Greg

This game took me by surprise (although knowing it was from Stefan Feld should have tipped me off from the start). While there are a few things you are working on, the true depth of the game is in the cards. Each card has 6 possible uses!! While the idea of this can seem overwhelming at first, most of the actions are the same for every card but for its respective colour, the major difference from card to card is in the characters special ability, so you can make a broad plan and then hone it based on the abilities of each card available. It plays fast, but still requires tactics and strategy to win, I can’t say enough good things about this game! Chalk up another success for Mr. Feld!

This is personal favourite of mine, I enjoy it with my kids, my Wife and breaking it out with newer gamers as well. It is easy to explain and quickly catches the interest of non-gamers with the artwork and variety of factions available, yet it also has depth of strategy for those looking for it. My family has really enjoyed it and I am always up for a game whenever it’s suggested. I haven’t tried any of the many expansions which add more factions and abilities (among other thins), but I know that if I ever tire of the base set, I can easily supplement that with some expansions to make it a go-to game once again (although I don’t see the need arising any time soon).

So, I could talk (write) about what I think about the site as a site, describing the attractive layouts for the games with an intuitive UI for reviews, tips, discussions etc. I could discuss the excellent community to be found here thus far, and the care and attention received by those involved in keeping this site active and up to date.

However, this is listed as a game and therefore I will review the “game” aspect of Boardgaming.com.

Basically I’m hooked, I check back daily, I click on those little hourglasses, I await the new additions to the game exploration quests and have submitted reviews, tips, house rules and opinions on this site where on others I have not as this site has made it into part of the game.

I think the restriction on played games is too much as I have often exceeded my daily allotment for games (especially when including online iterations), but apart from that, the Boardgaming “game” is a complete success.

Kudos to Boardgaming.com, well done all.

This is a great game.

I’ll elaborate, Eclipse is a beautifully designed space exploration game. The design alone makes this game worth playing as the cubes coming off your 3 progress tracks for the different commodities uncover your income in that particular commodity. The distinctive shapes or icons for all the different actions show you exactly what you can do with that action. Basically everything is outlined right there on the table for you.

Like I said, that alone would make for a great example of graphic design and intuitive gameplay, but it has been incorporated into a game which is genuinely fun to play. The modular hex-based board provides a different orientation for every game which increases the replay value and the game has multiple ways to gain victory points – although the game also pushes you into a confrontational state fairly quickly as the prime way to gain points. A lot can also be said about the customization aspect of the game, the different ships you have under your control can be endlessly modified and optimized with different weapons, shields, and engines, along with the batteries to power all your add-ons.

The games I have played have been close, with no dominant player running away with the lead combined with a tense interaction among the players. Obviously, I have had a great time playing this game and will play it at any opportunity.

A really enjoyable game which combines multiple mechanics seamlessly to create a challenging and rewarding experience. The worker placement aspect is slight, and generally gives you somewhere to go which is strategically advantageous, the area control is challenging, especially with the point loss for ties, it can require careful consideration to find the optimal placement for yourself while still considering your opponents. It doesn’t seem to play as well with 2 as it becomes far less challenging overall – especially in the worker placement.

I love this game. The dominance mechanics make sense thematically while still providing challenges in gameplay, the rotating placement of actions and action resolution guarantees minimal downtime per player, and allows you to plan ahead to minimize AP. All species have interesting special abilities which can be used advantageously. There are enough different actions available to make it challenging, different, and allow different strategies to win. Overall a great game I can’t wait to play again.