Pick 'n Packers

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

• dexterity — Players use one finger to pilot the drone and land it, implying a test of manual dexterity.
• Prediction/Betting — Other players take speculation cards to predict how far the drone will get.
• Stacking — Gifts are added to the drone in a single stack, and players cannot rearrange anything, making the stack unstable as it grows.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

• In Pick and Packers, you're a little drone trying to deliver presents.
• What a great family game full of laughs and silliness.
• This is a perfect stocking stuffer and a game I'll be bringing home for the holidays to play with my 5-year-old nephew and my 80-year-old

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

• Cooperative — Two players will cooperate to complete the objective.
• dexterity — Players hold a drone by one finger each to move it to different spots and stack presents on top.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

• Pick and Packers is a silly dexterity game where two players will cooperate holding a little drone by one finger each and you have to pick it up and move it to different spots and then stack presents on top of it and hope you don't drop them all.
• Take Time is a great little puzzle cooperative game. It's sort of like if you mashed the mind and the crew together into one game.
• I normally like games that have a lot of player interaction, but the puzzle is so interesting in Neo Syndicate that I don't even care that it doesn't have much player interaction.
• Lord of the Rings Fate of the Fellowship is one of the most thematic games I've ever played. If you like Lord of the Rings stuff, this feels like an epic cooperative experience and it's tough to beat.
• How to Save a World was one of my favorite strategy games that came out in all of last year. You're placing workers and working on various projects to save the planet from an oncoming asteroid, but you don't know which of those projects is going to be the most important until the end of the game. So, there's a lot of tension at the end of the game.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

• cooperative_control — Shared control of the drone with another player to achieve a common goal.
• dexterity — Two players coordinate to move a drone using one finger each while another stacks gifts; precision and timing matter.
• Stacking — Gifts are stacked on spots on the board; taller stacks increase difficulty and risk of toppling.
• Stacking and Balancing — Gifts are stacked on spots on the board; taller stacks increase difficulty and risk of toppling.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

• these are essentially all the smallbox games I really enjoyed this year that are not card games.
• these are, you know, they might be dice games. They might be uh dexterity games.
• Tricky Kids is a unique and interesting trick taking card game where you set the number on the cards you are playing.
• we are together trying to pick up this drone and moving it and then oh everything topples and everybody laughs
• There is no right or wrong answer.
• This is probably the most divisive game on this list.
• the components are coasters
• the end of the game when the deck runs out creates tension
• Neco Syndicate is a really thinky smallbox game.
• My Favorite Things is a great party game, smallbox game.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.

Mechanics (from transcript analysis)

• Compound Scoring — Scores are awarded based on how close the drone stops to the predicted or last valid landing, with penalties for over-shoots or missteps.
• dice placement — Presents are randomly placed on a 3x3 grid, affecting risk and scoring as the drone progresses.
• Physical dexterity / multi-finger manipulation — Players use fingers (one or two) to move a drone token across a grid toward landing pads while accommodating others' actions.
• Predictive Bid — Players secretly bid on how far the drone will travel by placing prediction cards on a grid, then reveal and compare predictions.
• Randomized card placement and set collection — Presents are randomly placed on a 3x3 grid, affecting risk and scoring as the drone progresses.
• Round-based scoring with distance-based points — Scores are awarded based on how close the drone stops to the predicted or last valid landing, with penalties for over-shoots or missteps.
• Simultaneous prediction and bidding — Players secretly bid on how far the drone will travel by placing prediction cards on a grid, then reveal and compare predictions.
• Social polling / prediction influence — Other players vote or judge the likely landing spot, influencing strategy and tension in the round.
• Voting — Other players vote or judge the likely landing spot, influencing strategy and tension in the round.

Video topics + discussion points

No key topics recorded for this video.

Quotes (from this video)

• Don't even need a license.
• The central hook of this game is a gimmick, right?
• It's a neat push your luck sort of feeling.
• The random draw matters so much in like how far away certain numbers are
• This is a blast.

References (from this video)

No references stored for this video.