Josiah Leis
United States
Merino
Colorado
I spent 100 GG and all I got was this stupid overtext.....
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If you've read my previous Bullet Point review, you can just skip to the review of the game, I have only changed a few things in the intro and background.
Point of this review
I'm a fan of concise, to the point reviews. I usually read the rules of games I'm interested in online, so I don't usually want a review that delves deeply into the games mechanics or rules systems (though I can appreciate that style of review).
I also don't believe there's such a thing as a truly "objective" review. All of us have different backgrounds, different likes and dislikes and are therefore "subject" to certain pre-formed opinions going into a game. Therefore different games mean different things to different people. There are some games that seem very popular with a large number of different people that I hate. Similarly there are some games that are widely regarded as terrible that I really enjoy.
So what I usually like to see is just a short summary of someone's general thoughts and feelings on the game and what they liked or didn't like about it. But I also realize that sort of information is of only limited use, without knowing how a person generally feels about various games or mechanics.
This all lead to me getting an idea for a type of review, a format that could quickly convey my feelings on a game. But I also realized that I needed to include a short bit of info about myself in order to help people realize where I'm coming from. This review will not get into mechanics and rules, and assumes the reader is at least somewhat familiar with the basic concept of what Space Alert is.
Gaming Background
I grew up in a family that played many Euro and War Games so I'm familiar with and love both of those genres. After I moved out I then discovered the awesomeness that is Ameritrash and started to accumulate a large collection of it. Therefore I have a pretty broad spectrum of games that I like and enjoy playing. I love everything from classic Euros to Light War Games to Heavy "Grognard" Sorts of Wargames, Ameritrash or "Thematic" Games, Party Games, and just about everything inbetween.
The only thing I don't have any experience in is RPGs, I have never played one. I think I'd enjoy them if I tried it, but I don't know anyone who plays them. I also enjoy playing a lot of video games.
Here's a quick list of my feelings toward various games, this list is by no means exhaustive, nor completely precise (i.e. just because I say that I "like" two games, doesn't mean that I like them equally), it is just a quick summary of my feelings toward a few board game titles.
Games I Love 
Descent: Journeys in the Dark, Agricola, Runewars, Conflict of Heroes Series, Taboo
Games I like: 
Arkham Horror, Puerto Rico, Blitzkrieg, Runebound
Games I'm indifferent toward: 
World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game, Power Grid
Games I dislike: 
Scotland Yard, Settlers of Catan
Games I hate: 
Apples to Apples 
So now on to the review of Space Alert.
What I loved about it:
Loads of tension
This game really has an ability to produce dramatic tension when you play it. Due to the tight time constraints and limited number of turns you know that each decision really counts. Not only that but you need to make each decision relatively quickly.
But you can't just be concerned about what you are doing, careful coordination with your teamates is required to succeed. Which can then lead to some rather frantic discussions with them about who is going where and doing what, all the while the computer keeps going off telling you of more problems with the ship.....etc. I'm sure you get the idea.
Suffice to say that the game creates a tight feeling of tension and drama that I really enjoy.
Truly co-operative
I enjoy many different co-operative games. By their very nature however, co-op games are in danger of falling into one of two traps. Either (A) it is so easy that it is obvious to everyone what each person should do next, or (B) the most experienced or outspoken player assumes a natural "leadership" role, which tends to lead to them "playing the game" for everyone.
Space Alert avoids both of these pitfalls by adding it's 10 minute time constraint. If you had infinite time to figure out what to do with all of the threats, it would not be a challenging game. However due to the time crunch you do have to figure things out as you go and very quickly.
This also means you can't micromanage another player's every move. Even if you are experienced and know what they "should" do, you have to leave it up to them, since there is only time for brief discussion. There's enough time to collaberate and work as a team, but too little for one player to examine every other's actions to make sure they are all perfect to a "T". To succeed each person has to pull their weight, all the while working within the greater framework of what the "team" is doing, not lone wolfing it.
Very Short Playtime
I'm not someone who minds long games, but some of the people I game with do. Space Alert can be setup and played in under well under 30 minutes. I'd say most games average 20-25 minutes (10 minutes of the CD track, 10-15 of the Resolution Round to find out what happened and setup).
What I liked about it:
Good introduction of rules to a group
The idea to include a seperate rulebook, one that is meant for an experienced player to read to a group of newbies is brilliant. It is funny, easy to read and understand, and introduces the rules to everyone in stages. This allows players to grasp the concepts and get their feet wet before going to a full-blown mission.
