Podvodsk needs you to make smart decisions about how you build underwater structures further and further beneath the waves.
You start off on a platform over the ocean and you need to see how far down you can build before you run out of points. Each turn, you’re given two different schematics you can build, and whoever has designed these structures is really going out of their way to challenge how you lay out this place. Each schematic has a wild shape to it made out of squares that you need to fit into your existing building and around the odd twists and turns of this undersea cave. Just making this thing fit while making the most of the space you have will keep your mind occupied.
That said, making sure this facility is a pleasing shape is the least of your worries (kinda). Each structure has a point cost, and if you run out of points, you’re done building. That said, each schematic also has some rules about how it works. While scaffolding is cheap and just offers some connective parts, most other schematics let you recoup points depending on how they’re placed. Some will give you points for building close to different structures. Others will give you bonuses based on touching nearby ground or coming close to seaweed. The game shows you how many points you’ll recoup as you drag your schematic around so it’s never a surprise what you’ll get. You just have to really think about where you want to put something so you don’t run out of points.
Podvodsk quickly pulled me in with how straightforward it was to pick up and play. It kept me playing with how complex it could get as I tried to squeeze every possible point out of my available placements, too. It’s one of those excellent puzzle games that you can wile away several hours just messing with.
Podvodsk is available now (for free) on itch.io.
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