Game Info
Year
2026
Players
1-2
Age
14+
Playtime
45 min
Complexity
3/5
Collection
Your Tier
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Description
A standalone two player duel in which one side plays by Scythe rules and the other by Expeditions rules racing to four stars.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 19
This page: 19
Sentiment:
pos 15 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–19 of 19
Video RcIK5LWIO_s
Stonemaier Games Playthrough at 0:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 110882 · mention_pk 319087
Click to watch at 0:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Standalone title that combines elements of Scythe and Expeditions.
- Asymmetric factions from two different games create unique gameplay.
- The race to achieve goals on the triumph track is engaging.
- Combat is intentional and strategic, not automatic.
- Combat cards have dual uses, adding to strategic options.
Cons
- Rules surrounding each base game are not fully explained due to time.
- Player seating orientation can impact how the board is read.
- The companion card's bonus is not usable at the very start of the game.
- Scythe player cannot cross rivers without the Riverwalk mech ability.
- The Scythe player does not get the 'neighbor bonus' for bottom row actions in this game.
Thematic elements
- desert
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Scythe player chooses a section of their player board with top/bottom row actions. Expeditions player moves a cube to block actions, choosing from the remaining two.
- boast action — Expeditions player needs to take this action to put out stars.
- Building Construction — Scythe player can build up to four buildings, each with a different function.
- Card Play — Expeditions player heavily relies on playing cards from hand for resources and abilities. Scythe player has minimal card play.
- Combat — Initiated intentionally, uses combat dials and combat cards. Attacker wins ties unless card states otherwise. Winner places a star.
- Encounter cards — Scythe player draws these when ending movement on a hex with an encounter token.
- Faction specific mech abilities — Riverwalk, Warp, Speed (Scythe player), and abilities related to combat and refreshing actions are discussed.
- factory cards — New action spaces for the Scythe player, offering benefits like gaining combat cards or upgrades.
- Hero worker — Expeditions player starts with a hero worker that can be any color.
- Item Upgrading — Expeditions player can upgrade item cards for ongoing abilities.
- Leverage ability (faction ability) — Scythe player's faction ability allows discarding an unplaced star for a resource or paying a resource to regain a discarded star.
- Map Tokens — Expeditions player interacts with these on hexes, which stop movement.
- mech deployment — Scythe player can deploy up to four mechs, unlocking unique abilities. Expeditions player has a single mech.
- melding — Expeditions player can meld meteorite cards for benefits.
- Melo Cards — Drawn as a consolation when an opponent places a star, offering benefits like coins or workers.
- Quest Solving — Expeditions player can solve quest cards by moving to a location and taking a solve action.
- Resource Management — Managing resources like metal, oil, food, power, and guile is important, especially for the Scythe player's bottom row actions.
- triumph track — Players aim to be the first to put out four stars on this track, with different goals for each player.
- Upgrade board — Scythe player can upgrade their board by moving cubes, making top row actions better and bottom row actions cheaper.
- Vanquish Action — Expeditions player can use this to gain corruption tokens or initiate combat.
- Voyager faction ability — Expeditions player's ability allows trashing corruption to upgrade, meld, or boast.
- Worker Placement — Scythe player starts with workers; Expeditions player gathers colored workers from hexes.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Duel of Melo. Welcome to the desert.
- Each player's side of the triumph track will have different goals that pertain specifically to your game.
- Scythe is a big efficiency engine through and through.
- Expeditions is going to be heavily dependent on the cards that you're able to collect and utilize.
- The goal is very simple, and it is to be the first player to put out four stars on the triumph track.
- In order for the expedition's player to initiate combat, they need to be in the same hex as the scythe player's character or one of their mechs. And they must take a vanquish action.
- The way that combat works in the game is very similar to the way that it works inside.
- Each player has their own combat dial.
- Whoever wins a combat gets to place their star immediately on the triumph track, including if it were the expedition's player.
- The last thing before we get started are these meloss.
- This is going to be a true early game race because it's kind of the easiest one to achieve.
- It came down to the battle.
- The game came down to it.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video pFGoZ5Ff7lM
Rob's Gaming Table Top List at 86:10:24 sentiment: positive
video_pk 106484 · mention_pk 307825
Click to watch at 86:10:24 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Nostalgic for Scythe fans
- Improved two-player experience compared to Scythe
- Includes a new faction for Scythe and a new character for Expeditions
- Two-sided neoprene mat board with different layouts
- Faster setup and playtime than original Scythe/Expeditions
Cons
- Requires knowledge of Scythe or Expeditions rules.
- May not appeal to new players unfamiliar with the IP.
- Seen as a 'sneaky' way to sell expansions.
Thematic elements
- Sneaky expansion/reimplementation of Scythe and Expeditions.
- Two-player battling game racing for score on individual tracks.
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Asymmetrical — One player needs to know 100% of Scythe rules, the other 100% of Expeditions rules.
- two-player — The game is designed for two players, offering a better experience than standard Scythe at two players.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This game is funny. This game is awesome. I laughed so hard. I had tears coming out of my eyes. This is like the first game out of all the games we played today that actually made me laugh.
- I had to stop the recording because my mic kept on picking up my laughter.
- I can't wait to play it again. I love this game. Dead Monkey. Bye-bye.
