Revive: Call of the Abyss
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
Build near the lakes, and the Scyphoz will whisper secrets to you. Ignore their call and you'll fall behind. It's always the same: those who listen to the abyss win.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
When the glaciers melt, something awakens in the lakes
Call of the Abyss is the expansion that throws Revive wide open into uncharted territories. Helge Meissner, Kristian Amundsen Østby, Eilif Svensson and Anna Wermlund introduce the Scyphoz, mysterious life forms inhabiting the glacial lakes who offer knowledge to those who honor them. Illustrations by Gjermund Bohne and Martin Mottet transform these bodies of water into places of worship and power.
Build near the lakes to earn devotion points. Use those points to access Scyphoz cards, powerful technologies that change the rules. Send your citizens on ritual journeys to gain even more devotion. And play with four completely asymmetrical tribes: the Kairos transition from day to night, the Gib'warks unlock enhanced gadgets, the Ostarius build giant gates that block portions of the map, the Cordycephians parasitize opponents by stealing cards and technologies.
What they say abroad
Call of the Abyss adds depth without bloat — four asymmetric tribes that each demand a new playbook.
Call of the Abyss adds depth without bloat — four asymmetric tribes that each demand a new playbook.
— FroGames
The Scyphoz system is elegant: build near lakes, earn devotion, unlock power. Simple hook, endless decisions.
The Scyphoz system is elegant: build near lakes, earn devotion, unlock power. Simple hook, endless decisions.
— FroGames
Revive: Call of the Abyss
All content from the expansion (except the Cordycephians) is compatible with the solo mode of the base game. The asymmetrical tribes offer new tactical challenges against the automa, maintaining the complete experience.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsWhat's in the box
The components that change the game
16 Scyphoz cards
Powerful technologies unlocked with devotion. Each card flips a basic game rule and opens up new strategies.
18 Journey cards
Missions for your citizens. Send them away, gain devotion, and if you return at the right time, unlock double rewards.
4 Asymmetrical tribes
Kairos (day/night), Gib'warks (gadgets), Ostarius (map-blocking gates), Cordycephians (parasites). Each with unique board, abilities, and technologies.
15 machine tokens + 9 slot modules
New machines to build and modules to integrate into the board. Expand production and placement possibilities.
In an hour, you'll be looking at the lakes wondering: can I afford to ignore them? The answer is always no.
A five-moment game
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Someone builds near a lake
The first turns are setup like in the base game: you place buildings, gather resources. Then someone takes a risk: they build next to a lake and gain the first devotion point. The others understand: lakes are not decoration. They are the center of the game.
The race for devotion
Everyone wants devotion. Lakes only have three good spots. Someone sends a citizen on a journey to earn extra points, someone else places two buildings in a row and unlocks the first Scyphoz card. It's an ability that breaks the basic rules. The table turns to look.
The tribes show their teeth
The Kairos switch from day to night and double their actions. The Gib'warks activate a gadget and make three moves in one. The Ostarius place a giant gate and block half the map. The Cordycephians copy another's technology. Each tribe has its "wait, you can do what?" moment.
Someone completes a perfect journey
A citizen returns from their journey. The player had calculated everything: devotion at the right time, double reward, a Scyphoz card that combos with the newly unlocked technology. Three moves in one. The table admits: "Okay, you won the turn."
The lakes decide who wins
End of game. Those who ignored the lakes are 15 points behind. Those who invested in devotion have active Scyphoz cards and completed journeys. The Scyphoz reward those who listened. The others learn for next time.
How to play
The flow of each turn with the expansion
Call of the Abyss integrates with Revive's turn system, adding three new layers of decision-making.
Take your actions as in the base game: build, move, produce. The switch action now has double weight: in addition to activating machines, it can start a journey by sending a citizen on a mission. Gib'warks can reset the switch with gadgets.
If you build adjacent to a lake, you gain devotion points on the dedicated track. The more devotion you have, the more Scyphoz cards you can buy. Lakes have limited positions: those who arrive first have an advantage.
Spend devotion points to take a Scyphoz card from the display. These are very powerful abilities: extra production, bonus movements, free technologies. They change the rules of the game.
