Game Info
Year
2021
Players
1-4
Age
14+
Playtime
150 min
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
Mechanic profile
Not enough video data yet
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
Cooperative story-driven game set in the Dune universe where rebel players solve challenging missions on Arrakis with limited time and resources
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 2 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 3
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video c2gu5WBUWcc
Totally Tabled Review at 0:37 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 129687 · mention_pk 368507
Click to watch at 0:37 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- If you can get this for $5 and you really love Dune, and you know what this is going into, I think a lot of people could maybe have a little bit of fun with this.
- It at least sounds like the original detective game wasn't like this, that there was a lot more to it than this. And so, that at least makes me excited to try that one out.
Cons
- The lowest rated solo game in my collection is less than 5 years old, is based on a popular IP, and is a spin-off of a well-reed game system.
- The box is very light and feels almost empty.
- Components are very thin paper, not cardboard, and some cards are cheap and already showing wear.
- The $45 MSRP is insane for the component quality and quantity.
- The online component, which includes registration and text-based videos, could have been included in the rulebook.
- The prologue felt short and the gameplay is mostly reading cards and making simple decisions.
- There are too many names in the story which are hard to keep track of.
- The storytelling is not very engaging for some players.
- There are very few actual clues.
- The game is best suited for Diehard Dune fans.
- It's more of a story with the illusion of decision making.
- Literally nothing you do matters or changes the story.
- Wasting time on tangents that aren't leading anywhere is not super fun.
- It's more like reading a Dune fanfiction than playing a narrative game.
- People were upset, especially if they paid full price, expecting a big game and got this storytelling activity instead of a serious detective game.
Thematic elements
- Cooperative storydriven game joining the resistance against House Harkonnen, experiencing chapters and encounters.
- Dune universe
- Story unfolds through encounters, with player decisions influencing the overall story direction.
Comparison games
- Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game
- Ticket to Ride
- Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Asset cards — Cards that provide narrative elements or guide gameplay.
- Consequence tokens — Tokens drawn when actions are noticed by enemies, potentially leading to negative effects.
- cooperative play — Players work together to achieve goals.
- Deduction — Mysteries within the story must be deduced by players.
- Encounter System — Gameplay progresses through a series of encounters that players choose to pursue.
- Online component — Requires logging into a website to watch introductory videos and input codes from in-game items.
- Status report — At the end of each chapter, players complete a status report which influences the story's direction.
- Storytelling — The game focuses on unfolding a narrative through chapters and encounters.
- Time Track — Player actions are limited by time, represented by a time track that ticks down.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- What if I told you the lowest rated solo game in my collection is less than 5 years old, is based on a popular IP, and is a spin-off of a well-reed game system.
- This has to be the lightest Ticket to Ridesized game box I've ever felt.
- So, it looks like the original MSRP was $45 US.
- Yeah, this might be the heart of the bad reviews right here.
- Dune: House Secrets is a cooperative storydriven game where you join the resistance against House Haronean and experience a series of chapters in the world of Dune.
- It's really simple. Mostly just reading cards and making these very simple decisions.
- This isn't a game. This is like a storytelling exercise or experience.
- House Secrets says it's in the detective series, but it's really just a story with the illusion of decision making in a game.
- And honestly, if you can get this for $5 and you really love Dune, uh, and you know what this is going in, so you don't set unrealistic expectations, uh, I think a lot of people could maybe have a little bit of fun with this.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UlSNl9x0OqY
Watch It Played Discussion at 4:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 90659 · mention_pk 242431
Click to watch at 4:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Detective-inspired game
- Dune universe
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Detective — A detective-inspired game set in the Dune universe.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- space the final frontier other than like our minds but no one wants to go in there because that would be terrifying
- terraforming mars ares expedition where we again return to mars to give it a good old once over making it fit for human life but this time only using cards
- you'd be forgiven for thinking that mars was well and truly terraformed but hey gloomhaven looked pretty finished until they released jaws the lion
- if you find a mysterious board game possibly magical don't play it
- bigfoot is real i fundamentally believe that
- i do love modules in games like first class and taverns of teeth and phone and while this is probably going to be different to those something about having various modules to pit against each other that just sounds cool
- i prefer to
- is sagrada legacy yep that's pretty much all we know so far about that one but i do love sagrada so a legacy version where the game evolves and changes as you play from game to game sounds good no idea how it will work but i'm very interested
- red raven have announced now or never the next game in the raven verse which is what i call it and almost no one else does but it follows near and far above and below and one north hollywood branch of in and out now or never has you and up to three of your friends though i prefer to play with my enemies competing to best rebuild your ancestral village and guide the rest of the villagers on their way home and although the creatures of the meteorite yep apparently there's a meter right now have lost much of their strength many of them remain and you must fight them off to protect traveling villagers now never is a competitive strategy game that has you choose one of four asymmetrical characters to play and you'll be rebuilding your village so that the returning villagers have a place to live and you interact with the other players by hiring their specialists to perform special actions they'll also have to combat dangerous creatures to rescue villagers or while you explore a fancy landscape filled with bizarre places technologies people and meteorites for heaven's sake watch out for meteorites and it includes two modes of play standard and story when playing in story mode you read from a storybook when you explore making choices and learning more about the characters and the world
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2CWsbEhZZeE
Mipple University Game Overview at 10:40 sentiment: negative
video_pk 65968 · mention_pk 160224
Click to watch at 10:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- Appeals to fans of modern detective games and Dune IP
Cons
- Not the expected type of puzzle-solving
- Felt disconnected from the Dune theme
- Limited thoughtful choices
- Structure can feel random
- Unfamiliar names can create disconnection
- Not really their sort of game
Thematic elements
- Dune
- Story-driven, app-assisted
Comparison games
- Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- app-assisted — An app or website provides narrative content, encounters, and progression.
