Page en français       Main page       The catalogue       The wargames       The Role Playing Games

The game

   Odyssey is a boardgame on Odysseus journey back to Ithaca. Odysseus is also called Ulysses in Latin. The 2 players are gods: Minerva (Athena) and Neptune (Poseidon). Using wings counters, they let Ulysses' ships sailing. Minerva try to move Ulysses to Ithaca, Neptune try to move him to obstacles, that will step by step destroy Ulysses' fleet.
   This is an uncommon game, Ulysses is moving like a pool ball on a table, bouncing on wind counters.



The illustration

   You can see Ulysses in front of its boat, between Scylla and Charybdis stones (Odyssey book 12).

"Immediately after we had got past the island (of Sirens) I saw a great wave from which spray was rising, and I heard a loud roaring sound. The men were so frightened... Then we entered the Straits in great fear of mind, for on the one hand was Scylla, and on the other dread Charybdis"

   This draw is signed with "Enea78" (Enea Riboldi).

Opening of the box

   The box includes the rules, the map, a die, 50 counters for Minerva, 50 for Neptune, 8 counters for the obstacles, 6 counters for the ships and one raft.


The map

   The map represents the sea between Minor Asia (Troy coast) and the island of Ithaca. It looks empty but in the beginning of the game, the players are putting 8 counters "obstacle zone", each of it using 2 squares. Between any 2 obstacle, you have to let at least 10 squares empty. They also have to be 10 squares far from the Asian coast and Ithaca.


The counters

   The Ulysses' fleet is represented by 6 counters numbered from 1 to 6 and a raft. You start the game with the counter "6" (that means 6 boats) then after each problem, you take the counter with the level below and at least the raft. Each player has 50 winds counters: 5 with a value of 16, 10 of 10, 15 of 8, 20 of 4.

   The obstacle zones represents the different places where Ulysses risked its life or the life of its shipmate.


   Thank you to Sergio for the following scan.


The rules

   The rulebook is made of 14 pages in 4 languages (Italian, English, German, French).

   The object of the game is
      - for Minerva to drive Ulysses to Ithaca
      - for Neptune to sunk the ships by throwing them in obstacle zones.



   Each player places wind counters with a vertical, horizontal or diagonal orientation. Then, the fleet moves, bouncing on map borders and wind counters. A wind counter with a force of 8 push the fleet along 8 squares.

   The rules describe how to solve different specific case where several wind counters interfere. For instance, "the tempest" is a situation where the fleet moves without end between 4 winds. Such situation is managed like any obstacle zone.

    When touching an obstacle zone, a combat with one die is made between the two players and decides if Ulysses will lose on boat. There is no difference between the different obstacle. I would have preferred a different rule for each zone, with some reference to the associated legend.

Some price (2004-2006):

N° EBAY Price EBAY Country Date Remarks
5922836056 EUR 29,50 Germany 2 oct 2004  
5924433403 EUR 45,50 France 10 oct 2004  
5932948741 EUR 26,30 Germany 14 Nov 2004  
5934550157 EUR 56,60 Italy 20 Nov 2004  
5943937848 EUR 31,50 France 20 dec 2004  
5953054331 EUR 25 Germany 06 feb 2005  
5184293171 $ 16,11 USA 15 apr 2005  
5195090237 EUR 36,50 France 18 May 2005  
5197360871 AUS $ 5,95 Australia 21 May 2005 not sold
5196125021 EUR 32,01 France 21 May 2005  
5233788499 $ 94 Italy 2 sept 2005  
5235876687 EUR 90 Italy 7 sept 2005  
8710043243 EUR 60 Italy 26 oct 2005 not sold
8714821530 EUR 49 Italy 6 nov 2005 not sold
8721746231< $ 40 USA 15 nov 2005 unpunched
8719454213 EUR 44 Italie 16 nov 2005  
6015750529 EUR 20 France 2 dec 2005  
8733338632 EUR 40,22 France 11 dec 2005  
6032698479 EUR 21 France 4 feb 2006  
8794244128 C $ 41 Canada 16 apr 2006  
160000030209 $ 26 18 may 2006  

The ODYSSEY overview

reference: W106
A game for 2 players from 15 years on
Time of game: from 2 to 4 hours
Degree of difficulty: 1 (very easy)
Date: 1979
Authors: "Care of International Team planning department"


Links:

Odyssey on boardgamegeek

   On a similar background, there is a game called "Odyssee" published by Hexagames and available in Germany: the gamea picturethe shop


Iliad and Odyssey in French/English with several beautiful images



A book ?

Go to your favourite bookstore and buy two 3000 years old books: Iliad and Odyssey, written by Homere 9 century before Christ.


I am looking for

- a scan of the unpunched counters

Your comments on this page ?