Game Info
Players
2-4
Age
10+
Playtime
75 min
Collection
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Description
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 9
This page: 9
Sentiment:
pos 7 ·
mix 2 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–9 of 9
Video zTHJdeponQ4
Review at 0:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 67862 · mention_pk 164134
Click to watch at 0:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Production is so good and beautiful.
- The marbles rolling down is a lot of fun.
- Making dams is a delightful toy factor.
- More complex than it looks.
- Makes hard choices every turn.
- Getting the right color marble is paramount importance.
- Getting more villagers is important.
- Fairy tokens are important.
- High cost value analysis.
- Fun risks involved.
- Variety of different villagers makes it a different puzzle each time.
- Simple game done quite well.
- Easy to add modules to keep the game fresh.
- Lived up to the fun of the gimmick.
Cons
- No score pad.
- No round tracker.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — collect different cards, which will be giving you powers and collecting in-game scoring conditions as well.
- Resource management — you can also discard pairs of the same card to activate an ability.
- set collection — a two to four set collection worker placement style game.
- worker placement — a two to four set collection worker placement style game that utilizes this riverboard with marbles that are going to be pouring down into the basement. And on your turn, you'll be placing your workers to kind of make dams and then collect different cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The joy of the game is the damn marbles rolling down.
- It's just a delightful toy factor that really works in game.
- It is way more complex than it looks.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video lbTSy1pU5FU
Review at 0:32 sentiment: positive
video_pk 67572 · mention_pk 163711
Click to watch at 0:32 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Visually appealing with the marbles rolling down the slope.
- Simple and easy to learn, suitable for families.
- Cozy and charming atmosphere.
- The marble gimmick is effective and draws attention.
- Good for game cafes due to ease of teaching and visual appeal.
Cons
- Player scaling is a problem; works best with four players.
- Iconography for breeze and cloud fairies is too similar, causing confusion.
- The rulebook could be trimmed as it repeats itself.
- Replay value might be limited due to similar villagers and unchanging premise.
- Color differentiation can be an issue for colorblind players.
- Only two fairy tokens are provided for multiple players.
Thematic elements
- 12 rivers
Comparison games
- Potion Explosion
- Gizmos
- Golem
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players will have these action markers on a turn track down the bottom of the board here... players will take it in turns each round to take from the top if it's a first turn marker and they will place it in one of the notches on the rivers.
- card drafting — The idea is is now they have caught on these markers. So now starting from the top left and going across in this fashion, you players will take it in turns to take a marble from the collection that is done there.
- Marble rolling — You have a board set up on a slope incline. There are marbles set up on top of each of the 12 rivers... players will do what everybody looks forward to and release the marbles out. So out they come and they basically roll down the rivers as such.
- Resource management — The rivers come with several notches in different locations and they cost cards as a currency... Players will basically have a hand of cards that they will micromanage as the game goes on. And this is effectively a resource.
- set collection — Villagers are essentially point scoring opportunities where when you put certain color marbles on based on their criteria, you'll score victory points at the end of the game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a game from Good Games Publishing. Thanks for the review copy. And it is 12 Rivers.
- Suffice to say, this one is meant to improve on the first one. But, this is meant to be a game using marbles.
- It's not to say that I'm addicted to marbles. I used to play them in school, you know, flick them around and stuff, but you know, it's just the fact that they don't get used as a game component these days.
- So, uh, is it just a little bit of a gimmick just to make you go, "Oh, that's cool." And then you move on, or is there actually some weight behind this?
- But if you go to certain locations, like this one here, you can pick up fairy tokens. These are basically little special abilities that you can trigger during the game.
- But the idea is is that over the course of a round, these markers are going to populate the board.
- And then you do what everybody looks forward to and release the marbles out.
- The most complicated aspect of this game is probably the cards themselves in terms of their abilities. And even then, the abilities are not that crazy hard.
- So, there's no difficulty there.
- Although why did they only print two? Don't be tight. You're already printing out all this. Print one per player. Don't give me none of this share between two players nonsense.
- But the only thing I do have a problem with the fairy tokens is that the iconography for the breeze and cloud fairies is too similar.
- So, it's a nice simple game. Is it fun to play? Yeah, it's generally quite a nice fun cozy game. This is not one that's going to burn your brain out in terms of weight and depth.
- It may be a little bit of a gimmick, but it's a gimmick that works.
- Trust me, it's not an issue. I mean, I've been playing this game a bunch of times for a review, and most of these nodules feel still pretty tight.
- I think people may be overplaying the fact that it's foam core a little bit too much. Trust me, it's fine.
