Thanks for the clear instructions on how to play, you said more in 5 minutes than some videos I've seen that are 10+ minutes. I just bought this for $18 brand new and after watching videos I can't help but think, "This reminds me of an entry-level Clank!" By that I mean that a lot of the mechanics will help someone understand Clank! while Clank! has more complexity. I'm glad I picked it up, it'll be fun to play even if it's simpler than Clank! and it'll be a great deck building adventure game to introduce my friends to this style of game.
Mark Hey not sure how I missed your comment but this does feel like a nice stepping stone to Clank! My wife and I like this one better at 2 players though. It’s pretty easy to learn all the cards in El Dorado so I’m excited for the new expansion to add more. Thanks for the comment!
Great Tutorial! Straight-forward and to the point, but I really felt like I understood things by the time you were done. Thanks! You just earned a subscriber, after only watching one video!
Lucas Gentry Awesome, thank you for the positive feedback! I always try to make short but comprehensive videos which is easier said than done lol. I’m happy that you found it helpful and understood the game after watching it. And thanks for subscribing too!!!
@@MyklSkeleton Yeah, I just started making boardgame-related videos and if I can get them as good as yours, I'll consider myself a success. Again, great job!
Lucas Gentry It took a lot of trial and error to get where I’m at now. My first 6 videos or so are kinda painful to watch now. But I listened to feedback and just tried to make each video better than the last one. I still do that. You’ll get there, just keep improving. I subscribed and will check out your videos! Thanks again!!
The review and rules explanation is great. However, I was wondering: I've played a lot of Clank!, Hogwarts Battle, Undaunted: Normandy and several other deckbuilding games. Still, wherever I go, everyone praises The Quest for El Dorado as not just the greatest deckbuilder but also one of the greatest masterpieces of Mr. Knizia. I may be wrong but I cannot really see what this game can offer that other deckbuilders can't. tl;dr: I can't see what is the big deal in this game compared to other deckbuilders or Knizia's other games.
I wouldn’t say it’s a masterpiece or the greatest deck builder ever but I do think it’s an elegant design. I’ve taught a lot of non-gamers how to play and they pick it up quick and enjoy it. Clank! Has more meaty decisions and a whole slew of unique cards to add to your deck but can be a bit too much for some people. The way terrain works and how the symbols match up is just so easy to grasp and the win condition of get to the end first is also super straight forward and it’s easy to see who’s in the lead. But when someone gets trapped and unable to move because they were going for a short cut but don’t draw the right cards to continue is an a-ha moment that clicks with people. Lastly the variable board layouts make each game exciting with some pre-planning on what you’ll need later. I’d say if you’re happy with Clank! as a racing deck builder then stick to that. But this one offers an easier entry point and plays better at 2 (I own both and this gets played way more often).
That was a well put together rules explanation. Concise and clear. Thank you! We haven't played the game in a while and this was the perfect rules refresher. As for what we think of it, it's always been a hit when I've played it. That's why it's time for it to come back to the table. :)
Good video, told me everything I needed to know when debating buying this game. I'm in the same boat of looking for a 2 player game to play with my wife and hearing the same thing about Clank. Plus the theme here interests me way more and reminds me a bit of the Curious Expedition computer game on Steam
Clear and concise explanation! Though I think I spotted two mistakes: 1) blockades are placed on top of, not between the boards. 2) ties are determined by, 1stly the number of blockades held, and then 2ndly by the highest numbered blockade (not the sum).
TehJumpingJawa OK so I had to pull out the rulebook for this one since I swore I double checked all that but it turns out you are right. The setup book does show the blockades overlapping the two tiles, not in between. I had to look closely though. Checking rules questions on BGG, it seems this change does not affect anything I said. You can still move on to the first space and then you have to clear the blockade before moving on to the second space. This does eliminate the need to push together the tiles once the blockade is clear so I’m happy about that, it was always a slightly annoying thing that had to be done. As for #2, the rules say “highest blockade power” and don’t clarify beyond that (as far as I could tell). I guess my brain just assumed that meant adding all the blockade powers together. But BGG again seems to support your claim that it’s the highest blockade each person cleared so I will issue a rules correction for that. Thank you for double checking my work, even though it’s frustrating to not have a video that is 100% accurate.
