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Underwater Cities box art

Base game

Underwater Cities

Kritiku rating

Not rated

Published
2018
Reach
Well known
Players
1–4
Play time
80–150 min
Weight
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0

How it plays

Build a network of underwater cities, tunnels, and production buildings that generates resources and victory points. On your turn, claim an action space and play a card; if their colors match, resolve both effects, otherwise only the space’s action. After three eras and production phases, score connected cities, buildings, tunnels, resources, and card bonuses; the most points wins.

Main mechanics

  • Hand management
  • Engine building
  • Tile laying
  • Worker placement
  • Hand management: Timing which card to spend is the core puzzle.
  • Engine building: Small early moves compound into a machine that does the work later.
  • Tile laying: You build a shared or personal board tile by tile.
  • Worker placement: You claim limited action spots before anyone else does.
Full publisher description

In Underwater Cities , which takes about 30-45 minutes per player, players represent the most powerful brains in the world, brains nominated due to the overpopulation of Earth to establish the best and most livable underwater areas possible. The main principle of the game is card placement. Three colored cards are placed along the edge of the main board into 3 x 5 slots, which are also colored. Ideally players can place cards into slots of the same color. Then they can take both actions and advantages: the action depicted in the slot on the main board and also the advantage of the card. Actions and advantages can allow players to intake raw materials; to build and upgrade city domes, tunnels and production buildings such as farms, desalination devices and laboratories in their personal underwater area; to move their marker on the initiative track (which is important for player order in the next turn); to activate the player's A-cards ; and to collect cards, both special ones and basic ones that allow for better decision possibilities during gameplay. All of the nearly 220 cards whether special or basic are divided into five types according to the way and time of use. Underwater areas are planned to be double-sided, giving players many opportunities to achieve VPs and finally win.

Criterion breakdown

ComplexityDepthSkillInteractionTable ExpProduction

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Luck vs Skill

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