The Artemis Project (2019) Board Game

The Artemis Project is a space exploration board game that was released in 2019 by Grand Gamers Guild. Designed by Daryl Chow and Daniel Rocchi, the game is set in the distant future where players take on the role of competing corporations vying for control of the moon Europa. With stunning artwork by Josh Cappel and Dominik Mayer, The Artemis Project offers players a unique gaming experience in the realm of science fiction and space exploration.

Game Components of The Artemis Project

Pioneer Edition: Includes a spot-coated box, recessed player boards, Colonial Embassy and Snowcat miniatures, and Alien Relic and Directives mini-expansions.

Galileo Edition: Includes all components from the Pioneer Edition plus 30 metal Expedition tokens.

Player boards and pieces

Minerals, energy, toolkits, and Pioneer colonist

Building tiles

Expedition cards

Event deck

Colonist types (Engineers, Marines, Stewards)

Snowcat and resources

How To Setup The Artemis Project

To set up the game, each player selects a color and takes the corresponding player board and pieces. They start with three minerals, three energy, one toolkit, and one Pioneer colonist. The board is seeded with four of each colonist type, and the rest are placed in a bag or the Shake Ship. Building tiles, expedition cards, and event cards are shuffled and drawn accordingly. The vents and quarry are filled with energy and minerals based on the numbers on the drawn cards. An encounter card is revealed, which can include banes or boons. The start player is determined by the snowcat, which can be passed around the table with resources added to it until a player accepts it and goes first.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Dice Placement: Players roll their pool of dice and take turns placing them in various zones on the board to gather and spend resources.

Exposure Mechanism: Certain zones use this mechanism, creating competitive tension through high dice placement for big gains and lower dice placement that diminishes the edge.

Resource Management: Players manage resources to maintain their colonists and expand facilities by bidding on buildings.

Expeditions: Players can risk expeditions for rewards and recruit colonists with necessary skills.

Objective: The player with the strongest colony, determined by points from resources, buildings, colonists, badges, and toolkits, wins the game.

Player Experience

The Artemis Project offers a highly engaging and strategic gameplay experience. Players must carefully consider their dice placement to avoid exposure and maximize gains. The game encourages strategic thinking about resource management, colonist recruitment, and expedition risks. It is praised for its smooth and interactive gameplay, making it a compelling choice for fans of dice-based worker placement games.

Pros

Engaging Gameplay: The game combines dice placement and worker placement mechanics in a highly interactive and strategic way.

High Replayability: The random setup of buildings, expeditions, and events ensures different experiences each time.

Thematic Depth: The game’s setting on Europa adds a rich thematic layer to the gameplay.

Component Quality: The game includes high-quality components, especially in the Galileo Edition with metal Expedition tokens.

Cons

Complex Setup: The initial setup can be complex and time-consuming.

Steep Learning Curve: New players may find the game mechanics and strategies overwhelming at first.

Personal Thoughts on The Artemis Project

The Artemis Project is ideal for fans of eurogames and those who enjoy strategic, dice-based worker placement mechanics. It is particularly suited for players who appreciate games with deep thematic integration and high replayability. However, it may not be the best choice for casual gamers or those new to complex board games due to its intricate setup and steep learning curve.

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