It's time to run from the bulls once again in X nimmt!
This card game starts with the same premise as the well-known 6 nimmt!: Each turn, players all simultaneously reveal one card from their hand, then these cards are placed into existing rows one at a time, starting with the lowest-valued card. If a row is full, then whoever played that final card takes all of the cards already in the row, scoring negative points for all of the bullheads on those cards.
X nimmt! changes these rules a few ways. Each player starts with eight cards in hand and a personal X row. Played cards will be placed into three rows, with those rows being able to hold three, four or five cards. Whenever someone takes cards from a row, those cards go into the player's hand, then the player must play one card into their personal X row.
All cards in this X row must also be played in ascending order! If you can't do this, then you place all of those X cards aside in order to start a new X row, with the value of those set-aside cards now being doubled.
A round ends after someone plays the final card in their hand, and whoever has the fewest negative points after two rounds wins.
This game was called Take A Number when included in the two game set Take 5 & Take A Number.
How to play Slide Card Game
- Was sold out, indicating popularity.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a popularity contest
- those are your gateway games that will eventually lead to the pandemics
- I'm not gonna begrudge anybody to sit and play Monopoly that that's all they know man
- if you like monopoly you might like and then suggest something else
- I will play Monopoly with you anytime as long as we play by the rules
- there's the problem everybody has a slight what do you play with this particular rule no there's no house rules play by the real rules
- I think that's a natural step and I think people could easily go from monopoly to ticket to ride
References (from this video)
- Strong social deduction experience with postmortem depth
- Open-ended discussion and strategy
- Avalon
- Werewolf
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hidden_assigned_roles_with_voting — Players vote to eliminate or elevate players; ghost players influence discussions.
- postmortem_phase — Eliminated players become ghosts and still influence the game.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I really love the competitive mode of landmarks as well.
- the best of both worlds in that team versus team... you can discuss things.
- Luia is a euro game ... what I most like about it simultaneous action selection
- it's a pure social deduction game
- the deluxe AKA second edition ... very accessible game
- it's a trick taking game
References (from this video)
- quick play
- easy to teach online
- can be punishing in hand management
- risk management via card draft/collection
- abstract card game with numerical values
- light, competitive
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — players draft or take cards to avoid taking points (nimmt)
- card drafting / taking cards — players draft or take cards to avoid taking points (nimmt)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is for the podcast listeners
- the art project has that negotiation around the cards
- Six Nimmt is always a classic
- the artwork is truly amazing
- Time Troopers is a solo card game deck builder essentially
References (from this video)
- Magical simplicity
- Unpredictable outcomes
- High social interaction and fun
- Strategy can be undermined by other players' actions.
- Simple card game with negative points
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players draft cards.
- Set Collection — Players aim to avoid collecting negative points.
- Take That — Decisions by other players can negatively impact you.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Play — Players play cards in ascending order on multiple rows, with the last card played determining which row is taken.
- Take That — Players aim to avoid taking cards with negative points.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is where I talk about all of the games that I have been playing over the last couple of weeks
- will it maintain its um top spot this year you'll have to stay tuned to my top 100
- it was quite nice to see that she enjoyed it um as much as we did despite her not really dipping her toe into Euro games yet
- I did have a a bit of a game from hell where nothing really seemed to be going my way
- it's one of the best games ever made in my opinion
- it's going to be a bit of a sleeper hit already I think there's going to be a hidden audience for this one
- it came get very close game actually
- it's becoming one of those games that I would never really turn down
- it's a lot of fun and um you know always guaranteed a good time
- it kind of reminds me of that Nish Shaw of games like high society and so on but this is a good example of the genre
References (from this video)
- straightforward to learn
- fast playing
- family-friendly card shedding
- Classic card-drawing/rumble style
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card dumping — play cards and avoid taking rows with penalty points
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a big tower a big Bluetooth tower that you have to put batteries and it spins and it spews skulls and it makes noise
- the artwork is truly amazing
- Time Troopers is a solo um card game deck builder essentially a deck builder
- World Wonders is a fantastic polyomino tile laying game
