Or, How to Tell if Your Friends Are Douchebags...
The Breakdown:
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 60 min
Weight: 3.5/10
Publisher: Stronghold Games
Mechanics: Action Points (Movement)
Modular Board
Components: Game Board
Hexagon Island Tiles (40)
Meeples (40)
Sea Serpents (5)
Whales (5)
Sharks (6)
Sea Monster Die
Rulebook
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 60 min
Weight: 3.5/10
Publisher: Stronghold Games
Mechanics: Action Points (Movement)
Modular Board
Components: Game Board
Hexagon Island Tiles (40)
Meeples (40)
Sea Serpents (5)
Whales (5)
Sharks (6)
Sea Monster Die
Rulebook
The Review:
I took a flyer on Survive recently with an order from Coolstuffinc without having played it before. I had only done this once before with Escape: Curse of the Temple and it was a total disaster, but I digress. Let’s get to the unboxing:
I took a flyer on Survive recently with an order from Coolstuffinc without having played it before. I had only done this once before with Escape: Curse of the Temple and it was a total disaster, but I digress. Let’s get to the unboxing:
As you can see, the game has a myriad of components along with a fantastic insert. Everything has a place and, thankfully, it’s not a case of just barely fitting if you squish the hell out of everything like some games *cough*Cargo Noir*cough*. The meeples (of atypical meeple shape), as well as the boats and sea monsters are plastic, but feel pretty sturdy. My one tiny complaint regarding the sea monsters is that you have a full sea serpent head, a full whale meeple, but only a shark fin for the sharks, just a little inconsistent. The tiles are of varying thickness depending on the terrain: beach, forest, and mountain, which is a very nice touch when it is laid out on the board. Let's take a look at the game actually set-up.
Gameplay:
Objective: Players are trying to move as many of their meeples from the island as possible to one of the four islands on the corners of the playing board. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Set Up: Players will set up the sea serpents, then shuffle the tiles and lay them out on the board. Starting with the first player, everyone will place their meeples on a tile until they have placed all 10 (Note: Each meeple has a point value underneath them that helps players determine where to place them). Again, starting with the first player, everyone will place 2 boats on a tile adjacent to one of the island tiles.
On Your Turn: You MAY play a tile from your hand (starting on the 2nd turn, once you acquire them). Then, you will move a total of 3 spaces between your meeples and boats. Finally, you will remove one land tile starting with beach spaces adjacent to the water, followed by all beach spaces, moving to forest tiles, and finally mountain tiles (Note: Any meeples on the tile will fall into the water). Each tile has a certain “power” on the bottom that will introduce sea creatures, add bonuses for you, or just destroy surrounding territories. Lastly, you will roll the sea creature die and perform the associated action.
Game Ends: One of the mountain tiles will have a volcano on its underside that erupts, destroying the island and any meeple not yet on a safe island.
Extra Notes:
Final Thoughts:
Survive: Escape from Atlantis is a quintessential “Screw Your Neighbor” type game. Almost from the onset of the game, and certainly in a four player game where every tile is occupied, your job is to save your players at the expense of everyone else. You will take tiles out from under your opponents and force them to swim, eat them with sharks, destroy their boats, block their island with sea serpents, and you might even destroy some of your own people in order to make it harder for them.
While the game is meant to be light-hearted and fun, it can quickly deteriorate into a mean-spirited claw to the finish line. There is some strategy in regards to meeple placement, ensuring that your higher-point meeples are in a safe position to be saved quickly, but the crux of the game is luck in the form of the tiles themselves, and that will ultimately determine your winner.
Positives:
Negatives:
Suggested Variants:
Final Score: 6/10
DO NOT play with people who take gaming too seriously, you know who you are.
Objective: Players are trying to move as many of their meeples from the island as possible to one of the four islands on the corners of the playing board. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Set Up: Players will set up the sea serpents, then shuffle the tiles and lay them out on the board. Starting with the first player, everyone will place their meeples on a tile until they have placed all 10 (Note: Each meeple has a point value underneath them that helps players determine where to place them). Again, starting with the first player, everyone will place 2 boats on a tile adjacent to one of the island tiles.
On Your Turn: You MAY play a tile from your hand (starting on the 2nd turn, once you acquire them). Then, you will move a total of 3 spaces between your meeples and boats. Finally, you will remove one land tile starting with beach spaces adjacent to the water, followed by all beach spaces, moving to forest tiles, and finally mountain tiles (Note: Any meeples on the tile will fall into the water). Each tile has a certain “power” on the bottom that will introduce sea creatures, add bonuses for you, or just destroy surrounding territories. Lastly, you will roll the sea creature die and perform the associated action.
Game Ends: One of the mountain tiles will have a volcano on its underside that erupts, destroying the island and any meeple not yet on a safe island.
Extra Notes:
- Meeples that fall into the water are no longer allowed on land, and must swim (they can only move one tile per turn out of the three you have to spend) or jump on a boat to make it to the island.
- Sharks eat swimmers, whales destroy boats and force meeples into the water, sea serpents do both.
- The person with the most meeples in a boat controls it. If there is a tie, each person with a meeple in the boat can move it.
Final Thoughts:
Survive: Escape from Atlantis is a quintessential “Screw Your Neighbor” type game. Almost from the onset of the game, and certainly in a four player game where every tile is occupied, your job is to save your players at the expense of everyone else. You will take tiles out from under your opponents and force them to swim, eat them with sharks, destroy their boats, block their island with sea serpents, and you might even destroy some of your own people in order to make it harder for them.
While the game is meant to be light-hearted and fun, it can quickly deteriorate into a mean-spirited claw to the finish line. There is some strategy in regards to meeple placement, ensuring that your higher-point meeples are in a safe position to be saved quickly, but the crux of the game is luck in the form of the tiles themselves, and that will ultimately determine your winner.
Positives:
- The components and the insert are huge plus to someone like me who absolutely loves a nice theme and corresponding pieces.
- A modular game board allows a different playing experience not only by game, but by turn. Each removal of a tile changes the dynamics of the game; islanders become swimmers, the waters become infested by sharks, and the path to the boats can suddenly become more challenging.
- The variable points of your meeples allow for some interesting choices and add a layer to the game of trying to remember how much each one is worth after the island becomes jumbled.
Negatives:
- Players can be out of the game quickly due to the luck factor of the tiles or being targeted by some of the other players.
- The Rulebook could be a little clearer: The less I have to check Board Game Geek, the better.
- Can lead to a very mean-spirited atmosphere if someone is constantly being targeted for no reason (players don’t like each other, “payback”, etc).
- The first player has a HUGE advantage (see variants).
- Good strategy is no guarantee of winning due to luck factor.
Suggested Variants:
- Change the format of meeple/boat placement to a “snake” pattern: Player 1 places a meeple, Player 2 places a meeple, Player 3 places 2 meeples, Player 2 places a meeple, Player 1 places 2 meeples, etc. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
- Players can make all meeples worth 1 point to lower the drastic effect of losing a 6 point meeple.
Final Score: 6/10
DO NOT play with people who take gaming too seriously, you know who you are.