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Normale Ansicht

Published — 03. Dezember 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Capitol / Skyline 3000 — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
03. Dezember 2025 um 19:15

💾

Add floors to your towers, finish them off with roofs, then add them onto the board for area-majority goodness. Wait, build the tower and THEN choose where it goes? Oh, never mind the odd order; we can keep tabs on each other's work-in-progress and try to plan around where we might compete. Escalating points, and brutal scoring in which only the top two score (and sometimes not even that), make for a four-player game with the tension ratcheted up to 11.

Alan Moon's and Aaron Weissblum's Capitol (Schmidt 2001) was once a Top 150 board game that didn't have an English edition — until Skyline 3000 (Z-Man 2009), which sadly exited the hobby zeitgeist almost as soon as it entered. It's games like this that are the reason I created this channel — to help people remember what great games these were.

00:00 Intro ▶️
03:01 How to Play 🎲
18:55 Is It a Gem? 💎


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listings:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1155/capitol
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/54643/skyline-3000

How-to-Play Music provided by Chillhop Music
Smoke Trees - Takondwa
https://chll.to/0cec2d18

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 23. November 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Formula D(é) — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
23. November 2025 um 19:15

💾

In this video I compare, with commentary, ye olde Formula Dé from the late-90s to the newer (but not that new) Formula D from the late-00s and beyond.


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listings:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/173/formula-de
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/37904/formula-d

Music provided by Chillhop Music
Blue Wednesday, juniorodeo - Find Yourself
https://chll.to/fe3f99b4

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 13. November 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Sardegna / Kreta — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
13. November 2025 um 19:15

💾

I recently talked about Kreta, a German-only Stefan Dorra game from 2005, and its recent micro-sized remake Sardegna. Well, micro-sized in packaging, but not in components! Let me explain, side-by-slide!


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listing:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15600/sardegna

Music provided by Chillhop Music
Strehlow, Glimlip - Crema Cafe
https://chll.to/a4be18a2

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 03. November 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Sardegna AKA Kreta — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
03. November 2025 um 19:15

💾

Settle the island of Crete or Sardinia, pick your poison. Players have a limited hand of cards to place or move pieces into scoring regions. But you don't get your cards back to play again until someone triggers scoring. You're scoring a fair bit now, so do you trigger scoring? That means you aren't placing/moving pieces, and other players will have a head-start in the next round. But at least you'll have some influence as to what regions will score in the future.

Kreta was a Stefan Dorra game from 2005 that never had a reprint or an English edition. However, there's a new, smaller, inexpensive edition from Playte called Sardegna that is almost a must-buy if you enjoy area-majority board games at all.

00:00 Intro ▶️
02:18 How to Play 🎲
15:28 Is It a Gem? 💎



Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listing:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15600/sardegna

How-to-play music provided by Chillhop Music
Middle School, Aso - warm for the winter
https://chll.to/03d394b9


#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 23. Oktober 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

London — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
23. Oktober 2025 um 19:15

💾

Let's compare the two editions of the board game London, by Martin Wallace: From his own company Treefrog in 2010 to the 2017 edition from Osprey.

Note I haven't played the game, so this is a comparison of the components and my vibes from reading the rules.


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listings:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/65781/london
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/236191/london-second-edition

Music provided by Chillhop Music
Blue Wednesday, Shopan - Home Court
https://chll.to/b245973f

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 13. Oktober 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Cartagena — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
13. Oktober 2025 um 19:15

💾

Countless copies of the classic Colovini Cartagena! In this video I compare side-by-slide, with commentary, the 2000, 2006, 2017 and 2023 editions. (I think I said 2025 in the video, apologies.)


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listings:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/826/cartagena
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224031/cartagena
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/380924/cartagena-escape-diaries

Music provided by Chillhop Music
Philanthrope, Parkbench Epiphany - Waybackwhen
https://chll.to/4a3ea0e7


#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 03. Oktober 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Money — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
03. Oktober 2025 um 19:15

💾

You know what they say: To make money, you have to spend money. Very true in this quick-playing Reiner Knizia auction card game. You're looking to get money — that's why it's money, after all — but you need to bid with money in hand to get the money cards you want, possibly from other players' bids! Aim to get a lot of as few currencies as possible, and/or sets of matching cards, and some precious metals wouldn't hurt, either.