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the Restriction is supposed to be and when we moved which was a few years ago now it did get to these shelves are it get the games to fit on those shelves I think we did that and maybe had a bit of room to spare but since moving it's yeah there's a lot of extra shelves downstairs
- 300 is the mark of too much and that includes like the shelves of tiny games of the game and the C crazy
- it's size is driving it more than the numbers and as I said it's it's got a it's got to shrink down to mostly this room and there are big gaps but yeah it'll happen
- Mansions is like a cube to itself Eldritch horror is a Quee to itself
- Shadows of Brimstone that's probably the game that's it's probably tied from tied with Marvel United for a game that's taken up the most amount of space
- box size is the issue and that's why like it's so one of them may be um like Imperial like Imperial was a cool idea and a a great train game but like one of the major things it's get it's got against it is that's one whole cax Cube for that game also box size is the issue
- the game is always a favorite I think we've all got a copy of the game it never needs taken anywhere
- My number one wish list for board game arena is more Cooperative games
- I am continuously and constantly in gam castles of burgundy and I'm still no better at it
References (from this video)
- Line it
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- slide puzzle — Sliding cards to make matching numbers.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is micro macro jigsaw funfair this is a micro macro Crime City jigsaw puzzle which I'm very excited about because well I love puzzles
- from Lucky Duck games we got potions of Aer land now here's a funny story about this game me Jeff and Mike are playing this on BGA cuz I invited them to a game but none of us have learned how to play it and we are all just clicking around and having a great time
- from Capstone games they gifted us with Galileo Galilee and if you'll remember Jeff and I actually covered this game whenever it was on Kickstarter so that I would have been at some point in the past year um so I'm very happy very very happy to have a production copy because we loved this game this is a very very good game
- overall my gamma experience was really good um I got to stay I stayed at an Airbnb with Nick and Mike um from the brothers murf and I think that was the right choice because we saved a ton of money staying at an Airbnb
- the trip itself cost me almost an extra $2500 which was crazy and during that time I also caught the flu
- the sickest I've ever been in my entire life so just know if you are a content creator or somebody in the industry that's considering going it is it does happen during cold and flu season
- if you're interested in buying board games like any of the many that I talked about today you should first start by checking your friendly local gaming store
References (from this video)
- Comes in a nifty sliding box, which is on theme.
- Simpler than Furry Foodies.
- Plays quickly (15-minute game).
- Can be won by teaching the game, implying strategic depth.
- Encourages tactical decisions about placing numbers.
- Players must slide numbers in from a row or column, not place them directly.
- Sliding numbers into a grid to achieve the lowest sum.
- Furry Foodies
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hand Management — Players choose which number to slide into their grid from a selection.
- Negative scoring — The goal is to have the lowest sum of remaining numbers.
- Set Collection — Players aim to have identical numbers adjacent to remove them.
- sliding puzzle — Numbers are slid into rows or columns of a grid to fill gaps.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Stick around at the end of the show because you know there's a music video that might have somebody in it that you might want to watch at the end.
- Technical difficulties. It's on. How about you guys start? Check. Check. Can you hear us over here at the table?
- So, in Sleeping Gods Distant Skies, you are adventurers. This is a one to four player game. You are adventurers who have been sucked through a portal or in a completely different land.
- The cool thing about this game is they give you an introduction booklet. So, there's a lot of moving parts. It has a little comic that gives you the story and everything.
- The combat in this game is kind of cool in uh where you'll have the your monsters and everything. But the way that you attack them is you uh you have these boxes and different boxes do different things.
- The way to defeat a monster is by getting rid of all of their heart squares.
- So, as you're doing quests and events and things like that, you're going to be opening this book to different sections. And it's very storyheavy. There's multiple endings.
- It reminds me of Elder Tour to a degree where you're a bunch of adventurers on a board and you're going around if you want to play this kind of game. You've got to be committed to like just spending a lot of time understanding what's going on, but also time just taking you to accomplish.
- This is a slot machine game, which is a obviously press your luck.
- So, your goal is to try and get three matching items and you'll get to keep those cards if they match.
- This game is for three to four players. We're playing three players right now. And is a trick taking game from all play.
- The interesting thing about Prey is the um numbers on the either side, they're different.
- The way you play this game, it's I think it's a 10 or 15 minutee game. Uh it is pretty quick.
- So, as soon as you stack a second of the same color on a spot, you immediately get a tree.
