Game Info
Year
2024
Players
2-4
Age
12+
Playtime
75 min
Complexity
2/5
Collection
Your Tier
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Description
Engine-building strategy game where players build kingdoms customize heroes and compete through conquest and diplomacy.
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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 0 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–9 of 9
Video lCj-THAzgLI
Brains On Games Review at 0:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 87806 · mention_pk 230115
Click to watch at 0:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Stunning artwork and comic-book tie-in enhances immersion
- High-quality components and wipe-off boards keep things organized
- Multiple victory conditions encourage diverse play styles
- Factions with asymmetric abilities add strategic depth
- Engaging exploration deck with hazards and rewards
- Clear iconography and a robust rulebook with index
- Negotiation and trading add a strong social layer
- Accessible entry with room for depth via engine-building and upgrades
Cons
- Player elimination can occur, which some players dislike
- Significant reading of card text can be intimidating for new players
- Three-player games can feel less dynamic than four players; four is labeled as optimal
- The battle die has sharp corners and poses a physical safety risk
- Setup and upkeep can be time-consuming due to large decks and multiple components
Thematic elements
- Hero progression, exploration, and conquest
- Fantasy adventure world with heroes, strongholds, and a central world board
- Graphic novel inspired storytelling; comic-book aesthetic
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric_abilities — each faction has unique abilities that ease certain victory conditions and provide build diversity
- Combat: Dice — battle resolution uses dice with both positive and negative sides, influenced by equipment and cards
- Deck Building — players manage a large exploration deck and upgrade/modify a personal deck of battle and equipment cards to influence combat and exploration outcomes
- deck-building — players manage a large exploration deck and upgrade/modify a personal deck of battle and equipment cards to influence combat and exploration outcomes
- dice_combat — battle resolution uses dice with both positive and negative sides, influenced by equipment and cards
- Engine Building — build trees on the player board to unlock ongoing or single-use powers as you invest coins to improve future turns
- engine_building — build trees on the player board to unlock ongoing or single-use powers as you invest coins to improve future turns
- Hand Management — extensive card text and on-board data require organization and sometimes aloud reading to resolve effects
- hand_and_data_management — extensive card text and on-board data require organization and sometimes aloud reading to resolve effects
- multiple_victory_conditions — players can win via several paths (e.g., defeating heroes, owning strongholds, unlocking classes, or upgrading skills)
- negotiation_and_trade — players can trade almost any asset (skills, equipment, strongholds, coins) to achieve mutual or shifting goals
- Player Board | Main Board — player boards are wipe-off, keeping setup readable and enabling dynamic tracking of upgrades and resources
- Resource Management — manage coins, power (health), and other resources to buy equipment, upgrade skills, and activate abilities
- resource_management — manage coins, power (health), and other resources to buy equipment, upgrade skills, and activate abilities
- wipe_off_boards — player boards are wipe-off, keeping setup readable and enabling dynamic tracking of upgrades and resources
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the artwork is fantastic
- there are lots of Victory conditions in this game
- the rulebook has a good table of contents and an index
- the negotiation and social interaction ... I really enjoyed
- the components are really good apart from the very sharp corners on the battle die
- it's a card-based adventure game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 25sk-wasZwc
Shelfside Playthrough at 0:33 sentiment: positive
video_pk 87740 · mention_pk 229805
Click to watch at 0:33 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Beautiful production/art direction
- Asymmetric player powers with multiple victory paths
- Engaging combat system with dice and battle cards
- Deep strategic options (build tree, skill focus, and card synergies)
- High player interaction through trading, alliances, and targeting
Cons
- Heavy decision making and a potentially steep learning curve
- Luck-heavy exploration can disrupt plans
- Powerful battle cards can swing games unpredictably
- Rules complexity can slow initial plays
Thematic elements
- Asymmetric kingdom-building with hero-led line of succession
- Fantasy world of Athera
- Graphic-novel-inspired lore integration
Comparison games
- Kingdom Builder
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Alliances and trades — Trade cards and form temporary alliances; players can influence others through actions and card effects.
- Capital/income management — Earn capital via building, exploration outcomes, and special abilities; World Bank provides additional income on certain turns.
- Combat System — Resolve battles with attack/defense stats, battle cards, and battle dice; outcomes affect heroes and strongholds.
