They Come Unseen: A Game of Submarines and Subterfuge in the Cold War (Osprey Games)

This is really fun game of cat and mouse, while at the same time providing a very tense atmosphere. We decided to play one sub versus one destroyer to make things easy. The rules are brief and well written, but I had to go online to verify that every time contact is made with any space under the sonar overlays, the sub must call out "contact" [color], which could be multiple times, as opposed to just calling out "contact" [color] once when the sub initially makes contact with the particular color. Also, it would have been helpful for the contents to include a cheat sheet reminding the players which ships can move what distances on their turn, and the moves required for a sub to surface when recharging its batteries.

It's a good tense game with a substandard game manual. If you are fan of this genre, be ready to put a good effort into figuring out rule details. Online resources are helpful, especially forums at boardgamegeek. Once the details become clear, the game is fairly simple. If you are fan of cold war submarine warfare, this is a game for you.

Make sure you download the rule clarifications from boardgame geek- but once you've got the rules it's a really excited game of "I dare you to find me"

great quality

Osprey Games' They Come Unseen is a game a hidden movement set in the Cold War. While it plays up to five players, it works best with two or four. One player (or team) takes on the role of two NATO submarines in the Barents Sea, while the other player commands two Soviet destroyers, and three logistic ships. The subs and the destroyers each have player boards, which feature dials to track battery and depth for the subs, and fuel and salvos for the Soviets. The NATO player has access not only to the main board, but also to a smaller board hidden behind a large player screen. Whenever the NATO player submerges one of his subs, he puts it on the hidden board so that he can keep track of it while the Soviet player searches for him.At the beginning of the game the NATO player selects four random cards that feature Soviet bases- these are his targets. Since there are six total bases, most of them will be targets, but the Soviet player has no idea which ones to defend and which ones are red herrings. The NATO player then moves his subs- every point of movement wears down his battery power- and he may surface to recharge his batteries, surface in a Soviet base to destroy it, or lay mines on the hidden board, (the NATO players only form of attack). The Soviet player then moves his destroyers, which costs fuel points, then they can drop a sonar net to try to locate the subs. Two clear tiles are laid down with colored webs. If a sub is beneath one of the colors, he must call out "Contact Yellow" or whatever the color is. The Destroyer can then launch his salvos, trying to guess the exact spot and depth of the sub. He must pick the correct spot, but if he's close on depth he can still wound the sub. If he is exactly correct, the sub takes a hit. If the sub is hit three times, it is knocked out of the game. The Soviet player can also move his logistical ships which carry ammo and fuel from one base to another, and one of the ships can resupply the destroyers at sea. If a sub destroys a base all the fuel and ammo in it are destroyed. Since ammo and fuel are limited, you will want to use the logistical ships to distribute these resources.Weather also plays a factor as storms move over the board and affect the players' ability to move and take actions. If the NATO player successfully destroys all of his objectives, he wins the game. If the Soviet player sinks both subs, he wins the game.They Come Unseen has some problems. Its components- specifically the ship counters- are a little weak. The game would have benefited from plastic minis. The problem is, virtually all of the Soviet ships look alike. Second, the rulebook is not easy to follow, and can be downright confusing in some areas. The rules refer to "surface" and "periscope depth" interchangeably, without any explanation that they are the same thing. If you don't know that they are the same, you might get confused. Also, it would be nice if the player boards could more easily track information, since Soviets can move, take an action, then move again. There are a few other little fiddly things that it would be nice if there was a way track, but its not here.Criticism aside, They Come Unseen is a very fun game. It's a game of hidden movement not unlike Fury of Dracula or Letters From Whitechapel (though those two games are superior, in my opinion). What is cool here is the cold war theme that really comes through in gameplay. Each move, players are desperate to stay hidden or locate their prey. Games typically last about 90-120 minutes, and they usually come down to the wire. I've had some really intense games where it came down to the last few moves to decide the winner. If you like tight contests and tense, hidden movement mechanics, you may want to check out They Come Unseen. I'm only rating this game with three stars, because of the above criticism, but that does not mean that this is a bad game by any means, merely that I think the presentation could have been better. I have no doubt that for the right kind of gamer They Come Unseen will scratch an itch!Review Copy Provided

I like the game, written by a former commander and was adapted from a training tool used by the RN. Met the author at Games Expo in Birmingham (UK), and had a long chat with him about its origins- Highly recomended if you are interested in submariner missions in the Cold War or Submarine warfare in general

Exciting concept, nicely packaged. Rules rather complex & sometimes perhaps overly challenging. Perhaps as it was apparently conceived on board a sub rules were bound to grow in detail. I play with two boys, one of whom wants to join the navy & this has yet to put him off. Nice product.

good play

Well produced components and the game is good fun.

J'addore ce jeu! Il est tre excitant et amusant.