- Any area that you have started and is not complete by the end of the game is negative two points. That's bad. Any area that has m mismatched flowers is also negative two points.
- The way you play this game, uh, if you've ever played Furry Foodies or watched our video on it, it reminds me of that a lot.
- And whoever has the lowest sum wins. However, every number that is adjacent to an identical number gets removed.
- This is a sort of adventure type game, but it's cooperative. So, all about adventure. So, not quite like an exit or unlock. It's a little bit more story based.
- It was not I would not put it on the It was like light on a light level of but there are but there are choices that you need to make and there are clues in the story that will help you make better choices.
- So we will take turns giving clues and it's two random items and so you'll have a clue for the first item and a clue for the second item and they rhyme.
- All right. So first one is um rescue rangers and where you might die of dysentery.
- Crockpot beef meal and a breakfast food that might be from Paris made with bread.
- Swamps in Florida and inline skates.
- Canada dry or verers and legendary golden cup.
- Crass superhero setting for a musical.
- Mickey Mouse and Full House.
- North versus South. Maryland.
- Friends with Tiger sequel. Great army.
- Frankenstein dance. Uh, PMS woman.
- Beginning calendar. Hoohaha.
- Wholesome grocery store. Uh, the thing you hold when watering your garden.
- Join us Thursday night at 700 p.m. Eastern time for I think we're going to do Between Two Castles or Hutan. We're not sure which one we're doing.
References (from this video)
- Monstrous amount of content.
- Fast gameplay (20 minutes per map).
- Massive amount of content might be overwhelming.
- Could be perceived as boring by some.
- The Mind
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card placement — It is a cooperative the mind kind of game where you're putting cards in order around a clock.
- Cooperative — It is a cooperative the mind kind of game where you're putting cards in order around a clock.
- Puzzle solving — It is a cooperative the mind kind of game where you're putting cards in order around a clock.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Factions that win that have their own abilities that have their own winning combinations.
- It's too heavy for me.
- Yeah, it sounds absolutely amazing.
- Yep. And nobody knows it exists.
- I played Circadian First Light and I liked it.
- Scrolling through this thing with you said with the 300 responses and the people arguing about this game and I s there and it's like it's so amusing. The best part about it is you have these people arguing about Marxism and and uh and democratic socialism everything like that and then you have the people that are just trying vainly to get answers about the mechanics of the game. How does this work with the tricks when you do the thing? And it's just people going back and forth about, you know, screaming about uh, you know, like like how they're going to fix the world or whatever, which I I get it, you know, just it's it's who doesn't do that? But that's that's the part it it reminds me of.
- I watched in disbelief as businessmen voted for a repeat bankrupt, laborers for a boss infamous for stiffing his workers. Evangel evangelicals for a serial adulter for an admitted sexual assaulter. Patriots for a draft dodger who would sell his country's secrets for trivial gain. educated men for an ignoramus. But they did so with fierce gladness in their hearts because what their chosen one had done was open Pandora's box. Yes, the old one filled with the ancient calamities of race hatred and rage and cruelty and blood lust and infinite greed. and tell them that these things were the remedy for all of their grievances, that all their anger was justified, and most important, none of what ailed them was their own fault or ever had been.
- That is like the best paragraph I've ever uh Greg Isles in his book Southern Man.
- That is that is one of the that is uh yeah that was that is one of that is poetry.
- I played it and I could not remember anything. And that's it was such a quarter eater because they would like you'd be dead and it would like make you repeat the the move again and be like, 'Okay, is it left or right or up or down?' And you hit the button.
- No, it was free play, but it was like I played it and I'm like, 'Man, I really loved this back in the day and now I don't like it at all.'
- Everything but the ninjas is easy. The ninjas were like the the the And the ninjas just went on and on and on. You had to defeat like a thousand of them. It felt like
- Happy birthday, Bruno.
- It's just a It's just a It's just a virtual reality pinball.
- The elbow back. It was the most powerful move in the game.
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
References (from this video)
- Handles many players well
- No player elimination
- No narrator needed
- More complex than a typical party game
- Vampires vs. Vampire Hunters
- Dark Victorian
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hidden Roles — You will be either on team vampire or team vampire hunter
- Set Collection — the person with the most stakes placed on them is going to get killed, but the person with the most feasts placed on them is going to become the alpha for the next round
- Social Deduction — You will be either on team vampire or team vampire hunter... every round you're going to be talking, discussing, voting for who you think is a vampire or who you don't think is a vampire.