Just wanted to say I really like how you explain this game. You have a great patter and emphasise in the right places, for me anyway. It makes understanding it much easier. Thank you and subscribed 😊
Jonty Dante Thank you, that actually means a lot to me. I never know if I’m going too fast or slow, I try to keep it natural but it’s hard. I’m sure it doesn’t work for everyone but it’s nice to know that it helped you!
MyklSkeleton from reading other comments it seems i am not alone. Honestly, Grogan and Smith are very professional but there is obviously a knack you have for this. I have dyslexia so reading rules for me is exhausting, as is keeping up with people explain games too fast for me. Your rules explanations are spot on. For me, and other people too it seems.
Looks like a fun competitive game with lots of options at your disposal. Clearly a bit of a thinking game where you use some strategy with the cards you select. I admit I'm new to deck builders but that's my impression. Clank! looks like it has a lot of potential too but it's insanely expensive (the price puts me off that one.)
Roll 4 Initiative I don’t have anything fancy. Just a tripod and a Canon Vixia R800 camera. To get the overhead shot I have the tripod fully extended and the camera angled down pretty far to the table. I have to move the tripod or board to get all the different shot which is time consuming. I’m thinking about getting an extension arm so I could move the camera over the table which would make things easier. What’s your setup?
Thank you for this video. Extremely clear and concise, as usual. I hope you’ll make new tutorials as yours are amongst my favorites, including all the big names in the industry. Cheers, and hope you’re doing well.
Wow, thank you so much for saying that! I love making these but they take a lot of time and I just fell out of the habit these past few years. But it’s so cool to hear from an original subscriber (back in 2019!) who still watches them. That just blows me away!!! I’ve been thinking real hard about getting back into making tutorials so your comment is very timely. No promises but I just might give it a shot again. Thank you for the wonderful compliment, you made my week :)
@@MyklSkeleton My pleasure. I suspect a lot of people feel the same but just don't bother saying it. Happy to hear that you like doing those and are considering going back to it, but I can certainly understand that time is a very precious commodity. Work, family... life. So don't fret, I'll keep following and enjoying your content when it works for you. Take care mate
Great video. It is not easy to be that clear with such a short one. Thanks. Note that some of your final comments on the drawbacks of the game have been revisited in a a new edition. As far as I can tell no rules have been changed wrt. your explanation (besides the 1-blockade rule for the small terrain tiles, that I could not find in the new manual)
I was just looking at the new edition. While I do like it, I think I’m partial to this edition. And I’ve been meaning to try out the Golden Temple version too. Cheers!
You can buy a card on your turn no matter what space you’re on. First you play all the cards from your hand and second you may purchase one card from the market (converting unused cards in your hand to coins if you want/need)
Great Video! Very Direct! The shortest video available, but explains enough to get you started in a hurry. Great video to show your group of new players.
Jansen DeLoach Thanks, my goal is always make the shortest, most direct video of the rules while still being comprehensive. Easier said than done sometimes though! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Here's a neat little strategy. Move into a tile that said you need to remove one or more card from your game. Move out and in again. Now... If you have a card that says "draw two card", and the deck only has 1 card not in your hand, you play that card, and draw it back up. That means you can take your turn indefinitely.
So if you use the Treasure chest for its 4 gold, you can put it in the discard pile? But you move with it you have to remove it from the game? Also, can you move the Adventurer for example one green and one blue? Or is it always two of the same?
No, if you use the Treasure chest in any way for 4 gold then you have to remove it from the game. If you instead use it to move into a rubble space then it would just be discarded like any other card. The Adventurer must always be used for two of the same, you can’t split it.
