Mapping the bottom of the ocean - together!

🤿 Endeavor: Deep Sea was among our favorite new games from last year. It’s much lighter than the usual euros we get hyped for, but it is simply marvelous. 🥰

I think the best way to describe the game is: “Light on rules, but heavy on combos”, because you can quickly learn the game, turns are snappy, but you keep getting things each turn which is very satisfying - especially when you manage to get something important to extend your round a bit more. 😊

You can actually choose to play all the scenarios in either competitive or co-operative mode. We just gave co-op a go for the first time so I can write a bit about it. It plays basically the same as the normal game: You get a new Specialist and unlock action discs each round, trying to optimally max out your tracks and discover the hidden depths of the ocean - however you are working towards the same goals as a team! 😉

The scenario sheet shows 4 goals, plus you will draw 3 goal cards in the first 3 rounds. So in summary there are 7 goals to complete - how many you need to accomplish depends on the difficulty level you choose on setup. (This way there is a losing condition.)

In the last 3 rounds there are no more goal cards, instead you draw setback cards which have negative effects - e.g. swapping out an explored tile or having to move up with all your submarines.

We love co-op games in general, however we’ll always go for the competitive mode here. The core fun of the game comes (for us) from comboing all kinds of actions in the right order to bring out the absolute most of each turn and eke out just a bit more points than the others. I think you lose this aspect a bit in the co-op unfortunately. The gameplay feels totally different - you have to keep the goals in mind, and once they are met, certain actions won’t be useful anymore, even if they would technically bring you more points. But try it out for yourself - if you want to avoid competition or play with less experienced players, it might be just the right choice. 

My initial statement still stands though: Endeavor: Deep Sea is a fantastic game. Play it! 😁