Together these changes make Oceans a game of wonderful contradictions. Cleaner rules improve accessibility, whilst also enabling more complex fishy engines. Inter-player aggression is as present as ever but the real villain is ageing. The game’s teeth nip constantly but you always have a turn to rescue an endangered species. It’s harder, but also provides the space and tools to overcome its dangers. The Cambrian Explosion starts when the 1st Ocean zone becomes empty, and continues until the end of the game. Remove the Cambrian Explosion card from the 1st Ocean zone as a reminder that it will never be deactivated. If the Cambrian Explosion begins during a player’s playing cards phase, they may immediately play a second card (Surface or Deep). If it begins afterwards, they may not return to their playing cards phase to play a second card.

Each Surface trait has a Deep version that’s more powerful. The Deep version of Filter Feeder has an additional point of [Forage] and allows the species to store 5 extra population on the species board. a b c Thurot, Dan (15 February 2020). "Evolving underwater: Oceans board game review". Ars Technica . Retrieved 15 November 2021. Journey Into the Deep: Featuring nearly 100 unique trait cards, The Deep represents the unknown: the undiscovered wonders of the deep ocean you'll be exploring over countless games. During the second half of the game, players can use power cards from The Deep to disrupt the stability. With over 100 unique traits in The Deep, players will slowly discover game-altering traits over the course of many games. These traits were designed to evoke wonder and disbelief - to spark your imagination as you consider the fantastic synergies that are possible in Oceans.It’s fun to explore new combinations and options, to slot traits together and see how they interact. The designers understand that “games are about feeling”: it feels pretty great when you figure out how to swim past the gaping mouths waiting for you on your next turn. The world is a wondrous place and Oceans, with its gorgeous Surface traits and beguiling Deep traits, lets you feel that wonder, evoking a sense of danger and exploration, risk and astonishment. If you’re only interested in receiving the newest games this is the box for you; guaranteeing only the latest games! Buy New Releases Box »

Not sure what game to buy next? Buy a premium mystery box for two to four great games to add to your collection! Buy Premium Box » However, Oceans deviates from its forebears in some interesting ways, creating an experience that’s far more open, exploratory and dynamic. Drylands Board Game - Two Player Abstract Game Set in Africa - Beautiful Hand Drawn Art - Ages 5 and Up - Nature Themed Science Game Synergising and synchronising different traits and using Deep cards in new and effective ways is thinky and fun. The salty strategies we adopt are going to be different every time we hit the water!

This unassuming process works in the same way for feeding from other sources, whilst the defensive symbol (yellow shell) reduces the amount of population that another species can take from your species.

Every species in Oceans lives in the same environment: the left-most species of each player is adjacent to the right-most species of the next player. Many traits trigger based on the feeding of an adjacent species. The arrow icon at the bottom of a trait refers to the species immediately adjacent to that side Category Board Games Tags Card Game, Family, Golden Pear, North Star Games, Strategy SKU TCS-OCEANS Availability Thousands of species are possible, and they all interact in their own ways as the ecosystem builds. Every game creates a one-of-a-kind world, never to be seen again. If the species with Camouflage is your only species, Camouflage provides [Defense 0]. Camouflage still counts as a defensive trait even if it’s not providing any [Defense].If the revised feeding rules add flexibility, the additions of ageing and overpopulation provide bite. 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.

The end of the game is reached once all ocean zones are depopulated of fish. [4] The player with the most collective fish tokens in their score pile and on their species boards wins the game. [4] Design [ edit ]

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As with all games in the Evolution series, the goal of Oceans is to create animals that out-compete your opponents’ animals for limited food supplies. Through clever card play you create new species, give your species colourful traits to help them vie for food, and influence the availability of food resources. Patterned Playmat, Eldritch Text Pattern, Printed Neoprene Card Table Mat for Tabletop Gaming, Individual Player Mat for Board Games, Travel 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 At first glance Oceans’ streamlining of the feeding rules seems to be a case of dumbing down the Evolution experience.