Game Info
Year
2026
Players
1
Age
14+
Collection
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Description
A solo story-driven espionage game set in occupied Belgium during World War I where players lead a team of spies against the Germans
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 22
This page: 22
Sentiment:
pos 18 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–22 of 22
Video I046P3P35WI
Beyond Solitaire Analysis at 4:28:20
video_pk 104148 · mention_pk 300496
Click to watch at 4:28:20 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Running a spy ring with limited time and resources
- World War I Belgium
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Um, you know, as usual, Gen Con was awesome.
- So, I would say the first thing when pitching a game is you need to boil it down to what is the game about immediately.
- I need to know immediately what is this game about, and I want to know that you know, and that you can and that you can sell me on it.
- And so, Cart is in its finishing stages, and it's going to Kickstarter next month.
- So, I really want to see your game.
- I want to play the game um because I don't think that I can really understand what you're going for until I've actually had my hands on the game itself.
- And so, what I do want is for a designer to have a really interesting vision that I can bring to life and that we can be excited about together.
- But I don't want to have that vision for someone.
- So for Root Homeland you know, obviously that was our our game that we had for sale as our new release at this con.
- And so, you know, this has taught me a lot about what I'm looking for in the future, especially when I put out pitch forms and get responses.
- Um I also have thought a lot about my own pitching and my own demoing and my own talking table patter um because I'm trying to give people the things that I think they should have cuz it's what I would want.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video EunO9yEqwaQ
The Dice Tower Event Coverage at 125:04:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 104129 · mention_pk 300466
Click to watch at 125:04:00 · 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 is I don't know if this is the best way to display your games, but it is certainly a choice here.
- I'd call that a 10 out of 10.
- No, that's not what actually happened. What happened is that Yoda came along and he destroyed everything in a good way.
- This is why we come to Gen Con.
- Gen Con, just like this world, is so much better simply because you are in it.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video q6mwO57Q7U4
Rolling Dice & Taking Names Review at 50:36 sentiment: positive
video_pk 103694 · mention_pk 299437
Click to watch at 50:36 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Just came out.
- Just shipped to backers.
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)
- There's no question too embarrassing for Amazon Health AI.
- To me, it's the remarkably advanced vehicle.
- We call it the dynamic duo.
- Niroshima Hack and War Chest are my two favorite twoplayer abstract games.
- War Chest is very, very popular internationally.
- What if I designed a game about this story that Rebels Against Rebellion tells?
- The irony of course, hey, we can secede from the Union, but you cannot declare your independence from us.
- The bottom line is um the answer is slavery, but not for the reason that people might automatically think.
- Well, I mean so so what you want the players to feel you want the Scott County player to feel overwhelmed, right?
- The cards in your hand are the is an abstract representation of the forces you happen to have available to you in that area.
- So, the game, that's how the game models this sort of restrictive nature to make sure that you're doing things that are sort of consistent with history without having a whole bunch of rules about it.
- The art in this game is absolutely amazing.
- Quantise cover for Rebels Against Rebellion is probably the the my favorite cover of any game I've worked on.
- This is not your, you know, your your typical Civil War game. This is the people of the town defending it or the county defending it from, you know, the Confederate army.
- My hope for this game is that um it finds an audience with people outside of the typical, you know, American Civil War uh fans, right?
- It's it is a two-player French and Indian War sort of version, if you will, of Blitzkrieg.
- It's a sort of an abstract area control game that does some interesting stuff with back building.
- So, the two ways to get in touch with me easily are on board gamegeeek if you just go and geekmail me.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BujuLUn2FAw
One Stop Co-op Shop Analysis at 0:19 sentiment: negative
video_pk 100793 · mention_pk 279791
Click to watch at 0:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
none
Cons
- Gameplay a little bit harsh
- Randomness a little bit frustrating
- Game where you're going to fail fairly often
- Scenarios were varied, but not in a way that excited me that much
Thematic elements
- Running a Belgian spy network
- World War I
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, let's see which of the games had Shelf Life.
- Queen of Spies didn't work that well for me.
- I'm super excited to get this one on the table whenever it's done. That is Radiance.
- It was a cull for me. But I think it's a solid game, and I am still interested in playing the smaller version.
- Boss Fighter QR is definitely a keep.
- So, that's a keep, Converge.
- Wild Gardens was a cull for me.
