Author: Technoheaven

consider this question: "Where do you hope to be in 400 years?"

Cosmic Encounter

=> BoardGameGeek PLUS 7 Expansions (in order of release – first three add a player):
=> Incursion // Conflict // Alliance // Storm // Dominion // Eons // Odyssey
=> 2pg Rules Summary (not Len’s though) with Added Reference Card
=> Quick Start Guide (Official Comic Style)
=> Core Game Rulebook (Official) 2018
=> Rulebook (official) 2008 (some say it’s better)

=> Master Alien Selector v7 Spreadsheet (make a copy for yourself) / or BGG Master Aliens Selector v7 Color Coded – List PDF (Helps Choose Aliens)
=> Alien Database (figures someone would do this:)
=> Alien Sheets / Alien Tips (Fandom Wiki)
=> 3D printing planets for the game (an article about doing it – VERY time consuming) / video of them

=> Len’s Alien List v5 Color coded (2 columns per page color coded by alert AND expansion)

=> Play Online (web based)

=> Select an Alien by number (1-238) [repeat if needed]

How to play each Alien (for and against):

=> Base Game
=> Cosmic Incursion
=> Cosmic Alliance
=> Cosmic Conflict
=> Cosmic Dominion
=> Cosmic Storm
=> Cosmic Eons
=> Cosmic Odyssey

=> Video playlist

Great Overview plus How To Play:

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Vantage

=> BoardGameGeek
=> Annotated Rulebook v20
=> Official Player Aid Reference Card
=> Lens 1 page Rules Summary Vantage v2
=> Errata (mistakes on the cards) – see end of this article)

=> RulePop (includes the errata and easy to use storybook entries)

=> Vantage Locations Checklist (v2 with room for journal notes)
=> Log Your Journey (location by location) Thin Columns
=> Vantage Travel Journal (lots of room for journaling along with location number space plus print single sided so spiral bound has alternating blank pages)

=> Video playlist
=> Several videos about things we may be playing wrong (officially recommended)
=> Background Music for Vantage

From the designer: Vantage is primarily designed to reward curiosity, observation, and shared knowledge (either with other players or with yourself from previous plays). It is a rewarding, abundant game, not a punishing game; if you pay attention, use your eyes, and discuss what you see and have seen, the game will reward you. [ie, you ALWAYS succeed when you try something … it’s just that the COST to have done it can be minor or MAJOR:) ]

Tip: Games may be harder with fewer players. However, with 4, 5 or 6 players there is quite a bit of lag before you get your turn again!

It is possible to add in or drop players to a game in progress. To add in . . . just like another escape pod landed on the planet, treat them like additional player in start up, and have them land on the planet and add 2 more black dice to the game.

Overview (queued to summing up the game – if you like it, go back to the beginning for his overview of playing the game)

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Rolling Realms (Redux)

This is a game that is a collection of MANY mini roll and write games! Rolling Realms comes with 12 mini games. Then the Redux edition adds 12 more. Plus there are many mini game packs that you can add to the game. There already are over 100 mini games in the Rolling Realms universe!

IMPORTANT NOTE!

I now have a full 70 page website for this game!
=> MyRollingRealms.wordpress.com

BoardGameGeek => Rolling Realms // Rolling Realms Redux
Official Website => Rolling Realms Packs
Rules, Realms, FAQ => RollingRealms-promo-rulebook

=> Rolling Realms Info Cards (base game-ALL) [Len’s cards]

=> Over 200 Video Play throughs

=> Video playlist

Overview:

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Tsuro Luxury Edition

Only 978 copies of the Luxury Edition of Tsuro were pre-ordered three years ago. I was one of them. Why not more? Well… very likely the cost! Total cost of the game plus tax and shipping (for me) was almost $450! [note: 1,200 games were produced]

=> Kickstarter // Calliope Games Announcement
=> Art Director Article
=> Spotlight on the metal dragon pawns
=> Quick Guide (official)
=> Len’s v2 Rules Summary Tsuro Luxury (Standard)
=> Lens v4 Phases Cards (Important – I use them in every game) v4
=> Variants (placed at the bottom of this page)

Now, 3 years later, Calliope Games was investigating how to ship these heirloom quality games to avoid having them damaged. And the damage they were trying to avoid was more than simply damage to the box that the game was packed in for shipping. It seems that the wood itself is quite sensitive to temperature changes. So Calliope wanted to TEST shipping methods to find the best way. After all, they were charging $78 as shipping costs for one game. They are doing test shipments to 11 people in April 2025. I am one of them!

As part of the test shipment group, I was give specific instructions on what to do when I received the game (and signature was required on delivery too). Instructions included NOT opening the box for FIVE DAYS! True! Here are that portion of the instructions:

Your game box is carved from natural wood and has been inspected for damages and flaws before shipping. The game box has been shrink wrapped to allow for a slow acclimation to your environment. Once you receive your game, please bring it into your home and allow it to sit for 5 days before opening the box and removing the shrink wrap. We do understand this is very hard, since you have waited so long to get this beautiful game in your hands. Failing to take this essential step will put your wooden box at risk of splitting.

Wood splitting as an issue for a board game got my attention. I looked online about this, and perhaps this webpage shines a light on it (even thought it is not about a wooden board game box):
=> exoticwoodzone.com/blogs/e/how-to-avoid-wood-cracking

Actually, I almost missed their instruction to NOT open the box for five days (I’ve never had that request from any other game company). But, fortunately, I DID notice their warning and the box sat under a table in our family room for seven days before I opened it.

Part 1 (taking it out of the shipping box):

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