10-17-2007, 09:49 PM
Atlanteon
ERIC RIDLEY looks at Reiner Knizia boardgame from Fantasy Flight Games ...
Every time a new Reiner Knizia game comes out it is an exciting time for mankind as a whole. So you can only imagine my excitement when his latest offering appeared on the shelves of my local game store (I was fighting the need for the toilet).
Atlanteon is a tile placing game for two players, which sees them duel for control of the undersea kingdom's capital. You start the game with eleven playing tiles, all with a different illustration of a watery warrior, and eleven control markers. Also in the game are three tiles to mark castles and strongholds of the undersea world. These start off as effectively neutral and can be captured during the game. The board has spaces to accommodate all twenty-five tiles, and using clever placement of your army you must try to either control eleven tiles, capture all three castles or take control of the enemy's king.
Each turn you may place one of your tiles. If any tile, yours or your opponents, becomes completely surrounded by others then you work out who holds the most influence over that tile. Each warrior tile has a number between 0 and 9 and this is the influence that it has. Add up all the influence of the surrounding tiles including the one in question and the player with the most points gets to place an influence token on the surrounded piece. Do that ten more times and you have won.
Despite what my cack-handed relaying of the rules above may suggest, the game is very simple and quick to learn. The real joy of the game comes when you realise just how much strategy and thinking is required to win. At first it overwhelmed me and I thought it may well fall into the trap of having too much strategy and too many variables, and therefore it would be impossible to exert any control over the game. Only after a few plays does the glory of the game reveal itself.
It is a game that can be enjoyed on many levels; it suits the deep thinkers as much as it does the casual gamers among us.
The artwork for the tiles, the box and the board are all great and convey the atmosphere very well. The problem I have with this game is the price tag to contents ratio. The pieces and board, which are at the heart of the game, are all made from middle of the range cardboard. The wooden tokens for the influence markers and castles are nice, but it still seems expensive for what you get. I find it a big drawback for the game. Mind you at least is not as expensive as a CCG.
If you have some spare cash then get this game you won't be disappointed: it takes only about 15 minutes to play and is fantastic fun. If you really resent paying quite a lot for cardboard (don't play CCGs), then think twice about this game.
ERIC RIDLEY looks at Reiner Knizia boardgame from Fantasy Flight Games ...
Every time a new Reiner Knizia game comes out it is an exciting time for mankind as a whole. So you can only imagine my excitement when his latest offering appeared on the shelves of my local game store (I was fighting the need for the toilet).
Atlanteon is a tile placing game for two players, which sees them duel for control of the undersea kingdom's capital. You start the game with eleven playing tiles, all with a different illustration of a watery warrior, and eleven control markers. Also in the game are three tiles to mark castles and strongholds of the undersea world. These start off as effectively neutral and can be captured during the game. The board has spaces to accommodate all twenty-five tiles, and using clever placement of your army you must try to either control eleven tiles, capture all three castles or take control of the enemy's king.
Each turn you may place one of your tiles. If any tile, yours or your opponents, becomes completely surrounded by others then you work out who holds the most influence over that tile. Each warrior tile has a number between 0 and 9 and this is the influence that it has. Add up all the influence of the surrounding tiles including the one in question and the player with the most points gets to place an influence token on the surrounded piece. Do that ten more times and you have won.
Despite what my cack-handed relaying of the rules above may suggest, the game is very simple and quick to learn. The real joy of the game comes when you realise just how much strategy and thinking is required to win. At first it overwhelmed me and I thought it may well fall into the trap of having too much strategy and too many variables, and therefore it would be impossible to exert any control over the game. Only after a few plays does the glory of the game reveal itself.
It is a game that can be enjoyed on many levels; it suits the deep thinkers as much as it does the casual gamers among us.
The artwork for the tiles, the box and the board are all great and convey the atmosphere very well. The problem I have with this game is the price tag to contents ratio. The pieces and board, which are at the heart of the game, are all made from middle of the range cardboard. The wooden tokens for the influence markers and castles are nice, but it still seems expensive for what you get. I find it a big drawback for the game. Mind you at least is not as expensive as a CCG.
If you have some spare cash then get this game you won't be disappointed: it takes only about 15 minutes to play and is fantastic fun. If you really resent paying quite a lot for cardboard (don't play CCGs), then think twice about this game.
Eric Ridley
2004-12-06
2004-12-06