Xtronaut: The Game of Solar System Exploration

[RainDreamer]

Kickstarter page here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/827615927/xtronaut-the-game-of-solar-system-exploration

It is a board game about solar system exploration, but more specifically, trying to complete your own space mission in middle of heavy competition and political problems.

Made for 2-4 players age 7 and up, according to the creator, Dante Lauretta, Leader of the NASA OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission and University of Arizona Professor.

For those who want a low down before checking on the details in the kick starter page, the game basically play like this:

At the beginning of the game, each player pick a space mission card, and this will give them a destination, the delta-V needed to get there, the possible gravity assist card they may use if they find it (which adds dV), and the score they will get if they complete the mission with a given size of space craft they got there. Then they start taking cards from the decks in turn, trying to assemble enough parts with enough dV to complete their mission (larger space craft will makes all part giving less dV), all the while when other players can pull out action cards representing real life actions such as national priority (allowing the player who holds it to swipe a part from another player), or government shut down (allow the one who holds it to choose one person to lose a turn), etc.

This seems like a great game to teach kids (both in age and in mind) about rocket science. Like explaining to them what dV means, and so on.

[legoclone09]

That would be cool, but I don't have money to fund it. I would like to get it when it comes out!

[lodger]

It's available through amazon.com now. I just stumbled across this board game while reading my daily dose of space.com today and immedately ordered it.