5 Absolute Gem Posted by John Potter on Aug 14th 2020

This game is fantastic. It is probably a top 5 game for me after just four plays. Reminds me of Through The Ages, though you just go through one deck and not different ages. There are different ways to build your engine/tableau, and different things to focus on for points. I've only played this at 2 players, and I imagine the country influence/reputation track is even more interesting with 3-4 players, but I've already managed to nearly max two countries and set them both up for bonus points while leaving my opponents' main country without bonus points. There's almost a little game within a game with that part of the board. The cards you buy to build your engine/tableau are varied enough to keep repeat plays different. I really don't have anything negative to say about the game. Exploration seems less valuable compared to fighting, but I only tried really going hard for exploration once, and that was after picking cards for a fighting strategy and changing on a whim. This is a must buy/play in my opinion. Just fantastic game here that more people need to try! Also, a lot simpler to learn and easier to play than the aforementioned TTA.