Adamastor (2017)

Overview

Adamastor is a 1-2 player co-operative game in which you take the role of the adventurous captain of a Portuguese vessel in the Age of Discovery. You choose whether to play a historical scenario (Vasco da Gama's trip to India), or a custom scenario in which the map differs in each game.

Each round, you must handle several threats to maintain order and prevent a mutiny that would end what could be a glorious journey. You must contend with adverse weather, unpredictable storms, and the unrest, fatigue, and disease that will spread among your crew as the voyage advances.

All of this is abstracted in a game that uses a deck of 54 cards, some markers, and one pawn to track the position of your fleet. Adamastor is essentially a hand/tableau-management game with multi-use cards that can be played in 15 minutes. Each card in play has the potential to help or hinder you during your journey. Different events will trigger when certain combinations of icons are in play. Most of these events will hurt, but some might help. The challenges that the sailors faced in these heroic journeys are also abstracted into a system in which you will gain traumas. These cards will increase as the game progresses, making your task even more difficult.

Masterful command of these cards will lead you to a successful voyage full of wealth and adventure, but be wary as danger and disaster await with every pull from the deck.