But I brought you a board game about space flights

^{Already a little lived-in ship. In the crew of two people and an alien.}

Phew A week ago, we promised everyone a pleasant surprise for the day of astronautics - and today in great haste we delivered still warm boxes of the board game “Galaxy Trucker” (or “Space truckers” in a localized version) to the shops.

In general, today I want to show you one of the most fun geek gizmos I have seen in the past couple of years. And congratulations on the holiday.
')
To begin with, you must get used to the idea that all future spacecraft will be built from parts of a sewer . Why? Because there lived a corporation that earned only by supplying parts for domestic engineering networks to distant planets. The difference in technology levels made it possible to earn good money on it, and at the same time it did not hurt much the balance of forces in the galaxy. For several centuries, all the nearest systems were provided with sewage and engineering systems at 100%, so we had to fly further and further. As a result, the flights have become quite dangerous, and the profits are not that big. The corporation was on the verge of bankruptcy.


^{Box games and components}

The solution was extremely simple: modern cargo was so versatile and modular that it became possible to use them as systems for the construction of spacecraft. For example, sewage pumps quickly turned into engines after connecting a pair of devices, septic tanks - into holds for dangerous goods, and so on. It remains only to hang weapons and shields on the ship - and it will be completely ready.

True, we need a pilot. The solution was also found - just call the crazy space "homeless", ready to do anything for the sake of profit. Letting them assemble the ship, send them to the edge of the galaxy - and allow them to trade in parts of the ship after landing, and then return back on a regular passenger flight.

You play as one of these brave characters, ready for great risks for the possibility of becoming a millionaire.

How to collect the ship

^Modules

The game begins with the fact that in front of you on the table is a huge pile of inverted parts, plus there is a plan of the ship on which you can install modules. You take any module from the heap, look at it and decide whether to plan or not. Each module has up to four sides with connectors, with connectors of three different types. It turns out that you need not only to select more or less suitable things, but also to fit them into the architecture of the ship, building a kind of network. For example, if you want to stick the engine in the bottom of the ship, and the connector is only on the side, not on the top, you will have to plug in another module next to the connector on the top and side, otherwise there will be nothing to join.


^{Here is a small ship, half assembled. There are already three engines, two cabins and a gun. To the cabin to the left, you can connect another module on top and side.}

The assembly of the ship is going on for a while - on the one hand, other players are pressing in, and on the other, a timer that does not allow the latter to think through the scheme perfectly.

As a result, all players get pottery, which can be lost at the start right away over the whole section with important modules.

Modules are of several types:

• Guns protect from meteorites and help from pirates.
• Engines determine the speed and help to get out of difficult situations.
• Cabins are needed for the crew.
• Holds - for valuable cargo.
• Plus there is a bunch of special modules like shields, power units, alien life support systems, sewer hubs with universal connectors and so on.

Go!

In the first round a small ship is assembled, then it is more difficult and at the end the largest. The larger the ship, the farther the flight, so the third flight, respectively, will be the most dangerous.

After some training, it is possible to assemble a ship that is able to take off and even more or less tolerably feel in space. Yes, it is strangely connected, yes, the bare connectors of several blocks are looking into space, the engine has fallen off at the bottom - but most importantly, you are flying!


^{Star map, which marks the position of the ship. Cubes - to determine the hitting of asteroids.}

This is where the second part of the game begins. You begin to open the flight cards. For example, such things might get caught:

• Free space . Here it is important to accelerate to the maximum - the number of working engines of your structures is compared.
• Planets : you can land (and linger for a couple of days on the way), but you can pick up valuable goods.
• Abandoned ship or space station : they can be privatized by delaying and landing troops.
• Pirates : you can fight with them or voluntarily-forcibly give the goods.
• Asteroid fields : small asteroids will bounce off the walls of the modules, but break the modules if they fall into an open connector (sticking into space). And the big ones will simply break any module, if you don’t shoot them from a cannon.
• Fields of cosmic dust : this is a competition for practical assembly: the less bare connectors sticking into space, the faster your ship moves.

^{Flight Training Cards. Look at the battle map - the conditions on it are very clear: who has the least guns, loses 4 days, who has the least engines - will be robbed, with the smallest crew - fired.}

The result is a very interesting balance: it turns out that every time you make decisions about the value of different game actions. For example, if you find an abandoned ship, you can transfer a part of the crew onto it - and then you will most likely lose your checks on personnel (for example, you cannot rob a space station). But get cash for the prize, and yet still do not give it to those who follow you. Or, for example, a planet where you can land and pick up goods. And, maybe, it is better to fly past her and get first to the final of the trip, what is the reward for? Plus, the constant questions about how to spend or not to spend battery energy on shields and reinforced modules. For example, is it worth it to spend food on the engines now in the race, when later this same energy can come in handy in guns when meeting with pirates?

In general, the balance is very, very thought out. The only thing that can be embarrassing is just the speed of the ship’s assembly, where the player who has more flight experience will certainly benefit. However, after 2-3 departures this advantage is leveled, since the game has a very thoughtful test flight system.

Summary

So that it was not quite a topic of PR of the space game that I really liked, I’ll tell you about some things interesting for it. Perhaps they have just influenced the number of awards that the Galaxy Trucker was awarded in the west.

First of all, from especially pleasant - in this game a very cool learning system . All board games are complex, and all need to understand the rules. The “Space Truckers” has a very nice interface, immediately looking at the chips to make them understand what they are doing, a very transparent and logical system of connectors and many other trifles, allowing you not to load your head with a bunch of rules, but just look at the ship's plan and understand everything. But the most important thing is the first test flight, which consists of only 8 turns (15-20 minutes), but is designed to bring maximum fan and at the same time introduce players to almost all space threats and how to plan the ship in accordance with them. .

Secondly, the balance . He is magical here, and in particular because of the system of several flights, where the rate is higher and higher each time. I remind you that you are returning back on the passenger liner, which means that all new ships should be built from scratch. That is, to build at least the same ship fails. There is also a change in the cost of the module - for example, as the size of the ship grows, universal hubs become more scarce and modules for the life of newcomers become especially useful.

Thirdly, art and atmosphere in general . Something subtly resembles the old console games, and it looks very cool. Healthy light humor along the plot is also very happy.


<sup>Components. Green candy can not really eat - it's battery markers.


Rules. Remember, only one alien, this is important!</sup>

In general, everything, I cease to praise. See for yourself. Here is a description of the game and you can download the rules, plus see the exact composition of the components. In the same place photos of everything from a box will appear a bit later. And there you can see the availability - now there is in Moscow and St. Petersburg for delivery and just in stores in Moscow. Yes, I almost forgot - the secret word is valid again. When buying, say " Habrahabr " or write in the note to the order - it will give a small pleasant discount on anything.

If anything, it will be a great game with friends for the weekend.