Underwater Cities (2018) Board Game

Underwater Cities is a board game that was released in 2018 by designer Vladimír Suchý and published by Delicious Games. The game falls under the categories of Card Game, City Building, Civilization, Industry / Manufacturing, Nautical, and Science Fiction. It is designed for 1-4 players, with a best player count of 2, and has a runtime of 80-150 minutes. The game incorporates mechanics such as End Game Bonuses, Hand Management, Income, Network and Route Building, and can also be played as a solo or solitaire game.

Game Components of Underwater Cities

1 Game board

180 era cards

83 resource tokens

30 domes

47 tunnel tiles

16 metropolis tiles

111 structure tokens

4 player info cards

4 player boards

4 scoring cards

4 assistant cards

4 multiplier tiles

12 action tiles

1 action cloning tile

1 era marker

12 player markers

8 government contracts

25 special cards

35 credit tokens

1 rulebook.

How To Setup Underwater Cities

To set up Underwater Cities, each player selects a player board and places it in front of them. The game board is placed in the middle, and the various components such as era cards, resource tokens, domes, tunnel tiles, and metropolis tiles are distributed according to the rules. Each player receives their action tokens and places them on the starting positions on the board. The Federation track is used to determine player order in multiplayer mode, and government contracts are dealt out. For solo play, the setup is similar but excludes government contracts and uses a modified Federation track mechanism.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics

End Game Bonuses

Hand Management

Income

Network and Route Building

Solo / Solitaire Game

Turn Order: Claim Action

Turn Order: Stat-Based

Worker Placement

Objective

Players aim to build and develop underwater metropolises by constructing kelp farms, desalination plants, laboratories, and tunnels. The game revolves around a clever mechanism using action slots and development cards. Players take turns playing cards into action slots, sometimes for the action of the slot and sometimes for the action of the cards. Matching the card to the action slot can provide additional bonuses. The goal is to balance strategic choices to build the best underwater habitat, allowing humanity to thrive. The game is played over 10 rounds, with production phases after rounds 4, 7, and 10. Players need to collect resources, build cities, and manage their tableau to maximize points.

Player Experience

Underwater Cities offers a tight puzzle game experience with lots of tactical decisions. Each turn involves optimizing three actions by playing cards that match the action slots for additional benefits. The game requires careful planning and resource management to build a self-sustaining underwater network. While the game starts quickly, with the engine building up relatively soon, it can be challenging yet relaxing, especially in solo play.

Pros

Immediate Visual Feedback: Players can see the growth of their underwater domain immediately.

Engaging Puzzle: Each turn is a puzzle of optimizing actions, making it challenging and engaging.

Balanced Gameplay: The game offers a good balance between resource generation and point scoring.

Solo Play: The solo mode is well-designed and offers a satisfying experience.

Cons

Weak Theme: The underwater theme can feel weak and overshadowed by gameplay mechanics.

Unremarkable Cards: The cards lack unique identities and thematic ties, making them less memorable.

Limited Marketing Support: The game has not received consistent marketing support from the publisher, which may contribute to its lower popularity compared to other similar games.

Personal Thoughts on Underwater Cities

Underwater Cities is a game that will appeal to fans of engine-building and resource management games, particularly those who enjoy games like Terraforming Mars. Despite its lack of strong thematic presence and less memorable cards, the game offers a satisfying and challenging experience. It is ideal for players looking for a game that combines strategic planning with tactical decision-making. However, it may not stand out as strongly for those seeking a game with a robust theme or highly unique card interactions.

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