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Quick Look: NATATERRA

Designer:  Amir Kamal
Publisher: Game Tribe
Year Published: Kickstarter Successfully funded on 29 May 2025

No. of Players: 2-4

Ages: 14+

Playing Time: 60-150 minutes.

Find more info HERE.

From the Publisher:

Disclaimer: The publisher provided the prototype copy of NATATERRA. The opinions expressed in the review are completely my own.

Review:
 

I have fond memories of playing certain video games when I was much younger, but perhaps a defining moment for them was the internet and all that it brought to the then “new” concept of online gaming. And chief among those types of games were Warcraft II and StarCraft, both of which collectively consumed many 56k online minutes from our dial up internet packages, and denied many others in the household access to the phone lines while I was playing. IYKYK.

The beauty of such games is that they were strategically vicious, letting you kill or be killed, requiring you to leave no quarter when it came to vanquishing your foes. I suppose in many ways this kind of adrenaline rush is what led to video game design becoming so addicting, and perhaps accounts for my current situation in which I tend to gravitate towards board games quite a lot more these days — doing so allows me to maintain good face to face time with friends and family.

However, that doesn’t mean I have totally forgotten about the past. While I enjoy what board games have done to bringing a sense of bonding, there are days where I still long to reclaim the essence of some of that video game nostalgia, especially with regards to games like WarCraft 2 and StarCraft.

Now at the time I saw Nataterra, I thought that this may be a solution, and was able to secure a review copy of the game so that I might satisfy my curiosity. Because at a glance, the game seemed to encompass all aspects of the aforementioned strategy/war video games.

The art style, for example, employed a hex based tile system where one could gather resources on various terrain types, edify buildings, move troops, etc, and sported a variety of races/factions with unique abilities and resources. 

So yes, the game seemed to contain the vital elements. But I would imagine (and rightfully so) that managing to encapsulate the essence of ye old’ Battle.net games would not be so simple as simply representing all aspects of the acclaimed series’ in cardboard form.

To avoid  an excursion into the land of verbose gaming summaries, I will synopsize gameplay :

Players choose a race / faction (one of four).

Players take turns doing the following, all in one turn : 

—Move

—Gather Resources

—Combat (if present with enemy units on the same space)

—Recruit/Build/Upgrade.

—Wash, Rinse, and Repeat until all opposition has been defeated or other game objective has been met

Now what made the original video game classics work was not the fact that players had different races to use (even though this was important). It was the actual implementation and timing of building up various units and upgrades that would define your ability to pull off a victory. For this to work properly, each race had to be appropriately balanced, yet interesting, sporting units that were very functionally different from those in opposing factions while still being useful and more than just eye candy. It is a tough act to incorporate, and an even tougher one to follow, especially when undergoing a transition from video to board game.

Yet, I found that Nataterra is indeed able to pull this transition off quite successfully, perhaps even being able to do it better than the official adaptation of the original StarCraft board game (and a few others that I have seen entering the arena) that has recently hit crowdfunding. 

First, let’s talk about why Nateterra works for me. And keep in mind this is a prototype, subject to change. 

—Unique, a colorful art style that is highly reminiscent of the classics. More like WarCraft than StarCraft to my eye, each of the game’s races make me feel like I am looking at some new faction of Orcish horde, while still retaining a distinct flavor of its own. 

—The Beasts, Atari, Humans, and Naga all feel like they collectively belong in this game setting ; until one of them can claim dominance, at least! They are all virtually at one in the game aesthetics and vibe and jive with the map tiles quite well.

—Supremely well organized, with trays and boards for factions that allow for easy handling of needed units and tiles, which makes it lead into…

—Tech trees that function exceptionally well not just because of the unique abilities they bring once you purchase unit upgrades, but also because they are easily managed thanks to the game’s exceptional trays.

—Exceptional quality of card stock used for boards and unit tokens. And in this game, I would say that it is actually a perk as opposed to a detriment that cardboard tokens are used for units instead of minis, as this allows you to stack many at once for some epic battles.

—The combat system is very unique with the way it allows you to pool units together for greater strength, and is constantly modified throughout a battle as you begin to lose units, or can even have them die after you have achieved victory if they possess great enough wounds on them. Ouch!

—Moreover, the way combat allows you to group your units is fun, a very different approach to having just two groups blindly beating each other over the head with a stick until one of them wins. How you split your groups up can have a significant effect on the outcome of a battle, as well as the unit cap per type of unit (Only 5 goblins max per group, for example).

—Terrain (with cards drawn at the commence of any fight) can drastically affect outcomes, giving players a sometimes unpredictable battle outcome! 

—The act of resource gathering / gaining multipliers for workers makes that sense of creating the perfect setup for a game very true to the source, as in the original games, creating a good supply chain was almost always essential. 

—Easy to setup and put away

—For that matter, Nataterra is also easy to learn and play, while still retaining quite a lot of depth that defies its easy-to-read 30-ish page rule book. I was expecting a challenge in learning the game, as many games like this often entail a steep learning curve. This one is perfect, however, possessing a great balance in structure that prevents it from ever being cumbersome. The cycle of turns just flows…

—Great alternate modes such as King of the Hill are employed quite tactfully. 

—Great Iconography and Player Aids keep the game running without needing to consult rulebook too often. 

Any negatives?

—The text on unit cards can sometimes be hard to read for my aging eyes. 

—Sometimes Chunky calculations for battle, depending on what upgrades your units possess. 

—Wound Tokens look a little too similar (since they are the same red color) to Hit bonus tokens

—Some would deride that there are only 4 factions in the game, especially in this modern age where people might expect many more ala Twilight Imperium, Eclipse, etc.. However, I would point out that the original Warcraft and StarCraft only employed 2/3 Factions, and this was virtually never a limiting factor for it. Rather, it was how the factions themselves functioned in their own distinct way that made the games always interesting. I would say the same of Nataterra. When each Faction has so many distinct units with their own tech progression that can be utilized (always an A or B option, but never both at the same time , for example), each game feels different, giving players flexibility to adapt, but never able to undo a (perhaps) bad choice. In other words, just like the video games…

Conclusion : 

I know that there is mighty fierce competition for your hard earned money, and that it is not always easy making a choice when presented with several options at once, where you can only select one. For what it’s worth though, I did feel like I was playing StarCraft with this one (even though the aesthetic carries more of the Warcraft 2 vibe, the gaming essence feels more like SC). And please note that neither this game nor its designer has any official affiliation  with the original StarCraft whatsoever.  But for me, the gameplay resemblance is very much there…I mean the Atari for example evoked that feeling of building a Nydus canal into an enemy base perfectly, just as their Shadow Walk capability evokes the same feeling of using a Ghost to sneak around the battlefield. And it only gets better from there. 

I know there are several other options creeping up on board game enthusiasts for this type of game at this very time, but truth be told…I would be perfectly happy and content with Nataterra and never even trying the others (even the “official” SC) knowing just how well it performs. From my standpoint, it couldn’t be much better than Nataterra, because getting that balance just right can be elusive. Thankfully, Amir, the mind behind the game, has done it! Well done!

After reading Jazz’s review, if this sounds like a game for you at the time of this posting NATATERRA: The Ultimate Test of Strategic Genius was just successfully funded on KICKSTARTER from Apr 29 2025 – May 29 2025 (30 days), and 280 backers pledged AU$ 45,672 of AU$ 15,000 goal. Check it out and (Follow along for news on how you to can get it HERE!

Did you back it based on our review? Please comment below letting us know!