Have you played...Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy?

 A BIG 4X, in just a few hours...

The Galactic Center Defense System (GCDS) dominates the 
heart of the universe.

...although, for your first game a 'few' might still be 5-6!

First impressions

I'm going to presume that if you are here, you already have some knowledge of what Eclipse is, and perhaps how it plays. If not, turn to the usual sources like boardgamegeek or YouTube for more info! I'm just going to share some thoughts in this post.

After one, four player game (using the symmetrical human factions recommended for starting players), I came away with the following impressions:

• With experience you could get this down to a 3 - 4 hour game, which is apparently fast for a game of this type (when compared to other games like Twilight Imperium.)
• The player turn itself is simple - you have a limited number of actions to choose from, and what each does is straightforward.
• The 'create your own' ships and fleet system of blueprints and upgrades works well, and offers some cool choices.
• The game comes with storage trays for everything. This makes setup, play, and take down relatively easy (and even fun, as you can pass the trays around in game.)
• The random draw each turn of new tech, increasing discounts for purchases as you buy, and the variety of tech, make that whole system exciting and integral to your approach.
• Exploring and uncovering the galaxy is fun (but can be challenging depending on the cards you draw.)
• Most turns have interesting decisions based on managing your economy and resources, alliances/ enemies. 
• The feeling of 'down time' between turns is reduced as you have lots to consider and plan with your tech, fleet upgrades and more.

...are there potential issues? Sure.

• Analysis paralysis can add to every turn for some players (like any game.)
• If you pull some unlucky sectors/ tiles when you explore you can have a rocky start or be hemmed in. Depending on your approach to life that might be a huge downer, or simply a challenge to be overcome and a new path you need to adjust to.
• If you like deterministic combat, the die rolls for conflict might frustrate you as you fail to land a hit roll after roll. 
• If both sides in the combat are having a run of bad luck, the back-and-forth rolling might be frustrating for those in combat and the other players.

In this post I'll pick up on just three of my comments above and explore a bit further:

1. Storage
2. Economy
3. Ship design 

Tray(z)

A feature of E: SDG that gets near universal acclaim (in the reviews I've seen) is the integrated storage system. Designed by Game Trayz, each player receives a 'Species Tray' to accompany their choice of playable race. This stores all the game components that the player needs in one easy-to-use tray...

The species tray for the black faction (bottom center),
showing the resource trackers.

• Influence disks
• Influence cubes
• Species specific miniatures (18)
• Starting sector hex
• Turn summary tile
• Ambassador tiles
• Colony ship tiles (3)

More importantly, beyond being storage, these trays are an integral part of the game. If they were just a simple storage solution that would still be great for setup and take down, but you also use the trays every turn to track your resources and income. A simple track around the outside of the tray, combined with wheels on the lid from which you remove cubes, reveals these essential numbers to you (and your competitors...)

No less important in terms of convenience and gameplay are the Tech tray and Upgrade tray. The former accommodates the randomly-drawn tech tiles that appear each turn (of which you will have 114 in a bag). The latter holds all 282 (!) tiles that you will use to upgrade your ship blueprints on your species board.

Upgrade tray (top) and tech tray

At the beginning of each turn, you will draw a random assortment of tech tiles from a cloth bag, and then add them to the tech tray, making them available to research. In the draw, you might pick out rare technologies, which are added to the bottom of the tray. The upgrade tray holds every single upgrade tile, so if you decide to do the upgrade action, you can take the tray and choose a tile of the type you have researched.

Economy management

Every action you take on your turn will cost you. This is represented by moving a disk on your player sheet to the action you want to take. When you do so, a new cost is revealed from beneath the disk you moved, and that cost must be paid at the end of the turn. Do more - pay more! It is simple, easy to understand, but thought-provoking. I can do a lot of cool stuff, but should I, and what should I do?

