Guards of Atlantis: Tabletop MOBA is a competitive team-based board game inspired by computer games of the MOBA genre. In the game, each player controls a single hero and uses a hand of cards to move him around the game board, employ special abilities, and attack enemies. Defeating enemy minions earns you coins, which are used to buy levels and upgrade your hero. Your goal is to help your "minions" — units that are not directly controlled by the players — reach the enemy base and capture it.
Even though Guards of Atlantis can be played with just two players, it's more fun when two teams of players face one another as the game encourages teamwork and tactical play.
Before the game, every player chooses a hero character to play. Each hero has five cards at the start of the game, with an additional thirteen upgraded versions from which to choose when your hero gains a level. Each card is unique and can be used for a variety of different actions. The character roles are not preset and can evolve on the battlefield to better suit your strategy and counter the opponent's choices. There are no dice to roll, but playing the right card at the right moment is crucial.
The game begins with players placing their heroes and minions at predefined spots of the game board. The game is split into rounds, with each round consisting of up to four turns. Every player gets to play one card and resolve one action each turn. The cards are played face down, then revealed and resolved in order of initiative values indicated on the cards.
If at any point a team loses all of their minions in the area, the lane is "pushed", with all minions on the board moving one area closer to the opponent's base. The game continues, with each team trying to help their minions to move to the enemy base. The first team do this wins!