If you ever wanted to lay tracks, farm sheep, and battle cosmic horrors—all in one game—then you are in the right place. Welcome to my review of Auztralia, the only board game where building railroads and fighting monsters actually makes sense together. I’ve roped my friends into several raucous sessions and lived to tell the tale (barely). So, before you trade your hard-earned cash for a box of madness, let me share what’s awesome, what’s odd, and what could use a bit less tentacle.
How It Plays
Setting up
Lay out the map board in the middle of the table. Fill it with farms, resources, and some really cranky Old Ones (scary cardboard monsters). Everyone grabs a player mat, matching pieces, and a pile of trains. Shuffle the cards and hand out some starter stuff, then crowd around and argue about who gets what color.
Gameplay
On your turn, you spend time (like your own board game life currency) to build rail, mine stuff, hire folks, or shoot Cthulhu in the face. Time moves you forward on the track, and when the weird monsters start moving, things get wild. You must balance exploring, spending time, and not ending up a snack for a shoggoth. Every decision stings a bit, especially when a friend blocks you from that sweet coal spot.
Winning the game
Once all time runs out, it’s victory-point crunch time! You score for farms, resources, and general Not-Dying-To-Cthulhu skills. But if the Old Ones did better than you, they get victory points too. If an Old One wins, nobody gets bragging rights, and you all weep into your meeples.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for AuZtralia.
The Wild Weirdness of Auztralia’s Theme and Story
Let me tell you about Auztralia—and yes, that z is not a typo, thank you very much. If you ever wondered what would happen if you mashed up a classic railroad-building game with Cthulhu and tentacled horrors, the answer is Australia with a Z. I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but after two rounds with my friends, Auztralia’s theme had us all snorting and giggling like wombats at a disco.
Picture this: you’re a rugged settler rolling into an alternate 1930s Down Under, where the Great Old Ones from H.P. Lovecraft didn’t just hit snooze when the British and Americans fought them in Europe. Nope. They packed their bags and went on vacation—all the way to the Outback. You, the player, are here to dig gold, build rails, farm sheep, and casually fend off cosmic horrors that want to eat you for breakfast. It’s like pioneer life, if the local kangaroo had eight legs and an attitude.
The game somehow keeps its tongue planted firmly in cheek, but there’s a sense of dread bubbling below the wit. Every action advances time, and time means the Old Ones stir and lurch into action. The narrative unfolds right on the board, through mysterious event cards and surprise monster attacks. Once, my friend Pete gleefully loaded a train with sheep, hoping for riches, only to watch Cthulhu himself rise from a swamp and eat his livestock. Pete’s face was priceless, and so was the story we got to tell afterward.
If you want a game that’ll get your group cackling—and maybe a bit nervous for the sheep—Auztralia’s theme is a winner. Next up: let’s see if the gameplay is as strategic as a chess match or if it’s just throwing dice and hoping for sheep-shaped miracles…
Strategy vs. Luck in Auztralia: Who’s Really Driving the Train?
Let me tell you, my friends and I sat down to play Auztralia, and the first thing I noticed was how much your choices really matter. You can’t just roll the dice and hope to win (unless your name is Lucky Larry, and even he lost miserably). Every round, you have to juggle what actions to take, how much time to spend, and when to risk waking up the nasty Old Ones. There’s serious strategy here. You choose rail routes, manage resources, and decide when to poke the Cthulhu bear—or maybe just let your neighbor handle that disaster instead!
But don’t get too cocky. Luck still peeks in like an uninvited raccoon into your trash. The map is random, monsters pop up in weird places, and those combat cubes can make your best-laid plans look pretty silly. I had a plan so rock-solid I started humming ‘Eye of the Tiger…’ right as two shoggoths spawned next to my farm and ate it for breakfast. That’s just how it goes sometimes! Also, card draws can really shake things up, especially if you’re hoping for that one big artillery upgrade.
Still, compared to some games where you live or die by a dice roll (I’m looking at you, Monopoly), Auztralia nails the balance pretty well. Smart play usually pays off, but that dash of chaos keeps everyone laughing—or groaning. This mix kept our table talking strategy hours later. If you hate letting luck steal your thunder, just know Auztralia does sprinkle in a little mayhem.
Now, if your group is as nosy as mine, you’re probably wondering how the game holds up when you swap players in and out—grab your conductor’s hat, because next stop is replayability with different player counts!
Replayability Across Different Player Counts in Auztralia
If you’re like me, you rarely have the same group of friends every game night—someone always flakes, or Steve brings his new date. The good news is, Auztralia shines whether you’ve got two, three, or four players sitting around the table. When I played with two, the game felt more like a tactical duel; there’s a spooky stillness as you both try to outmaneuver those creepy Old Ones while also racing each other for precious resources. I lost, but at least my sheep were safe.
At three and four, chaos reigns supreme. Suddenly, the map feels crowded. Players block each other’s plans, steal mines, or accidentally trigger a Great Old One invasion on the other side of the map (sorry, Tim). Each extra person adds another layer of planning—now you’re not just watching the monsters; you’re watching every move your friends make. The game ramps up in intensity, and alliances are made and broken faster than you can shout, “Cthulhu incoming!”
I also tried the solo mode, and I’m happy to say it’s not just an afterthought! It’s a real challenge, mostly because the AI monsters don’t care about your feelings. Auztralia keeps things fresh no matter the group size, so you won’t get bored after a few plays.
Next up, I’ll be talking about component quality and board design—because nobody wants to fight cosmic evil with flimsy cardboard!
Component Quality and Board Design in Auztralia: A Wild West of Cardboard
Alright, let’s chat about the stuff you actually touch in Auztralia. If you’ve ever played with soggy cards or squinted at a map that looked like someone’s dropped a sandwich on it, you know component quality can ruin a game night. Thankfully, Auztralia comes packed with sturdy goodness. The board is big, bright, and, bonus, there are trains chugging all over it! It’s like someone crammed Clue, Ticket to Ride, and a tentacle monster into one wild, lovely map.
The tokens are chunky and satisfyingly heavy. Even my friend Greg, who has hands the size of dinner plates, didn’t flick these across the table by accident. The cards hold up after several shuffles, though one of mine ended up with a coffee stain (my fault, not Martin Wallace’s). The artwork is just the right mix of creepy and cartoony—those Old Ones look like they’re plotting doom, but also might give you a hug if you asked them real nice.
The trains and resources are easy to tell apart, which matters when you panic and throw sheep at cultists (true story: don’t do this, it’s not effective). The rulebook is also well laid out. We spent more time arguing about tactics than we did about rules. Auztralia’s board design actually helps you plan, not just look pretty.
If you want a game that looks good and feels good, Auztralia delivers. Unless you only play with people who spill drinks (seriously, use coasters), this game will last. Recommended? Yes, absolutely—unless you hate fun and beautiful things.
Conclusion
So, that wraps up my review of Auztralia. This game surprised me more than finding a tentacle in my sandwich. It has a wild mix of planning, risk, and those oh-no moments when the Old Ones smack you down. The cool theme shines, and the board looks great on any table. There’s a tasty blend of strategy with just enough luck to keep things lively, but not so much it feels unfair. I had a blast playing with my friends—yes, even the one who named his railroads after goats. If you like adventure, monsters, and building stuff while keeping an eye on your doom clock, I think Auztralia is worth your time. Not perfect, but way more fun than fighting Cthulhu without coffee. Until next time, keep your meeples safe and your sanity closer!
