This week, we played Atlantis in class. So far, I think this was the most fun game I have ever played. I loved how there were so many different options for game play, like expansion packs for more options or the possibility of alliances forming. Individuals can also include “house rules” for their games to add more interesting options and another layer of complexity. This is a game that I will definitely need to either go to the Strategic Gaming Club to play or buy it for myself.
Each player starts off with 10 Meeple. Going clockwise, each person places one Merson until all are placed. Then, each player must place two boats to transport their Meeple off the sinking island and to safety. To start, the first player makes three moves with their Meeple or an unoccupied boat. After, the player flips a tile. If it is green, the player must play it instantly. If it is red, the player can hold onto it and play it on their next turn before moving their Meeple. Since each Merson has a point value assigned to it, the objective of the game is to get the most Meeple points to islands. I think part of the reason I really enjoyed this is because I won both games and got lots of Meeple to safety.
Being a leader is imperative to this game. Although there is not a distinct “leader” who runs the game like there are in others we have played, everyone needs to be their own leader and decide what strategy they want to use. Having strong leadership skills is important because if you go out and sink two ships with a total of six Meeple, your opponents might not like you a lot and begin to target you. But who knows? Maybe that was your strategy…
I got super into this game and honestly could spend an entire day playing it. If I am being completely honest, I am not sure who I would recommend this game to. I don’t know anyone who would be interested, so my goal is to introduce this game to some of my friends and hopefully get a group of people together to play frequently.