North Star Games Oceans Board Game

Product Information

Lurking deep below the surface lie mysteries so bizarre they seem unnatural when first discovered: massive predators, glowing horrors, and beautiful luminescent creatures. These species hardly seem possible in the realm of biology, and yet they turn out to be real. The Deep represents the wonder of scientific discovery, with traits ranging from actual marine biology to the fantastic. Venture into the deep at your own risk! For the most part I really like Oceans. It’s blistering fast and easy to teach, has loads of replayability, and every game feels genuinely exciting, every species bizarre and unique. It's a game that invites you to create, to dive into its waters, and tell us what you have discovered. I thoroughly recommend it with the caveat that you will want to sleeve the cards and that I really feel the game is let down by some poor production decisions.

Yet ‘Evolution’ was dropped from the original title, in part because Oceans nudges the series further towards speculative fiction. (The upcoming Legends of the Deep expansion pushes this even further with, among other things, a tribe of flying whales – read the Meeple Mountain review here.) My recorded win rate in marvel champions is about 65%, which feels about right. More than anything I want wins to feel hard fought and losses to have felt winnable up until we got crushed, whatever... Now, I haven’t played the other games in the Evolution series by North Star Games. They look gorgeous though, and are on my wish list to try. But I have a feeling I might have been spoiled going straight in with Oceans. Because this is one beautiful engine builder about surviving in our mysterious underwater world! Fish Food Oceans is an engine builder where the world of science is disrupted at the seams by scientific phenomena too outlandish to be believed. Players must adapt to the changing environment with an interconnected ecosystem that can thrive in the face of the inevitable march of time, and the natural struggle of predators seeking to survive.It's been many years since I read the Hyperion/Endymion books, so time for a re-read this winter. Simmons was doing a science-fiction Canterbury Tales, but brought lots of bold ideas to the table. I... Oceans is, for me, the pinnacle of all branches of the Evolution board game tree. Setting the Ocean Colour Scene However, Oceans deviates from its forebears in some interesting ways, creating an experience that’s far more open, exploratory and dynamic.

This foundation loosely mimics a scientific oceanic ecosystem, similar to what you’ve come to expect from games in the Evolution series. This core is fully playable on its own, but there’s more if you’re willing to dive a bit deeper… Oceans offers us a game of great depth. It is not the simplest game to teach and, appropriate for a game of this theme the direct aggression between players gives the game a lot of bite which many players might find too confrontational. It’s the first game in the series where the challenge is as much about surviving the machinations of the game itself as it is about outcompeting your opponents. As much a brawl against each other as everyone fighting not to be eaten by the shark first. The Sea is Emotion Incarnate I’ve enjoyed many games of Evolution: Climate and Evolution: New World. These are great games that nail their theme and gameplay. They’re engaging, challenging and entertaining. Illustrations for the reef and surface cards were created by Catherine Hamilton, [2] and the box art was designed by Hamilton and Guillaume Ducos. Cards in "The Deep" were illustrated by various artists. [2] Reception [ edit ]This foundation loosely mimics a scientific oceanic ecosystem, similar to what you've come to expect from games in the Evolution series. This core is fully playable on its own, but there's more if you're willing to dive a bit deeper... Played in two halves, your first underwater task is to establish some aquatic beauties using Surface cards. Yes, it’s round one and time to start building those engines. Each turn in a given round, you’ll be adapting existing/adding new species to your play area. In summing up though I would, again, compare this game to Wingspan. Wingspan has, for me at least, a much more appealing theme and artwork but I’d much rather spend some time swimming with Oceans. It’s a game with great adherence to its theme, good strategies and tactics at 2 or more players and plenty to think about on every turn. Build yourself a thriving merchant fleet, and guide it to economic prosperity. Acquire the most modern steamships on the market and take over the precious ports from your rivals. Build an extensive network of trading posts and coal bunkers to expand the capability of your fleet. Make use of diverse options to carry out lucrative transports and win the prestigious Blue Riband of the North Atlantic. Oceans is a strategy game played by 2-4 people. Players create a vibrant web of marine life through millions of years of evolution.