- The coolest part is going there and finding games you had no freaking idea that existed and that you would like and you just see them on the in the exhibit hall floor or in the gaming hall being demoed or just some random people on the floor in the hall of a hotel playing some cool ass game they just got there and you're like what's that? I want that. Where'd you get that?
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zzrLUjH7pUo
Bower's Game Corner Top List at 6:41 sentiment: positive
video_pk 106033 · mention_pk 305689
Click to watch at 6:41 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Combines mechanics from two popular games.
- Can be played standalone or as an expansion.
- Appeals to fans of Scythe and Expeditions.
Cons
- Host notes it seems underhyped compared to Drillers.
- Price not immediately available.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Expeditions expansion — Serves as an expansion to the game Expeditions.
- Hybrid game — Combines mechanics from Scythe and Expeditions.
- Scythe expansion — Serves as an expansion to the game Scythe.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- There's a mystery to solve with Scooby and the gang in the social deduction game.
- One of those games you can pick up for 20 bucks and you bring it back and people are like, "Oh my gosh, you pick up the greatest games when you go to Gen Con."
- It's so fun.
- I know next to nothing about this game, but I am excited.
- That looks awesome.
- I'm only excited about this for one reason, it's in the tiny box.
- It's a game where you are going to rip, crumble, fold, and twist a small piece of paper.
- It's really cool. You have this 3D puzzle in front of you that you are looking at, and you are going to be you holding it kind of like a steering wheel, and then picking it up and rotating it 90 degrees.
- If you're one of those people who's like, "Yeah, I love trick-taking games. I like trick-taking games and I just have a whole big collection of trick-taking games because all of as long as it does something slightly different."
- And you have me at universal expansion.
- This side game has the unique ability to impact the other game point-wise and stuff like that.
- I love Vampire Survivors.
- It's Emerson Matsuuchi, who is quickly moving up the ranks as one of my favorite game designers of all time.
- The bottom line is it's two-player Werewolf. I'm just intrigued at that, quite frankly.
- We tried it in the press room. We're like, "Wow, this game is super sticky great."
- Now there's a version which you don't have to feel gross when a card comes up about.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XKV7vBuoOew
Stonemaier Games Other at 2:57 sentiment: positive
video_pk 105365 · mention_pk 303619
Click to watch at 2:57 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Nice blend of two games
- Interesting to see how characters interact
- Good balance between objectives of Expeditions and Scythe
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- A duel between characters pulled from other games.
- Extra planar
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Blend of mechanics — A blend of objectives from Expeditions and Scythe.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's just vibes.
- It is a celebration of gaming. We want to be part of that celebration of gaming. We want to share uh the joy of play with gamers, with fans.
- So, one of the things I do during the day is kind of just follow around to all of the different stations and get as many more of these onto the stacks as we can.
- Stonemire is pretty crucial to my identity as a gamer. It's the reason I'm even here because of Euphoria. I run a podcast because of all my experiences here.
- At no point is a Stonemire game going to sit there and say like, 'Cool. Here's a bunch of negative interaction. Get out of here. There's no player elimination, anything like that.'
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video cC9mF45luOk
Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Review at 0:43 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 104874 · mention_pk 302568
Click to watch at 0:43 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
- stand-alone two-player game
- compatible with Scythe and Expeditions components
- 45-minute clash
Cons
- opponent receives a boost every time you collect a star
Thematic elements
- head-to-head clash
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- That's right. It is time for us to throw off the shackles of workaday life and become the greatest board game manufacturer that the world has ever seen.
- The Game Makers is, in many ways, a love letter to the board gaming industry.
- players continue the journey started in Cascadia to create the most diverse Pacific Northwest environment that they can by drafting new double-hexagon habitat tiles and wildlife tokens to expand their landscape outward and also, get ready for it, ready? Here we go. Upward.
- where we find that the local zoo has broken into chaos. All the animals have escaped and now they need us to help them back to their respective homes.
- a single player card and dice game where the legendary hero strives to ascend into godhood.
- where the courageous new owner of a magical inn builds their bewitching B&B to best suit an eccentric host of guests, while also cultivating the ivy that's covering the walls.
- Now, Entropy is a big old rondel-powered universe-building Eurogame where scientists bend creation to their will as they create a brand new solar system, coax stars to life, and fuel new biomes all towards the ultimate goal of seeding planets with life.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video GGnttba9hak
Tim Chuon Event Coverage at 12:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 102397 · mention_pk 292172
Click to watch at 12:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Got some metal mech upgrades.
- Wanted to upgrade.
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)
- Hell of a deal. Hell of a deal.
- I want to upgrade everything, as you know, because I I have a terrible problem making everything deluxified.
- So, I'm going to get the metal next. I'm going to get these action tokens for Scythe.
- This one was really funny because it's a one versus many one person is this creature because you crash landed onto a planet.
- I honestly really wanted because I just saw the cover art and I'm like, 'Wow, this is this is beautiful.'
- This one is a cooperative poker game where you are playing against the devil along with like different bosses and everything and it is a co-op, but still I think it'd be really fun.
- So, I've been looking for a lot of different solo games. I think I got more way more than I was expecting.
