Space…the current frontier. We are locked in for a journey into the stars to see and experience two brand-new games coming to us from a galaxy not-too-far-away and today I want to tell you about both of those games and why you need to get them on your radar!
25th Century Games is releasing two brand-new games on Kickstarter this month both with a space theme that will be a great package to add to your collection. Let’s dive in to each one:
Observatory
Observatory is designed by Chris Williams with art by Snow Conrad. The game plays 1-5 players in 30-45 mins.
Overview:
In Observatory players take on the roll of an Astronomer who will map constellations both large and small on their own personal map. Modern technology allows us to really understand how and where these stars align and with your personal map you will refine the star maps and attempt to score the most points to win!
Gameplay:
Players each have a Star Map sheet, pencil and start with four cards, each one that has small or large constellations on them. There are four dice that the current player will roll each turn.
On a turn, the current player will roll all four dice, 3 standard blue dice and 1 yellow shooting star die. The current player will use all four and all players will use the 3 standard dice. Using the numbers rolled, players will map a longitude and latitude cross-section to map a star and see where they can place a star in the four options of the space. With the other number they can cross off a die space on their research tracks.
By plotting the stars they are able to try and match the constellations on their cards and try to complete a constellation. Once completed they can score the card and then they will have those points at the end of the game along with gaining the bonus that is under the score.
The Research spaces will give a bonus with three crossed off and then a persistent ability once completed. These will give you ways to manipulate the gameplay, dice numbers, add additional stars or give you ways to make a new wild number.
Overall play moves through the round track until the final round in which scores will be added based on completed cards and dice crossed off under funding. The player with the most points is the winner!
Thoughts:
This game is quick to learn and easy to play which is always a great way for a board game to make it to my table. There are so many different roll and write games out there, but this one has brings a tight and challenging map that feels like you want to do everything but know you can’t and that’s part of the fun.
The details on the stars are a fun aspect of the game also, I’ve learned a lot about some of the specific large and small constellations and really enjoyed all the details. It’s a fun way to sneak in some learning for your next family game night!
I’m a huge fan of roll and write games and space-themed content, and Observatory brings these together in a way that’s simply stellar. Make sure you check this one out and take an adventure amongst the stars at your next game night!
Star Gazers
Star Gazers is designed by Don Riddle and JB Howell with art by Vincent Dutrait. The game plays 2-4 players in 20-40 mins.
Overview:
In Star Gazers players are space enthusiasts who are observing the universe and drawing a mural on their wall of what they see. They select tiles and tokens from the universe board to create the best universe and win!
Gameplay:
The game is played with a set of boards in the middle that players will draft from that include galaxy and constellation tiles. Each player has a mural and journal player board and all bonus tokens are placed in the player area.
Star Gazers is played over a number of rounds. Each player selects one tile and one token and added them to their player Mural board. Bonus tokens come into play as well based on player selection order and these can help you to achieve the goals set. The tile and token come from one spot but can be placed anywhere on your 4×4 board.
Galaxy tokens will give you abilities to gain bonuses through space shuttles, photo opportunities where you score based on the unique number you collect, black holes, suns, meteors and stars that give you different way to fulfill bonuses and cards.
There are also journal cards that will allow you to score points based on the objectives being met on the card, each giving some type of combination of points based on completion. Play continues until the new round where tiles are put into a new stack, center square is refilled of bonus tokens and the first player marker is passed to the next in turn order. Once all players have filled their boards the game ends and you move to end game scoring.
End-game scoring is the number of unique photos in your mural, telescopes award points for finished journal cards, constellations award points if all stars are in the correct place and other icons score points as well. The winner is the player with the most points!
Thoughts:
I love a good tile placement game, and while most are abstract with a theme that tries to ties it all together, Star Gazers does a great job of really digging into the world of the space enthusiast trying to draw and display what you see as a mural. The placement of the different celestial objects from sky to board to canvas is a fun thematic idea and one I really got into.
The art style and design of this one is top notch as well, giving you a game that is easy to follow when you learn it but still challenging to pick up and master. The drive of the game is puzzle in nature where the best-laid plans and proper planning will give you a great combination to best score all of your cards, symbols and constellations.
Our family has played this a number of times and it is a game that kids and adults enjoy. I have found that the symbology and tiles are easy to understand and make it a game that everyone had a good time around the table with, and that’s always a win with our family!
Star Gazers elevates the challenge of abstract games by requiring players to strategically place tiles and tokens and create connections in their mural of the universe. It’s been a hit for us and one we cannot get to the table enough!
Check out the campaign here and get it before it’s gone!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chadelkins/star-gazers-and-observatory
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