Are any of these games worth keeping? - Keep or Cull!
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Transcript
Hello everyone, this is Cinema and this is Johannes. And you're watching Board Gaming Rambling. Welcome back to Keep or Cull, a this series where we play all the games and decide whether to keep or cull them. This is another batch from mostly from Spiel mostly 2025 titles and we're going to decide if they are and good enough to be kept in the collection because we are at the point where we don't have free space to just keep whatever. So, we need to be even stricter than we usually are on these keeps or Mhm. Some games we cull might be good games or many of them are. We will let you know basically if a game is good or not. So, let's get going. Are you ready? Yes. Orbita. This is a review copy two player only game. Are you ready? Yeah. One, two, three, boom. It's a double keep.
Oh, I could have done the thing again where I could have been the cool person. Cuz I was on the edge. Yeah. But I was like it's a small one and it's very nice and fun and short. So, I chose keep.
This is from the same designer who made Yellow House.
Yes. Which means that it's pretty weird, but I think this was fun. I think actually I like this a little better than Yellow House for me personally. It's simpler. Yeah, it's simpler. It doesn't wreck my brain the same way. But it's very interesting and it reminds me of Yellow House. I can easily see that's that's the same designer. So, I would love to keep this. What are you doing in the game? Oh, you're you're playing cards. It's kind of a trick taker. It is. Uh because I'm playing cards and you have to play another color and then you move up on a track and the track that's higher is going to win the trick get the cards and you're getting points for the cards. Let's say I have the most green, I get points for how many green cards you have. So, ideally I would like to win four and you win three. So, you kind of try to balance that. It's very interesting and it takes like 10 minutes.
Yes. Mhm. Next up we have another trick taking game. I'm saying another and it is a two player cooperative trick taking game called The Slasher. This was not a review copy. Are you ready? Yes. One, two, three, boom. It's a double cull.
Double cull. I enjoyed this. Yeah, me too. Uh but in like it's it's a I enjoyed the theme. Like you are trying to not get taken by the killer and trying to get all the getaway items before the killer kills you. It has different rules for each round because of different places around the map. In the category of two player co-op trick taking games, I'd rather play for example Jekyll
Jekyll versus Hyde or Jekyll and Hyde versus Scotland Yard. Uh which I think is a better one, but it is a good one just not good enough to be kept even though it's a small box. We can't keep all of them because that is going to be too many. That's true. The Wondrous Museum. This is another review copy. Are you ready? One, two, three, boom.
It's a double cull. I was thinking you might choose keep. Yeah, I was very I was very on the edge. Did you try to be the cool person?
No. Um yes, but for me I basically feel like I played it enough. Yeah, I'm I'm I wasn't sure actually because I
the game? Oh, yes. You are collecting cards into your Wondrous Museum and you're making kind of a little engine. You're playing in in in like a line and you're activating them from left to right and depending on which gemstone you use to activate it, you will activate like the matching cards to that gemstone and you are trying to earn more coin money so you can buy more cards into your museum or to earn the most points. And it's like a player driven ending to the game. So, when there is X amount of cards or one player has X amount of points, the game will be over. So, it feels kind of like a race to get the things most efficiently before the other players will maybe end the game. I enjoyed it. I think it's a good game, but I don't need to play it anymore.
Like we got to play it a few times. I was like, "Okay, now I'm done with the game." We get I feel like some games I feel like I want to play this again and again and some is just like, "This was fun." Yeah, I was unsure with my cull because I would love to play this like one or two more times, but then I know I'm done with it then. So, it's it would have been a very temporarily keep. And also there are different sets that you can play with which has some replayability in that category. Next up trick taking game review copy Phantom of the Opera which is also I think from the same designer who did this one. I'm pretty sure it is the same designer Gionel. Yes, it's the same designer. This one is another game though. It's not the same game even though it's the same designer and now we do the paddle. Yes. One, two, three, boom.
It's a cull for me. And I can I can I can Mhm. I like this one. I like this too. Yeah, this one feels more like a classical trick taker than Orbita and Yellow House for sure.
But it has this kind of cool thing where you are trying to win and lose tricks. Yeah.
Not in the same like you they have this like notes that you are playing on and when it's like a one type of note I want to lose the trick and if it's another type I want to win the trick and as the Phantom you're trying to finish off the opera. I think I want to keep it for now.
Yeah, it's a cool game. And it's a small one. I know I just said I can't keep all the small games, but it's it is it was a lot of fun and I I enjoyed my time with it. Mhm. Next up is another review copy. White Castle Duel. White Castle Duel, let's go. One, oh, one, two, three, boom. It's a double cull.
It is. I really like like I really really really like the White Castle, the original.
Yes and it works perfectly well with two people.
Yes and I would say that this I I had some hopes for this game because I like White Castle and people
perfectly well with two people.
