Xia: Legend of a Drift System:

This week I played a great sci-fi board game call Xia. I am a fan of role playing style board games and in a sense this game gives me that feel. It is a sand box game, meaning there are many things you can do, and you can do whatever you want within the confines of the rules.

That is quite a bit and there are many paths to victory (fame). You can be a trader, a pirate, a cruise ship for intergalactic passenger, an explorer, etc. Each one can gain you a win in the game.

This game will not be for everyone. There is a lot of dice rolling and randomness and some times a players turn can take quite a bit of time. The payoff is the freedom and story that is created. Also, while there are many paths to victory it is very clear how you can win.

There are dozens of different ships you can pilot, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and with unique, very cool special abilities. You can upgrade your ship to a different, more powerful model as well as upgrade components like shields, engines, and weapons. There is a little bit of a puzzle aspect to this as the more powerful the part you put in the more room it takes, which will reduce your ability to carry cargo.

In some aspects it reminds me of a space opera version of Merchants and Marauders. Which is great because I love that game too.

Expect a rather long game as well. You can control the length by changing the fame point requirement but to
get the most out of the game you can expect a few hours of play.