Publisher: Z-Man Games
Designer: Galen Ciscell
Atlantis Rising depicts the final hours of that very famous (very doomed) island city. Players take the roles of specific Atlantean councilors that must rally the people of Atlantis, gather resources and build a Cosmic Gate that will transport the island to safety before the icy waters of the ocean envelop this advanced civilization. Designed by newcomer Galen Ciscell, Atlantis Rising offers a very specific challenge to the players: overcome despair and succeed together or perish…
We played this twice at GenCon and watched another game. It is incredibly hard but we kept coming back for more. It seems like it would be easier to succeed with more players. When we played with 3 people we got annihilated but with 6 we managed to pull it off with some room to spare!
This game is brutal. Absolutely brutal. But it feels quite different from other co-ops, probably due to the very Euro-esque worker placement mechanic.
I played this at GenCon and the review is so on point. It felt like we were so close to winning we could almost taste it! Some bad dice rolls at the end game and poor planning in the early game (because it lulls you into thinking everything is going smoothly) and the next thing we knew Atlantis had disappeared beneath the waves. I would have picked it up and played it again immediately if not for the $60 price tag (yikes!). Still I would play again if someone else brought it over to play.
Interesting, I’m not sure if the “almost not meant to be won” stlye would be a good thing or bad? Might have to try it and see!
Excellent review. I have heard this is an extremely tough game to win. But it’s a great looking game. Sounds like a good co-op like Pandemic or Space Alert. And…I am used to losing those too. So…I may try to lose this one too!
Hmmm… yes it sounds like Pandemic, or even the thematically closer Forbidden Island. I will need to play this to make sure it’s “different” enough. Of course, art and theme can sometimes win me over. I am fairly powerless in the presence of Ameritrash trappings.
Great review. It sure sounds a lot like Pandemic, but with some new additions and a new theme. I’m a big fan of coop games and Atlantis is right up my alley.
Sounds like an exhiting game. And right up my alley, as well! I hope to try it on the gathering in September. 😀