Aquatica
Aquatica is a deep, but easy to learn family engine builder about underwater kingdoms.
In the game you will become one of the mighty ocean kings, struggling to bring glory to his realm. To win the game, you need to capture and buy locations, recruit new characters, and complete goals; each of these actions gives you victory points at the end of the game. To do so, you need to play cards from your hand (each with a unique set of actions) and combine them. Don't think it's simple! With a good strategy during your turn, you can take up to ten actions in a row.
You will encounter plenty of mysterious ocean creatures and take them to your hand. With their help you will explore the unknown locations and raise found resources from the ocean depths to your kingdom. Mechanically this is represented with the help of three-layered player board and the unique mechanism of card-rising.
Number of players: 2 - 4
Game duration: 33 mn
Complexity: 2 / 5
Play Aquatica and 1194 other games online.
No download necessary - play directly from your web browser.
With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Play Aquatica and 1194 other games online.
No download necessary - play directly from your web browser.
With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Rules summary
OVERVIEW
In Aquatica, players take the role of Sea Folk seeking prosperity by conquering and developing undersea locations. The player with the most Prosperity Points at the end of the game wins!
ON YOUR TURN
On your turn, you must:
- Play 1 Character card from your hand and perform its ability to the fullest extent possible.
- Discard the card to your personal discard pile.
You may also perform any number of additional actions, before and/or after playing your Character card, in any order:
- Activate a ready Manta (flipping it to its tired side) to gain a resource or trigger a special effect.
- Exploit a Location Depth to gain the displayed resource or effect then slide the Location card up one step.
Note: You can only gain resources (from mantas or locations) if required by your main action, and those are the only additional actions allowed during your main action. The other additional actions must be performed before or after, but not during your main action.
MAIN ACTIONS (Character Cards)
Each Character card allows one of the following (depending on the card’s ability):
- Recruit – Pay coins to gain a Character card from the display.
- Buy a Location – Pay coins to gain a Location card and place it on your board.
- Conquer a Location – Pay power (Tridents) instead of coins to gain a Location and place it on your board.
- Raise a Location – Slide a Location card up to access depth bonuses (resources or effects) or gain Mantas.
- Score a Fully Raised Location – Move it to your scoring pile.
- Scout (optional) – Refresh the Location display:
- Discard the top row of Locations.
- Move the bottom row to the top.
- Refill the bottom row with new cards from the deck.
PLACING LOCATIONS AND USING MANTAS
- You must have an empty slot on your board to place a new Location.
- Locations are raised step-by-step to unlock resources and effects.
- Fully raised Locations may grant a Wild Manta if they have a manta icon, but they don’t provide points unless scored.
- Only fully raised Locations can be scored.
- Mantas are reusable: flip them to use, and refresh them with abilities like Matrona or Mantas Leader.
- All resources are temporary and only usable during your turn.
ACHIEVING GOALS
There are 4 shared goals shown on the board. When you meet a goal's condition, you may:
- Place one of your color Mantas (ready or tired) on the leftmost empty space of each goal fulfilled that turn.
- Each goal may only be claimed once per player.
- Claiming a goal earlier gives more points!
END GAME
The final round is triggered when any of the following occurs:
- A player has claimed all 4 goals.
- The Location deck is empty.
- The Character deck is empty.
After one final turn for each player, the game ends.
SCORING
At the end of the game, players score:
- 1 point per Character card in hand (including your King). Discarded cards do not score.
- Points shown on Locations in your Scoring Pile. Locations still on your player board do not score.
- Points from goals, based on the position of your Mantas in the Goal area.
Tiebreakers:
- Most Mantas in personal supply.
- Lowest-numbered King card.
KING CARDS (Optional)
- Each player starts with a King card in hand.
- King cards provide a unique ability and count toward Character-based goals.
- They also count as scoring cards in hand at the end of the game.
- In case of a tie, the player with the lowest-numbered King card wins.
VARIABLE GOALS (Optional)
- The 4 default goals are replaced with randomized goal tokens.
- These offer alternative objectives and different scoring conditions.
- The active goals are always visible on the board during the game.
