What a pleasing method to pass time between working cycles. As a human male with a normal amount of human limbs and NO tentacles whatsoever I enjoy participating in human boardgames with an Alien theme, while spending time with other human players and enjoying the consumption of liquid water and carbon based food items whilst playing.
For future considerations: you can leave things like draw piles, resources, and reference cards off screen once gameplay starts. That would leave more screen real estate for the relevant things.
We’ve enjoyed this game quite a bit. We only have a couple plays but so far, operational technology focused strategies have been winning strategies so it was nice to see some differences in your play.
Great video! This game would have never been on my radar either, although I do like Portal Games. I really like these strategic tableau and engine building games. I’ve purchased this, The Networks, Colony and Unfair after discovering them here, and I really like them all. Keep up the great work, looking forward to more great games!
Vasquez2150 Final ratings are no longer our thing. We give pros and cons, and our general thoughts on the games. The final rating is really up to the viewer.
love your videos. Look forward to more videos. Also, is it possible you guys can create separate videos for playthrough and review? This game seems similar to Imperial Settlers from same publishers, however, it does have it's own unique flavour. Recently noticed - the lighting on face in your last few videos is bit too white washed / too bright
Photo Utsav Thanks! Instead of a separate video, we have opted to add a link in the description that will skip you right to the review. The game does have some similarities to IS, but the resource engine is very different in my opinion.
Great play through. We played this a bunch at BGGCon and enjoyed the game. The only thing we all felt about it after several plays was that the name of the game is Alien Artifacts and the actual artifacts were underwhelming. Plus they were not worth any VPs at the end of the game. Outside of that it is fun.
Frances, I also thought he said Chinese as well lol. anyway great review and definitely a must have game it looks like it will be a lot of fun. Thanks you guys always do a great job ttyl.
Thanks for making this video. Game play starts at 9:57. It only looks like half a game though. There's no player interaction unless you attack another player. They didn't even do that. No one ever got blockaded in this game. The game needs goals other than piling up as many cards as you can on the right side of your faction card. The game end trigger is based on how many times you run out the resource deck (boring). I would like to see this game fixed. It needs to have somewhere to go. There should be something that the factions are trying to uniquely achieve and I just don't see it here. Maybe this style of game just isn't for me.
I was hoping they'd clarify the rules about blockade tokens. Rulebook is pretty poor in this area. It just says a card is considered blank if it has a blockade token. Super unclear. E.g.: - Does it block use of resources accumulated under operational planets? - Does it block generation of new resources on operational planets with "Mine the Planets"? - Can an operational ship still attack with an operational "Start Offensive" action, but without the printed bonus? Rulebook should have clarified this. If you look at boarggamegeeks, there are a lot of different interpretations for this...
chinese? Shiny? Yeah whatever it's not the Verse! Shiny playthrough. Got to get it to the table yet. There's a solo version which plays ok. Agree with the minor suggested improvements particularly have the Alien Artifacts affect final score so theres an incentive but which also provides risk.
Steve George this does not feel like imperial Settlers at all in play despite the similar mechanics involved. It'd be doing both games a great disservice to operate with that as a basis. I'd say sit with this one if you are interested, it's quite different from most games I've played that are Tableau building and quite good. It gets much better with repeated plays as the interactions deepen with familiarity.
Steve George I chose 51st State over IS but I do like the game! This one is so different from them both though, it really deserves a shot based on its own merits! After playing it I don't see anything else like it right now is the reason I commented. Though valid mechanically, it bears no real resemblance to IS/51st State in execution of play! (Besides the obvious "building")
Great job as usual ANTLAB well done, always makes me want to go play something right now! Also I think this game is Fantastic, it has me thinking about how to approach my next build days after my last play!
What a pleasing method to pass time between working cycles. As a human male with a normal amount of human limbs and NO tentacles whatsoever I enjoy participating in human boardgames with an Alien theme, while spending time with other human players and enjoying the consumption of liquid water and carbon based food items whilst playing.
For future considerations: you can leave things like draw piles, resources, and reference cards off screen once gameplay starts. That would leave more screen real estate for the relevant things.
yeah, the points tracker is taking up a wasted top 25% of the screen.
Brilliant review as always! I also heard 'Chinese spaceships' so I'm glad that was clarified! :)
Love this game. I constantly think about this game way more than I should.
First of your videos I’ve seen and immediately subscribed!
Ditto! :)
We’ve enjoyed this game quite a bit. We only have a couple plays but so far, operational technology focused strategies have been winning strategies so it was nice to see some differences in your play.
