Santorini - Tides of Poseidon
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The FroGames review
You choose Odysseus: you move a building and ruin your opponent's plan. They pick Charybdis, dragging your builder two squares back. You play Ares, destroying an enemy block. They respond with Poseidon. No one is playing Santorini anymore: you are playing chess with the gods of the Odyssey.
ABOUT
The Odyssey comes to Santorini
Tides of Poseidon brings 17 new gods and heroes from the Odyssey to Santorini: Poseidon, Odysseus, Charybdis, Ares, Achilles and many others. Designed by Gord! (Gordon Hamilton), Santorini is an abstract strategy game published by Roxley Games. Illustrations by Lina Cossette and David Forest.
The expansion introduces two completely new modes: Trojan War, where the pantheon changes every turn, and Circe's Curse, where divine powers only remain active near your builders. Each game becomes a different tactical puzzle: you must anticipate which god your opponent will use in the next turn, block their moves before they play them, and build while accounting for powers that change the basic rules of movement and construction.
What the experts say
"What makes Santorini truly special is its seamless integration of variable player powers into a pure-strategy game."
What makes Santorini truly special is its seamless integration of variable player powers into a pure-strategy game.
— Shut Up & Sit Down
This expansion takes tactical complexity to a new level. With 17 new powers and two modes that turn the base game on its head, every game requires a different reading of the board. First read, August 2026.
— FroGames
Santorini: Tides of Poseidon
FrogScore · editorial rating FroGames · first read: based on rules and official presentation, updated with early gameplayThe pantheon
Four powers that change everything
Poseidon
The lord of the sea commands the tides: you can move an already-constructed building and reposition it elsewhere. Does the opponent think they’ve blocked your climb? You rebuild the board.
Odysseus
The cunning hero of the Odyssey uses deception: you move squares, change distances, and render the opponent's calculations useless. Every move of yours hides a trap.
Charybdis
The sea vortex drags enemy builders: you can pull the opponent's piece back two squares, ruining setups that took three turns to prepare.
Ares
The god of war destroys: once per turn, you can remove an enemy block. Are they building to win? You demolish the tower under their feet.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each turn
Santorini is move-build-win. Tides of Poseidon adds: activate power when needed.
Choose one of your two builders and move it to an adjacent square. You can move up one level, move down any number of levels, or stay on the same level. Moving to the third level wins you the game.
After moving, build a block (level 1, 2, 3, or a dome) in a square adjacent to the builder you just moved. Domes finish towers: no one can move onto them anymore.
Each god has a power that breaks the base rules: move buildings, destroy blocks, drag opponents, build twice. Timing is everything: using it too soon exposes you, too late and it’s useless.
In Trojan War, the pantheon rotates between players each turn. In Circe's Curse, powers only function if builders are nearby. It changes the game radically.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Power draft
You choose your god from those drawn. You read the power, look at your opponent, and try to figure out which combination will give you the edge. You’re already playing here: the meta-game starts with the draft.
First moves, first plans
You position your builders, you start building. It seems like classic Santorini, but every move takes the active power into account. He’s getting too close? Maybe he wants to use Charybdis. You build further away.
The power explodes
He plays Odysseus, moves a building, and blocks the ascent you had been preparing for three turns. You respond with Ares, destroying his key block. The board is different from five minutes ago.
The winning combo
You discover a sequence: Poseidon moves the building, then you build, then you ascend. Three moves that seemed impossible become your victory. Your opponent didn't see it. You did.
Immediate rematch
It ends in 30 minutes. One of you won by using a power in a way the other hadn't considered. Reshuffle the gods, play again immediately. This time you know what to expect. Maybe.
🐸Know this firstThree honest things, from friends▼
Know this first
Three things to know
Requires the base game
This is a pure expansion: you cannot play without Santorini (2nd Edition). You need the base game's board, builders, and buildings. The 17 new powers are added to the existing ones, not replacing them.
Steep learning curve
Each god has a unique power. Understanding how to combine Odysseus with vertical construction, or when Ares becomes lethal, requires 10-15 games. The first few times, you will use the powers sub-optimally.
Balance to be discovered
The game has just been released (2025), with few ratings on BGG. Some god combinations might turn out to be unbalanced. Drafting will mitigate imbalances, but expect some surprises in your first sessions.
🏆Victory and defeatHow the end is rewarded▼
How it ends
How you win and how you lose
The victory conditions remain those of the base game. The powers only change the path.
Victory
- One of your builders ascends to the third level of a building
- The opponent cannot move any of their builders (blocked)
- You use a divine power that declares immediate victory (some gods allow this)
Defeat
- The opponent reaches the third level before you
- You cannot make any legal moves with your builders
- You used your power poorly and blocked yourself (happens with some gods)
Santorini was already a perfect puzzle. Tides of Poseidon turns it into 17 different puzzles, each with a solution you only discover by playing.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before the cart▼
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Santorini: Tides of Poseidon
Can I play Tides of Poseidon without the base game?
No. This is a pure expansion: it requires Santorini (2nd Edition) to function. You need the 5x5 board, builders, buildings, and domes from the base game. Tides of Poseidon only adds the cards for the 17 new divine powers and the two mode cards.
Are the new powers compatible with the base game's powers?
Yes. You can mix the 17 Tides of Poseidon powers with the powers in the base game or other expansions (Golden Fleece, Riddle of the Sphinx). The initial draft works normally: you draw from a mixed deck and choose.
What mechanics does Santorini: Tides of Poseidon use?
Variable player powers (asymmetric powers) within a structure of abstract strategy. Each god breaks the base rules in a different way: movement, construction, destruction, displacement. The Trojan War and Circe's Curse modes add dynamic conditions.
How much does the game change compared to the base Santorini?
A lot. The 17 new powers are more extreme and combo-oriented than the base ones. Poseidon moves buildings, Ares destroys blocks, Charybdis drags opponents. The two modes (rotating pantheon, conditional powers) radically change planning. If the base game is chess, Tides of Poseidon is chess where the pieces' rules change every turn.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. The power cards have text (description of the divine ability), so knowledge of English is necessary. There are no official or fan-made Italian translations available as of the release (2025).
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who illustrated it, who publishes it — and what else they’ve done.
Santorini: Tides of Poseidon is an expansion for the abstract strategy game Santorini (2nd Edition), for 2-4 players, ages 8+, duration 30 minutes. Designed by Gord! (Gordon Hamilton) and published by Roxley Games, it introduces 17 new divine powers inspired by the Odyssey (Poseidon, Odysseus, Charybdis, Ares, Achilles) and two brand new modes: Trojan War (rotating pantheon) and Circe's Curse (conditional powers). Each game becomes a different tactical puzzle, with infinite combinations between the variable powers. Requires the base game to function. Available on FroGames.it.
Frequently Asked Questions
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