- Voting — voting for who you think is a vampire or who you don't think is a vampire.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a deck-building game.
- one of the interesting aspects of this is there's 13 ways to win the game.
- Essentially, 13 dark pacts in the game and each of those dark pacts is a unique win condition that feels, you know, it feels like crazy to get.
- You can also play two times and three times multipliers on those cards to double every aspect of the card.
- that just feels like a very satisfying aspect of the game.
- the main mechanism of the game is I split, you choose and that's always one of my favorite mechanisms because it's it's not a difficult game to teach, but it's a difficult game to make decisions.
- So, what do you sacrifice and what do you keep is also an interesting aspect of that one.
- This is a great family game if you want to.
- And so, there's a lot of lying and promising of other people where you're like, "Do you want to go there with me? Nobody else go there.
- I swear to god, don't go there."
- And so, there's a lot of sort of lying and intrigue and where you're going and promises that you're making and stuff like that.
- please, you know, check out my new series. It's all funny and games when it drops in May.
References (from this video)
- Brilliant design.
- Combinations of other liked games (The Mind, The Crew).
- Experience changes based on the player group.
- Each game requires starting from the beginning, limiting progress in long-term plays.
- The Mind
- The Crew
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players select cards to play.
- Set Collection — Players try to collect sets of cards to score points.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- We love Ticket to Ride. It never gets old. It's one of those gateway games that we introduce to people because it's easy enough for you to to understand it if you're not a gamer, but it gives you enough strategy that if you are a gamer, you want to master it.
- This game makes sense. Every time we show it to somebody, we just let them know this is a game. You know, people have a ticket. I said you you everybody's bought a ticket to somewhere. You've either been on a train or a plane. So, you understand the tickets and the destinations. It just makes sense. It's easy to teach the people.
- I think the thing that hasn't changed is the respect for game designers. Um I really I'm I'm really kind of upset about it.
- Well, usually what I tell them is you have to be good at rejection because, oh, when you start out as a game designer, you get a lot of rejection.
References (from this video)
- Unique sounding social deduction game.
- Components look really cool.
- Theme itself (vampires) makes the host want to play it.
- Stands out from the norm of social deduction games.
- Like the different phases (mingling, dining).
- Different icons for different hunters are really cool.
- Vampire hunters trying to figure out which members of their guild are secretly vampires.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deduction — Players need to figure out who the vampires are.
- Hidden Roles — Players have secret roles, with some being vampires and others hunters.
- Set Collection — Sacred relics are mentioned as components that add to the game.
- Social Deduction — Players need to figure out who can be trusted and who are the hidden vampires.
- Voting — Voting tokens are present, implying a voting mechanic.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This game sounds interesting.
- All right, and that, folks, is STAKED. All right. Nice little social deduction game. Very cool looking. I'm really excited to play this one.
- Social deduction games aren't necessarily my thing, but you know, I've been getting more and more into them. And this one looks really unique, really fantastic. I like it.
- this game to me looks really good. I like social deduction games that kind of stand out from the norm.
References (from this video)
- It's a simple game with a lot of depth.
- Many people play it for years trying to find the strategy.
- Some people dislike the chaos.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players draft cards.
- Set Collection — Players try to collect sets of cards.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- That game is funny as heck.
- You will know who your friends are.
- Spirit Island is searching for a new publisher.
- Cascadia is a classic. It's going to be there forever.
- It's a game of chaos that some people can't stand.
- PAX Unplugged is easily my favorite.
- There was a hunger for a certain kind of game that wasn't about, you know, the the trading in the Mediterranean happens to be my...
References (from this video)
- Plays in about 15 minutes
- Game for two to six players
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players draft number cards.
- Grid Building — Players slide cards into their grid of 16.
- Set Collection — Players remove groups of orthogonally connected numbers.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- You can slide into my channel by hitting subscribe for the fewest number of board game videos, one a week at most.
References (from this video)
- Can be forced to take a row of cards as negative points.
- Damage mitigation / points avoidance
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hand Management — Choosing which card to play to avoid taking a row.
