Category: Base game
They came to this planet, and they chose you. They uplifted your people and promised great prosperity. They provided the wisdom and the resources to build your cities sky high. They taught you the ways of culture, science, and warfare. They promised knowledge for any willing to learn.
The way the resource and wisdom tracks feed into your city-building choices kept all four of us leaning over the table the whole game. Our group usually drifts during longer strategy titles but nobody checked out once. The uplift theme actually comes through in how you grow your people.
First playthrough took us nearly three hours because nobody wanted to stop building once the alien tech started unlocking. The way your city literally grows skyward as you earn their favor is such a satisfying loop. Already planning a second game with a different strategy.
The way the game weaves the alien backstory into every mechanic is brilliant—you genuinely feel like you're building a civilization under their watchful eye. I've already played three sessions back-to-back and the city-building decisions keep getting more interesting.
