The Artemis Project

A dice worker-placement euro beneath the ice of Europa: harvest alien seas, bid for resources and collect sets.

Designers: Daniel Rocchi, Daryl Chow
Published by: Grand Gamers Guild
Editions by: Super Meeple, Gen-X Games, Board Game Rookie, Grimspire, Bureau de Juegos

The Artemis Project (2019) drops you under the ice of Europa, Jupiter's moon, where alien seas teem with shellfish, coral and strange fish and volcanic warmth makes harvesting easy. You lead a team of Stabilizers building outposts in the Pocket, the big cavern near the surface. The engine is dice worker placement: you roll dice, then use them as workers of different types to grab minerals, crystals and creatures, bid for what you want and collect sets. It's a mid-weight euro with a lot going on in the pool of dice and plenty of ways to chase points. Solo is supported, and three or four players feels about right.

Dice act as different worker typesAuctions and set collectionUnderwater colony on Europa, solo possible

Who it's for

You enjoy mid-weight euros with a clever dice twist and a sci-fi theme, and you like tuning your engine over a few rounds.

Not for you if…

You want something that plays itself or a game with only a light touch of strategy. Expect a lot of options and a rulebook to match.

Vibe's take

Brain-tickling and a bit crunchy. You always see three good things to do with a die and only get to do one, which is exactly the fun.