Image Courtesy of <PERSON>
This review continues my series of detailed reviews that attempt to be part review, part resource for anyone not totally familiar with the game. For this reason I expect readers to skip to the sections that are of most interest.
If you liked the review please thumb the top of the article so others have a better chance of seeing it and I know you stopped by. If you thumb the bottom as well, I consider that a bonus. Thanks for reading.
Summary
Game Type – Solo Dice (Worker Placement) Game
Play Time: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 1
Mechanics – Dice Rolling, Worker Placement
Difficulty – Pick-Up & Play (Can be learned in under 20 minutes)
Components – Very Good ++
Release – 2015
Designer – <PERSON>Overview and Theme
Stardate 1453.9 - Actually on second thoughts scrap that...I can't afford the licensing fee.
As the Captain of an RPTR class starship you are at the forefront of the United Earths Fleet (UEF). Having received a distress signal you instructed navigation to plot a course for a patch of space near the Auborne system. Upon warping in you realise that a well-laid trap awaits. An enemy cruiser with the ID Ouroboros appears to be the flagship and is supported by a ragtag flotilla of supporting cruisers and fighters. This is just another day in the life of a UEF Captain...you bark orders to all departments - science, engineering, tactical and medical. All will have to be on their 'game' today if you are to see planet-side again.
Those that follow my reviews will know that I love covering all types of games and in Deep Space D-6 I get to shine a little more light on a successful Print and Play design that came 3rd in the BGG competition for PnP's in 2015 and went on to become a Kickstarter Campaign, raising just over $250,000. That is quite the effort for a modest project such as this!
Grab those Warp Drive diagnostics will you? We need a little chat with the Chief Engineer!
The Components
The game is published by , cool name and a shout-out to the small players in the industry out there. Keep fighting the good fight. 470
Be aware that I'm covering the Re-issue edition of the game that Kickstarted in 2017.
The Ship Boards – These are really great quality from a small publisher. They are the perfect size to tell you all you need to know whilst still allowing the game to come in a tight little package.
The boards include locations to track Hull and Shield stats, place dice to activate actions and they even have a Damage Track down the right side that allows External Threats to be placed alongside. In summary, these boards are highly functional, look great and include a silhouette illustration of the Ship Class in question.
The boards can also fold in half to allow them to fit into the box. All in all these are fantastic.
The reverse side of the boards also include some thematic information on the class and outline a few game-play tips for getting the best out of the old girl whilst in the Captain's seat.
Image Courtesy of Alice87
The Dice – The game comes with 7 dice. Six of them are custom icon dice that drive the game. The quality on these is great as the icons are etched and the use of different colours aids quick recognition.
The 7th dice is a regular d6. All dice come in the small format, which fits the small box nicely. You might be wondering why the game has 7 dice but uses d6 in the title? The simpler explanation is all the dice have six sides. I'll go out on a limb and say it is because the game utilises 6 custom dice and then a d6 to trigger Threats. Clever eh, eh?!
Image Courtesy of <PERSON> Cards – These let the game down a little in the production department due to being relatively bland from an artwork point of view but they do the job well and I don't see them as an issue.
They don't feature a matte\linen finish but then again I don't expect that standard from a smaller publisher and I recognise that margins need to be maintained to make creating a game such as this viable.
The cards themselves are highly functional again, featuring a range of icons and a small amount of text to outline what they are and how they work. I like the ship silhouettes in the background as they give you a sense of the visual that is lumbering or streaking towards your ship in the deepness of space!
The cards use a horizontal format and are of a smaller size, allowing them to sit alongside the Damage Track. 872