Efemeris – Celestial Domination [board game]

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We’re getting down to the last couple of days on the Efemeris – Celestial Domination Kickstarter from DTDA Games:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dtdagames/efemeris-celestial-domination

It looks to be a fun, flavorful board game without a lot of prep-time required.  The fluff (always my favorite part of a game) can be wrapped up as Age of Sail in Space…so an unaffiliated precursor to Space 1889?

Currently there are three nations (French, British, & Spanish) with more in the works, possibly offered as a webstore expansion if not unlocked in this project.  We’ve hit a couple stretch goals already, but I’m most looking forward to the next one as it upgrades the game components…and the one after that offers more unique art.

And that is what first drew me in…the art.  I backed DTDA Game’s Light Hunters: Battalion of Darkness game and was not disappointed.  The art in both games is phenomenal.

Here are a couple quick videos of the art being created…a couple for Light Hunters and a couple for Efemeris:

Right out of the box, the game offers multiple modes of play…from 1 vs 1 duels, 2 vs 2 cooperative teams, to 3-player free-for-all.  A third party has prepared a solo play document that DTDA Games has mentioned making available as a PDF if they don’t unlock their own solo mode.

I like that each nation has a specialty, giving them added flavor.

Anyway, I don’t do a lot of board games personally, but this looks like a lot of fun.  I do enjoy their Light Hunters game…and you can get that game through this campaign as well.

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Just under 32 hours to go…and we’ve unlocked the box and card material upgrade.  A stretch goal I was really hoping for.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dtdagames/efemeris-celestial-domination/

The next stretch goal will add art diversity to the crew cards.  Just need a few thousand dollars more on that front.

 

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So I wake up this morning to see the Efemeris KS has picked up steam in its final hours.  The stretch goal to add additional art to give crew cards greater variety has been hit.

The next goal is to add some additional “expert” game tiles with new mechanics (and a 2nd cotton purse to the Deluxe pledge boxes).

With only 7 hours to go, I’m not sure we’ll snag any other goals, but I’m quite happy with what has been accomplished.  Everything else that has been mentioned as future SGs (additional nations, additional mechanics, additional play formats) could make for good expansion packs.  And it has been mentioned that there might be an add-on for these in the webstore.  But the core game looks to be a solid, polished work right out of the gate with upgraded materials and components.

That’s the purpose of KS in my eyes.  Take a product to the masses and see if you can get the funding to make it better than the base concept.  For Efemeris, that looks like mission achieved!

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