The ocean is calling but plastic pollution is closing in. Ocean Pods is a strategic ocean-themed travel game for 2 to 5 players where marine biologists compete to conduct valuable research while working together to protect the seas. Draft dice resources, discover fascinating marine life, complete research objectives and then decide how far you are willing to go to keep the ocean clean. 
 
Each round, players draft resources representing krill, cephalopods, crustaceans, fish as well as pinnipeds from the available ocean dice. Use your collected resources to attract whales, dolphins and other marine animals to your research pod by paying the required costs on them to retrieve them from the shared display. With every decision, you must balance your personal research goals against the growing environmental threat.
 
The boats constantly move between oceans, changing which animals are available while plastic pollution gradually spreads through the water. Players must cooperate to remove plastic before contamination becomes overwhelming, but sacrificing a valuable turn to protect the ocean could give your rivals the opportunity to surge ahead. Reach 12 points to trigger the final round, then score for your researched animals, completed objectives along with any collected plastic.
 
There is a catch: everyone can also lose. If three plastic tokens are ever present in the ocean, the game ends immediately resulting in defeat for the entire table. Ocean Pods creates a fascinating semi-cooperative challenge where individual ambition clashes with a shared responsibility to protect the marine environment.
 
With accessible dice drafting, tactical resource management as well as changing ocean availability, Ocean Pods is an engaging strategy game for families and fans of ocean-themed board games. Will you prioritise your research or become the ocean protector your team desperately needs?