Wise Wizard Games Star Realms: Deckbuilding Card Game

This game saved my marriage.

Star Realms is a well designed space themed deck building game where two or more players compete to be the last person with authority points. Note, one deck supports two players, two decks supports up to four players, and three decks supports up to six players.The basic idea of the game is to purchase cards from the trade row of six shown cards (five are random and one is static) to build a deck which can be used to: buy more cards, attack opponents, and draw more cards among other actions. Each player starts with 50 authority points, and when attacked will lose authority, and may gain authority from actions on purchased cards or events (if using the events expansion). The last player with authority wins.With this base version of the game (no expansions) if there are more than two players are several variants which allow for co-op play. One where players team up with other players to beat the other teams, and another "hydra" version where all players are working together to destroy one more powerful player.Unlike many other build-a-deck style games, this game allows players to do most actions in any order. For example if a player has two cards that allow them to draw a card and other cards to spend 10 coin, they can draw a card, buy a some cards, then draw their other card. Or they could draw their two cards first, then spend their money. Or they could spend their money then buy two cards, and soPros:-Easy to learn. The instructions are fairly minimal and most cards to a good job describing themselves without additional explanation.-Quick games. Once all players have played several games and understand the basic game mechanics a two player game tends to be about a half hour or less.-High quality cards with beautiful detailed graphics-High replay valueCons:The only downside that I have discovered with this game is by the end of a game it can be difficult to keep track of which parts of each card have already been resolved and which parts can still be activated.Personal thought: It seems that there are enough trade cards to support more than two players with one deck but there are not enough authority or starting hand cards (money an attack) to support more so it wouldn't be too difficult to just reduce the number of starting hand cards and count authority via dice or some other means to support more players with one deck.I also own all expansions which each add something worth while to the game if you like the base set. If I had to pick two to buy (hard to pick just one) I would get Events and Gambit.Events adds... you guessed it... event cards to the game. They are shuffled in to the trade deck and randomly pop up during game play. When an event card is revealed its effects are immediately executed. Some hurt everybody, some help everybody, but all effect everybody.Gambit adds solo variances, co-op variances, and cards which can be given to players at the beginning of the game to give them an edge. My wife and I like to use gambits to help players who have been in a slump. On the first game we each start with one random gambit. Every game after the player who most recent won only gets one gambit, but the other player gets one card for each game in a row they have lost since last winning. So if my wife has won the last three games in a row she gets one gambit card and I get four. There are countless ways that these gambit cards can be used like this.Overall I feel that this game is well worth a try. If you are looking for a highly rated inexpensive game definitely give this one a look.

Star Realms is an outstanding two-player deck-building card game. From conception to execution, this is a first-rate product. My son and I enjoy it as much as Dominion, maybe even more so due to the sci-fi theme and the faster playing time. I like the fact that you play your entire hand each turn and can spend all credits played, instead of having to decide on a single "action" and "buy." I also like the aggressive, attack-based mechanics (you are trying to reduce your opponent to zero Authority, whereas in Dominion you are trying to accumulate the most Victory Points). The various factions (Empire, Blob, Machine, Federation) have beneficial interactions when you play two or more, but you can't limit yourself to just one faction or you'll miss out on key attributes unique to each faction.You really get a sense of escalating power as you acquire the most expensive cards. Outpost bases function like "taunt" cards and provide you with a certain level of protection...for a time. Eventually, though, firepower escalates and you can wipe your opponent out in one devastating turn if the right cards come your way. In that sense, Star Realms (like all deck-building games) has a fairly strong luck component -- you need to be able to buy the right cards at the right time (trashers early in the game; bases ASAP; and high-powered attack cards mid- to late-game). There is more luck in Star Realms than Dominion because in Dominion the Kingdom supply is fixed and fully available to all; in Star Realms the supply is five cards replenished by the deck at random as soon as one is purchased. But don't think for a minute that luck is the primary factor -- try playing on-line against experienced opponents and you will see how good strategy trumps luck 90+% of the time.If I could have one wish as to game mechanics, it would be to have the power to "Scrap" (trash) an opponent's card from time to time. Instead, the best you can do is send them to their discard pile, so you will see them again (and again and again).The artwork is top-notch, but it would be nice if the cards were printed on stronger stock. I wouldn't say the cards are flimsy, but I can see them getting worn down over time (and one we already bent underfoot when it accidentally wound up on the floor).Can more than two people play? Yes...sort of. This basic deck only has enough starting cards (Scouts and Vipers) for two players. So you either need to modify the starting conditions for 3+ players, or buy multiple decks. But the rules come with multiple suggestions as to how to play multiplayer up to six. Sounds like a blast (pun intended?)!