@@MyklSkeleton okay but at 4:40 you say that you can use one time cards for gold and then keep them. Can you keep the treasure chest if you move to a village with it? What about the plane? Can you keep it if you use it for gold?
@@hlli999 I was using a purple one time use card (called item cards in the rules) as an example so if you discard it for 1/2 a gold then you don't remove it from the game. But if you use the treasure chest for 4 gold (either moving or buying a card) then it's removed from the game after since it's a one time use card and you used it. But if you discard it to move on to a rubble space then you can keep it. If you use it to move onto a red base camp space then you remove it from the game also (just like any other card). The plane is the same: if you use it for one of the 3 symbols (4 green, blue or yellow) then it's removed from the game after. I believe you COULD discard this card (or the treasure chest) for 1/2 a gold and keep the card, it's not likely to happen but I don't see anything in the rules that forbids this. Searching the BGG forums it seems this is a legal move, I found a couple threads saying you could use the treasure chest or plane for 1/2 a gold if you really wanted to. Hope that clears things up! Basically if you use an item card for the printed function then you must remove it from the game. If you instead use it for 1/2 a gold or to move onto a gray rubble space then you discard it instead.
@@MyklSkeleton Thanks! I feel like the rules are a bit unclear about this. It says that if you use the cards for their function you have to discard them. I thought that the planes function is moving and treasure chests function is selling.
@@randymarsh1729 Have you seen the maps on BGG? We just started playing through some of them and it’s a nice change of pace to the ones they recommend in the game. There’s some crazy ones too!
Do you know if it’s possible for you to “store coins” so to speak? For example I discard 2 cards to get 2 coins, but I don’t spend them so I can discard more cards another turn and have more coins to spend?
Yes, the only language-dependent parts are the purple cards. But as long as the pictures are the same (haven’t checked) you should be able to print out a card reference from BGG and refer to that. Good luck!
Thanks for the clear instructions on how to play, you said more in 5 minutes than some videos I've seen that are 10+ minutes. I just bought this for $18 brand new and after watching videos I can't help but think, "This reminds me of an entry-level Clank!" By that I mean that a lot of the mechanics will help someone understand Clank! while Clank! has more complexity. I'm glad I picked it up, it'll be fun to play even if it's simpler than Clank! and it'll be a great deck building adventure game to introduce my friends to this style of game.
Mark Hey not sure how I missed your comment but this does feel like a nice stepping stone to Clank! My wife and I like this one better at 2 players though. It’s pretty easy to learn all the cards in El Dorado so I’m excited for the new expansion to add more. Thanks for the comment!
Very thorough, concise and helpful 👍
Thanks! Glad it helped :)
Echo the other comments. Most concise explanation of any game that I've seen on youtube. Subscribed.
Thanks buddy, I appreciate the feedback!
Great job! You have explained this clearer than any rulebook ever could.
That’s always the goal but I never know how it’s going to be received lol. Thanks for the awesome comment!
Nice concise video. Thanks.
You’re welcome, I’m glad you found it helpful!
Great Tutorial! Straight-forward and to the point, but I really felt like I understood things by the time you were done. Thanks! You just earned a subscriber, after only watching one video!
Lucas Gentry Awesome, thank you for the positive feedback! I always try to make short but comprehensive videos which is easier said than done lol. I’m happy that you found it helpful and understood the game after watching it. And thanks for subscribing too!!!
@@MyklSkeleton Yeah, I just started making boardgame-related videos and if I can get them as good as yours, I'll consider myself a success. Again, great job!
Lucas Gentry It took a lot of trial and error to get where I’m at now. My first 6 videos or so are kinda painful to watch now. But I listened to feedback and just tried to make each video better than the last one. I still do that. You’ll get there, just keep improving. I subscribed and will check out your videos! Thanks again!!
Just borrowed this from the library and I needed a nice concise rules explanation and came upon this video. Very well done. New subscriber.
Mark Papenfuss Awesome, thanks for subscribing!!!
Goddamn, YOU HAVE ACTUAL BOARD GAMES IN YOUR LIBRARY?
