Game Info
Year
2026
Players
1-5
Age
14+
Playtime
75 min
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
Mechanic profile
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Description
Airship captains build magical travel companies by exploring for wonders and ferrying tourists between ports
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 5
This page: 5
Sentiment:
pos 5 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–5 of 5
Video 5Am7NvF5yL4
Stonemaier Games Analysis at 0:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 151345 · mention_pk 424982
Click to watch at 0:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Clear iconography for benefits and spending requirements.
- Topographical map with magnetic cloud tiles creates an engaging setup and visual element.
- Built-in game reminders for mechanics like outpost placement and endgame triggers.
- Larger wonder cards to showcase beautiful art.
- System for covering past wonder abilities reduces memory load.
- Colorblind friendly tapstone tokens with unique icons.
- Optional sticker sheet for enhanced colorblind accessibility on player components.
- Drop ships designed to hold crew and harvester tokens.
- Smaller, table-friendly rulebook with clear table of contents.
- Cloud trays for organization and quick setup.
- Box design integrates with a larger universe.
Cons
- Player components (outposts, airships) might still be difficult to distinguish for some colorblind players without stickers.
- Cloud boards might not always lay perfectly flat due to their sturdiness.
- The box is larger than usual due to component volume.
Thematic elements
- Tourism companies and discovering wonders
- Fantasy world
Comparison games
- Galactic Cruise
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Majority/Control — Placing outpost tiles on revealed outpost locations provides benefits.
- Engine Building — Upgrading drop ships with crew members and harvesters enhances their capabilities and contributes to progression.
- Modular Board — Cloud tiles are placed on top of the main board, creating a topographical map that changes as the game progresses.
- recalling units — Players can recall all their drop ships to their player mat to gain powerful benefits.
- Resource Management — Players gather tapstones, which are used as fuel for their airships.
- Set Collection — Collecting a certain number of wonders triggers an endgame condition.
- Worker Placement — Players place one of their three drop ships on the board to take actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This isn't about the gameplay decisions, even though some of these are tied to that. This video is about the the components of the game, the product design decisions that we made while we were working on this game.
- The major component hook of braided skies is this topographical map.
- We wanted to minimize and perhaps completely remove any need for players to remember things. Instead, we just have the game tell you. The instructions are right there as you play.
- For the first time in a stonemire game, we decided to include a little sticker sheet.
- So, we have these these cloud inspired trays in the game for organization and for quick setup.
- So my friends are the product design decisions that we put into making Braided Skies.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video gUuSyWvWXaA
The Mill Preview at 0:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 151276 · mention_pk 424855
Click to watch at 0:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- love world building and story
- love Andrew Bosley's art
- whimsical tour guide airship theme
- amazing components
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- being tour guides, discovering adventure
- the Smoking Bones world, on airships
Comparison games
- Lost Ruins of Arnak
- Dwellings of Eldervale
- Galactic Cruise
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Worker Placement — It's a worker placement game where you dive deep down in the clouds on airships.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- My name is Molly and today we're going to be talking about Braided Skies.
- Braided Skies is designed by Dan Germain with art, story, and lore by Andrew Bosley.
- It's a worker placement game where you dive deep down in the clouds on airships and you are tour guides.
- I love world building and story and I love Andrew Bosley's art and the whimsical tour guide airship theme has me hooked already.
- So, we're still in the early phase of learning about the game mostly through Jamie.
- I really want to show off the amazing components I discovered in this game and how to store and all that.
- So, yeah, I'm super excited. That's Braided Skies.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Y5ics9N2Lt8
Stonemaier Games Review at 0:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 151430 · mention_pk 425192
Click to watch at 0:22 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Takes up a lot of table space with a big board and player mats.
- Name 'Braided Skies' references the interconnectedness of the world.
- Part of a series in Andrew Bosley's Smoking Bones universe, with integrated story.
- Mechanically similar to a previous version but with a reconfigured theme for the story.
- Easy setup and cleanup due to cloud trays.
- Captains are thematically different but mechanically identical.
- The game is story-driven, following Andrew's books.
- Flavor text on wonder cards and cloud tiles adds to the narrative.
- The theme is interwoven into the mechanisms, evolving from a mining theme to one of collecting capstones from clouds.
- Worker placement with interesting hooks like worker juggling and upgrades.
- Progression through upgrading workers and action spaces.
