Atlantis Rising (Second Edition)

2019

Dive into the immersive world of Atlantis Rising. A cooperative game of strategic planning, resource gathering, and survival where teamwork is key to outwit the wrath of the Gods and save your sinking island.

120
minutes

1 - 7
player(s)

10+

Medium

About the game

Atlantis Rising (Second Edition) is a thrilling cooperative board game that immerses you in a mythical world on the brink of destruction. As leaders of the last remnants of Atlantis, players work together to save their civilization before it is swallowed by the sea. The game is set in the mystical island of Atlantis, which is threatened by relentless waves and a rapidly encroaching doom.

This board game incorporates a worker placement mechanism at its heart, where each player controls a group of Atlanteans trying to save their civilization. You will need to gather resources, build cosmic gates, and fend off disasters to prevent your beautiful island from sinking into the ocean. The game becomes a juggling act between resource management, strategic planning, and disaster mitigation.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Atlantis Rising (Second Edition) is a cooperative board game that invites players to work together to save the island of Atlantis from sinking. The game includes several key components, each playing a crucial role in the game dynamics. Here is a detailed list and description of each part:

1. Game Board: The game board is a circular map of Atlantis divided into six wedge-shaped territories. Each territory is further divided into several areas where players can take different actions. As the game progresses, the island gradually sinks into the ocean, and the board becomes smaller, limiting the players’ actions.

2. Player Mats: There are six player mats, each representing a unique character with special abilities. The mat also serves as a place to store the player’s workers and resources.

3. Atlantis Components: These include a set of 96 cards (48 Atlantean cards, 24 Library cards, 24 Artifact cards), which provide players with various abilities and resources, and 1 Atlantean Navy token, used to defend Atlantis from the wrath of the gods.

4. Cosmic Gate Components: These include 10 Power Core cards and 9 Cosmic Gate tiles. The players’ goal is to build the Cosmic Gate using the Power Core cards and escape from the sinking island.

5. Workers: There are 30 worker tokens (5 for each player). Players use these tokens to carry out actions on the game board.

6. Miscellaneous Components: These include 24 Mystic Energy tokens, used to pay for various actions; 30 resource tokens (10 wood, 10 gold, 10 orichalcum), used to build the Cosmic Gate; 4 Mystical Barrier tokens, used to protect the island from the wrath of the gods; and 1 round marker, used to keep track of the game’s progress.

Each component interacts with the game mechanics differently. The workers are used to perform actions, the resources are used to build the Cosmic Gate, and the cards are used to provide players with additional abilities and resources. The game board and round marker track the game’s progress, while the player mats and Mystic Energy tokens help manage each player’s resources and abilities.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

The game Atlantis Rising (Second Edition) is a cooperative strategy game where players take on the roles of leaders of Atlantis. The goal is to build a cosmic gate to escape the impending doom of Atlantis. The following is a step-by-step guide to set up the game:

Step 1: Set up the board

Begin by laying out the main game board in the center of the play area. This board is made up of multiple peninsula tiles that fan out from the center to form Atlantis. Make sure the tiles are in the correct order: Library, Forges, Hills, Mountains, Forests, and the Cities, with the Flood level track to one side.

Step 2: Shuffle the Misfortune Cards

Shuffle the Misfortune cards and place them facedown next to the game board. These cards are used to simulate the rising waters that threaten Atlantis.

Step 3: Prepare the Atlantean deck

Shuffle the Atlantean deck (blue cards) and place them facedown next to the Misfortune deck. Players will draw from this deck to gain special abilities and resources.

Step 4: Arrange the Resource Tokens

Sort the resource tokens (gold, crystal, ore, and Atlantium) into separate piles and place them within reach of all players.

Step 5: Assign Player Roles

Each player selects a Leader (player role) and takes the corresponding player board. Each player then places a matching coloured pawn on the city tile of the main board and a matching coloured disc on the ‘1’ space of the Wrath track. The Leaders each have unique abilities that can aid in the game.

Step 6: Distribute Initial Resources and Atlanteans

Each player receives three Atlanteans (worker tokens), and one of each basic resource: gold, crystal, and ore. The number of Atlanteans and starting resources can alter depending on the number of players.

