Sunset Over Water: A Study in Calm, Natural Landscapes
Visit a relaxing world filled with forests and waterfalls on a journey to paint landscapes in Sunset Over Water.
So many games, so little time! I decided to take a little detour with Sunset Over Water. It’s been ages since I last played this very cheerful little game, and it’s never a bad time for more joy! Digging through my collection for this was a bit of a chore… I do believe it’s high time the shelving project happened. Because “digging” is the only word for what I did!
Game Overview
Game Name: Sunset Over Water
Publication Year: 2018
Designers: Eduardo Baraf, Steve Finn, and Keith Matejka
Artists: Benjamin Shulman, Beth Sobel, and Helen Zhu
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
These landscapes are simply breathtaking! In a 5×5 grid, each presents various icons that must be collected in order to complete commissions for points. The rules are simple, but the decisions are often ponderous. Ponderosa pine ponderous? No. That’s not it at all. Ha ha! Just setting this up always brings me a lot of joy. How pretty is this?!
An Interesting Designer Coincidence
The above game overview section precedes the majority of my posts. It’s mostly there for informational purposes, but I also like to specifically call out some of the individuals involved with a board game. There’s a lot of work to do!
When I pasted in the designers, I was utterly surprised to see a familiar name: Keith Matejka. He’s the designer behind Roll Player, which only left my table so I could add in some more variety. I had no idea these games shared something in common! So I guess this was definitely the right choice, and totally planned. But really not. Yay, coincidences!
Planning Each Day
Each solo turn consists of planning when to head off to paint. There are 3 time bands with corresponding actions. Sometimes, the later morning times can actually be good!
A card also indicates how many spaces may be moved, which directions are allowed, and the maximum number of landscapes that may be picked up along the way.
The theme may disappear a little bit when it comes down to planning these moves, but I love the puzzle!
One other important element is the bonus card, which indicates what feature provides additional points.
Just Hanging Out
The wooden meeples are some of my favorites. Different colors also feature unique positions of artists sketching the surrounding area. What a stress-free pose!
All of the cards created a happy sort of board for me to travel across. I simply enjoyed thinking about each scene.
Even the duplicate artwork that sneaks in every now and then doesn’t detract from the experience. It’s stress-free!
The goal is to collect the right kinds of landscapes to collect particular commission cards. But even a bad score takes the little meeple on a happy journey. No worries!
Session Overview
Play Number: 55 and 56
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Required Play Space: 26″ x 20″
Setup Time: 5 Minutes
Play Time: 10 Minutes per Play
Outcome: 38 and 32 (2 Losses)
I had a pretty good outing, although I fell a little short of my victory threshold. No problem, though! There were a lot of completed commissions and I got to see a few of my favorite scenes along the way. And as I started to clean up, I realized there were some adorable visitors…
%
50 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
6
A Day at the Beach
Since it isn’t exactly prudent to visit real beaches, the Calico Critters stopped by for a tabletop beach party!
A bunch of adorable puppies descended on the best ocean landscapes for a ball of fun… Literally! I spotted a lively game of beachball going on in the gentle surf.
My lighting was rather uncooperative, but the cover art made up for everything. It’s just too bad I didn’t try to get actual sunset photos. That would have been thematic!
Happy with their nondescript game, this group of puppies continued on with their fun as I checked in on the others.
Making Aquatic Friends
Not to anyone’s surprise, there was a sandcastle in the making along the warm coastline. The master architect started digging for damp sand… But what’s this?!
She heard something swimming in the calm waves. A burst of spray startled her for a moment before she saw her brand new friend: A tiny whale!
This unexpected turn of events was a most happy occasion. All except for her listless companion.
The bucket was empty, but what was she actually after? It seemed like she was the only one not having a blast.
Lessons in Artistry
A-ha! This little one wanted to take in the full splendor of the game by finding a way to appreciate the scenery.
No art supplies were packed, but the young dog in charge of supervision brought along a camera to capture the best moments of the day. She was more than happy to share!
The little puppy was absolutely thrilled! I particularly admired her ability to take photographs with a single paw. That’s some talent right there!
Maybe photography didn’t exactly match up with the theme, but who can’t resist a teeny-tiny camera?! Ha!
A Pile of Puppies
The excitement of the day got to everyone rather quickly. At first, it was just a single puppy who curled up in the warm embrace of the sandy beach.
Within minutes, I had a full-fledged puppy pile on my hands! All nestled together like that, I kind of wished I could join them for a cozy nap. Ha ha!
The only one who was slightly distressed was their chaperone. How would everyone make it home safely?
The Little Whale That Could came to the rescue! She towed them home. What a lovely day at the “beach” for all!
Continue the Conversation
Have you had a chance to play Sunset Over Water solo? I love the relaxing atmosphere, along with the ability to have these tabletop beach parties. Ha ha! What are some other low-stress board games you like? I’ll be moving onto a new game next, although mixing in small games like this one works wonders. This hobby has so much to offer each of us!
I came here for the puppies and was not disappointed.
Ha ha! I’ve been slowly carting my Calico Critters back from my July wedding festivities. Most of them are back now, and it only seemed fitting to have a little celebration. I was only disappointed in the fact that I don’t have the parasol with me yet. That right there would have been perfect for the beach! Next time, I suppose!