• Photo of the Diatoms box cover, shown standing up off-axis with a faint shadow to the bottom right. The background is transparent.
  • A top-down photo of the components of Diatoms the board game. 5 petri dishes of colorful algae tiles are on the upper left. The center shows a display of connected water tiles with the lens held over a tile intersection. Two player boards are visible on the bottom and right side of the image and in the bottom right corner is a player reference Field Notes book
  • A photo of the Diatoms board game box, tilted on a table showing off the holographic shimmer of the cover. In the background are blurred hints of potted plants
  • A photo of Diatoms the board game with the box standing up on a wooden table and all components arrayed around it.
  • A close up of components from Diatoms the game showing several of the player reference Field notes, the Judging Sheets, player boards, and first place ribbon
  • A close up of the diatom tiles in Petri dishes from Diatoms the game
  • A top-down photo of a player board from Diatoms the game with diatom tiles arranged on it and the solo play Careers rulebook underneath with the Mosaic Commissions cards stacked on top, showing Commission #34 which shows diatom shapes arranged as a phoenix
  • Closeup of a player board from Diatoms the board game
  • An extreme closeup of a Diatoms player board with diatom tiles on it.
  • Close-up of the "Notes on Collecting Diatoms" page of the Diatoms player reference notebook with other game components in the periphery.
  • The Cardboard Edison award ribbon which shows a light bulb with a yellow meeple as the filament on top of a brown trophy base that reads "CARDBOARD EDISON" with orange and yellow sun rays in the background and surrounded by a scalloped orange border. Overlayed on the bottom of the ribbon is an orange box with white letters that reads "2023 WINNER"
1 11

Diatoms the Board Game

Diatoms the Board Game

$50.00 USD
$50.00 USD
Sale Sold out

1-4 Players | 30-40 minutes (10-15 solo) | Ages 8+ | Tile Placement

🏆 Winner of the 2023 Cardboard Edison Award

A stunningly beautiful game about making art from algae

Hidden in the water all around us are tiny lifeforms known as “diatoms.” These microscopic algae cells come in a variety of exquisite geometric shapes and patterns. Here at the Society for the Microscopic Arts, we collect these diatoms and delicately arrange them on slides into beautiful, tiny mosaics.

Diatoms is a puzzly tile-placement, pattern-making game where you create beautiful mosaics out of microscopic algae. Take turns placing tiles representing algae colonies, earning diatom algae tiles of different colors and shapes. Then thoughtfully place these diatoms on your mosaic, taking care to consider how your arrangement will be scored by the judges at the end of the game. Everyone will create a unique mosaic, but only one player will win first place for their microscopic art!

Plus, included free in the box: Play solo or collaboratively with Diatoms Commissions
In Commissions, you’ll be creating beautiful mosaic designs to order based commissioned requests. This is a single-player game that can also be played together as a collaborative game.  Commissions is a unique, meditative game experience with 36 different mosaics to try, and it comes in the box with the main Diatoms game.

What's in the box?

  • 150 Diatom Tiles
  • 34 Water Tiles
  • 4 Player Boards
  • 16 Judges
  • 36 Solo Commissions
  • Lens token
  • Ribbon token
  • 4 Reference Notebooks
  • Scorepad
  • 5 Petri Dishes
  • Main Rulebook
  • Solo Rulebook

How-to Videos

Rulebooks, Printables, & Translations

English Rulebooks

Printables

Translations
Made possible by the generous efforts of volunteer translators.

Product Specs

  • Dimensions: 24.5cm x 24.5cm x 8cm
  • Weight: 1.5kg

Diatoms Press Kit

View full details

  • 🧠🧩

    Thinky, puzzly gameplay that’s cozy, not cutthroat

  • ⚜️✨

    Shimmery diatoms, gold-foiled lens, dual-layer player boards

  • 🖼️🍵

    Rich, relaxing solo variant with 36 mosaic patterns to complete

  • 🦠🎨

    An astonishing sci-art theme about making art from algae!

Game Credits & Acknowledgements

Published by: Ludoliminal

Design, Development, & Production: Sabrina Culyba
Development Support: Dave Culyba
Visual Design: Sabrina Culyba and Nim Ben-Reuven
Illustration: Nim Ben-Reuven
Insert Design: Matt Healey

Manufacturing: Whatz Games

Sales Partner: 25th Century Games

Additional Acknowledgements

Development of Diatoms had foundational support from Astra Logical from Carina Initiatives.

Special Thanks to Diatoms Commissioner Carolyn Haskell and all our Kickstarter backers.

Kickstarter Solo Commission Playtesters: 
Adam Sequoyah ● Beth Finn ● Birgit Gaiser ● Dave C. ● G. ● Jessica S. ● Kieran Waterson  ● LegoBuildBoyz ● Luke L, M. ● Maria Sivaire ● Megan D. ● Nat Jay Bee ● Ryan S. Davis ● Scott M. ● Steve Cacciola ● T. ● Z. ● Zerbique

Additional Playtesters 
Dave C. ●Hazel C. ● Linda ● Micah ● Penelope ● Andrew ● Micah ● Isabella ● Andy ● Abby ● Patrick ● Joe ● Alyse ● Ian ● Ace ● Averie ● Eric ● Betsy ● Shawn P. ● April C. ● Rob G. ● Kate G. ● Melanie H. ● Jason P. ● Mary P. ● Micah ● Andrew ● Isabella ● Jack ● June ● Sarah ● Mike ● Eliza ● Adam H. ● Jodie ● Ben ● Maggie ● Sarah ● Ruth ● Nora ● Ben ● Kate ● Ross ● David ● Jessica ● Mark D. ● Pernell V. ●Nikki W. ● Sam M. ● Shanti P. ● David K. ● Ramon G. ● Philip E. ● Roger M. ● Chris B. ● Joe S. ● Stefan A ● Boza ● Mo ● Justins ● Caylie ● Fabricio ● Ryan C.…and others whose names we didn’t catch.  

Also thanks to the communities at Unpub and Cardboard Ediso

Fall Down an Internet Rabbit Hole

Diatoms' theme was inspired by the real art of microscopic diatom arrangement after designer and publisher Sabrina Culyba fell down an internet rabbit hole about them. Why don't you follow her down with these links worth checking out: