If you’re a fan of the Villainous board game series, Disney Villainous: Treacherous Tides is the latest expansion to sail into the wonderfully mischievous Disney board game series. Themed around two of Disney’s most devious aquatic villains, Treacherous Tides brings some fun and interesting new mechanics to the long-running series. Having reviewed the excellent Disney Villainous: Introduction to Evil last year, I was curious to see how this latest entry measures up.
As with all titles in the franchise, Treacherous Tides can be played as a stand-alone title for two players or as part of a larger game for up to four people, using pieces from other sets. Geared towards players 10+, Treacherous Tides offers some unique characters with this latest addition in the form of Davy Jones from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Tamatoa from Moana. Each offers vastly different means of achieving victory, drawing from their respective story arcs.
As with all Disney Villainous titles, Treacherous Tides is a beautifully designed and manufactured board game. The artwork of the decks and the quality of the pieces are top-notch, offering unique and durable set pieces. Each of the new character markers is distinct and easily recognizable, providing player tokens that gamers will enjoy. As with all Villainous sets, Treacherous Tides is a quality product that holds to the same standards we’ve come to expect from Ravensburger.
“As with all Villainous titles, Treacherous Tides is a beautifully designed and manufactured board game.”
As with previous entries, the goal of Treacherous Tides is for each player to complete their villain’s specific objectives using sets of realm-themed cards and fate decks. How these objectives are accomplished depends on the character you choose. As with Introduction to Evil, Davy Jones and Tamatoa provide unique play styles and objectives to complete.
Playing with each villain in Treacherous Tides is a real treat. Davy Jones, a personal favourite from this entry, leans heavily on his allies (in the form of his crew) to work toward completing his objective of collecting all five treasures. Each ally in this deck is creatively used to fit the lore of the franchise while providing useful functionality throughout. Treasures, once gained upon defeating the corresponding hero, grant unique new abilities to Davy Jones, allowing him to power up throughout the playthrough.
It’s a fun way of play, leaning into the fantasy of a captain and his crew, and offers a great set of characters to use. As the first live-action character (technically CGI in a live-action franchise) to be inducted into the Disney-themed Villainous board games, it’s been a bonus to see the characters from Pirates of the Caribbean drawn as cartoonish caricatures of their live-action counterparts.
Tamatoa, meanwhile, introduces a completely new mechanic into the franchise in the form of the Maui Deck. From what I’ve researched, this is a first for the franchise, but it works both thematically and mechanically for the character. With Tamatoa’s goal being to possess both the Heart of Te Fiti and Maui’s Hook at the same time, Tamatoa naturally must contend with Maui, the shapeshifting demigod, to obtain his prize.
“Playing with each villain in Treacherous Tides is a real treat.”
While Maui is in play, his deck becomes an active part of the playthrough experience, with each turn forcing the player to draw another card from his deck. Each card provides a new and unique effect, often presenting an additional challenge for Tamatoa; however, it should be noted that there are a few cards that work to his benefit. This mechanic provides a truly unique and engaging element to the gameplay loop and works exceptionally well.
As you play Tamatoa and work towards his objective, you’ll often find yourself in possession of only Maui’s hook, which you start with. The hook provides another dynamic to the playthrough, as it can be used as an item card (not attached to a hero) when in Tamatoa’s realm, providing the player with extra power when fated. Again, it helps keep tensions high as Tamatoa players will want to leverage the hook at every available opportunity.
Villainous: Treacherous Tides is a wonderful addition to the Disney Villainous lineup. Each villain provides a unique and engaging way to play, and the quality of the board game set pieces is top-notch. As a stand-alone title, it’s a fun entry, and when mixed with other editions, it adds a unique dynamic to the overarching Villainous series. Priced at $19.99 and available on August 10, Villainous: Treacherous Tides is a standout addition worth your time.
