How to Play A Feast for Odin

A Feast for Odin is a board game as epic as the Vikings it's based on. But like most Uwe Rosenberg games, it's surprisingly simple to play, once you know what everything does. Here's what everything does.
Use these links to skip ahead:
0:00 Introduction
1:52 Goods, Resources, and Expanding Your Village
5:17 Round Anatomy
10:58 Actions
17:44 Raiding, Pillaging, and Plundering
22:35 Hunting
25:07 Faraway Lands
25:44 Occupations and Emigrating
27:50 Markets and Products
28:39 Scoring
30:32 Variants and Solo Mode
32:10 Setup
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[@testoftetris]

Man this video is a hell of a thing. The, uh, indiscriminate noun not the meeting

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Or a Hel of a thing, to be more Viking about it. :)

[@Trevin_Taylor]

Isn’t it both?

[@WankenZeFurious]

This is hands down THE best tutorial I have ever seen! Kudos. I hope you get the tons of views you absolutely deserve. Big love from Belgium

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks so much, Angelo! Tell your friends!

[@OnnyCarr]

@@NightsAroundaTable Agreed! Great tutorial. Minor quibble... too often the focus of the tutorial happens at the bottom, where it's covered up if one happens to turn on subtitles.

[@Lavoye]

@@OnnyCarr You can move the subtitles though, grab the subtitle and move it away. And I agree that it's a great tutorial. Funny, clear, dinamic. I often lose my focus while watching rules videos, not in this one.

[@Ragnar0kske]

It seems Belgians dig your tutorial... best one available. It makes a hard game very understandable and even question myself why I didn´t figure out certain things before

[@Inthedark72]

Your rules explanation videos are the best out there in my opinion. I frequently have to watch multiple channel’s explanations, but now I just default to yours and that’s all I need.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks so much!

[@natedigger1]

Watched this once and I was ready to go. Great explanation! Felt confident going into my first game to just sit down and play. We call the first player moose the ‘Moople’.

[@SpelleJelle]

This video is still being used today by me in the year 2024 to learn how to play Feast for Odin. Thank you very much and greetings from the Netherlands!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

And the next time i play the game, i’ll rewatch my own video! Cheers!

[@SpelleJelle]

@@NightsAroundaTable Yeah 😁🥳

[@glaxmattbas]

If I understand the rules correctly, you need to put the things from the thing into the thing so you can get things that you then put onto the things so you can get things to do more things

[@NightsAroundaTable]

NOT EVEN CLOSE.

[@Copterman]

You are my go-to for how to play videos. Best in the business!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks Copterman! Though i have to admit i'm completely trash at upholstery cleaning.

[@SapphireBones]

I know this is a pretty old video, but I just HAVE to praise your teaching methods. You're so thorough, and your side jokes really do liven up an already good video. You're like one of the best board game teachers on youtube, I swear. Both you and Rodney (form WatchItPlayed) are my favorites.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks so much, Pretty Serious Persephone! ( It's so funny what constitutes "old" on the internet vs in real life. We'd never call a toddler "old" :P )

[@kjellkanin]

Third tutorial by you in a row that I turn to for a new game!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Fantastic! More to come.

[@JohnnyLeyenda]

What a lovely crafter tutorial! I have been wanting to get this game for a while, and while not a particularly complex or heavy game overall, I was overwhelmed by the amount of components. This certainly helped me make the decision to finally buy it!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Yes! It's "heavy" as in "physically heavy." :)

[@melkoinenveikko1286]

Your work here in KZbin is just beyond amazing. Such a legend. Thank you.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Aw - thanks, Melkoinen!

[@WildcatWithLove]

This is the best A Feast for Odin tutorial I can imagine existing or ever existing.

[@kennethbaggerlarsen401]

You, Sir, are by far my favourite "How To Play" teacher! This tutorial is pure perfection! Thank you for investing the time.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thank you, Kenneth!

[@tabbyp4754]

Absolutely love the way you taught this! Video is precise, detailed, but not very overwhelming. I love that you go over every rule with a visual attached to it! Great job! You have earned a subscription from me and a like! Thank you! Looking forward to more of these tutorials from you. Perhaps Terraforming Mars? Tapestry? 7 Wonders? Thank you! Much love from Rhode Island!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thank you so much! (And boy, are you in luck!) How to Play Terraforming Mars kzbin.info/www/bejne/naS4q6Geis9rnqc

[@cornbreaded8304]

You have some of the best tutorial videos out there. Clear and concise and entertaining. Thank you for the videos my dude.

