Alien Artifacts (2017) Board Game

Alien Artifacts is a science fiction card game that was released in 2017 by Portal Games. Designed by Viola Kijowska and Marcin Senior Ropka, the game allows players to explore space and discover alien technologies in a competitive setting. With stunning artwork by Evan Lee, Aleksandar Mihajlovic, and Rafał Szyma, Alien Artifacts immerses players in a futuristic world of space exploration and discovery.

Game Components of Alien Artifacts

Over 250 cards divided into 8 decks

6 unique factions, each with different scoring bonuses and setup

38 Blockade tokens and defense plans for player interaction

Multiple tiles, tokens, and markers

5 Player Aid tiles for quick reference

A scoring board and a rule book.

How To Setup Alien Artifacts

To set up the game, each player chooses a faction and sets up their personal board. The player boards include spaces for resource cards, ship and technology cards, and planet cards. Each player starts with a hand limit of three resource cards. The various decks, including the resource deck, ship/tech/planet deck, and Alien System deck, are shuffled and placed within reach of all players. The game also includes setup for any chosen expansions, such as the Alien Base promo.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Card-Driven Mechanics: Players manage their hand of resource cards to build ships, develop technologies, and discover planets.

Resource Management: Players have a three-card hand limit for resource cards and an Assembly Limit of two cards per turn, which can be expanded through certain technologies.

Card Placement: Cards can be placed on either the Logistics side for ongoing bonuses or the Operations side for one-time opportunities.

Exploration and Expansion: Players explore the galaxy, discover artifacts, and expand their empire by moving cards from the left side of their player mat to the right.

Combat and Scoring: Scoring is partly luck-based, with resource cards drawn to determine combat outcomes or match types for Tech/Planet cards.

Player Experience

Alien Artifacts is praised for its fast-paced gameplay, with turns lasting only a few seconds. The game requires a combination of strategy and tactics, as players need to maximize the value from their limited hand of resource cards. The game is enjoyable with two or three players, though it can become longer and less engaging with four players. The multi-use resource cards and the need to make hard decisions about resource allocation add to the game’s replay value.

Pros

Fast Gameplay: Turns are very quick, keeping all players engaged.

Replay Value: Over 250 cards offer many scoring strategies and great replayability.

Multi-Use Resource Cards: Resource cards have unique abilities and can be used in different ways.

Unique Card Mechanisms: Double-sided Empire Cards provide different benefits depending on their placement.

Cons

Luck-Based Scoring: Scoring can be influenced significantly by luck, which may not appeal to all players.

Limited Interaction: There is very little interaction between players.

Underwhelming Artifacts: The alien artifacts themselves have situational usefulness and limited impact on the game.

Limited Alien System Cards: Only five Alien System cards are included, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.

Personal Thoughts on Alien Artifacts

Alien Artifacts is ideal for players seeking a space-themed card game that offers a full 4x experience without the lengthy gameplay typical of other 4x games. It is recommended for those who enjoy strategy and engine-building mechanics, and who are comfortable with a degree of luck influencing the game. The game’s fast-paced turns and multiple scoring strategies make it a great addition to any sci-fi themed game collection.

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