Gameplay
When NASA went to the moon, Russia had its own secret mission involving a rocket with communists aboard. Unfortunately the rocket crashed on a distant planet where they started a small society where happiness seems to be very important!
In this game all players are able to sent one of 6 available workers to various spots on the board. When they do, they gain influence over that particular workers' happiness. The actions on the board all do various things, such as producing goods or gaining some workers some happiness. Goods can earn you points, but happiness of the workers can also give you points, if you have the most influence on them. The game plays over 2 days and after each day, players will get points for the workers they have the most influence tokens on.
The days are divided into 5 different phases. Each with its own placement rules. After two cycles (two days) the game ends, and the player with the most points wins the game.
Thoughts
This game is very unique. The way area control is mixed with the happiness of the workers, and thus with the workerplacement itself, is something I have never seen before and that I'm very enthusiastic about. On the one hand you try to make your workers do a good job, harvesting resources and such, and on the other hand you have this extra game of the workers happiness and gaining enough influence over them.
The theme is a bit farfetched, but I must say if you look at it from a satirical view it's a lot of fun. The components of the game are great, the meeples are the most detailed meeples I've seen so far and I like them a lot.
I'm curious for the solo variant, which I will try soon as well.
If you like workerplacement games with a small area control element that are just slightly different than other games, this game is a very solid one which I definitely recommend.
A copy of this game was provided to me by Geronimo Games for the purpose of writing this review. My opinion however remains my own.
BGG
Buy me a Ko-fi
