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Description
News from the depths! The AquaSphere is a research facility stationed deep below the ocean's surface, and your skilled team — consisting of an engineer, a scientist, reprogrammable bots, and exploratory submarines — is trying to gather as much data as possible.
The game board in AquaSphere has two main areas: A research station comprising six sectors in which your scientist conducts experiments and a headquarters where your engineer supervises preparation of the bots. During each of the four game rounds, you take several turns, and on each turn you either:
Use your engineer in the headquarters to program a bot; each round you can choose from three of the seven actions.
Have your scientist bring a bot to a sector to perform an action.
Through actions such as improving your lab, sending out submarines, collecting crystals, and examining octopuses, you expand the abilities of your team or gather knowledge points, which are necessary to win. Additional challenges result from the limited size of your lab, which is your personal stock; you can increase the size of your lab, which makes life easier, but this costs valuable time.
AquaSphere is a challenging game of strategy and tactics with different paths to victory that requires planning in advance as well as skillful use of short-term opportunities.
Year Published
2014
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 6 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video OUNghnQV_LI
Chairman of the Board general_discussion at 6:53 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11908 · mention_pk 34935
Click to watch at 6:53
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- feels like a Fell game with unique programming twist
- various mitigation and resource tools
- strong thematic integration
Cons
- can be dense for newer players
Thematic elements
- oceanic exploration and base management
- undersea research base
- thematic, slightly militarized engineering
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- engine building — deploy submarines and cards to generate points and benefits
- programming — pre-program actions before taking them; circular board movement
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- my favorite game of all time
- Head and Shoulders Above the Rest as my favorite game of all time
- the solo mode might be one of the best renditions of a solo mode I've ever played
- a quite nice filler game that flew under the radar
- definitely got a nice flow
- it's breezy and quick
- the artwork is fantastic
- Hidden Gem treats
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 46pNaqmHgvc
Unknown top_10_list at 1:15 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8456 · mention_pk 24853
Click to watch at 1:15
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Distinct underwater theme that stands out in Feld's catalog
- Crunchy yet approachable task-management with notable decisions
Cons
- Potentially heavy for its size; learning curve and setup may be nontrivial
Thematic elements
- Infestations and resource/task management in an underwater facility
- Underwater base / submerged habitat management
- quirky, experimental
Comparison games
- Blood Rage
- El Grande
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection / tile-driven actions — Players choose actions via a tile-based action economy to progress tasks and manage resources in an underwater setting.
- resource tracking / task management — Multiple resources are tracked across tracks, with players balancing several concurrent objectives.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- El Grande is the Godfather of the area control games
- the longevity of Pandemic uh this can't be denied
- it's basically descent with Star Wars slapped on
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zgPVVoQl_VU
Chairman of the Board analysis at 36:32 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5259 · mention_pk 15563
Click to watch at 36:32
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- feldian elegance with a unique dart-like action programming
- clean design and interesting interaction
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Mandala blew me away this year
- Chinatown is the best negotiation game out there
- barrage is a 10 out of 10 game for me
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 21bpf03VEaY
Chairman of the Board top_100_list at 12:33 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4415 · mention_pk 12929
Click to watch at 12:33
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Unique programming dual-board concept
- Quirky yet cohesive cohesion across mechanisms
Cons
- Can be mechanically dense for some players
Thematic elements
- Strategic engine-building across dual boards (region vs activity) with threats
- Science-based research with pod-based action programming
- Quirky, clockwork-like design across mechanisms
Comparison games
- Pulsar 2849
- Teotihuacan: City of the Gods
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area majority — Compete for majorities across zones when deploying modules.
- engine-building wheel — Create a bespoke wheel of actions to strengthen future turns.
- programming actions — On one board you program actions; on another you execute them in sequence.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- What a Beautiful Design
- it's criminal that this game isn't so widely accessible
- one of the cleanest Euros I've played in quite some time
- I am absolutely terrible at this game and despite that I love this one
- this game is quite a polarizing game
- it's a real Euro Gamers game
- ton of planning and strategy here
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CACsxXw02AA
Chairman of the Board general_discussion at 7:37 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1653 · mention_pk 4821
Click to watch at 7:37
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- great programming-style scoring
- area control elements integrate well
Cons
- early gem requirements create constraints
Thematic elements
- programming and area control
- underwater base/future sea lab
- tech progression and gem-capped scoring
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — control of octopods and base tiles for bonuses
- programming/dice/tiles — players program actions to reach checkpoints and scoring bonuses
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is such a wonderful game
- I had a huge Monopoly on the money generating Viking
- it's such a great little programming game
- I like this little Jewel Rondell system
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Z_l3aHipJOI
Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast top_10_list at 2:15 sentiment: positive
video_pk 897 · mention_pk 2552
Click to watch at 2:15
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong theme integration
- Innovative robot programming mechanic
- High replay value
Cons
- Complex for newcomers
- Production components may wear over time
Thematic elements
- Oceanography, octopus research, robotics
- Underwater research station
- procedural, scientific
Comparison games
- Gaia Project
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection / rondel-like actions — choose and execute actions using a fixed action set
- Resource management — manage resources to visit laboratories and complete objectives
- robot programming — program robots to perform tasks across laboratories
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "Aquasphere is is such a unique game"
- "this is a space race you're trying to get more points"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6