Money was originally published by Goldsieber in 1999, and had a second edition from Eagle-Gryphon in around 2008. And now, in 2025, Allplay has released a third edition in their small square box line.

00:00 Intro ▶️
03:33 How to Play 🎲
10:33 Is It a Gem? 💎


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listing:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/125/money

Background Music provided by Chillhop Music
oddfish - Empty
https://chll.to/66ed2054

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 23. September 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Arboretum — Side-by-Slide Card Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
23. September 2025 um 19:15

💾

In this video I compare side-by-slide, with commentary, the two regular/retail editions of the Dan Cassar card game Arboretum: Z-Man 2015 vs Renegade 2018/2021.


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listing:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/140934/arboretum

Music provided by Chillhop Music
Swørn - Growing Apart
https://chll.to/2c92b56f

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 13. September 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Waddle AKA Gipsy King — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
13. September 2025 um 19:15

💾

This is a side-by-slide comparison, with commentary, of two versions of a classic Corné van Moorsel board game: Gipsy King (2007 Cwali) and Waddle (2025 Allplay).


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listings:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/32382/gipsy-king
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/435360/waddle

Music provided by Chillhop Music
Sleepy Fish, coa - Arthur in Snow
https://chll.to/4b7ca0dd

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 03. September 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Condottiere — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
03. September 2025 um 19:15

💾

Warring Italian city-states! Send your mercenaries out to claim land, the more and closer together, the better for winning. The bigger the army, the better, of course, but it is easy to over-commit to a single battle. Your cards have to last multiple conflicts, so pick and choose your battles — literally!

This classic Dominique Ehrhard game, originally published in 1995 and with lovely period-style art, has been updated in the late-00s with new/different rules. I haven't played the new rules, maybe they're fine. This video is my love letter to classic Condottiere.

00:00 Intro ▶️
04:51 How to Play 🎲
12:31 Is It a Gem? 💎


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listing:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/112/condottiere

How-to-Play Music provided by Chillhop Music
Smile High, Teddy Roxpin - Deja
https://chll.to/ca6ff089

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 01. September 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Downforce — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
01. September 2025 um 08:08

💾

I've heard that the first printing (2017) of Kramer & Restoration's Downforce is better quality than their 2021 second printing. Well, I somehow ended up with both, so I checked them out and hey, may as well record my thoughts while I'm at it.

Consider this an extra bonus side-by-slideshow. The two editions are, really, very similar and this video is probably not worth watching!


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listing:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/215311/downforce

Music provided by Chillhop Music
HM Surf - Horse Betting
https://chll.to/01e920fa

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 23. August 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Condottiere — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
23. August 2025 um 19:15

💾

In this video I compare side-by-slide, with commentary, two editions of the classic Dominique Ehrhard game Condottiere: The Eurogames/Descartes edition from the late 90s or early 00s (not sure exactly) and the most recent edition, Z-Man from 2018.

There are a number of editions floating around, and probably the most common one to find used in English is the 2007 edition from Fantasy Flight. I'd strongly suggest avoiding that as it changed the rules. The rules of Z-Man are also changed, but at least it comes with a way to play the classic way out of the box.


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listing:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/112/condottiere

Music provided by Chillhop Music
Sleepy Fish - Winter Winter
https://chll.to/87c9237a

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 13. August 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Mailbag 2024(!) 📬 #4 of 4

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
13. August 2025 um 19:15

💾

This time last year I went to a friend's cottage, and recorded one of three mailbag episodes. This year, as I prepared to visit that same cottage again, I realised that I never finished answering all the questions I received! So, here they are: The last Q&A of 2024. Only eight-plus months late. 😔

