Asmodee – Abyss – Game of Strategy.

Product Information

Randomly determine the first player of Abyss. You can do this in any way you like, some of the ways that are commonly used to decide who goes first is by a simple dice roll, however, some people like to go all out and do it based off of something more personal. A simple google search can give you some creative ideas.

Abyss | Official Rules | UltraBoardGames How to play Abyss | Official Rules | UltraBoardGames

I say not quite because once you control a location, the Lords you used to get it lose their special power. This was an interesting decision because on one hand, it stops a player from abusing a Lords power (and there are definitely some powerful ones, especially the red offensive ones), but on the other hand, it almost acts as a catch-up mechanic since when you gain control of a Location, you are gaining a decent amount of influence points.The game board depicts the council itself, in stunning detail, and has space for cards from the main three elements of the game - the depths, the council, and the court. That’s the theme behind today’s review of Abyss, a eurogame designed by Bruno Cathala ( 5 Tribes, Shadows over Camelot) and Charles Chevallier ( Sultaniya), and published by Asmodee Games. Is this game of undersea strategy just a pretty face or does it have what it takes to earn a spot on your gaming shelf? Let’s find out!

Abyss Board Game Review - Deep Thoughts - There Will Be Games Abyss Board Game Review - Deep Thoughts - There Will Be Games

The currency of the game is represented by opaque white pearls, which do a great job of carrying on the undersea theme. Players store their pearls in oyster shaped dishes, another great touch in line with the theme. First, the game art, wow! More than 50 unique and beautiful pieces of art, each one a masterpiece, and only one artist ( Xavier Collette) responsible for them all, quite an achievement!The cost of each lord in Abyss is shown in the bottom right corner. There will be a number which is the total strength of allies required and the colour that must be used surrounds this, there may also be pearls indicating the number of additional factions that will also need to be used to pay for swaying the lord. I think theme wise that you pay these jellyfish and seahorses for the lords to eat, which is kind of rough, but the lords do look like they would eat them. Abyss really takes place on 3 levels. First, the players must recruit ally cards, either via the games exploration mechanic or by requesting their support in the council. Once a player has enough allies, they can use them to recruit a powerful Lord. These Lords come with special abilities and sometimes keys to the city. Acquire enough keys and you can take control of a location, earning you extra influence points. The game ends when enough Lords have been recruited, at that point, the player with the most influence points wins. Game Components: The artwork in Abyss is absolutely fantastic! Firstly, there is no limit to the number of allies that a player can have in their hand, so it is difficult to physically hold them all. It is unclear if these are meant to be kept secret, but we find ourselves laying them out face-up so that it is easy for players (and other players) to see what they have. As long as everyone agrees to this we’ve never found it a problem. Abyss stands up to multiple plays as the combinations of lords and locations seen during each game will be different, and the more you play, the more you can try out different strategies for gaining influence (e.g I prefer recruiting farmer lords who have no powers but high influence, and trying to combine them with locations to multiply up those points).

Abyss Review - Board Game Breakdown Abyss Review - Board Game Breakdown

Simple things first, the value is the number of influence the lord is worth, with some lords also worth keys that help to control locations. Powers range from instant hits (e.g gain one pearl), to continuous effects (e.g reduce your recruitment costs for lords). The cost requirements show a number of ‘bubbles’ showing the exact number of different ally races required, including one ally type that must be used, plus a number which is the minimum total value of allies required (the illustrated rules do a much better job of explaining this, it is simpler than it sounds!). Final Score: 4 Stars – A great set collection game with some amazing artwork and solid mechanics. This one makes its way to my gaming table often. For centuries, creatures have enjoyed undivided rule over the depths of the ocean. Their kingdom, Abyss, is respected by all allied nations, happy to have their protection against fearsome underwater monsters. Soon, the throne will be vacant… And what if it’s time for you to claim it? Time is precious: only a few days remain before the next monarch will be chosen. You must spread your influence so you appear to be the only choice. It is urgent that you:The small ally cards are pretty simple, coming in different values within each race, from one to five. These races/values are used to recruit lords. The lord cards are a little more involved; each is unique, with its own name, (fantastic) artwork, value, power and cost.