- For me it was a quick call. I really did not enjoy it and neither did my family.
- So, Onward is a big keep for me, definitely want to play it more, it's awesome.
- Micro Hero Hercules, a call.
- So, Civilution, definitely enjoy it.
- Adventurous and yet to keep cuz it's small.
- Peak Team, a call.
- Aberration was another call.
- It's a keep, Dragon to Vecna's Stone.
- That's a call.
- Valheim is also a call.
- So, not a bad month. Six games kept, almost half of them.
- Ryan Pickelsimer, I feel like you've won several times, Ryan. You're always in my head. Got a perfect seven out of seven, only person, and you are our contest winner.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video sj_uBJ0cZOo
Beyond Solitaire Playthrough sentiment: positive
video_pk 100371 · mention_pk 278981
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Offers an emergent story through gameplay
- Beautiful and engaging art contributes to the theme and narrative
- Creates a strong sense of pressure and risk, reflecting the theme of espionage
- Requires strategic planning and difficult trade-offs
- Clean bag mechanic provides a cool-down cycle between chapters
- Mechanics for jail and despair add thematic depth and challenge
Cons
- Bag gets worse over time, not better (not a traditional bag-builder)
- Can be brutal and lead to despair/loss if not managed carefully
- Limited time resource forces difficult decisions and can lead to failure if too cautious
Thematic elements
- Leader of a spy cell, managing a network of operatives, acquiring and training messenger pigeons for intelligence missions, dealing with the risks and pressures of spycraft.
- World War I, small town in Belgium occupied by the Germans
- Emergent storytelling through operative actions, locations, and the consequences of mission choices.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Bag Pulling (modified) — Players pull tokens from a bag to resolve actions, with tokens representing successes, failures, time loss, and alert. It is explicitly not a traditional bag builder, as the bag only gets worse.
- Mission-based Story Progression — The game features a campaign with multiple missions, each divided into chapters, with outcomes and resources carrying over between chapters.
- Resource Management — Time is the primary resource, with a limited amount available per chapter. Alert tokens and despair tokens are also managed, representing pressure and operative morale.
- Skill checks — Operatives have different skills (tech, insight, manipulation) and can be trained to improve their success rate when performing tasks at locations.
- Stealth Mitigation — Operatives with 'stealth' ability can cancel out 'alert' tokens generated during missions, preventing the addition of troops to the bag.
- Worker Placement — Players assign operatives to different locations on the board to perform tasks, each taking a certain amount of time to resolve.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "I know. I know. Gen Con days away. It's going to be awesome."
- "This is the best it gets, folks."
- "Yeah. Yeah, it will never ever ever be better than what it starts out as. Every token you ever add to the bag is only going to make things worse."
- "No. I mean, realistically speaking, um what's so hard about being a spy in in reality? Like, you know, the people that inspired this game mostly died horribly."
- "But, if throughout the course of our misadventures today, uh we have different members from different cells working together, it's going to cause a little extra attention, right?"
- "This is a game where we very intentionally want you to feel the pressure of running a spy network, and the more you successful you are at accomplishing your tasks, the more heat is going to be on you."
- "So, this is the first time we go through and walk through the um the bag resolution part."
- "I know. It sucks to be the victim of our own successes. Come on. Who designed this?"
- "I don't know why they care. It's just birds. It's fine. Let me be the pigeon lady from Home Alone 2. How would they know? Like There's nothing suspicious here."
- "It's almost like we're of one mind about this game."
- "The good news is that we do get a pigeon. Yeah. Uh the further bad news is that the other [laughter] The other consequence here is we have to place one alert token in the success bag for each operative assigned here and there were two. So, two more alert are going in. So, we're putting the tokens we originally drew back in. So, that's Those are all fine, you know, more or less. But, we also have to add a troop, which can flat up land you in jail and two alert. So, we left this bag a messier than we found it."
- "Yeah, I mean one thing I mean like hopefully people are kind of seeing this as we're playing it. Um this is what we really tried to do with the game is provide players with an an experience that tells an emergent story."
- "But, um you know, the art's cute, bright colors. Um you know, but you can slowly spiral down into where things are really messed up and I that's something I like about what we did."
- "But, if anybody had been in despair, those tokens would leave the game. Um so, we might want to talk about the jail real quick just cuz we we were really clean this game."
- "If you ever end a chapter with Alice in jail, you do lose because you need her."
