Wise Wizard Games Star Realms: Deckbuilding Card Game

Wow. I can't say enough good stuff about Star Realms. The game is so simple yet so competitive. The card art is simplistic but perfect. The play is fast and understandable. The setup is quick but meaningful. I think Star Realms has gone down in my personal hall of fame as a top 5. One of the things I like is how different the different races (colors) play from each other. Do you want to be a healer? Do you want to be a minimalist? A card drawer? A Brute? Each has it's own flavor and its own weaknesses and I think that all of it was done to perfection. Game play is extremely simple. Pick some cards, play them, resolve them, and buy some more cards. Next player. What makes the game so wonderful (aside from not being a CCG) is that those few steps, while always being the same, feel so different game by game. I also like that each person will develop a favorite style that you can kind of expect from one player to the next. Makes it feel like you have a "character" and not a group of random cards. Also, the portability is awesome on this game. It's about twice the thickness of a box of bicycle playing cards. This means that you can always throw a copy in with you when you travel. Games are fast with expert players (We can easily get a game in 10 minutes) but it feels tense. I also like that you can expand the number of players by simply buying another deck of cards. We've played with up to 6. I don't think we'd go any more. In conclusion, I think that if you are considering this game, just go for it. Certainly at this price point it's a no brainier. I will say that I think you should get two copies, meaning some other games come up for the decision process in that price point, but in general, I don't think many games can hold up in terms of longevity and overall fun to Star Realms. Games I Love to Play- Galaxy Trucker, Resistance Avalon, Small World, Istanbul, Warhammer Invasion, Caylus, Space Cadets Dice Duel, Eclipse, Caverna, Dead of Winter, Summoner Wars, Sheriff of Nottingham, Seasons, and Cosmic Encounter. Games I'll Play-Settlers of Catan, Dominion, 7 Wonders, Agricola, Mice and Mystics, Race for the Galaxy, Mage Wars, Takenoko, Ticket to Ride, Game of Thrones LCG, Arkham Horror, Splendor, and Smash Up. Games I Won't Play-Power Grid, Memoir 44, Android Netrunner (I know, this one will hurt people), Robinson Crusoe, Lords of Waterdeep, Mage Knight, Pandemic, Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity (I'd list that one 10 times), and Battlelore.

Star Realms is a well designed space themed deck building game where two or more players compete to be the last person with authority points. Note, one deck supports two players, two decks supports up to four players, and three decks supports up to six players. The basic idea of the game is to purchase cards from the trade row of six shown cards (five are random and one is static) to build a deck which can be used to: buy more cards, attack opponents, and draw more cards among other actions. Each player starts with 50 authority points, and when attacked will lose authority, and may gain authority from actions on purchased cards or events (if using the events expansion). The last player with authority wins. With this base version of the game (no expansions) if there are more than two players are several variants which allow for co-op play. One where players team up with other players to beat the other teams, and another "hydra" version where all players are working together to destroy one more powerful player. Unlike many other build-a-deck style games, this game allows players to do most actions in any order. For example if a player has two cards that allow them to draw a card and other cards to spend 10 coin, they can draw a card, buy a some cards, then draw their other card. Or they could draw their two cards first, then spend their money. Or they could spend their money then buy two cards, and so Pros: -Easy to learn. The instructions are fairly minimal and most cards to a good job describing themselves without additional explanation. -Quick games. Once all players have played several games and understand the basic game mechanics a two player game tends to be about a half hour or less. -High quality cards with beautiful detailed graphics -High replay value Cons: The only downside that I have discovered with this game is by the end of a game it can be difficult to keep track of which parts of each card have already been resolved and which parts can still be activated. Personal thought: It seems that there are enough trade cards to support more than two players with one deck but there are not enough authority or starting hand cards (money an attack) to support more so it wouldn't be too difficult to just reduce the number of starting hand cards and count authority via dice or some other means to support more players with one deck. I also own all expansions which each add something worth while to the game if you like the base set. If I had to pick two to buy (hard to pick just one) I would get Events and Gambit. Events adds... you guessed it... event cards to the game. They are shuffled in to the trade deck and randomly pop up during game play. When an event card is revealed its effects are immediately executed. Some hurt everybody, some help everybody, but all effect everybody. Gambit adds solo variances, co-op variances, and cards which can be given to players at the beginning of the game to give them an edge. My wife and I like to use gambits to help players who have been in a slump. On the first game we each start with one random gambit. Every game after the player who most recent won only gets one gambit, but the other player gets one card for each game in a row they have lost since last winning. So if my wife has won the last three games in a row she gets one gambit card and I get four. There are countless ways that these gambit cards can be used like this. Overall I feel that this game is well worth a try. If you are looking for a highly rated inexpensive game definitely give this one a look.

