Game Review: ‘Desperate Oasis’ from Weast Coast and The OP

Desperate Oasis from Weast Coast Games and the OP Games sets players into a duel for dominance of the local oasis. Its classic gameplay of one-on-one competition matches its theme well for a vintage feel. With bold colors in a midcentury style in the art and square cards as components, it is surprising that Desperate Oaasis is a modern game rather than one our grandparents might have played. The vintage feel promises to make Desperate Oasis a new classic that will be played by fans again and again.

Creating an Oasis Each Round

Each round of Desperate Oasis begins with laying out five Oasis cards. So, the field of battle is randomized every time with each card being worth different points, even negative points, and some Oasis cards acting as portals to affect later Animal movement. This means that players will have to begin strategizing from the beginning to seize the top-scoring parts of the Oasis while avoiding the lower scores.

Strategic Animal Placement

Players in Desperate Oasis then take turns playing Animal cards from their hand. Each animal has a unique effect, even the Scimitar Oryx whose lack of a special power makes it special. Deathstalker Scorpions remove weak Animals from the Oasis card it was placed on, low-scoring Egyptian Jerboas make the high-scoring Desert Elephants score zero, chameleons duplicate points but not powers, and jackals and camels provide extra spaces and points, respectively, when groups of them are in play. Players will have to study their Animals carefully along with the Animals already in play to maximize their effects.

Further game rules in Desperate Oasis add another level of strategy. Following the Rule of Attraction, when an Animal is added to an Oasis card, any of the same Animals from the adjacent Oases or across a portal Oasis card move to join it. Players can add even more power to the resulting herd or pack by adding a Palm token for another point. Further, players can lay traps by placing Animals facedown, causing a potential chain reaction of activity as cards are revealed at the end of the round.

Best in Three Rounds

The round ends when one player runs out of cards and is unable to draw from the draw deck. Players then flip any facedown cards, going from left to right and starting with the first player’s side. When the tumult has ended, the player with the most points on their side wins the Oasis card. Because the Oasis cards are worth different amounts, a player could win with just one Oasis along with any Palm tokens for a bonus point. Things quickly reset as the next round starts with five new Oasis cards. The player with the most points from Oasis cards wins.

Desperate Oasis is a tactical card game for two players aged eight and up. Games are generally quick, lasting fifteen to twenty minutes depending on how quickly players make their decisions. Flexible strategies are a must to win as the game can take rapid turns, especially when players put numerous face-down Animal cards that will cause a practical stampede at the end of the round.