- "You fail it. You don't have to resolve the fail text, but it just You just scatter."
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video yNywN2718Oo
Beyond Solitaire Analysis at 0:53
video_pk 95550 · mention_pk 262708
Click to watch at 0:53 · 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, that's where Harold Buchanan and a lot of his volunteers live.
- It was really amazing to get to play games with my friends in my home turf, uh but with, you know, friends that I never get to see there.
- But, Fort Snelling has a lot of really cool Minnesota history.
- So, I have a special interest in this right now because David and I are working on a game called Throw Down That Flag, which is about the first Minnesota Gettysburg, and we've been doing a bunch of research and playing with our system a whole lot and it's been really cool.
- As General Hancock put it, there's no more gallant deed recorded in history.
- It was clear these are people who love their jobs, who love Minnesota history, who really care about artifacts, and it was just such a delight to get to see them and to check out everything that that tour had to offer.
- It reminded me that I still really love the game.
- That felt wonderful.
- But what these cons are really the best for, I think, is spending a lot of time just talking to people.
- And you know, there was something for everybody at this convention, and it really made me happy to see so many people in my home turf enjoying historical games.
- So, I hope they take a walk on the Midwestern side a little more often because it was so wonderful to spend so much time uh among friends and doing what we like to do the most.
- I will be super bummed if we never get to do it here again.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video yMmbn68o2lA
Beyond Solitaire Analysis at 2:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 86747 · mention_pk 225606
Click to watch at 2:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- really wonderful to get to demo it and see people try to make decisions
- made me feel really really good about our second game
- really really excited for its future
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Spycraft
- World War I Belgium
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Managing a spy ring and trying to complete scenarios with limited time and risk of jail.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- what makes SD hcon so good is that it's small size makes it I think a very cozy convention where you actually get to really spend time with people that you want to see
- it was so dumb and it was just transcendently hilarious.
- screaming at people in a madeup language trying to combine words to communicate what you mean and then watching them be confused and having to like redo it is absolutely hilarious
- So SD hcon was a great place for casual conversations for me and then also my formalized ones I really enjoyed as well
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video vvgAhleWdug
Zilla Blitz Playthrough at 0:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 83707 · mention_pk 211485
Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Clever system for executing tasks.
- Dramatic tension ramps up in harder missions.
- High potential for custom missions and mods.
- Novel, clever, and creative mechanics that flow well.
- Engaging artwork.
- The escape plan mechanic saved the mission.
Cons
- Element of luck with token draws can cause missions to go sideways.
- Failure in certain tasks can be bad.
- If spies are caught, interrogations can intensify and lead to betrayal.
Thematic elements
- Infiltrating an enemy chateau
- World War II era espionage
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Alert level — An alert level that can increase, potentially leading to negative consequences.
- Escape plan — An escape plan mechanic that can be used to avoid negative consequences like going to jail.
- Mission Completion — Completing tasks and missions by achieving a certain number of successes.
- Prison/Interrogation — A mechanic for handling spies who are caught and interrogated, involving despair markers and potential betrayal.
- Skill checks — Spies have different skill levels that affect task resolution.
- Spy assignment — Assigning spies to different locations and tasks within a round.
- Success bag draws — Drawing tokens from a success bag to determine task outcomes.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I really like this system. It's such a clever world, if you would, for executing tasks and with your mind's eye, you can see the stories that are unfolding.
- The drama and the tension just ratchets up in the regular missions.
- This uh very novel, clever, and creative mechanics and just everything flows together nicely.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video URNV6XKfx1k
Zilla Blitz Rules Teach at 0:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 83728 · mention_pk 211536
Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Introductory mission serves as a good learn-to-play guide.
- Variety of scenarios with multiple chapters.
- Spies have distinct skills that must be matched to tasks.
- Training spies and leveling up skills is important.
- Stealth ability adds a layer of strategy.
- Cell affiliation of spies impacts efficiency.
- Alice is a powerful starting spy but also a key vulnerability.
- Locations offer diverse actions and are sometimes unique to missions.
- Items provide helpful abilities.
- The success bag mechanism is the heart of how the game functions, with various outcomes.
- Multiple pathways to achieve mission objectives.
- Good blend of initial spy abilities despite a lack of stealth.
- The escape plan item offers a way to mitigate negative consequences.
Cons
- Lack of stealth in the initial spy crew is a concern.
- Multiple ways to lose the mission can be daunting.
- Assigning spies from different cells can immediately add alert tokens.
- Pepin failed his training task.
- Gideon's training success led to an alert token being added to the success bag, increasing German awareness.
Thematic elements
- espionage
- World War I
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Bag building / bag draw — A 'success bag' contains tokens representing successes, failures, and alerts, which are drawn when performing tasks to determine outcomes.
- Card-based gameplay — The game primarily uses three types of cards: spy cards, location cards, and item cards.
- Item research and crafting — Items can be researched and then built in the workshop to provide advantages during missions.
- Location-based tasks — Spies are assigned to various locations to perform specific tasks that contribute to mission objectives.
- Modular board (implicit) — The use of unique locations for different missions suggests a modular setup.
- Set Collection (Implicit) — Gathering intelligence, making escape plans, and building items suggests a form of set collection or objective completion.
- Spy recruitment and training — Players can recruit new spies during missions and level up their existing spies' skills, which increases their effectiveness.
- Time management — Time tokens are a currency used to complete tasks, and running out of them results in mission failure.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This game is coming to Gamefound in December of 2025.
- The success bag down here because this is really the heart of how the game functions.
- Giving a spot, you have to put the right spy on the right task.
- The more alert level goes up, the more likely troops are going to be involved.
- This lack of stealth in our crew makes me a little bit concerned that we're going to be noisy and draw a little bit too much attention to our activity in the area.
- If we draw a troop out, that spy gets arrested right away.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 0cOqWSZgHaw
Beyond Solitaire Discussion at 1:11 sentiment: positive
video_pk 81104 · mention_pk 199618
Click to watch at 1:11 · 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)
- We're not trying to simulate a battle or simulate. We're trying to evoke feelings, right? And we're trying to communicate key points.
- If you're too accurate, you lose the vibe. And if you're very viby and you're going for that authentic feeling, then you can't have too much chrome on it.
- The dangerous part is the video does a really good job... it just gets off the rails and starts to hallucinate when it jumped from the unit being deployed to the UK...
- We have officially reached the point where there's just stuff out there that is slop and you have to follow up.
- I feel like the artists we've worked with have also impacted our design like mechanically even on the when graphic starts to get done.
- the game doesn't exist without all of those people, right?
- I never get to play my favorite games often and I certainly don't get to play my favorite games a lot.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TRFYOPnoJCw
Beyond Solitaire Analysis at 3:18
video_pk 80103 · mention_pk 194371
Click to watch at 3:18 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Running a spy operation
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- coordination — Running a spy operation requires a lot of coordination.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- What you want to see is a game that has a specific tension point or story beat that is determined to show you above all the other ones.
- The driving feeling or tension that you're trying to create in your game and that can be a semantic tension or it could be a mechanical tension.
- The tightness of time and like the sort of panic about running out of it is a key aspect of the way the game feels when you play it, because that was part of our thesis for playing the game.
- The feeling that it's trying to capture is being young, going downhill, you don't have an engine, gravity's pulling you faster and faster and faster.
- What I like about Jungo is figuring out when to ditch cards versus pick them up and take them into my hand, how big of a combo do I need to make before I can go for broke and try to clear my hand out and win the game.
- Is it fun? has never been like what I was looking for as somebody who's talking about games.
- When I'm thinking about a game, I want to be able to assess it not just based on like whether I like it, but on what it's trying to say.
- The point of the game is to communicate about the miracle of everybody on that expedition surviving, and also to kind of show some of the depressing and difficult aspects of being in Antarctica waiting for rescue.
- Your game needs a thesis statement not because you have to make a big highfalutin argument.
- So, get in touch with your inner high schooler, I guess. And uh start thinking about that game thesis.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video JelDTpfFKVM
Analysis at 3:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79407 · mention_pk 192812
Click to watch at 3:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Scenarios are based on actual research
- Attempts to create feelings of pressure, stress, and danger
Cons
- Not based on real history (fictional town and people)
- Facts of the town and people involved are not quite accurate
Thematic elements
- Espionage and intelligence gathering
- Fictional town in Belgium during World War I
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Pigeon scenario — A scenario involving the use of homing pigeons for message delivery and intelligence.
- Releasing prisoners of war — A scenario where players are responsible for jailbreaks, reflecting historical spy activities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- accuracy means that something is factually true to the time.
