Wouter & Ymke 
In Exoplanet, players find themselves in a scenario where they have reached a habitable exoplanet, similar to Earth, and their mission is to establish a sustainable living environment. The game involves up to four teams, each tasked with exploring the planet and gathering resources to build a city, a process that involves mining for powerstones and metals and dealing with various challenges.
👥 2-4 players, ages 10+
⌛ Playing time: 45 minutes
📝 Designer: Klaus-Jürgen Wrede
🎨 Artwork: Piotr Rossa
🏢 Publisher: 999 Games (review copy provided)
The game’s objective centers around players trying to score victory points. These points are earned through a combination of exploring the planet, delivering metal tokens to the city tile, and generating power through either powerstones or solar panels. Additionally, players can reproduce by constructing domes used as housing. Discovery of new species and the construction of structures also contribute to the victory points.
🚀 Gameplay unfolds in turns, where each player has five action points to use. These points can be spent on a range of activities like moving explorers, exploring new terrains, investigating metal tokens, and drawing action cards. The use of these cards can provide players with advantages over their competitors. Additionally, players can engage in resource management, such as picking up, dropping, or even stealing resource tokens.
🏗️ During the building phase, players have the opportunity to build domes for reproduction or solar panels for energy generation. This phase doesn’t require action points but is contingent on having the right resources and explorer positioning. The power phase allows players to gain power for each solar panel they possess, following specific game rules.
🌪️ And then there’s also The Force, a disruptive magnetic field affecting everything on its tile. Players must navigate the restrictions and rules imposed by this field, influencing their movement and actions.
🏆 The end of the game is triggered when a metal token is delivered to the last unoccupied space in the city. This leads to the final scoring, where players reveal the victory points accumulated from metal tokens, domes, solar panels, and action cards. The player with the highest score is declared the winner.
Exoplanet, published by 999 Games and designed by the renowned Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, known for Carcassonne, is a reimagined version of his 2005 game Mesopotamia. This pick-up-and-deliver family game caters to 2-4 players and offers a playtime of around 45 minutes, making it an ideal choice for family game nights or casual gaming sessions.
📖 The game’s rulebook is clear and comprehensive, ensuring that even newcomers to board gaming can grasp the game’s mechanics with ease. Accompanying player aids provide a clear overview of how action points can be spent and which actions are free. This proves extremely helpful, especially for younger players, aligning well with the game’s recommended age of 10+.
🧩 What I personally find impressive about Exoplanet are the components – they add so much to the game. The sturdy cardboard tiles are uniquely shaped to fit together seamlessly. The explorers are represented by wooden cylinders, and resources are placed on top of these cylinders, which, while visually appealing, can be a bit fiddly, particularly when positioning them on the city tile. The artwork by Piotr Rossa enhances the game’s theme and contributes significantly to its unique look. On the downside, the quality of the cards, especially the player aids, could have been better, as they feel somewhat thin.
⚡️ Regarding gameplay, Exoplanet is straightforward and easy to understand. The core objective is to deliver metal to the city, which drives most of the game’s action. While this makes the game easy to pick up, it does mean that replayability is somewhat limited. The board layout changes with each play, offering different configurations and challenges, but the primary goal remains consistent. Early game strategies typically involve building domes and solar panels to gain extra explorers and energy resources, essential for getting your engine going. Ultimately, delivering the most metal is often the key to victory.
🌌 The game strikes a balance between strategy and luck. The luck element comes into play when drawing cards and exploring new tiles. Some cards are more beneficial at specific moments, while others contribute to end-game points. Exploring tiles also involves luck, as players may find exactly what they need or inadvertently assist an opponent. The game includes a take-that mechanic, allowing players to steal resources from opponents and sabotage their plans using The Force.
🤝 The game really shines in how it encourages players to interact with each other. You’re not just playing against the game but also directly interacting with other players’ strategies. This dynamic makes each game session unique and can lead to some exciting and unexpected moments.
💭 Exoplanet is a game about planning, exploration, resource management, and a bit of luck. It’s tactical, with clean mechanics, and is highly recommended for families and players who appreciate depth in a game with a simple ruleset. It also serves as an excellent gateway game for those looking to delve into more complex board games.
📝 Disclaimer: A promotional copy of Exoplanet was kindly provided by 999 Games for this review.
