Nucleum, a euro-economic board game by Simone Luciani and Dávid Turczi centered around the discovery of innovative energy sources, and rated 8.3/10 on BoardGameGeek will get a new expansion, Nucleum: Australia.
Turning Australia into an Energy Powerhouse
The expansion pivots around a global push for procuring the Saxonian energy technology, which has now reached the farthest corners of the world in Australia. Australia’s deposits of uranium are precisely what industrialists need to propel the energy revolution a notch further, giving Australia the chance to become a global energy power in the process.
The Australian expansion brings in its own challenges, not least the vastness of the continent which would require profit-hungry investors to quickly figure out how to navigate the barren landscape. Thankfully, the deployment of clever shipping lanes makes it easier to transport resources as the world is agog and rushing for the uranium deposits that will elevate production and make the world arguably a better place to be.
Yet, the island of Tasmania has been undertaking its energy revolution as well, courtesy of a local scientist who has qualified for the title “mad” and who has developed an energy source of its own. The game itself adds a new map, concept, and some rule changes to the core game, with shipping lands to expand your networks, and even a bidding feature for various experiments.
Building Complex Designs, Executing Them Flawlessly
The game will not up the player count or make the rules any simpler and by far, Nucleum is one of the most complicated euros we have seen, owing to Turczi and Luciani’s successful track record of developing multi-layered and challenging games. Nucleum resembles other popular installments in the genre such as Barrage and Brass: Birmingham but offers enough variety to set it apart.
This is not exactly surprising either, as Luciani is the original designer of Barrage and its many expansions, and a certain continuity is to be expected between the individual designs. Another popular title by the same author is Darwin’s Journey, which is once again a rather complex, but highly rewarding title to try.