[@fredericduran5186]

This is so clear! Love it!

[@cainmccleary]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you for putting this together!

[@sunilpatel2883]

Brilliant explanation, animations, sound effects, the lot. Thank you!

[@loudcoffeepress6532]

We loved the video so much we linked to in our newsletter! Keep up the good work!

[@wrany72]

This was so well done, I subbed. TY

[@dylanhyatt5705]

Great run through - really professionally put together and fun too.

[@wyoddestro]

Great editing on the video and straight to the point rules and setup. I'm anxiously waiting to get my copy of the game now :)

[@briankruger1484]

This is absolutely amazing. Informative, to the point, and hilariously entertaining. Thankyou.

[@jacobhawk9311]

Been waiting since you bought this to post this! Good job as always Ryan!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Jacob! This one was a bit of effort!

[@andrewmcdonald3911]

This is a very well done tutorial. Good job!

[@SpcSamRI]

This was an EXTREMELY effective tutorial. Thanks!

[@daleprather3026]

Awesome video! Thank you. You saved our game night. All of your videos are fantastic and clever :)

[@TaeEmpty]

Not only this IS A GREAT tutorial, but also de sense of humor lmao

[@citmod]

Thanks for the video. I watched it before reading the rules, so watching this made it easier to learn the game. However I have noticed a small mistake you made. At 6:51 you say that during this phase (phase 3) all the unclaimed islands get money put onto them. However they get only money put onto them during the four game rounds in which an island will be/should be turned. Other than that, great job and thanks again!

[@kyleschmit3788]

Easily the best video on the topic. Thank you, so much.

[@CharacterFormationCoaching]

This is really great! Thanks for making it so enjoyable!

[@stogrady]

Thanks for this! Great breakdown of how the game works.

[@partypao]

What an awesome how-to-play video!!! Thank you for this!!! May Odin look upon you with favor!!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

:)

[@the_bearded_maximus4601]

Amazing tutorial!! Thank you!

[@shanetyson2619]

Excellent tutorial. To cover every aspect, including a clear and concise description of all the actions, was phenomenal.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Shane!

[@donclemson8959]

Excellent vid, as always.

[@hurlman03]

Your videos always impress the hell out of me. I can tell how much work goes in to them.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Michael! One of this length usually clocks in at around 40 hours.

[@MrBlackled]

Finally a tutorial video that actually teaches you the game! Many congrats! Great job!

[@mkietzmann]

Excellent explanation. Thanks a lot.

[@miguelitos]

Wow! Thanks for this video. Superb. This really made a difference in my understanding of the game!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

And what of your understanding... of life?

[@heidicakessoapco5343]

Excellent Teach, thank you. I received the game for Christmas and I am SO excited to play, but was a bit confused and discouraged by the rulebook. I will make sure to use this video as a guide to play!👍🏼👍🏼

[@mungomidge1090]

Fantastic tutorial!

[@jessicamai6685]

Thanks for such a quality video! This game has been sitting on my shelf for over a year, hopefully this does the trick to get it to the table.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Jessica! It's worth it! My wife Cheryl really took to the game, and we've had a lot of fun playing it at 2 players. i smoked her last time we played, so it's very easy to recommend.

[@curtislegall8324]

This was BY FAR the best tutorial that I've seen for this game!!! Thanx & well done!

[@susannaheisenbraun6635]

Delightful and so helpful.

[@stevengeis6295]

One of THE best explanation videos I've seen (and I've seen a LOT). Definitely my go-to channel from now on. You have some seriously good speaking & explanation skills. Fantastic.

[@LudosErgoSum]

This is so well made! The best tutorial I have ever seen, both informative and funny at the same time. Subscribed to use your entire catalogue for teaching new games we're going to play like Feast of Odin tonight. :)

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Fantastic! i hope it's a great time for you. It's an awesome game.

[@piotrw3366]

Great How to play video! You are amazing at explaining those games. Please keep making those videos :)

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Piotr! More to come!

[@MagWizz]

AMAZING video! I never knew watching how to play video could be so entertaining... Thank you!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks so much! Remember to subscribe. More to come!

