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Lead the Netherlands into the Industrial Age in the latest version of the cooperative classic! It is the dawn of the Industrial Age in the Netherlands. For centuries, the country has relied upon a series of dikes and wind-powered pumps to keep it safe from the constant threat of flooding from the North Sea. But this system is no longer enough.
Albia
[size=16]❦ [/size] [b]Solo Mode[/b] // Included in the Base Game (Cooperative) [size=16]❦ [/size] [b]Required Play Space[/b] // 28" x 28" [size=16]❦ [/size] [b]Setup Time[/b] // 10 Minutes [size=16]❦ [/size] [b]Play Time[/b] // 50 Minutes :thumbsup: The theme is steeped in history and feels very natural with a looming threat to defeat with careful planning. :thumbsup: Creating a water management plan is very strategic and highlights the real challenges facing the Netherlands. :thumbsup: All of the components are excellent and bring the situation to life in a rather 3D sense, especially via the dikes. :thumbsup: Storms create sudden emergencies that can be partially planned for by controlling the flow of the water. :thumbsup: Events add unique bonuses to each play with helpful options that might show up early or right near the end. :thumbsup: Play progresses pretty quickly with a clear sequence of events and end so the game doesn’t overstay its welcome. :thumbsdown: Visualizing the flow of water cubes through all the regions can be a little tricky with the different paths. :thumbsdown: Setup takes quite a long time with the placement of all the dikes and simulating the starting water cubes. :thumbsdown: Certain smaller regions can get very crowded, making it difficult to see the name or place other components. :thumbsdown: The size of the board is just about right, but requires stretching to reach some of the places at the very top. [url=https://gamewardbound.com/tag/pandemic-rising-tide/?utm_source=boardgamegeek&utm_medium=comment]Read the Session Reports and Review at Gameward Bound »[/url]
AFallenApple
This is actually my favorite iteration of Pandemic, but the board is a huge problem. Trying to go the historic route sounds great, but the names are too long, and the regions are too clumsy for all the pieces. Stacking dikes in the small clustered regions is a super pain. Also, because the names are so long and take up most of the space in the smaller areas, you have to cover them with the pieces--it becomes a challenge locating them. Lastly, the regions themselves are overly complex making it hard to quickly see what flows where each turn.
boomguy57
Better than the original, IMO. I love the theme and design of the water flowing, rather than disease spreading. Highly enjoyable solo (two-handed) or with others, and scales well at all player counts.