Beyond Solitaire
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Articles
  • Podcast
  • Solo Reviews
  • Solo Gaming Links
  • Work With Me

Game Review: Star Realms

12/2/2016

4 Comments

 
PictureAll that wear on the box corners is proof of my love!
I enjoy board games of almost all kinds, but I have a special love for deck builders. While the mechanical challenges of a game like Dominion appeal to me, there are fortunately other deck builders out there that play faster, are more aggressive, and have more theme. One such game is Star Realms. 

Star Realms is not a complicated game: It's a fun, quick deck builder for two players, or for one if you purchase a small expansion. You play as space empires trying to expand your intergalactic authority, and your goal is to attack each other until one of the players has gone from 50 authority points to 0. Players buy cards off of a center row that is replenished from the draw pile after each purchase. There are four different factions to choose from when buying cards, and it's highly satisfying to create combinations with them. Your cards are also a combination of bases and ships. Ships generate money or attack power, while bases are permanent cards that sit in your display until they are defeated (while also providing many gameplay benefits). Outposts are particularly useful, because once you have placed one, your opponent cannot directly attack you until they have destroyed it. 

In addition to its standard two-player mode, Star Realms offers some solo scenarios. The two that I have played, Pirates of the Dark Star and Nemesis Beast, come from the Gambit expansion pack (N.B.: this is different from another expansion called Cosmic Gambit, so be careful when you buy!). In both cases, you are playing against an AI opponent. After your turn, the "opponent" eliminates the right-most card on the center row. Based on the faction of the card that is drawn to replace it, your AI opponent will perform a different action. I thoroughly enjoy both scolo scenarios, either when I want to experiment with different faction combinations or when I want to relax on a weekday evening. 

Star Realms is not necessarily a game for the ages. It's not particularly deep, and the solo scenarios can be challenging but not overly so. But there is something really magical about this game. Star Realms is quick and satisfying, and you will get a lot of plays out of one small box. (It's also inexpensive. I paid about $10 for the game and another $4 or so for the Gambit expansion). While many solo games take a while to set up, I can begin playing  Star Realms within minutes and play several rounds at a leisurely pace over the course of an evening. It's also one of the few games my boyfriend will always be in the mood to play, and it's small enough for us to take out to a coffee shop. In fact, I often leave Star Realms in my bag, just in case we have an opportunity to play it.

If you like deck builders, space themes, and fun games to play with a partner, then I definitely recommend Star Realms. You will get a lot out of it for the size and price, and it's probably ended up being one of my most-played games. And there is still more of it for me to explore: I want to acquire the other two official Star Realms solo scenarios, as well as try out some of the homebrew ones that have been posted on Board Game Geek. 

4 Comments
Jan link
5/4/2017 12:56:25 am

Hi,
Thanks for the review.
I'm curious which solo-scenario's do you know?

I'm familiar with Nemesis and Pirates.

Kind regards,

Jan

Reply
Liz link
5/4/2017 04:22:53 am

Those are the two scenarios that I have played, but I think there are a couple more out there.

Reply
Jan link
5/5/2017 03:04:08 am

I know about 'the replciators', 'the shadows' and 'smashmechs of scarbos'.
All three of them are fan-made / unofficial.

Reply
Ralf
10/6/2020 05:07:29 pm

Hi, the solo boss card system i never really liked. Now i made a solo bot for Star Realm ( it is on Boardgamegeek ). For me it's more fun again a "like a player" acting solo AI.

kind regards
Ralf

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    My name is Liz Davidson, and I play solo board games. A lot of solo board games...
    ​
    YouTube:
    Beyond Solitaire
    Twitter:
    @beyondsolitaire
    Instagram: 
    @beyondsolitaire
    Facebook: 
    @beyondsolitaire

    Archives

    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All
    Apps
    Books
    Commentary
    Conventions
    Education
    Fun
    Game Accessories
    Kickstarter
    Movies
    Podcasts
    Reviews
    Video Games
    YouTube

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Articles
  • Podcast
  • Solo Reviews
  • Solo Gaming Links
  • Work With Me