If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if trains, farming, and the cosmic horror of ancient gods all got chucked into a blender, you’re in the right spot. Yes, today I’m sharing my review of a board game that somehow manages to make outback sheep farming just as stressful as fighting tentacled monsters: welcome to my look at one of the oddest, boldest board game mashups on my shelf. Grab your hat and your sense of humor, because things are about to get wild, woolly, and a little bit slimy.
How It Plays
Setting Up
Lay out the board showing good old Australia, but with a nice sprinkle of Cthulhu monsters. Each player picks a color and gets a port, some wooden cubes, and a small starter farm. Place resources and reveal a few Elder Gods, because clearly farming wasn’t hard enough. Put everyone’s marker at the start of the time track. If anyone brought a Vegemite sandwich to the table, give them a bonus sheep (just kidding, but you should bring snacks).
Gameplay
Choose actions to build railways, farm, mine, or recruit units. Every action costs time, and when you run out, monsters take their turn — never a good sign. Keep one eye on your resources and the other on the map, since the baddies love to crash parties. Combat is a mix of planning and a pinch of luck. When someone triggers the end game, everyone scrambles to squeeze in one more beefy action before the Elder Gods say “G’day, mate!” in the creepiest way.
Winning the Game
When time runs out or the monsters finish terrorizing the land, count up your points. Get points for farms and monsters you defeated. But, petty as they are, the Elder Gods also score for every human they trampled. The player with the most points wins, and gets bragging rights as the bravest Outback farmer ever.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for AuZtralia.
Gameplay Mechanics and Strategic Depth in Auztralia
If you have not played Auztralia yet, buckle up, because it feels like someone mashed train building and farming with waking nightmares. The core mechanic that had my group either cackling or muttering at the table is the time track system. In Auztralia, every action you take gobbles up your precious time and, as you spend more, the Cthulhu monsters wake up and start roaming the board like they’ve mistaken your sheep farm for a five-star buffet. It’s a game where every move feels important, so you can’t just build railways willy-nilly like some railway baron with endless pockets.
The action selection system makes you weigh your choices very carefully—should you expand your network, mine resources, or recruit new folks to join you? Each choice costs time, and you have to watch what your friends are doing, because if Barry from down the table builds the rail line you needed, you can kiss those coal dreams goodbye. There’s a lot of crunchy decision making, especially since you never have enough time or resources to do everything you want. The randomness of the Cthulhu enemy movements can throw a wrench in your plans, but not so much that it feels unfair. Still, I did lose my port to a rogue Shoggoth, and I’m still bitter about it.
The balance of player actions, time management, and resource hoarding makes Auztralia a great puzzle every time you play. There’s room for clever strategies and a real sense of achievement when your farm survives the Lovecraftian buffet. If you enjoy outsmarting both the game and your friends, this one has depth galore.
Ready for some tentacled sheep and eldritch terror Down Under? Next, let’s see how well the theme and immersion work in Cthulhu Australia!
Theme and Immersion: Cthulhu Down Under in Auztralia
If you think sheep farming and Lovecraftian monsters don’t mix, Auztralia will prove you wrong faster than you can say “g’day, eldritch horror!” This game does theme like a kangaroo on a pogo stick—absolutely bouncing. From the moment you open the box, you’ll catch that Old World vs Mythos showdown vibe. You’re not just managing a farm. You’re prepping railways and ports while hoping Cthulhu stays off your property tax bill.
The artwork in Auztralia sets the mood. There are lush green pastures right next to creepy ruins and tentacled nasties. Even the resource tokens are adorable—until you realize you’re spending your last bit of coal to escape a shoggoth. During play sessions with my friends, we kept bursting out laughing at how every turn swings from peaceful outback life to “Oh no, a Nightgaunt is eating my cattle.” It’s chaotic in the best way, and you genuinely feel the pressure of surviving in this strange mashup world.
Everything in Auztralia screams effort towards immersion, from naming your farms to panicking when ancient terrors wake up and move across the map. I found myself getting way too attached to my little railroad routes, just to have them stomped by a giant star-spawn. I could almost hear the didgeridoo in the background as Cthulhu ruined my best-laid plans. If you want a game that oozes theme and draws you in, this is it.
Next up, let’s talk about luck and player choice—because no amount of sheep can help you if the odds aren’t in your favor!
Does Luck Rule the Land Down Under, or Do You?
Now, let’s talk about the big question: how much does luck mess with your plans in Auztralia? And does the game let you actually make big-brain choices or just laugh as your dreams get Cthulhu-crushed by a handful of bad draws?
First, the good news. In Auztralia, most of the time you really do get to steer your (slightly rusty) train in whatever direction you like. You pick where to build, which resources to snatch, and even which monsters to poke awake. It rewards planning ahead. If you mess up, it’s usually cause you made a risky choice, not because the game threw an angry Elder God at you for kicks.
Buuut, let’s not pretend luck takes a vacation. The terrain tiles? You might get a sweet copper mine, or you might get sheep and cry inside. The combat cards? Sometimes my soldiers felt like a legendary army—sometimes they were more like a confused marching band. And don’t even get me started on the event deck! If the Old Ones decide to start a mosh pit next to your port, well, tough luck buddy.
Still, Auztralia keeps things fair by making sure everyone’s facing the same risks. And clever players can often make lemonade out of whatever strange fruit Cthulhu offers. Just know: your plans will need to bend a bit, or snap in truly hilarious fashion.
Next up, I’ll spill the beans on whether you actually get to mess with your friends—or if you’re too busy running from monsters to notice anyone else at the table!
How Auztralia Gets Players Scheming and Coming Back for More
Let’s talk about what happens around the table in Auztralia. If you like shouting “why did you wake Cthulhu, Susan?” while furiously plotting your next move, you’re in the right place. The player interaction here is sneakier than a tentacled monster hiding in the pantry. You actually find yourself weighing every move, not just because the old ones might eat your railway, but because the other so-called “allied” players might swoop in and grab the best farms or military units. I once watched my friend Sam secure all the coal in the west, then claim he was being helpful. Classic Sam.
But the best part? There’s almost always a reason to watch what your friends do. Even the most innocent action, like planting a farm, could stir up Cthulhu’s minions to attack your section of the map. Every round, you question if you’re helping the group or quietly sabotaging them while looking innocent. It’s a delicate mix that has caused more than a few fake apologies and real grudges in my game nights. And don’t get me started on when someone tries to team up and then leaves you in the lurch for a pile of gold.
Replayability stays high, too. The random setup of ports and monsters means you never play the same game twice. Plus, variable characters and solo/co-op modes pretty much demand a rematch.
If you like friendly competition, a bit of chaos, and plenty of sweet revenge, I heartily recommend Auztralia. Just don’t play with anyone who takes betrayal personally.
Conclusion
And that, folks, wraps up my wild ride across the monster-infested outback of Auztralia. This game throws you into a strange mix of farm management, train track building, and stopping Cthulhu before he steals your sheep. It’s clever and full of decisions, but keep an eye on the Old Ones—if you don’t, they’ll stomp your crops faster than you can say “kangaroo.” There’s just enough luck to keep things spicy, but not so much that you’ll want to flip the table. If you want a game where you outsmart your friends (and ancient horrors), Auztralia’s worth a go. But beware: once the tentacles hit the tracks, all bets are off. Thanks for sticking with me on this review—time for me to put my farming hat away and get some sleep without dreaming of cultists.
