Category: Ω Board Games

Orichalcum

| T3d-1978
Orichalcum

Orichalcum

Orichalque is a tense and fast-pace strategy game – similar to a short 4X. Each player has their own Island board to explore and develop. On each turn, they choose a set of one Exploration tile and one Action : recruit hoplites, produce precious orichalcum (a legendary metal from Greek mythology), construct buildings granting powerful bonuses, or try to get rid of Monsters infesting your island (and preventing you to build new building).

To prevail, you will need to erect majestic temples, forge orichalcum tokens or win the favors of titans (by creating areas of their favorite landscapes. The first to get to 5 victory points while clearing their Island of all Monsters wins the game.

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Drafting
  • Dice Rolling
  • Racing
  • Tile Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 45 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.57

Order of the Gilded Compass

| T3d-1978
Order of the Gilded Compass

Order of the Gilded Compass

Order of the Gilded Compass is a dice assignment game for 2-5 players. In this game, each player takes on the role of a treasure hunter seeking invitation to join the most prestigious of archaeological secret societies. Players scour the globe to unearth fantastic and valuable artifacts. By assigning their archaeologist dice to the right locations at the right time, players acquire treasure maps and specialists to follow them, dive for sunken treasure, acquire rare finds at the auction house, and even enlist the help of the Illuminati. The player who has the most treasure at the end of the game earns an invitation to The Order of the Gilded Compass and wins.

Order of the Gilded Compass uses a variable set-up in order to create fresh and interesting game play experiences. Each game has five locations in play to which players may assign their dice for various kinds of treasures and bonuses, and the game includes nine different buildings to allow for many unique combinations.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Control
  • Dice Rolling
  • Set Collection
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • 30 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.23

On the Underground London/Berlin

| T3d-1978
On the Underground London/Berlin

On the Underground London/Berlin

The London Underground is the world’s first underground passenger railway, having opened in 1863. Its 11 lines move about 5 million passengers a day to 270 stations, along 400 km (250 mi) of track.

The massive network of London Underground stations makes up one of the most complex transportation systems in the world, and On the Underground challenges you to develop it. Build the most successful lines, connect them to landmarks, and attract passenger traffic!

Gameplay Overview

 

In On the Underground, the players build the Underground lines in London or the U-Bahn lines in Berlin. Each player controls 2-4 different lines, depending on the number of players.

On each turn, four destination cards are available, corresponding to stations on the map. You can take up to four actions; an action is either building track by placing one of your track tokens on the board or taking a branch token. A player may use two branch tokens to branch out of an existing line (whereas normally lines can be extended only at the endpoints).

After each player’s turn, a passenger token is moved along players’ lines, avoiding walking as much as possible, to reach one or two destinations determined at the beginning of the turn. The destination cards corresponding to the visited stations are then replaced by new ones, then the next player takes their turn.

Players score points in two ways:

  • By building track and connecting their lines to various types of stations, by building a circular line (in London), or at the end of the game if they have collected tiles from specific landmark stations (in Berlin).
  • By having the passenger use their lines when moving.

After all destination cards have been drawn and all players have taken the same number of turns, the game ends.

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Network Building

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • 45 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.35

On the Rocks

| T3d-1978
On the Rocks

On the Rocks

Welcome to “On The Rocks” cocktail lounge, where the city’s best mixologists expertly prepare cocktails that the patrons are craving.

In this competitive bartending game, players complete cocktails for money and additional tips. But beware of rival mixologists removing and spilling ingredients from your cocktails.

Players will select 3 or 4 cocktail recipes to prepare and serve in each of the three rounds. Roll the dice to draft your ingredient marbles from the shaker bag. Place the marbles in the centralized mixing area jiggers one at a time clockwise, then select one bowl. Fill up your cocktails with those ingredients, collecting a tip card for every completed drink.

The first player to complete all three rounds of orders will proclaim “Last Call.” Players score their completed drinks and tips earned, with an additional tip for completing all orders. Whomever has the most money wins!

On the Rocks is a marble drafting, cocktail recipe fulfillment game for 1-4 players. It is NOT a drinking game.

Game Mechanics:

  • Dice Rolling
  • Open Drafting
  • Push Your Luck
  • Set Collection
  • Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 45 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.83

Oltree

| T3d-1978
Oltree

Oltree

Once upon a time, the Empire was locked in a merciless war against the Witch-King, who was the high priest of the Father-of-all-Monsters. The Empire was victorious, but at the cost of its unity and, in the end, its very existence. After an era of imperial peace, the land was plunged into a dark age, filled with fragmented domains, ceaseless quarrels, malevolent religions, ruin, and sorrow. However, there was one imperial tradition that did not disappear. From within their fortresses and strongholds, the Rangers tirelessly pursue their mission of watching over the inhabitants of the former Empire, explore the wilderness, unite communities, fight monsters, and recover the Emperor’s treasures so that one day, hope may be born anew. Now it’s your turn to join the ranks of these brave Rangers! Oltréé!*
*Oltree! The Rangers’ rallying cry


In this cooperative game, players are brave Rangers who assist the people of a satrapy – an administrative province – that their hierarchy has put them in charge of. They must rebuild a Fortress to ensure the safety and tranquility of the inhabitants.

Rangers are given an Assignment at the start of the game. These are the tasks that have been assigned to them by their hierarchy. Completing them will be the best way to win the game.

This assignment would be easy to carry out if external events did not get in the Rangers’ way. A story, called the Chronicle, will unfold throughout the game, adding new situations that the Rangers will have to deal with.

