Sometimes you stumble on a board game that makes you say, “Wait, is that a zombie kangaroo?” Welcome to my review—where I walked through the wastelands of Auztralia with my merry band of friends and a lot of snacks. If you’ve ever wanted trains, Cthulhu monsters, and sheep farming smashed into one game night, you’re in the right place. Let’s see if Auztralia is worth your table space or if it should be left to rot in the outback.
How It Plays
Setting Up
First, you unfold the board and scatter resources like coal, iron, and gold all over the outback. Everyone picks a color, grabs a player board, and lines up their tiny trains (no kangaroos sadly). We also add Old Ones tokens—those are the creepy monsters—face-down across the land, just waiting to ruin your day.
Gameplay
Each turn, you spend time (literally—there’s a time track!) to build railways, harvest resources, recruit helpers, or attack monsters. Players can choose what action to take, but everything you do eats up precious time, and those monsters don’t wait forever. At a certain point, they wake up and start moving to eat your sheep (and probably your hopes and dreams, too). Expect a scramble as everyone stands up and yells, ‘Not my port!’
Winning the Game
After all players and the Old Ones have taken their turns, you count up your points: gold, farms saved, and monsters defeated. Don’t ignore the monsters—if they do too much damage, the Old Ones might actually win and all players lose, which is one way to bond with friends over mutual failure.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for AuZtralia.
Why Auztralia’s World Feels Unlike Any Other Board Game
First things first, Auztralia is not your average railroad-building game. No, this wild ride throws your trains straight into a tentacle-infested, post-apocalyptic steam-punk Australia. When I invited my friends over, they looked at the cover and said, “Is this like Ticket to Ride with sea monsters?” Spoiler: It’s not.
The theme is bonkers, and I mean that as a compliment. You play as pioneers trying to settle Australia after an alternate-history world war where Lovecraftian horrors have been kicked out of Europe. But oh wait, now they’re lurking down under, waiting for you to build one too many sheep farms before they strike. Even my mate Steve, who always says theme doesn’t matter, got sucked in when Cthulhu started stomping on his shiny new railroad.
The artwork nails the vibe. Everything looks sunburnt and a bit terrifying, like Australia probably feels most days. The map’s yellow-brown wasteland, mixed with creepy cultist icons, really puts you in the outback nightmare. My group spent half the game quoting Crocodile Dundee (“That’s not a train… THIS is a train!”) and the other half whispering about Shoggoths in the sheep pens.
Auztralia’s setting actually changes how you play. You’re not just racing for points. You’re racing before the Old Ones wake up and eat you. The pressure builds faster than a kangaroo on an espresso binge.
If theme and atmosphere are your jam, this game delivers with a weird, memorable twist. Next up, I’ll be unpacking the rules and decision-making that make—or break—Auztralia’s gameplay. Get your hard hat on, we might need it!
How Auztralia Plays: Gears, Gold, and Great Old Ones
If you ever wanted to manage a sheep farm while fending off eldritch horrors, Auztralia is your ticket. Let’s talk about the nuts and bolts. In Auztralia, players start by claiming hexes, building railways, harvesting resources, and constructing farms. All of this would sound like a chill rural vacation… if only the Old Ones weren’t lurking just off the coast, ready to break your fences and eat your sheep. Or eat you. Honestly, they’re not picky.
The game runs on a clever time track system. Every action you take—building, mining, recruiting soldiers—costs time. Sometimes you want to be efficient, but sometimes you have to rush, because when everyone burns through enough time, the Great Old Ones wake up and start rampaging on their own. That’s right: the board actually fights back!
I learned pretty quickly in our first playthrough that ignoring the Old Ones was a terrible idea. My mate Steve tried this approach and lost half his railways to Cthulhu’s cousin, Barry (we named him Barry, don’t ask). So, balancing building up your economy with prepping for monster defense is key. Add in a dash of resource scarcity, and every choice feels important. You’ll also need to hire military units, from artillery to airships, and there’s a fun push-your-luck element when you take on the Old Ones in battle (but it’s not so random that you want to flip the table—promise).
It’s a satisfying mix of Eurogame resource management and tense, tactical combat. Luckily, the game lets you shift your focus based on your strategy, so whether you’re a builder, a fighter, or a sheep enthusiast, there’s room for you in Auztralia. Next up, I’ll spill the beans on how players mess with each other and how balanced things really are.
How Players Clash Down Under: Auztralia’s Interaction and Game Balance
When I played Auztralia, I expected a good old race for points, but, oh boy, the game threw me for a loop. You don’t just build railways and farms with your own nose to the grindstone – your mates across the table can foil your glorious plans, sometimes without even trying! That’s because everyone’s actions and the Elder Gods’ monstrous moves can impact other players, giving the game this sneaky undercurrent of indirect competition. Either you race for coal, or someone snatches the last port right before you need it – it’s like getting the last Tim Tam at a party. And don’t even get me started on the way fighting monsters can backfire: I once attacked a Shoggoth, only for my friend to sweep in and mop up my mess, claiming the glory. Not cool, Sarah!
Balance-wise, Auztralia impressed me. Whether you’re a rail tycoon or prefer to bunker down and arm yourself for monster-slaying, you CAN win. The game caters to multiple playstyles, and I never once sensed someone was destined to lose from the first turn. No one can just turtle and win; the shared threat from the waking horrors forces everyone to do more than count sheep and sheep-shaped victory points. Sure, if anyone falls behind, the Elders will chew them up – but at least you get a front-row seat to the carnage!
I’ll soon reveal if luck or skill tips the scales in this wild kangaroo rodeo, so grab your seat and keep your dice close.
Luck vs Skill: Who Really Wins in Auztralia?
Okay folks, let’s get into the meaty bit: how much of Auztralia’s outcome is pure skill and how much is just, well, luck of the draw? I played Auztralia with my regular board game crew, who are way too competitive for their own good (looking at you, Sam). We all agreed that while strategy is super important, luck sneaks in and sometimes makes a kangaroo-sized leap into your plans.
For starters, the placement and revelation of the Old Ones feels a bit like opening a box of chocolates you forgot was in the sun. There’s tension (and a little panic) every time a new monster shows up—sometimes right at your doorstep! Resources and farm locations can pop up in exactly the right spot, or leave you feeling like you brought an umbrella in a drought. But don’t get me wrong: knowing when to expand, fight, or let sleeping tentacles lie demands real skill.
Combat is where luck and skill waltz most closely together. The battle outcome depends on your planning, but then the event cards or dice can twist things. I once lost two tanks to a single zombie cow. A ZOMBIE COW. My friends have never let me live it down.
If you love a challenge where luck can slap your best strategy, Auztralia delivers. If you hate games where fate sometimes topples skill, maybe stick to chess. Me? I’ll still recommend it. It’s a blast, zombie cows and all.
Conclusion
Auztralia is not your typical board game. Where else do you build railroads and then get eaten by a tentacled kangaroo? It’s got a wild mix of strategy, resource juggling, and monster fighting. I loved the tense moments racing the time track, though the random monster moves sometimes made me want to flip the table. Still, it’s clever, unique, and way more fun than several games sitting on my shelf. If you want something different and can handle a bit of chaos, Auztralia’s worth a shot. That wraps up my review—now excuse me while I go convince my friends to play again (even if I lose to zombie sheep every time).