Yes and I but this feels like um for example Azul Yeah. it works perfectly well with two players. They've made a duel version. It's same same but different. This feels more different though than the original White Castle. I thought it had some cool things to it. For example, that first first half of the game you're playing down markers to action spaces Yeah. and you're trying to like not match your you're not allowed to to match what's underneath it. But it's no like value or dice or no drafting or anything like that and you activate the two actions that are adjacent to that one. And in the other half you're taking all those markers back so you can also then take some of those markers that your opponent set out the last turn. So, you're trying to do that in a way that you will activate the right actions at the right time.
I thought it was not that interesting to be honest. Like the scoring things you were going for and some of the things that I really enjoyed about White Castle was not there. So, I had I have no desire to keep it in the collection. I yeah. Do you think you would have liked it more if it was not called the White Castle? Yes, actually. But the thing the thing is I think it would still be a cull though, but there is pretty many similarities because you are doing things in different categories and then trying to get scoring markers and our scoring symbols in that category which is kind of similar to White Castle.
Yeah, but it's also similar to other games. Yeah, but it's like if it was made by the same people you would think it was the same because it is.
yeah, that's true. I do enjoy this, but it didn't give me that feeling. Like I would never choose even though they're not the same game. Because it's like I would never go like, "Let's play White Castle Duel." when I can't play White Castle which is a fantastic game. So, it's getting over here on the cull pile. Next up is this is another review copy. This is Faust versus Mephisto which is also made by the same designer who did Phantom of the Opera and Orbita. And it's a trick taking game. It is. One and it's two player trick taking game and you do different things like taking tricks. Are you ready? Yeah. One, two, three, boom. It's a cull for me, a keep from you. I was very unsure because this was really fun. This was fun. Yeah.
You are playing as Faust or Mephisto and you are basically trying to win or lose. If you're Mephisto, you're trying to win or lose all of one color. Mhm. So, you're trying to they get them flipped over and do that twice. It has it's a very straightforward trick taking game. It has that time same kind of thing as in same designer in Jekyll versus Hyde and Jekyll and Hyde where the suits get better than they get in, but in this one when all of the suits are played, they get to be reset except for one that's always going to be there for the next rest of the round. Uh and also it has this really cool mechanism where I have a coin where I can make you play for me.
Yeah. Uh if I'm in a position where like if I play now, I'm going to lose. Yeah. So, I'm going to have you play for me and then I might still be able to win the game. I actually I think I'm I'm changing my mind. I think I want to keep this because this is a game where I outsmarted myself several times.
Yes. And I really want to learn to master it more because you you can really quickly set yourself up in a position where you feel like there's no way out. Yeah. And I would like to get to know this game more so I can first of all avoid that situation, but also learn that there is might be more ways out of that than I imagine there will be. But yes, I sometimes use the coin to be like, "Yes, I've got it now. You can play Oh, you play. Okay. Yes. Yeah. Great one. Keeping it for now. Next up is another review copy. This is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Yeah. 1 2 3 boom. It's a cull and a cull. And a cull. For me, it was a very easy cull. I didn't like this very much. Well, I I had fun when I played it, but I never want to play it. I never need to play it again.
Yes, I agree. You are choosing things to draw. So, it's a Choose and write.
Choose and write.
and write because like you have rows to draw from.
That's true. But, if you're choosing the same things to write draw as some other player, you will get a negative effect.
like that part of it. Like you're you're kind of guessing what the other players want cuz I there's no way for me to to have like a feeling of what everybody wants. No, if something was like objectively better,
Yeah. it could be better.
Yeah. Yeah, but most of the times it's just like I all of these could be good for different reasons. But, you're trying to navigate the top of the sea and like with a boat the submarine and also the lower part. So, I thought that was fun trying to see because if you move into stuff, Yeah. you will get damaged. So, you're trying to write in such a way that you can move easily between the upper and lower level scoring the things that you want to score without crashing in bunch of stuff. It's a fine game. I enjoyed playing it, but it's one of those games where it's like I played it now. Next up is Citizens of the Spark. Are you ready?
Yes. 1 2 3 boom.
It's a double cull.
It's a double cull. I know I like this a lot more than you. I know you don't didn't like this a lot because it has quite a lot of take that in it. I really enjoyed this for what it is. It is a game where I will take a tree a row cards. I will place it into my tableau. And then I can choose to do one of those actions from one of those characters. And depending on the number of characters I have in that row and of course then depending on other factors in the game, I will score some points. And then everybody else can follow using the same character. It has a lot of different variations. I'm happy you didn't play. I played with other people a few times and we played like the hired direction set, which is basically only attacking the other people that all time.
It sounded horrible.