I'm no stranger to deck building games. My boyfriend and I have played Dominion (we dont enjoy it all that much), Ascension, LoTR and DC Comics deckbuilding games. Of these, DC is, when played with the optional Confrontation to steal heroes from one another, our favorite. Or it was. Until Star Realms. This game is everything we look for in card games. Easy to learn. Varied in its strategy. It plays quick and set up and tear down times are all but nonexistent. And every game is different. Most importantly of all, however - this game changes up the deckbuilding formula. Unlike so many "multiplayer solitaire" type games - Dominion, Ascension, etc - Star Reals is built around interaction between players. There are no vicoty points. No collecting things in order to win. Rather, Star Realms sees each player building a fleet of ships and space stations. And each turn, a player attacks the opponent. The first player to reduce their opponent's Authority (health) to Zero wins. Sounds simple enough, and at first blush it is pretty straightforward. But contained within the common deck are four factions: The Blob are an aggressive species who specialize in rushing. Alone their ships are weak; in groups they are extremely powerful. Collecting numerous Blob ships early can end a game fast. The Empire ships are varied in size and power level - and they like to mess with the opponent's hand, often forcing discards. The Federation will draw their controller cards while also restoring authority. And the Machine race will allow players to purge cards from their deck. Each faction features numerous cards which benefit from playing other members of their faction, and every faction has Space Stations, many of which can defend a player and one another from attacks as well as provide special powers to use once per turn. The game is fast, fun, has tons of depths, great art and a coherent, cohesive theme that the game play supports very well. If you're into Deck Building games and longing for something different from an overpopulated and rather stale genre of gaming, you honestly cannot go wrong with Star Realms.

This has usurped Dominion as my favorite deckbuilder. And - it's cheap! (Don't buy it for less than $15, max. Amazon regularly carries it for around $11). For those that don't know what a deckbuilder is - it means both players start with the same cards in their (very small) starting deck, and have to purchase cards (with in-game money as part of their game turn, not real money) from a communal "pot" of cards that will constantly refresh. Those cards will go into the player's deck, making their deck bigger and more powerful. Star Realms has a sci-fi theme at its core, which I do enjoy. It has two resources at its core - money and "authority" (health). Unlike in a lot of deckbuilders, you are actually attacking your opponent in this one. If your health is reduced to zero, you lose. All cards cost money, and there's two varieties of cards you can purchase. You can purchase ships or stations. Ships are played once to get their effect, then they go into your discard pile to be shuffled back into your cards. Stations, however, stay in play until they are destroyed. They have their own health points, and you get their effects every single turn that they stay in play. Some stations even act as walls, forcing your opponent to destroy the station before they can hurt you again. Once destroyed, they go in your discard pile to come back out again later that game. Another mechanic that I greatly enjoyed were the various "fleets". Every ship belongs to one of four factions - Blobs, Machines, Federation, and the Empire. Really, the four factions are Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green. Each ship and station has a certain colored symbol on their card, and most of them have an additional, extra-powerful effect if they are played with another ship or station of the same faction. It encourages players to put some strategy into their decks and focus on a couple factions (I find two is the sweet spot, but every player has their own take on it) instead of just buying whatever. The game itself will take about 20 minutes once you're familiar with the rules and the various effects - probably 40 or so for your first couple of games. Very easy to set up and clean up. This deck works for two players ONLY - but there are a ton of multiplayer rules. Just pick up a second set and you can do four players, or a third set and you can do six. Ultimately, this is a very easy deckbuilding game to teach, fantastic for two player, and is well worth the money.

