DasKaisar

I have taught this game to about a bunch of different people with different gaming backgrounds and it was a hit with all of them. The basic mechanic of discarding playable cards is absolutely brilliant and really lets this game shine. It is hard chucking that yellow alien card to get a decent 6 cost development out, but sacrifice is a major part of the appeal. The only wall I have hit teaching people is the nature of goods and the nature of windfalls. Otherwise the game goes through flawlessly. While I have not tried any of the expansions, the core game is still extraordinary. Games are quick, and starting the next round takes less than a minute. The lack of direct confrontation (which I found changes with one or two of the expansions) is also a bonus, as the strong players are apparent, but the weaker players are also not crushed under the boots of a collective effort. The pieces are basic, the cards are decent quality and the icon system for the most part simplifies gameplay (but the number of times a friend has not read the little description box at the bottom of some cards drives me crazy). With a very reasonable price, it is a great addition to your collection.