In the image below (right at the beginning of the game), the red player has taken a few actions. They have moved their disks from the bottom right to the left of their player board. This has revealed increasing costs for faction upkeep (the number in the yellow circle). If this round was to end now, he'd have to pay a total of 2, or face bankruptcy.

Red player board, showing disks (bottom)

Starship and fleet design

Every player has access to the same selection of ship types/ hulls (fighter, cruiser, dreadnaught, starbase). 

The fun comes from upgrading the blueprints for each with any combination you like of weapons, power sources, targeting computers, hulls, and more. Your imagination will be limited by keeping within power limits (which you can also upgrade) but sparked by the realities of the dangerous other factions that surround you. 

• Has your neighbour upgraded his fleet to have thick hulls? How could you arm yourself to deal with that? 
• Do you create lots of cheap, fast, fighters with low-powered weapons and hope to overpower him with hits? Or create one or two super-powerful dreadnaughts?
• Do you pursue researching the more lethal military technologies that will give you extra proficiency in combat? Or, keep things simple and save your research for other valuable tech?
• How fast should you make your ships? Faster ships will strike first, but upgrading their propulsion systems is another tech to research. You could focus instead on armour or weapons...or should you try to strike a balance.

Don't be surprised to see your neighbours looking over at your player board...

White player ship blueprints, with upgrades

This is almost a whole mini-game in itself!

As I hope you can see, there is plenty to dig into. My group was unanimous in agreeing that we would be happy to play again. When we do, we'll give the alien races a spin!

 

First steps into...Lands of Galzyr

High tension...?

Crash, bang, crunch - slaves against the charge!
Warhammer Fantasy Battles

I realised the other day that lots of the games I like (boardgames, computer games, and tabletop) are (in one way or another) focused on tension, excitement and conflict - the picture of Warhammer Fantasy Battles above being a good example. Nothing wrong with that! Many a memorable moment has been had under those circumstances...

...acts of daring do, skin-of-the-teeth escapes, high-tension searches through warrens and dark tunnels, victory (and calamity!) against overwhelming odds, and more. 

However, sometimes, don't we all want a more relaxing game experience? 

...or a hot cup of tea?

Credit: Shreya13jain, CC BY-SA 4.0,
via Wikimedia Commons

Personally, I sometimes want a relaxing experience - a short experience - without conflict, to just enjoy over the course of an hour or so. Almost like a stress-free walk in the countryside.

Sound good? Then consider a stroll through the beautiful and engaging Lands of Galzyr, a new adventure board game from Sami Laakso and Seppo Kuukasjarvi at Snowdale Design.

Welcome to Galzyr

I recently managed to get my hands on a copy of Lands of Galzyr via a lucky catch on Mercari in Japan, but what is it? How do you play it? Let me share some first impressions after a few hours of gameplay.

Lands of Galzyr. Not quite so blurry in real life.

The creators explain:

'Lands of Galzyr is an adventure board game set in an open, story rich world. Acquire prestige as a cunning and ambitious adventurer by exploring the lands and by taking on challenging quests. Your actions have long-lasting consequences in the evolving and persistent game world. Your decisions affect not only the current game, but the following games as well.'

What you have then, is an overland adventure for one to four players across the countryside, towns, and cities of a beautifully-realised fantasy world. Almost best of all, this world is inhabited by anthropomorphic animals of every type, whose daily lives you will explore as a wandering animal yourself.

Speaking of adventurers, let's meet Keridai, the intellectual Northern Banded Newt whom I have chosen to explore as:

Keridai's player board.

Keridai's player board shows us he has 10 gold, which is adjusted via a wheel, three slots (bottom) for equipment, and 4 skills on his skill wheel (at right). These are indicated by these lovely solid semi-circular 'skill marks' which you slot into the board.

Keridai has skills in:

• Knowledge (green x2)
• Communication (light blue x1)
• Perception (dark blue x1)

These skills allow you to adjust your standard dice pool (5 black dice) when you roll for skill checks. You simply swap in dice with higher-probabilities for success if you have a skill mark in the relevant skill.