Step 7: Random Elements

The Library cards are shuffled and placed face down on the Library peninsula. These cards are drawn when a player places an Atlantean on the Library tile and provide various benefits.

Step 8: Cosmic Gate Component Setup

The Cosmic Gate component cards are shuffled and laid out face up. These cards represent the components of the Cosmic Gate that the players need to build in order to win the game.

Once these steps are complete, you are ready to begin playing Atlantis Rising (Second Edition). Good luck saving Atlantis!

Game flow Round and round we go

Atlantis Rising (Second Edition) is a cooperative board game where players assume the roles of leaders of Atlantis and work together to save their civilization before it gets swallowed by the sea. The game is divided into several rounds, each consisting of three main phases: Place Atlanteans, Suffer Misfortunes, and Take Actions.

1. Place Atlanteans Phase: In this phase, players take turns placing their Atlantean workers on various locations on the board. Each location corresponds to a specific action that the worker can perform in the next phase. The available locations include:

Mountains: Here, players can gather mystic energy or construct power cores.
Forests: This location allows for the collection of Atlantium, the main building material in the game.
Libraries: Players can go here to draw blueprint cards, which are necessary for building components of the Cosmic Gate.
Forges: Atlanteans can use resources gathered elsewhere to build gate components here.
Cities: Here, Atlanteans can recruit more workers, gain special abilities, or convert resources into others.

2. Suffer Misfortunes Phase: After all players have placed their Atlanteans, the island begins to sink further. The active player draws a number of Misfortune cards equal to the number of players. These cards indicate which parts of Atlantis sink into the sea and are removed from the board. Any workers who were on those tiles are returned to their owners without performing their actions.

3. Take Actions Phase: Finally, players take turns activating their Atlanteans in any order they choose. They perform the actions corresponding to the locations where their workers were placed. These actions include gathering resources, constructing gate components, recruiting additional workers, and more. Once all workers have been activated and their actions resolved, the round ends.

The game continues in this way, round after round, until either the Cosmic Gate has been built and all players have escaped, or the island of Atlantis is completely submerged, in which case the players lose the game.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In Atlantis Rising (Second Edition), the game is structured around player turns. Each player’s turn is divided into several steps and involves a number of strategic choices. Understanding these steps and choices is integral to mastering the game.

1. Worker Placement:

Firstly, each player takes turns placing one of their followers on an empty location on the island. These locations provide different resources or actions that can be used later. Strategic placement of followers can be key to securing needed resources or actions.
Secondly, players can also choose to place their Atlantean leader. Leaders have special abilities and can be placed on occupied locations, providing more flexibility in placement strategy.

2. Misfortune Phase:

After all followers and leaders have been placed, each player draws a misfortune card. These cards represent the encroaching flood and other disasters, and can cause locations to flood or other negative effects.
Strategic placement of followers and leaders can help mitigate the effects of these misfortune cards, such as by placing them on locations that are less likely to flood or that have protective abilities.

3. Actions Phase:

Once the misfortune cards have been resolved, each player takes the action associated with their follower’s location. This can include gathering resources, building parts of the cosmic gate, or using special abilities.
The order in which actions are taken can be important, as some actions may depend on the results of others. For example, building a piece of the cosmic gate requires specific resources, so players will need to gather those resources before they can build.

4. Flood Phase:

In the final part of a player’s turn, the flood level increases and any locations that are completely submerged are removed from the game. Any followers or leaders on these locations are returned to their player’s supply.
Strategic placement of followers and leaders and strategic use of actions can help players avoid losing their pieces to the flood.

Understanding these steps and making strategic choices during each can greatly improve a player’s chances of winning Atlantis Rising (Second Edition).

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

The scoring system in ‘Atlantis Rising (Second Edition)’, a cooperative board game, is based on the successful completion of the Cosmic Gate, which is the main objective of the game. The score is not calculated in the traditional numerical sense, instead, players either win together by successfully constructing the Cosmic Gate, or lose together if Atlantis sinks before the Gate is complete.

