WBG Score: 8.5
Player Count: 1-4
You’ll like this if you like: A bit if tension, strategy, and take-that in your games.
Published by: XOLLOX Games
Designed by: Robert Müller-Reinwarth
This is a free review DELUXE copy. See our review policy here
The Fog first came to my attention at Essen 2021. I was then lucky enough to receive an early prototype copy that I featured here. I was then involved in the process of tidying up the English version of the rulebook, helping in part with the proof reading process. So, for full disclosure, I do feel a tiny (unpaid) part of this process. Although, I would not let that affect my review, and for me, all it proves is I thought this game was amazing from the start. I am not going to offer my free support and help to a dud! So, with that said, let's get it to the table and see how it plays.
How To Set Up The Fog
Choose a Beach (you have two choices on either side of the board) and place it in the middle of the table. The side you choose will affect the length of the game. Then fill the top half of the board. For a standard or "Flex" game of 2-4 players, take six water Tiles A1 to A6 and place them above the Beach in order left to right. The Flex offers an alternative setup suitable for you when you have played a few more times. There are also various set ups for larger and longer games.
Next, take the four Boat Scoring tokens and drop them onto the table from your hand to randomise the values (they are double sided). Then place them in descending order - the highest at the top - on the fields A to D on the top left of the main board. The, place the Preparation Bonus tokens, stacked and face-up, onto the boats of matching colour to the tokens - ensuing the highest value is on the top.
Each player now takes one seven point Movement Point Track and one Player Aid, as well as two Player Markers (one of which is placed onto the movement track onto space 7), two Counters (placed onto the zero spaces on the rescue points track), and Player Discs (according to the player count and game size as shown in the rule book) in your chosen player colour. Next place the grey FOG Marker on the FOG Track of the Board according to the number of players. Assemble the 3D Wall of FOG and place it beneath the Board.
Now, select the Turn Board according to the number of players and place it next to the Board. Next, place the beige Turn Marker on the top left space and the Starting Player now places their Player Marker on the top round one field. Moving clockwise, the others then place their Markers on the next fields (alternating, if players play more than one colour).
Now, for a short or Flex game, take 15 Obstacles and all 32 Islanders in the colours blue, green and red. For a three-Player-Game, remove one red, one blue, and one Sailor Islander token. For a Medium game, take 22 Obstacles and all 46 Islanders of the matching boat colours used on that game. For a two or four player game, remove one red and one blue Sailor. For a three or five player game, remove just one red Sailor. For a large game take 28 Obstacles and all 60 Islanders.
Place the Obstacles you took randomly in each beach row from A to J on the bottom half of the board showing the beach area – starting with A (the Obstacle type does not matter). Ensure that no more than three Obstacles are placed adjacently to each other or the Woods. And in row J, make sure that no Obstacle is allowed next to the Woods at all! Also, make sure that a maximum of two Obstacles are next to one another. Now, place the Islanders randomly in the beach rows A-I (starting with A). Leave in each row as many empty hexes (spaces) as stated on the right of each row. The game is now ready to start!
How To Play The Fog
Players will now take it in turns to place one of their coloured bases underneath one of the Islander tokens claiming it as their own. Place one base under any token, then play moves to the next player. Keep doing this in turn until all Islanders are claimed. Then move to the second phase where you will move your Islanders forwards towards the boat, in an attempt to escape the advancing fog.
Players will do this in turn, using the seven movement points, to advance their Islanders forward and onto the boats. When you make it onto a boat, you can take one of the tokens above it into your possession for end game scoring. If the color of the boat matches your Islander, then you will gain additional points. Their positions on the boat also score you various points as determined by the boat scoring tokens added during setup. You will score negative points for any Islander trapped on the island still, based on the row they got stuck on.
There are six main ways to move, as detailed on your player board. They each cost a different amount of movement points. You will drop your movement token down the required amount each time you use one. The top left movement is a simple movement in any direction for one movement point. The one below allows you to swap places with any Islanders next to it for three movement points. But this only costs one point if done on the shore. You can also push up to two other Islanders forward one spot for three movement points, so long as there is a space at the front of the line to move all the displaced Islanders into. This costs just two points if the Islander you are doing this with has the push power, as shown on the bottom of the Islander token itself. Below this, we have the Jump power. This costs three points, two if you have the Jump power. This allows you to jump over other Islanders, one space. The one to the right is the same but for clearing obstacles on the beach. This is four points, two if you have the power. Above this is the Squeeze function, which lets you slip between two other Islanders and move into the space in front of them. This also uses four points, or just two if you have this specialty.
Then on the penultimate column on the right, it shows the power of the Islanders with a three marked on them. They can do the four movement point actions for just three movement points, and below it shows that the Islander with the plus one can add one extra movement after any movement action, so long as there is space for this. Finally, on the right, it shows the movement rules when on the shore and finally on the boat. Ultimately, you can now move horizontally as well as forwards, but not off the boat into the water.
