Barrage
TOMMASO BATTISTA + SIMONE LUCIANI's HEAVY-WEIGHT euro (Cranio Creations, 2019) — 2-4 corporations build DAM + HYDROELECTRIC INFRASTRUCTURE in ALTERNATE-HISTORY 1930s ALPS to generate + sell energy. Signature ROTATING WHEEL WORKER-PLACEMENT (dice-based) + physical WATER-FLOW mechanic on 3-level river map. Ranked in BGG top-30 heavy strategy games; brutal puzzle-y decision space; ~200K copies sold.
Quick facts
Category
Board Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–4
Duration
~150 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇮🇹 Italy
Estimated origin
Released 2019 by Cranio Creations; designed by Tommaso Battista + Simone Luciani; art by Marco Armellini. Expansions: Leeghwater Project (2019), 3D Water Tiles (upgrade), Executive Officers, Special Structures.
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Score most Victory Points from ENERGY PRODUCTION over 5 rounds by building dams + conduits + power houses on the 3-level water map.
Rules
Basic rules
3-LEVEL PHYSICAL WATER FLOW: water tokens flow down from top to bottom level via basins + dams
Signature 3-level physical map.
ENGINEER DICE (workers) via ROTATING WHEEL — workers taken now UNLOCK in future rounds (delayed availability)
Signature engineer wheel.
BUILDING TYPES: DAMS (block/collect water), CONDUITS (channel water down levels), POWER HOUSES (turbine water = energy)
Signature 3-building system.
RESOURCES: excavators (concrete), engineers (steel), machinery (tech) — 3 resource wheels with rotating supply/depletion
Signature 3-resource wheels.
PRIVATE + NATIONAL CONTRACTS scored each round for energy quotas
Signature contract-fulfilment scoring.
4 UNIQUE COMPANIES with different starting powers + special abilities (Netherlands, Germany, USA, France, Italy)
Signature asymmetric companies.
ROUND END: energy production scored + advanced technology track
Standard round-end.
Scoring
Energy produced (contracts) + tech track + external bonuses at final scoring.
Win condition · Most Victory Points after 5 rounds wins.
Terminology
- Excavator
- Concrete resource for building.
- Conduit
- Channels water down to lower level.
- Power House
- Turbine building — produces energy from turbined water.
- Basin
- Sub-region on map where water tokens accumulate.
- Contract
- Public or private energy quota for VPs.
- Advanced Tech
- Late-game bonuses tracked on side board.
Where it is played
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Tommaso Battista (IT, co-designer)
- Simone Luciani (IT, co-designer + Tzolk'in, Grand Austria Hotel)
Sources & provenance
- BoardGameGeek — Barrage— BGG
- Cranio Creations— Cranio Creations