Master of Orion: Ad Astra, an epic board game from Archon Studio and based on the beloved sci-fi video game series Master of Orion, has a new Gamefound campaign launching today.

Gameplay will support 1-4 players, and translate many familiar mechanics from the original game. In Master of Orion: Ad Astra, players lead one of six races throughout space to become emperor, completing the four X’s in tabletop form.

Even as a fan of the genre, I always seem to forget at least one of those! So, I appreciate that last month’s official trailer for the game spells them right out. You’ll expand your control, explore space, exploit for advanced technology, and finally exterminate your opponents.

I haven’t had the chance to play this one, but Archon Studio already released a massive official playthrough of Master of Orion: Ad Astra last month, building lots of buzz. It also gave fans a really full view of what to expect, and Dice Tower will host a live play of it today, in fact.

I’m impressed by the way Archon Studio appears to handle the tremendous scope of the original game. It’s hard to capture the full breadth of PC epics like this without compromising a lot of the convenience for bookkeeping.

Or keeping the general round structure tidy, encouraging players to strategize without bogging down the pace. I’m relieved to see that Ad Astra looks promising on all accounts thus far!

The miniatures look detailed, and I enjoy the overall art design, which should make the emphasis on exploration even more inviting.

I appreciate the opportunity for solo play, reflecting the PC experience, and the sheer scale of everything. While that may be a bit intimidating for some, it does feel true to form. I always love to see the crossroads between TTGs and video games succeed. So, let’s keep an eye out for new details and potential extras on the campaign today!

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