- Set Collection — Players avoid taking cards that form rows, which incur negative points.
- simultaneous action — Players simultaneously reveal cards to build rows.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- these games have a tiny footprint so not only is the Box small the actual game itself is pretty small when it's on the table and also these games are very affordable
- it's much more difficult than it sounds and it's actually much more fun than it sounds as well because normally I don't like games like this but this one is tremendous fun
- it's kind of an efficiency puzzle where you are playing with your luck you know can you keep everything in front of you without banking them or are you going to spend that extra time to be a bit more cautious
- it's a lot of fun and if you like games like cockroach poker this is a great alternative that I actually think is a lot better
- it's only six turns so it's lightning fast and again it's a great way to dip your toe into the kind
- very luck dependent but it's charming and it's fast and easy to play
- this one probably the gamest of all of them in terms of I'm being a bit more restrictive and some of the rules being you know a little bit more gamified but it's still super easy to play
- the more cards you play your options quickly start to dwindle and it's all about trying to squeeze every single point out of this game it's a wonderful design and one of the best filler games to come out in the last 5 years or so
References (from this video)
- vampires secretly hiding among hunters; team vs. team deduction
- the annual hunters guild meeting where vampire hunters participate
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Timer — timers include a 3-minute mingling timer and 30-second relic resolution timers
- alpha hunter — the player with the most feast votes becomes the alpha hunter and receives special voting tokens
- dining phase — votes are revealed and outcomes resolved; alpha hunter election and stake/feast tallies occur
- End Game Bonuses — vampires win if they survive; hunters win if all vampires are turned to ghosts or only one hunter remains
- endgame conditions — vampires win if they survive; hunters win if all vampires are turned to ghosts or only one hunter remains
- ghost tie-breaker — ties are broken by ghost players using their voting dials; the newest ghost may cast the deciding vote in some cases
- ghosts — ghost players exist and influence votes with special rules for tie-breaking
- last will — killed players reveal a last will card that can affect future rounds
- mesmerize — the vampire lord can mesmerize a hunter, permanently switching their allegiance
- mingling phase — a 3-minute discussion phase where players discuss who they think are vampires and cast their votes
- sacred relics module — optional relics module with passive, pre-mingling, and post-mingling relics activated in a set order
- timers — timers include a 3-minute mingling timer and 30-second relic resolution timers
- Voting — each player has three voting tokens (two stakes and one feast) used to vote face down to different players
- voting tokens — each player has three voting tokens (two stakes and one feast) used to vote face down to different players
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Be clear that a mesmerized hunter is still considered a hunter for these end game conditions.
- The killed player flips and resolves the top card from the last will deck.
- Ghosts at the main table are not allowed to change the votes they've selected on the dial, however, they can freely get involved in conversation at the table.
References (from this video)
- very light game
- simple card game
- playable with family members
- creates chaos and hilarity
- fun to play in person or online asynchronously
- can be strategic
- a lot is left to chance
- Flip 7
- Push Your Luck
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Push Your Luck — The nature of like flipping all of your cards face up and and just realizing the you know, people taking, you know, a few different rows is just uh it creates a a lot of chaos and and hilarity.
- Row Building — play a numbered card in ascending order in one of a few rows, four rows, right?
- Set Collection — You simply in this game play a numbered card in ascending order in one of a few rows, four rows, right?
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Oftentimes on this channel I feature heavier games, meaning games that are typically longer and have more complex rule sets.
- But ultimately, I've come to realize that the way that I think about and rate games differs completely from a heavier game compared to a lighter one.
- So that's why today I wanted to talk about my top 10 lighter games.
- And so any game below 2.4 though, out of the majority of the ones that I've played, kind of fit that category that I was looking for.
- This game is, I think, my lightest game on this list.
- It still scratches an itch for me that I tend to see in heavier games, you know, it's it's a really light experience and quick and I've had a lot of success teaching this to gamers who weren't familiar with some of these mechanisms and so I think it's a a great hit.
- And so, if you're looking for a light game that provides a lot of tough decisions at this complexity level, then Age of Civilization might be a great game to try.
