C.O.G. (2017)

London 1875 – The Cabinet of Gadgetry (C.O.G.) appeals for resources to continue its important work in constructing The Great Apparatus – an automated machine for transporting her majesty's citizens safely and quickly through the increasingly crowded streets of London. Will you answer the call and perform your service dutifully?

C.O.G. is a steampunk themed game that fuses a crossword game with a eurogame. Each player has their own tableau (similar to a Scrabble board) on which they spell various resource words (such as cog, pulley, rod, aether, bulb, lens). When a player spells a word, they have collected that resource, which will score points at game end.

The central turn mechanic is worker placement. In each round, players take turns placing workers to gather letter tiles, action cards, and a die. The letter tiles are used to construct words on the players' tableaus. The action cards provide a variety of actions. For example, some cards are "resource cards" that provide an alternative way to collect resources. Other cards provide the ability to manipulate letters. Other cards provide victory points and other special powers. The die chosen has two functions: (1) to move player's pawns along a track whose spaces provide more abilities and (2) to activate some of the action cards.