- Gen Con this year was next level. The booths were insane. I feel like everyone leveled up their production for the booth overall.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video TQ7RkWQ6Qy8
Tantrum House Review at 0:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 99148 · mention_pk 275870
Click to watch at 0:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Offers variability with factions from Scythe and Expeditions, leading to numerous combinations.
- The game includes new combat cards that are multi-use, providing combat power and discard benefits.
- Appreciates the race mechanic where players are trying to achieve a goal to end the game.
- The star placement is a battle, as players compete for specific achievement spaces.
- Provides consolation prizes for the player who doesn't gain a star, offering bonuses from Melo cards.
- Smaller box size and quicker playtime (45 minutes) compared to Scythe and Expeditions.
- Easier to set up and get to the table.
- Can be used to play Scythe vs Scythe or Expeditions vs Expeditions, adding even more variability.
- The new factions add value to the original games.
- Enjoyed the feel of playing Scythe or Expeditions in a shorter timeframe.
- The quicker and easier nature might lead to more frequent plays.
- Recommended for those who have played Scythe or Expeditions.
- Expeditions is liked better than Scythe due to more randomness and card play.
Cons
- The double-sided nature of the map and triumph board can lead to combinations that make one player's path to stars easier, potentially favoring the Scythe player.
- The jungle side of the map lacks a printed blue worker, making it more difficult for the Expeditions player to gain one through gathering.
- Expeditions player turns can sometimes be longer due to more actions and potential combos, leading to the Scythe player waiting.
- It is helpful to know the regular game (Scythe or Expeditions) before jumping into Duel of Melock, as the rulebook is not as robust.
- Not knowing the rules might lead to being 'decimated' by an experienced player.
- The game is strictly two-player, which is a downside if players usually play with more people.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players take turns using the rules and mechanisms of the side they are playing. The Scythe player chooses an available action section and performs top, bottom, or both actions. The Expeditions player moves their activation token and performs visible actions: move, play a card, and gather.
- Area Control — Players share the map board and the interaction with map tokens is described, with the Expeditions player gaining rewards on the opposite side and the Scythe player discarding tokens and drawing encounter cards.
- Card Play — Expeditions player actions include playing a card. Special combat cards are also used for powers and discard bonuses.
- Combat — Combat is initiated by the Expedition player taking a 'vanquish' action or the Scythe player choosing to fight after a move action. Players spend power and add combat cards. Winning combat is one of the possible achievements.
- Set Collection — Players aim to be the first to place four stars on the triumph track by meeting achievement goals specific to their side.
- Variable player powers — Each player uses the rules for either Scythe or Expeditions, which have different goals and ways of achieving stars. New characters and companions are compatible with Expeditions.
- Worker Placement — The game involves gaining workers, including a specific mention of needing a blue worker which can be difficult to obtain on one side of the map.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's a race not only to four stars, but for the achievement spaces themselves.
- We're separating the sections into four C's, our thoughts about the components, our critiques, our commendations, and finally our conclusions.
- The expedition player actually has to take a turn to fight and has to take a turn in order to place a star out. Whereas a scythe player, all they have to do is achieve their whatever their goal is and they get a star on that turn.
- So it seems like the combinations are almost endless.
- I appreciate games or I like games that have a race mechanic.
- So, you have Scythe and Expedition. Scythe has actually been out the longest. It was uh published back in 2016, so 10 years ago.
- I feel like when I'm playing the expedition side, I am playing expeditions. And when I'm playing the scythe side, I am playing Scythe.
- With that, I think my recommendation would be that you it's helpful to already know the regular game before jumping into Duel of Maloc.
- And not only quicker, but I feel like easier. We can put these down. Um, easier to set up. It's easier to get to the table. Um, I think it's easier just to play in general.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zYcD7hYjHXI
The Mill Rules Teach at 1:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 99167 · mention_pk 275920
Click to watch at 1:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- The Scythe faction Constantinople has a useful ability for gaining resources.
- The game offers strategic depth that makes you think differently than in Scythe.
- The Automa player provides a challenging and escalating opponent.
- The combat system is detailed and interesting.
- New mechs and factory cards add to the gameplay.
Cons
- The Automa rule book can be complex to understand.
- The map tokens can be collected by the Automa player, taking them away from the player.
- Combat can be costly, leading to retreat and loss of resources/units.
Thematic elements
- Jungle
Comparison games
- Scythe
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose actions from a limited set each turn.
- Area Control — Discussed in the context of spreading out and gaining control of spaces for victory points.
- Card Drafting — The Automa draws action and support cards to determine its turn.
- Combat — Extensively detailed with a specific ruleset for the Automa and player interaction.
- Deck Building — The Automa deck is built with action and support cards.
- Dice Rolling — Used for some aspects of combat resolution.
- Movement — Mechs and characters have different movement capabilities and rules based on terrain and phase cards.
- Resource Management — Players manage resources like metal, coins, and oil.
- Set Collection — Coins are mentioned as a goal for victory points, requiring a collection of 12.
- Variable player powers — The Scythe faction Constantinople has a unique ability to discard unplayed stars for resources.
- Worker Placement — Mentioned in the context of moving workers and potentially producing resources.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- So, what I will do then, I'm my plan is to do another playthrough, flip to the desert side, and I will play expeditions so you can see them because in solo play with the automa being expeditions, you will not see the discovery cards at all or really anything with expeditions really.
