Tabletop Spotlight: First Martians
It might be a one way trip – but it’s going to be a big one for the First Martians!
The Red Planet has been calling humanity for years – and in the new board game First Martians you get to invade colonize Mars! Our friends at Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy are big on these types of games and that excitement was infectious:
First Martians can be played in a few different ways. There are shorter one shot missions you can play, or you can try your hand at the longer Campaign game. Regardless, the general principles remain the same – complete the objectives in the limited time you have and ensure that all the astronauts survive! Each player takes on the role of one of the crew members and they can each do different things. These unique skills can only be used once per turn, but sending in the right person for the job can be the difference between success and failure – or life and death!
You can read the full rules for the game HERE. But before you go digging around this game also comes with a companion app that is free to play. The app is integrated into the core game and setup – you need it to play the game and you need the physical game to actually play as well. These new Hybrid Games are an interesting side to the board gaming industry as they combine the digital recordkeeping/game mastering and the physical aspects of a board game. When executed well, the game play experience flows really well. However, if the game relies too heavily on one vs the other, the experience suffers. The good news is that First Martians doesn’t look like that is an issue!
The components of this game are all really high quality. I was impressed with the care that went into the packaging – things like “sealed” envelopes for the missions to prevent spoilers were a nice touch. First Martian looks like a really well done and thought out game! So if you’re looking for a unique experience and the challenge of surviving on Mars, go check out First Martians – in stores now!
First Martians
Built on the core of the award-winning Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island, First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet pits players against the hostile Martian environment and a whole host of new adventures and challenges. The immersion experience is further enhanced with an integrated app that maintains the balance and challenge throughout. Players have the option of taking on the design as a series of separate games, in a custom campaign mode in which each successive game builds on the last, or even an open world mode in which they are free to roam about the Martian surface and explore for as long as they can survive.
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If you’re party includes a man named Quaid…well, just keep an eye on him.
