DIATOMS
- 1-4 Players
- 30-40 minutes (10-15 solo)
- Ages 8+
- Tile Placement
Limited Availability for 2024, Full Release in 2025 in partnership with 25th Century Games
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!
Limited availability in 2024. Currently only shipping to US and Canada.
Limited quantities are also available at these shops, who were among our Retail Backers for the Diatoms’ Kickstarter:
- Games Unlimited – Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Gamelandia – Palo Alto, CA, USA
- The Sentry Box – Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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.
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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!
#DiatomsTheGame
Winner of the 2023 Cardboard Edison Award
Diatoms successfully crowdfunded in Fall 2023 and just completed fulfillment to backers. A very limited list of retailers have the game this fall. A wider retail release is planned for 2025 in partnership with 25th Century Games.
- 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
English Rulebooks
Printables
- Solo Log
- Extra Scoresheets: Full Color | Grayscale
Translations
Made possible by the generous efforts of volunteer translators.
- How to Play Diatoms, video by Bitewing Games, 6 minutes
- How to Pack up the Box
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 Edison
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