- Combat: Dice — Battle dice modify attack results; some cards alter dice or impose penalties during combat.
- Dice and luck elements — Battle dice modify attack results; some cards alter dice or impose penalties during combat.
- exploration deck — Draw exploration cards with various effects; some reveal icons that must be resolved immediately.
- Hidden Victory Points — Four main paths to victory: kill three opposing heroes; conquer four strongholds; max out a skill; or a broad, multi-attribute path to unlock specific cards.
- skill progression — Learn and upgrade skills; leveling to level four can trigger a game-winning condition.
- Strongholds and heroes — Capture or defeat heroes and strongholds; defeated heroes transfer to the winner's kingdom.
- Track Advancement — Learn and upgrade skills; leveling to level four can trigger a game-winning condition.
- victory conditions — Four main paths to victory: kill three opposing heroes; conquer four strongholds; max out a skill; or a broad, multi-attribute path to unlock specific cards.
- World Bank and special abilities — Capital can be placed from the World Bank; players may possess one-use abilities that affect play, such as sacrificial effects.
- World Forge / equipment — Purchase/upgrades items from a central Forge; equipment slots on heroes require stat alignment.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- that's my friend I will pay him to kill
- probably one of the best looking games I've have ever played
- the game takes place in the fantasy world of athera
- one kill three of your opponent's heroes
- you want to be the first to achieve one of these four
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XA3_JodrvT8
Rahdo Runs Through Review at 0:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 81296 · mention_pk 200999
Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Thoughtfully designed 3-4 player game.
- Good player interaction and conflict.
- Negotiation and diplomacy aspect.
- Unique asymmetric starts and focuses for factions.
- Heroes in a line of succession with backups.
- Multiple paths to victory (champion, conqueror, master, heir).
- Efficient gameplay with clear round overview.
- Rich fantasy world with lore and artwork.
- Clear rulebook and iconography.
- Dry erase mechanics for easy stat tracking and cleanup.
- Smaller box size for the game's scope.
- Balanced player interaction that appeals to different player types.
Cons
- Can be space-consuming on the table.
Thematic elements
- kingdom building
- rich fantasy universe
Comparison games
- The Witcher Old World
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players can conquer strongholds.
- Combat — Players can attack heroes, strongholds, or independent strongholds.
- Deck Building — Players can buy skill cards from a world forge deck.
- Dice Rolling — Dice are used for combat and certain actions like gaining capital.
- Hand Management — Players hold battle cards in their hand.
- Kingdom Building — Players are essentially uh kingdom building.
- Resource Management — Players manage capital (money) to buy items and skills.
- Set Collection — Players collect skill cards and items.
- Tableau Building — Players equip items to their hero, building up their capabilities.
- Variable player powers — Each faction has a unique asymmetric start and focus, and heroes have different stats and abilities.
- Worker Placement — Players are going to choose to do a check on their tech tree.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The command phase is where you get to activate your tree, which everyone has a tech tree on their board that is wholly unique and asymmetrical to your faction. Or you can attack.
- There's a little bit of that kind of negotiation um diplomacy aspect to this that I find really fascinating. And you can totally play that trade game inside of the game itself.
- The game itself runs really quick and it runs smoothly. It's super efficient and players have a round overview on their board and it's super easy. It's clear.
- The rule book is dynamite.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video WMrW8AgBqTQ
Might I Suggest A Game Review at 0:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80991 · mention_pk 198970
Click to watch at 0:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Interesting strategy revealed through play, particularly hero sequencing.
- Clever and unique hero sequencing mechanic.
- Multiple paths to victory offer strategic variety.
- Thematic elements translate well from the graphic novel.
- Amazing artwork and production quality.
- Mix of strategy and chaos makes the game fun.
- Combat has a level of chaos that is enjoyable.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Kingdom-building, hero-crafting, conquest
- Etheara
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — One way to win is by controlling strongholds.
- asymmetric factions — Players play as one of four asymmetric factions, each with their own strengths and abilities.
- Card drafting/drawing — In the exploration phase, players draw from an exploration deck which can contain boons, hazards, battle cards, items, allies, or essence pools.
- Combat — Players can build or attack. Attacking can target independent strongholds or opponent's heroes/strongholds. Combat involves attack/defense stats, battle cards, and a battle die roll that modifies the score. Damage is taken if a player loses combat against another player, potentially leading to hero elimination.