- So, it doesn't really matter what mech they're using, but I just use the new one there just because I have it. It's only the only like plastic one I have.
- So, what we need to do is this is first going to go with this symbol. This symbol means they are going to be moving up one of those tracks.
- And then levels two through five, which we're playing two, we're going to draw a support card and they're going to make an additional progress.
- So, I feel like this this one I'm gonna want to keep for later. I think I'm fine if my guys have to retreat.
- This is a five. This is an three. So, they have eight. They have no power right now. They could get some.
- So, I have eight. I win. Yay.
- The whole mythos is that Melik is there kind of like a Loki trickster prankster kind of thing. So kind of helping those to who just got essentially beat.
- So, I think you know I'm just going to go here. I'm going to go to my factory. I'm going to regret paying these coins right now, but I do want to get this encounter card just so I can show it to you.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video rM48eRy6_q0
Stonemaier Games Analysis at 0:30 sentiment: positive
video_pk 93431 · mention_pk 252727
Click to watch at 0:30 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Can be played standalone, as an expansion for Scythe, and as an expansion for Expeditions.
- Includes dual-layered mech mats.
- Card backs are designed to match Scythe cards.
- Includes a rules summary for Expeditions and Scythe.
- Includes a Tournament of Mechs sheet for various tournament lengths.
- Includes a separate appendix for new content rules.
- Box is designed to be the right size and organizes components well.
- Includes an insert and a natural rubber playmat.
- Playmat has a curved area for easier card manipulation.
- Playmat is double-sided with different map orientations (bird's-eye view and first-person locations).
- Population power track faces the Scythe player.
- Includes a new Scythe faction (gray workers) and Expeditions faction (brown workers).
- Expeditions player starts with the gold worker.
Cons
- Orienting Scythe information to face the Scythe player on the board resulted in a visual mess.
- An airship was not included due to fit and cost issues, offered as a separate add-on.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
- Gears of Corruption
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We wanted to make this box the basically the right size, which is an odd thing to say.
- I chose natural rubber here instead of cardboard for a couple reasons.
- The main reason being that it could fit better in this box, but I also thought, you know, people are always asking us for rubber playmat versions of our player mats and our game boards.
- We actually tried it. We tried to flip around the information on each of the locations that was relevant that's relevant to the Scythe player, and it instantly became a visually visual mess. Like it was confusing to look at, like surprisingly confusing.
- Honestly, like when you play Scythe, you probably aren't facing the board from the top down. You're probably facing it from some odd direction anyway.
- Pocket is referring is kind of not a nod to it being a smaller box game, but also more importantly being a nod to pouch or pocket nest that some birds make.
- It's it's very small. It's not expensive for them to purchase. They can they can stock a lot of it pretty easily if they want to.
- The a big point in this game is to introduce people to the world of Wingspan through a game that is lighter, shorter, and more streamlined.
- We found that sometimes players would get a bit little bit lost in where they are in their turn even though it's just a single row of cards.
- And just fun fact like these were the original tokens that we were going to put in Wingspan instead of cubes instead of action cubes, but these are much more expensive.
- We wanted a booster pack type style of packaging.
- This content does fit in the original Origin Story box.
- We found people like in uh in Rolling Realms for example, they like to be able to tear it horizontally so they can kind of retain the integrity of the pack if they want that.
- This is a very simple streamlined product.
References (from this video)
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Video 0oUCd6Rs9aY
Stonemaier Games Playthrough at 0:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 92846 · mention_pk 249679
Click to watch at 0:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- The goal of reaching four stars is clear and drives the game.
- The combination of actions (move, play, gather) offers strategic choices.
- Upgrading actions provides a sense of progression and power.
- Combat is exciting and can lead to immediate game-ending stars.
- The thematic integration of characters from Scythe and Expeditions is interesting.
- The ability to deploy mechs adds a powerful element to the game.
Cons
- The game can feel slow to start, but builds up later.
- The 'trickiness' of the game comes from where to place cards for certain actions.
- The rules for placing stars and boasting can be intricate.
- A player can get 'locked in' to certain actions due to their cube placement.
Thematic elements
- A duel to the death between characters from two different game universes.
- A world where a creature named Mock is pitting adventurers from Scythe and explorers from Expeditions against each other in a duel until one remains.
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose one of three actions per turn: move, play a card, or gather resources. The action chosen is marked by moving a cube to a corresponding space.
- Bolstering — Players can bolster to gain strength, which is a condition for earning stars.
- building — Players can spend resources to build structures that provide unique effects, such as tunnels for teleportation.
- Card Play — Cards are played from the left side of the player's board to the right, granting resources and allowing for specific actions based on matching melee colors.
- Combat — Combat is initiated when players' units interact. Both players bid power and play combat cards, with the winner earning a star and the loser retreating.
- Deploying Mechs — Players can spend resources to deploy mechs, which grant specific abilities and can move units.
- Enlisting — Players can enlist to gain one-time benefits or ongoing bonuses by spending resources.
- melding — A mechanic involving placing cards on specific sides of the player board, with a maximum of four cards per side, and only in locations that grant the ability to do so.
- Movement — Players move their character or workers across the board, with movement limited to a certain number of spaces. Landing on a map token immediately stops movement.
