Nauticus is a 2013 title of Michael kiesling e Wolfgang kramer, the couple who have already given us several boardgame jewels, from Vikings a Coal Baron, passing through the "mask trilogy", composed by Tikal, Java e Mexica, Without to forget Asara e Die Paläste von Carrara. Michael Kiesling is also the author of the famous Blue, which we told you about on this page. Let's find out together if Nauticus it lived up to our expectations.
Setting
Without providing us with historical or geographical references, Nauticus catapult us into the world of shipyards and maritime trade: we are probably in the Elizabethan age, playing the roles of entrepreneurs, shipowners and naval traders, intent on launching our fleet and exploiting it to deliver goods, optimizing the management of money and workers.
Nauticus mechanics
The match of Nauticus takes place in four or five rounds (based on the number of players) during which we will perform actions, selecting one at a time from the eight available. As in Puerto Rico and Race for the Galaxy, we will be the only ones to benefit from an effect associated with the chosen action, while all other players will be able to perform the same action without getting this bonus.
The selection takes place through a circle consisting of eight tiles corresponding to the actions, associated with eight other sectors printed on the board (depicting the bonus reserved for the player who chooses the action), to an external circle (which lists the costs of the tiles that we can buy through that action), and finally to an inner circle, depicting the workers available to the players who choose to "follow" the selected action.
The combination of these four elements makes it Nauticus a unique game and opens the doors to numerous tactical choices: it is interesting how, with a single selection, we will simultaneously decide the action to be carried out, obtain the resources and determine the cost of the tiles we need.
The "blue" actions allow you to buy goods and parts of the ship (bows, sterns, decks, masts and sails) while the "beige" actions allow you to get money, move tiles from the warehouse to the ship, ship the goods and activate a phase of score.
Materials and ergonomics
All cards of Nauticus are made of good quality stiff cardboard. The game board is larger than necessary, but the empty parts (in the absence of space) can be used to hold the supply of tiles and resources.
The symbology is slightly confusing, especially in the special tile that can be used once per game, in the bonuses on the side of the player board (redeemable when a ship is launched) and in some of the available actions. In the action of shipping goods, for example, the goods depicted will be positioned below the cost printed on the board: this is misleading, since no coins are spent to ship, only workers.
We liked the graphic style of the ships, while the illustrations on the action tiles don't always match up.
Considerations
Nauticus it is a title of medium complexity, but of great depth. The desire to replay it, stimulated by the curiosity to try different strategies, is still high after several games. The price of the game is particularly advantageous, especially if we can find a used copy. Several users on Boardgamegeek sell the title starting at 20 euros.
The only published version of Nauticus, is the German edition Cosmos. However, it is possible to find the regulation online in various languages, available at this address.
The paths that can be traveled are well balanced: in Nauticus you don't win by following a strategy decided at the beginning, but by adapting your moves from time to time to the choices of your opponents. A game at Nauticus offers beautiful emotions, for example in selecting an action to deny the relative bonus to the opponents or to seize an opportunity that others cannot currently exploit, but above all it gives us back a lavish gratification when we finally manage to launch a ship: both for the satisfaction in seeing it complete with all its components, both for the rewards that the game bestows on us.
The rules are not complicated, but (unfortunately) not even rationalized to the point of making it unnecessary to re-read the rules before playing (nor some sporadic consultation during the game).
It would have been nice, moreover, to differentiate the bows, bridges and castles of the ships, perhaps with figureheads and decorations, in order to obtain different and personalized combinations every time… but perhaps, from a pure German like this, it is too much to ask.
