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On the island of EOS, angels have been petrified for eons while demonic creatures roam freely. Captain Kareem found a way to awaken one of these angels and promised to revive the others, driving the demons back into the abyss. To do this, Kareem hires a new crew and brave captains to fight the demons and seek blessings from the angels of EOS.
👥 2-5 players, ages 14+
⌛ Playing time: 30 minutes/player
📝 Designers: Till Bröstl & Felix Mertikat
🎨 Artwork: Felix Mertikat, Maxine Metzger, Sandra Süsser
🏢 Publisher: King Racoon Games (review copy provided)
Navigating EOS’s Tactical Seas
In this game, each player becomes one of Kareem’s captains. Your mission is to awaken the angels, defeat the demon lords, and perform epic deeds. These actions will advance the chronicle track, and when the end of the track is reached, the game ends. But the path to heroism isn’t easy.
On your turn, you can choose to deploy a worker to your nation board or recharge. Each nation board has five crew members, each offering different actions based on their rank and the money you want to spend. To deploy a worker, pick a pawn from your ship card and place it on a crew member on your nation board. Each crew member has four actions that vary in strength and cost, but not all actions are available at the start; they unlock as the crew member gains rank.
Using your crew member’s actions, you move your ships, aiming to reach blessed areas to collect gold, glory, and blessing tokens. These tokens are needed to awaken an angel when you enter the angel locations. During the game, epic deeds and demon lords appear on the board, and you must face these challenges before proceeding. To take on these powerful enemies, you need to boost the morale and rank of your crew members, increase their protection, and upgrade your ship, which gives you more action options.
When you’ve deployed all your workers or decide not to take any more actions, you can recharge. This means calling back all your workers from the crew members to their positions on the ship, activating the action spaces to which they return. On your next turn, you can continue to explore the sea, battle demon lords, perform epic deeds, and awaken the angels of EOS, gaining glory and advancing on the chronicle track.
When the chronicle track reaches its end, the game concludes. The player with the most glory is the bravest captain and will be blessed by the Angels of EOS.
Designed by Till Bröstl and Felix Mertikat and brought to life by King Racoon Games through a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2021, EOS: Island of Angels is a board game for 2-5 players aged 14 and up. Each game session lasts about 30 minutes per player, perfect for an evening of fun.
The game is a bit on the complex side, targeting those who have some experience with strategic board games. The rulebook helps players along with clear instructions and plenty of visuals to guide you through. The box itself is packed with lots of game pieces, and it’s all brought together with some stunning artwork that really captures the game’s epic theme.
Game Dynamics: Managing Demons and Protection
EOS challenges players to find a balance between managing demons, power, and protection. As you navigate your ship across the mythical seas, you’ll come face to face with both minor demons and formidable demon lords. You’ll need to gather protection—tracked on a dedicated protection track—to shield yourself from these threats. This track highlights potential negative impacts that kick in when your demon power marker hits certain points. Increasing your protection pushes these impacts further back, allowing you to amass more demon power without immediate drawbacks.
The game’s dynamics revolve around two interlinked tracks: demons and power. Gaining more demons decreases your power, and gaining power can reduce your demon count. If the demon marker bottoms out but you still need to add power, the marker flips, continuing on the power track and activating certain bonuses, while reaching high levels of demons brings about negative effects.
Progressing in the game involves awakening Angels, defeating demon lords, and performing epic deeds—each advancing you on the chronicle track. This triggers demon spawns, activates events, and garners glory for the player taking the action. The number of angels available is set at the game’s start, sparking a competitive race among players to awaken these angels first and recruit a powerful new crew member to their ship.
Diverse Strategies: The Unique Flavor of Each Nation
Every nation in the game has its own flavor and strategic advantages. Each nation board is populated by different characters that emphasize certain strengths—whether it’s enhanced movement, faster upgrades, or owning an extra ship. These unique abilities provide direction and strategy, and with five distinct nations available, replayability is high. Each game invites you to try new strategies and explore different approaches.
Final Thoughts
Playing EOS: Island of Angels was a blast. It creatively mixes elements of engine building with worker placement mechanics, resulting in a game that feels both adventurous and challenging. The thematic depth is impressively woven into every aspect of the gameplay. For those looking for a thought-provoking and thematic board game, this one is a standout choice.
📝 Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by King Racoon Games.
