balancing mechanics.
References (from this video)
- Unique dice system for action resolution
- Thematic hockey flavor
- Rules can be intricate for casual players
- Competitive sports with dice-driven actions
- Sports/hockey themed board game
- Fast-paced, arcade-sports feel
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Choose players and actions, then resolve in sequence
- dice push-your-luck — Roll dice to determine success of actions; more push increases risk
- miniatures-based components — Pre-assembled minis for players
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's really quick it takes around an hour to play feels like this epic scope
- the coolest part is during some of those phases you will also activate all the robots in a single line and they have different powers
- it's one of my favorite Euro games
- I would put it into another person's collection
- we played it just last week
- please be our supporter because it's the best way how we can make these videos and continue making videos