Each time you have your turn, you must move the token on the board above. When it reaches a green space, this means the fog advances one space. You will have a second turn, then play moves to the next player. So, every few turns you will have two goes in a row. If the fog advances onto a row with Islanders still present, flip them upside down. They are lost to the fog, can no longer be moved, and will score negative points to their owner based on the row they got to. This can be a game changer, so watch out for this. It is easy for rear Islanders to get stuck behind other Islanders, caught in a bottleneck, if you don't move the ones at the front early, then clear space for the ones in the back to move into. Although, players can do this on purpose to block other players. It makes the selection process of Islanders in the first phase crucial to doing well in the game.
When the Islanders make it to the boats, and their final resting spot, they will stay there until the end of the game. The game ends when the fog reaches the shoreline. Players will then tally their points for all Islanders who made it to the boats, and any Islanders who got left behind. There is a variant where you can play with sand timers to speed up your turns, representing the impending doom the Islanders feel from the oncoming fog, and multiple other ways to manipulate and adjust the game according to the desired difficulty or length you desire.
Is It Fun? The Fog: Escape From Paradise Board Game Review
I absolutely adore this game. From the moment I first set it up, I was struck by how polished and well-produced it is, reflecting a high level of craftsmanship that is evident in every component. This has come from a first-time independent designer, but clearly one who has put a lot of hard work and thought into the balance of the game. The artwork is vibrant and engaging, drawing players into the world it creates, while the quality of the materials used adds to the overall experience, (although I must add I have the upgraded components in this deluxe edition) making it feel substantial and durable. Each session delivers a tense, strategic, and thoroughly enjoyable experience every time I manage to gather friends and family around the table to play.
The gameplay is fast-paced yet thoughtful, striking a perfect balance that keeps players engaged without feeling rushed. Each turn is filled with anticipation and excitement, as players must navigate their decisions carefully. But of course, if you want to feel rushed and stressed add in the sand timers and play in real-time. Try it once, it is so tense! And this game is quite tense normally, but remains enjoyable, creating an atmosphere that encourages friendly competition, and the odd moment of take-that if you are so inclined. The decisions players face are compelling and multifaceted, allowing for great choices to be made at every turn.
As players work to sort out their own Islanders, they must also keep a keen eye on the actions of their opponents. This adds an extra layer of strategy as you not only focus on your own game plan but also consider how to block other players’ Islanders from achieving their goals. Or, note how other players may be planning to block you! The interplay between offense and defence creates a dynamic that keeps everyone on their toes, making each game feel fresh and unpredictable.
Moreover, there are numerous interesting ways to score points, which adds depth to the strategy. Players are constantly weighing their options: do you go for the nearest boat with your Islanders, hoping to secure quick points and the bonuses for getting onto a boat first, or do you take the risk and aim to get them onto a boat of a matching colour, and higher up the boat, for potentially higher rewards? This decision-making process is both engaging and thought-provoking, as it forces players to consider their immediate needs against long-term goals. Weighing up what other players are potentially trying to do, assessing the positions of their Islanders to those owned by the other players in the every changing board.
The variety in scoring methods, variable board setup, size, and game length ensures that no two games are ever the same, as different strategies may emerge based on the players’ choices and the unfolding game state. This rich tapestry of options makes the game endlessly replayable and keeps it exciting, as you can experiment with different approaches each time you play. Ultimately, this combination of polished design, strategic depth, and engaging gameplay makes it a standout experience that I truly cherish. I am certainly biased from my own minuscule involvement in the game, but I know what I like, and I like this game. As I said at the start, I only offered my assistance as I enjoyed the game to start with. And now, with this beautiful finished copy, I am delighted to have played a small part as I adore this game. That said, the part I played proofreading the UK editions of the rules, though I have seen no typos or grammatical errors, the flow is a little tricky! The wording could be a little more clear for setup. And the layout and flow can make it read like a textbook in parts, I regret that! But get past that and there is a great game waiting for you.
I love games with more than one part to them. The selection of Islanders can feel futile for your first game, picking the ones at the front with not much more thought. But then you will consider the pathway available to the Islanders at the back in later games, and perhaps start going for these first. You need a good mix at all stages of the board. Enough at the back to control the pathway for those in the middle so that those at the back do not become trapped. But you also need to consider the colors, and their position on the island to their respective boats, as well as their powers, and how useful they could be. It's all well and good getting an Islander that can jump over obstacles, but maybe due to the random setup, they have no obstacles in their way. There is a lot to think about and the more you play, the more you will see. It makes the game feel so layered, nuanced, and full of great, interesting strategic decisions.
I would recommend this game to anyone looking for something a little different, but that offers a meaningful gaming experience. The game plays quickly. Around an hour, I find, is the average. Although, you can control game length a lot with your choice during setup. The rules are surprisingly light, but the choices in the game are deep and meaningful. If that sounds good to you, give it a go. And let me know if you see any typos in the rule book. In fact, please don't!
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