- Quest Completion — Players can solve quests by meeting specific conditions on the board and paying resources, which contributes to their star objectives.
- Resource gathering — Players gather resources based on the hex they are on, which can include gaining cards, recovering cards, or obtaining resources like power and guile.
- Star collection — The primary goal is to be the first to place four stars on the board, representing achieving certain game objectives like upgrading, solving quests, or winning battles.
- upgrading — Players can upgrade actions by paying resources, making those actions more powerful or efficient.
- Warping — A special movement ability that allows units to move between territories of the same terrain type.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The goal in this game is to get to four stars. The second any of us have placed four stars on the board. That is game. There's no end game. That's it.
- So, that's kind of where the trickiness of this game comes in. Otherwise, you're just moving, taking the action, gathering the resources. This is where the meat of the strategy comes in.
- Have you ever heard of the phrase, it's warping time?
- It's warping time.
- I think this needs to end in a blood bath.
- OH. OH, NO. I only have one choice. I must produce.
- That's it. As soon as you played your final star, that is that is the the end.
References (from this video)
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Video KfNmsRD_EgQ
Banter and Boards Other at 1:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 92837 · mention_pk 249641
Click to watch at 1:00 · 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)
- Which board game do you want to take on a second date?
- Which board game has hit the table more than any other this year?
- Which game was the biggest surprise?
- What game's production has impressed you the most?
- Which has been your most reliable introductory board game?
- Which quotes of the old board game did you just recently discover this year?
- Which board game is currently on your wish list?
- Which creator would you like to shout out?
- He has some of the best solo playthroughs. Absolutely love his stuff.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video rIRZJlXOnZc
Stonemaier Games Analysis at 0:07 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80295 · mention_pk 195178
Click to watch at 0:07 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Triumph track encourages racing and blocking
- Double-sided map and Triumph track offer replayability
- Combat is a player decision
- New combat cards have unique abilities
- Combat cards can be used for discard benefits on your turn
- Refresh mechanic allows combining actions
- Can be used as an expansion for Scythe and Expeditions
- Can incorporate components from Scythe and Expeditions for varied matchups
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Epic duel between Scythe and Expeditions factions
- 1920+ universe of Scythe and Expeditions
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Refresh — A benefit from discarding combat cards that refreshes action tokens, allowing players to potentially combine two actions from different sections of their player mat in a single turn.
- combat cards — A new deck of 60 combat cards where each number (0-7) has a unique ability. Cards can also be discarded for turn-based benefits like gaining power, coins, workers, or refreshing action tokens.
- Combat System — Combat is optional. For Scythe, movement ends when initiating combat. For Expeditions, a 'vanquish' action is needed to engage.
- Map Design — A tight, two-player specific map that prevents players from avoiding each other.
- triumph track — A double-sided track where players race to place four stars. Goals are different but related for each player, and placing a star blocks that category for the opponent.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a Scythe versus Expeditions stand-alone dueling game that also expands Scythe and Expeditions and can be expanded by Scythe and Expeditions.
- Unlike the Triumph track in Scythe, only one star can go here. So if I have gone here, I've blocked off that category for you.
- It is a standalone game, but it is also an expansion and it also uh is expanded by Viticulture and Expeditions.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CLTQPrYv77g
The Mill Discussion at 0:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80265 · mention_pk 195084
Click to watch at 0:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Exciting release for fans of Scythe and Expeditions.
- Amalgamation of two communities.
- New content for existing games.
- Reverse compatibility for characters and factions.
- Makes sense within the lore of the 1920 plus universe.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Scythe vs Expeditions multiverse battle
- 1920 plus universe
- arena style battle
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Scythe: Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Duel game — A one versus one dual game.
- expansion content — Provides new content for Scythe (faction, mechs, cards) and Expeditions (character, new stuff) and is reverse compatible.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- My name is Molly and today I wanted to go over two Stone Meer releases that have been announced.
- It's Scythe versus Expeditions, but it's also a more stuff expansion for each game.
- it's a rift in spaceime arena style um arena style like battle type duel.
- So, that's two things I'm super excited and enjoying in the Stone Meer releases right now.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AshTA0-gByQ
BoardGameCo News at 12:42
video_pk 80126 · mention_pk 194524
Click to watch at 12:42 · 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)
- It's more expensive for US buyers because of tariffs. Tariffs cost money. We are passing that cost on to you because it's your country that's making you pay that, not us.
- a $200 board game, which is a lot of money for something that is not crowdfunding.
- I will admit I got a lot of sticker shock at that price point.
- Origins always in a weird space for me. Again, I love it, but also feels like it's declining every year. The board game presence feels like it's dropping each year.
- As a general convention, it's a blast. I have fun. I will probably go back every single year.
- I've slowly been cutting back in that effort of maintaining balance in my life.
- The things I enjoy the most with the expansion are probably small like card hunting abilities.
- It's such a challenging puzzle. I really enjoy it. Highly recommend it.
- I also think it still suffers and and is in the shadow of Bunny Kingdom for me.
- I think it is certainly not a Calico or Cascadia replacement for me.
- Ultimately gets priority over Flip Seven with a Vengeance, even if I am chasing that burst and like a few casual viewers and all that.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ULROJVcWLFY
Shelfside Discussion sentiment: mixed
video_pk 80068 · mention_pk 194291
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Significantly less downtime compared to regular Scythe due to being two-player.
