Barrage EN

Player: 1 - 4
Age: 14+
Time: 120 Min

In the dystopic 1930s, the industrial revolution pushed the exploitation of fossil-based resources to the limit, and now the only thing powerful enough to quench the thirst for power of the massive machines and of the unstoppable engineering progress is the unlimited hydroelectric energy provided by the rivers.

Barrage is a resource management strategic game in which players compete to build their majestic dams, raise them to increase their storing capacity, and deliver all the potential power through pressure tunnels connected to the energy turbines of their powerhouses.

Each player represents one of the four international companies who are gathering machinery, innovative patents and brilliant engineers to claim the best locations to collect and exploit the water of a contested Alpine region crossed by rivers.

Barrage includes two innovative and challenging mechanisms. First, the players must carefully plan their actions and handle their machinery, since both their action tokens and resources are stored on a Construction Wheel and will only be available after a full turn of the wheel. The better you manage your wheel, the earlier your resources and actions come back to you.

Second, the water flow on the rivers depicted on the board is a shared and contested resource. Players have to intercept and store as much of the water as they can, build dams (upstream dams are expensive but can block part of the water before it reaches the downstream dams), raise the dams to increase their capacity, and build long tunnels to channel the water to their powerhouses. Water is never consumed — its flow is just used to produce energy —, it is instead released back to the rivers, so you have to strategically place your dams to recover the water diverted by you and the other players.

Over five rounds, the players must fulfill power requirements represented by a common competitive power track and meet specific requests of personal contracts. At the same time, by placing a limited number of engineers, they attempt to enhance their machinery to acquire new and more efficient construction actions and to build and activate special unique-effect buildings to forward their own developing strategy.

AWARDS & HONORS
2021 Kennerspiel des Jahres Recommended
2021 Gra Roku Advanced Game of the Year Winner
2021 Gra Roku Advanced Game of the Year Nominee
2020 Tric Trac Nominee
2020 Spiel der Spiele Hit für Experten Recommended
2020 Scelto dai Goblin Winner
2020 Jogo do Ano Winner
2020 Jogo do Ano Nominee
2020 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters' Selection Nominee
2020 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters' Selection Nominee
2020 International Gamers Award - General Strategy Winner
2020 International Gamers Award - General Strategy Nominee
2020 Goblin Magnifico Winner
2020 Goblin Magnifico Nominee
2019 The Golden Elephant Award Finalist
2019 Meeples' Choice Nominee
2019 Golden Geek Most Innovative Board Game Nominee
2019 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Nominee
2019 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Nominee
2019 Cardboard Republic Tactician Laurel Winner
2019 Cardboard Republic Tactician Laurel Nominee
2019 Board Game Quest Awards Game of the Year Nominee
2019 Board Game Quest Awards Best Strategy/Euro Game Winner
2019 Board Game Quest Awards Best Strategy/Euro Game Nominee