Along the way, the Rangers will experience Incidents, short scenes in which they will be able to win fame for themselves (or not). They will also have to assist the communities of the Satrapy when Problems cause them danger, and they must face all kinds of unforeseen Events.

If they can stay the course, while keeping the Prestige and Defense of the Fortress intact, they will reach the final chapter of the Chronicle and can end the tale. For a happy ending, they must complete their Assignment to the best of their ability.

In this box you will find the following independent Chronicles (they don’t form an overarching campaign):

  • Open Doors (short)
  • In the Shadow of the Dragon (long)
  • Underground threat (long)
  • Damsel not in Distress (long)
  • A Rebel Problem (long)
  • Things were better before (long)

Game Mechanics:

  • Campaign
  • Cooperative
  • Dice Rolling
  • Storytelling

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 60 – 120 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.39

Obscurio

| T3d-1978
Obscurio

Obscurio

The Sorcerer is out to get you! Find your way among the illusions, but beware of the traitor in your ranks!

The Grimoire guides their team towards the exit using images, upon which they point at certain details. Working together, the other players have to find the exit as quickly as possible while avoiding picking the wrong cards. However, a member of the team is a traitor looking to lead the other players astray. A wide variety of traps are on your way to the exit of the library, making player communication harder!

Obscurio is a family game, an original mix between an image-based communication game and a secret role game in which the players have to be careful when sharing ideas with their team. Supported by rich contents, Obscurio proposes a fresh new experience in its genre by putting the emphasis on the details of the images and the constant doubt created by the presence of the traitor.

Communicate efficiently and avoid the illusions on your way to escape the Sorcerer’s library!

Game Mechanics:

  • Bluffing
  • Cooperative
  • Deduction
  • Limited Communication
  • Party Game

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 8 Players
  • ~40 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.90

North Sea Saga: Shipwrights of the North Sea

| T3d-1978
North Sea Saga: Shipwrights of the North Sea

North Sea Saga: Shipwrights of the North Sea

Shipwrights of the North Sea is set in the early years of the Viking Age, circa 900 AD. As Viking shipwrights, players compete to build the greatest fleet on the North Sea. Players must collect oak, wool and iron, as well as getting other craftsmen on board to help. Gold is a precious commodity and must be spent wisely. As you would expect, the township is filled with an array of characters, bad and worse. Better hope they’re on your side!

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Trading

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • ~60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.31

North Sea Saga: Raiders of the North Sea

| T3d-1978
North Sea Saga: Raiders of the North Sea

North Sea Saga: Raiders of the North Sea

Raiders of the North Sea is set in the central years of the Viking Age. As Viking warriors, players seek to impress the Chieftain by raiding unsuspecting settlements. To do so, players need to assemble a crew, collect provisions, and journey north to plunder gold, iron and livestock. Glory can be found in battle, even at the hands of the Valkyrie, so gather your warriors because it’s raiding season!

To impress the Chieftain, you need victory points (VPs), with those being acquired primarily by raiding settlements, taking plunder, and making offerings to the Chieftain. How you use your plunder is also vital to your success. Players take turns in clockwise order, and on a turn you place a worker and resolve its action, then pick up a different worker and resolve its action. Broadly speaking, those actions fall in one of two categories:

  • Work: Having a good crew and enough provisions are vital to successful raiding, so before making any raids, players need to do some work to prepare their crew and collect supplies. This is all done in the village at the bottom of the game board, with eight buildings offering various actions. You must first place your worker in an available building where no other worker is present, then pick up a different worker from a different building.
  • Raid: Once players have hired enough crew and collected provisions, you may choose to raid on your turn. To raid a settlement — whether a harbor, outpost, monastery or fortress — you need to meet three requirements: Having a large enough crew, having enough provisions (along with gold for monasteries and fortresses, and having a worker of the right color. Raiding offers various ways of scoring, such as military strength, plunder, and Valkyries, which is how grey and white workers enter the game.

The game ends when only one fortress raid remains, all Valkyrie have been removed, or all offerings have been made, then players tally their scores.

Game Mechanics:

  • Dice Rolling
  • Hand Management
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 60 – 80 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.55

North Sea Saga: Explorers of the North Sea

| T3d-1978
North Sea Saga: Explorers of the North Sea

North Sea Saga: Explorers of the North Sea

Explorers of the North Sea is set in the latter years of the Viking Age. As ambitious sea captains, players seek out new lands to settle and control. They will need to transport their crew among the newly discovered islands to capture livestock, construct outposts and fulfill various other goals. So ready the longships, there are new horizons to explore!

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Area Control
  • Grid Movement
  • Pick-Up and Deliver
  • Set Collection
  • Tile Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 45 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.13

Nightmare Productions

| T3d-1978
Nightmare Productions

Nightmare Productions

Reiner Knizia’s auction game about producing movies. In four rounds, players bid on chips representing genuine directors, actors, camera, effects, music, guest stars and agents (or in Nightmare Productions edition: creatures, locations, directors, musical conductors, cameos, and contractors). These all get placed on players’ film-strips to complete the movie production. So one movie might need 2 actors (in editions prior to Nightmare Productions), but no music or effects and so on. As films are completed, the points value is marked and another film-strip taken. There are two parties (in Nightmare Productions edition: horror cons) each round where players get to pick from offers without paying anything. There are bonus points for first films completed and best films, best directors (in Nightmare Productions edition: best creatures), even worst film.

The auction is a basic rising offer with passing until one winning bid remains. Players pay into the pot with contracts (in Nightmare Productions edition: money), and the rest of the players share the pot each turn. So it’s a closed economy with players trying to time to bid on what they really need to complete films.

Game Mechanics:

  • Auction/Bidding

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • ~60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.11