It also allows players to advance at their own pace, only moving onto the next set of rules when they feel ready to. I think this really helped get the game going in my group.
"Just one more game" feeling
Partly because the games are so quick and partly because they are so fun, it is very easy to sit down and play a long string of games in a row. If you've ever played a turn based strategy game (such as Civilization) on the computer that left you with a "one more turn" feeling at the end of each round, that is exactly what Space Alert does for me after each play.
Possible to play solo
This is always a plus for me in games, since I enjoy playing things solo sometimes. I haven't yet actually tried the solo rules, and while I think they would come short of the true Space Alert "experience" the challenge of managing four characters all by yourself does sound very interesting.
Logbook
I wouldn't want this in every game, but I'm very glad it is included in Space Alert. They give you a small logbook to record your games in. Since each game is so quick and it's easy to play them all in a row sometimes you might lose sight of some dramatic or fun moments.
But the logbook really helps you record them, so you can recall your teams great high score, or the time your idiot brother tripped twice in a row to allow the metoer hurtling straight toward the ship to slam into it costing you the game.....not that I'm bitter about that .
Scoring System
I really like that the game gives you a means of measuring your success other than a simple "you failed" or "you succeeded". Obviously you get no score if you fail the mission, but it gives you a method of gauging your success. So you can easily see the difference between the mission when you did everything right and earned 40+ points and the one where you barely managed to survive and had 5.
This also provides an incentive for teams to ratchet up the difficulty and actions like looking out of the porthole (wastes time but earns your team points).
Possible to string missions together
When you have more time to play you can try a "campaign" which is a series of 3 missions strung together. I enjoy that since it can lend some cohesivness to a lengthier session. There is also a bit of a "press your luck" element with the ability to stop or adjust the difficulty level between missions.
The campaign rules aren't complex or intricate, but I'm glad they're included.
Adjustable difficulty
It is very possible to adjust the difficulty up or down depending on your preference. I like this a lot. It really helps keep the game challenging without being overwhelming so you can keep advancing as you master each mission.
What I was indifferent about
Androids
When playing with 2 or 3 people, you have to have extra dummy players setup, called androids. The mechanics for working with them aren't that bad, and I'm glad the rules are included to allow play with fewer than 4 people, but still sometimes I get the feeling when playing with them that the game is really meant for 4 or 5 players.
What I didn't like
Seems to have limited replayability
There aren't a huge amount of Threats included with the game and the CD has only 8 mission tracks. I think it's enough to keep things fresh for awhile, but because games are played so quickly you will get through and see everything the game has to offer pretty darn fast.
Also since every mission is basically beatable if you do everything correctly, I'm worried that once we become good enough the game will no longer challenge us as we're already getting to where we can beat the hardest missions with some regularity.
Still, these fears are somewhat unfounded since I still haven't really played enough to reach this point, I'm just concerned about it. Plus there's an expansion and player created content, which I imagine could help quite a bit.
Could prove challenging to bring a newbie into a game with veterans
Despite the fact that the rules are layed out in a manner that's easy to teach to a group, the reverse seems to be true if introducing a new player to the game. You either have to play through several training missions first (which is boring for the veterans), or throw the newbie into the deep end with the understanding that he will likely get you killed. Plus in the tension of the moment everyone may try to play for him or tell him what to do constantly, which would not be fun.
Still, with a little understanding I'm sure it's possible to bring a newbie into a veteran group, it's just going to take a few "learning games" for it to happen.
Being familiar with the cards helps a lot
Part of the challenge of Space Alert is reading and digesting the information on a threat card as quickly as possible and then relaying that info to your team. Many of the times we've failed at Space Alert it was because we were in too much of a rush to fully read and understand the information on a threat card.
Once you've played a few times though (which won't take long) if you pull up a card you've had before, you instantly know what it does and what mistakes not to make against it. This saves you a lot of valuable time. Bottom line is that if you draw several threats you're familiar with or have seen before, you're going to have a much easier game. Part of this ties into replayability, but to me it is a seperate issue affecting the difficulty of the game.
What I hated about it
Nothing in particular that I can think of.
Bottom line
*drum roll*
I love it! This game is just too much fun and too addictive for me to put into the "like" category. The tension, the feeling of teamwork, the pain of defeat, the elation in victory, it all adds up to an amazing experience for me and the people I play games with.
If you like tension in a game, or you like co-op games but want something where 1 person doesn't just take over, I'd really encourage you to try out Space Alert.
