Race for The Galaxy: Alien Artifacts

Im not impressed with the Alien Maze component but if you ignore that part you can use the additional cards with the base set and any of the other expansions.

My three oldest children, aged 12.5, almost 10, and 8 as of 06/2014 love Race for the Galaxy (as well as other nerd games). In this age of iPads, games on phones, and overall inundation with electronic devices, I insist on myelinating their neurons with games that are hard to learn and harder to master - theyve done a fine job, and Race for the Galaxy is definitely in my Top 10 of hard games that make one think. This expansion does the game justice, and adds even more difficulty and interest to an already solid game.

Only buy this expansion if you want more cards!! On cards alone, this would be a 5-star addition to Race For The Galaxy. BUT, the Alien Artifacts mechanic is TERRIBLE! Minus 2 stars! Ugh!

Ive played this a total of 3-4 times now, once with the orb game and 2-3 without. Now, while that is definitely not enough to form a definitive opinion and deconstruction of the game as it exists with the expansion, I do feel I have enough for form an initial impression. If you have just the base game of Race For The Galaxy, and you want a little bit more without overcomplicating the game, then this expansion is for you. I have had just the base game for a year now and have been looking forward to this expansion. I considered getting the other expansions, but have heard such mixed reviews and reactions to the new game mechanics of the other expansions, that I decided to stay away. Especially since this is already a hard game to teach newcomers. This expansion was made for that in mind. This expansion re-balances the games and adds different strategies, without changing any old features and making sure that any new cards can be understood by simply explaining the old rules. Which is, exactly what I wanted. I felt like the old game could get streaky and sometimes it could be tough if you had a bad run of cards. So far, (with only 3-4 plays) I can honestly say I think the new game gives you more strategies to go after and therefore youre less likely to have a bad game, since there are less unspecialized cards. The Orb game is really neat and, importantly, optional. This ads an interesting element to the explore phase, making it more useful. I like this, because I often explore for particular cards I might want towards the last third of the game, and if that doesnt yield the results I want, this gives me something else to do during that phase. But, like most phases of this game, it also allows other players to do it, so you have to be aware of how it may benefit other players if you explore. This part of the game is the part Im less decided on. Its hard for me to really assign it a star value. I really like it so far, but it changes the game a lot, especially the gameplay time and flow. I suspect it will end up hitting the table most of the time with experienced players looking for something new, but the new cards work well without it. I like exploring a lot as a mechanic in video games (Fez, Metroid) and I feel this captures that aspect well in board game form. It has a mild puzzly aspect in how you place the cards and certainly favors having some military even if you arent going for a military strategy. I suspect the Orb Game works best in 4 player form, as it is really easy to avoid each other and just build outward in a 2 player game. If you want something that is more complicated, aggressive, and dont mind less balance, perhaps the old expansion arc is better for you. Ive never played those expansions and can only compare them based on what I have read and heard from people. If you already have the old expansion arc and have a hard time bringing it to the table because it is too complicated and want to go back to a simpler time, but still dont want just the base game and want something new, then maybe this will work for you. I could wait longer before posting a review, until I get a better impression of the game after several plays, but I saw no reviews were up and this may help someone decide who is on the fence. I felt like I got it and have a good idea of what to expect from future games (but you never know). I will update if my opinion changes.

Alien Artifacts is a decent expansion, but apparently doesnt play well with the other expansions for the game. If you are just looking for more cards for your RftG deck, this might be what you are looking for with 46 new cards. Added to this expansion is another mini-game that can go along with the main game. You will have meeples exploring an Alien Orb. What they find will add to your score and abilities in the main game. Many dont like this however as it lengthens the game and can tip the balance out of whack. If you explore the most, you will usually win the game. It takes away from the quick paced card game and adds a layer many dont like. But ...its optional, so having it isnt a game breaker. The cards for the main game are good, with a couple that might be a little over powered. But without the Orb game Alien Artifacts adds the most cards without adding more mechanics to the game like some of the other expansions.

My son loved it.

Race For The Galaxy expansions are weird. Instead of adding different card combinations or maybe another set of planet types... they decide to add crazy mechanics with each expansion. This expansion is about doing missions and although I havent played the expansion yet... it seems to be completely different experience than the original Race concept. Each expansion focuses on adding new mechanics that seem to take away from the base games fun and originality. I bought this expansion for the cards. It came with a 6th player orange set of cards. It also came with a lot of starting planets and other game cards. They can be used in the vanilla version of Race... which is awesome.

Son loved the game

I was really excited to try this expansion, as Race for the Galaxy is one of my husbands and my favorite games to play together. We play the game a lot, so I was excited that this would be a bit of a refresh for us, jettisoning the other expansions weve accumulated so far and injecting some new elements of gameplay. Unfortunately, we found the new elements to be confusing/overly complicated, and more importantly, unnecessary for winning the game. It was easy to ignore the new elements and play the game as if it were still just the base set. Im sure some players have gotten this expansion really figured out and can do cool things with it, but adding it in has made us less likely to play the game. I definitely prefer The Gathering Storm expansion to this one.

I only use the cards from this game, not the orb subgame. I love Race for the Galaxy--perhaps my favorite of the 150+ games in my collection. I wanted something to add to it and these cards are pretty good. They arent overpowered, which is nice, and they blend reasonably well with the base game. They tilt things toward aliens and significantly towards military strategies. Im not sure how frequently I will use these cards...the base game is more balanced in the sense that military is a good but not dominant strategy. Still, these add an interesting little flavor that changes the game a little and gives you some variety if you have played the base game a lot.