Endeavor: Deep Sea

2024

Embark on a marine adventure with Endeavor: Deep Sea! Lead a research institute, explore dive sites, and launch critical conservation efforts for a sustainable future.

120
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

10+

Medium

About the game

Endeavor: Deep Sea is a captivating board game that immerses you into the vast, unexplored depths of the ocean. As you dive into the game, you’ll find yourself exploring uncharted waters, discovering new species, and unlocking new technologies to aid in your deep-sea expedition.

The theme of this game is exploration and expansion. You are a pioneering sea explorer, venturing into the unknown in search of knowledge and resources. The setting is the deep blue sea, a mysterious world filled with beauty, danger, and opportunities.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Endeavor: Age of Sail is a strategy board game where players aim to expand their shipping empire. The sequel, Endeavor: Age of Expansion, introduced a new set of buildings, assets and exploits. In Endeavor: Deep Sea, players continue exploring, trading, and battling to grow their empires. The game components are all designed to facilitate the player’s journey to expansion and dominance.

1. Game Board: The game board features a map where gameplay takes place. Players move their ships, establish trade routes, and occupy cities on this board.

2. Building Tiles: These are used to construct buildings throughout the game. Buildings provide a range of benefits including increased capacity for trade, military strength, and influence.

3. Player Boards: Each player has a board which they use to manage their empire’s resources, buildings and trade routes.

4. Ships: Representing the player’s fleet, ships are used to establish trade routes, explore new regions, and engage in combat with other players.

5. Trade Tokens: These are used to establish trade routes, which can increase a player’s influence and wealth.

6. Influence Tokens: Players use these to exert their influence over cities and regions. The more influence a player has, the more control they exert over a particular area.

7. Asset Cards: These cards represent various resources and assets that players can accumulate throughout the game. They include various types of commodities and special abilities.

8. Exploit Cards: These cards provide players with unique advantages or abilities that can be used strategically throughout the game.

9. Glory Tokens: These tokens are earned through successful combat, exploration, and trade. The player with the most glory at the end of the game is declared the winner.

All these components interact with each other to create a dynamic and strategic gameplay experience. For example, a player might use a ship to establish a trade route, represented by a trade token, to a new city. They can then use an influence token to exert influence over that city, giving them control and access to new resources, represented by asset cards. Building tiles can be used to construct buildings that provide additional benefits, while exploit cards can provide unique advantages that can change the course of the game.

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

Endeavor: Deep Sea is an exciting board game that takes players on a journey of exploration and trade. This guide will provide a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game, including details on player roles, board placement, initial resources, and any random elements.

Step 1: Player Roles

In Endeavor: Deep Sea, each player controls a colonial empire. There can be 2-4 players in the game. Each player’s role is to expand their empire by exploring the world, trading with other empires, and taking control of shipping routes and colonies.

Step 2: Board Placement

Place the game board in the center of the play area. The board is double-sided, with one side suitable for 2-3 players and the other side designed for 4 players. Make sure to use the correct side based on the number of players.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player receives a set of buildings, tokens, and a player board of their chosen color. The player boards are used to track the players’ resources, including population, wealth, influence, and culture. At the start of the game, each player has a population of 1, no wealth, and no influence or culture.

Step 4: Setting up the Asset Cards

The Asset cards are divided into five types: Trade, Colony, Culture, Finance, and Politics. Shuffle each deck separately and place them face down next to the game board. Draw the top card from each deck and place it face up next to the deck.

Step 5: Setting up the Colonies and Shipping Routes

The colonies and shipping routes are represented by tiles. Shuffle the tiles and place them randomly on the corresponding spaces on the game board. The number of tiles used depends on the number of players.

Step 6: Setting up the Player Order

Determine the first player randomly. Player order will change each round based on the players’ influence.

With the game set up, you’re now ready to start exploring, trading, and expanding your empire in Endeavor: Deep Sea!

Game flow Round and round we go

Endeavor: Age of Sail is a strategy board game that tasks players with expanding their seafaring empires. The game unfolds over seven rounds, each of which is divided into four distinct phases: the Building Phase, the Population Phase, the Payment Phase, and the Action Phase.

The Building Phase:

During the Building Phase, each player chooses a building from their current level on the building track and places it on an empty slot in their city. Buildings provide players with various benefits, such as increasing their capacity for workers or ships, granting them special abilities, or providing them with additional actions during the Action Phase.

