Game Info
Year
2024
Players
1-4
Age
12+
Playtime
38 min
Collection
Your Tier
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Description
Dice-based worker placement game where players roll dice to gather resources construct buildings and produce energy
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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 1 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 3
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video pKdGgmIFh74
Rolling Dice & Taking Names Discussion at 1:01:10 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 93436 · mention_pk 252761
Click to watch at 1:01:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Engaging throughout the game due to follow-up actions.
- Plays relatively quickly.
- Good components.
- Satisfying engine building.
Cons
- The strategy can feel repetitive.
- The rulebook is poor and requires external errata.
- The game can be quite scripted.
Thematic elements
- Building and managing nuclear facilities and resources.
- Nuclear development/warfare
Comparison games
- Forges of Ravenshire
- Puerto Rico
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Drafting — Players can choose to take a main action or a lesser follow-up action from an area where another player placed a die.
- area influence — Players compete for buildings as they become cheaper when purchased.
- Dice Placement — Dice are used as workers and are placed on a central board based on symbols to collect resources or take actions.
- Engine Building — Players build structures on their player boards that help generate resources, victory points, or in-game scoring.
- Resource Management — Players manage food, steel, and coins to perform transactions, buy buildings, and gain victory points.
- Set Collection — Players collect buildings and potentially meet hidden objectives to gain victory points.
- Variable player powers — Buildings can be activated using dice, with some requiring multiple dice or specific symbols.
- Worker Placement — Players place dice (workers) on different sections of the board to perform actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's like we're back in pandemic times speaking of more depressing news tonight could be the night that the port union workers start on strike which will shut down ports on the East Coast.
- The rule book is not very good.
- I'm not a fan of deduction games like this.
- If you don't like deduction games, you're not going to like this.
- It does add a little bit of planning mechanics to it.
- I agree with all that I do like the fact that I stay engaged the entire time cuz I possibly get something on somebody else's turn I appreciate that the game move pretty quick.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6UGtBD-Rmh8
UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 320:44:04 sentiment: negative
video_pk 87433 · mention_pk 228459
Click to watch at 320:44:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
none
Cons
- Doesn't look like the Manhattan Project we know.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Manhattan Project
- Manhattan Project: Energy Empire
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- why is it that you set up appointments with do with doctors that never keep them?
- I’m sure she’s seen dozens if not a 100 kids at this point getting physicals
- It’s a really solid game. I’ve played it a bunch since it came out.
- It’s a cooperative game where you and your friends are gonna work together to achieve a common goal.
- Terraforming Mars is a game that really rewards long-term planning.
- The engine building in this game is just fantastic. You really feel like you’re building something.
- Wingspan is such a beautiful game. The artwork is just stunning.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xYUhaAX_i6M
UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 2:37:29 sentiment: negative
video_pk 85953 · mention_pk 221397
Click to watch at 2:37:29 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- Engraved dice
- Good graphic design
- Good price for the base game
Cons
- Dice placement isn't interesting and doesn't offer interesting decisions.
- Engine building is fine but doesn't offer interesting decisions.
- Very disappointing.
- Banks on the Manhattan Project name.
- Too much downtime.
- Following mechanic doesn't keep players occupied.
- Not really worker placement due to lack of space denial.
- Could have been a 'take an action per turn' like Pandemic.
- Kickstarter page lacks a video.
- Small text on the game board.
- Inconsistent currency conversion on the Kickstarter page.
- Asking for feedback on stretch goals and then denying them.
- Negative user comments about dread and subpar products.
- Game is described as 'a game' and unmemorable.
- Common rating is a six.
- The designer has other poorly ranked games.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Pandemic
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice Placement — Dice placement is described as uninteresting and not offering engaging decisions.
- Engine Building — Engine building is present but lacks interesting decisions.
- Following mechanic — This mechanic is intended to keep players occupied during other turns but fails to do so effectively.
- Worker Placement — The game lacks space denial, a key element of worker placement.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The greatest worker placement game of all time gets even better.
- Yeah, that board game is famously sucky.
- It actually has some interesting ideas, but yeah, the game was trash.
- I feel like you're leaving money on the table.
- The Manhattan Project name carried a lot of passion and creativity under James Matthew. After playing this game, I felt a sense of dread.
- The crowd's like cheering and it immediately goes fullon boo.
- It's like, 'Oh my gosh, this is turning into a young man, like a teenager.'
- I went downstairs, got the extension cord which I was using for something else down in the cellar and instead of closing the trap I left it open...
