2016 / Deckbuilding card game expansion / 2-4 players / USA
After snapping out of the nefarious seduction into collecting more variations on the same spaceships forever, there were still a couple of remaining expansions that I craved to customise and enhance the gameplay experience, so I gave myself permission to get those out of the way before deleting the time-wasting bookmarks and saved searches I no longer had a need for, like a reformed alcoholic pouring the muck down the bog, or an irredeemable nerd approaching 40 denying himself more spaceship cards.
These side quests are kind of like the Trading Posts in Cities of Splendor (my board game EXP has levelled up modestly this year) and should provide nice diversions and rewards in every game. They're also a new way to win occasionally and a new source of stress and uncertainty, which is always welcome. It's Star Realms for collectors, not fighters.
It only gets a middling rating because they could've included more than just the 12 inevitable mission briefs (Scenarios had 20 cards) or added value to this flimsy pack in some other way (Gambit had the ships and bosses), but that's what the other three quarters of this particular expansion sequence were for. I've already got two core sets stretching the boxes with ships and outposts in a comprehensive range of colours and values, I don't need any more.
Especially when there's so much Carcassonne to buy!!!!!
