The oceans represent the boundaries between the known world near the surface of the ocean and the mysteries that lie hidden in the deepest unexplored region of the Earth.
The base of the oceanic food chain is made up of billions of unicellular organisms called phytoplankton that capture energy from the sun through photosynthesis. All other species in the ocean are predators, each one larger than the next, right down to the formidable predator Apex.
And even bigger than the Apex predators are the enormous whales that swim gently in the ocean, picking up anything that gets in their way. This ecosystem mimics the known world near the surface.
But that's not all if you're ready to dive deeper...
Oceans also includes a set of 100 unique power cards called The Deep that represents the unknown. These powerful cards break the contours of the reality you've come to accept, from the amazing things found in the ocean to the fantastic Kraken or Leviathan.
Oceans is an interactive game, where players evolve their species in an ever-changing ecosystem. Players must adapt their interconnected ecosystem to survive the inevitable march of time (aging), as well as a multitude of predators in search of food.
During the first half of the game, players use the features of a Surface card game to modify their species. With only 12 surface strokes, it's easy to get into your first one without being overwhelmed by new cards. These features were chosen for their rich thematic interconnections, offering a synergistic card game that mimics an ocean ecosystem.
The surface features bring stability to the game environment.
During the second half of the game, players can use deep-sea power maps to disrupt the stability. With over 100 unique features in the depths, players will slowly discover features that change the game over the course of many games.
These features have been designed to arouse awe and disbelief - to stimulate your imagination as you consider the fantastic synergies possible in Oceans.
In addition, two randomly selected scenario cards are activated and deactivated at different times during the game. Scenario cards impact the basic principles of the game, encouraging people to vary their playing style and strategy with each game.