Boardgames: First Look at Gaia Project
Z-Man games has a new, spiritual successor to Terra Mystica in the works.
Terra Mystica is one of the greatest strategy games out there. Known for rewarding strategic play, while being engaging and accessible with the kind of depth that fosters years of replayability and which rightly won myriad awards in the 2012-2013 “season.” Now Z-Man Games has recently announced the impending release of the game’s spiritual successor: The Gaia Project.
Up to four players will compete for galactic dominion–though the focus in this game will be all about building up the resources and infrastructure of your galactic empire. There are a few new wrinkles in the game, players will be able to develop their factions’ abilities to grant them increased prowess in one of six areas Terraforming, Navigation, Artificial Intelligence, Gaiaforming, Economy, Research, which unlocks new technology and bonuses.
Players will need to access quantum intelligence cubes in order to advance their technology and the game suffers from the best appellation in the history of art, “–in space.” And Z-Man Games track record with games like these is pretty phenomenal, so now the Gaia Project joins Pandemic Legacy Season 2 in the list of games that time is cruelly keeping from us all.
via Z-Man Games
Among the vast reaches of the galaxy lie planets teeming with precious resources waiting to be claimed by intrepid spacefarers. For centuries, your civilization has yearned to take to the stars and explore these unknown worlds. Finally, your people have developed the technology to take their first steps into the cosmos.
True to the foundations that made Terra Mystica a massive success, Gaia Project invites up to four players to boldly forge their own galactic empires. Command one of fourteen unique factions as you lay claim to new planets, increase your resource production, and develop new technologies to help your faction colonize distant planets before your rivals.
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As your empire grows, you’ll unlock powerful abilities as you develop and discover new technologies. Each option offers tantalizing possibilities and it’s up to you to combine actions to maximize your growth each round. In the end, only the most developed faction will dominate the galaxy.
You never know what you’re going to find as you traverse the far corners of the galaxy. It’s a big place that contains countless planets teaming with resources for the taking. To reflect this great diversity, Gaia Project features a modular board that players use to create a new galaxy every game. But remember, galaxies are meant to be explored.
As your empire grows, you might upgrade your mines to other strategic structures, invest in research, or tie your planets together into powerful federations to maintain control of large areas of space. Your rival factions will be competing with you as you work to expand your reach. Claiming a planet before a rival faction is going to be a continuous challenge as you must first deal with the unforgiving environments of the planets you discover. Your ambitions hinge on your ability to make as many planets’ habitable by your faction and its unique environmental needs as you can. With so many choices laid out before you, you will need to be make your decisions wisely, and use your resources efficiently to increase your faction’s control of the galaxy.
AdvertisementDespite your scientific accomplishments, your technology is simply on par with that of your rivals at the beginning of a game of Gaia Project. Without the help of Quantum Intelligence Cubes, you will be limited to colonizing plants adjacent to a planet you have already colonized. If you choose to focus on the “Navigation” research area, however, you can gradually increase this range and more easily reach distant planets.
As your reach increases, new planets will be within your grasp. Among the many potential worlds, you might encounter are the mysterious Transdim Planets. These purple planets contain resources like other worlds, but cannot be directly built upon. To lay claim to a Transdim planet, you must first initiate a Gaia Project to transform it. Investing in the “Gaia Project” research area grants you Gaiaformers. Once these powerful machines are in your possession, you can place them on Transdim planets and begin the conversion process.
When the game begins, your faction has already developed some miraculous technology. You are able to travel between planets with relative ease. You have the ability to terraform planets, allowing you to bend their environments to your will, creating the specific conditions to match your faction’s unique needs. However, to stay ahead of your rivals you will need to focus on developing new advancements.
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And there you have it–a look at the upcoming Gaia Project. It is due out later this year, and will be previewed at GenCon, so hopefully we’ll have another look at this game in action for you.
Terraform the Galaxy!
