Geoff/Wizkids Releasing Expanse Game

Fortress Ameritrash regular Geoff Engelstein is teaming up with Wizkids to bring us an Expanse board game. Congrats Geoff!

From the press release I saw on facebook, it used the TV shows current season image. So it looks like it's linked to the television property more so than the novels. Wonder how this will shake out.

As a big Expanse fan, I'm super pumped.

Cool. Any idea on the ETA?

I'm down.

WHAAAAAAAAT?!? Sign me up!

Weird. I was just watching the expanse two days ago in a bingefest. When it was over I was asking myself how this interesting property could be made into a game.

I guess we'll soon find out. Congrats Engelstein!

Thanks! I am very excited about the way this one turned out.

The game is based on the TV series. One of the fun things about doing this project is that I got to go into a locked room, give up my cell phone, and read the season 2 scripts in advance.

Release is targeted for June.

Happy to answer any questions about game play. I can't share art assets yet, but they look really good.

Geoff

So, what's the goal? Does Eros make an appearance? Who do you play as?

Four factions - UN / MCR / OPA / Protogen

Goal is to gain the most points by controlling the 16 bases scattered across the solar system, ranging from Earth to Saturn.

Core to the game is the Action/Event deck. It's similar to Twilight Struggle, but they are located on a track instead of in your hand. Each event can only be done by some of the factions, so being able to trigger events on other players' turns is key. And you can give up points to keep events to use in a later turn - particularly right before you score.

Players use influence on bases (abstractly a combo of political and military influence), and fleets in orbit to determine control. You score up to 6 times during the game, when someone takes a Score card off the track.

In addition to getting flavor from their events, each faction is distinguished by four different abilities. You get one at game start, and then another one after each Scoring round. So the game ramps up in abilities and carnage as it progresses. For example, Protogen's ultimate ability is to use the Protomolecule on bases and remove all influence except their own. The OPA can declare rebellions and remove influence on Outer Planet bases. Mars can start blowing ships up better than anyone.

So it's Twilight Struggle meets El Grande meets space battles.

Geoff

That sounds amazing.

I haven't watched the show or read the books, but I keep seeing commercials for it when I watch Faceoff. Should I be watching it? Is this a question for What TV Shows Are You Watching?

metalface13 wrote: I haven't watched the show or read the books, but I keep seeing commercials for it when I watch Faceoff. Should I be watching it? Is this a question for What TV Shows Are You Watching?

There's a bit of discussion in that thread. IIRC there was a dedicated thread last year as well, we could resurrect it. The show's worth it.

metalface13 wrote: Should I be watching it?

Yes.

^^^^^^^ What Al said.

Also, Geoff, I surely hope that this is a cube game. I know - who'd have expected THAT out of ME. The reason is that the starships on the series are largely uninspired -looking, blocky ships. If there's plastic models on the board, they are what they are, but if they're cubes, I can imagine them to be anything

Influence are cubes, fleets are tokens. Originally fleets were going to be wooden discs, but there are a few special types (MCR battleships and OPA scrap ships), so we swtiched to tokens rather than use stickers.

Artwork on the tokens is abstracted - like what you'd see on a tactical display. So I think they look pretty sharp.

The ship designs in The Expanse definitely choose function over form.

Sounds very promising! I'm interested to see how it plays out. I think a Twilight Struggle vibe works perfectly with the theme.