Mayfair Games' Atlantis board game is easy to learn and fun to play
Published:
April 14, 2010
 Atlantis from Mayfair Games
Gameplay: Atlantis revolves around the citizens desperately fleeing the sinking island before the last bridge to the mainland is destroyed. You control your own faction of Atlantis, making your way to safety even as you loot along the way. Yes, I said loot.
The “bridge” to the mainland is comprised of tiles representing artifacts of the lost civilization. As you move along its span, you gather these tiles, leaving watery gaps for your opponents to cross.
Gameplay is simple on the surface: as with all good games, it usually is. You match a card to a tile and move your piece there, removing the tile directly behind you and adding to your pile of loot.
Of course, if this causes a gap in the bridge, water (represented by water tiles) quickly rushes in. To get across these gaps, you can use your bridge, but you only have one, and your opponents can use them as well, or you can pay with some of your collected artifacts.
As I mentioned before, Atlantis is casual in its rules, which are pretty easy to pick up. But as we played, the game conversation dropped off as we continually plotted out our next moves and struggled to come up with the best way to get our faction to safety while leaving everyone else to their watery doom.
Marketing: Atlantis shouldn’t be just a new game for your store; it should be a whole section. There are books, movies, games, toys and a host of other products all based around the famous sinking island. If you just stick this game in with your other board games, you’re not doing it justice.
And while the game is listed as being for ages 10 and up, I was able to teach it to an 8-year-old with ease. Because of its quick pace, it kept his attention and made him want to play again.
Take a look at what other items you can pair with this game to create a section, even an endcap, with an Atlantis theme.
How many undersea model kits do you have? Is there a Nautilus on one of your shelves? How about some undersea figures or a shark or two? Do you carry any Lego products? Lego has an entire new line of Atlantis products that would easily draw attention to your theme section.
VITAL STATS
Product: Atlantis
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Stock No.: ASI5753
MSRP: $35
Availability: Visit Mayfair Games' Web site for a complete distributor list
BOTTOM LINE
Quick setup and gameplay
High replay value
Ties in with many other products
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