00:00 Intro ▶️
00:53 Most intriguing gem? 🤔
02:45 Most wanted but hard to find gem? 🔎
05:22 What designer deserves more recognition? 📣
08:06 What designer you wish still made games? 🔚
10:56 Games from only one designer for rest of life? 🧓
12:15 Most want to see on virtualtabletop.io? 🛜
15:55 Heavy game? Small-box game? Unexpectedly good game? 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 03. August 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Patrician — How to Play 🎲 and Is It a Gem? 💎

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
03. August 2025 um 19:15

💾

In Patrician, by Michael Schacht, players play cards to place tower pieces, hoping to have the most and highest pieces in the tallest towers. Where they play determines what card they get next, leading to a do-this-to-get-that-to-play-there kind of process. A game in which planning in advance, but not too far in advance, is necessary. Easy to learn and play, with quick turns and a nice flow.

Patrician first appeared from Amigo in 2007 — an OG-style game released a bit outside the OG era. Calliope re-released it in 2024 with some QOL improvements and a smaller box, at a very reasonable price.

00:00 Intro ▶️
03:32 How to Play 🎲
10:32 Is It a Gem? 💎


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listings:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/30241/patrician
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/392767/patrician-towers-of-influence

Background Music provided by Chillhop Music
Blue Wednesday, Shopan - Home Court
https://chll.to/b245973f

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 23. Juli 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Gold West — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
23. Juli 2025 um 19:15

💾

In this video I compare, with commentary, the two editions of the J. Alex Kevern board game Gold West: 2015 Tasty Minstrel vs 2024 Trick or Treat.



Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listing:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/154086/gold-west/

Music provided by Chillhop Music
Arbour, Aarigod - Sundown
https://chll.to/2ec2d8ff

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 13. Juli 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Goldland / Donald Duck in Happy Camper — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
13. Juli 2025 um 19:15

💾

Goldland was a German-only exploration board game by Wolfgang Kramer and Goldsieber, originally published in 2002. Old, but not forgotten! Daryl Andrews has re-worked the game into a new 2025 edition, Donald Duck in Happy Camper, published by Maestro.

This new development is significantly different from the original, so they maybe could have gotten away with not giving any recognition to the original designer. But Andrews and Maestro did the right thing and co-credited Kramer. Class acts!


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listings:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3139/goldland
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/426476/donald-duck-in-happy-camper

Music provided by Chillhop Music
Smile High, Teddy Roxpin - Lake Winnipesaukee
https://chll.to/af0f7c7e

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 03. Juli 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Foundations of Rome and of Metropolis — Are They Gems? 💎

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
03. Juli 2025 um 19:15

💾

I usually talk about older games, and many of those older games are (of course) of an older style. My style. What about new games in that style? Enter Foundations of Rome (Emerson Matsuuchi & Arcane Wonders 2022), a luxe plastic-mini-filled city-building experience. The same game re-appeared in a more sensible retail edition in 2024 as Foundations of Metropolis.

Since these are pretty new, there are I'm sure already lots of videos out there about these games. You probably don't need yet another How to Play video for it. If you're here, maybe you're here for my opinion, I'm guessing. So that's what you get!

Old mic died, new mic seems a bit muffled? We'll get through this, together.


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listings:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284189/foundations-of-rome
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/412865/foundations-of-metropolis

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
Published — 23. Juni 2025 ⏭ Board Gems

Orongo AKA Nyakuza — Side-by-Slide Board Game Comparison 👥

✇Board Gems
Von: Board Gems
23. Juni 2025 um 19:15

💾

In this side-by-slide comparison I compare, with commentary, old and new versions of the same great Reiner Knizia board game: Orongo (Ravensburger 2014) and Nyakuza (CMON 2025).


Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!

Join & Support: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9Ab6egkU1ru3sgP8TUI2A/join
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgems.com
BGG Blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/10011

Brought to you by Pizzeria Ludica! https://www.ludica.ca/

BGG Listing:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/165556/nyakuza

Music provided by Chillhop Music
Smoke Trees - Takondwa
https://chll.to/0cec2d18

#boardgames #tabletop #vancouver #ludica
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