Great video! This game would have never been on my radar either, although I do like Portal Games. I really like these strategic tableau and engine building games. I’ve purchased this, The Networks, Colony and Unfair after discovering them here, and I really like them all. Keep up the great work, looking forward to more great games!
I just found your channell and have to say, you guys are great. The only thing I am missing is some kind of final rating.
Vasquez2150 Final ratings are no longer our thing. We give pros and cons, and our general thoughts on the games. The final rating is really up to the viewer.
I rate the human board game flgnrnd / agnarsziA) _1
Another great job. Very high quality review with great final discussion. Any link to the FAQ/errata you mentioned? Maybe on BGG? Thank you!
Chinese Spaceships? Must be in the Firefly universe.
But seriously, thanks for bringing this game into the spotlight, I'll be looking for it for sure
Great Video!!! Do you think that using a D20 to control each cost (planet, ship and tech) helps or it brings more complexity to the game?
Jorge Pingitore I think that could be very helpful and possibly save some time. Good idea!
love your videos. Look forward to more videos. Also, is it possible you guys can create separate videos for playthrough and review?
This game seems similar to Imperial Settlers from same publishers, however, it does have it's own unique flavour.
Recently noticed - the lighting on face in your last few videos is bit too white washed / too bright
Photo Utsav Thanks! Instead of a separate video, we have opted to add a link in the description that will skip you right to the review. The game does have some similarities to IS, but the resource engine is very different in my opinion.
Great review, love your presenting style - subscribed.....
Great play through. We played this a bunch at BGGCon and enjoyed the game. The only thing we all felt about it after several plays was that the name of the game is Alien Artifacts and the actual artifacts were underwhelming. Plus they were not worth any VPs at the end of the game. Outside of that it is fun.
Doug Herring Thanks Doug! I agree that I expected the artifacts to be a bigger part of the game. Especially considering the name.
I think the new expansion will have the Alien Artifacts more involved. In the expansion they add alien resources or something like that.
Frances, I also thought he said Chinese as well lol. anyway great review and definitely a must have game it looks like it will be a lot of fun. Thanks you guys always do a great job ttyl.
Thanks for making this video. Game play starts at 9:57. It only looks like half a game though. There's no player interaction unless you attack another player. They didn't even do that. No one ever got blockaded in this game. The game needs goals other than piling up as many cards as you can on the right side of your faction card. The game end trigger is based on how many times you run out the resource deck (boring). I would like to see this game fixed. It needs to have somewhere to go. There should be something that the factions are trying to uniquely achieve and I just don't see it here. Maybe this style of game just isn't for me.
I was hoping they'd clarify the rules about blockade tokens. Rulebook is pretty poor in this area. It just says a card is considered blank if it has a blockade token. Super unclear.
E.g.:
- Does it block use of resources accumulated under operational planets?
- Does it block generation of new resources on operational planets with "Mine the Planets"?
- Can an operational ship still attack with an operational "Start Offensive" action, but without the printed bonus?
Rulebook should have clarified this. If you look at boarggamegeeks, there are a lot of different interpretations for this...
How come there is no rating ? Was this brilliant ?
chinese? Shiny? Yeah whatever it's not the Verse! Shiny playthrough. Got to get it to the table yet. There's a solo version which plays ok. Agree with the minor suggested improvements particularly have the Alien Artifacts affect final score so theres an incentive but which also provides risk.
That's a nice shirt my brother.
Looks like my kind of game. Thanks!
I definitely heard Chinese Spaceships.
Great job guys
Isn’t this just Imperial Settlers in space? I like Imperial Settlers!
Steve George this does not feel like imperial Settlers at all in play despite the similar mechanics involved. It'd be doing both games a great disservice to operate with that as a basis. I'd say sit with this one if you are interested, it's quite different from most games I've played that are Tableau building and quite good. It gets much better with repeated plays as the interactions deepen with familiarity.
Steve George Similar to IS, but certainly not a re-theme.
Larry Neal Jr I have IS.
Steve George I chose 51st State over IS but I do like the game! This one is so different from them both though, it really deserves a shot based on its own merits! After playing it I don't see anything else like it right now is the reason I commented. Though valid mechanically, it bears no real resemblance to IS/51st State in execution of play! (Besides the obvious "building")
Great job as usual ANTLAB well done, always makes me want to go play something right now! Also I think this game is Fantastic, it has me thinking about how to approach my next build days after my last play!
Chinese spaceships! Haha! :)