Fire in the Shell: a huge expansion for Snails.

The crazy battles between squads of pumped up mollusks of Snails are about to get heated, with the expansion Fire in the Shell, now available in the game stores. Get ready for mollusk mayhem of epic proportions! In this article, Marek Mydel, lead developer at Galakta Games, tells more about the game and the expansion just released:

Snails is a dynamic, tactical board game about warlike teams of mollusks fighting each other for domination over an archipelago of ever-diminishing islands. Each player controls four soldiers, including a faction Leader, all ready to combat their rivals with firearms, grenades and melee weapons. Snails can also use an array of special actions and unique faction abilities, such as jetpacks, terrain-annihilating cannons or super-shovels, enabling them to surprise enemies and take advantage of various situations.

Snails: squads of pumped up mollusks in a pitched battle.

Designed by Damian Stankowski, Snails is based on action planning, with each player placing five action cards face-down and secretly selecting two snails to perform them. Then players reveal and resolve their cards one by one, moving around the 3D board, attacking other snails, digging for resources (i.e. new action cards) and trying to avoid the toxic waters surrounding the islands.

With stunning artwork by Djib Reynaud and Agnieszka Sikora, the game is a love letter to iconic video game classics like Worms. Playable by 2-4 people, it shines with more players, as participants can discuss their strategic choices, persuade each other and use their diplomatic skills, as well as their tactical prowess, to win the fight.

Thanks to its accessibility and fun factor, combined with a satisfying strategic depth, Snails has had great success since its release in October 2024. It was published in four different languages, and its player community is ever-growing: because of this, Galakta has decided to follow it up with an expansion Snails - Fire in the Shell.

Snails - Fire in the Shell: four new factions.

Snails: Fire in the Shell expands upon all game components found in the base game. First of all, it includes 35 new action cards, adding replayability and more flexibility in combat. Secondly, thanks to 12 additional terrain tiles, players can build even larger battlefields and look for new resources when they destroy terrain. This new expansion also features 4 new factions: Cyborgs, Druids, Knights, and Mobsters. They are added, together with their dedicated action cards, to the pool, allowing players to choose from 10 different options at the beginning of the game.

Fire in the Shell is not only about extra components – it’s also about completely new game mechanics, divided into modules that players can choose from. This way, more experienced gamers may decide to use all available modules, while ones still learning the rules may start slowly by adding only some of the new mechanics.

The Specialists module adds a new layer of strategic planning. In the base version, only the team Leader has a special ability, enabling them to aim with all their attacks and re-roll dice. Now, however, each and every common soldier turns into a spec-ops operator with their own field of ability. The burly Grunt is immune to pushing, which makes him a stalwart defender who can hold border spaces without fear of falling into deadly water. The stealthy Scout cannot be targeted by ranged attacks unless the weapon used affects the whole space. No more worrying about sniper shots or accidental damage! Finally, the careful Medic is always there to help his snails-in-arms. With a syringe in hand, he can heal wounded allies, letting them fight a while longer.

Fire in the Shell: action cards.

The Wind module – on the other hand – makes each playthrough even deadlier. Now, all stray shots and misses have a chance of hitting snails – just not the ones you planned to eliminate. Simple rules govern the rotation of the Compass Rose, which shows the current wind direction and gives you an idea about the potential outcome of your missed attack. This way, you can plan your actions and maneuver snails to take full advantage of the wind – no matter if you hit, or not.

Snails is a great choice for almost everyone – from families willing to play a casual, fun, yet competitive game, to gamers who love to use different strategies and mercilessly decimate their friends at the gaming table. So, choose your favorite faction, grab action cards and show your opponents that you will be the last belly-crawler standing!

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