The review and rules explanation is great.
However, I was wondering: I've played a lot of Clank!, Hogwarts Battle, Undaunted: Normandy and several other deckbuilding games. Still, wherever I go, everyone praises The Quest for El Dorado as not just the greatest deckbuilder but also one of the greatest masterpieces of Mr. Knizia. I may be wrong but I cannot really see what this game can offer that other deckbuilders can't.
tl;dr: I can't see what is the big deal in this game compared to other deckbuilders or Knizia's other games.
I wouldn’t say it’s a masterpiece or the greatest deck builder ever but I do think it’s an elegant design. I’ve taught a lot of non-gamers how to play and they pick it up quick and enjoy it. Clank! Has more meaty decisions and a whole slew of unique cards to add to your deck but can be a bit too much for some people.
The way terrain works and how the symbols match up is just so easy to grasp and the win condition of get to the end first is also super straight forward and it’s easy to see who’s in the lead. But when someone gets trapped and unable to move because they were going for a short cut but don’t draw the right cards to continue is an a-ha moment that clicks with people. Lastly the variable board layouts make each game exciting with some pre-planning on what you’ll need later.
I’d say if you’re happy with Clank! as a racing deck builder then stick to that. But this one offers an easier entry point and plays better at 2 (I own both and this gets played way more often).
Well done. I’m typically pretty critical of these videos, but you actually did a really good job. 👍🏽
I really appreciate the feedback, thank you!
to-the-point video. rock on, man.
matthlowder That’s my goal with these videos, get to the point and explain all the rules in as little time as possible. Thanks for the feedback!
That was a well put together rules explanation. Concise and clear. Thank you!
We haven't played the game in a while and this was the perfect rules refresher. As for what we think of it, it's always been a hit when I've played it. That's why it's time for it to come back to the table. :)
You’re welcome! We still love this game. I actually got the Heroes & Hexes expansion recently but haven’t had a chance to play it. Looks fun though!
Good video, told me everything I needed to know when debating buying this game. I'm in the same boat of looking for a 2 player game to play with my wife and hearing the same thing about Clank. Plus the theme here interests me way more and reminds me a bit of the Curious Expedition computer game on Steam
Best explanation of this game on youtube. Great job.
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Clear and concise explanation!
Though I think I spotted two mistakes:
1) blockades are placed on top of, not between the boards.
2) ties are determined by, 1stly the number of blockades held, and then 2ndly by the highest numbered blockade (not the sum).
TehJumpingJawa OK so I had to pull out the rulebook for this one since I swore I double checked all that but it turns out you are right.
The setup book does show the blockades overlapping the two tiles, not in between. I had to look closely though. Checking rules questions on BGG, it seems this change does not affect anything I said. You can still move on to the first space and then you have to clear the blockade before moving on to the second space. This does eliminate the need to push together the tiles once the blockade is clear so I’m happy about that, it was always a slightly annoying thing that had to be done.
As for #2, the rules say “highest blockade power” and don’t clarify beyond that (as far as I could tell). I guess my brain just assumed that meant adding all the blockade powers together. But BGG again seems to support your claim that it’s the highest blockade each person cleared so I will issue a rules correction for that.
Thank you for double checking my work, even though it’s frustrating to not have a video that is 100% accurate.
Great video and very helpful. Thank you! And I like your mini review of the game at the end.
Thank you, I’m glad you found it helpful. I still love this game!
Just wanted to say I really like how you explain this game. You have a great patter and emphasise in the right places, for me anyway. It makes understanding it much easier. Thank you and subscribed 😊
Jonty Dante Thank you, that actually means a lot to me. I never know if I’m going too fast or slow, I try to keep it natural but it’s hard. I’m sure it doesn’t work for everyone but it’s nice to know that it helped you!
MyklSkeleton from reading other comments it seems i am not alone. Honestly, Grogan and Smith are very professional but there is obviously a knack you have for this. I have dyslexia so reading rules for me is exhausting, as is keeping up with people explain games too fast for me.