Star Realms is an outstanding two-player deck-building card game. From conception to execution, this is a first-rate product. My son and I enjoy it as much as Dominion, maybe even more so due to the sci-fi theme and the faster playing time. I like the fact that you play your entire hand each turn and can spend all credits played, instead of having to decide on a single "action" and "buy." I also like the aggressive, attack-based mechanics (you are trying to reduce your opponent to zero Authority, whereas in Dominion you are trying to accumulate the most Victory Points). The various factions (Empire, Blob, Machine, Federation) have beneficial interactions when you play two or more, but you can't limit yourself to just one faction or you'll miss out on key attributes unique to each faction. You really get a sense of escalating power as you acquire the most expensive cards. Outpost bases function like "taunt" cards and provide you with a certain level of protection...for a time. Eventually, though, firepower escalates and you can wipe your opponent out in one devastating turn if the right cards come your way. In that sense, Star Realms (like all deck-building games) has a fairly strong luck component -- you need to be able to buy the right cards at the right time (trashers early in the game; bases ASAP; and high-powered attack cards mid- to late-game). There is more luck in Star Realms than Dominion because in Dominion the Kingdom supply is fixed and fully available to all; in Star Realms the supply is five cards replenished by the deck at random as soon as one is purchased. But don't think for a minute that luck is the primary factor -- try playing on-line against experienced opponents and you will see how good strategy trumps luck 90+% of the time. If I could have one wish as to game mechanics, it would be to have the power to "Scrap" (trash) an opponent's card from time to time. Instead, the best you can do is send them to their discard pile, so you will see them again (and again and again). The artwork is top-notch, but it would be nice if the cards were printed on stronger stock. I wouldn't say the cards are flimsy, but I can see them getting worn down over time (and one we already bent underfoot when it accidentally wound up on the floor). Can more than two people play? Yes...sort of. This basic deck only has enough starting cards (Scouts and Vipers) for two players. So you either need to modify the starting conditions for 3+ players, or buy multiple decks. But the rules come with multiple suggestions as to how to play multiplayer up to six. Sounds like a blast (pun intended?)!

Bought this because I wanted to get into deck building games and I was NOT disappointed. I love this game. This version isn’t for solo. I’d recommend SR frontier. That has a solo version. Overall a fun and easy game that doesn’t have you overthinking at all.

I'm a big fan of deck builders like dominion and thunderstone and I've played more than my fair share of magic the gathering over the years... There are many things to like about this game such as it's quick 20 minute gameplay, streamlined iconography without ridiculously wordy cards, fantastic art, player interaction, and excellent theme... But unfortunately the cards are not very balanced. Some cards are way too cheap for the crazy things they're able to accomplish. It's also difficult to put together a single faction strategy or even a purely double faction strategy if the cards in the middle don't allow you to do so. So while all deck builders have an element of luck in that you shuffle and have to draw Star Realms' Central trade row for buying cards adds another layer of luck that can be frustrating. I've played about 20 games so far with this set and I've been a bit disappointed at the unevenness of the matches. Well it does seem that the better player generally wins, they usually win by a landslide. I wish the games were more nailbiting down to the wire type affairs. All of that said I have already ordered the extra cards here on Amazon as well as pre-ordered all of the crisis expansion packs. The game is great but I hope future sets will correct some of these imperfections.

This game is a blast! If you are a fan of Magic the Gathering this game will feel very familiar! The game was actually created by two MTG world champions and it shows in similar game mechanics. I would recommend this game for people who enjoy strategy and/or collectable card games. This game does require some focus and paying attention and would probably not be well suited for large parties where people like to jump in and out of play. Stick to poker for those game nights. Pros: -Fun Game -Easy to learn -No need for costly cards or "Pay to Win" -Nice blend of chance/strategy Cons: -Can be slightly repetitive -Multiplayer game rules not 100% clear(must buy multiple full game sets to obtain 15-20 cards from the set. One set's ship pile is used not both from what I can tell) Differences between this and MTG: -All players start with same starter deck. There is no pre-building -Very few cards are persistent between turns -Drawing occurs at the end of players turns -Phases are blended(you can attack multiple times and buy ships at any point on your turn up until you draw) -Decks are "built" from a shared trade row that is accessible for all players -Card cost is resolved at time new cards are acquired and not when they are played -Card cost is paid once only -There are no player actions off turn(no instants etc...) Secret Tip: There is a an iPad/PC/Android app that has a free demo. The game is much easier to understand with the actual cards but the demo will at least give you a taste of the mechanics.