- hero selection — Players have access to three heroes, and must choose a 'line of succession' which determines the active hero and the order they come into play if a hero is slain. Heroes have stats and special powers.
- Multiple victory conditions — There are four distinct paths to victory: Conqueror (controlling four strongholds), Master (fully trained in two skills), Legend (unlocking all five classes), and Champion (slaying two enemy heroes). The first player to achieve two conditions wins.
- round structure — The game is played over rounds with four phases: Income, Market, Exploration, and Command.
- Skill upgrades — Players can upgrade skills during the market phase to work towards the Master objective.
- Tech tree / Build tree — Choosing to build involves checking off a box in a faction-specific build tree, which can grant instant or ongoing abilities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Everybody wants to rule the world, but in this game there can be only one.
- It's Winds of Numenera.
- There are four distinct paths to victory in Winds of Numenera and whoever is the first player to achieve two of these win conditions will become the supreme ruler of all of Aethel no big deal.
- This phase is sure to affect your strategy in unexpected ways. So, stay ready.
- Do you want to build, or do you want to attack?
- Winds of Numenera is a really interesting game. On the surface, it feels like a very strategic, really crunchy kind of area control, combative, player interaction style game. And while it is a lot of those types of things, there also is enough chaos and luck in the game to make this game fun for anyone who plays.
- There's some really interesting strategy that you have to think about, especially with your heroes and how you want to sequence them, that I thought was really, really clever and something I hadn't seen a lot of before.
- And even if you don't have access to the graphic novel, or you don't care for that type of stuff, you have to admit the art and the production of this game are absolutely out of this world.
- Might I suggest Wind the New Era.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Udgw8Ft4xS0
Stonemaier Games Discussion at 30:09 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 80865 · mention_pk 198416
Click to watch at 30:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
- Mentioned as one of the games causing storage dilemmas.
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 not the first time you've been hacked. This is not the first time the YouTube channel's been hacked that you personally have been hacked that it's impacted you.
- So, you know, sometimes I try You say that as I'm looking up at the periphery cuz Megan just poked her head at you.
- It's a big part of what you do.
- I I consider it part of my job now the the type of I guess technically it's on the under the broader umbrella of marketing but really to me it's about community.
- So, really the only thing that has crossed my mind is if it keeps happening, if I c simply cannot get this whatever it is, this bug, this hack, this this uh this fishing, whatever it is, if I can't get it out, then eventually I might have to just start the channel over again.
- It isn't it really is not about the numbers it isn't about I think there's like 57,000 subscribers that feels good feels good that a lot of people follow along but it isn't about that number in the end.
- Um, so I try not to be myopic when I'm talking about anything. I try to look at it from all sides, but you know, we're humans and we miss things and we sometimes look at things in a way again without even trying to looking at it in a certain way.
- So, I think the way that you approach social media and the way that you approach YouTube and your videos in general, um, speaks to who you are as a person.
- It's the little tiny things that get to me, things that shouldn't bother a normal human that I'm like, 'Oo.'
- I I have to make sure I I I try to keep games that I'm actively playing or at least play once a yearish, right?
- Um, and this is what's been obsessing me over the past few days. I'm like, you know what? I'm going to share my sad sad problem uh with you all out there.
- This podcast is just quickly becoming a food podcast.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Mca_NlNQyYI
The Dice Tower News at 17:04
video_pk 80715 · mention_pk 197514
Click to watch at 17:04 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Cosmic Encounter
- The Old King's Crown
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is the new way they're doing campaigns.
- The core box comes with a three-chapter campaign, and when you buy a campaign, it's just three chapters.
- So, it's a much more like, I guess, approachable, you know, campaign.
- Questline, which is a card drafting game set in their definitely not D&D universe.
- It sounds a little bit like Fantasy Realms.
- This is a new standalone board game set in the same world as Isle of Cats
- Your expedition to the frozen lands in the north has suddenly become a rescue mission and you must rescue as many penguins as possible before the ice melts.
- So, it's an open drafting and penguin placement board game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video FLUKGN14hFc
Might I Suggest A Game Review at 0:11 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80323 · mention_pk 195297
Click to watch at 0:11 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Lots of player interaction
- Amazing artwork
- Perfect mix of strategy and chaos
- Can win in a different way every time
- Multiple paths to victory
- Tons and tons of viable strategy
Cons
- Heroes will get slain
Thematic elements
- kingdoms and conquest
- Itheria
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — One victory condition involves controlling four strongholds simultaneously.