Your rules explanations are spot on. For me, and other people too it seems.
Looks like a fun competitive game with lots of options at your disposal. Clearly a bit of a thinking game where you use some strategy with the cards you select. I admit I'm new to deck builders but that's my impression. Clank! looks like it has a lot of potential too but it's insanely expensive (the price puts me off that one.)
Thank you for that video. You helped me decide to buy it. Very clear and well explained.
Nicely done video! Clear & easy to follow, always a good thing with How to Play videos. Keep up the good work.
Roll 4 Initiative Thanks for the encouragement, I appreciate it!
The top down shot is nice, what setup do you use for it? We do Multicam but I like the consistency of your way.
Roll 4 Initiative I don’t have anything fancy. Just a tripod and a Canon Vixia R800 camera. To get the overhead shot I have the tripod fully extended and the camera angled down pretty far to the table. I have to move the tripod or board to get all the different shot which is time consuming. I’m thinking about getting an extension arm so I could move the camera over the table which would make things easier. What’s your setup?
Thanks for putting in the effort so that we don't have to.
Dragion You’re welcome, enjoy!
Thank you for this video. Extremely clear and concise, as usual.
I hope you’ll make new tutorials as yours are amongst my favorites, including all the big names in the industry.
Cheers, and hope you’re doing well.
Wow, thank you so much for saying that! I love making these but they take a lot of time and I just fell out of the habit these past few years. But it’s so cool to hear from an original subscriber (back in 2019!) who still watches them. That just blows me away!!!
I’ve been thinking real hard about getting back into making tutorials so your comment is very timely. No promises but I just might give it a shot again. Thank you for the wonderful compliment, you made my week :)
@@MyklSkeleton My pleasure. I suspect a lot of people feel the same but just don't bother saying it.
Happy to hear that you like doing those and are considering going back to it, but I can certainly understand that time is a very precious commodity. Work, family... life. So don't fret, I'll keep following and enjoying your content when it works for you.
Take care mate
Great video. It is not easy to be that clear with such a short one. Thanks. Note that some of your final comments on the drawbacks of the game have been revisited in a a new edition. As far as I can tell no rules have been changed wrt. your explanation (besides the 1-blockade rule for the small terrain tiles, that I could not find in the new manual)
I was just looking at the new edition. While I do like it, I think I’m partial to this edition. And I’ve been meaning to try out the Golden Temple version too. Cheers!
Best and simplest explanation ever!
Thanks, really appreciate that!
Question? : can I purchase a card from the marketplace on a turn or does the player have to be in a camp or rubble in order to purchase a card ?
You can buy a card on your turn no matter what space you’re on. First you play all the cards from your hand and second you may purchase one card from the market (converting unused cards in your hand to coins if you want/need)
Thank you 😊 this was really useful.
You’re very welcome! This is still one of our most played games, we love it to pieces
Thanks for this very helpful summary of the game - much appreciated!
You’re welcome, I’m glad you found it helpful!
This gotta be the rules explanation of this game i ever saw. Thank you so much
You’re welcome, I’m glad it clicked with you!
Great Video! Very Direct! The shortest video available, but explains enough to get you started in a hurry.
Great video to show your group of new players.
Jansen DeLoach Thanks, my goal is always make the shortest, most direct video of the rules while still being comprehensive. Easier said than done sometimes though! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Great I like the short and to the point review and game play! Subscribed!
Caleb Beech Awesome, thanks for subscribing!
Thanks for the video.
My game is arriving soon.
fer You’re welcome!
As most others have said, this video is to the point and explains the rules very well. Great video. Thank you for the post.
Hats Off Games You’re very welcome! Thank you for the comment, I love hearing from viewers :)
Hats Off Games And yes, I do live in the Pacific Northwest and I love it here!
Here's a neat little strategy.
Move into a tile that said you need to remove one or more card from your game.
Move out and in again.
Now...
If you have a card that says "draw two card", and the deck only has 1 card not in your hand, you play that card, and draw it back up. That means you can take your turn indefinitely.
