Odysseus is a solo roguelike survival board game, where the player plays Odysseus and tries to reach Ithaca. Like all roguelike games, the journey is brutal, and players will not succeed at first, with defeat being a certainty. But each defeat brings along with it experience, knowledge, and power that carries over to the next game in the form of meta progression, i.e. persisting upgrades. Thus each time players will manage to go a little bit further, until finally they get strong enough to reach Ithaca and reclaim their kingdom from the villainous suitors.
'To escape captivity, Odysseus and his comrades blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus, a blasphemous act that incurred the wrath of Polyphemus’ father, the god Poseidon. The Olympian god decided not to outright smite Odysseus… no, a different punishment was more fitting. He cursed the mortal, whenever the sea would claim him, not to find death and the way to Hades, rather to be washed ashore, on the sandy beaches of Troy, on the eve of his departure for the journey back home, to the island of Ithaca.
But, maybe it was the will of the Fates, for Odysseus to have in his possession the magical bag of Aeolus, which used to contain unfavorable winds. When Odysseus’ ship sunk, and Poseidon’s curse took effect, indeed he woke up on the shores of Troy, but thanks to the magic of Aeolus’ bag, he carried with him all memories, recollections and experiences thus far. The hero decided he would one day break Poseidon’s curse and finally return home'
—description from the designer
Adventure, Ancient · Action Points, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Hand Management, Solo / Solitaire Game
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