References (from this video)
- Enhances the concept of 'The Mind'
- Adds more game-like elements compared to 'The Mind'
- Offers strategic communication through card play
- Progressively challenging scenarios
- Provides a sense of accomplishment
- Beautiful production and artwork
- Limited verbal communication still present
- Can involve quiet time at the table
- The Mind
- The Crew
- Bomb Busters
- Eido
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hand Management — Players must play cards from their hand on their turn, with some scenarios restricting which card can be played (e.g., only the leftmost card).
- Limited Communication — Communication is limited; players can discuss strategy before anyone looks at cards, but once cards are revealed, direct communication stops. Communication can also occur through card play and strategic use of face-up cards.
- Push Your Luck — Players have limited chances to succeed at a scenario, with mechanics like 'envelopes of regret' allowing them to skip difficult puzzles, implying a level of risk and potential failure.
- scenario progression — The game is played through a series of 40 clocks, or scenarios, that get progressively harder, with new rules and components introduced.
- Set Collection — Players play cards to specific spots on a clock face, aiming for a cascading amount of cards that go up in value.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I happen to think everything is a game that we cover on this channel.
- This game take time definitely takes the same sort of concept enhances it in a way that I personally think could be for people of both categories.
- This definitely adds a game to it. And not just a game, it is a puzzle game.
- It's a lot more like the crew in that aspect of like as you play cards around this clock, you're kind of signaling signaling things to other players because there are a few rules to every clock.
- This is like the the thinky puzzle gamers game for sure.
- there's quiet time, but then and this isn't as long this part, but the time when you reveal is not quiet because you're flipping it over and you're all experiencing at the same time how well you did.
- it really does uh provide a really interesting team building cooperative like ramping up experience that I think again this is another game where I think you're going to play it and even if you fail you're going to play more.
- it is absolutely gorgeous. every aspect of this game.
References (from this video)
- Elegant, evolving puzzle that's rewarding to solve
- Strong 3-4 player drafting dynamic
- Compact playtime with depth
- Looks bland visually and lacks direct interaction
- Might be inaccessible to players who dislike abstract puzzles
- numbers, spatial reasoning, and puzzle solving
- abstract, number-placement puzzle on a grid; dynamic sliding puzzle across rounds
- puzzle-focused, non-narrative
- Bridge
- Canasta
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Compound Scoring — Points come from numbers that are not in any group, encouraging forming groups
- Drafting — Players draft a card and place it revealed, shifting existing cards to fill gaps
- Scoring based on non-grouped numbers — Points come from numbers that are not in any group, encouraging forming groups
- Sliding puzzle dynamics — After drafting, players slide their remaining cards to maintain groups and open edges
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this feels like those little slide puzzles that you play with as a kid
- you always have to slide the number in you can't ever just add it to an empty spot
- it's really satisfying when you can take two numbers that are far apart and make them come together
- it's a puzzle that you are figuring out
- a spatial puzzle that constantly evolving and shifting
- this is one that we're going to keep
- you only have half of the information when you see the cards
- depending on how many cards you have dictates what bonus or negative you'll get
- the silent passing between players creates a fun bit of social interaction
- it's interesting that you can't talk about the card you looked at
- this is definitely four to five players and it's a mean card game
References (from this video)
- quick play with a strong tension to optimize end-game scoring
- easy to teach but with meaningful decisions
- potential for solitaire-like focus if players lock into optimal chains
- tile/slot optimization with sliding cards
- abstract puzzle with a 4x4 grid
- high-stress, fast-paced drafting
- Calico
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players reveal and select cards, sliding others up in the row.
- card reveal and draft — Players reveal and select cards, sliding others up in the row.
- grid-based tile drafting — Reveal and slide cards on a 4x4 grid, aiming to minimize final scores.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a murder mystery kind of uh... set in Paris in the 1920s
- the arc at the end goes bam
- it's a tug of war game because you have two boards going on
- this is the Dark Horse of the show
- Pac-Man edition of corridor doesn't come in this size regularly
- it's a pushy luck dexterity game
- the whole concept of hate drafting I know that very well
References (from this video)
- surprising depth for a light title
- great for introducing new players to Euro-style thinking
- some may find the end-game tension stressful
- stressful yet approachable strategy
- abstract puzzle game with theme of sliding cards
- humble and accessible
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- sliding card tableau — Reveal and slide cards to optimize end positions and minimize scores.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a murder mystery kind of uh... set in Paris in the 1920s
- the arc at the end goes bam
- it's a tug of war game because you have two boards going on
- this is the Dark Horse of the show
- Pac-Man edition of corridor doesn't come in this size regularly
- it's a pushy luck dexterity game
- the whole concept of hate drafting I know that very well
References (from this video)
- classic, quick play
- easy to pick up
- some players may find it repetitive
- numerical ranking with risk
- card game
- classic family game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting / trick-taking — players play cards trying to avoid taking lots of cards
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- One of the greatest experiences I've ever had playing a board game ever.