- Asymmetric Player Powers — Players choose from four asymmetric factions, each with unique strengths and abilities.
- Combat/Slaying — One victory condition is slaying two different enemy heroes.
- hero management — Players choose a line of succession which determines their active hero and backup heroes if the active hero is slain.
- Multiple victory conditions — There are four distinct paths to victory: becoming a conqueror, master, legend, or champion, and the first player to achieve two conditions wins.
- Skill/Class progression — Victory conditions include becoming fully trained in two skills or unlocking all five classes.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Winds of Numenera is awesome
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xv9xk9syWMw
Grant Lyon News at 15:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80325 · mention_pk 195340
Click to watch at 15:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- attack-heavy gameplay
- asymmetric factions
- tech tree progression
- multiple win conditions create replayability
Cons
- requires 3-4 players
- attack-heavy gameplay may not appeal to all
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric factions — Everybody plays as an asymmetric faction, and you will have different special abilities and different things that you can do.
- Combat — This is also a very attack-heavy game. The cards are going to be used to attack other players. The cards are going to be used to get special abilities throughout the game.
- Tech Tree — You have a tech tree on your board, a sort of power upgrade tree, and you can upgrade yourself throughout the game.
- Variable Win Conditions — There are four win conditions for the game, and whoever gets two of them first wins the game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Sorry this video is coming a little bit late this month.
- I have been on tour with my board game comedy show.
- Almost every single show has sold out so far which is better than I could have hoped for.
- So I hope to see you at those shows as well.
- This is a cooperative party game.
- The grid is smaller.
- This is a trick-taking game at its core.
- The twist of the game, the thing that makes it interesting and different from other games, is you will have sort of a background card and a transparency colored card. And when you combine those two things, they will create a different color.
- There is worker placement. There is hand management. There's a betting and bluffing aspect to the game.
- So yeah, that is 23 games coming to retail here in the month of June.
- I have been releasing episodes of It's All Funny and Games.
- Thank you so much. I'm Grant with Grant's Game Rex.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video bLliMO8fG6w
Review at 0:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 78548 · mention_pk 191343
Click to watch at 0:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Unique and specific heroes for each faction.
- Line of succession system for heroes.
- Satisfying deluxe components.
- Clever equipment upgrading system.
- Well-designed and easy-to-understand rulebook.
- Streamlined and easy to learn.
- Good packing into a small box.
- Thematic dice.
- Accessible player vs player mechanics.
- Rich story world.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Heroes fighting for their family and faction
Comparison games
- The Witcher: The Old World
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Branching Upgrade Tracks — Players can build upon upgrade tracks on their player board, creating branching opportunities for upgrades.
- Class system — Players can unlock different classes (Sage, Paladin, Heir, Tyrant, Rogue) by meeting specific criteria, which brings them closer to winning.
- Dice Rolling — A special die is used in combat, with modifiers that can affect the outcome, but most other actions are determined by cards, stats, skills, and tracks.
- Direct Combat (Player vs Player) — The game includes direct combat between players, where heroes can fight each other.
- Equipment slots — Players have slots for various equipment types (head, chest, arms, satchel) which can be upgraded.
- exploration deck — An exploration deck provides cards that can include battle cards, hazards, mavens (companions), essence cards, boon cards, and mythic items.
- Forge Training Upgrade — Players can train specific equipment slots, and this training bonus persists even if the equipment is swapped out.
- Line of Succession — Each faction has three unique heroes in a line of succession. If a hero is defeated, the next in line takes their place.
- Stronghold Control — Players can take control of strongholds, which are locations on the board, and can fight other players for control of them.
- Win conditions — Players win by achieving two out of four specific objectives, such as unlocking all five classes, becoming a champion, a conqueror, or a master.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The rulebook is dynamite. It is clear. It is well put together. It has examples. It spells out everything. It is one of the best rulebooks I've read in a long time.
- So, it's just really clean. It is beautifully designed. The dry erase boards and the way that they fold up with your heroes are amazing.
- So, it's it's accessible in that sense with the mechanics of the player versus player. Um but I love how it packs into this box and what a rich story world this has. Dynamite.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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