Publisher: IV Games
Player Count: 1-5 Players
Solo mode: Yes
Game Length: 60-120 Minutes
Complexity 2.5/5

Players who have taken on the role as a mercenary in the distant future, fulfilling dangerous shipping contracts, making shaking alliances and seeking personal glory know the 2020 hit, Moonrakers is one of the most unique and interactive gaming experiences available. In this semi-cooperative, deck-building, negotiation game players will work to ultimately sit at the helm of the space-age shipping rebellion known as Moonrakers. This highly fluid, interactive game will require players to apprehensively work together to cooperatively fulfill challenging contracts where the spoils and risk is all up for negotiation. 

Moonrakers is a beautifully produced game with top-notch illustrations and deluxe components making it one of the most highly-sought after niche games since its release. That’s why it’s no surprise that Moonrakers is returning to Kickstarter with the Titan Campaign: A big box edition featuring the original Moonrakers game paired with a handful of expansions to enrich the entire experience.

As a huge fan of the original release, we’ve had the honor to preview some of the game’s new material and see what it adds to a game that we regularly play at our gaming nights.

ACTION OVERLOAD

The Overload expansion’s modus operandi is to bring more of what you already love about Moonrakers… and lots of it.

Overload adds 10 new Objective Cards, 37 Ship Parts, 20 Crew Cards, and 20 Contract Cards all mixed into their respective decks. Seventy new Action Cards are available, but they’re Advanced Action Cards giving players even more power in their deck. The new Advanced Action Cards can be earned through new ship parts or purchased during the buying phase.

New Crew cards introduce IOSphere tokens. When playing one of these new characters, IOSphere tokens are placed on the card and left in front of the player. These cards can be triggered on future turns by discarding a token. The abilities vary, but they typically provide things like additional draws or actions on a turn.

The biggest change to the game is in the new Contract Cards. Overload brings Flex and Head to Head Contracts.

Flex contracts introduce new requirements called “Flex”. Flex is essentially a wild resource that can be fulfilled by any resource not already required on the card. These provide an alternative for players who might have plenty of firepower in their hand, but not the “right” firepower for a specific contract.

My personal favorite component to Overload is the Head to Head Contracts. These unique contracts allow any player to participate. Players will compete to play the most resources required by the card. Prizes are awarded for both first and second place.

MORE POWER AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

While Overload doesn’t alter the gameplay in any major way, it does provide a lot of fun tools for the Moonrakers aficionado. This is for players who always want a “bigger gun” or want more powerful upgrades. The Advanced Action Cards can really accelerate your turn.

Time will tell, but I wasn’t in love with the new Crew Cards featuring the IOSphere tokens. When they appeared I often questioned whether the benefit was there or not. They weren’t necessarily bad, but they didn’t get me too excited.

For me, the Head to Head Cards are worth the entire expansion. These not only provided a fun new mechanic to the game, but they really increased engagement. The guaranteed reward is a huge incentive and when they appear in the contract area it was never a matter of IF they’ll be chosen, but when.

I probably wouldn’t use Overload with any of the other Moonrakers expansions. For me, they tend to consume the neat additions Overload brings. This expansions will energize your deck and open the floodgates for potential resources with the Head to Head Cards and Flex options. Overload is a great expansion for players looking to energize the traditional Moonrakers experience.

KICKING IT OFF

The new Titan Campaign hits Kickstarter on July 19th with 4 expansions and a Big Box Edition.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to experience Moonrakers, do yourself a favor and get in on this Kickstarter. I haven’t played anything like Moonrakers and it’s a usual suspect at our game nights. It does play better with a larger group, but it will, without a doubt, successfully bring the most introverted player out of their shell and to the negotiating table. The expansions are a bit of a luxury, but if you’re a Moonrakers fan… you’re going to want to grab these. They provide a ton of new strategic choices and deck-building options that are going to substantially extend the life of Moonrakers.

IV Games is currently one of my favorite game publishers. They always deliver a unique and rich experience without any regrets. This is a high endorsement for a high-end game from us at Unfiltered Gamer.