Partiamo dalla consegna. Tutto ok, Amazon solita garanzia. Arrivato nei tempi; personalmente ritirato all'ufficio postale, modalità che consiglio a tutti se hanno vicino casa un ufficio aperto post 18. Andiamo al gioco: deckbuilding fantastico. Detto che altre recensioni hanno spiegato abbastanza bene le regole, faccio comunque un breve recap. Fondamentalmente le meccaniche sono quelle dei vecchi giochi di carte collezionabili MA non si necessità di acquisti di bustine per costruire il mazzo. Comperando il mazzo base si ha tutto quello che serve per giocare in 2 (in realtà anche in 4 con qualche piccola modifica - google è vostro amico ;) ). I mazzo va "costruito" al volo. Entrambi partono con un mazzo di 8 navi che valgono una "moneta", e 2 che valgono 1 "attacco". Al centro del tavolo, la trade row: 5 carte (+1, sempre acquistabile) che il giocatore può "acquistare" tramite le "monete" giocate durante il turno. Le carte acquistate vanno sul mazzo degli scarti; quando si finisce il mazzo di pesca, si rimescolano gli scarti per creare quello nuovo (e quindi le carte acquistate sono disponibili ad essere pescate). Per tutti i dettagli vi rimando al sito del gioco, aggiungo solo che le carte (basi e navi) sono di 4 fazioni differenti, tutte con le proprie peculiarità. La componente fortuna, trattandosi di carte, è media (anche se la scelta delle carte da inserire nel mazzo è quasi totalmente ad appannaggio ai giocatori) La lingua è in inglese, ma al massimo saranno 3-4 parole in tutto da imparare ("draw", "scrap", "discard" "hand"). Consiglio le bustine di qualità medio-alta per le carte, visto che in una partita si rimescolano anche una 10-15ina di volte. Unico difetto: alle carte per segnare i punti autorità (ovvero i punti vita del gioco) preferisco un semplice foglio di carta. Acquisto consigliato, soprattutto se cercate un gioco per 2 rapido ma profondo.

Though there are an assortment of expansions for this Trading Card Game out there, you don't NEED any of them; this base set has all you require for a fully functional game. That said, I would recommend pairing it with the 'Colony Wars' expansion for a much-expanded experience. The game as played by the rules - assorted variants for assorted numbers of players are given in the provided rule sheets - is fun and reasonably easy to learn and get used to. However, I find one of the best things about it to be the fact that you can very easily come up with your own rules and your own game. The cards almost beg you to do so, in fact. (I've made various custom dice and tokens for it). The set consists of cards (with some very nice artwork) belonging to four factions vying to colonize and expand within the universe. The organic, so-called 'Blob' faction - whose rather beautiful bio-craft mostly look like weirdly mutated sea creatures - the Trade Federation, essentially just out to make a profit, the Machine Cult, mechanistic and more or less robotic, and the warmongering Star Empire... Totally love the Blob faction myself. The cards portray both spaceships for each faction and bases (planetary and orbital), each faction having different strengths but being basically evenly matched. Trade and alliances between factions can be fostered, as well as just trying to blast each other to perdition. The set also contains some cards featuring unaligned vessels that can be captured and employed by any faction - or used a space pirates or such, depending how you customize the game. There are also score cards. A cheap option as opposed to some TCGs (at the time of writing) and excellent value for money. A highly adaptable sci-fi TCG. With this and the Colony Wars Set, there's great scope for galactic adventure.

Un sencillo Deck Builder. Se juego rapidisimo, tiene buena tactica y es muy facil de transportar ya que todas las cartas del juego caben en la caja. Viene con muchas cartas para jugar a gusto hasta 2 personas. Las expansiones te permiten introducir mas gente. Es una excelente implementacion de un juego PvP/Pelea con mecanica de Deck Builder.

Fun game which can be played in 15-20 minutes. Seems complicated at first but really easy to get into, especially with all the youtube videos out there and the free app (with in-app purchases). There is a fair bit of luck involved but strategy certainly plays a role too.

The game is super fun and fast paced. Good quality and nice variety of cards to play. Each game comes down to the last turn or two, a nail-biter every time! Highly recommended!