[@thedudeslawyer]

Damn, I'm glad I found this. This is so much better explained than other rules explanation videos. Thanks!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Hey - thanks so much! Have you had a chance to play it yet?

[@thedudeslawyer]

@@NightsAroundaTable Not yet, but it's on my wishlist. Keep the videos coming! You're my new favorite board game guy.

[@Beepkris]

Incredibly well made video! I have a copy of the game arriving on Monday and this helps a whole lot. Thanks!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thank you so much! (But arriving Wednesday would be far more appropriate!)

[@michaelfarrugia4345]

Your videos make me only want to buy games that you teach!! They're so engaging, beautiful, funny, well orchestrated... Mate . Keep it up

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Gosh - i appreciate this.

[@spacemonkeypictures]

Amazing video easy to understand

[@severngamingnetwork]

This is SUCH stellar work! SUBBED! Thank you for all that hard work that evidently went into this.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks so much, Severn! The final count on this one was 40.5 hours. :)

[@severngamingnetwork]

@@NightsAroundaTable Yowch! But so worth it for so many of us, and hopefuly for you too dude :) We appreciate it!

[@TomTom-gx3ye]

This tutorial is an absolute brilliancy. Thanks so much for the content, NightsAroundATable.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

My pleasure, TomTom84!

[@ts7844]

Superb help. Thanks so much! Love the game

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks! Ain’t it grand?

[@clawlan]

Your editing is the best. As someone that briefly tried to make videos, I know how time consuming but how impactful it is. Keep up the great work!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, clawlan!

[@fatowen1988]

Excellent instructional as always! My copy should be here tomorrow. I'm looking forward to trying it out and I'm much more confident after watching this! Good sir, I thank thee most humbly *rolling hand into a bow*

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Gadzooks! i've been fedora'd!

[@lonewolfvc3575]

I really think you produce the best tutorials. This one is no exception. Impressive.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks so much, LoneWolfVC!

[@Cithalo]

Wow, congratulations, one of the best how to play I've ever seen, just one note, at around 10:26 you note that the mountains strips are removed when fully stripped (lol), but on the rulebook it states that it's also removed if it's left with only the rightmost two silver piece

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks for that correction, Cithalo! i've noted the error in a card that links back to the Addenda section on the website.

[@camarodragon1]

Good video on this beast of a game. I'm surprised you went in this depth because there' are sooooo many rules.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

One of my patrons, DMExplains, pointed out that there isn’t much instructional video coverage for it - likely *because* of all those rules. Opportunity seized!

[@wishmeheaven]

What an amazing explanation... Thank you, champ!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

No problem, tiger!

[@rikhavok]

Best tutorial for FoO! Ty!

[@xeolye]

Your tutorial saved us! Just discovered that we played a few rules wrongly. Love the clarity!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Good to hear! What did you get wrong? i just had some people over to play Tekhenu yesterday, and one of them pointed out a few things i goofed up in my first play!

[@HelsCals]

Thanks for this video, really helpful!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Glad to be of service!

[@jotobaja]

great video like always! good job! thanks!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Jotobaja!

[@AspieGamerGirl]

Great video as always. Thank you ☺️

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks!

[@Buddhawrath]

And subbed. Ty for the clear and concise video sir.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks so much!

[@cheng0131]

The best of the best tutorial

[@jasona579]

This video is very helpful. I'm ready to pillage and raid.

[@antgerfitz]

This is the best tutorial for A Feast for Odin. I was watching it (x2 speed) as a refresher as I haven't played in a while. Only one moment in the video (18:30) that made me pause and search the rulebook. I didn't remember an Iron resource. I checked the contents page and couldn't find any. You meant silver. Only telling you in case you want to know and want to put text on the screen. But I think people will know when they sit down to play it that the icon is silver. If I tried to make this video I'd probably get at least 100 words wrong. Amazing work.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Ahhhhhh.... i see what's happening. At that moment, i actually say you can claim those tiles "by paying the iron price." That's a term from Game of Thrones. It's a euphemism that means you're taking something by the sword/by warfare rather than paying money for it. So in A Feast for Odin, you can get those tiles by fighting for them. Your sword value on the die you roll has to match or exceed the sword value on the tile (and you can pay additional sword cards or bring your ship's on-board ore to bear to increase the number total, depending on which action you've taken). Hope that clears it up! Sorry to cause confusion.