You can see the custom dice that come with the game in the image below. If Keridai had to make a 'Knowledge' skill check with his two skill marks (green markers on the player board), he can swap in the two green dice (and actually an adjacent light blue dice) to replace the black standard dice. This increases your chance for success.

Lands of Galzyr custom dice

You might also notice just underneath Keridai's name two blue words - 'Scholar' and 'Swim'. These tags (and others on cards you accrue, including certain verbs) will influence your options as you adventure.

All of these variables come into play as you explore the world. Each player turn is divided into the Adventure and Calendar phases. In the former you move across the board, and then play out a 'scene'. The scene can come from a variety of situations - a quest you have in your hand, a location on the map, etc. You read and play through the scene by making choices in the 'Book of Adventures' web-app, which you can use on any internet connected device, or download to your home screen for offline use.

A land of appventure...

Uh-oh, I think I just heard some of you react (probably negatively) to the very mention of the words 'device' and 'app' (not to mention the terrible pun). However although the digital Book of Adventures is required to play don't let that put you off. It brings a lot to the (gaming) table.

1. A huge amount of content that just couldn't fit into a 'storybook'. Over 600,000 words?
2. The convenience of searching for any of the numbered scenes by just entering the number. NOT flipping backwards and forwards through a giant spiral-bound tome is a big plus IMHO.
3. An immersive soundtrack (really thematic!) built in...
4. ...and, once downloaded you don't need to be connected to the internet. You can add the web app to your homescreen. You don't need to install if from an app store.

As you can see below, the interface is clean and easy to follow:

The scenes are listed at left, and the game randomizes the day.

No spoilers here! This is from the included demo story.
Notice the variety of options at the bottom.

The app is integral to the storytelling experience, and you will spend time in the app. However the quality and feel of the physical components has so far meant that I still feel engaged with the game laid out before me. I think this is due to the tactile, card-based system the game uses to represent the changing and evolving world before you, and the high quality components.

...and libraries

Like some other narrative games (e.g. 7th Continent) you will manage a large 'library' of numbered cards. These include locations, events, quests, statuses, equipment, seasons etc. As you work through the game, you are often drawing cards from the library to read, add to your character or the board, or otherwise interact with. This is not onerous, as the system is well thought out. The illustrations themselves are delightful and make each card fun to discover.

Cards: Seasons, quests (public side), 
and the library.

The cards are stored in two sturdy boxes with numbered dividers, called 'The Library'. This makes it only a matter of moments to find the correct card. You'll also have cards before you on the table to be interacted with. These include public quests that form a 'notice board', an event deck that manages scenes you encounter as you travel, and of course equipment. Your character's status can also be impacted by your adventures, as 'status' cards may force you to be weakened for several days.

A piece of common equipment. Note the blue 'tag' words
and verbs (in brown) that can influence your skill checks.

Speaking of being weakened for several days, each game session plays out over the course of a week or more, depending on how many players you have. For solo, it is eight. At the end of each round you move the calendar one day forward in the app and on the board. This concept of advancing time is nicely interwoven into the game by having certain cards with timed effects. This can include the aforementioned statuses, but also companions (NPCs) who will show up in your adventures for a few days and then leave. 

Land of Galzyr's in-game calendar.
Used in the application and on the gameboard.

When receiving a timed effect, you simply put a counter on the card itself and a corresponding token further along the calendar track. When the day token advances and meets the token on the calendar, that effect comes to an end. You no longer feel weakened, or the travelling companion who joined you for a few days decides to leave (along with any bonuses they brought to you while travelling together.) It makes the world feel alive yet is simple to track (and also helps reduce the clutter that some games have as you accumulate a mass of cards.)

Time - specifically the month of the year - can also affect what is happening in the world before you. Each time you play you enter a new month. On once occasion, I was instructed to replace one of the city cards with a slightly different one, which included a scene for a festival held in that city only in that month. Naturally, I made a beeline for it to join in the fun. Added to that, the board is double-sided with summer and winter designs. 

