Above And Below is an inoffensive game that gets by mostly on charm. Its few unique qualities (and they are few) are at best cute and at worst irrelevant. Nevertheless, there is an endearing auteur-like quality to the game due to it being entirely the product of Mr. One-Man Band Ryan Laukat — a game designer, illustrator, publisher, many-hat-wearing ultra-talent. Its whimsical art style, young adult fantasy theme, and storytelling elements are all clear constituents of a broader artistic vision, something rare and highly welcome to see in the board game space. But even so, Above And Below is really nothing special. I can think of no compelling argument in its favor that would elucidate its qualities in a way that gives it an edge against the dozens of equal or better games in its mechanical wheelhouse. In fact, its brief popularity has already been eclipsed by a sequel that came out a mere two years after: Near And Far. However, just because this is a game that may soon be sent adrift amongst the tides of time doesn’t mean it’s not a perfectly pleasant way to spend 60-90 minutes around the dining room table with a friend or two. No one would ever accuse Ryan Laukat of not doing his homework; he is very evidently a diligent student of modern game design. The mechanical net Above And Below casts is wide and varied, encapsulating an action point system, tableau-building, storytelling, and resource collection into a straightforward game about building villages and exploring caves. Each…