Published on: July 1, 2025
Written by Kiomye Thompson
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This month’s board game highlight is Deep Regrets from Tettix Games! We love this horrifying fishing game where each catch becomes increasingly Lovecraftian as you descend into madness. If the thought of a slow spiral into insanity sounds like your kind of fun, we invite you to schedule a demo—or better yet, join us for our official board game night, held on the first Tuesday of every month from 6 PM to 8 PM.
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Designer: Judson Cowan
Artist: Judson Cowan:
Publisher: Tettix Games
Gameplay
Deep Regrets is a 1–4 player game for ages 14 and up. Sessions last anywhere from 30 to 150 minutes. The core mechanic is fishing, using dice rolls and card flips. It features a push-your-luck element that creates a tense balancing act as you teeter closer to madness.
The game takes place over six rounds, each representing a day of the week. At the start of each round, all players simultaneously roll their dice. After you see the roll, you’ll decide whether to head out to sea to fish or return to port to sell your catch. At port, you may gain invaluable upgrades that can alter the course of the game. Dice results determine what actions you can take that round. Higher rolls typically let you catch more fish.
Everyone begins in the shallows, which consist of three face-down piles of cards. Each card back shows a shadow hinting at the fish’s size, but the exact contents remain unknown until the card is flipped over to reveal the hidden fish. Bigger fish usually bring greater rewards, but they also require more dice to catch, and those rewards aren’t always guaranteed. Choose carefully based on the shadows you see.
There are three different fishing depths. The deeper you go, the greater the risk: foul fish—often eldritch horrors—become more common. These creatures can trigger Regret cards or have immediate, devastating effects just by being revealed. Regret cards increase your madness but also allow you to carry more dice. However, if you end the game with the most regret, you must discard your highest-value fish.
To win, you’ll need to carefully manage your resources and harness your creeping madness to outscore your opponents. Are you ready to fish… and lose your mind?
Review
What initially drew me to this game was the phenomenal art by Judson Cowan. It’s the perfect blend of charming and slightly horrifying. Along with the vibrant cosmic horror imagery, the game features delightful wooden boat tokens and tackle-themed dice. Deep Regrets is also a very cleanly designed game—each card and token feels thoughtfully crafted. I especially appreciate that everything fits neatly back into the box, with designated compartments that make setup and cleanup refreshingly simple.
The first game I played was a two-player session, and I had a lot of fun. The game felt balanced the entire time, despite the luck-based mechanics like rolling the dice. With so many options to manipulate your rolls and upgrades that improve your odds, I never felt completely at the mercy of chance—something I often dislike in dice-heavy games. The game isn’t deeply strategic, but it offers just enough decision-making to keep the play engaging. Because of the game’s simplicity, it’s ideal for more casual board game players, which I believe is its best-fit audience. The strong theming and push-your-luck mechanics make this a great pick for a lighthearted game night.
The solo mode in Deep Regrets offers a very different experience from the competitive version. Instead of competing against other players and managing your descent into madness, you’re conducting a scientific ocean survey—cataloging the bizarre and often unsettling fish you dredge up from the depths. Each solo session represents a five-day workweek, and over multiple games, you’ll aim to record every species in the game’s extensive Ocean Survey pad. Solo mode is calm, methodical, and leans into the game’s weird, eldritch charm in a surprisingly meditative way.
That said, the game is not without its quirks. While I enjoyed the relaxing pace and sense of discovery, some players may get frustrated as the survey progresses. Because fish cards are reshuffled after every game, it becomes increasingly likely that you’ll pull cards you’ve already logged, making it harder to find the remaining few. This adds a layer of realism—fishing is never guaranteed—but it can slow progress and may test the patience of completionists.
Still, I appreciate how thoughtfully the solo mode was constructed. It’s a great way to learn the mechanics. The low-stakes structure makes it ideal for when you want something chill. The solo experience captures a different tone from the main game—less cosmic horror, more melancholy curiosity.
Whether you’re playing solo or with others, Deep Regrets is a memorable game with a distinct personality. It combines push-your-luck mechanics, clever resource management, and unsettling sea lore in a way that feels both accessible and unique. The art and components are top-tier, and the balance between luck and strategy keeps each session feeling fresh.
This isn’t a game for those looking for deep strategic complexity or intricate engine-building. However, for casual players or fans of weird, thematic games with great table presence, Deep Regrets is a catch worth reeling in.