
2024Carl Robinson
Mainly reviews. Kelp: Shark vs Octopus is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 23 reviews, 7 how-to-play guides, 8 recorded sessions, 9 unboxings, and 5 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
Kelp is a two-player asymmetrical game that offers players a unique opportunity to delve into the natural world of Pyjama Sharks and Common Octopuses, set in a South African kelp forest. Hide and seek meets bluffing and manipulation. Deck builder meets dice bag builder. As players take on the roles of these iconic sea creatures, they will discover that the gameplay mechanics closely mirror their real-life counterparts. Each has a unique path to victory. The Octopus, known for its cunning and adaptability, sneaks around the board by playing cards and managing their hidden and revealed blocks, channeling the creature's remarkable ability to camouflage and deceive. On the other hand, the Shark, embodying the ruthless and determined predator, patrols their territory and attempts to hunt down the elusive Octopus by rolling dice and using special abilities to mitigate their luck, showcasing the creature's natural instincts and predatory behavior. The game is a thrilling mix of deck-building and dice bag building, as well as hide and seek, bluffing, and manipulation. There are 3 ways the game ends: the Shark wins by successfully attacking the Octopus, the Octopus wins by surviving until the Shark is exhausted, or the Octopus wins by eating all four seafoods.
Kelp: Shark vs Octopus has 52 videos from 25 creators: 23 reviews, 7 how-to-play guides, 8 playthroughs, 9 unboxings and 5 other videos. They date from 2023 to August 2026.
To learn the rules, start with "How to play Kelp - Shark vs Octopus | 2 player asymmetrical game | with designer Carl Robinson" by Wonderbow Games, which runs 11 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "Kelp Review: With a Little Kelp From My Friends" by The Dice Tower. 18 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "Kelp Playthrough | Shark vs Octopus" by Foster the Meeple, one of 8 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Kelp: Offshore Offspring Expansion, also by Carl Robinson, or Excalibur, Fugitive and Letters from Whitechapel, which share several of its mechanics. It appears in convention videos from Spiel Essen 2024.
8 of 25
2026Manny Trembley
2 - 8 players15 - 25 minLight weight
2011Gabriele Mari, Gianluca Santopietro
2 - 6 players90 minMedium weight
From BoardGameGeek:
Kelp is a two-player asymmetrical game that offers players a unique opportunity to delve into the natural world of Pyjama Sharks and Common Octopuses, set in a South African kelp forest. Hide and seek meets bluffing and manipulation. Deck builder meets dice bag builder. As players take on the roles of these iconic sea creatures, they will discover that the gameplay mechanics closely mirror their real-life counterparts. Each has a unique path to victory. The Octopus, known for its cunning and adaptability, sneaks around the board by playing cards and managing their hidden and revealed blocks, channeling the creature's remarkable ability to camouflage and deceive. On the other hand, the Shark, embodying the ruthless and determined predator, patrols their territory and attempts to hunt down the elusive Octopus by rolling dice and using special abilities to mitigate their luck, showcasing the creature's natural instincts and predatory behavior. The game is a thrilling mix of deck-building and dice bag building, as well as hide and seek, bluffing, and manipulation. There are 3 ways the game ends: the Shark wins by successfully attacking the Octopus, the Octopus wins by surviving until the Shark is exhausted, or the Octopus wins by eating all four seafoods.
Designer
Carl Robinson
Artist
Weberson Santiago
Publisher
Wonderbow Games
Mechanics