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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.
Akado
"Rising Tide" must be Dutch for "Snowball Effect." An interesting take on pandemic, where outbreaks constantly happen and require careful management. And, like all elegant solutions, careful management is very fragile and prone to sudden and inevitable betrayal. There's more depth here than with regular pandemic, as long-term elements (ports and pumping stations) are available from Turn 1, and also with how the removal of dikes is quite meaningful later in the game. The unfortunate part is that new players won't know which dikes are "better" or "safer" to remove, and the rules do have a typo about water flowing. That being said, this was an interesting game and I would play it again, but the complexity takes it beyond an entry level game and that means I don't need to own it, as I have other not-quite-entry-level games I would rather play. It's also very fiddly, with windmills always removing a cube but water always pushing out more cubes.
charleaux
Another solid entry in the Pandemic family of games and probably my favorite twist on the genre. Instead of fighting diseases, players must achieve a number of goals that vary from game to game (at least in the more advanced variant) while keeping water out of the Netherlands. The dyke system is really interesting and creates a fresh puzzle for fans of Pandemic. The map could be improved and the Dutch names make it a bit more difficult to find things but it's still definitely worth a try even for people, like you, who don't necessarily love base Pandemic.
AnnabelleD
Superb cooperative game, I really enjoy Pandemic: Rising Tide. Players will be under pressure to build pumps and ports and secure dikes to manage the flow of water. This intense planning is essential to give time to build the four hydraulic structures and win the game. Storms can hit without warning and dikes can fail at the worst time, ending a game you felt almost certain to win. Intelligent game with beautiful artwork. Excellent!