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Game Info
Year
2015
Players
1-4
Age
13+
Playtime
60 min
Complexity
2.6/5
Collection
Your Tier
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Description
In XenoShyft: Onslaught, a strategic base defense deck-builder, players take on the role of the NorTec Military, charged with defending their base against the onslaught of the alien "Hive".
XenoShyft: Onslaught combines classic deck-building and resource management with fast-paced combat and unique "base defense" elements. As the game progresses, each player builds up their deck of Troop, Equipment, and Item cards, which they will in turn use to defend the base against incoming enemies in deadly combat.
It is up to the players to work together in order to outlast the horrors awaiting them by coordinating strategy, utilizing the strengths of their unique divisions (Med Bay, Weapons Research, Science Lab, and Armory), and organizing defense tactics to ensure no player is caught off-guard by surprise attacks.
XenoShyft: Onslaught is a game of tactical decisions and survival horror — and survival is never guaranteed.
Featured Videos
Rules Teach
Xenoshyft - How To Play
Playthrough
Xenoshyft - Game Play 2
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 16
This page: 16
Sentiment:
pos 1 ·
mix 4 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–16 of 16
Video JHbIvrZeMTg
Rolling Dice & Taking Names News at 0:43 sentiment: positive
video_pk 93606 · mention_pk 254135
Click to watch at 0:43 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Bringing something different to the deck builder genre
- Fully cooperative gameplay
- Simple mechanics that are quick to learn (about 5 minutes)
- Layers of depth with upgrades and items
- Strategic elements in moving characters between lanes
- Dead characters returning to deck
- Brutal difficulty that requires teamwork and thought
- Surprise reveals from face-down alien cards
- Positive reviews from convention attendees
- Demo table has been busy
- Clever design in the wave ramp-up
- Losing can feel like 'if only I had X' which encourages jumping back in
- Can play multiple games back-to-back
- Quick turnaround time for production due to being card-based
- High-quality, aesthetically pleasing artwork
- Consistent art style across components
- Built in a new universe that can tie into other company IPs
- Potentially lower price point due to being card-based
Cons
- The game is 'super hard'
- Single player is not recommended for completing full waves
- Some players might initially think it sounds similar to Zombicide
Thematic elements
- Cooperative defense against alien invasion
- A planet being strip-mined by aliens
Comparison games
- Hearthstone
- Zombicide
- Arcadia Quest
- Chaos Ball
- Alien
- Aliens
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Combat Resolution — Mechanics are simple where a card's attack and damage map against an alien's attack and damage, similar to Hearthstone.
- cooperative play — Four players work together to defend their base from aliens.
- Deck Building — Players acquire more cards as the game progresses, improving their hands, and dead characters return to the deck.
- Lane Combat — Actions and attacks are resolved in specific lanes, with characters mapping against each other.
- randomization — Alien cards are dealt face down, and the market slots for buying cards have some randomness.
- Resource Management — Players buy upgrades, special items like grenades, and technology.
- tower defense — Players defend lanes against incoming aliens, similar to computer tower defense games.
- Variable player powers — Players choose a division of the base at the start, which grants them a special power (e.g., Med Bay for healing, Armory for using grenades).
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a xenoshift and it's a card based game that we think is bringing something different to the deck builder genre
- it's a fully cooperative game where four players are trying to defend their base from these kind of angry aliens as they're strip mining this planet
- basically it's a deck building game with a tower defense mechanic and a sci-fi theme
- it's brutal it's it's super hard
- the best part about it is the alien cards you only ever see the alien card that you're currently fighting the other ones are face down even though they've been dealt out and although it's a kind of a simple mechanic when you flip that card over and you see what's next that reveal is a moment for everybody playing
- when you lose when you flip that one that one nasty alien over that destroys your lane and does a ton of damage to your base you go had that been a different alien or had I had a grenade we would have been all right
- the difference between the movie alien and aliens right alien is this kind of horrific moment of like oh this is so scary and these people outstand no chance and then in aliens there's parts where you're rooting for the marines because they're just blasting people away and you're having this you know awesome time this action movie time and when you buy that one big unit that turn feels like that action movie
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video pcCan3ypPPU
Watch It Played Discussion at 0:46
video_pk 92417 · mention_pk 249596
Click to watch at 0:46 · 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)
- I don't review games I'm not trying to sell you the games that we feature I hope that you can watch learn how they're played see if they might be a good fit for you and you can decide whether the game is or is not something you'd want to pick out
- the influence of business relationships on a media creator work and so a conversation came up over at the secret cabal gaming podcasts Forum sort of talking about this particularly me and Tom going to the cool Min or not Expo and what kind of influence that may or may not have on games that we play and our opinions on them
- I really do think that's an excellent question I wonder it myself sometimes as a viewer of media content created about board games and so I weighed in on that conversation in a rather lengthy reply but I thought that maybe some of you would find that interesting as well it almost could be its own taable talk segment but I'm not sure that's one I would get to right away
- the secret cabal gaming podcast is one of the best podcasts about this hobby that I enjoy I highly recommend you check them out
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video HhAaTHlQAf8
Watch It Played Event Coverage at 1:36 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 92418 · mention_pk 249598
Click to watch at 1:36 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Provides a good challenge
- Keeps tension without feeling insurmountable
- Cooperative in objective and deck construction
- Truly interactive gameplay
Cons
- Lost both times played
Thematic elements
- outlasting the enemy
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players can receive cards from allies, which are then incorporated into their own decks.
