Race for The Galaxy: Alien Artifacts

My family loves Race for the Galaxy and all the other expansions weve purchased, but well never play this one again. It turns race for the galaxy into a traffic jam. Instead of the simultaneous play we enjoy, this new element turns part of it into individual, slow play as its complicated and confusing knowing where you can place your pieces.

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.

Nice

Makes the game more enjoyable. We like the new cards.

The orb expansion can be amusing, but it makes it feel like youre playing two different games at the same time. There can be a lot of possibilities to consider in the placement of the orb cards, and this really slows the pace of the game. The orb does add another significant dimension of strategy (and luck, for that matter) to the game. The extra start worlds and other new cards are a nice addition to the standard game, even without using the orb.

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.

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.

Son loved the game

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.

This expansion is great! You dont have to play with the orb if you dont want to. Why is everyone bashing this so much just because it comes with a game play mode you DONT HAVE TO PLAY? The cards that come with Alien Artifacts are great! The expansion is a good buy just to get the new cards and have them to play with. I honestly cant understand how anyone give this one star if they new anything about the game because the cards are good enough by themselves... In fact I think three star reviews are already showing a jaded bias. The expansion deserves at least four stars. I am giving it five to offset the ninny who rated it one star and because I LOVE the cards included. Sure I am not going to use the orb, but hell I dont use half the stuff in the other expansions either.