- Theme is immersive from the start, even without reading the books.
- The design process involved collaboration between the designer and world creator.
- The puzzle of which stones to remove and how to place them on the player board is a core mechanic.
- The pivot from pick-up-and-deliver to worker placement was a significant design challenge that was successfully overcome.
- Medium level of player interaction with racing and blocking elements.
- The value of actions and locations changes dynamically throughout the game.
- The design process itself is enjoyable for the designer.
- Mechanisms can be combined to create something new.
- The art by Andrew Bosley adds to the world's aesthetic.
- The three-layer topographical map is a marquee component.
- Components are deluxe out of the box, with no need for upgrades.
- Wooden tokens are screen-printed or UV printed.
- The game is fun and functional, considered complete when it's enjoyable to play.
- Takes up a lot of table space, comparable to Scythe.
- Player boards have mild asymmetry, and starting wonders add deeper asymmetry.
- Asymmetric pairing between player mat and starting wonder.
- Playtime is generally 60-90 minutes, with shorter turns for placement and longer, independent turns for recall.
- The game is designed to thrive at all player counts (1-5).
- The main mechanisms are worker placement, worker retrieval, and engine building.
- Player interaction includes revealing new actions and potential blocking at action spaces.
- The game features three decks of wonder cards to mitigate the frustration of a desired wonder being taken.
- The complexity is medium to heavyweight, with easy onboarding.
- Closer in weight and complexity to Expeditions or Euphoria.
- Includes a reference card for each player detailing icons and actions.
- The game is part of a series, with future games being standalone but aiming for similar weight and strategic depth.
- Andrew Bosley contributed to icon design and card layout.
- The story evolves across the series, creating an epic narrative.
- Wonders are fantastical, possibly with mild real-world inspiration.
- The side of the box is planned for potential art connection across the series.
- The game includes a robust autama solo mode with its own rulebook.
Cons
- Price not revealed until launch.
- Some plastic components are used, although wood and cardboard are sustainably forested.
- The original pick-up-and-deliver version of the game had a restrictive aspect that was changed.
Thematic elements
- Players are airship captains running tour companies, taking visitors to see wonders of the world.
- A light fantasy world with magic and airships fueled by magical tapstones.
- Story interwoven through flavor text on wonder cards and cloud tiles.
Comparison games
- Scythe
- Grand Central Skyport
- Lost Ruins of Arnak
- Dwellings of Eldervale
- Galactic Cruise
- Tapestry
- Expeditions
- Wingspan
- Wormspan
- Euphoria
- Biticulture World
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Space Upgrade — Players can upgrade specific action spaces, which benefits all players as these spaces are unlocked.
- Area Control / Race — There is a racing aspect to reach valuable spaces on the board and visit wonders first.
- Engine Building — Workers can be upgraded with crew mates and harvesters to improve stone collection or processing.
- Modular Board — Cloud tiles are revealed as players dive through clouds, creating new action spaces.
- Resource Management — Managing tapstones is crucial for powering actions and visiting wonders.
- Set Collection — Players collect specific combinations of capstones (magical minerals) to power their ship and visit wonders.
- Worker Placement — Players deploy airships (workers) to action spaces on the board.
- worker placement with a twist — Emphasis is placed on both deploying workers and recalling them, described as 'worker juggling'.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The idea here of Braided Skies is that Braided is a reference to how interconnected certain things are in this world. The there's this is a light fantasy world with some magic interwoven throughout it through these magical tapstones that fuel the airships in the world. And skies refers to the fact that you play as airship captains who run tour companies, travel companies throughout this world where you're taking visitors around to visit different wonders of this magical world.
- So, like like I said, we're we're in the the world of of that Andrew created, the smoking bones world, and this game is all about magical travel. And the main objective in the game is to take tourists to see these um what we call wonders. There are uh three wonder types. And the the way you get there is to provide a specific uh combination of capstones. These are the magical minerals that are that are in the game. Um, and so part of the game is collecting specific combinations of these stones so that you can actually power your ship to go visit these these uh different wonders.
- Yeah. So the the worker placement basically formed the core of the game. Um but there's a heavy emphasis not just on deploying your workers out but actually um giving equal weight to recalling your workers. Um and in a way I I've been trying to think of it as worker juggling in a way instead of just placement because you're you're juggling your workers constantly to the main board back to your personal board, right?