- Guaranteed access to the 'cool factory' card for the Scythe player.
- Small map forces combat and raises tension.
- Combat occupies a larger proportion of the game and feels better, with combat stars being very impactful.
- Expeditions player has clear decision-making options with card tucking and quest progression.
- Moloch deck is an awesome catch-up system that fits the duel well, providing benefits without guaranteeing a win.
- Super clean component-wise with good insert, wooden pieces, and mechs on par with Scythe.
- Improves the Scythe experience personally for the host.
- Shorter play time (45 minutes) compared to vanilla Scythe.
- Changes to combat cards make collecting them always useful, providing alternative benefits beyond combat.
- Offers more counter play and overall positioning compared to Scythe, making it less 'set way to play'.
Cons
- Rulebook is confusing and minimal, barely explaining each game and often referring to summaries or external resources.
- Difficulty for new players who are unfamiliar with Scythe or Expeditions, despite being playtested by such players.
- Expeditions player often feels underpowered or slower to achieve win conditions compared to the Scythe player.
- Specific win condition for the Expeditions player (seven corruption tokens) seems 'basically impossible' to achieve.
- Scythe player can make a 'really big move' late game to occupy seven territories and win immediately, feeling unfair to the Expeditions player.
- Theme of Moloch is 'pasted on' and primarily serves to justify quests for the Expeditions player.
- Moloch catch-up system can sometimes catch a player up 'too much' or make early scoring disadvantageous.
- Swingy combat cards (e.g., munitions card) can feel disproportionately powerful.
- Flipping over the top card from the Moloch deck with a range of zero to five for resources feels 'weird'.
- Host doesn't fully understand how to win as the Expeditions side, despite enjoying the gameplay.
- Alex found the rules 'useless' and they tell you to go read them online or watch a video.
Thematic elements
- A duel between a 'mini civ game' player (Scythe) and an 'Euro plus RPG' player (Expeditions), with the Expeditions player hunting a demon called Moloch.
- The world of Scythe and Expeditions
- Pasted on theme, primarily serving to justify quests and provide art.
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Scythe player makes more workers and occupies more space, while the Expeditions player has area control ideas as they move their mech.
- Card tucking — Expeditions player can tuck three types of cards to permanently store them, preventing them from being refreshed.
- Catch-up System (Moloch Deck) — When one player places a star, the other player draws a card from the Moloch deck, gaining immediate benefits and influencing future turns, designed to soften the blow of getting scored on.
- Euro plus RPG — Expeditions player moves a mech, gathers resources, explores, plays cards, uses workers to complete quests, gets items, and builds things.
- Mini Civ Game — Scythe player manages workers, produces resources, moves a main character, places buildings, builds and moves mechs, and gets upgrades.
- Objective-based win condition — The first player to get to four objectives (stars) wins the game, with columns becoming unavailable to the opponent once an objective is claimed.
- Top and Bottom Actions — Scythe player uses a system of taking top and bottom actions from a column and cannot use the same column twice in a row.
- Variable player powers — The included Scythe faction, Constantinople, offers versatile play, allowing spending a play star to get any resource, functioning as a loan system.
- Worker Placement — Expeditions player uses workers to perform actions and complete quests, with decisions around refreshing workers and cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I've usually respected but never really enjoyed Stonemaier games that much until now.
- This is a two-player Scythe vs. Expedition game. Yes, it's literally just these two games smashed together.
- This is not a review, okay? not see that in the comments.
- A lot of the stuff this game does, it feels like it improves the Scythe experience for me personally.
- The Moloch system that is this deck, which I think is awesome and fits the two-player duel system well.
- The rulebook is confusing as heck as it barely explained each game and instead just give you summaries.
- I strongly think the Expeditions player just feels underpowered.
- It's our job as a reviewer to say if a game is unbalanced or not because it's part of the good and bad, but in general, that's a hard thing to do and I feel like if I'm just not playing this game to the fullest extent, then I can't make any claim there.
- The fantasy of just moving one guy around and managing these cards is enjoyable. Like, every turn is enjoyable.
- It's a neat puzzle. I'm pulling at so many Euro levers from the get-go with some threat of combat. So, I feel giddy with all the possibilities and actual interaction.
- I wasn't really a fan of vanilla Scythe at all. I thought it took way too long to play uh for how complex the game was. So this is kind of perfect for me. It's quick.
- My only negative is that the rules are useless nearly cuz it's like they just don't tell you how to play. They tell you go read the rules on the internet or go watch a a video. So, I think that sucks.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OIIbtLxGv6s
Tantrum House Preview at 0:08
video_pk 80104 · mention_pk 194377
Click to watch at 0:08 · 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)
- Let me know in the comments which ones you're interested.
- Let me know in the comments which one you want us to talk about next.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Fx-FjRmO52g
Tim Chuon Playthrough at 0:30 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80076 · mention_pk 194301
Click to watch at 0:30 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Engaging gameplay for two players.
- Strategic depth with various ways to achieve objectives and interact with the board.
- Asymmetrical player experiences keep the game fresh and interesting.
- Satisfying progression as players unlock abilities and gather resources.
Cons
- Potentially complex for new players due to combining two game systems (Scythe and Expeditions).
