Earth is overpopulated. Before humanity can colonize Mars, at least four decades will pass. Only one path remains open for expansion today — you must adapt to life beneath the surface of the oceans.

“Underwater Cities” is a strategic eurogame for 1–4 players about building underwater cities, transportation networks connecting them, and various structures that support them.

A game lasts approximately 30–45 minutes per player. Each round, players take turns choosing a slot on the game board and simultaneously play a card. If the card’s color matches the slot’s color, the player also resolves the card’s ability. Three times during the game, a special production phase occurs, during which your underwater networks produce points and resources, while people consume food. At the end of the game, additional points are awarded for various achievements — the player with the most points wins.

Gameplay

The core principle of the game is card placement. Three colored cards are placed along the edge of the main board in 3×5 slots, which also have colors. Ideally, the player places a card in a slot of the same color. Then they receive both the action depicted on the main board slot and the benefit of the card itself. Actions and benefits allow you to gain:

• raw materials;
• build and upgrade city domes, tunnels, and production buildings (farms, desalination plants, laboratories) in your personal underwater district;
• advance your marker on the initiative track (important for turn order in the next round);
• activate player cards;
• collect cards — both special and basic ones that expand your decision-making options during play.

All nearly 220 cards — both special and basic — are divided into five types depending on how and when they are used. Underwater districts are double-sided, which gives players many paths to victory points and ultimate victory.

Construction and Resources

Over time, players transition from one era to another, unlocking new possibilities. Throughout the game you develop your economy and can acquire various resources: steel-plastic, bio-fiber, algae, credits, science tokens, and victory points. The main task of the game is construction, so you will need resources in large quantities. In addition to various buildings, you can construct two types of cities with a key difference: symbiotic cities are more expensive but bring victory points throughout the entire game. Cities can be built on adjacent spaces on your board, but until you connect them into a network with tunnels, they won’t generate points.

During the production phase, cities generate resources, and players supply the population with delicious algae. This phase occurs three times during the game.

We recommend watching the video rules in the “Video” section and, if desired, studying the rules with illustrations in PDF format in the “Files” section.

One Last Thing

If you love deep brain-burning board games, surprising your opponent with elegant strategic moves, and building a real underwater metropolis of the future, then Galu the Rooster recommends paying attention to the game that is in the Top 100 BGG — “Underwater Cities”!

We also recommend paying attention to the strategic board game about building on another planet in the Solar System — “Terraforming Mars”. The plot of the game takes you to the distant year 2400, when the World Government on Earth initiates a massive project — the terraforming of Mars. Your task is to create all the conditions for life on the planet: raise the oxygen level, make a viable temperature, fill the planet with oceans.