- If you are color blind, you want to take a look at these colors and see if you're comfortable.
- It's a very simplistic game, but it's cozy. It's family weight. I would dare say I would even call this close to gateway level.
- The player scaling is one of its problems.
- So, player scaling is a problem, but honestly, just keep playing this with four. It's a fine little game.
- It's charming. It's cozy. It's not going to blow your mind. It's not really bringing anything massively new to the table.
- So, that's it for me on this episode of the Broken Mele.
- Let me know your comments down below. Did you play the first edition? Can you compare the two? That would be great to have as useful information.
- And failing that, do you agree or disagree with any of the stuff I've said about this game? By all means, let me know your thoughts down below.
- Remember, regardless of where your marbles are going to flow down a river, it's still only a game. So, bye for now.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video j5R24L8d5BM
Top List at 8:08 sentiment: positive
video_pk 67505 · mention_pk 163625
Click to watch at 8:08 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Unique marble run at the center is visually appealing.
- Has a solid game beneath the visual gimmick.
- Features engine building, worker placement, and card comboing.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- engine building — there's just a lot of uh there's like engine building and worker placement and card comboing in the game.
- Marble Run — There is essentially a marble run at the core of 12 rivers.
- set collection — And then you're using those pearls to fill in um little like citizen cards.
- worker placement — you are essentially doing worker placement and you are getting rid of cards, discarding cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- And it doesn't seem like it's slowing down anytime soon.
- And because I play a lot of games, it's really important to me to find games that feel like nothing else that f I want to find games that do something different that scratch an itch in my brain in a different way because I've never seen it before.
- And I feel like all 10 of these games did stand out for various different reasons. They feel different than other games out there.
- And I dare you to find a more unique theme in all of the board game industry.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video QSce5R48sRA
Unknown Top 10 List at 7:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66404 · mention_pk 161680
Click to watch at 7:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- high strategic tension and decision trade-offs
- multiple ways to optimize and score
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- color collection and resource management
- river system with pearl colors and blockades
- tactical, strategic
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area blockade placement — place blockades along the river to guarantee colors or bonuses
- color collection / scoring — collect colors to fulfill cards and gain points
- first-to-claim bonuses — being the first to place in spots yields bonuses
- set collection — collect colors to fulfill cards and gain points
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Hello and welcome to 2026. So this year I am doing four lists for my top games of 2025.
- This is the medium box game list.
- What would you put in this category? What do you think of my choices?
- Parks and Potions. This is a wonderful game. It looks amazing.
- I adore this game. I cannot wait for the expansion to come out in 2026.
- The artwork on this is incredible. It is really, really fun.
- This game for only being in a box this size is a table hog, but it is really cool.
- Obviously, I enjoy an ocean theme.
- There’s a ton of amazing tiny components in here with no lid.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video SIXtvRyYbWk
Board Game Buzzz Review at 0:22 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 64581 · mention_pk 158049
Click to watch at 0:22 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Very approachable for families and kids
- Engaging marble track gimmick that is well-executed
- High-quality production and artwork
- Simple, accessible resource management through cards
- Clear and intuitive scoring mechanics
Cons
- Limited replayability and potential lack of tension
- Balance among fairy tokens and cards might favor certain choices
- Mechanics can feel forgiving; opportunities for strategic tension are limited
Thematic elements
- collection and management of pearls via a marble-based river system
- ancient forest tribes along a river, collecting pearls
- abstract puzzle-like with a strong emphasis on mechanism and color goals
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bonus tokens/cards (fairy tokens, fishing nets) — Bonus actions that modify placement, collection, or board state during a round.
- character cards with slots — Character cards provide ongoing benefits and slots to store pearls.
- end game bonuses — Score is accumulated from pearls on character cards and other end-game bonuses.
- end-of-round and end-game scoring via character cards — Score is accumulated from pearls on character cards and other end-game bonuses.
- hand management — Having duplicate cards enables activating their abilities when drawn or held to spend later.
- hand management and duplication activation — Having duplicate cards enables activating their abilities when drawn or held to spend later.
- marble track/race mechanic — Marbles roll down a track and are selected by players based on their track positions.
- resource storage on llamas — Collected marbles are placed on a llama/alpaca token and can trigger bonuses when requirements are met.
- token/zone placement — Players place tokens into river zones, with higher zones costing more cards to access.
- Track advancement — Marbles roll down a track and are selected by players based on their track positions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- there really is just something so genuinely fun about having marbles on a track, right?
