Above and Below asks players to build a village both on the surface and in the caverns beneath, combining a town-building euro with a choose-your-own-adventure storytelling system that activates when players send villagers to explore underground. Ryan Laukat’s distinctive artwork and world-building give the game a storybook quality that has charmed a wide audience. Community discussions frequently highlight the exploration encounters as the game’s most memorable feature, while the strategic framework generates more varied opinions.
The reception reflects a game that creates special moments within an imperfect whole. Players remember their cave encounters long after they forget the final scores, which says something about where the game’s real value lies.
Stories from Below the Surface
The encounter book is what makes Above and Below unforgettable. Sending villagers underground triggers narrative encounters where players choose from multiple options and roll dice to determine outcomes. These moments create the kind of stories players retell after the game ends, and the variety of encounters ensures that each play produces new discoveries. The writing captures a whimsical, fairy-tale tone that matches Laukat’s artwork perfectly.
Ryan Laukat’s artwork deserves individual praise. The entire game exists in a cohesive visual world that feels handcrafted and personal, and this aesthetic consistency gives Above and Below an atmosphere that mass-produced productions rarely achieve. The art doesn’t just illustrate the game. It defines it.
The town-building element provides a satisfying engine-building framework above ground. Recruiting villagers, constructing buildings, and developing your village creates a strategic backbone that gives the storytelling encounters context and consequence. The resources you gain from exploration feed directly into your surface development, connecting the two halves of the experience.
The game strikes a pleasant balance between accessibility and depth. The rules are teachable in under 15 minutes, and the storytelling element draws in players who might bounce off a pure euro. For gaming groups that include both narrative enthusiasts and strategy players, Above and Below offers common ground.
Where the Two Worlds Diverge
The strategic depth of the town-building layer doesn’t quite match the excitement of the exploration. The euro elements are functional but straightforward, and experienced strategy gamers may find the surface game too simple to sustain interest without the exploration hooks. When the encounter book is closed, what remains is a lightweight engine builder that wouldn’t stand on its own.
The encounter system, while memorable, involves significant luck. Dice rolls determine success regardless of strategic preparation, and a string of poor rolls can make exploration feel like a waste of actions. The tension between the strategic framework that wants deterministic play and the narrative system that needs uncertainty creates an unresolved design friction.
Replay value diminishes as players encounter repeated stories. The encounter book is large enough to provide many unique moments across early plays, but groups that play frequently will eventually recognize encounters and lose the sense of discovery that powers the game’s best moments.
Player interaction is limited beyond competing for available buildings and villagers. The exploration encounters are solo affairs, and there’s no trading, negotiation, or direct conflict. Players who need social dynamics beyond parallel competition may find the experience too solitary despite the shared table.
The Memory That Outshines the Score
Above and Below is best understood as an experience generator that uses a euro framework to create structure. The strategic elements exist to give players meaningful context for their exploration decisions, and the exploration encounters exist to create moments worth remembering. Players who judge it purely as a strategy game will find it wanting. Players who judge it by the stories it produces will find it exceptional. Understanding which evaluation framework matters to your group is the key to predicting your response.
Should You Play Above and Below?
Above and Below fits groups that enjoy narrative experiences woven into strategic frameworks, particularly those including players with mixed gaming backgrounds. If your table appreciates atmosphere, storytelling, and games that produce shared memories, this delivers those qualities with a strategic backbone that gives the narrative weight. It’s also an excellent entry point for players intrigued by heavier euros but not yet ready for pure optimization.
Skip it if your group prioritizes strategic depth over narrative, needs strong player interaction, or finds dice-driven exploration frustrating. Also consider whether your group plays frequently enough that encounter repetition would become an issue.
The Verdict on Above and Below
Above and Below is a charming, atmospheric game that succeeds through its encounter system and artistic vision more than its strategic framework. The stories that emerge from underground exploration create moments that few games can match, and Laukat’s visual world gives the whole experience a warmth and personality that transcend its mechanical simplicity. It’s not the deepest euro or the most robust storytelling system, but the combination creates something greater than the sum of its parts.