- Learning curve involved in understanding both player roles and their unique mechanics.
Thematic elements
- Interdimensional conflict and survival of the fittest.
- A world where adventurers from Expeditions and explorers from Scythe are pitted against each other by a creature named Mock.
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Selection (Cube Placement) — Players move a cube to cover actions on their board, making that action unavailable for the current turn, forcing strategic planning.
- Area Movement — Players move their characters and mechs across a hex-based board, with movement often constrained by map tokens or terrain types.
- asymmetrical player powers — One player uses mechanics derived from 'Expeditions' (move, play, gather actions, quests, meldding, upgrading) and the other from 'Scythe' (pawn placement on columns for main and bottom actions, deploying mechs, building structures, enlisting).
- Card Play — Players play cards from their 'left' to 'right' section to gain resources and activate actions, with card abilities often tied to specific meeple colors or conditions.
- Combat — Initiated when specific units interact on a hex, involving playing combat cards and bidding power to determine a winner, who immediately gains a star.
- Map Tokens/Encounters — Landing on specific hexes grants map tokens or triggers encounters, providing benefits like discovery cards, resources, or special actions.
- Resource gathering — Players collect various resources (guile, power, meeples, coins, steel, wood, oil) from the board or through card effects.
- Set Collection (Stars) — The primary win condition is to be the first to collect four 'stars' by completing various objectives like upgrading cards, solving quests, vanquishing tokens, gaining coins, or winning battles.
- Token Vanquishing — The Expeditions player can 'vanquish' corruption tokens on the board by spending guile, often unlocking further abilities or contributing to star conditions.
- Upgrade system — The Scythe player can upgrade actions on their board to make them stronger or cheaper, while the Expeditions player upgrades item cards for better effects.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I think your body is mentally preparing to just wipe the floor with me here.
- Murloc is something else. Milak was trying to escape to the portal of Scythe, but he got stopped by adventurers in Scythe.
- This is where the meat of the strategy comes in.
- It's always well thought out with bonds, I'm telling you.
- I have a secret ability.
- You know what? I'm going to move my cube to play. And I will have move and gather. So I'm going to move right here. I'm going to stop my movement because I end at another map token. Ooh, I gain a mele. I'm going to gain a blue mele.
- Oh, that's a good one.
- Oh, that's a good one. I'm going to unlock speed. And it has to go to where one of my other workers are.
- Wow. This is not good for me. I really need to figure out how to boast.
- God, my popularity, my strength sapping for my body.
- Have you ever heard the phrase, it's warping time?
- I don't like that.
- I think this needs to end in a blood bath.
- Why you looking at my bank over here, Von? This is prime information.
- Oh frick.
- Now it's time to get serious.
- Oh no. Tim, four equals one star. Bond. It does. But I have no stars remaining. I have to pay a resource here.
- Oh my god, you I'm going to refresh.
- I think you need more table space to fit all your abilities and actions and cards.
- Just casually say your turn when you know what's going to happen next.
- I know you're going to try and slaughter me.
- Can you repeat what you just said? I just didn't hear.
- You killed me again. That was so close. That was so close. I'm stressed. I'm sweating. I'm sweating.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video p34qY7jlDsU
One Stop Co-op Shop Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80032 · mention_pk 194078
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- It works as a mashup of two distinct games.
- It offers a very different and interesting head-to-head experience compared to the base games.
- It provides solid solo play.
- The TLock mask upgrade was very powerful and allowed fast-tracking of goals.
- The game is tight, tense, and exciting.
- The Melo cards add an interesting ebb and flow and provide bonuses.
- The Automa can be 'dumb' sometimes, leading to potentially wasted turns for the bot, which can be lucky for the player.
Cons
- Requires knowledge of both Scythe and Expeditions, necessitating consulting multiple rulebooks.
- Only includes one character for each playset, limiting options unless the base games are owned.
- The swinginess can be higher than base Expeditions.
- Potential for frustration if desired items are not drawn.
- Empire building on the Scythe side might be less interesting due to a smaller map and fewer workers.
- Goals may not be completely balanced, with some seeming easier for one player type than the other.
- The Automa can sometimes make movement actions that seem to achieve nothing.
- The power balance rule is complex and not easily grasped.
Thematic elements
- mashup of Scythe and Expeditions
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — For Expeditions, players move a cube, take actions like moving, gathering resources, playing cards, and refreshing to bring back cards and workers.
- Automa Action Determination — The bot's actions are determined by flipping the top card of the action deck and the support deck. The top two rows of the action card dictate the actions, with priority given to the leftmost applicable one.
- Automa Bot Rules — A separate board is used for the Automa, showing what the bot is trying to accomplish for its stars. Tokens or workers move up if the bot reaches a star, indicating its progress.
- Automa Progress — The Automa makes progress on triumph tracks by moving workers, with specific icons indicating the type of progress (e.g., building a mech).
- Boasting — Boasting is how players get their stars onto the board after accomplishing goals.
- Card activation — Players put workers on cards to activate their powers. Cards can also be slotted under the board for ongoing bonuses.
- Combat (Expeditions) — Power is used for combat if entering it with the Scythe player. Cards added to the deck can also be used.
- combat cards — Players can play combat cards during combat, with each card potentially being worth a certain value.
