As we get closer to Xmas, we have many among you, asking, neigh, wanting some ideas for gifts! Well we have asked our good friends at many places, to suggest a few bits that might be worth considering! Our friends at Kosmos have sent us NOOBS IN SPACE, for your consideration!
NOOBS : IN SPACE
Player 3 – 5 (4 works best) / Ages 10+ / Length 40 minutes the whole thing
Space, the final frontier. You are a part of a spaceship crew having to do all you can to get the working day done and have some fun, while you are at it! The ship is, well seemingly being held together by bits of string, glue and Sellotape.
THE GAME
Leading into the game, you have a very easy to understand, 5 card set up. These instructions, alongside a well written booklet, grant players the step by step process that allows it to progress. The group have cards dealt to them from numbers on the back of them. So at the first level, all level one cards are used. Each has another number on the actual card, for order of read and this also explains items and steps for players. You then must cooperatively solve task after task, working together, using items, logic and guile to solve each step. Now each player only knows a small part of the solution, with one player having the resources, while another only has the necessary information. Since the cards are not allowed to be shown to each other, there must be a lot of clear communication and interaction by describing or reading out cards in order to gradually find out what should be done. Do it right! Starship success. Do it wrong! Things are gonna go like SpaceX….
THE REVIEW
It is not incorrect to say that NOOBS is really a game of co operation. It is far more a game of assertion and acceptance. These can be hard sells. In family settings, its hard for younger players and in friends it depends on teams and temperaments. Players work together solving tasks, after task with their skillset challenged and under time constraints. We in the office loved it. Others have hated it because you have a weak link and it undermines every decision. This is rather bleak way to view the game and should not be ignored, more objected to. For us the game ironed out this kink by being intelligently interactive.
The game has few rules, and they are explained directly in the game in an introductory level, so you can start right away and players always grasp what they need do. Where we found a problem was in its lack of replay ability. The game is a linear process and we found that once started it gets over in one sitting but can be laboured (note that we said it took 40 mins, as the box says 15 mins. ) We suggested this because of levels and how some can be very weighed down by conversations and communications.
The comment made above is not to dismay people. Cooperative it is, easy-to-learn it is, varied, it has little bits of that. It might not be the perfect card game for a fun and exciting game night, it is more a game that should be played by game friends. One final thought. The game is not repayable once finished. The idea behind is that it will be regifted but I for one am a little unhappy with this idea, if you are paying so much for it.
BUY NOW
https://www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk/product/noobs-in-space/
HOW TO PLAY