- He he he just shattered the image he's been working on for 20 years.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xYUhaAX_i6M
UndeadVikingVideos Discussion at 2:39:12 sentiment: negative
video_pk 85953 · mention_pk 221419
Click to watch at 2:39:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Negative
Pros
- Engraved dice.
- Can be purchased as an add-on.
Cons
- Banks on the Manhattan Project name.
- Dice placement is not interesting.
- Engine building is not interesting.
- Very disappointing.
- Unmemorable.
- Way too much downtime.
- Not a true worker placement.
- Rated 10,700 on BGG, indicating many misses.
Thematic elements
- War Machine
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice Placement — Described as not interesting and not offering interesting decisions.
- Engine Building — Considered fine but lacking interesting decisions.
- Following mechanic — Seemed intended to keep players occupied but resulted in long stretches of minimal gains.
- Worker Placement — Not considered a true worker placement due to lack of space denial.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The greatest worker placement game of all time gets even better.
- Yeah, that board game is famously sucky.
- It actually has some interesting ideas, but yeah, the game was trash.
- I feel like you're leaving money on the table.
- The Manhattan Project name carried a lot of passion and creativity under James Matthew. After playing this game, I felt a sense of dread.
- The crowd's like cheering and it immediately goes fullon boo.
- It's like, 'Oh my gosh, this is turning into a young man, like a teenager.'
- I went downstairs, got the extension cord which I was using for something else down in the cellar and instead of closing the trap I left it open...
- He he he just shattered the image he's been working on for 20 years.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video O8E_G_OzCbI
Rules Teach at 0:11 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 66366 · mention_pk 161530
Click to watch at 0:11 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
- Retro box design mentioned positively
Cons
- Video notes that this is a prototype and the final game may change
Thematic elements
- military power with nuclear elements and pollution
- grow and develop the largest military power in the world
- procedural, step-by-step turns and actions
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Activating structures and zone bonuses — Activating structures resolves tile abilities; zone-based bonuses apply when multiple activations occur within a region.
- Dice Placement — Energy dice have restricted placement and require a worker present at the location first.
- End-of-round cleanup and round advancement — After all players pass, dice are returned to cargo and structures are reset; rounds advance.
- Endgame scoring with pollution cleanup and penalties — Endgame scoring includes points from cleaned pollution tokens and penalties for remaining nuclear tokens.
- Energy dice with placement limits — Energy dice have restricted placement and require a worker present at the location first.
- Global actions using dice on a central board — After rolling, dice are placed to take global actions on the main board, with spaces defined by iconography.
- Nuclear power die and pollution tokens — A nuclear power die in your cargo can generate a pollution token with a nuclear contamination side up.
- Resource Management — Certain spaces produce resources for your warehouse and engine.
- Resource production in spaces (finance, mining, chemistry) — Certain spaces produce resources for your warehouse and engine.
- Roll action dice with up to three rolls and keep at least one die each roll — At the start of a turn you roll all action dice up to three times, keeping at least one die per roll.
- Trade two dice for one chosen die (special ability) — A deployed special ability allows you to trade any two of your dice for one of your choice.
- Upgrading cargo and warehouse and structures — Upgrades allow better actions and expand capacity; upgrades in the game grant new abilities and VP bonuses.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- look how retro this box looks I love it
- the game is played in rounds which are determined by your player count
- in the war machine your goal is to grow and develop the largest military power in the world
- everything you see here today is a prototype
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zzI2yjY7AMY
Board Stupid Top 5 List at 10:43 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34837 · mention_pk 103862
Click to watch at 10:43 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong thematic tie to Manhattan Project legacy
- Innovative use of dice as workers
- High production values and thematic flavor
Cons
- Difficult learning curve due to multiple interacting systems
- Potentially long playtime in heavier sessions
Thematic elements
- nuclear weapons development and industrial mobilization
- World War II arms race and wartime production
- historical, strategic, war-focused
Comparison games
- Manhattan Project
- Manhattan Project: Energy Empire
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice Placement — use dice as workers to activate actions on the board
- dice worker placement — use dice as workers to activate actions on the board
- dice-driven action selection — the face of the die determines available actions on a given space
- Resource Management — generate and allocate resources to progress toward objectives
- Resource production and management — generate and allocate resources to progress toward objectives
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- sink ships and get gold
- I read the card and I understand what's going on not having to read 300 Pages
- I love Celtic mythology I absolutely love it
- five round game so it won't outstay its welcome
- hit the Subscribe button
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6