Leaving Earth (2015) Board Game

Leaving Earth is a strategic board game that was released in in 2015. Designed by Joseph Fatula, the game is set in the early days of space exploration, where players take on the role of a space agency competing to explore the solar system. With a focus on math and science fiction, Leaving Earth offers a unique gaming experience that challenges players to plan missions, research technology, and manage resources efficiently.

Game Components of Leaving Earth

Space Agency Cards: Each player has a card representing a space agency from countries like the USA, USSR, Japan, China, or France, each with four spacecraft cards.

Mission Cards: These cards outline the missions players must complete, categorized as easy, medium, or hard, with varying point values.

Location Cards: Representing places like Earth, suborbital flight, the moon, and other celestial bodies, these cards are arranged to form a puzzle-like layout.

Money: Paper money in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, or 20 million.

Advancement Cards: For technologies such as re-entry, landing, rendezvous, and rockets.

Success and Failure Cards: Determine the outcomes of experiments and missions.

Time Tokens: Used to track the time required for spacecraft to travel between locations.

How To Setup Leaving Earth

To set up the game, players first lay out the location cards in a specific order, forming a path from Earth to various celestial bodies. Each player selects a space agency card and the corresponding spacecraft tokens. Mission cards are shuffled and laid out based on the game difficulty chosen (Easy, Normal, Hard, or Very Hard). Players start with $25 million, which does not carry over from one turn to the next. The game includes multiple components such as success and failure cards, time tokens, and advancement cards, which need to be organized before starting.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Components and Maneuvering: Players must manage spacecraft components, calculate thrust requirements (mass x difficulty), and navigate through space while dealing with outcome cards that can result in success, minor failure, or major failure.

Research and Advancements: Players can research technology advancements for $10 each, which come with outcome cards. They can also sell successful technologies to other players.

Mission Completion: Players aim to complete missions outlined on the mission cards to earn points. Each mission has specific requirements and point values.

Time Management: Time tokens are used to track the duration of missions, and players must plan their actions accordingly.

Cost Management: Players have a limited budget of $25 million per turn, forcing them to make strategic decisions about how to spend their funds.

Player Experience

Playing **Leaving Earth** is a deeply immersive experience that involves overcoming numerous barriers to successfully complete missions. The game demands a fair amount of basic mathematical knowledge and strategic thinking. Players must balance the risks of space exploration with the rewards, making it a game of managing risks and achieving milestones. The sense of satisfaction from completing challenging missions is significant, but the game can also be frustrating due to the potential for failures and setbacks.

Pros

Deep Strategy: Requires careful planning and calculation.

High Replayability: Multiple mission cards and random outcomes ensure each game is different.

Cooperative Option: Can be played cooperatively or solo.

Retro Artwork: The game has a nostalgic and visually appealing design.

Cons

Complex Rules: The game comes with a 56+ page rulebook and requires a basic understanding of math.

Long Setup and Gameplay: Games can last from 60 to 180 minutes.

Frustration Factor: Failures and setbacks can be frustrating, especially if calculations are off or essential equipment fails.

Personal Thoughts on Leaving Earth

**Leaving Earth** is for players who enjoy complex, strategic games and are willing to invest time in learning the rules. It is ideal for those interested in space exploration and who find satisfaction in overcoming challenging puzzles. The game’s appeal lies in its ability to simulate the real-world challenges of space travel, making it a unique and rewarding experience for the right audience.

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