Perch: Fast, Tactical, Reactive Area Control Review & Discussion with @BoardgamesBourbon

Description provided by The Game Bard on YouTube:

Welcome, everybody. We just played Perch and we want to talk about it. Glenn gives an overview of how it works, and then we go into what we think about it. Discussion & Review with Glenn Flaherty from Board Games and Bourbon @BoardgamesBourbon Perch is an area control game where you have your own color, but you’re not necessarily only in charge of your own birds. You’re pulling birds out of a bag, and you’ll get a few of your own… but mostly you’re drawing and placing other players’ birds (and even a dummy player in 2P), which turns every turn into this constantly shifting puzzle. The kicker is the fountain: when birds get removed, they can climb the fountain and score escalating points from 1 to 6. Over the plays, we both found our strategy shifting from fighting for control on the board… to intentionally getting birds kicked off to cash in at the fountain. Add in roving animals that manipulate the board, plus late-game birdhouses and zap tokens, and it becomes a fast, tactical, reactive game where one bird placement can change everything. 🏆 Game Highlights: Area control where you place other players’ birds, not just your own The fountain scoring that makes getting removed feel like a win Highly tactical, reactive play where plans get rewritten constantly Roving animals that let you move/remove birds for big swings A satisfying “mathy” puzzle that doesn’t feel like math Quick five-round structure with a strong three-act flow Great engagement even when you’re behind 🎵 I composed the music in this video. Hear more of my Board Game Songs here: https://games.lincolnhoppe.com/board-game-music/ Perch by Inside Up Games @insideupgames https://insideupgames.com/ Review copy provided. 🌐 My Website: https://lincolnhoppe.com 🎭 About me: Lincoln Hoppe @lincolnhoppe 📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/lincolnhoppe 🎵 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lincolnhoppe 🎲 The Game Bard is my dedicated Board Gaming Channel https://games.lincolnhoppe.com 📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/thegamebard 🎵 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@thegamebard 📧 Business Inquiries: games@lincolnhoppe.com Chapter Markers: 00:00 Intro 00:13 How Perch Works 01:34 Favorite Mechanic: The Fountain 02:54 The Animals: Power and Complexity 04:08 The Best Puzzle: Placing Other Players’ Birds 05:30 Tactical, Reactive Gameplay 08:21 How the Game Evolves Across Rounds 12:41 Abstract Feel, Thematic Fit 14:07 Best at Two Players? We don't know lol 17:25 Three-Act Flow and Late-Game Twists 19:46 Final Thoughts and Who It’s For #boardgames #perch #insideupgames #boardgamereview #areacontrol #abstractgames #tacticalgames #boardgamechannel #thegamebard #lincolnhoppe #tabletopgames #boardgaming #boardgamenight #twoplayergames #strategyboardgames #boardgamevideo