Review
Whether or not you’re a fan of the TV series, I certainly wasn’t when I first played it, this game has a lot to offer and will draw you in to its clever Sci-Fi world of peril, deceit and tough decision making. Marks out of 10? I’ll go with a 9 and I’ll go as far to say whether your bag is Sci-Fi, Fantasy or otherwise you’ll love this game outright. You may even develop an urge to begin watching the series on DVD after playing the board game. I did…
Before we get into my Battlestar Galactica Review though there are two large flaws that I must point out:
- The rules took me the best part of a weekend to get my head around. Perhaps it was just me or perhaps the rulebook could have been worked out that little bit better. Not the first time with Fantasy flight I have to be honest. There is a lot to explain granted but the cool thing is once you’ve got the rules sussed the game jets off at light speed.
- When I first bought the game it was only playable for 3 - 6 players, which sucks if you’re dying to play it and there are only two of you. Fortunately however there are 2 player rules out now – result! See the ‘Variant Rulebook’ .pdf in the download section on this page. Oh and I really hate the sympathiser card, sorry is that 3 now? Oh well the Variant Rulebook lets you get rid of that rule anyway.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way I can honestly say without any doubt in my inferior human mind this game is one of the cleverest and most exciting games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Fact. My favourite thing about this game, and that was tough to decide, was the varying combination of gameplay styles. First you have the space combat element, where dice roles determine who lives and who dies whilst piloting a tiny ship around Galactica. Second you have the fun of using your skill cards to anonymously avert a major crisis, which involves all players at once meaning that if the odds are stacked against the welfare of the humans then a Cylon’s evil presence has definitely been noted. Third you have the strategy of juggling resources, deciding whether or not to sacrifice food in the stead of population, or having the player to your left sent to the brig so that you can inherit the rank of Admiral (gaining the use of Nuclear weapons). This game is absolutely packed full of great ideas and clever scenarios that I find addictive and totally irresistible. However I haven’t discussed in nearly enough detail my next favourite aspect of this game, which comes in at a very close second...
The Element of Mistrust
It’s kind of like Sci-Fi poker really. If you can’t conceal your contrived, dark wishes of destroying your deluded friends then everyone will be accusing you of being a Cylon within minutes and you’ll be spending most of the game locked in the brig, figuratively speaking (unless you’re a really hardcore fan… I’m digressing). One or more of you is a Cylon and no-one knows who, you're dealt random cards at the start of the game and from then on no one is allowed to admit who they are for sure, not even the humans, so it's up the Cylons to stay steaky at all times. Or perhaps you’re the type of person who knows you are clearly 100% innocent, yet has the large heading ‘GUILTY’ stamped across your forehead and the sweaty palms to boot that suggest you are as innocent as Satan at Hitler’s time of conception. I love moments like these, and with everyone accusing each other of being a Cylon (normally the person(s) with a reputation of ‘accidentally cheating’ at board games) it will make life easier for the true dark horse to slip though the guard of their paranoid peers and cause a heavy amount of damage to the last survivors of the human race...
Not sure what I’m going on about? Not to worry I’ll give you a brief look into the background of the game. Humans are on the run from these all powerful beings called the Cylons, who were actually once a creation of man ironically and now they wish to wipe these stinking humans from the face of the universe without so much a single shred of regret. I feel like that every time I take the bus. Seriously though these guys mean business and they’re kind of winning too because the last line of defence for the few human stragglers is the Battlestar Galactica, the last of the Battlestars, a huge battleship the size of a city with kick-a*** fire power nuclear capabilities (well, y’know, space nukes). Aboard the great battleship are a crew of rough-neck pilots, cunning politicians, skilled tacticians and fearless leaders. There is however, a traitor amongst them! Or several even, yes those devious Cylons have developed a way of impersonating the humans to a level of near perfect and will stop at nothing to destroy the last of the humans for good. They must tread carefully however, as these humans aren’t quite as thick as they look...
One Big Game – Two Sides to Fight For
You all play your turns like most other games but unlike board games where you fight each other head-on, here you must fight side by side, and each player finishing the game with two very opposite outcomes. One being that the Humans have finally found their way through space without being obliterated by their over-powerful archenemies to a world where resources and everlasting peace rain down like... rain. The other being that the ultimate final reckoning for the cruel, manipulative race of former slave-driving Humans has come and the Cylons will reveal that now the humans are gone for good they were actuall just misunderstood and quite caring and sensitive overlords afterall. I may have added my own personal happyish ending to each outcome but you get the idea.
Right well that’s your lot, if you want to know more you’ll just have to buy the game. It’s fun, exciting, clever blah blah blah yes it’s bloody brilliant why are still here reading this? You have a rulebook to absorb! Off you go now...
by David 02/02/2010