- Cooperative deck builder — A one to four player cooperative deck builder where players control an arm of the nortech military.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- hi everyone welcome to watch it played
- I wanted to share with you the experience that I had there just in case some of you were curious about the event
- cool minor not was originally and still is a website where you can post your Miniatures projects and paint jobs for visitors to rate
- it was not a packed event and cool mini plans to keep it as a smaller more intimate experience
- what distinguishes it from other Cooperative deck builders in my opinion is that you truly do interact with one another
- it really is incredible
- it was an absolute riot
- the event was just a really great experience
- what is this well these are zomie Side characters that were designed by very popular illustrators and concept artists that have been working in the games industry for some time
- I hope you enjoyed getting a quick look at the coolman year not Expo
- well once again I hope you did enjoy getting a quick look at the cool Min or not Expo
- but until the next episode thanks for watching
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Cs2ZMgbAfRc
Watch It Played Fundraiser Announcement at 3:05
video_pk 92406 · mention_pk 249592
Click to watch at 3:05 · 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)
- I would caution you not to donate specifically for the perks because they're just not they're not priced at their value it wouldn't be worth it honestly my hope is that instead you'd be donating based on the value of the series to you
- Seth jaffy the designer of eminent domain a game we featured in our series kindly contacted me before the fundraiser and said hey I want to do something special for you I want to design a special watch it play print and play game that you can give away during your campaign how cool is that
- Scott King he's a fantastic photographer writer an allaround nice guy he does these wonderful pictures of board games he's lend his talents a number of different projects and once again he's creating another calendar for 2015 but he's also creating a special watch it played Edition
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2UwrlvcHT3E
Watch It Played Discussion at 47:28 sentiment: other
video_pk 92401 · mention_pk 249583
Click to watch at 47:28 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Fun
Pros
- Fun to play with other people at conventions.
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)
- Love letter she loves love letter
- The first game doesn't mean anything don't worry about it you might mess up a couple of rules worse comes to worse next time you play the game you fix it
- I think the most complex game I've ever played is Empires and Arms
- but munchkin is a game that I've played where it's it's going on on like and on and on and it's because of the luck factor and it's also because of the beat up on the leader
- I think the most played app would be suer Wars I've played like over 300 games of that
- cheaters or jerks that's what we always say
- I don't underestimate the number of people who might be interested in attending don't underestimate the amount of work it's going to be
- I want to win too believe me like I want to win the game that that's fun but um I don't get wanting to win that much that to me seems dangerous or scary
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video rR-zGlhG3PU
Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Analysis at 1:10 sentiment: other
video_pk 92282 · mention_pk 249528
Click to watch at 1:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
null
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)
- From a designer standpoint it didn't disappoint
- I'm not talking about the gameplay I mean who cares about that
- See when I first heard that the publisher was going to change the game's title for the American version I was discouraged
- A unique name gives a game instant mindshare
- At least the new name mysterium continues the brilliant trend of unnecessarily cramming the letter Y into a possibly made up word
- That's how you grab people's attention in today's marketplace
- The market has inevitably become flooded by a sea of game supporting superfluous letters in their titles
- My design theory that anything worth doing it's worth overdoing
- If you want your game to stand out in the marketplace forget innovative mechanisms original gameplay or quality components what you need is an indecipherable name that consumers won't be able to correctly type into a search engine
- Need proof just check out the upcoming wisely named suburbia expansion 5-star
- Try typing that into a search engine that'll wake you up
- It's a brilliant strategy that I'll be employing in the title of my next game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video uAJexnqBGX4
Watch It Played Discussion at 3:16
video_pk 92303 · mention_pk 249540
Click to watch at 3:16 · 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)
- So, thanks again, James and Carrie, for the kind gift.
- If you're a fan of the game Eclipse, then you're going to like this expansion because it provides you with unique ships for all of the different factions, plus some additional tiles and things.
