
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,925
- BGG rating
- 7.2
The Last Bottle of Rum
- 2–5 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2021

2019
Rules assistance for The Refuge: Terror from the Deep
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Refuge: Terror from the Deep is a board game released in 2019 for 1–6 players, 20–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by John Brieger and Floyd Lu and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Take That.
The Refuge: Terror from the Deep is a new, standalone version of B&B's 2016 board game The Refuge: A Race for Survival. In Terror from the Deep's Competitive Dive, 2-6 divers compete by racing to the goal and planning movement to outwit their opponents — all while escaping from the Kraken's wrath! The object of the game is simple: Be the first to an unlocked escape pod, and you'll escape with the cargo and win! On your turn, you take a single action: -Move your character orthogonally -Draw a Salvage card -Play an Salvage action -Use a Character Ability As you move you activate spaces on the board. For example: the Spawn space adds pesky tentacles that slow your opponents down, and the Lair space controls the Kraken's tentacles. Combining your hand of cards with your movement allows you to string together combos — propelling you toward the final goal. Don't wait too long for the perfect combo – the board will fill up quickly with tentacles, and the Kraken is always hungry! The Refuge: Terror from the Deep also features new 1-4 player solo and cooperative gameplay in which players work together to defeat the Kraken! In a Cooperative Dive, you and your teammates will have to work together to accomplish a series of challenging objectives as the Kraken threatens to overwhelm you. Can you escape? —description from designer
The Refuge: Terror from the Deep supports 1–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The Refuge: Terror from the Deep is 20–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The Refuge: Terror from the Deep for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Refuge: Terror from the Deep has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The Refuge: Terror from the Deep belongs to these categories: Horror, Adventure, and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Take That. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The Refuge: Terror from the Deep are: John Brieger and Floyd Lu. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The Refuge: Terror from the Deep as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.