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Land Unter by Steffan Dorra

Land Unter by Steffan Dorra art n/a publish Amigo players: 3-5 duration: 30-45 mins. type: simultaneous selection PACE: Quick. Everyone reveals a card at the same time, then the water level cards are given out, then repeat process. LUCK: Medium. You can get dealt really bad hands -- but then you'd get extra life preservers which can lead to more bonus points. Oh Yeah -- and everyone will get a chance to play everyone else's hand! TENSION: Medium. A lot of guessing in the picks, and it moves quick, still, trying to find a card that will help you avoid the high watermark card will give you fits! VICIOUS: Low. It's competitive, but not especially vicious. That is, unless you can remember what cards that other player has and then make sure he gets sunk. =) SOCIAL: Medium. Mostly a lot of banging heads on tables as you spend a good card only to get stuck with the bad water level card anyways!. VISUALS: Excellent. Very cute, well colored, memorably illustrated. THEME: Low. Okay, so basically the theme has nothing to do with anything (this is the third setting this game has had) but sheep floating aimlessly in the ocean getting tossed life preservers is very unique. GAMER APPEAL: Maybe. It's not unlike 6 Nimmt! NON-GAMER APPEAL: Yes. The graphics alone will win over kids and moms, and the gameplay is quick and simple, with a neat concept for a setting. It has been a hit. 2 PLAYERS: No. REPLAY: Very Good. I've played 15+ times. Good with 3-5 players. Best with 3-5 players.

by Steffan Dorra

Quick Summary | Save your sheep! Each player is dealt a hand of 12 Weather cards, numbered anywhere from 1-60. Since higher and lower cards are better for a player to have, a player dealt a bad hand would normally suffer -- but not in Land Unter. The worse your hand, the more Life Preservers you are dealt; Life Preservers being your maximum possible points for a round, and the only way to keep yourself alive as the waters rise and your sheep are threatened. Each round, two Water Level cards are flipped (numbered between 1-12). Then players choose a card from their hand and then reveal simultaneously. Highest card gets the lower Water Level, 2nd highest card gets the highest Water Level card, everyone else gets off scot-free! (To sum-up: Don't be 2nd!) Then players look around the table to see who has the highest Water Level card, who then loses a Life Preserver. Simple to play, quick rounds, handicapped scoring for bad hands, and the added feature of everyone having a chance to play each person's hand! This game has been a hit, helped no doubt by the cute artwork. It is German only, but has no language on the cards at all. Recommended as one of the better family games I have played.

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