- Congratulations to all of our mispronounced winners.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 375BJYUW-iI
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68663 · mention_pk 164943
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)
- we made a small but very important mistake last episode when we were assigning damage to our base and it had to do with that plague fly so we're actually going to be alive to continue into wave three
- what's the matter over here I did not draw good cards
- this is going to do huge damage
- oh my goodness this is not good at all because you're not going to kill it and it's just going to go away and we're going to be right back where we started
- I quit I don't blame you don't quit me yet Luke
- we lost twice that's what it feels like
- we defeated the boss in wave three that's no joke
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _vnYOczX0Pk
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68664 · mention_pk 164944
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)
- we're down to four life on the base
- it happened uh it happened all good things must come to an end and uh this mining operation has definitely come to an end it's been overrun the base has been destroyed
- maybe we got a little too focused on the spark jumper and that rocket launch launch a and uh should have Diversified a little more
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video A6AxZiAYkkA
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68665 · mention_pk 164945
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)
- some people have been saying they don't think we can make it all the way to the end
- we only have eight health left
- my division special power which lets a player once per round go into the discard pile and pull out a weapon
- you can deploy items you have in your hand to someone else's Lane but my understanding is that that's only possible during the deployment phase
- we don't snack the cards in our favor because that would be cheating and cheaters are jerks right Luke right
- the ranger is going to die to the four Damage Done by the shifter but it will also knock the shifter out
- we've got a pretty good troop at least in my hand here and it works like the paratrooper you can deploy it uh as like an instant but it has slightly better stats does six damage has three life and if it's killed it blows up
- we're going to have to be really thoughtful with our budget here
- confidence restored Ching don't you think that was a pretty good round yeah
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video PkGxt3R21yY
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68666 · mention_pk 164946
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)
- well you know what we started this episode really strong yeah we will rocking a we were rocking it and then we got rocked by these aliens our headquarters is at 8 that's not great but we do have hands full of cards and we need help deploying it maybe if we do this right we can survive a little longer
- so basically this is like a veteran better version of the original Troop that we had
- don't forget my fact I do have Hulk juice right right so if you use that you get to heal something up by too that will be beneficial I'm sure
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video i3rWgHENRvY
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68667 · mention_pk 164947
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)
- hi everybody welcome to watch it played
- my name is Rodney Smith and this is Luke Smith
- in this episode we're gonna start our playthrough of eggs in ocean Xeno shift the X is silent even though it's there
- Oh aliens are coming
- we're going to show you close-ups of each of these cards you can read their effects look how much Xena saved them
- all right well do you deploy anything else you can deploy I a booster injection in hand but it's an instant right so that will come out during the gameplay possibly
- so we have to deal for aliens from wave one into each of the lanes and then we have to fight them
- the drone is going to be able to kill Luke's troop right yes because gonna do two damage that will knock you out but you won't kill us no right because two damage is gonna be reduced by one it has to health so I'm going to use my hope juice okay so this is the booster injection
- this is actually this is actually bad
- ate Daniel oh we doubled the total damage that was done to our base compared to the last round we do that every single time if we do that every single time this is gonna be a very short series
- you the Alpha gamer problem
- and you can rearrange the troops in the lane so even though I already have some here you can move them around and decide how you want them to be
- if you like what someone suggests give them a thumbs up if you don't like the suggestion propose your own idea maybe someone will vote for that
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 375BJYUW-iI
Watch It Played Playthrough at 0:19 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 68663 · mention_pk 249532
Click to watch at 0:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Defeated the boss in wave three
- Clearing out lanes successfully
- Strategic card combos are satisfying
- Unlocking new abilities in later waves
Cons
- Lost twice
- Made critical rules mistakes
- Encountering difficult enemies that discard cards or add more enemies
- Not close to winning in the end
Thematic elements
- Aliens attacking a base/operation
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card abilities — Many cards have special abilities that trigger under certain conditions, like dealing extra damage or healing troops.
- Combat — Troops and enemies engage in battles, dealing damage based on their power and health.
- Damage carry-over — The 'chainsaw' weapon allows extra damage dealt to one enemy to carry over to the next in the lane.
- Deck Building — Players can 'trade up' cards from their discard pile to acquire new, more powerful cards.
- Hand Management — Players draw and play cards from their hands, deciding what to keep and what to discard.
- Lane Defense — Players deploy troops into lanes to defend against waves of alien enemies.
