New (Old) Game Round-up: Explore Reefs in Malaysia, Cruise in the Mediterranean, and Ditch Work in Argentina

Reef Stakes is the first marine-themed, role-playing card game in Malaysia. Designed by young professionals in the conservation workspace, the game is designed to mimic real-life stakeholder relationships, introduce some of Malaysia's most iconic marine species, and highlight threats to coral reefs. The game goes along two tracks: nature and development.

To begin, each player chooses one of six roles (conservationist, developer, natural resource manager, tourism operator, politician and fisherman) at random. Each role is assigned three specific missions to achieve in the game which corresponds to priorities in real life. For example, all three of the conservationist's priorities are related to nature while the tourism operator is interested in both nature and development.

Seven cards are distributed to each player. The building up of the game revolves around a "rock" card where players build in either the nature track or the development track (level 1 to level 4). To win the game, players have to play all three specific mission cards (level 5) on the board. However, since some priorities overlap, players have to communicate, work together, or even sabotage to place their best cards on the table. Sabotage comes in the form of scenario cards that thwart the advancement of a track.

As cruise organizers in Bienvenue à bord, the two players must manage the reception of travelers in the cabins of their boat.

Each round, one player is the dealer, drawing three cards face up, then splitting them into two groups. The other player chooses one group for themself, while the dealer receives the remaining group. Cards are of three main types:

—Cabin cards allow you to "open" one or more cabins on your boat, with cabins existing in three levels; once you've opened a cabin, it's now ready to receive passengers.
—Passenger cards must immediately be placed into open cabins. Each placed passenger gives a certain number of positive or negative victory points (VPs) or a specific symbol; additionally, each passenger wants a certain level of cabin, and the bonuses vary depending on whether this requirement is fulfilled.
—Objective cards give endgame points based on various criteria.

After each of the five rounds, one of four "stopover" cards is revealed and resolved. Whoever has the most of a certain element — passengers, open cabins, etc. — receives 6 VPs. When the game ends, players receive additional points based on symbols they've collected and objectives they've met.

In each round, you move your peg through the corridors of the office (which is a modular board), and your boss will perform movements through an AI comprised of action cards and automated movement. Before you can leave the building, you have to reach the printers and get reports to deliver to your colleagues, who will then cover your escape and reward you with useful objects to achieve your goal.

You may play on predetermined office maps with specific difficulty levels, or you can let chance be the architect of your next office.