Imagine the 1930s, but in an alternate reality. The northern hemisphere has been poisoned, and starvation is the norm. The only hope? Exploring the wild lands of Australia. It sounds like a great plan, right? Wrong. What the adventurers didn't know is that the Old Ones—those terrifying cosmic entities—and their remaining human armies retreated to the outback to lick their wounds. Now, they are awakening, and you are right in their path.

In AuZtralia, you take on the role of one of these intrepid explorers. The game is an intense blend of economic management and survival. You'll need to build ports, expand railways, mine for riches, and farm for food to avoid starving. But don't be fooled: every action you take consumes the game's most precious resource: time. While you strive for wealth, the clock ticks until the Old Ones awaken and become an active player on the board, moving and causing devastation wherever they go.

To survive, you must recruit Personalities with specific skills and assemble military units to locate and fight these nightmares. By default, the game is semi-cooperative: you might help each other to defeat the most dangerous Old Ones, but in the end, either one single winner emerges triumphant, or everyone loses to cosmic insanity. If you prefer full teamwork, the rulebook includes a fully cooperative variant.

Prepare yourself for a game where greed and fear walk hand in hand. Can you build an empire while fighting off madness, or will you just be another victim of the awakening? The tension is constant, especially in the solo mode, where the feeling of isolation in the outback makes everything even more desperate.