I don’t think this works because played cards aren’t moved into the discard pile until the end of your turn. Sorry!
@@MyklSkeleton IDK if we were playing under "slightly" different rules.
This is the best way to review a game. Excellent video!
Thank you my friend, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
So if you use the Treasure chest for its 4 gold, you can put it in the discard pile? But you move with it you have to remove it from the game?
Also, can you move the Adventurer for example one green and one blue? Or is it always two of the same?
No, if you use the Treasure chest in any way for 4 gold then you have to remove it from the game. If you instead use it to move into a rubble space then it would just be discarded like any other card.
The Adventurer must always be used for two of the same, you can’t split it.
@@MyklSkeleton okay but at 4:40 you say that you can use one time cards for gold and then keep them. Can you keep the treasure chest if you move to a village with it? What about the plane? Can you keep it if you use it for gold?
@@hlli999 I was using a purple one time use card (called item cards in the rules) as an example so if you discard it for 1/2 a gold then you don't remove it from the game. But if you use the treasure chest for 4 gold (either moving or buying a card) then it's removed from the game after since it's a one time use card and you used it. But if you discard it to move on to a rubble space then you can keep it. If you use it to move onto a red base camp space then you remove it from the game also (just like any other card).
The plane is the same: if you use it for one of the 3 symbols (4 green, blue or yellow) then it's removed from the game after. I believe you COULD discard this card (or the treasure chest) for 1/2 a gold and keep the card, it's not likely to happen but I don't see anything in the rules that forbids this. Searching the BGG forums it seems this is a legal move, I found a couple threads saying you could use the treasure chest or plane for 1/2 a gold if you really wanted to.
Hope that clears things up! Basically if you use an item card for the printed function then you must remove it from the game. If you instead use it for 1/2 a gold or to move onto a gray rubble space then you discard it instead.
@@MyklSkeleton Thanks! I feel like the rules are a bit unclear about this. It says that if you use the cards for their function you have to discard them. I thought that the planes function is moving and treasure chests function is selling.
judge!!! how did you have scout turn one! 6:10
personally i prefer the game with 2 players!
Lol, hey maybe we spent the first two turns just buying cards for some reason. Good eye though 😂
@@MyklSkeleton alright well said :D
@@randymarsh1729 Have you seen the maps on BGG? We just started playing through some of them and it’s a nice change of pace to the ones they recommend in the game. There’s some crazy ones too!
Great Video! Thanks for your time and effort!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Great Video
Glad you enjoyed it!
Do you know if it’s possible for you to “store coins” so to speak? For example I discard 2 cards to get 2 coins, but I don’t spend them so I can discard more cards another turn and have more coins to spend?
No, any unspent coins are lost at the end of the turn.
That’s correct, no storing coins when you overpay
Easy to understand. Liked and subscribed.
Thanks buddy, I appreciate it!
Excellent instructions thank you
You’re welcome. Thanks for letting me know!
Would you say this game is playable if it is in a foreign language? Im Dutch and can get the German version although I only speak little german
Yes, the only language-dependent parts are the purple cards. But as long as the pictures are the same (haven’t checked) you should be able to print out a card reference from BGG and refer to that. Good luck!
Inmiddels is er een Nederlandse versie uit!
great Content, thank you
You’re welcome!
Very clear,thanks!
You’re very welcome, glad it helped you!
Nice video. Which sleeves did you end up purchasing for the cards?
The Mole You’ll need 2 packs of Fantasy Flight’s mini European sleeves (red). Amazon link is in the description :)
Can you use a Jack of all trades for 1 gold or an adventurer for 2? Or are they 1/2 gold too?
Yes you can use them for their coin value so the Jack of all Trades can be used as 1 gold for purchasing a card instead of using it for movement.
@@MyklSkeleton thanks
Excellent explanation!
Thank you, I love hearing from people who found it helpful :)
Thank you for this very useful rules explanation.
You’re welcome, glad it helped. Still love this game!