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Players compete to build the best outpost. They must build and staff factories to produce resources, which are then used to build more factories, and purchase any of 13 outpost improvements that give different advantages (ranging from production technologies, resource storage, and increased population maximums to resource producing stations). Improvements are purchased through auctions, and each player may win several per round. There are 3 phases in the game, and with each phase after the first, a new set of improvements is available to purchase. Each staffed factory and improvement is worth a certain number of victory points (ranging from 1 pt for an ore factory to 20 points for a moon base), and the first player to reach 75 points wins.
This game's mechanisms were later reused in The Scepter of Zavandor and, to a lesser extent, in Phoenicia.
- straightforward rules
- simple but with tricky decisions
- quick play
- good replayability
- unique mechanics
- two-player friendly
- endgame objectives are random each game
- chaotic with more players
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Combat: Deck/Hand — drawing facedown cards from a draw deck
- cube placement to color spaces — placing cubes on color spaces that influence scoring
- draw deck facedown — drawing facedown cards from a draw deck
- end game bonuses — endgame objectives are triggered as players remove rows/columns
- endgame objective selection — endgame objectives are triggered as players remove rows/columns
- hand management — managing a hand of cards to maximize actions
- Modular board — the common board is modular and used by players
- modular common board — the common board is modular and used by players
- score via endgame objectives and clusters — points are earned based on objective fulfillment and placement near colors or clusters
- set collection — collecting cards to complete sets for scoring
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the game is of light complexity
- we love playing this as two-player game
- plays pretty quick
- good individual puzzle plays
- chaotic one to higher play account