Space Base - "Quick Draw" Game Review - Not Just About Your Turn!

[@guandjs]

I love Space Base. My version is old so it didn’t have the Lightspeed Variant in the manual, but I printed it when I heard about it, and I now always play with it. Great review!

[@ScytheNoire]

This is a modern classic that I need to play.

[@VanessaG1229]

I love Space Base. I will not play without the Light Speed variant either. As for the expansions, I've only played Shy Pluto. It's fine. It adds some neat things to the game, but it's by no means necessary. The story is rather minimal, and you can play it with different people. It's not like there are characters in it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

So i can just unpack the expansions and not bother with the arc?

[@VanessaG1229]

@@TheBrokenMeeple The arc of Shy Pluto isn't that compelling. You'd be fine just unpacking things.

[@brianstevens902]

I adore this game. It just works for me. Thanks for the review! Long overdue for sure! Lol. Keep it up!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@dancondonjones]

If you want to play solo, I tried three different variants, and found the Rogue Stations one on BGG to be by far the best. Still need to try the Light Speed Variant.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Worth looking into on both our fronts.

[@davidjackson9426]

Thank you for the review. I have held off getting this as I was unsure it would be worth it at 2 players (my main player count). Still not sure about it for 2 players as it would be a very slow build up (the alternative start up might help with that).

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Glad I could help!

[@Max-pj9km]

It works great at 2.

[@jeffreywriddlejr]

I don't like it at 2 due to how fast and different the game is than 3+. Like, it's serviceable, but feels like being aggressive and going after points with every roll is the way to go.

[@paulhamrick3943]

I can confirm that the light speed variant is a must, although I can understand why they say not to play your first game that way: you don’t have an intuition on what cards are valuable yet. But without the light speed variant the game does take way too long to pick up steam. The only other problems are that the tucking of the cards can be kind of fiddly and simultaneous play (in general) might not be possible if you have players who can’t be trusted to follow rules correctly.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah I have to explain things VERY clearly but Lightspeed all the way!

[@jdober77]

I have this game and my family likes it. Some card effects have us looking them up in the rule book. Other then that, it's excellent.

[@jdober77]

I only have the base. Interested in the expansions.

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

If you've played once then you should always play with lightspeed variant. Space Base is my #2 favorite game of all time. Player count is not that important to me although never tried above 5 players. Also base game is perfectly fine for this one and you can find it cheap.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Yeah it's a good price for base game alone as long as you use variant.

[@mike_howes]

I sold this when it became available on BGA. When the computer does all the upkeep of dice rolling for you it makes the game take 1/2 the time or less than the physical version

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

It ain't half bad I'll give you that for when you're at home!

[@ButOneThingIsNeedful]

I'm thinking you have your own laminator machine? If so, can you get a decent one for not too much? (Really like your idea of laminating helpful reference sheets. Why not?!)

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Oh sure, I got a laminator and it cost me like £15 off Amazon, a basic laminator is all you need and then you just buy packs of A4 sheets for it.

[@TheAmazingYeti]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Yup, I did the exact same thing.

[@stevenamamoto585]

Agree that SB 4-5 players w/light speed is a fun time.

[@hairygnome1787]

Hmm, I've never given this too much consideration before, but I'm definitely interested now. Thanks for the review!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Any time!

[@ClasmanFilms]

I owned Space Base, Machi Koro, and recently Bad Company, but the only one of these dice games I have now is Valeria card kingdom. We prefer the art and expansion more.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Valeria really? I don't mind it, but it just fell behind other options. . . . .except for Machi Koro it was better than that one.

[@ozza000]

Where is the review of Superclub you mention in the outro? I can't see it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I had to take it down Newbattle I got trolled by fans and emailed from the publisher. For a low viewed video and a game that's niche and low popularity it's not worth the stress... I'll mention it when I do my next podcast.

[@ozza000]

@@TheBrokenMeeple Interesting, would have liked to have seen it. Just read your review on BGG. One of my friend's loves this game and always brings it to game nights, I find it WAY too long for what it is, and that it drags on at least 3 seasons too long every game.

[@Datasun7]

This looks like a really nice light fun game in between bigger stuff! (The base game though probably not the command centre box though)

[@MerrillWhiteKalEl]

I really need to play this someday.

[@magnusjakobsson7424]

I like it at 3-4 players best but with more players it's fine too and nice to have that option since it's pretty easy to teach. Shy Pluto was a nice addition to the game but Terra Proxima I don't feel added as much.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Should I care about the progression or just unpack it all!?

[@magnusjakobsson7424]

@@TheBrokenMeeple I played through the story of Pluto but not Proxima. Honestly the story is not super exciting IMO. Dead Reckoning had great story elements in the sagas but can't be said for Space Base. You could always try a few games and see :)

[@jeffreywriddlejr]

I prefer Shy Pluto to Proxima, as it just adds a bit of flare to the game. Proxima adds a new mechanic that loses you the game if you don't use it and others are, and it's not like it comes on the cards where some get lucky and buy those.

[@TheAmazingYeti]

Glad to see you enjoyed this one. I kept going back and forth on Bad Company.. but it seems like a more accessible version of this is all. Which isn't a bad thing at all, just do not see a reason for my collection to have both. Especially if they keep releasing saga expansions.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I tried Bad Company, it was fine but it did drag on with a lot of players.

[@diallit0]

I've got this, but it does not make it to the table that much...

[@thereal4579]

i preferred my farm shop for this genre, space base didn't do anything for me while playing (not sure why), machi koro 1&2 ended up being to mean to be a family game (imo), and haven't played bad company or card kingdoms of Valeria (really want to though).

[@DrBrooksNY]

The game isn’t longer because of more turns - there are the same amount of turns on all player counts. What slows down is taking too long to buy cards. Our rule: on others turns, look at the market and start anticipating a few cards, and be as ready as you can when it’s your turn vs. only looking at the market in your turn. What is more problematic at higher player counts isn’t time but boredom between rolls, and that’s where Command Station adds stuff for people to do at 6+ when it’s not your turn. But the game itself significantly longer.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

That shouldn't be a rule even that should be normal play, but people simply don't do that in games, they will always wait until their turn by default.

[@ten_oclock_scholar4690]

I like this game, but I didn't love it and grew tired of the gameplay loop after about 10 plays. Getting things on other players' turns is just not as exciting or satisfying for me as I thought it would be, and the market tends to get clogged with a lot of cards that just aren't that great.

[@unlimitedrabbit]

Every game with a market should have a conveyor belt that carries off the last unacquired card in the row.