*Note: I was sent a prototype version of this game to play, and as such, the components and rules may change before the final release.
As a long-time video game player, I have never entirely understood or grasped the allure of playing a board game solo, with my issue always revolving around the setup part of board games. I really don’t want to go through a long process to set up a game just for myself when I could simply play a video game (gotta get that instant gratification and all). But after I was approached about trying a prototype of the upcoming small-box, solo-only, science-fiction board game Voidpilot’s Legacy from Sea Stories Creative Studios LLC, I figured I would give it a shot. After a few plays, I came away pretty impressed, albeit with some aspects I’d love to see adjusted before its final release.
Designed by Alex and Skylar Gurly, with art by Abram Buck, Voidpilot’s Legacy puts you in the captain’s chair of a starship that has to succeed—and survive—through eight “runs” of the game’s event deck. The game makes you feel like a captain as you allocate energy to different parts of your ship, balancing risk versus reward and ensuring you keep everything in check.
A game consists of completing eight “runs,” all culminating in a final big fight against the Pirate Lord. Each run tasks you with navigating nearly 20 events. These events range from finding work at a space outpost, salvaging life pods, and even dealing with contraband or fighting off space pirates. As you progress, these event cards will upgrade and change, with higher-level runs sending more formidable ships your way or requiring better rolls to succeed (along with higher risks). You’ll need to ensure your ship improves to meet these new challenges. Completing events earns you rewards that can be used for repairs, hiring crew (crew can be sacrificed to reroll your dice), loot cards that enhance your ship, and more. It all results in a pretty robust solo experience. However, I wish there was more variety in the duplicate cards—perhaps if rewards were slightly different, had an option for upgraded variants, or if runs included a random assortment of fewer cards. Even after playing it, the prospect of going through almost 160 cards to complete a game feels like a lot.
One neat aspect of the game is that, depending on the number of victory points you gain by the end of a successful game, you “unlock” perks that you can use in your next run. These perks offer bonuses, like increasing the amount of fuelyou start with or gaining additional rewards in early missions, which are fun. But at the same time, if you’re proving how good you are at the game, I would like to see “rewards” that increase the challenge. If I kick butt and earn the “Legendary Voidpilot” title by scoring 70+ points, I probably don’t need the extra perk of being able to clear my “Wanted” status at any time by spending a resource. What if, instead, I was “Wanted” for the whole game and couldn’t clear my name at all, making things more difficult for me and forcing me to contend with the authorities?
My biggest issue with the game isn’t with the mechanics themselves but with how the game is presented. Realizing that the copy I played is a prototype, this could (and hopefully will) change in the final release, but I found it far more confusing than it needs to be to set up and figure out what things are. Cards are double-sided, with most also having top-side and bottom-side versions packed with different icons: icons for rewards, success and failure criteria, victory points, how to turn the card, the proper orientation, and more. Without a rulebook in the box (I really hope the final release fixes this and includes one), I had no idea what I was looking at for a good bit. Even after reading the rules via the QR Code on the box, it was tough figuring out what needed to be mixed in, what I needed to keep aside, and what got shuffled in. I would love it if each of the different cards featured even a slight specific-colored border to dictate what they are (i.e., silver border for your ship options, blue for events, gold for loot, etc.), which would make it easier to identify things at a glance.
I’m still not entirely sold on the idea of playing a board game solo, at least larger ones, but Voidpilot’s Legacy has shown me the value of small and compact ones. For a game that comes in a box not much bigger than a modern cell phone box, Voidpilot has impressed me with its options and variety. Even when fully set up, it’s a game that can fit on a bar hightop or coffee table, and with full games never taking me longer than 45 minutes, it’s a solid choice if you’re looking for something fun to kill time with. This game has earned its place in my backpack, so I’m always ready to set out into the stars when the mood strikes me. Voidpilot’s Legacy launches soon on Kickstarter, so check it out or watch a recent playthrough the team did to see if this adventure may be for you, too!