Fathom
2025Dan Helfer
2 - 4 players
45 - 60 min
Medium weight: Teach it in one sitting
From BoardGameGeek
Fathom is a tile-laying, pattern-building game of deep-sea exploration in which you take on the role of marine biology teams competing to uncover the secrets of an uncharted, underwater ecosystem around a fictional island. The depths are vast and time is limited, so savvy decision-making under pressure is crucial to a successful expedition. Choose wisely which creatures to investigate as those you don't pursue may be discovered by your opponents. Over six rounds of simultaneous play, guide your team's boat and submersible across the ocean. Scan the unmapped depths, and place tiles representing signs of marine life. Descend into the darkness and reveal these tiles to discover remarkable creatures. At game's end, you gain points based on the scoring criteria of species you've discovered. Some thrive in a homogenous environment; others fare better surrounded by diversity. The solitary life may suit certain creatures, but straying from the safety of a group spells disaster for others. Discover the most synergistic ecosystem to win! -description from the publisher
Watch first
Which Fathom video should I watch?
Fathom has 2 videos from 2 creators: 1 review and 1 how-to-play guide. They date from 2025 to March 2026.
To learn the rules, start with "Fathom | How to Play | Learn to Play in 13 Minutes!" by kovray, which runs 13 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "Fathom Review: Treasure or Trouble Below?" by The Dice Tower.
If you like it, try Ecosystem, Ohanami, Hens or LUNA Capital, which share several of its mechanics.
All videos
Creators who cover this
kovray
1 video of this game
The Dice Tower
1 video of this game
Games like this
2021Jose Ramón Palacios
- Videos
- 51
- Creators
- 46
Mostly reviews and how-to-play
1 - 4 players45 minMedium weight
About Fathom
From BoardGameGeek:
Fathom is a tile-laying, pattern-building game of deep-sea exploration in which you take on the role of marine biology teams competing to uncover the secrets of an uncharted, underwater ecosystem around a fictional island. The depths are vast and time is limited, so savvy decision-making under pressure is crucial to a successful expedition. Choose wisely which creatures to investigate as those you don't pursue may be discovered by your opponents. Over six rounds of simultaneous play, guide your team's boat and submersible across the ocean. Scan the unmapped depths, and place tiles representing signs of marine life. Descend into the darkness and reveal these tiles to discover remarkable creatures. At game's end, you gain points based on the scoring criteria of species you've discovered. Some thrive in a homogenous environment; others fare better surrounded by diversity. The solitary life may suit certain creatures, but straying from the safety of a group spells disaster for others. Discover the most synergistic ecosystem to win! -description from the publisher
Designer
Dan Helfer
Artist
Ekaterina Boguslavskaya
Publisher
Paper Fort Games
Categories
Mechanics