Aqua: Biodiversity in the oceans (ages 8+) 1-4 players
Dan and Tristan Halstad
I’m doing something different this month, swapping consoles for cardboard with a new board game I think żěè¶ĚĘÓƵ readers will enjoy. Aqua: Biodiversity in the oceans is a delightful tile-laying game for one to four players in which you match colours to build an ecosystem, starting with coral reefs, building up to small animals and eventually larger predators.
The first thing you will notice is ´ˇ±çłÜ˛ąâ€™s bright artwork and chunky hexagonal tiles. Look and feel are so important in board games since part of the joy is handling physical objects rather than staring at a screen, and Aqua totally nails its aesthetic. The game is a riot of colour, as befits a coral reef.
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Each player begins with a “hot spot” that serves as the nucleation point for their reef system. They then select tiles to add to it. Each tile is split into three colours of coral, and there must be at least one match with an existing piece to place a new one. When you complete a hexagon by matching three corals of the same colour at a point, you form a “habitat” and can put a tile on top showing the small animal that would live there, from green turtles to yellow clownfish.
This sounds simple enough, and it is – little explanation is needed to start. Where things get complicated is the scoring. As you build your habitats, there will be corals left over that don’t form a trio. Any grouping of four or more count as a “reef”, scoring points for any adjacent small animals. This creates a tension – do you build more habitats, and increase the number of small animals, or go for reefs, potentially scoring your small animals multiple times?
But wait, there’s more. If you have a group of small animals next to each other, you can take a large animal tile of the same shape and place it on top, scoring even more points. Crucially, all the small animals under the large one must be a different colour, stressing the importance of biodiversity. In a nice touch, large animal tiles have different creatures on each side, including whales and eels. This doesn’t affect the game, but lets you populate the reef with what you like best. The rulebook gives a brief rundown on all the animals, if you want to know more.
The game ends after everyone has had 17 turns, at which point scoring gets even trickier. That’s because at the start, each small animal is assigned to one of six “ecosystems”, each with different scoring rules. One small animal might score more if, say, you have a particular large animal in your reef, or you might get extra points for three of a kind.
This scoring system has pros and cons. On the one hand, it makes it hard to count your score as you play, leaving the winner uncertain until the last moment. On the other, choosing which ecosystem goals to go for can be confusing. The game comes with 24 ecosystems, adding variety each time you play, but complicating things further.
The recommended age is 8+, and that feels about right – my 8-year-old quickly grasped it, but my younger child struggled a bit initially. That aside, we really enjoyed Aqua. Played solo, it is a satisfying puzzle lasting 15 minutes or so as you attempt to beat your best score or complete some of the video-game style “achievements” in the rulebook. Multiplayer games are naturally longer, but add mild tension as your opponents can take the tiles you wanted before you get to them. This is no cut-throat competition, however. Ultimately, it’s a relaxing time for all involved.
Jacob also recommends…
Cascadia (ages 10+) 1-4 players
Randy Flynn
Another ecosystem tile-layer, and a clear inspiration for Aqua, this game sees you assembling habitats for elk, salmon and more in the Pacific Northwest.
Bärenpark (ages 8+) 2-4 players
Phil Walker-Harding
Build a zoo for bears, from polar to panda, by arranging Tetris-like tiles depicting enclosures and amenities.
Jacob Aron is żěè¶ĚĘÓƵ’s news editor. Follow him on X @jjaron
