A few years ago, as my students and I were discussing issues they were concerned with, one of my students blurted out, “Save the Turtles!” The result of a trend on social media, I spent the next few weeks discussing and diving into the issue of ocean conservation. Around this time, the theme of cleaning the ocean started popping up in the tabletop space. Enter Endeavor: Deep Sea, a game where up to four players explore the ocean, competing against each other or cooperating with the others around the table to score points and see who comes out on top.

Endeavor: Deep Sea is a 2024 reimplementation of the Endeavor game system first introduced in 2009’s Endeavor and updated by 2018’s Endeavor: Age of Sail. Endeavor: Deep Sea was designed by Carl De Visser and Jarratt Gray and published by Burnt Island Games and Grand Gamers Guild. Endeavor: Deep Sea comes in a standard and a deluxe copy, with the deluxe copy including elements to add a fifth player, three mini-expansions, recessed player maps, screen printed meeples, and Gametrayz inserts. GamingTrend was provided a deluxe copy for review purposes.

Overview

Each game of Deep Sea starts by choosing a mission that will determine endgame scoring objectives and beginning set-up. The playing board is modular with multiple ocean boards representing different zones of ocean depth. Each player will have a player board that houses four attribute tracks, an area to track research, and a staging area. The game will be played over six rounds, each consisting of two phases.

At the beginning of each round, players will activate the preparation phase in turn order. Actions in this phase will be stronger as players move their markers up each of the attribute tracks. First, the player will recruit a specialist from the communal tray based on their orange Reputation Track. These specialists can give recruitment bonuses and provide spaces for players to take actions during the second phase. Next, players will take colored player discs from their supply based on the corresponding green Inspiration Track. Finally, players will take a number of discs used in previous rounds off of their specialist cards based on their yellow Coordination Track. After all players have completed these actions, turns will alternate through the Activation Phase until all players have passed.

Players take turns by placing a disc from their staging areas on specialists and taking the associated actions if available in their current zone. Many actions will require players to place a disc on the ocean zone as well as their specialists.

• Travel: This allows players to move one of their vessels to a new zone. Movement is based on the Ingenuity track which determines the amount of spaces and the depth the vessel can travel. When they arrive, players will get a printed arrival bonus.
• Sonar: Activation allows players to explore new tiles based on the printed restrictions. Players will draw two tiles from their chosen depth zone and place the tile in the grid receiving a placement bonus.
• Dive: Certain ocean tiles have diving locations. When activated, players will take the top dive token. Dive tokens always feature research and may also feature other bonuses a player can choose from.
• Conserve: Keeping the ocean safe and clean is important. Certain tiles will feature conservation areas that players can spend research to activate to receive bonuses.
• Journal: Using this action, players can spend research to gain a journal card. Most journal cards will give players boosts on an attribute track and allow them to upgrade one of their specialists. The chosen specialist is flipped and players will get any activation bonuses and remove any discs if already activated this round.

Each mission features a unique impact board that offers bonuses to players throughout the game. Whenever a player gains an impact token, they can place the token on one of the starting spaces or next to any other token to gain the printed bonus. Some spaces will gain players points at the end of the game.

After the sixth round, final totals are calculated based on a players attribute track markers, tokens on the impact board, and any points awarded from Journals and upgraded tier-5 specialists. In addition, players will score first or second-place points based on the three scoring goals presented by the given mission. Any leftover research and discs are turned in at a 3:1 ratio as well, giving you a final total. The highest score wins!

Alternative Modes and Expansions

5-Player Mode – Deluxe Only

Pieces to add a fifth player are added in the deluxe version. When playing 5 players a special tile is placed above the starting tile to add more options.

Solo and Cooperative Modes

In these modes, players will incorporate extra goals and setbacks to achieve a special set of scoring conditions for each mission. In addition to the three mission goals and an impact board goal, a new goal will be revealed at the start of the first three rounds of play. To achieve these goals, players will have to collectively hit the desired conditions, based on the player count. During rounds 4-6, a setback card will be revealed adding a challenge the players will have to face. To win on beginner level, players will have to meet four goal conditions. Players can increase the number of goals to increase difficulty.

Mini Expansions – Deluxe Only

The Deluxe Version of the game includes three mini expansions with ocean tiles shuffled into the first three depth zones.

• Orca Reintroduction (Level 1): when arriving on this tile, players pick up an Orca figure. When conserving on a tile without an Orca, they can place it to conserve for free.
• Underwave Academy (Level 2): This tile allows players to upgrade their specialists with additional tiles. Each tile has an “or” side that gives players a new action or an “and” side that gives players a bigger turn.
• Robotic Wanderer (Level 3): The robotic wanderer is moved around the board and allows players to pick up bonuses and take actions from different tiles. When journaling on the ocean tile, players can upgrade actions taken using the wanderer

Overall Thoughts

I’m not going to lie to you, this is probably my favorite game that I played in 2024.

The components of the game are absolutely stellar. Each faction comes with its own design that is printed on the action tokens and each of the research vessels have a unique design. The player colors are vibrant and pop off of the board. There is not one shred of plastic in the deluxe version of the game. Each of the trays is made of recycled cardboard and all of the player components are wood. The closest things were a few component bags that were made of a biodegradable material. The artwork and design from Fahed Alrajil draws you in. As the ocean tiles descend deeper and deeper, the background becomes a deeper shade of blue and invokes the feelings of diving deeper from the light of the surface. The rulebook is easy to follow and the entry level to getting the game on the table is very accessible. There is an appendix sheet available to help clarify different missions and unique ocean tiles. The only drawbacks I had with the components were some warping of the dual-layered player boards which happens a lot across games and the lack of a player aide with easy access to symbols. After playing the game, it’s easy to interpret, but there are a few unique symbols that you must dig out of the rulebook to interpret.

The gameplay is fantastic. Everything you do in the game gets you something, so there are few times in the game where you feel stuck. Players can take very different paths and still end up within a few points of each other by the end of the game. Creating synergistic turns with cascading effects is always satisfying. Each mission presents players with different ways of getting endgame scoring so strategies have to change depending on which mission you pick. I will say, the solo and cooperative modes are tough. Some of the goals seem a bit out of reach and you really have to try and synergize with your fellow players to even get close to winning. When it comes to multiplayer, I had a great time playing at two, but thought the sweet spot was at 3 or 4. The more players you have, the more competition for spaces on the board you will have, and usually a larger board to explore comes into play.

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