Post by Gilvan Blight on Dec 31, 2006 9:47:38 GMT -5
Another Fantasy Flight game I picked up at Hugin and Munin's end of year sale.
Summary: each player is a mining company working on a new asteroid field. Players start with just one spaceship on the space station in the middle of a field of asteroids. The asteroids are represented by a 7x7 grid of face down tiles. Players take turns performing actions and fulfilling contracts. The tiles themselves have 1-6 different 'ores' on them at various point values or a 'incident'. Players are limited to only one action a turn which include: Move ships (to any tile from the station or from a tile to the station), build a new ship (up to a total of 5), prospect (peek at tiles under your ships), bribe (allows for a few different actions). After your action you can try to fulfill a contract. Here's where it gets interesting. There is a large set of contracts that list 1-5 of the types of ore hidden on the tiles. You choose a contract to complete then have to flip up from memory tiles that match those required on the contract. If you succeed you keep the contract and the tiles. At the end of the game players total the numbers of the tiles they have to determine the winner. Bribes are intereting chits you get which let you substitute for an ore, bid up a contract or survey asteroids without having to move your ships. The drawback, every bribe you use gives you -2 points at the end.
The Good: I don't think I have every played a game where Memory was the main gameplay mechanic (well besides Memory where you match two tiles). It's rather interesting and feels like I am using my brain in new ways for gameplay, which is cool. The Bribe system adds a level of strategy and complexity to this that makes it a worthwhile game, otherwize it would be too much like memory.
The Bad: I wasn't a big fan of the incident cards. They just seemed a bit too random and powerful for the people who got them. Maybe with more plays I will grow to love them, but jsut didn't get it in our first play.
The Ugly: The box art! OMG if this wasn't on sale there is no way I would have ever picked it up. It's some of the cheeziest box art I have ever seen.
Overall: not a bad game at all. It's no where near the best in my colection but it's fun and I'm sure I will play it again. It's nice a quick and easy to learn so it will probably be good for a 'game between games' at a gathering or other games night. This Retails for $25 and may be worth it at that price abd if you can find it cheaper it's probably worht picking up.
Summary: each player is a mining company working on a new asteroid field. Players start with just one spaceship on the space station in the middle of a field of asteroids. The asteroids are represented by a 7x7 grid of face down tiles. Players take turns performing actions and fulfilling contracts. The tiles themselves have 1-6 different 'ores' on them at various point values or a 'incident'. Players are limited to only one action a turn which include: Move ships (to any tile from the station or from a tile to the station), build a new ship (up to a total of 5), prospect (peek at tiles under your ships), bribe (allows for a few different actions). After your action you can try to fulfill a contract. Here's where it gets interesting. There is a large set of contracts that list 1-5 of the types of ore hidden on the tiles. You choose a contract to complete then have to flip up from memory tiles that match those required on the contract. If you succeed you keep the contract and the tiles. At the end of the game players total the numbers of the tiles they have to determine the winner. Bribes are intereting chits you get which let you substitute for an ore, bid up a contract or survey asteroids without having to move your ships. The drawback, every bribe you use gives you -2 points at the end.
The Good: I don't think I have every played a game where Memory was the main gameplay mechanic (well besides Memory where you match two tiles). It's rather interesting and feels like I am using my brain in new ways for gameplay, which is cool. The Bribe system adds a level of strategy and complexity to this that makes it a worthwhile game, otherwize it would be too much like memory.
The Bad: I wasn't a big fan of the incident cards. They just seemed a bit too random and powerful for the people who got them. Maybe with more plays I will grow to love them, but jsut didn't get it in our first play.
The Ugly: The box art! OMG if this wasn't on sale there is no way I would have ever picked it up. It's some of the cheeziest box art I have ever seen.
Overall: not a bad game at all. It's no where near the best in my colection but it's fun and I'm sure I will play it again. It's nice a quick and easy to learn so it will probably be good for a 'game between games' at a gathering or other games night. This Retails for $25 and may be worth it at that price abd if you can find it cheaper it's probably worht picking up.