Stars of Akarios

*Stars of Akarios* is a solid pick for anyone into story-driven, co-op board games with a sci-fi edge. The game blends elements from *Gloomhaven* and *X-Wing*, offering quick and strategic space combat that’s fun without being too complex. You’ll spend a lot of time positioning your ship just right for the best advantage, and the planet exploration adds a nice change of pace, letting you dive into the story a bit more. The components are top-notch—detailed miniatures, vibrant artwork, and some really handy game trays for organizing all the pieces (though they don't quite fit sleeved cards). Each scenario runs about 30-40 minutes, which keeps things moving along nicely. Sure, there are a few minor hiccups, like some typos in the rulebook, but nothing that an online FAQ can’t fix. Overall, if you love co-op games, sci-fi themes, and a mix of action and exploration, *Stars of Akarios* is definitely worth checking out.

I tried twice to purchase this through Amazon and both times it was packed in a box too big for it with little to no packing material and both times it arrived with the game box seams split all the way up to the corners and the corners smashed from transport. I feel bad for the seller, cause it was a shipping problem. So super bad experience there. Ended up getting a used copy through a buy/sell group, and was pretty disappointed. It is ambitious, and takes big swings, and is nipping at the heels of great. A lot of the framework is copied from Gloomhaven, but only the superficial stuff, like character sheets and conditions and items, not the fun combat or varied character builds. The space combat (most of the game) is straightforward-cosplaying-as-nuanced and insufferably dull. The crux of it is positioning and dice rolls, but your movements are of limited variety and the enemies move on randomized AI decks so you never really feel too much control over what’s happening. Items and skills do little to genuinely affect the flow of battle. Planet exploration (much less of the game) I found quite a bit stronger, and was what I’d hoped 7th Continent was going to be. Exploration is interesting, skill checks are meaningful, dice rolls are tense and require push your luck consideration. If that was the whole game I would’ve been way more into it. Story I thought was pretty compelling and well executed. I was hooked there, but after the first act I just couldn’t bring myself to set up another space map and slog through it to find out what happens. Worth trying and appreciating the things it does well (most things actually), but when the core of the game is the worst part it’s hard to fully recommend.

Overall, It's fun and has many different play styles. There are some minor issues, like some typos in the rules. Luckily I went online and found an FAQ. The space combat reminded me of X-Wing, but less complex. The space battles are simple, focusing on dice rolls and position, and the planet exploration is exciting. The story is interesting, and the combat is fun. Overall, it's still a good game for those who like space themes. I really liked that this game is cooperative, because then I was able to work together with my family.

First, others have reported their box arrived broken, and so did mine. The contents are too heavy for the box - they need to make a sturdier box. Second, this seems like a bargain right - less than the Kick Starter promotional amount. It is V1.0, and they're already up to V2.0. But if it's something you want to try, this is currently very affordable. Ok so this was an interesting game but not quite as expected. I feel the creators are avid board gamers who are fans of Gloomhaven, X-Wing, and The 7th Continent, and thought they could come up with something better. But it seems their main focus was making more scenarios in the scenario book. They include 130+ scenarios (which you'll never go through all of them), and didn't focus enough on tightening up the other aspects of the game. The enemy is not that menacing. The ships are cool, but they're also kindof generic - they could have come out of Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, etc. The backstories are a bit trope'ish. They have fun stories and explorations but they didn't really create their own universe. And as others have mentioned, there are some typos and errors. They call this a roleplaying game, but I would simply call it a cooperative board game with moderate complexity. That's not to say it's not a fun game. The cards, dice, pieces, boards, artwork - all are really good quality. I like that you can play it in short bursts, and have the option for solo play. I like that it's accessible to kids. And I like that it's engaging - it's not simply a cooperative game, it also has negotiating among players, alliance-building, conflict resolution, etc. There are three scenarios in the game - (1) the space combat, (2) ground exploration, and (3) space exploration. Most of the game consists of space combat, which is the best part. But almost the entire game is a game of chance - rolling dice and drawing cards. There's very little skill involved. And the exploration parts have some nice stories but also can take up a lot of table space and can get a bit tedious. All games have their pros and cons - hopefully I've given you some information here to decide whether it's for you or not. Really my main criticism is that too much of it relies on chance instead of skill, and I would have also liked to see more focus on role playing and universe creation in here.

I’m really really enjoying this one so far. I’m a big fan of the mechanics in both Gloomhaven and 7th Continent and this game does a great job putting both those in a game with a lighter and refreshing spin on both. Space combat is fast and intense and the focus on how your ship moves and is positioned also brings in mechanics from the X-Wing minis game so it feels more like dog fighting. The space and planet explorations are great as well and add some nice story elements with a slower pace from the lightning fast space combat. The game trays that come in the box are wonderful as well though they don’t really support sleeved cards but that’s ok for me. Upgrading your ship and pilots looks like it will be really satisfying (haven’t gotten very far in regards to that) and there are a variety of ways it looks like you can build them up. This doesn’t appear to be as long or as involved as Gloomhaven (Which I love and current am playing thru with my girlfriend) but I haven’t seen many if any other board games attempt to use the Gloomhaven structure in a Sci Fi theme so this was a surprise for me when I saw what it was. I love Sci Fi themes so if you want a slightly lighter Gloomhaven in space (Spacehaven?) with fun ground and space exploration to break up your dog fighting, this is a great option for you.

If you’re at all interested in story driven co-op board games like Gloomhaven or Pandemic Legacy, you’ve got to try Stars of Akarios. The artwork is stunning and the included miniatures, cards, and board all feel high quality. The trays in the box make it super easy to organize components, which is good because there are A LOT of them. I’ve only played a few of the scenarios with my group, but each scenario plays in about 30-40 minutes, which is great for progression. My game group loves co-op games and this one is really promising so far! I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds.

Rulebook Eh, lots of mistakes in the rulebook. It teaches you the rules as you go through the start of the game. Like Gloomhaven, each of the early scenarios adds something new for you to digest. Components There are a lot! For the most part, they are very good - dice feel good, ships have nice detail, boards are super functional, and it is all good quality. However, there are some errors you will find as you play it. Go to Board Game Geek (BGG) and look for the errata and answers to your questions, because you will certainly have some. Gameplay You are basically playing through one of the scenarios in the book (135+, so lots of replayability) and each has a win and lose possibility. You are acting as a pilot and have a ship with stress, health, and shield trackers. As you go along you can upgrade your ship in various ways, like new weapons, based on how you are doing in your scenarios. On your turn, you roll the dice and assign them to spaces on your ship. Then, you adjust as necessary or use them to attack, etc. Aside from the dice, this game really reminds me of Gloomhaven....but in space. Although, not all conflict occurs in space and sometimes you go onto a planet during a scenario. Going onto a planet reminds of 7th Continent in that you reveal cards as you go through and have different options you can take in a room, for example. There is a LOT going on in this game. It is not overly complicated, per se, but definitely not something you should just try on a whim as there is a lot to manage. If you like Gloomhaven type strategy games and space themes, then you will probably enjoy it.

Stars of Akarios is a great tabletop skirmish game. Gameplay was quick, scenarios were interesting and the feel of the ships was great. would recommend