- Corruption tokens — Players can vanquish corruption tokens on the board, which is an element from Expeditions.
- Deck Building — Players can get cards and deck build into their hand.
- Discarding Combat Cards — Combat cards can be discarded at any time to gain a bonus, such as a worker.
- Exploration tokens — Both players are going for exploration tokens.
- Item Upgrading — Players can upgrade items by placing them under their board to gain bonuses.
- mech deployment — Scythe players can deploy mechs, which are additional units ready to attack.
- melding — Melding is described as being the same thing as upgrading for meteorites.
- Melo Cards — These cards are part of the 'Duel of Melo' mechanic. When the opponent gets a star, a Melo card is flipped, and players gain bonuses based on which side faces them.
- No Victory Point Counting — Unlike Expeditions, the game is purely a race to the stars and does not involve victory point counting.
- Player Role Determination — One player uses Expedition rules and the other uses Scythe rules. The host controls the Expedition character, and the Automa controls the Scythe character.
- Power Balance and Risk — The Automa's support card influences how risky it is willing to be in its moves based on the power balance.
- Power Balance Calculation — A complicated calculation to determine if moving into a space is beneficial based on current power and potential combat cards.
- Race to Stars — Winning the game involves racing to get four stars, with different goals for each player, and whoever gets a star first locks the other player out of it.
- Resource Production (Scythe) — The Scythe player can produce resources to pay for costs, though this is simplified for the bot.
- Roll out mat — The game features a roll-out mat with two different sides, one being a desert side with usual Scythe map features like rivers that restrict the Scythe player initially.
- Scythe Player Actions (Bot) — The Scythe player (bot) moves, puts out workers, produces resources, and summons mechs which can also be used for fighting. The bot's actions are simplified.
- Scythe Unit Movement — After reaching Phase 3, Scythe units can move two spaces and cross rivers.
- Starting resources — The Voyager card provides starting resources. The bot's starting stuff is determined by difficulty level and phase cards.
- Threat Move Action — In advanced mode, if the bot cannot enter combat, it uses a 'threat move' action to move towards the player to get into combat.
- Triumph Track (Expeditions) — The Expedition player raises 'guile' (green/cyan track) and 'power' to help vanquish corruption tokens and pay for costs like quests.
- Triumph Track Priority — The Automa prioritizes Triumph Tracks that are further along to fast-track certain stars.
- Vanquish Action — An action that allows players to destroy corruption tokens, potentially gaining a benefit if it removes the final corruption.
- Worker Placement — Workers are used to activate card powers, and the number of workers available affects actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a one to two player mashup of Scythe and Expeditions.
- I don't think I've ever heard of anybody even attempting something like this.
- And the crazy thing is that it works.
- This is a hard one cuz this game is crazy. This is it's a fever dream, right?
- If you are not intimately familiar with the scythe and expeditions rules, that is four rule books you got to read to be able to play this one consistently.
- This is an insane design thing, and I think they pulled it off, as crazy as it is.
- But still, I got to give credit where credit is due. This game is insane and it works and it's fun and it's tight and it's tense and it's fun to return to Scythe and Expeditions at the same time again.
References (from this video)
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Video AXadMuVDayk
Before You Play Playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79993 · mention_pk 193842
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Can combine factions from Scythe and Expeditions.
- Standalone title, does not require owning Scythe or Expeditions.
- Combat is intentional, not automatic.
- Unique mechanics for each player, blending Scythe and Expeditions.
- Fast play time of about 45 minutes.
- Combat cards have multi-use benefits.
Cons
- The 'No guts, no glory' combat card cannot be used to earn a combat star.
- Losing combat results in retreating to home base.
Thematic elements
- Desert
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Expeditions
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose actions from their player board (Scythe) or by moving a cube to block actions (Expeditions).
- Area Control — When the Expedition player enters a hex with only Scythe player's workers, the Expedition player controls the hex, preventing Scythe player from producing or using resources there.
- Card Play — Expeditions player plays cards from hand for resources and abilities. Combat cards have power values and effects.
- Combat — Combat is initiated intentionally and resolved using power dials and combat cards. Ties go to the attacker unless a card states otherwise.
- Deck Building — Combat deck is specific to Duel of Melo, and combat cards can be used for combat or for their stated benefit.
- Resource gathering — Players gather resources by activating hex abilities (Expeditions) or by taking the produce action (Scythe).
- Set Collection — Collecting map tokens (Expeditions) or encounter tokens (Scythe) is a triumph track category. Collecting corruption tokens is also a goal for the Expeditions player.
- Track Advancement — Players advance on the triumph track by achieving goals, represented by placing stars.
- Variable player powers — Asymmetric factions from Scythe and Expeditions have unique abilities.
- Worker Placement — Scythe player deploys workers, and workers are used to produce resources and can carry them.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a dueling game for one to two players that combines both scythe and expeditions and it plays in about 45 minutes.
- As soon as you are able to do so, you win immediately.
- The ultimate goal is to be the first player to put out four stars on the triumph track.
- Combat cards in the game look like this.
- Whoever wins a combat gets to place their star immediately on the triumph track, including if it were the expedition's player.
- The attacker wins combat unless the card says otherwise.
- It came down to the battle.
References (from this video)
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