[@josephpilkus1127]

This is exceptionally well done...I'm brand new to the game and as an Alpha BGA player I played a few games recently and absolutely love it!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thank you, Joseph! It's a great game.

[@AlexNguyen]

Great job on this video

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks, Alex!

[@chrisgoff6819]

Love this video! Instant subscribe

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Love this comment! Instant heart!

[@Bada4ever]

Excellent video!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Spanks!

[@pascualpelaez6589]

Is the best tutorial I have seen ever

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Is the best comment i have seen ever

[@WanderingKumquat]

This video was insane and super helpful

[@NightsAroundaTable]

i'm so glad!

[@WanderingKumquat]

@@NightsAroundaTable That Rulebook is a beast! Thank you seriously!

[@Stewiekev]

Fantastic video. I can't believe it too me so long to stumble upon your channel. Perfect blend of humor, production, and clarity of explanation. Insta-subscribe. Weekend plans have been put aside, as I absorb all of this content. And purchase some games. Dammit it, Ryan, why at Christmas time?

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks so much, Beanrib! What's tempting you the most right now (aside from my sumptuous moustache)?

[@Stewiekev]

​ @Nights Around a Table Well, A Feast For Odin (with moustache a close second) is at the top, and it seems more approachable after watching the video (not the moustache, *ahem*). The Mindclash games (Anachrony, Trickerion) have always been on my radar, and your videos might have pushed me over the edge. Tirckerion reprint coming in a few months, I believe, so at least my choice are fewer at the moment.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

@@Stewiekev i love the Mindclash stuff! And so might you!

[@Stewiekev]

@@NightsAroundaTable nice! If I had to choose one first, which would you recommend? Both seem great, but I keep waffling. Trickerion or Anachrony? Which has a better solo mode?

[@NightsAroundaTable]

@@Stewiekev Well, it's a titch complicated. Trickerion doesn't have a solo mode, unless you buy the expansion Dahlgaard's Academy, which includes the Dahlgaard's Heir automaton that you can play against. With Anachrony, they re-issued the game and moved a few bits into an expansion to make the base game more affordable. So you can download/view the solo rules on their website or on BGG. But apparently the solo mode isn't very good, so they redesigned it, and it's available in the upcoming expansion. i *think* i got that right? It's a bit squirrely.

[@guenteroelfke3005]

Great ! Thx Now iam ready to play !

[@NightsAroundaTable]

GO GIT SOME!

[@quibily]

Neat game! The starter player moose is one of the best details of the game. That and the monsters in the corners of the player boards, suggesting these aren't the "real" Vikings but the world of their myths and legends. Fafnir the dragon (a real character in Norse myth--really cool story) is the player board I usually choose. Great job on this video! (Also, I'm watching a vikings vs. Anglo-Saxons TV show right now that's really good! I'd recommend you watch it with your wife. It's called The Last Kingdom, and it's probably on Netflix in Canada, too.)

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks so much! Cheryl ADORES Vikings, so she’s probably already watched that show twice. Incidentally, when my friend Elliott plays this game and becomes first player, he declares “SEIZING THE MOOSE.”

[@michaelaknapova5166]

Hello! Wow, what a great video! I just wanted to thank you for it. Děkuju. Also, I subscribed immediately after that 'baby bump girl'...

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Nemáš zač, Michaela!

[@MrVurtan]

Great rules tutorial. I love your jokes during the whole tutorial.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

🤡

[@petervanderham4725]

Great tutorial. Not sure if I'm a 100 percent able to play it just yet, but still. Great one!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Thanks! There’s a whole huge book that i only touched on that lists all the cards and their effects. Great game though - very worth learning imo.

[@petervanderham4725]

@@NightsAroundaTable yup! Played it twice on BGA last night. Lovely! Now to get the physical game somewhere…

[@NightsAroundaTable]

@@petervanderham4725 It's a real chubber!

[@geoffpaulsen]

Oops, at 29:57, you mention King Edward's Crown (and score for it), but the piece you hi-light is NOT the crown, that's a similar looking forgeable treasure.

[@Berndr]

I noticed you can cover the banquet table with flipped boat tokens, if so do I still have to place the food tokens in that field at the next banquet event! great tutorial thank you ...

