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00:00:00 – 00:12:13
Wendy Ye introduces and reviews a variety of her favorite card and tabletop games, emphasizing strategic gameplay and unique mechanics. She starts with "Peanut Butter Belly Time," a strategic card drafting game by a peanut butter company, followed by "Match of the Century," themed around the 1972 chess championship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, and "Split," where players build tableau with assistance. She continues with "Lunar," a team-based trick-taking game, and "Sale," a cooperative game focused on navigating a pirate ship. Additionally, she discusses "Aon End," appreciated for its streamlined gameplay; "Stons," a mix of trick-taking and economic manipulation; and "Nar," a Viking-themed engine-building game. Lastly, she highlights "Point City," a resource and building acquisition game, and "Busy Beaks," a bird-themed game where players compete to collect the most eggs. She ranks "Busy Beaks" as her top game of the year, noting its replayability and potential for expansions.
00:00:00
In this segment of the video, Wendy Ye introduces three of her favorite card games from the year. She starts with “Peanut Butter Belly Time,” a card drafting game by a fancy peanut butter company where players create dessert-like jars of peanut butter with various ingredients. The game involves strategic choices and thematic elements such as managing the amount of salt for positive or negative effects.
Next, she discusses “Match of the Century,” a card game themed around the 1972 chess championship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. Players use multi-use cards representing chess pieces with strategies to win small turns, which contribute to winning the overall match. She appreciates the game for providing multiple opportunities for success and enjoyment, even if not winning overall.
Lastly, she talks about “Split,” another card game where players build two tableau next to them, with assistance from others. She mentions that this game works well with two players, where each builds two tableau to maximize end scores.
00:03:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses two games: “Lunar” and “Sale”.
“Lunar” is a four-player team-based trick-taking game with partners playing cards to win tricks. The unique twist is that one player plays the number and another plays the suit of a card. It follows basic trick-taking rules with a Trump suit determined through a drafting process. The game emphasizes cooperative play and strategic decision-making.
“Sale” is another trick-taking game but designed for two players playing cooperatively as pirates. The objective is to navigate a ship across the ocean while avoiding obstacles like rocks and Krakens. Players must balance winning tricks to move the boat without ending the round prematurely. This game focuses on low communication and achieving coordinated gameplay to overcome challenges.
Both games exemplify the speaker’s preference for trick-taking mechanics and cooperative elements.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the speaker reviews several games, highlighting their unique mechanics and appeal. Firstly, they discuss “Aon End,” emphasizing its streamlined gameplay and simplified setup, which feels like a refined second edition, making it easier and more dynamic. Next, they delve into “Stons,” a trick-taking and economic game where players collect tricks to earn stocks in various companies, manipulating the stock market based on the value of cards. Lastly, they introduce “Nar,” a light-rules card game with a Viking theme where players build an engine by collecting and layering cards, managing resources, and acquiring landscapes for points and abilities. They appreciate the balance between maintaining and spending the engine in “Nar.”
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses three different tabletop games. Firstly, they highlight a preference for the game “Nar” and express willingness to play multiple rounds due to its engaging nature. Next, they elaborate on “Point City,” drawing comparisons to “Point Salad” and explaining its mechanics. In “Point City,” players collect resource or building cards from a dynamic grid, which requires strategic planning to balance resource collection and building acquisition. Lastly, the speaker reviews “Busy Beaks,” a game where players collect bird cards to trade for eggs, aiming to have the most eggs by the end. The game features a variety of bird abilities and changing card setups, contributing to its replayability. The speaker ranks “Busy Beaks” as their number one card game of the year and appreciates its potential for expansion.