Abyss
The Abyss power is once again vacant, so the time has come to get your hands on the throne and its privileges. Use all of your cunning to win or buy votes in the Council. Recruit the most influential Lords and abuse their powers to take control of the most strategic territories. Finally, impose yourself as the only one able to rule the Abyssal people!
30m - 60m
2 - 4 Players
Ages 14+
Andy Parsons
Abyss is a game of collecting five types of ally (although you can think of them as resources or currencies) to convert into Lords. Lords score victory points, have special powers and may help you towards getting locations that will score even more points. So far, so run of the mill. Abyss does offer some novelty in the ways that ally cards are obtained. Exploring involves turning up as many cards as you wish up to a limit. After each one is turned, the other players have an opportunity to purchase it. Purchasing becomes progressively more expensive. Ally cards that aren't taken go to the Council, where sets of the same colour can be hoovered up as an alternative to exploring. While mechanically this is a bit different, the decisions involved are not hugely taxing. That last comment could really apply to the entire game; it works, it does things a little differently, it is reasonably enjoyable to play, and yet there isn't quite enough meat for this hardcore gamer to chew on. The artwork is terrific and component quality is good. Despite my fumbling fingers, I didn't find the much criticised pearls a problem. The rules are well written and appear complete.
AmassGames
BGA. WOW of a board! Curious when I see the box. The Lost CIties like set/numbers collection is fine and with the other elements is still very good, but a little repetitive and maybe punishing
Abysmul
Others have said it, this is a 9.5 with the Leviathan expansion. Pre expansion it's a 8/8.5. Mix what you like from the Kraken expansion, I love the the gave with both added. Art is amazing, mechanics are clean, down time is very low, and replay ability is very high. Fantastic game.