Scoring Mechanism:

The construction of the Cosmic Gate is achieved by successfully executing the following steps:

Collecting necessary resources: Each component of the Cosmic Gate requires a certain combination of resources (Gold, Atlantium, and Crystal). These resources are collected from various island tiles, with the risk of the tiles sinking as the game progresses.
Building Cosmic Gate components: After collecting the necessary resources, players must visit the Forge tile and successfully roll the required result or higher on a six-sided die. On a successful roll, the resources are spent and a component of the Cosmic Gate is built.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

As ‘Atlantis Rising (Second Edition)’ is a cooperative game, there are no traditional tie-breaking rules. All players either share in the victory by successfully constructing the Cosmic Gate, or share in the defeat if Atlantis sinks before the Gate is complete.

However, in a variant of the game, players can compete to be the ‘Most Valuable Atlantean’ by contributing the most to the construction of the Cosmic Gate. Here, the tie-breaking rules are as follows:

The player who has built the most components of the Cosmic Gate is the winner.
If there’s a tie in the number of components built, the player who has collected the most resources wins.
If there’s still a tie, the player who has used the fewest special abilities to aid in construction wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

The board game Atlantis Rising (Second Edition) does have some special rules and rare situations that players may encounter during gameplay. Here are some of them:

Worker Placement: In most worker placement games, players can place their workers wherever they want. However, in Atlantis Rising, a player cannot place their worker on a location if another worker is already there, except in the city where multiple workers can be placed.

Exception: Players can have multiple workers in the city center.

Atlantean Navy: This is a special power that can be used once per round. You can use it to prevent one of the island tiles from flooding. However, it cannot be used to unflood a tile.

Exception: The Atlantean Navy cannot unflood a tile that has already been flooded.

Relics: Relics can be used at any time, even during another player’s turn. However, after they are used, they are turned face down and cannot be used again until they are recharged.

Exception: If all relics are face down (used), they can’t be recharged in the same round.

Volunteer: The Volunteer is a worker that can be placed on already occupied spaces. However, it cannot be placed on a space occupied by another Volunteer.

Exception: You cannot place a Volunteer on a space if there is another Volunteer already there.

Leader Powers: Each player has a leader with a special power. Some of these powers are passive and always in effect, while others have to be activated. Activated powers can only be used once per round.

Clarification: Activated leader powers can only be used once per round, not once per turn.

Mystic Barriers: Mystic Barriers protect the tiles they are placed on from flooding. However, they do not prevent the tile from being flooded by the Wrath of the Gods card.

Exception: Mystic Barriers are ineffective against the Wrath of the Gods card.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

In Atlantis Rising (Second Edition), players must work together to save the island of Atlantis from sinking while also gathering necessary resources to build a cosmic gate. Here are some tips, strategies, and common mistakes to avoid when playing this game.

Advanced Strategies

Plan Ahead: Consider the probability of each tile sinking and plan your actions accordingly. The farther the tile is from the power core, the more likely it is to sink.
Use Leaders Wisely: Use the abilities of your chosen leader to the fullest. Each leader has a unique ability that can greatly benefit the team if used strategically.
Balance Resource Gathering and Building: While it is important to gather resources for building the cosmic gate, don’t forget to also focus on preventing Atlantis from sinking.

Beginner Tips

Cooperate: This is a cooperative game, so communication and teamwork are crucial. Always discuss your potential moves with the team before making a decision.
Utilize Libraries: Libraries are a great way to gain knowledge cards, which provide various benefits that can help your team.
Start Building Early: Don’t wait too long to start building components of the cosmic gate. The sooner you start, the better your chances of winning.

Common Mistakes

Ignoring Threats: Don’t ignore the threat of Atlantis sinking. Always keep an eye on the wrath of the gods cards and plan accordingly.
Not Using Abilities: Not utilizing your leader’s abilities or the benefits of knowledge cards is a common mistake. These can often turn the tide of the game.
Resource Mismanagement: Be careful not to waste resources. Only gather what you need and try to use resources efficiently.

Optimizing Gameplay

Adapt Your Strategy: The game changes each time you play, so be ready to adapt your strategy based on the current game state.
Learn from Mistakes: If you lose, try to figure out what went wrong and how you can improve in the next game.
Stay Positive: Even when things look bleak, keep a positive attitude. You never know what might happen in the next round.