Bloodstones | Shelfside Review @Shelfside

Bloodstones | Shelfside Review @Shelfside

Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

We review Bloodstones, a high fantasy area control game! This is Martin Wallace’s (Brass Birmingham designer) first game via Gamefound for his own company, Wallace Designs, where 6 asymmetrical players take multi-use tiles and fight over the world of Fal. It has a lot of hand management, but people say it is like a War game + Euro (it really leans more Euro. With 6 included maps for a solo mode (and 2 player) there is a lot of content, but is that necessarily a good thing here? How does this compare to other BGG popular games like TI4 and Root? Maybe you will play as a Dragon and blow up citadels to score VP, or be a hill troll to camp in the mountains and be safe?

Play Ascension.gg for free: ascension.gg/new-arrival/s9

Table of Contents:
Overview - (0:00)
Ascension.gg - (0:58)
How to Play - (1:46)
Pros - (4:19)
Cons - (17:10)
Recommender Score - (28:05)
Daniel's Personal Score - (32:07)
Ashton's Personal Score - (35:00)

Support us:
patreon.com/shelfside
ko-fi.com/shelfside

Our Website!
shelfside.co

Purchase Games We’ve Reviewed! (Paid Link)
amazon.com/shop/shelfside

Shelfside Social Media:
twitter.com/ShelfSideYT
instagram.com/shelfsideboardgames
facebook.com/ShelfsideYT
discord.gg/U7QQKqYT62

Links to our other stuff:
Ashton's Channel: youtube.com/ashtonwu
Daniel's Channel: youtube.com/user/doyduh2

#boardgames #tabletop #review

Bloodstones | Shelfside Review

Deliverance ▸ Shelfside Plays

$Terrible Influence ▸ Shelfside Plays @WatchMojo We set out to see who can first become the president through advancing modern society! Players in the Tabletop pop culture game, Terrible Influence, will advance through the 3 tiers influence to eventually power. With asymmetric powers like a Podcaster or Model, who will survive the take-that cards of spite? It really is satire with skills to advance your revenue and monetize your following. Who will win this competitive party-esq game designed with Next Big Project? Play Terrible Influence: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/terribleinfluence/terrible-influence Table of Contents: Intro: (0:00) How to Play: (0:32) Gameplay: - (1:45) Support us: https://www.patreon.com/shelfside https://ko-fi.com/shelfside Our Website! https://www.shelfside.co/ Purchase Games We’ve Reviewed! (Paid Link) https://amazon.com/shop/shelfside Shelfside Social Media: https://twitter.com/ShelfSideYT https://www.instagram.com/shelfsideboardgames/ https://www.facebook.com/ShelfsideYT/ https://discord.gg/U7QQKqYT62 Links to our other stuff: Ashtons Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ashtonwu Daniels Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/doyduh2 Stuff Used: Kevin Macleod — Study and Relax https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z_Ecyh6e7A Kevin Macleod — Marty Gots a Plan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhRNWAbeBpE Kevin Macleod — Sneaky Snitch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3mxLL7nX1E Kevin Macleod— Sneaky Adventure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SppruC0G5k ♪ Biscuit (Prod. by Lukrembo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtZ2m2Zm3vY Music proposed by Royalty Free Music : https://bit.ly/37XDja3 Music: Happy Song 1 by Frank Schroeter Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://de.audiocrowd.net/ Upbeat Funk Podcast by Infraction [No Copyright Music] / Funk Town https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ytEybDgMw&list=PL7pkSK1xbGD4pdCE1wAqd6pd3KwsyoP6q Rock Sport Racing by Infraction [No Copyright Music] / I Will Run https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZqtGyjgK6A #boardgames #tabletop #tabletopgames$

Sky Team | Shelfside Review w/Turbulence Expansion

Primal Just Got Even Better

The Mole ▸ Shelfside Plays

$Worker Placement Explained We explain the popular game mechanic of Worker Placement! This is a Euro-leaning tabletop mechanic, typically featured in games with lower randomness and more resource management gameplay. It is a very splashable idea, being in many thematic games (although not in too many Ameritrash usually), and heavily featured throughout boardgamegeek top #200 games. We try to break down the interaction between meeples, fun factor while moving chits, and how easy it is to grasp. Workers can also be dice in some games, or family members in ones that have more hand management ideas. Not every popular euro has this worker placement, like Scythe is technically not a worker placement. Use our code ‘SHELFSIDE’ at checkout for a free custom play surface and help the channel (worth $200): https://bbopokertables.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=39&url=70 Games featured: Lords of Waterdeep, Everdell, The Godfather: Corleones Empire, Argent: The Consortium, Caverna, Agricola, Parks, Star Wars: Rebellion, Castles of Burgundy, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Dune: Imperium Table of Contents: Intro - (0:00) What is Worker Placement? - (1:05) Why Worker Placement - (2:58) Worker Placement’s Popularity - (4:38) Worker Placement Common Complaints - (6:52) Support us: https://www.patreon.com/shelfside https://ko-fi.com/shelfside Our Website! https://www.shelfside.co/ Purchase Games We’ve Reviewed! (Paid Link) https://amazon.com/shop/shelfside Shelfside Social Media: https://twitter.com/ShelfSideYT https://www.instagram.com/shelfsideboardgames/ https://www.facebook.com/ShelfsideYT/ https://discord.gg/U7QQKqYT62 Links to our other stuff: Ashtons Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ashtonwu Daniels Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/doyduh2 Stuff Used: Upbeat Travel Event by Infraction [No Copyright Music] / Afro Beat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJLia2d3WoQ #boardgames #tabletop #tabletopgames$

Earth | Shelfside Review

$Twilight Imperium 4: Thunders Edge | Shelfside Review We review the latest Ti4 expansion, after playing it four times! Well technically, we played Codex 4 3 times, then this once, but there’s a lot of crossover! This 2nd expansion for the top BGG game, Ti4 (with Pok) includes more asymmetric factions all the way to new 4x mechanics (Thunder’s edge + fracture). Explore the fracture and invest into the new legendary planets! Or play an entire new game mode with drafting, in Twilight’s Fall! There are patched cards from the codexes and cardboard pieces like the strategy cards. With the 20 galactic events, you can fix voting or even introduce RTS-isms with the Monuments to the Ages! Will this be the definitive first expansion to get, even with Prophecy of Kings already being out? How do the 6 new factions fare? What has become of the massive product Twilight Imperium, as maybe there could be a Ti5 one day? Table of Contents Overview - (0:00) What’s New - (1:50) Pros - (2:37) Cons - (18:15) Recommender Score - (20:36) Alexander’s Personal Score - (26:21) Ashton’s Personal Score - (28:42) Support us: https://www.patreon.com/shelfside https://ko-fi.com/shelfside Our Website! https://www.shelfside.co/ Purchase Games We’ve Reviewed! (Paid Link) https://amazon.com/shop/shelfside Shelfside Social Media: https://twitter.com/ShelfSideYT https://www.instagram.com/shelfsideboardgames/ https://www.facebook.com/ShelfsideYT/ https://discord.gg/U7QQKqYT62 Links to our other stuff: Ashtons Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ashtonwu Daniels Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/doyduh2 Stuff Used: Spirit of the Law — Everything You’ve Wondered About Wonders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBEkT92YjC4 #boardgames #tabletop #review$

Wingspan Pocket QUICK Review

Primal: The Awakening | Shelfside Review

The Realm of Sword and Snow Prototype Review — What I wanted out of Rising Sun

Bloodstones | Shelfside Review