If the pandemic restrictions have taught me one thing, it is that I wish I had more 1 or 2 player games. Oh, and the logistic network that underpins basic survival in the UK is barely a few days from collapse on any given day.
Tackling the shortage of 1 to 2 player games is a problem I can do something about, though. The Mariana Trench, that deep well of darkness, is one such beacon of light.
Made by the talented Tristam Rossin, the campaign asked for £10,000 and within a day had it. You can see the current total and pledge on the Kickstarter page.
Players descent into the Mariana Trench, encountering creatures as they race to complete their research mission.
The pledge tiers are straightforward. £1 buys you into the Pledge Manager access so you can upgrade later. £4 gets you the print and play option or any printable stretch goal.
£18 gets you the game, and £35 gets you the game with a 55x50cm neoprene playmat.
Want to see the rules? They’re available right now as a DropBox hosted PDF download.
Games are over in 10 to 15 minutes. In my experience, that makes for a quick post-dinner game before visiting friends head home or while waiting for a Twitch stream to start.
There are stretch goals. The campaign has nearly made £15k which means Creatures from the Deep will unlock and come with the pledges. That adds prehistoric and legendary monsters to the deck like the megalodon and karkinos.
At £25K the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea expansion unlocks and adds two more submarines, an 1800 era research vessel and new starting load-outs. Then, at £35, a new air-breathing group of creatures like sperm whales, sea turtles and Dolphins are added in an expansion.
Start up a conversation in the comments below.