Picture this: salty sea air in your lungs, a creaking wooden deck beneath your feet, and a horizon that promises fortune, danger — or something stranger still. No, it’s not time to pack your bags — the seas we’re talking about are waiting on your game table.
This fall, three new board games are making waves, each diving into a different side of maritime life. Whether you dream of running a trading empire under Southeast Asian stars, commanding warships across treacherous northern waters, or plumbing the eerie depths of the deep sea, Sail from Batam, Shallow Seas, and Fathoms are ready to cast off.
Let’s take a closer look at this varied fleet of nautical adventures and see which one might chart the right course for your next game night.
⚓ Sail from Batam — Build a Trading Empire in the Spice-Filled Seas of the 1800s
- Publisher: Skellig Games (Germany)
- Designer: Bernd Eisenstein (Pax, Peloponnes)
- Players: 2–4
- Play time: 60–90 minutes
- Release: Essen SPIEL ’24
Set in the bustling maritime crossroads of the 19th-century Malacca Strait, Sail from Batam invites you to captain your own ship in a race to trade spice, sugar, and other goods across colonial Southeast Asia.
It’s a Euro-style game with a blend of route planning and resource management — think pick-up-and-deliver meets market manipulation. You’ll need to sail smart, invest wisely, and outmaneuver your rivals as you build the most profitable trade network.
What Makes It Stand Out?
- A dynamic market: Items lose value depending on how many players sell the same thing
- Limited resources force clever timing and logistical choices
- Easy to set up, but offers plenty of strategic depth
Who’s It For?
Fans of Merchants & Marauders or Whistle Stop will feel right at home. It’s straightforward enough for newer players, but deep enough to keep spreadsheet-minded strategists engaged from port to port.
🚢 Shallow Seas — Cat-and-Mouse Naval Battles in Foggy Waters
- Publisher: Compass Games
- Designer: Jeremy White (Atlantic Storm)
- Players: 2–6
- Play time: 90–120 minutes
- Release: August 2024
Steering into much darker waters, Shallow Seas sets you in the thick of World War I convoy warfare. It’s all about outsmarting your opponent — sneaking your convoy through enemy waters or lying in wait to ambush it.
Blending a strategic map layer with a tactical battle system, this is a game of fog-of-war tensions and hard decisions. Sonar sweeps, deception tactics, and limited intel keep every play unpredictably intense.
Key Features:
- Realistic “fog of war” mechanics that blind players to each other’s movements
- Strategic bluffing and deduction, with air and sonar scouting woven in
- Designed for conflict-focused gamers who enjoy historical accuracy
Who’s It For?
If you’ve cut your teeth on heavy-duty strategy games like Twilight Struggle or Cataclysm, this one might be your next obsession — especially if you’re looking for a game that mirrors historical naval warfare with chilling precision.
🌊 Fathoms — A Haunted Voyage into the Unknown Depths
- Publisher: The Fathoms Co.
- Designers: Jean Brue & Sean Andrew Murray
- Players: 1–4
- Play time: 60–90 minutes
- Release: Kickstarter September 2024
Now, if you’d rather dive under the surface — way under — Fathoms has you covered with a deeply immersive experience that edges into science fiction horror.
Set aboard an underwater research vessel, this cooperative (and sometimes semi-cooperative) game has players investigating a mysterious and growing threat in the deep. Each player has unique goals and abilities, and each decision could risk the mission — or your sanity.
With storytelling woven into its core and eerie artwork by D&D illustrator Sean Andrew Murray, Fathoms promises a blend of tension, teamwork, and treacherous secrets.
What Gives it Depth:
- Unique characters with their own motives and skill sets
- Beautiful, atmospheric art draws players into a nightmare world
- Card-driven gameplay and narrative choices create high replayability
Who’s It For?
Think of it like The Crew meets Nemesis with a splash of cosmic horror. If you love immersive storytelling, atmospheric gameplay, and a hint of paranoia, this chill-inducing sea voyage might be your next favorite.
🎮 Which Voyage Will You Choose?
Here’s a quick cheatsheet for your tabletop travel plans:
| Game | Genre | Vibe | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sail from Batam | Euro, Trade | Strategic & historical | Efficiency-focused players |
| Shallow Seas | Conflict, Tactics | Historical warfare | Fans of military strategy |
| Fathoms | Narrative coop | Horror, mystery | Story-driven adventurers |
Still wondering which way to set sail? Here are a few quick answers:
- ⛵ New to gaming? — Sail from Batam is your smoothest onboarding.
- 🌊 Looking for variety and surprise? — Fathoms is packed with modular stories and secrets to uncover.
- 🧭 Solo gaming? — Only Fathoms has official support for single-player exploration (so far!).
So whether you’re charting trade routes through tropical waters, commanding fleets through wartime fog, or diving into something far more mysterious, there’s a sea here worth sailing.
🎙️ Which one are you drawn to — the spice trade wind, the call to arms, or the abyssal whisper? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts in our gaming group.
Safe travels — and watch the horizon. You never know what might surface.