It was fun because it is what it is. Like it is and it says 45 60 minutes. Takes about 30 minutes, I would say. If you're not playing like 60 minutes sounds like a very long game. And you are just That is the game. You have to be able to understand or to to enjoy it for what it is. Well, I think it was the combination of the randomness because it is lucky if you get something that you really want when you're drafting or not.
the card games. Yes, but I got on the bad end of that so many times. I got pretty tired of that. And also the combination then of the take that. Okay. Which felt boring. But, it reminded me of Guildhall.
Yeah. Because we played Guildhall a lot in our early days of gaming. And that also have luck and some take that there as well. So, it reminded me of that. But, I'm we don't have Guildhall hole anymore and I have no way to start to play. It's not my kind of game. I think it's a good game. I don't know if I would have kept it anyways cuz it's like an easier cull when you don't like it. Yeah. We have a couple more games to go.
Yes, one more on my side.
review copy. Kingdom Crossing.
Kingdom Crossing. Are you ready?
Yes. 1 2 3 boom.
It's a keep for me actually.
Yeah, I was very yes. I was Yeah, I really like this. I'm kind of happy you chose keep Yeah. because I I think it's a really good game.
Yeah. But, when I'm trying to be like harsh and strict, Yeah. it's a cull because I think it's a really good game.
Yes. But, I'm thinking I'm happy you chose keep. But, I'm thinking like we can't keep them all. Cannot keep them all board games keepers.
Yeah, this might be a keep that I will look at when we're like hardcore culling our collection in like 6 months or something. Then then I might be ready to let it go. But, I had I have really much fun with this game because you are it's based around the like seven bridges puzzle. Yeah. So, you have if you're not using your balloon and flying to another space, you have not opportunity to use like all of your moves for that round. So, you're basically moving between areas to buy cards.
Yeah. And those cards goes into your tableau and you're trying to get different ones to set out more houses, which is positive might be. And also to get extra income at the start of the next round. And also you will build your final scoring with those cards. And also they will give you an instant effect. Sometimes you will spend money to get something or you will get money for example. And you're trying to see I would say it's a bit tactical but strategical because you have like an like fairly like plan. I want to have a card like that or I need to have that. But, then you see opportunities arising and you're trying to see what kind of route you will take in that round to move as much as possible because that is good but also get the cards that you want. I think one thing about this game that will kind of damage it.
Yeah. And the reason is I hate it. Yes, that will damage it if you just throw it off in the trash and jump on it.
Yes. is the look of the game. Oh, yeah.
Because when I look at this front, which I did on the preview, I thought kids game. Yeah. So, I didn't first off I was like didn't look at it and then I saw the publisher and the reason I was like, "Oh, it's those designers and it might not And the board as well like it looks kind of it looks kind of like a kids game. And it's not a kids game. It's a medium heavy Euro game. Heavy would you say?
No, a medium medium. Yeah, yeah, about a medium that's the weight medium weight Euro game. Um It looks a bit like it has the same thing which A Wild Venture had this year where you will it the looks are deceiving. So, I think like but because if you look at this guy, he looks more like like a person that could be in a bigger Euro game.
Don't judge a board game by its cover, but it kind of speaks to the wrong audience, baby.
I think so that the art style is kind of making it harder. Made it for me that I looked at it and be like, "Hmm, that might be a kids game." Okay. Next up last for today is the Royal Society of Archaeology, which does not look like a a kids game.
But, it is. It looks like somebody is sitting on a desk inside looking outside on the pyramids. Yes. Like you do. And another review copy. Are you ready? 1 2 3 boom. It's a double cull. Double cull. And this one was fine. It was one of those games where I played it. I had a fine a fine time playing it. It didn't give me a lot. Mhm. And I'm feeling like I don't need to play it again. You are archaeologists trying to basically build up resources to be able to go on expeditions. And those expeditions gives you relics that you can sell either selling them for money or and send them to the museum. Um It had some interesting like worker placement where the workers get better.
And then when somebody places in a place where you are and you're the best, you will get some bonuses. Or if you place under somebody, you get some bonuses as well. Um It was fine. Yeah. It It was It was an an evening of of good fun and I'm not going to miss not to play it again. Yeah, it's one of those games on my pile of games that it's fun to play them, but then ultimately they're quite forgettable. Uh-huh. Mhm. So, those are the games. We kept four games and then we culled six games. Some bigger ones, some smaller ones. So, what is your favorite and least favorite from this pile of games?
My favorite was Kingdom Crossing.
Uh-huh. And my least favorite has to be Citizens of the Spark. Okay. I'm going to go least favorite. It's kind of hard. Probably then going to be 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Maybe it was I think Royal Society was my least favorite. And I think also Kingdom Crossing was my favorite of this bunch.
Mhm. And there you have it. 10 more games. Some getting stuck in the collection and a lot going out. And that's the end. You can of course
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