- Reveal effects — When an enemy is revealed, it often has an immediate effect on the game state.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we made a small but very important mistake last episode when we were assigning damage to our base and it had to do with that plague fly so we're actually going to be alive to continue into wave three
- what's the matter over here I did not draw good cards
- this is going to do huge damage
- oh my goodness this is not good at all because you're not going to kill it and it's just going to go away and we're going to be right back where we started
- I quit I don't blame you don't quit me yet Luke
- we lost twice that's what it feels like
- we defeated the boss in wave three that's no joke
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video PkGxt3R21yY
Watch It Played Playthrough at 0:20 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 68666 · mention_pk 247943
Click to watch at 0:20 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- The game is engaging and requires strategic decision-making.
- The cooperation between players is essential for success.
- The game has a sense of progression with new abilities unlocked in later waves.
Cons
- The base is vulnerable and can take significant damage.
- Some enemies are very difficult to defeat.
- Mistakes in rules interpretation can impact gameplay.
- The player's base is at 8 health, which is not ideal.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Burn Effect — Some effects cause cards to be burned, meaning they are removed from the game and cannot be recovered.
- Card draw — Players draw cards to replenish their hand for future turns.
- Damage Prevention/Healing — Med packs and other abilities can be used to prevent or heal damage to troops and the base.
- discarding cards — Players can discard cards from their hand, sometimes to burn them for discounts or to manage their hand size.
- Enemy Waves — Enemies attack in waves, with increasing difficulty and new mechanics unlocked in later waves.
- Item/Weapon Equipping — Weapons and armor can be equipped to troops to enhance their abilities.
- special abilities — Troops, weapons, and items have unique abilities that affect gameplay.
- Troop deployment — Players deploy troops to lanes to defend against alien enemies.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- well you know what we started this episode really strong yeah we will rocking a we were rocking it and then we got rocked by these aliens our headquarters is at 8 that's not great but we do have hands full of cards and we need help deploying it maybe if we do this right we can survive a little longer
- so basically this is like a veteran better version of the original Troop that we had
- don't forget my fact I do have Hulk juice right right so if you use that you get to heal something up by too that will be beneficial I'm sure
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video A6AxZiAYkkA
Watch It Played Playthrough at 0:20 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 68665 · mention_pk 249533
Click to watch at 0:20 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Strategic use of abilities like the field medic and spark jumper can mitigate enemy damage.
- Clearing a lane of enemies provides a sense of accomplishment.
- The purchasing phase allows for strategic upgrades and troop acquisition.
- Viewer suggestions were incorporated, like remembering to use the division power.
Cons
- Low base health puts the players under pressure.
- Forgetting to use abilities can be detrimental.
- Some enemy combinations are particularly difficult (e.g., two Havocs leading to a buffed lane).
- Running out of cards in the deck requires shuffling, potentially disrupting hand advantage.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Draw/Deck Management — Players draw cards, and one player has run out of cards in their deck, requiring them to shuffle and draw more.
- Combat phase — Enemies attack troops, and troops attack enemies. Some abilities trigger during combat, like preventing damage or boosting attack power.
- Deployment phase — Players deploy troops and weapons into lanes, with the possibility of giving items from hand to another player's lane during this phase.
- Discard Pile Interaction — The 'division special power' allows a player to pull a weapon from the discard pile once per round.
- Lane Management — The game involves managing troops and enemies in separate lanes, with different enemy behaviors targeting specific positions.
- Purchasing/Upgrading — Players can purchase troops and equipment using 'xenos saam' (currency) and by 'burning' (discarding) other cards to reduce costs. There's also a system for upgrading troops, like a heroic paratrooper.
- special abilities — Troops and enemies have unique abilities, such as preventing damage, boosting power, adding effects to other enemies, or forcing cards into enemy lanes.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- some people have been saying they don't think we can make it all the way to the end
- we only have eight health left
- my division special power which lets a player once per round go into the discard pile and pull out a weapon
- you can deploy items you have in your hand to someone else's Lane but my understanding is that that's only possible during the deployment phase
- we don't snack the cards in our favor because that would be cheating and cheaters are jerks right Luke right
- the ranger is going to die to the four Damage Done by the shifter but it will also knock the shifter out
- we've got a pretty good troop at least in my hand here and it works like the paratrooper you can deploy it uh as like an instant but it has slightly better stats does six damage has three life and if it's killed it blows up
- we're going to have to be really thoughtful with our budget here
- confidence restored Ching don't you think that was a pretty good round yeah
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 992DLKFr3Yk
Watch It Played Rules Teach at 0:00
video_pk 68312 · mention_pk 164691
Click to watch at 0:00 · 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)
- your goal isn't to wipe out the alien threat it's to outlast it if you can survive for nine rounds of play and keep the base's health from ever going to zero then you'll win.
- remember this is a Cooperative game you'll win and lose together.
- card text supersedes the rules of the game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–16 of 16