The Lands of Galzyr in summer.

Keridai visits Arhin. (Not a spoiler - cities and towns are 
placed on the board at the start of the game.) Notice the locations
with scene numbers.

There is a lot more that could be said, including about the excellent component quality, the simple save system allowing you to carry the world forward seamlessly from game to game, or the beautiful and evocative soundtrack. As you can tell, far too much to include in my initial impressions here. 

In summary, I'm looking forward to exploring Lands of Galzyr further in a leisurely fashion and just enjoying the story and adventures that come before Keridai as he traverses the world. What will he find?

Congratulations to Sami Laakso and Seppo Kuukasjarvi at Snowdale Design, as well as everyone who has contributed to the game. A special shout out to the composer Joash Kari for the nearly 2 hours of accompanying music, which you can find in the game, on YouTube, and available for purchase via the composer. 

Thanks for reading.

Machina Arcana - Descent into Madness (Part 1)

A Thrall manages to get close to Kim. Horror is sure to follow!

Machina Arcana

After playing some horror-themed games recently in the form of Folklore; The Affliction, and Arkham Horror (Living card game) I've developed a taste for blood Cthulu. This has combined with an interest in tactical dungeon crawlers in the form of Machina Arcana, a steampunk exploration and tactical combat game set in a mysterious underground installation.

In this game for 1-4 players you will take control of a small party of explorers who head into this installation, exploring the mysteries it contains as you progress through a story in the form of chapters. Along the way you must tool-up with weapons and armour as quickly as possible to give yourself the best chance of surviving the horrors (both physical and mental) that the installation throws at you.

The challenges you will face include a variety of increasingly horrific monsters from the Cthulu mythos, and more importantly, decisions!

Should you stay and fight? or run? 

Should you head over to that chest for equipment or keep moving? 

When you DO find equipment, what should you keep?

Will you strategically try to stem the flow of monsters, or head on?

Your physical resources are limited, so how will you spend your stamina?

Sounds terrifying good?

Now on its third edition, information on Machina Arcana can be found around the web, including reviews and playthroughs, so in this (lengthy) first post I'll just overview some of the positives of the experience for me so far.

Kim faces a spider of Leng that has webbed her equipment.
Get it back? Or keep moving? (I'll let your arachnophobia decide...)

The highs...

Theme, art, and atmosphere

If you want a game that has a lot of 'theme' '...inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft' then this game is for you.

• 'Cthulu' and a growing sense of unease everywhere, from the monster types and artwork to the thematic text.
• The 'Steampunk' setting is different and fun. All of the equipment has a suitably 'clockwork' feel and a system of upgrades allowing you to mix and match bits and pieces. (You can learn more about Steampunk by visiting Steampunk Avenue.)
• The art is gorgeous and visual appeal strong in every element of the components. I really enjoy exploring the chapter artwork (it is revealed as you advance). The characters, monsters, and equipment invite the eye to explore each image - congratulations to the artists on their work.
• Thematic text is everywhere. Event cards, monster cards, chapter cards etc. all have some text that helps to create and support the theme. Horror and event cards in particular have prose, poems, and rhyme that help to create this dark and dangerous world. Not all players will want to spend the time reading it, but if you like that kind of attention to detail you will find it here. Another example is the monster cards - often you'll find a quote or sentence at the bottom that helps to flesh out the creature.
• Official soundtrack provides background music by Mladen Konecky (listen to it on Melodice).
• The atmosphere here is 'struggle' and the mechanics promote this. You don't have a lot health or stamina, and it isn't easy to come by healing, prompting some difficult choices.

The 'Barred' horror event text is one example of the writing.

Variety and replayability

When playing the game, is there variety within a game and replayability afterwards? If you get it to the table multiple times will you feel that the experience is 'different' enough to remain engaging?

I say 'yes', with some qualification.