- Choice-driven — Players make choices that can lead to different encounters or outcomes.
- Narrative Game — The game is a narrative-driven experience with a story that unfolds through text and an app.
- Resource Management — Players may have to spend or gain resources to perform actions.
- scenario-based — The game progresses through scenarios that are ended by running out of time, followed by answering questions to move to the next part.
- Track progression — A track is used to monitor progression, with green (good) and red (bad) outcomes affecting the player's position.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We are just hiding behind all the Dune boxes here.
- This one really you're just getting your tactics at random from a deck and so it's kind of yeah but the battles can be absolutely true.
- Really it's not our sort of game.
- It wasn't a story I could connect with and the game part of it didn't have that many thoughtful choices.
- I think it's a real on the fence one depending on whom you ask.
- Our favorite would be like we naturally more of a eurogamer, I'm more a merry um very trash gamer more than you.
- This is certainly my top of the three but yeah anyone who knows the sorts of games that are in my top five each year that's not a surprise to anyone that's spam.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Qcsvvz9RNvA
Bower's Game Corner Top 10 List at 1:37 sentiment: negative
video_pk 40692 · mention_pk 123364
Click to watch at 1:37 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- Interesting IP potential
- Attempted atmospheric investigation mechanics
Cons
- Overwhelmingly light gameplay with too many mechanics tucked in
- Ambiguous rules and unclear edge-case handling
- High price for a relatively light participant experience
Thematic elements
- Investigation within a beloved IP
- Dune universe-inspired investigation
- Choose-your-own-adventure flavor with detective elements
Comparison games
- Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game
- Cosmos Escape (as a lightweight alternative)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deduction — Clue interpretation and deduction influence progression.
- Narrative Choice — Narrative prompts and clues guide player choices toward outcomes.
- Puzzle/logic elements — Clue interpretation and deduction influence progression.
- Story-driven investigation — Narrative prompts and clues guide player choices toward outcomes.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Gimmick games can work. A thousand% of a gimmick can carry a game. Period.
- Is this a game? We have a horrible experience with this one.
- The writing keeps it from being a one.
- Lack of FAQ in the documentation, I think, shows the true downfall of the game.
- Worst rule book dot dot dot four dots.
- This game being designed as an incredibly quote unquote inside joke is the only possible explanation I have for why this game was published under his name.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video x4UQolONZmU
Board Gaming Ramblings Discussion at 21:06 sentiment: negative
video_pk 30648 · mention_pk 90217
Click to watch at 21:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- Strong detective theme for Dune fans
- Engaging premise
Cons
- Declines into less satisfying play experience
- Not a favorite for this group
Thematic elements
- investigation and unraveling a mystery within Arrakis
- Dune universe with a detective/mystery element
- story-driven with branching endings
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Investigation with narrative choices — Players explore a case with multiple endings and evidence-driven decisions.
- Narrative Choice — Players explore a case with multiple endings and evidence-driven decisions.
- Story-driven progression — Progression is tied to narrative reveals and player decisions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I thought when I read the rules for this game that oh that sounds fun because you're playing cards from your hand and you have to keep or kill them and you want to keep the relevant information to your case and discard the non-relevant.
- No it wasn't it was very hard, very hard and not fun.
- I think we could recommend them if you enjoy this kind of shorter detective style games.
- this felt fresh I like this game... but it's the last star that gets marked that gets to keep the card
- it seems that this game is broken
- I thought it was fun and unique enough; the real-time timing worked nicely
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video HLsLhk6zWW0
Foster the Meeple Discussion at 8:56 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13121 · mention_pk 38369
Click to watch at 8:56 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- strong thematic tie-in
- engaging for fans of detective games
Cons
- can be challenging for new players
Thematic elements
- cooperative investigation in a high-stakes setting
- Dune universe with mystery/era-spanning intrigue
- narrative deduction with exploration
Comparison games
- Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
- Dune: Imperium
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-driven events — Event cards drive the flow and escalate tension.
- cooperative deduction — Players work together to interpret clues and solve mysteries.
- Deduction — Players work together to interpret clues and solve mysteries.
- Events — Event cards drive the flow and escalate tension.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- “it's another episode of board games and brew where we don't have brew”
- “we launched our merch store”
- “Arc Nova is a tableau builder”
- “it's been chaos because everybody is trying to outsmart everybody”
- “159 games in a week or 10 days”
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6