Abyss, Game of Development, Combination and Collection in Which Players try to Take Control of Strategic Locations, Exciting and Tense Gameplay, For Ages 14 and up

This is a card-driven board game where the player competes for an underwater throne. This is also a game that is not much talked about. The reason may be because it was built up before its initial release to be this Game of the Year level Award winner and when the game came into homes, it just wasn't that game. But if anyone wants to give this game a second look, anyone will find that this game:1) has beautiful artwork: seriously, the art on this one is stunning. The world of Abyss is memorable, the cards are richly illustrated, the board is laid out in such a way that intuitively responds to the gameplay needs. The variability of the box cover art is a little annoying to some but hey, I appreciate that they're trying for something different.2) the gameplay is simple yet intuitive: the main action you'll be taking in the game is a press-your-luck mechanic with recruiting the allies (which work as money to sway the lords you need that have victory points attached to them, which is what you need to win the game) where you go deeper and deeper into the Abyss searching for either monsters, the right colored allies, high number allies, etc. You do this by paying pearls, which are sort of the base money that move everything in this game. There are four categories in which to gain points, and the winner is simply the one with the most as soon as any player gets seven lords on their side.If I had any nitpicks I would say that while it is pretty easy to know when the game is going to end since it ends as soon as someone makes it to seven lords (which are showing to all players), it is difficult to know where you stand and who is in the lead due to no active count of the player points on the board or elsewhere. I would also report that there are rooms that can be explored in the game, and while they act as a brilliant balance mechanism for the lords since they invalidate the powers of lords once explored, maybe two or three rooms ever make an appearance in any game out of a stack of over 20. While that does add a lot of variability to the rooms that can be explored, and can confer powerful advantages to end game scoring, so few of them come out that they don't make as much of an impact as I would have liked to see.But really though, it is a little bit shocking that this game hasn't got as much love and attention, as the effort clearly put into the design and art shows. It is an elegant set collection game with some interesting strategic depth that'll take you all the way to... the bottom of the sea.(Recommended with the Kraken expansion as well!)

Had the chance to play this last night. Its a very clean (tight rules) and accessible game, for gamers and non-gamers alike. The game is very simple and the theme is not highly attached to the concept, but it works, and its fun. The game is also short, coming in at about 30-45 minutes, but immediately upon finishing, you'll want to play again.Here's a quick breakdown of the rules:The goal of the game is to get points. On your turn, you can (a) draw cards, (b) take cards leftover from previous turns, or (c) purchase characters with cards you have acquired. That's it. Pretty much. However there are some risks one must take, which might work out, or which might set your opponents up for success if you make a poor choice. The game ends when someone acquires 7 characters, and all other players get one more turn. Sometimes, you can earn a "location" which will grant you bonus points. When the game ends, the highest point total is the winner. You get points for characters, cards, and locations.The true heart of the game is in making the best choice on your turn, to do the action that will benefit you the most. However, sometimes, when you do, you're trying to be careful about not doing something that will benefit your opponent. For instance, when you get cards, you can draw several and keep the one you want, but as you are drawing, your opponents "buy" (without your consent) the cards from you. Also, leftover cards can be taken for free during the next turn by another player. Also, if you draw several characters, you can only purchase one, but someone else might take a character you lay down.Great game, and very fun to play.And let me say this, the artwork on this game is stunning. It should be framed.

I bought this 3 years ago, and dozens of plays later, it's still an amazing game.Aesthetics:The artwork is phenomenal. From the design of the tokens to the art on the cards, dark beauty covers this game. Each of the Lords is a unique individual, each location is given rich details, even the board is a work of art. The currency is pearls! THE CURRENCY IS PEARLS!!Game mechanics:To be honest, there is a lot of information to throw at first-time players. Non gamers might take a playthrough to fully understand the game, heavy gamers should at least have some basic strategies in place by mid-game the first time through. No matter your level, by the second game, everything will make sense. You'll be adapting your strategies every game you play, but it shouldn't take long to understand how it all works.The game is very well balanced overall. I can only think of a couple times there was ever someone that ran away with the score. Often, final scores were within a couple points, even tying a few times!Replayability:As I mentioned, I've played this A LOT. The many small goals you try to accomplish each game are not only very satisfying, but they create so many routes to victory. Each game has felt very different and fresh. Even if I try to stick to my most boring, basic strategy, I find the game plays itself out in unexpected ways.Final thoughts:I can't recommend this game enough. I've bought the Kraken expansion, but rarely use it since the base game is so perfect! My one suggestion would be to make sure you have someone who would enjoy reading the rules and is good at teaching the game. Having someone that understands the big picture is useful when paying for the first time.Tldr: perfect game, get it.

This is a good competitive game with a bit of deck building and beautiful artwork. The pearls are also a fun addition to trading and currency in the game. It is easy to teach and fun to play.