Deep Regrets Board Game Review: A Delightful Deep Dive

Deep Regrets board game review time, folks. If you ever wished you could take the dark vibes of the video game Dredge and shove them into a physical box of dice and regret, congratulations, your oddly specific wish has come true. This game promises grotesque fish, push-your-luck dice rolling, and a disturbing number of sea dogs who desperately need therapy.

1. An Eerie Ocean of Mood and Artwork

Let’s start with the box: it looks innocent, but inside lurks a visual feast. The artwork, crafted by designer Judson Cowan, strikes a lovely nerve between “haunting children’s book” and “old sea captain’s fever dream.” Seriously, if you want flavor in your game night, Deep Regrets serves up atmosphere like it’s fishing chum. Each card and board swims in weird, imaginative art that makes you want to draw cards just to see what fresh abomination you’ll hook next.

2. Simple Setup, Satisfying Components

Don’t let the box size fool you; this thing is packed tighter than your average sardine can. You get all the classics: custom fishing-float dice, multiple boards, decks for everything from nightmarish fish to helpful (or, let’s be honest, mostly unhelpful) “dinks,” chunky wooden markers, a metal fish coin, and enough cards for a respectable Cthulhu cult. Every bit of it oozes theme. Even the player boards ask you: do you want to be a sinister sea dog, or… an even more sinister sea dog? Decisions, decisions.

3. Push-Your-Luck Mechanics: All Thrills, Few Headaches

At its mutated heart, Deep Regrets is a push-your-luck game. Every day, you choose: head out to sea and fish in increasingly dangerous waters or scuttle back to port and cash in your catch. It’s all about balancing your dice pool, sweating over whether that next fish will be dinner or disaster, and occasionally eating said catch for immediate effects. No joke: sometimes the shrimp is more useful than that tentacled monstrosity you just reeled in.

The game throws enough twists—hidden regret cards, wild coin flips, public hand sizes but secret fish values—to keep even seasoned tabletop sharks on their toes. Think of it as gambling, but instead of losing your paycheck, you’re just handing over your dignity. For those who live for chaos, it delivers in spades.

4. Light Strategy Over Hardcore Crunch

Okay, let’s set expectations: If you want a brain-burning, hours-long test of strategic will, Deep Regrets is not your whale. It has meaningful choices—when to port, how deep to dredge, which fish to mount for score multipliers—but luck always has a seat at the table. Planning can give you an edge, but this is a game where even the newest player can win (or faceplant spectacularly), and that’s part of the fun. For someone wanting the gaming equivalent of PowerWash Simulator but with more existential dread, you’ll feel right at home.

5. Never the Same Haul Twice

The replay factor is high. Just seeing new fish is half the joy. But wait, there’s more: game effects, regret deck swings, and equipment combos mean every session has a chance to spin out of control in the third act. And if that’s not enough, there’s a solo mode with its own little paper pad, so you can regret your decisions without witnesses.

Should You Buy Deep Regrets?

If your game group enjoys the thrill of risk, a strong theme, and the simple pleasure of yelling at dice, Deep Regrets will be an instant hit. Sure, it isn’t the heaviest title on the shelf, but it’s exactly the kind of game that gets everyone laughing (and groaning) in equal measure. Tired of the usual dungeon crawls and euro-games about trading wheat? Trade your sanity at sea instead.

Want to read about others games with big energy? Check out our takes on the Mafia: The Old Country PS5 upgrade and why TV adaptations of video game performers matter.

Final Cast

• Theme: 100% wild, weird, and boatload of fun
• Strategy: Light but tasty; luck reigns supreme
• Replay: High, thanks to that regret-fueled chaos

So, is Deep Regrets for you? If you love dice, dark humor, and questionable aquatic cuisine, cast your nets. Just remember: sometimes the fish catch you right back.