- Authenticity on the other hand is different because things can feel authentic without being accurate and sometimes even accurate facts don't create an authentic feel.
- Authenticity is much more about the vibe of the game and whether something feels historical, whether it feels like if it's of its time.
- Night Witches is is not an entirely historically accurate game. We had to change things about the way that Night Witches did their sorties in order to make it more fun as a game.
- So, even though Queen of Spies is not based on real history, it is because we are bringing actual historical information to bear in the creation of our work.
- And, you know, the authenticity aspect of it comes from our attempt to create feelings of pressure and stress and shortness of time and the danger of having an operative captured.
- So, the game is super accurate in terms of a lot of the people and places and facts and cards that come up. Um it's authentic in the sense that it is mimicking some of the the nasty political decisions that you had to make and some of the betrayals that are available to you that real historical people did take advantage of.
- failing to define whether you're looking for accuracy or authenticity in a game and like what that entails for you leads to a surprising number of problems, misinterpretations, or to me just interesting things to talk about.
- So why are people perceiving it as inauthentic and therefore claiming that it's inaccurate.
- their ideas about authenticity and why those games feel real to people isn't so much their factual reality, but it's their the fact that they're based in our pop culture.
- And so, you know, you can look for facts. So, factual accuracy is one thing. But when you play a game, what makes it feel real to you? What makes it feel authentic to you?
- how much of that is based in historical factual accuracy, and how much is based on your expectations that you have of that game, um as somebody who's living now and who is part of our culture the way it is now.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video RQ8BP4-IKxo
Review at 0:08 sentiment: positive
video_pk 74196 · mention_pk 178553
Click to watch at 0:08 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong thematic feel and table presence
- Excellent art and production quality by Meibo Foundry
- Engaging bag-building mechanism with meaningful decisions
- High replayability through multiple stories and missions
- Challenging, rewarding solo experience
Cons
- Not an easy game; relatively heavy and space-intensive
- Designed primarily as a solo experience; may be less suited to多人 play
- Complex setup and management can be daunting on first play
Thematic elements
- espionage and resistance
- small town of St. Francois during World War I
- independent story structured in three chapters
Comparison games
- Dispatch
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- end of chapter progression — A chapter ends when time markers run out or you choose to end; unfinished assignments are abandoned; progress and items are retained for the next chapter.
- Expansion potential — There is discussion of potential chapter packs or expansions that could come in the future.
- jail and interrogation — If a troop token is drawn or certain conditions occur, operatives can be arrested and sent to jail and may undergo interrogation with possible despair or betrayal outcomes.
- operatives and tasks — Assign operatives from your hand to locations to train, gather items, complete missions, and pursue objectives; operatives can be grouped on tasks; meeting at a location adds an alert token unless coordinated by Alice.
- pigeon network and scoring — In the pigeon story, you acquire pigeons, train them to return home, and send them to locations to gather intelligence; end-of-game scoring is based on pigeons sent and end-of-game tokens drawn for locations.
- resources and risk tokens — Alerts and troop tokens are added to the success bag and affect outcomes; plupart tokens are generally detrimental and should be avoided.
- success bag and checks — Resolve checks by drawing tokens from a success bag; untrained operatives draw two tokens, trained operatives draw 0 to three tokens; progress from checks advances tasks.
- time markers and phases — Each assignment begins with time markers; phases include assigning operatives, removing time markers, then resolving assignments, with chapters ending when time markers run out.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Now, this is a solo game and it definitely feels like a solo game.
- This is not a small table game.
- the art. Meibo Foundry just does a really good job at producing how the games look and the flow of the game and understanding user experience within the cards.
- I think that's kind of the first key feature of this game is how thematic it truly feels.
- It's not an easy game.
- there's a ton of opportunity for expansions and growth in this game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video juXR8-A0RGA
Preview at 0:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 74148 · mention_pk 178432
Click to watch at 0:14 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Gorgeous art and graphics
- Beautiful components, including wooden tokens
- Emphasizes time pressure and creates a challenging experience
- Multiple ways to approach objectives
- Exciting to see a prototype evolve into a publisher-level version
Cons
- Potential for frustration due to time constraints and bag draws
- Jail requires management, wastes time and resources, and is dangerous
- Losing the game if alert or troop tokens run out
Thematic elements
- Managing a spy network
- Fictional town in World War I, Belgium
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Bag Building — Players draw tokens from a bag that represent skills and success or failure in tasks, with the bag being modified over time by adding alert and troop tokens.