This is my 2nd Bullet Point review, and as such I'm still working on the format. My goal is to quickly convey my feelings about a game in a concise manner. I'm very open to suggestions or comments about the format, thanks for reading!
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Michael J
United States
Folsom
California
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Quote: There aren't a huge amount of Threats included with the game and the CD has only 8 mission tracks. I think it's enough to keep things fresh for awhile, but because games are played so quickly you will get through and see everything the game has to offer pretty darn fast.
There's a really neat mission generator if you think the included missions are too predictable. The generator creates audio files for you that you can play instead of the originals. You'll get 100% variety on when and how often the threats appear. Plus, it's fully configurable for difficulty.
Quote: This is always a plus for me in games, since I enjoy playing things solo sometimes. I haven't yet actually tried the solo rules, and while I think they would come short of the true Space Alert "experience" the challenge of managing four characters all by yourself does sound very interesting.
I tried a couple of solo games, and I got absolutely demolished. I wasn't even close to winning in any of my games. I did have the feeling that it was doable, however. Most importantly, I really enjoyed myself. If you think things get hectic playing with 5 other players, trying playing alone. It's crazy!!!!
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Clayton Helme
United States
Salt Lake City
Utah
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Kartigan wrote:
When playing with 2 or 3 people, you have to have extra dummy players setup, called androids. The mechanics for working with them aren't that bad, and I'm glad the rules are included to allow play with fewer than 4 people, but still sometimes I get the feeling when playing with them that the game is really meant for 4 or 5 players.
There is a really great variant in the files section that has a new board, new rules and is specifically designed for playing with 1-3 people with no androids! It's called the Little Duckling and it is pretty great. As long as you don't mind PnP it's really great. It also uses a free online flash generator to play the tracks.
It's awesome! you should check it out.
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Jacob Russell
Canada
Vancouver
British Columbia
Bullshit!
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Nice review!
I think you'll find that your negatives won't apply. I brought some new players in last week and it was intense fun because even though I could win the original missions with my original group pretty easily now I couldn't do it with new players and we all got to enjoy watching our ship blow to pieces. It was like re-discovering the game all over again through their eyes.
That mission generator is supposedly great, we haven't needed it yet. We just remove all the white threats if we want the game a little harder, and yes, it would be nice to have a few more but it is a nice full package for the price though. Plenty of awesome components.
I am really excited about the expansion which apparently has a pretty cool looking campaign system with leveling up and gaining new abilities.... and little badges to wear too!
The nice thing is that yeah, the game only takes 20 minutes to play but it feels far deeper then most 20 minute games and of course games can go much, much longer because it's tempting to try and carry over from mission to mission. We logged all our plays and tried to see how long we could last. You can string missions together to make it as long as you like (or as long as you can live I suppose). Great game, great designer.
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Max Maloney
United States
Portland
Oregon
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I think the expansion will also dispel any concerns with the game becoming too easy.
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Soren Vejrum
United Kingdom
Richmond
Surrey
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Kartigan wrote:
Seems to have limited replayability
There aren't a huge amount of Threats included with the game and the CD has only 8 mission tracks. I think it's enough to keep things fresh for awhile, but because games are played so quickly you will get through and see everything the game has to offer pretty darn fast.
Also since every mission is basically beatable if you do everything correctly, I'm worried that once we become good enough the game will no longer challenge us as we're already getting to where we can beat the hardest missions with some regularity.
Still, these fears are somewhat unfounded since I still haven't really played enough to reach this point, I'm just concerned about it. Plus there's an expansion and player created content, which I imagine could help quite a bit.
I have not played many times, but I do not think replayability will be a problem.
Although there are only 6 simulation mission and 8 full mission soundtracks, very little of the gameplay and variability is really in the mission soundtracks - the soundtracks are really only fancy timers. You could easily play the same mission multiple times in a row with completely different outcomes. Every game/mission has different, random threat trajectories of different length and with different X/Y/Z threat action triggers. Every game/mission has different, random threats with different stats and actions/attacks and different difficulty levels to choose between. Some threats may be mostly harmless on some trajectories but lethal on others. I think you need to play a huge number of times to master and "solve" the game.
If the base really should get too easy for anyone then simply get the expansion with even more and new "red", very difficult threats and new, more difficult mission soundtracks plus other stuff. The expansion seems suicidal and I may never get good enough to actually play it - apart from the achievements/experience expansion part.
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I spent 100 GG and all I got was this stupid overtext.....