- It's all about board games, but especially the people who play them.
- This is Look Back, a series that I do where I talk about games that I reviewed one year ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago, and 20 years ago during this time frame.
References (from this video)
- fast, chaotic, and accessible
- fun interplay of risk and luck
- potentially punishing to unlucky players
- humor may depend on group vibe
- risk management with numbers
- abstract dice-row puzzle
- chaotic, quick-fire decision making
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- risk vs reward placement — players decide whether to take a risky placement or wait
- row-based tile placement / card row — players place cards to form rows; filling a row forces penalty
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's free it doesn't need a fancy computer
- it's a race to get to the top of three parts and when someone finishes one that path is closed
- perudo is an old classic that still holds up
- it's a game of survival
- it's like traversing an IKEA where there's only one of everything
- six nymph is fast chaotic fun
- it's every man or woman for themselves at each other's throats
- Cult Express is a rollicking fun not to be taken seriously
References (from this video)
- Fast, chaotic, and accessible
- Great social interaction during play
- Can be punishing and chaotic for some players
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card placement / row management — Players place cards into rows with increasing values, aiming to avoid taking cards
- scoring penalties — Bad cards give penalty points; aim to minimize total score
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Hanabi is such a unique game I don't think I've ever really played anything super like it before
- we have never been so in sync in our lives
- it's a riot every time we play it
- this is a true top ten they are ranked
References (from this video)
- Fast-paced, chaotic but approachable for families
- Solid light-to-midweight footprint suitable for groups 2-8
- Beautiful, tactile components and a transforming box that adds charm
- Clear iconography and readable board layout once you know the rules
- Engaging with thematic extras like Eagles and Salt that add variety
- Tile-draw randomness can dampen agency to some players
- Optimal play is often with 5+ players; small groups may feel a bit light
- Penalty-heavy rounds can slow momentum and may frustrate casual players
- Ibexes navigating a treacherous alpine terrain while tiles are drafted and risked on the edge
- A mountain landscape with a cliffside path, featuring ibexes, eagles, salt landmarks
- Lighthearted, whimsical, family-friendly with playful animal imagery
- Take Five
- 6 Nimmt!
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- board transformation — The physical box transforms into the board, and the component design reinforces thematic immersion and tactile appeal.
- Hand Management — Players draw six tiles, keep them secret, and choose one to play each round, balancing risk and hidden information.
- risk and penalty scoring — Certain spaces on the board impose penalties or modify scoring, creating incentives to avoid edges or dangerous spaces.
- Simultaneous Reveal — All players reveal their chosen tile at once and then resolve placement to the board, driving a shared sense of tension.
- tile drafting and row placement — Tiles are placed into rows according to numeric order and per-row rules; completing a row triggers scoring penalties and shifts.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "Dance of Ibexes is a family game with hand management mechanics"
- "The game play is fun and chaotic"
- "The transforming box is one of the Publishers signature Productions"
- "I loveed the theme and setting"
- "Best with five or more players and typically takes around 45 minutes"
References (from this video)
- Very easy to learn
- Fast rounds
- Good for late-night filler play
- Not deeply thematic
- Limited depth for long-term play
- Casual, filler-style card game
- Abstract, light strategy
- Relaxed, quick-play pacing
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Push Your Luck — Players make risk-reward choices with each play to maximize points.
- push-your-luck — Players make risk-reward choices with each play to maximize points.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this year is flying by
- The Crew is just a perfect nice and easy cooperative game
- i've been really enjoying six nymph
- Phantom Ink is a really great game and would highly recommend it
- Mind Management is a masterpiece
- So Clover by Repost Production is climbing the rankings