- Resource Management — Time and resources are critical, with time being spent on assignments and potential waste due to bag draws or being in jail.
- scenario-based gameplay — The game is split into scenarios, stories, and chapters, with specific locations and items tied to different parts of the game.
- Set Collection — Players learn and build items, such as bombs, jail keys, and false papers, which are then used to help pass checks or achieve objectives.
- Worker Placement — Operatives are sent to various locations in the town to perform actions like training, learning to make items, recruiting, or laying low.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Hey gamers, this is Liz Davidson from Beyond Solitaire, and I am so excited to be showing you this video because after years and years and years of covering other people's beautiful games, uh I now have an advanced prototype of my own to show you.
- So, Queen of Spies is a game about managing a spy network in like a fictional town in World War I, Belgium.
- This is coming out from Salt and Pepper and the art and graphics are by Mele Foundry. And as you can see, they've done a really, really good job.
- The jail is not fun, as we will soon discover.
- So, that's the starting drawback, but trust me, it's not the ending drawback because you are going to mess this baby up.
- time is an extremely limited resource and you are going to be spending it like crazy trying to get everything done.
- We wanted to really emphasize the time pressure and how little space there is to get everything done, especially if somebody is in jail or if your organization is having problems. time is so so short and that's supposed to put a good amount of pressure on you and so trust me it will.
- I'm really, really, really proud of this.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video oV-oR90HFv8
Beyond Solitaire Interview at 36:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34406 · mention_pk 102463
Click to watch at 36:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Demonstrates successful bilingual/multilingual production
- Shows coordination across languages
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Power, intrigue, diplomacy
- Espionage-themed era
- Flavorful narrative integrated with rules
Comparison games
- Queen of Spice
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It doesn't need to be fancy. It needs to be useful.
- Clear communication, clear files.
- AI is not going to replace humans, at least not fully.
- We like to treat big companies and indie publishers the same with professionalism.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video oV-oR90HFv8
Beyond Solitaire Interview at 55:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34406 · mention_pk 102460
Click to watch at 55:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Cohesive integration of art and design
- Distinct visual language that stands out
- Strong production values
Cons
- Limited publicly available publisher/designer data
Thematic elements
- Cultural exchange, trade, diplomacy
- Fantasy world with spice trade
- Flavorful but rules-driven integration
Comparison games
- Harvest
- White Castle
- Pagan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / Bidding — Bidding or negotiation for resources or actions
- Set Collection — Players collect thematic sets to score
- trading/auction — Bidding or negotiation for resources or actions
- Worker Placement — Assign workers to gain actions or resources
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It doesn't need to be fancy. It needs to be useful.
- Clear communication, clear files.
- AI is not going to replace humans, at least not fully.
- We like to treat big companies and indie publishers the same with professionalism.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XffhcE8WWgU
Beyond Solitaire Discussion at 2:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9161 · mention_pk 26996
Click to watch at 2:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- solo play emphasis is highlighted
- WWI spy theme offers a distinct flavor
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- espionage and intrigue
- World War I, spy network
- solo-focused game design
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Solo Play — designed as a solo game focused on running a spy ring
- spy network management — thematic mechanics around espionage operations
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we are going to see what other goodies we can fit in there.
- Queen of Spies is a solo game that I did with David Thompson, uh, about running a spy ring in World War I.
- Night Witches is in print at the factory. And I've been waiting to share it with the world for a long time.
- The game is literally about traveling around the country and trying to see as many bird species as possible.
- I want to recommit to my YouTube channel and we'll kind of see what that looks like.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video olb_X2VvW9w
Beyond Solitaire Playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8622 · mention_pk 25398
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Engaging espionage theme with meaningful tension and decision points
- Multiple pathways to victory including a radio path and chateau options
- Clear demonstration of rhythm and flow via an introductory scenario
- Strong emphasis on planning, timing, and coordination between operatives
- Integrated teaching of core mechanics through demo play
Cons
- High complexity and density of rules may be intimidating for new players
- Jail, interrogation, and heat can create high-stress turns that feel punishing
- Balancing the scaling of difficulty across scenarios may require careful tuning
Thematic elements
- espionage, subterfuge, and survival under pressure
- World War I Belgium, covert spy network operations in a small town
- fictionalized, inspired by history rather than strict historical simulation
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- escape plans and resource management — Escape plans let players mitigate jail penalties and rebalance tokens, but require time and setup.
