Publisher
Arvis Games
45-90
minutes
€50
cost
2-4
players
Game overview
In USC: Reach, you're going to build a strong crew through deckbuilding to eventually land on a distant planet!
At the beginning of a round, you may always secretly assign your crew to different parts of your ship. This crew determines the order of play and which missions you can complete. Because this is done in secret, it may be that other players are going for the same mission. If you have the most symbols in a particular part of the ship, you may choose first. For missions you need a certain strength in parts of the ship, for example 7 red symbols and 5 green. As the game progresses the missions become more and more difficult. Also for the final landing mission you are going to need this crew. So make sure you keep an eye on the landing requirements, otherwise you might just fail the mission!
By completing missions, you gain experience and can upgrade your crew or ship. For example, you can upgrade a junior scientist to a mid-scientist which makes that same card worth 1 blue symbol more. This makes it increasingly easier to complete missions. After playing 9 rounds you must complete your landing mission and any side missions. At the end of the game, you add up your points and the player with the most points wins!
Our thoughts
If you've been following us for any length of time, you know that we love deckbuilding. Deckbuilders that look nice, know how to grab our attention very quickly. USC: Reach is such a deckbuilder! The artwork looks nice and the space theme is also nice to see. We were very curious about this game!
USC: Reach picks up the popular mechanism deckbuilding, but still manages to turn it into something new. It does this by, for example, adding closed drafting. This means that you do not know which mission other people are going for. It could therefore just be that someone will steal a mission from you. USC: Reach feels like a fresh game of high quality. The game is well put together, contains clear rules and beautiful components. In addition, the gameplay is challenging and engaging. The game managed to capture our attention and did not let go during play. This is because USC: Reach plays smoothly. A game of USC: Reach does not take too long. In fact, sometimes it ends before you realize it. When a game can give you that feeling, you know it's right!
The theme of USC: Reach is carried through nicely. The artwork is appropriate, and the actions make sense. It's fun to expand your crew and pass the various missions. While playing USC: Reach you really feel like you are in the world the game wants to portray. A cool, thematic challenge in space! What more could you ask for?
Pros and cons
+ Exciting and engaging
+ Plays quickly