The Population Phase:

In the Population Phase, players fill their cities with inhabitants. This is done by moving workers from the general supply to the players’ buildings. The number of workers a player can move depends on their current level on the population track.

The Payment Phase:

The Payment Phase is when players must pay for the upkeep of their empire. This is done by moving workers from their buildings back to the general supply. The number of workers a player must pay is determined by their current level on the payment track.

The Action Phase:

The Action Phase is the main phase of the game. During this phase, players can perform a variety of actions, such as building ships, establishing trade routes, colonizing territories, or attacking other players. The number of actions a player can perform is equal to the number of buildings they have in their city.

Scoring:

The game ends after the seventh round. At this point, players tally up their points based on the territories they’ve colonized, the trade routes they’ve established, and the buildings they’ve constructed. The player with the most points is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Endeavor: Age of Sail is a complex strategy game where players take on the role of a sea-faring nation exploring and colonizing the world. During a player’s turn in ‘Endeavor: Deep Sea’, many strategic choices and actions can be made that shape the course of gameplay. Here is a detailed breakdown of those possibilities:

Firstly, the player’s turn begins with the Building phase. In this phase:

Build: Players can construct a building by paying its cost in bricks. Buildings provide players with various abilities and benefits, such as generating more resources, providing extra actions, or granting victory points.
Upgrade: Players may also choose to upgrade an existing building, enhancing its abilities or benefits. Upgrading requires bricks and the payment of the difference in cost between the current and upgraded building.

Next, the player enters the Action phase. They may perform one of the following actions:

Populate: Players can add population to their supply by moving workers from their general supply to their harbor. The number of workers moved is determined by the player’s population track.
Harvest: Players can collect resources from the game board. The number and type of resources collected depend on the player’s harvest track.
Attack: Players can attack another player’s ships or colonies. Attacking requires spending cannons and leads to a battle, which can result in the loss of ships, colonies, or resources for the defeated player.
Sail: Players can move their ships across the game board, exploring new regions and establishing colonies. Sailing requires spending sails and can result in encounters with neutral or hostile entities.
Trade: Players can engage in trade with the game board or other players. Trading requires spending trade goods and can yield a variety of benefits, including resources, ships, buildings, or victory points.

Finally, the player concludes their turn with the Clean-up phase, where:

Refresh: The player refreshes their supply by moving all used workers back to their general supply.
Score: The player scores victory points based on their current holdings, including colonies, buildings, and resources.

Strategic choices abound in ‘Endeavor: Deep Sea’. Players must carefully balance their short-term needs with their long-term goals, deciding when to invest in buildings, when to pursue aggressive actions, and when to focus on resource generation. The interplay of these choices creates a rich and strategically challenging experience that rewards careful planning and smart decision-making.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Endeavor: Age of Sail is a deep strategy game that involves exploration, trade, and war. In the game, each player represents a European empire seeking to expand their reach across the globe. This expansion is accomplished through a detailed system of shipping, colonization, fortification, and war.

Endeavor: Deep Sea is an expansion to the base game, introducing new rules and mechanics without altering the core gameplay. The expansion introduces a new sector to the game board, representing the open ocean and the riches that lie beneath its waves.

The game of ‘Endeavor: Deep Sea’ ends after the seventh round. Once all players have exhausted their actions for the seventh round, the game ends, and final scoring begins. It’s important to note that there are no actions or decisions to be made once final scoring begins – all points are derived from the state of the game at the end of the seventh round.

Victory in ‘Endeavor: Deep Sea’ is determined through points, which are gained in several ways:

City Tokens: Players earn points equal to the value of the tokens in their possession at the end of the game.
Track Advancements: Players gain points equal to the level they’ve reached on the four track advancements: Industry, Culture, Finance, and Politics.
Occupied Structures: Each structure a player occupies is worth the number of points indicated on the structure.
Connected Cities and Forts: Players gain points for cities and forts connected by their shipping lines.

Once all points are calculated, the player with the highest score wins the game. In the event of a tie, the player with the most remaining assets (cards and tokens) is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player who went first in the initial round of the game is the winner.

It is critical for players to plan their strategies keeping these point sources in mind, as every action taken throughout the game could potentially contribute to their final score.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Endeavor: Deep Sea’, players earn Victory Points (VPs) in several ways. The scoring system is detailed and comprehensive, taking into account various aspects of gameplay.