- jail and interrogation — Failure or heat can push operatives into jail where interrogation determines ongoing risk via despair markers.
- multi-location, multi-operative tasks — Multiple operatives can be deployed to different tasks simultaneously; coordination affects success.
- Resource Management — Escape plans let players mitigate jail penalties and rebalance tokens, but require time and setup.
- round-based action assignment — Players assign operatives to locations, spending time tokens to manage the network and progress toward goals.
- stealth vs alert system — Stealth icons cancel alert outcomes; more stealth reduces heat during checks.
- token-based skill checks — Checks draw tokens from a success bag; tokens show progress or alert, driving tension and potential heat.
- workshop item creation — Trained operatives can build items (e.g., radios, bombs) in a workshop to enable new actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a game that is co-designed by me and David Thompson.
- It's about running a spy ring in World War I Belgium.
- There are multiple pathways to victory.
- If you end a chapter with Alice in jail, you will lose the game.
- Queen of Spies, the queen of spies.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 1MNE9JyYlNo
Bower's Game Corner Review at 0:26 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4222 · mention_pk 12338
Click to watch at 0:26 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Novel, clever, and creative mechanics
- Strong solo play experience
- Tense, decision-rich gameplay
- Thematic and appealing art direction
- Solid price point for a boutique title
Cons
- Card/art readability could be improved (text visibility on cards)
- Shipping and international fulfillment context may affect value
- Video presentation could be more polished
Thematic elements
- Espionage, spy network, resistance
- World War I Belgium
- story-driven
Comparison games
- Voyic Puzzle
- Glasgow Train Robbery
- Battle of the Divas
- Witchcraft Hunt
- War Chest
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Agent signing and deployment — Sign agents, assign them to missions, and manage their development to improve skills.
- Bag Building — Draw tokens from a bag to perform actions; each added alert shapes difficulty and progress.
- bag-building — Draw tokens from a bag to perform actions; each added alert shapes difficulty and progress.
- Card Crafting — Craft useful items to aid in missions and overcome obstacles.
- Interrogation risk / capture — Risk of capture and forced interrogation as part of the challenge.
- Item crafting — Craft useful items to aid in missions and overcome obstacles.
- Missions and task resolution — Resolve assignments by drawing tokens and advancing tasks; some steps require deferring time or resources.
- Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game — Play through different scenarios with distinct challenges guiding progress toward the goal.
- scenario-based objectives — Play through different scenarios with distinct challenges guiding progress toward the goal.
- Time management — Track and remove time-related markers to pace progress and avoid failure.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Queen of spies, a solo board game.
- The bag building system... You're shading the entire difficulty curve with your story.
- There are a lot of fun strategic options in Queen of Spies. Decisions are pretty tense and interesting.
- I want to read the text on those cards. I want to know what's this meat about?
- Queen of Spies is very novel, clever, and creative mechanics, and everything flows very nicely.
- I want to play Queen of Spies.
- B+. I think that video... I think B+ seems reasonable.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OZW4q_sHl0I
One Stop Co-op Shop Playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2947 · mention_pk 8603
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Stunning art and evolving character illustrations as agents level up
- Tense, decision-dense gameplay with meaningful tradeoffs
- High variability via three chapters and four distinct stories
- Good support for solo play and balancing risk via items and locations
- Escape plans and toolkit provide meaningful mitigation to risk
Cons
- High randomness in the bag can feel punishing and might frustrate some players
- Potential for repeated strategies across plays; may reduce long-term novelty
- Learning curve around rules and interactions can be steep for newcomers
Thematic elements
- Espionage, resistance, prisoner rescue
- World War II era Belgium
- episodic stories across three acts with evolving agents and timelines
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Bag Building — Progress and alert tokens drawn from a shared bag affect outcomes and risk.
- Character progression and training — Agents can be trained to gain new abilities; some characters can’t be trained in certain skills.
- Compound Scoring — Each of four stories has its own scoring method (e.g., prisoners rescued).
- Coordinated actions and stealth — Stealth icons and alert tokens determine whether you get penalized when multiple operatives act.
