Kevin C. Wong

Star Trek: Ascendancy (2016) [+]

Star Trek: Ascendancy is a 4X game based on the Star Trek franchise. Each player plays one of the star nations. You start from a home system, explore out to find random planets and connect them via warp lines, and finally connect to the other players.

Some star systems can be colonized and others already have a native civilization. Assuming you take control you then add resource generators (on the star system disc it'll say what resources it can generate) and each turn you get those resources.

  • Production - used fo build generators and starships
  • Science - used to research technologies
  • Culture - used to colonize uninhabited systems or absorb colonized systems

Each race has a set of technology cards specific to them. You draw two and can then develop them secretly until they're done. But if another player conquers one of your Science-generating systems they might steal a technology.

Culture is used to win the game and few star systems generate it. You spend five culture to gain an ascendancy token (you start with one). These determine how many starbases and fleets you can have and are also used as a die bonus when absorbing star systems (hegemony, in contrast straight up conquering a star system with ships).

You get three trading cards and when you contact another player you can trade a card with them. You each gain more resources that way and is a simple way to represent trade relationships.

You win by getting to five ascendancy and controlling your home system, or by conquering most of the other player while retaining your home system, or via special victory conditions for some races.

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I played a four player game with Federation (me), Andorian (game owner), Klingon and Vulcan (experienced players). I stayed by myself, not trying to connect to another player until late in the game. I built up as much as I could though unfortunately I didn't get any good systems and no culture-producing systems other than Earth.

Meanwhile the Klingons and Andorians waged a war which the Klingons won. The Vulcans researched and got many technologies then started whipping the Klingons. The Vulcans actually managed to win via one of their variable victory conditions: colonize ten star systems at any time.

It was a fun game. Nice components. Plays about an hour per player. Each race is distinct and plays differently and there are a couple of victory conditions so you can pursue different strategies. Would be a great game to have if I was still into Star Trek outside of TOS.