• 10 double-sided map tiles provide different layouts to explore as you play each scenario. However the event spaces are printed directly on (you don't randomly add a token in a different spot each mission), so they won't change.
• Extensive monster variety, with individual A.I. driving their actions. There are 29 in the base game, divided into 4 levels. Will you start to learn what they do with multiple playthroughs? Yes, but in some dungeon crawlers you might find 10 or fewer enemy types.
• Equipment is plentiful, with an upgrade/ augmentation system allowing you to combine different cards for some cool combinations. The base game has 51 weapons, 40 apparel, 35 artifacts, and 30 consumables.
• Huge range of different 'events' that will help and hurt players. This is two decks of cards (a total of 120), so you never know what the next event will be. Flipping the horror cards is an exercise in tension. ('Let's dash for the exit - OH NO, paralysing fog!')
• Explorer choice: Do you want to play as a male or female character? Which of the four classes do you want to be - Bruiser, Gunman, Crafter, or Mystic? Each class has different strengths and weaknesses (and variations in their starting abilities) and will need to be managed differently as you explore. Any class can equip any item, but how easily and quickly they can equip it is the challenge.

Hank, a 'Bruiser'

Lorrai, a 'Mystic'

Kim - 'Gunman' (I'd prefer 'Gunslinger')

Phillip, a 'Crafter'

Large, double-sided map tiles add replayability

Choices

This game is all about making choices, and that is a positive. It does this by having a very tight action economy, imposed by even the hardiest character having a maximum of 6 stamina on their turn. Those stamina are precious! Opening a chest costs 3 stamina, activating a trap costs 2, moving one space costs 1 etc. You can get more stamina by using 'recharge stations' (if you are lucky), but this is occasional. 

Examples of choices you constantly face are:

• Fight or flight! Taking out monsters can be essential (killing them gives you 'Essence' - a key currency in the game) but just as often it can be better to keep moving.
• What to equip? Finding useful equipment is really important. When you open a chest or use a workbench you get a choice of items. Which will you keep? This is made more interesting by being able to either destroy an item you don't want or put it back on top of the pile - allowing another explorer to pick it up later.
• Prioritise exploration or survival? Every map offers opportunities to find new items, but should you split up to hoover up items on the map or stay together and dash towards whatever condition will move the story forward.

An example of choices. Each of these weapons and items
came with a difficult choice about what to keep.

Smooth gameplay & simple combat

Kim and Hank steel themselves. What lies ahead?

Once you have a grasp of the rules (not necessarily easy...a word on that in part 2) you'll find that getting the game setup and moving through a game can be very smooth.

Unusually, the game box comes with trays for all the bits and pieces. These are flimsy and easily damaged, but they do keep everything together. All card decks have their own area in the bottom of the box, divided by card level and space for all the game expansions is built in. All tokens are kept in a single token tray with a lid. this makes for fast setup. Great!

I mentioned earlier that the action spaces are printed onto the maps. These include chests, workbenches, traps etc. To get going you just set down a map tile - no fiddling around in token trays for bits and pieces to add. You can see at a glance where resources and action spaces are.

In game, combat itself is simple, at least in terms of damage. You'll roll two sets of custom dice and simply compare your total to the enemy's defense stats (remember that 'meets beats' - equal their defense and you'll do damage). You'll always do a single point of damage too, so no grasping around for tables and charts trying to work out modifiers. It is also easy to add up your defense bonuses when defending as they are all on your character and equipment cards.

Finally, the '4-step' round is easy to follow and you'll soon get into a fast rhythm (especially playing solo):

Explorer phase > Spawn phase > Horror phase > Monster phase.

Each phase has a clear process illustrated by the player aid, four of which are included in the box.

I'll stop there for now, but in part 2 I'll cover production quality, the standees, publisher support, and more. In this first post I've been very positive, but no game is perfect! In the next installment I'll cover some of the less positive elements to the experience and wrap up.

See you there!