Citizens on a journey automatically return after N turns. When they return, you gain the reward from the journey card (devotion, resources, points). If you have perfect timing, some cards give double bonuses.
Why it's different from other expansions
Six mechanics that make a difference
The Scyphoz are not flavour
They are a new parallel economy. Devotion = alternative currency that buys abilities impossible in the base game. It's not an optional deck: it's a strategic layer you always have to consider.
Journeys are temporal investments
You send a citizen away for 3-5 turns. You don't use them. When they return, you earn. It's pure planning: you have to calculate when you'll need that devotion, not when you need it today.
Four tribes, four games
The Kairos change day/night mode and their abilities reverse. The Gib'warks have gadgets with timers: you use them, they run out, you recharge them. The Ostarius build gates that close off map zones (yes, you can block an opponent). The Cordycephians have almost no technologies of their own: they copy others'.
Lakes are bottlenecks
Only three lakes, limited positions around them. Those who arrive first build, those who arrive late have to come up with something else. The map matters: placement is never neutral.
Scyphoz cards break the balance
In the base game, everything is calculated. Here you take a Scyphoz card and suddenly you produce double, or move twice, or build for free. The system becomes unstable. It's intentional: those who use the Scyphoz best win.
Compatible with solo (except one tribe)
Everything works in solo except the Cordycephians (who leech off opponents). The other three tribes offer new tactical challenges against the base game's automa. It's not multiplayer-only.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The victory conditions are those of the base game. The expansion adds new paths to achieve them.
Victory conditions
- More victory points at the end of the game: buildings, technologies, completed Scyphoz, successful journeys
- Maximize spent devotion: each activated Scyphoz card is worth points and abilities
- Exploit tribal asymmetry: whoever best uses their unique ability wins (Kairos perfect timing, Gib'warks always active gadgets, Ostarius strategic gates, Cordycephians total parasitism)
How to fall behind
- Ignore the lakes: those who don't build near the lakes don't gain devotion, don't access the Scyphoz, remain 15 points behind
- Send citizens on a journey without calculating their return: you lose them for crucial turns and the reward arrives when it's not needed
- Choose a tribe and not understand its rhythm: the Kairos have a 2-turn window to exploit the right mode, the Cordycephians must read their opponents or remain empty-handed
Call of the Abyss is for those who have finished Revive and want true asymmetry. Not small modules. Four tribes that turn the game upside down.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Revive: Call of the Abyss
Do you need the base game to play?
Yes, Call of the Abyss is an expansion. It requires Revive (base game) to be played. It is not standalone.
Are the four tribes balanced with each other?
They are asymmetric, not symmetric. The Cordycephians are more complex because they have to adapt to their opponents. The Ostarius are more direct: you place gates, block zones. All four are playable, but they require different approaches. The player matters more than the tribe.
How much does it increase game length?
It adds 10-15 minutes to the total time. The devotion track and journeys are quick to manage. The real complexity is in the tribes: each has unique rules to learn. First game with a new tribe: expect a long explanation.
Does it work well with two players?
Yes. The competition for lakes is intact (in fact, more ruthless: every position counts double). The Cordycephians lose something because they leech off only one opponent, but the other three tribes are perfect for dueling.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. The game contains text on the cards (Scyphoz, journeys, tribes), so language is relevant. If the group reads English fluently, no problems. Otherwise, consider that you'll need to translate on the fly.
Revive: Call of the Abyss is the expansion that introduces the Scyphoz, mysterious life forms in glacial lakes, and four completely asymmetric tribes. Designed by Helge Meissner, Kristian Amundsen Østby, Eilif Svensson, and Anna Wermlund, the expansion adds a devotion system that unlocks powerful Scyphoz cards, ritual journeys for citizens, and tribes with unique abilities: the Kairos alternate day and night, the Gib'warks boost actions with gadgets, the Ostarius block map zones with giant gates, the Cordycephians parasitize others' technologies. For 1-4 players, 90-120 minutes, ages 14+, published by Aporta Games. Compatible with solo mode (except Cordycephians). Available on FroGames.it.
Revive: Call of the Abyss
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