- I think that core concept that got me really excited about the the the entire project was this idea that you have these um available actions on your player map. And in order for those actions to work, you need to supply them with these tapstones.
- I think it goes back to that, okay, this isn't working as well as a pick up and deliver game. how do we make a a hard pivot to a worker placement?
- Yeah, I um I think there are some really fun moments and and that that has that takes place in a couple ways. The first is the this uh racing aspect, this this sense that there are certain spaces on the board that are more valuable than others and everybody can see that. And so we're all kind of looking at each other's board.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video alzcYkxy0JI
Stonemaier Games Interview at 5:55 sentiment: positive
video_pk 151241 · mention_pk 424800
Click to watch at 5:55 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Visually iconic elements
- Thematic gravitas allows for immersion
- Approachable game styles
- Engaging narrative supports the game
Cons
- Thematic adjustments were challenging
Thematic elements
- The adventures of an airship captain and his company trying to discover why magical places are disappearing.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Asymmetric Player Powers — The game's asymmetry comes from starting player mats and wonder cards, not from captains, to allow players to choose their preferred color and avoid being limited by a specific ability.
- Pick-Up and Deliver — This was a mechanism that was tried but did not work as well as worker placement or tracks for Braided Skies.
- track — Mentioned as a mechanic that worked well for Braided Skies.
- Worker Placement — Mentioned as a mechanic that worked well for Braided Skies.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The Smoking Bones saga, which, uh, uh, is composed of four books and three tabletop games that follows his adventures in trying to solve why these these wonders are disappearing and uh, and and still at the same time run a business uh, getting more people, promoting those wonders and, and helping people appreciate the magic in the world that already is that's still there.
- Um uh gosh, for the game itself, um uh we obviously you've you've hinted in in the past already that that the games have have the series of games that we're working on, those have changed in their order uh uh in the past. And so the current game one, Brave Disguise, was at one point game two. And because of the way the saga works and it's and it will be presented in chronological order, book game, book game, all that sort of things. When that when that game changed, that was probably the hardest thing was thematically uh adjusting the the the way game two would become game one and still fit within that series in in an appropriate way.
- Um, so the the world so smoking bones uh in the world briefly. Um uh before the time that the the saga takes place, you know, many many years ago, there was a big war and and there was a uh a country that was that was the aggressor and then there were all these smaller countries that were kind of trying to defend against this this uh powerful country. Um, and Red Jones, the captain in the Smoking Bones world, the the main character, he is from that aggressor country. Uh, and his one of his ancestors was part of a an airship fleet called the Smoking Bones.
- Um, it's it's the whole thing has been super rewarding. Uh, it has its challenges, too, but but as a whole, it's been a really really neat thing, and we've had a great time bonding together over uh over this world.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dzo2fed9hfk
Stonemaier Games Discussion at 14:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 151391 · mention_pk 425076
Click to watch at 14:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Deluxe components out of the box
- Colorblind friendly tokens
- Engaging theme
- Well-integrated mechanics
- Excellent game flow
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Tour company operations
- Fantasy world
Comparison games
- Grand Central Skyport
- Merchants of the Dark Road
- Tapestry
- Everdell
- Expeditions
- Vantage
- Galactic Cruise
- Wingspan
- Fininspan
- Worms span
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Airship placement — Players place their airships on action spaces.
- Area Majority — Specific action spaces are for different ship types, implying a form of area control or priority.
- Dice Rolling — Custom dice are rolled when diving into tapstone mines to determine what is found.
- Engine Building — Players upgrade their airships and improve their player mats to make recall turns more powerful.
- Modular Board — Cloud tiles are removed from the board to reveal action spaces.
- Set Collection — Players collect different wonders which may have unique abilities.
- Worker Placement — The game includes a worker placement element where players take actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- If you were a Decard Kane fan or if you heard if you were with me and thinking oh man I wish to bring him back. He's back but season 15 Jamie. Yes.
- I'd rather you told me it was coming out in, you know, 12 years. I'd rather be happily surprised than disappointed.
- He's he's put out he's had such a long career. He's been in the public eye for so long.
- The final result was really surprising, delightfully surprising as to how good it felt to take back your workers instead of to place your workers.
- I think the one question that I don't answer is price because there are many answers to the to the price question.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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Showing 1–5 of 5