- Escape and jail mechanics — Prisoners can be rescued or die; officers can be arrested if interrogations go poorly.
- Hidden/hidden-information bag draw — Progress and alert tokens drawn from a shared bag affect outcomes and risk.
- Story-driven scoring per scenario — Each of four stories has its own scoring method (e.g., prisoners rescued).
- Track Advancement — Agents can be trained to gain new abilities; some characters can’t be trained in certain skills.
- Worker Placement — Assign operatives to locations; time is the resource that advances chapters.
- Worker placement style actions — Assign operatives to locations; time is the resource that advances chapters.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love the art style.
- The decisions are pretty tense and interesting.
- There are a lot of fun strategic options here with how you tackle tasks
- The bag is going to be a part of the game that not everyone loves.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Nvug5tOOZ9o
Beyond Solitaire Playthrough at 0:55 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1661 · mention_pk 4861
Click to watch at 0:55 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Deep strategic choices with multiple viable play paths
- Strong thematic cohesion tying espionage, pigeons, and jail dynamics together
- Chapter-based structure supports both quick plays and longer campaigns
- Workshop progression adds meaningful long-term progression
- Flexible action resolution depending on training status yields interesting decisions
Cons
- Complex bag management and interrogation can overwhelm new players
- Prototype art and components may affect first impressions
- Solo-only design may limit appeal for players seeking co-op or competitive multiplayer
Thematic elements
- Espionage, resistance networks, clandestine operations
- A small Belgian town during World War I, occupied Belgium, with a spy network
- Anthology of era-inspired stories rather than a single historical narrative
Comparison games
- Resist and Witchcraft
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- attribute-based actions — Operatives have traits (Manipulation, Insight, Technical, Stealth) affecting task resolution and training status.
- cell-based operatives — Initial four cells with operatives; players assign and train operatives to tasks.
- Endgame scoring — Score is tied to pigeons delivered and quality of information; a cleaner bag increases odds of favorable draws.
- jail and interrogation — Agents can be imprisoned and interrogated; despair and potential to turn others create tension.
- pigeon intel system — Pigeons gather intelligence; they must be trained and deployed to return information.
- recruitment and expansion — Recruit new agents to expand capabilities; recruitment carries risk of drawing attention.
- Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game — Three stories, each with three chapters; chapters can be played standalone or as part of a story.
- solo play / solitaire — The game is designed for one player to manage a spy network led by Alice.
- story/mission structure — Three stories, each with three chapters; chapters can be played standalone or as part of a story.
- Time management — Tasks consume time; special cards can add or restore time or impose penalties.
- token-draw checks — Checks draw tokens from a bag; progress, alerts, and training affect outcomes.
- training and item production — Locations train operatives and produce items via a workshop to be used later.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a solitire only game
- we're playing pigeons
- we are really excited to say this game is gonna come out with salt and pepper
- it's the exact same art and graphic design team that worked on Resist and Witchcraft
- Queen of spies
- happy gaming y'all
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video F1h39uu17WU
Beyond Solitaire Interview at 3:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1605 · mention_pk 4661
Click to watch at 3:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong thematic focus on overlooked women in espionage
- Cohesive art direction across the Mele Foundry team
- Art style blends noir, pulp comics with grounded realism
- Artwork tells meaningful backstories and adds narrative depth
- Respectful treatment of historical themes with fictionalized setting
Cons
- Limited historical accuracy may be accepted as intentional; requires careful research coordination
- Cross-continental collaboration can pose coordination and feedback delays
Thematic elements
- female-led espionage, intelligence work, noir/detective vibe
- World War I era, occupied Belgium, fictional espionage setting focused on female spies
- noir, pulp comic book-inspired; two-identity spy cards; image-driven storytelling
Comparison games
- Operation Barkley
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative/role-based play (implied) — players assume roles around a female-led spy organization; theme-driven decisions
- Multi-Use Cards — cards depicting agents with two identities; flipping reveals alternate persona and state
- narrative art storytelling — visual storytelling through illustrated cards and rulebook cues; Easter eggs hint at backstories
- Storytelling — visual storytelling through illustrated cards and rulebook cues; Easter eggs hint at backstories
- two-identity card flip — cards depicting agents with two identities; flipping reveals alternate persona and state
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's our second design together that's published
- Two illustrations that together tell a story
- the art in general does such an amazing job of walking the line... pulp comic book style, but never silly
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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