Building Track: At the end of the game, players score VPs based on their position on the Building track. The number of points awarded corresponds to the highest visible number on a player’s Building track.

Shipping Track: Similar to the Building Track, players score VPs based on their position on the Shipping track. The number of points awarded corresponds to the highest visible number on a player’s Shipping track.

Culture Track: The Culture Track also awards VPs. Players score the highest visible number on their Culture track at the end of the game.

Finance Track: The Finance Track awards VPs as well. The highest visible number on a player’s Finance track is their score from this category.

Population Track: The Population Track is the last category that awards VPs. Players score the highest visible number on their Population track at the end of the game.

Control of Trade Routes and Forts: Players also earn VPs for controlling Trade Routes and Forts. Each Trade Route and Fort controlled by a player is worth a certain number of VPs, as indicated on the game board.

Asset Cards: Some Asset Cards also award VPs. The number of VPs awarded by an Asset Card, if any, is printed on the card itself.

Endeavor Cards: Some Endeavor Cards also award VPs. The number of VPs awarded by an Endeavor Card, if any, is printed on the card itself.

Tie-Breaking Rules: In the event of a tie, the player who has the most total population (as indicated by their position on the Population track) is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player with the most buildings is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player with the most trade routes is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player with the most forts is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player with the most asset cards is the winner. Finally, if there is still a tie, the player who went first in the game is the winner.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Endeavor: Deep Sea is a complex board game that requires careful navigation of rules to successfully play. Understanding the special rules and exceptions is crucial for a great gaming experience. Here are some key points to bear in mind:

1. Rule on Special Buildings:

University: This building allows you to draw an extra card whenever you use the ‘Draw Card’ action. If there are no available cards, you cannot use this action.
Shipyard: This building allows you to place an additional ship whenever you use the ‘Ship’ action. If there are no available ships, you cannot use this action.
Fortress: This building allows you to remove an opponent’s disc from the board whenever you use the ‘Attack’ action. This cannot be used if there are no opponent’s discs on the board.

2. Trading Posts Rule:

When a player places a disc in a trading post, they may draw a card from the top of the corresponding deck. If the deck has been exhausted, the player does not draw a card.

3. Slavery Rule:

Slavery cards provide powerful benefits, but they come with a risk. If a player has a slavery card in their tableau and another player activates the ‘Abolitionist’ action, the player with the slavery card must remove one of their discs from the game permanently.

4. Rule on Exploding Colonies:

If a player places a disc in a colony and the colony’s disc limit is exceeded, the colony ‘explodes’. The player who caused the explosion removes one of their discs and chooses which of the remaining discs to remove until the limit is no longer exceeded.

5. Rule on Occupied Ports:

A port can only be occupied by one player at a time. If a player wants to occupy a port already occupied by another player, they must use the ‘Attack’ action to remove the current occupant’s disc first.

6. Rule on Tied Scoring:

If two or more players have the same score at the end of the game, the player with the most cards in their tableau wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most discs on the board wins.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Endeavor: Deep Sea is an engaging board game. Here, we provide advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Plan ahead: Endeavor: Deep Sea is all about strategic planning. The successful players are those who plan their moves ahead of time.
Acquire assets: Acquiring assets early on can give you an edge over your opponents. Assets can provide you with additional actions or abilities.
Diversify your strategy: Don’t focus on just one route to victory. Endeavor: Deep Sea rewards a diversified strategy.

Beginner Tips:

Learn the rules: The first step to mastering Endeavor: Deep Sea is to fully understand the rules. Spend time familiarizing yourself with the gameplay mechanics.
Start slow: Don’t rush your gameplay. Endeavor: Deep Sea is a complex game, and it’s important to take your time and understand each move.
Practice: The more you play, the better you’ll get. Practice often to improve your gameplay.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring the seas: The seas are often overlooked by beginners, but they are crucial to winning the game. Ensure to engage with the seas.
Overlooking assets: Assets can provide you with significant advantages. Don’t forget to acquire and use them.
Not planning ahead: Endeavor: Deep Sea is a strategy game. Failing to plan your moves in advance can lead to a loss.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Focus on your strengths: If you have a particular strength or strategy that works well for you, stick with it. It’s better to perfect one strategy than to be average at many.
Play with different players: The more you play with different people, the more you’ll learn. Different players bring different strategies to the table.
Stay adaptable: The game can change quickly, and it’s important to stay adaptable. Be ready to change your strategy if necessary.