Thursday Games: Space Pirates

This week we'd like to introduce you to one of the new additions to our catalog. It's Space Pirates , from the Hungarian board game brand Marbushka . It's a brand with a super-meticulous aesthetic, which, like all board games, features beautiful and captivating handmade illustrations by Beatrix Bohony, the brand's creator. The box contains all the materials to play: the board, the 20 treasure tokens, 2 dice (one colored and one numbered), 4 spaceship tokens, another 4 with their corresponding pirate pilots, and a cotton bag to store the dice and the treasures. This game can be played with 2 difficulties, for children from 4 years old, and from 5 years old, or for experienced pirates who want to take a little more risk! 4 to 99 years 2 to 4 players 10 minutes

Rating: (1-5)
Mental calculation	**	Luck	***
Tactic	*****	Suspense	*
Skill	**	Strategy	****
Memory	*	Visual agility	**

This game enhances logical reasoning and attention. It improves language skills and expands vocabulary. It has two difficulty levels, so you can play with the little ones to get them hooked, and later play in the advanced mode, which is more risky, but also more exciting!

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Preparations: Place the board in the center of the table. The numbered die goes in the Bang! area of ​​the board so you always have it located; place a treasure token on each of the 20 planets (all face down and without seeing where each one is placed), and choose a ship and a space pirate. In easy mode, the pirate only serves to show the others what you're all about. Finally, place the ships in the spaceport in the center of the board. How do you play? The goal is to collect as much treasure as possible. To do so, take turns rolling the colored die to fly to other planets.

• If you roll a color: The color of the die indicates the type of fuel you're fueling your ship with. You can only travel to planets connected to yours along the path of that color. When you reach an unexplored planet, collect the treasure without letting others see what's inside and keep it for yourself. It might have superpowers!
• If you roll an asteroid: Caution! Space weather conditions advise postponing the launch! (You lose your turn.) However, if you already collected treasures with superpowers, you can use them to leave your planet and continue your space journey.

What happens if you roll a fuel color you can't use because you don't have roads of that color? Check your treasures. If you're lucky, you'll be able to use them to continue your journey. However, once you've used them, you must leave them face up and can't use them more than once. Explanation of the treasures:

• Non-superpowered treasures: Even if you can't get your hands on them due to asteroids or a lack of suitable fuel, they are worth 1 point at the end of the game.
• Spaceship: As long as you haven't rolled an asteroid field, you can use this ship to travel to any other planet, whether you have fuel or not, or even if it's several planets away from your current one. If the asteroid field has rolled, you can't use it. Use this superpower wisely, as it's most useful at the end of the game when treasure is low.
• Multi-color fuel: This is a special dye that allows you to transform your fuel into any color you need.
• Asteroid: This is a force field that allows you to travel, even if you rolled an asteroid field. This way, you can travel to any neighboring planet of the one you're currently on.
• Bang: The most powerful of treasures. You'll use it in battle to beat any result of your opponent's die (even a "six") and you'll win... unless your opponent "spends" another bang, and then you tie.

Pirate Battle! If more than one pirate is on the same planet, you'll have no choice but to fight. The last player to reach the planet first uses the numbered die from the "Bang!" zone. If more than one player is already on that planet, the last player to choose who to fight. You'll roll the die, and the player with the highest number wins the battle and can steal treasure from the loser. In the event of a tie, you'll make peace, and everyone will be happy. When does the game end? The moment the last treasure is collected from the last planet, it will be time to count the treasures, and the player who has collected the most treasures will be the Winning Pirate!! Variation for experienced or older players: In advanced mode, the game is played the same as before, but with some differences:

• Treasures: Treasures that are used are lost and do not count at the end of the game.
• Suspension Bridges: Pirate pilots are used in this mode. Pirates always ride alongside the ship and are used to abandon the ship on one planet and travel to another via suspension bridges to collect treasure. If you do so, you must return to your ship on the next turn (you use this to move the pilot token to the planet where your ship is located).
• Battle: If you land on a planet with an empty ship, no problem; there's no battle. However, if your pilot travels across a suspension bridge to a planet with another pilot, there will be a battle! (Using the usual rules)

When does the game end? As before, when there are no more treasures left to collect, a treasure count will be conducted. Keep in mind those used during the game so you don't count them, and whoever collects the most wins! Did you like this game? We found it original, fast-paced, and entertaining in both versions. You can play it right here .