Deep Shelf Review

boardgamequest.com:

With formative years in the 1980s, this reviewer was exposed to some significant films all trying to duplicate the success of Alien (1979). It was a decade of renewed interest in sci-fi horror and just about every studio grabbed an available visual effects team, trapped some actors in a remote outpost, and let a ravenous beast run wild for the camera. Three films from 1989 at the end of this era stand out especially for their use of an undersea installation: Deep Star Six (mining crew uncovers ravenous ancient creature), Leviathan (mining crew discovers derelict sub with a pathogen turning them into creatures), and The Abyss (underwater drilling crew meets Earth-aliens while working with evil military guys). Feel free to take a moment to go watch. Then you can come back and share some of this reviewer’s perspective.

So, what should a game about an underwater installation have in it? Certainly, there is a chance for alternative resources to be used. A good dose of science concepts would be nice. And definitely, maybe some interaction with the various life forms could make a good source of tension. Deep Shelf, Ninth Haven Games’ latest release off Kickstarter success, has a mixture of these and this review DIVES in to see if the game has just enough ballast to provide a smooth ride. For those that need the details, Deep Shelf is a 3X underwater exploration and mining game for 1-4 players that takes about 40 minutes per player.

The general game concept is that each player is a faction intent on exploring and exploiting an offshore ocean area for minerals, control of the shelf, and science. Players are equipped with personal boards laden with various structures waiting to be built and scientists waiting to be deployed to help improve actions for victory point acquisition.

The main board is a hexagon map divided into 3 zones: the Shallows, the Deep, and the Trench. Players start at their Dock in the Shallows with an upgradable submarine that can move and explore tiles in