- it's not a gimmick just for gimmick sake. I actually found it really engaging
- This is a game that is currently in our collection and will be in our collection for the foreseeable future
- the production, everything feels super sturdy
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ChP9gH9NATw
Allies or Enemies Review at 0:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 63740 · mention_pk 157243
Click to watch at 0:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong, visually appealing components (marbles and mountain) that enhance the tactile feel
- Accessible gateway game with meaningful depth via card powers and end-game synergies
- Pleasant art style and component design that fit the theme
- Good player interaction through strategic placement and blocking
- Solid four-player sweet spot with full board activity
Cons
- Light on narrative; story is minimal
- Some variance and risk due to the marble track and opponent card effects
- Two-player mode reduces marble availability and may feel less tense
- Requires some time to grasp the dual-use of cards (actions and powers)
Thematic elements
- Array
- Andean mountain village
- Minimal
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card play / hand management — A hand of cards is spent to move and take actions; powers require pairing cards of the same kind to activate.
- Endgame scoring via multiple tracks — Scores come from pearls, alpaca bonuses, and villagers with distinct end-game scoring conditions.
- hand management — A hand of cards is spent to move and take actions; powers require pairing cards of the same kind to activate.
- Indirect interaction / competitive blocking — Players can place tokens higher on the mountain to potentially steal or block others' desired pearls.
- Racing / marble track — Pearls (marbles) race down a mountain track; visibility of the track affects planning and risk.
- set collection — Players collect pearls onto an alpaca and later on villagers, with scoring tied to endgame sets and alpaca limits.
- Set collection / resource timing — Players collect pearls onto an alpaca and later on villagers, with scoring tied to endgame sets and alpaca limits.
- tile placement — On your turn you take a tile from the track and place it on the board (rivers, village, or lake) to influence costs and opportunities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it is sneakily mean.
- This is a gateway game, but it does that thing you're expecting it to do pretty well.
- the components are terrific. And I like that, you know, the marbles fit nicely on top of those villagers
- you can only keep so many pearls on your alpaca
- the mountain's really nice. It's this foamy thing that has just the nice right space for the marbles to run down
- That kind of indirect meanness that I think a lot of folks really like out of a game like this
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video i1BnK8irdU4
Jamie, Tabletoptiktok Review at 0:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61376 · mention_pk 154053
Click to watch at 0:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Engaging pearl collection and river placement
- Clear progression with villagers and gates
- Multiple scoring paths and color-value pearls
Cons
- Rules can be dense for new players
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)
- 12 Rivers is such a fun and clever game and I absolutely loved it
- This is a delightful game to load up the pearls in each of the five rounds
- I highly recommend 12 Rivers
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2wRJ-An53Nc
BoardGameCo Review at 0:01 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 42089 · mention_pk 127750
Click to watch at 0:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- high toy factor that is visually engaging to watch marbles flood the board
- strong interaction around competing for marbles and villager access
- rich potential for synergy between villager abilities and card play
Cons
- token powers feel imbalanced or underwhelming at times
- card-driven economy can overshadow flavorful abilities, reducing fun variety
- replayability can feel limited after the first few plays due to similar goal structures and villager combos
Thematic elements
- tile/resource allocation and scoring via villagers and marbles
- A river-based landscape where players manage villagers and marbles across a river-drawn tableau
- procedural/abstract
Comparison games
- Potion Explosion
- Fireball Island
- River Valley Glass Works
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hand management — Players manage a hand of cards that provide abilities or payment options, choosing when to play or discard.
- marble cascade / floodgate — The order of marbles dropping from the river is revealed in rounds, driving scoring opportunities and risk.
- marble drafting — Players compete to collect marbles by placing tokens on a shared track, influencing which marbles drop and score.
- set collection / scoring combinations — Scoring relies on multiple sources: marbles values, filled villagers, and color/green bonuses.
- tableau building — Drafting villagers and placing marbles onto their slots to build a scoring tableau.
- token drafting and placement — Tokens are drafted and placed to unlock abilities or secure future marbles, sometimes at zero card cost.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- in general, this game has a high toy factor
- you don't need to fill them to score points
- ultimately this is a fairly straightforward game. It's on the light side
- you can get a lot for very little, as you saw over there
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video MsdXkOQLfPI
Cardboard Herald Top 10 List at 9:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 32285 · mention_pk 95428
Click to watch at 9:14 · 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)
- This wacky deck builder is just so much pure fun.
- one of the greatest ratios of fun to rules complexity ratio I have ever seen
- I could play this for hours and hours and hours on end and never get bored.
- space age rocket launching good old time.
- The secrecy of playing cards face down and never knowing if you're winning a lane.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
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