Copenhagen, Denmark-based indie game publisher Sidekick Games will be offering Aqua:  Biodiversity in the Oceans, a game about coral reef habitats created by the father-and-son design team of Dan and Tristan Halstad.  The release is set for February 2024.

Aqua is a tile-laying style game in which players construct coral reefs around a submarine hot spot over the course of 17 rounds of play in the hope of attracting a wide variety of aquatic animals.  By fostering a healthy and bio-diverse environment, they can attract larger and larger marine animals to their habitat.  At the end of the game, the players’ coral formations are awarded points for their design and the diversity of animal life that inhabit them.

The game was created by Dan Halstad (Beez, Storm Chasers: The Game) and his son Tristan during the pandemic, when Tristan was seven, to help explore his interest in marine biology.  As the first of Sidekick’s “Generational Games,” it is designed with families in mind, offering easy-to-learn mechanics and play, but also features a more advanced version complete with achievements and a solo mode for more experienced game players.  It features artwork by Vincent Dutrait (HEAT: Pedal to the Metal, Lewis & Clark: The Expedition).

Aqua is intended for 1 to 4 players, ages 8 and up, and plays in a little over half an hour.  It comes with 70 coral tiles, 87 animal tiles, 4 hotspot tiles, 24 ecosystem tiles, 1 sea snail tile, and a score pad.  MSRP was not announced.

The game will be available in 14 languages in 19 territories at launch, the largest new release for Sidekick Games.