By Andrew Dodson on August 15, 2013 at 2:06pm
GenCon is one of the largest gaming conventions in North America, and it's taking place right now in Indianapolis. Being the upstart gaming reviewwebsite that we are, it was right up our alley, and while an official staff writer couldn't make it up there (this year), we still have eyes everywhere. Keep checking back with Player Theory to see our GenCon updates!
Firefly: The Game
The long-anticipated "Firefly" board game was demoed at GenCon this morning. Based on the super cult-hit TV show of the same name - created by Joss Whedon - the game enters the world with some seriously high expectations placed on its shoulders. The game's tagline of "Find a crew. Find a job. Keep flying" certainly seems to be an attempt to keep up with the overall theme of the TV show. But does the game play stack up?
The game can be played with one to four players, each starting with a Firefly-class spaceship. To win, the player must fulfill the goal(s) on the story card that is drawn at the beginning of the game. In order to do that, they have to earn money, keep their ship flying, and make their crew happy. Each round, the player has two actions with which they're allowed to fly, buy, deal, or work.
The "Fly" action moves the player's token around the board. There are different ways to fly; you can take a risky full-burn and move faster across the sectors (but risk drawing the attention of an Alliance or reaver ship) or they can "mosey along" and move slower without the risk or fuel use. The "Buy" action allows the player to purchase needed equipment for their ship, upgrades, or extra crew. They can also use the "Buy" option to send crew members on shore-leave to raise morale. The "Deal" action lets the player make contacts and get jobs - all of which can vary greatly in legitimacy. Lastly, the "Work" action lets the player fulfill whatever job cards they have, utilizing their crew's skill cards and anything else at their disposal.
It is difficult to judge a game strictly on seeing a demo and reading the rulebook. Board games especially need to be played and experienced before any real opinion can be made. Still, it looks like the people at Gale Force Nine really tried hard to make something that would appease the fans of the short-lived series, and Player Theory looks forward to checking out "Firefly: The Game" when it comes out in stores this Fall.
It should be noted that one of the pieces included with the game is a dinosaur marker. A stegosaurus to be more specific. They are really keeping true to the show.
Special Thanks to Jen Carman for taking pictures, checking out the demo, and reporting back!
GenCon Gale Force 9 Firefly: The Game Rulebook Firefly: The Game [Board Game Geek]
