AuZtralia
- Players
- 1-4
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 3 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 120 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 13+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.9 / 5
- Year
- 2018
About the game
AuZtralia is an alternate-history adventure set in the 1930s Australian outback, where players build ports, railways, and farms while racing against the awakening of monstrous Old Ones. Every action costs precious time, and once the Old Ones stir, they become an active threat that moves and reveals itself with potentially devastating consequences. Military units help you locate and fight these horrors, while recruited Personalities provide special skills to aid your expansion. By default the game is semi-cooperative, one player wins or everyone loses together, with a fully cooperative variant included.
Hobbli's Notes
AuZtralia blends Martin Wallace's economic engine-building sensibilities with a creeping cosmic-horror threat, and the tension between expansion and survival works well. Hobbli's team likes that the semi-cooperative default keeps everyone honest, though the included cooperative variant is a nice option for groups who prefer to work fully together. It rewards players who enjoy weighing economic development against existential risk.
What we like
- Unique alternate-history cosmic-horror theme.
- Semi-cooperative structure keeps tension high among players.
- Economic engine-building rewards careful time management.
- Cooperative variant adds flexibility for different group preferences.
Keep in mind
- Awakening threat can create sudden, harsh swings late in the game.
- Rules complexity may slow new players.
- Theme and mechanics benefit from familiarity with the setting's lore.
Who it's for
Suited to strategy gamers aged 13+ who enjoy economic engine-building layered with cosmic-horror threat, playable solo or in groups up to 4.
