It has been known for some time that Skellig Games will release the two Mindclash Games titles Anachrony and Astra in German in cooperation with Quality Beast. Now a German edition of another title from the Hungarian publisher has been announced. Like Anachrony, this title is undoubtedly an expert game and tops it a bit in terms of complexity.
As the publisher of the localizations for Vital Lacerda games, Skellig Games has long been known to fans of expert games. In cooperation with the Berlin publisher Quality Beast there is now something new for everyone who likes it complex. Since SPIEL, it is the third title from the Hungarian publisher Mindclash Games that the two publishers have brought to Germany.
An overwhelming amount of content
A 40-page rule book, an 80-page scenario book, and a 50-page glossary (all in the English preliminary edition). You don't really need to know much more to be able to assess that void fall is not a relaxed family game to lure mom, dad, grandma and grandpa to the table.
Apart from topic-related age requirements, a recommendation from the age of 15 is also rare. The playing time is given as 50 minutes per person. "Normal" is at void fall actually only the number of people from 1-4. With so many people, the game can be played both competitively and cooperatively.
But what is it about void fall actually?
The House of Novarch rules with an iron fist the galactic realm of mankind known as the Domineum. They brought about unimaginable progress, but the price was to prove high.
Novarch followers believe in prophecies that speak of an ancient being from another dimension: the Voidborn. Dismissed as myth by many, it was the Voidborn who provided the Novarch with everything they needed so that their next victim, humanity, could grow to a size that could satisfy their hunger.
When that size was reached, interdimensional rifts opened in the heart of Domineum and the Voidborn began to manifest into the world, wreaking havoc. The Novarchs, convinced of their supposed salvation, are of no help and so it is up to the other great houses in the galaxy to prevent the Voidborn from fully manifesting in their dimension.
4X meets Euro
The Voidborn is present in every game mode. This must be pushed back cooperatively and solo. In competitive mode you also want to be better than the other players in order to secure dominance in the galaxy.
Each of the three game cycles goes through three phases. At the beginning there is the preparation phase, followed by the focus and evaluation phase.
As the name suggests, there isn't that much to do for the players in the first phase. Above all, the next cycle is prepared here and, for example, the sequence of moves is determined. The heart of this phase is the galactic event, which triggers a special effect, determines the number of rounds of the focus phase and sets unique round goals.
In the focus phase, the players take turns one after the other. At the start of your turn you choose a focus card from your hand. Then you carry out two of the three actions shown on this card. If you have previously used a trade token, all three actions are available.
At the end of your turn, everything is “tidy up” so that the next person can take their turn.
In the evaluation phase, the Voidborn will fight back, the round goals of the galactic event and from the players' tableaus are scored and you have to pay resources for your fleets.
What sounds clear when broken down so far becomes a challenging task due to the sheer number of possibilities in the game.
In void fall there are as few random elements as necessary. The battles are not decided with dice, as is known from shallower games, but require good advance planning.
The expert game should be available at the end of the year. How high the price will be is currently not known. In view of the crowdfunding prices (75 € standard/ 135 all-in; each without taxes and shipping) for the game, a three-digit price for the German edition is not unlikely.
Everything worth knowing about the game and the world is currently available in English Mindclash games.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Pegasus Spiele 51896G - Spirit Island (German edition) * |
51,99 EUR |
Buy |
Last updated on 25.05.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX / Affiliate Links / Images from the Amazon Product Advertising API. * = Affiliate links. Images from Amazon PA API