[@NightsAroundaTable]

No! That’s the great thing about emigrating - you’re reducing your food burden. More people have moved out of the village, so there are fewer Vikings to feed! Isn’t that smartly designed?

[@sebastianravinale2592]

Hi. I'm late for the party but a couple of points that might not be 100% accurate. You only add coins to the islands during a round that you turn any of them around, otherwise you don't. And also when using a 4-vikings action spot you can play the card before or after the main action. Cheers!

[@yasssay8358]

You are the best .

[@NightsAroundaTable]

No you.

[@vast3394]

Thanks! -11 points my first game! I’m so bad at this game, but I know how to play it! I think!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

i had the same experience my first few plays. You’ll definitely see that scale start to tip as you play more often.

[@michaelrosted2999]

Dammit Coorrrrraaaaall!!!

[@BoatsAndJoes]

9:06 Fun fact: silver is good at killing germs. I'm guessing that's why silver can be included in the feast (as platters or silverware)

[@NightsAroundaTable]

i had to fact check you on that one, but you're right! i thought it was more that you were spending money to order takeout.

[@chimster1234]

Any idea what the 'bones' icon means on the Greenland exploration card?

[@NightsAroundaTable]

i think those are mountain peaks.

[@PenguinLetters]

I knew you were Canadian by the way you said "Moose" 😂

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Reverently?

[@PenguinLetters]

@@NightsAroundaTable Of course!!

[@Daniel199423]

Honestly, this game looks overwhelming, even with your excellent rules breakdown, Ryan. How approachable would you say it actually is?

[@DMExplains]

I think it depends entirely on your background. If you are familiar with worker placement games, this isn’t that tough: the graphic design is pretty good, and the “12 stages” are set to make sure you don’t forget things. It’s worth the effort: it’s a great game.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Yes - agree. Lots of primer, but very simple to actually play.

[@Daniel199423]

@@DMExplains Good to know! Thanks!

[@iannatomasello8624]

I've played this on Tabletop Simulator with friends several times. It NEVER feels like a two hour game. I'm never bored. AP isn't anywhere near as much of an issue as you'd think it would be, especially considering all of the available actions. It's turning into one of my favorite games.

[@NightsAroundaTable]

@@iannatomasello8624 i gotta try it on TTS then!

[@jacobthomas6876]

FYI @ 2:08 you say “orange ANIMAL products” and “red FARM products” shouldn’t it be orange farm and red animal? Super minor though and love that you made this Ryan!!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

i’m TEARING THE WHOLE THING DOWN!!!

[@jacobthomas6876]

@@NightsAroundaTable seems reasonable lol

[@daleprather3026]

Just a minor nit pick, how do you keep track of who the start player is?

[@NightsAroundaTable]

With the start player...

[@NightsAroundaTable]

moose.

[@ilovecokeslurpees]

Why is the whaling action for 4 meeples only allows you to have one whaling ship? It looks weaker than the other action at 3 meeples. Aren't the 4 meeple actions supposed to be stronger?

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Great question! In a few places, the 4-meeple actions are more punitive than the 3-meeple ones, which makes it more of a comeptition to get the best spots. If 2 or more players pursue a whaling strategy, they'll be fighting each other for that preferred 3-meeple space!

[@callmeMJokay]

Remember you can also play an occupation at 4 spot. Perhaps that is advantageous at a given time.

[@christiancraig2326]

Why does the rules say you can make your raids a failure no matter the result? I'm confused

[@NightsAroundaTable]

You might do that if the consolation prize is worth more to you than the raid prize (maybe if all the good stuff was already raided by other players?) Or if failing plays into some card strategy or something.

[@cheesecakenl1980]

Wow, great content. No nonsense explanation with humor sprinkled in. Still unclear on what the start player token is called though

[@NightsAroundaTable]

Oh! i can help you out with that. It’s called the start player…

[@NightsAroundaTable]

…

[@NightsAroundaTable]

… moose.

[@cheesecakenl1980]

@@NightsAroundaTable TY now I can finally sleep.

[@DMExplains]

I think dwarves only eat rock in the Caverna expansion hAh!

[@NightsAroundaTable]

They’ll always eat rocks in my heart.

[@cmpruiett]

Great explanation!! Carl stinks!