Crashland (2015) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Crashland is a sci-fi exploration board game designed by Todd Sanders and released in in 2015. The game is designed for 1 player and has a runtime of 20-30 minutes. Players take on the role of survivors of a crash landing on an alien planet, where they must explore the terrain, gather resources, and avoid dangers in order to survive and escape.

Game Components of Crashland

Map cards: Used to create a 6×5 grid, including basic playing cards, start cards, dome shelter cards, and beacon cards.

Event and equipment cards: Two decks that provide challenges and tools for survival.

Space suit card: Represents the player’s status, including battery and oxygen levels.

Fuel tanks: The primary objective to collect.

Quick reference cards: Track the player’s battery and oxygen levels.

How To Setup Crashland

To set up Crashland, players first create the map grid using the map cards. Each player starts at the designated start card. The event and equipment decks are shuffled, and each player receives their space suit card. The game is ready to begin once all components are placed according to the map layout.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Movement: Players move their space man to adjacent cards, revealing each map card as they move.

Event and Equipment Phase: Players draw cards from the event and equipment deck, keeping equipment and resolving events.

Systems Check: Players must ensure their battery and oxygen levels are not below one to avoid game over.

Objective: Find three fuel tanks by locating beacon pairs, then return to the starting point with all fuel tanks to win.

Player Experience

Crashland offers a simple yet challenging experience. Players must balance movement, resource management, and event resolution to survive. The game requires strategic thinking, especially when managing battery and oxygen levels. The beacon system adds an element of exploration and problem-solving, as players triangulate the positions of the fuel tanks.

Pros

Simple Mechanics: Easy to learn but challenging to master.

Strategic Depth: Requires careful resource management and planning.

Exploration Element: The beacon system adds a fun and engaging layer of exploration.

Cons

Resource Management Stress: Managing battery and oxygen levels can be tense.

Limited Variety: The game mechanics, while engaging, can become repetitive.

Personal Thoughts on Crashland

Crashland is ideal for players who enjoy survival and exploration games with a touch of strategy. It’s perfect for those who like to balance resource management with exploration and problem-solving. While it may appeal more to casual gamers due to its simplicity, it still offers enough depth to keep experienced players engaged. However, those seeking high complexity or extensive variety in game mechanics might find Crashland a bit limiting.

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