Air, Land, And Sea

21 Oct Air, Land, And Sea

Two player games have been my jam lately. Given the state of the world, it has been definitely been difficult to have large group gatherings. While this has been a bit depressing when looking at all of the great 3 and 4 player games I have on my shelf that haven’t made it to the table, it has been really great going through the many two player games on my shelf. Recently, I added a little card game to my collection called Air, Land, and Sea.

While games with war themes don’t generally get me excited, this one had me intrigued. In Air, Land, and Sea, players go back and forth playing cards to different “theaters”. There is a theater for Air, Land, and Sea, and players can play cards matching cards to those areas. Cards are valued 1-6 of all three suits for a total of 18 cards. Throughout the game, players play cards to each theater hoping to have the greatest strength in 2 out of the 3 theaters. Players go back and forth playing cards and using the cards special abilities to gain control. And that’s pretty much the game.

Well, that’s a large majority of the game, but that’s not what makes it compelling. The piece I left out might be the most important part of the entire game: the ability to withdraw from battle at any point. The game is played to 12 points, and depending on when you withdraw, players can be awarded 2, 3, 4, or 6 points after each hand depending on when or if a player withdraws. This makes every turn tense, especially if you are falling behind. I constantly find myself asking whether or not I should play a card or fold. I hate folding… but I also like winning, so the decision always seems more difficult than a simple probability equation.

Air, Land, and Sea falls into the camp of small card games that can’t be played just once, especially after a loss. Every decision has major impact on the state of the table and requires precision. Every loss feels like one or two cards played in a different way would have resulted in a win. Given that 66% of the deck is split between both players every game, an experienced player can begin to predict and make educated guesses about what their opponent is holding onto. This adds to the meta that develops between each hand. Guessing right can lead to a major victory while guessing incorrectly can be devastating. For only being 18 cards, this game packs a huge punch and delivers a satisfying experience. Air, Land, and Sea will definitely be hitting my table frequently in the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading and keep on gaming,

Matt Pioch