Nemesis review!!!

     I love Kick Starters. Expensive as they are, you get access to and help fund some really amazing games that maybe wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for this medium. Games like this, NEMESIS, by Awaken Realms. Not sure when this will hit retail, but there are a ton of these core games floating around out there, so I figured it deserved a review since so many already have it. And if you don’t, grab this thing as soon it hits retail! This is high end, top quality stuff. No expenses were spared making this game. Component quality is off the charts. From the giant sized gameboard, to the minis of the aliens you’ll be fighting. And let’s be honest, that’s what we’re playing here folks, is the best boardgame version of Aliens you’ll ever see! (laughs)

     You awake from a croytube aboard a huge starship and it’s your job to figure out what’s going on and do what needs to be done. This game is 1-5 players, but solos fantastic and is even better with more players thanks to this neat old school infection card component. It’s a red filter you slide cards into that will tell if you’re infected or not. And then other players will have different objectives on the ship, so there’s that betrayal mechanic going on sometimes too. All the play mechanics here work perfect and this game just runs smooth as silk. Even though there’s a lot going on, it never bogs down or feels like a hassle or chore. It’s all suspenseful and exciting gameplay going on, even when you have like 5 things to check on your turn.(laughs)And again, as complex as some of this sounds, it really isnt’ a complicated or hard game to learn or get into. I wouldn’t say this is a gateway game by any means, but non-gamers will definitely be able to enjoy this and possibly want to get into gaming after playing something as amazing as this.

     You have your choice of the standard characters in a sci fi game. The soldier, captain, medic, mechanic, etc., and all have skill sets that will help accomplish certain game objectives. Game play is a combination of random card draws, a randomized ship layout every game, and some dice chucking. And don’t forget those miniatures. Some of the best looking sculpts of alien xenomorphs I’ve ever seen. Some small and some really big, all scaled to your player minis to create a beautiful scene on your game table. As I stated before, this is basically Aliens the franchise, renamed here, but who cares, and this is even better than some of the Aliens stuff I’ve seen over the years.(laughs) The Xenomorphs do share a striking resemblance to that franchise, but with gameplay this original and well done,  and designed to perfection, it’s totally original in my mind.

     Exploring the huge ship board and discovering your objectives is just so much fun and suspenseful, knowing that around the next corner something very big and dangerous will be jumping out at you.(laughs) The rulebook is really well written, walking you through all the fundamentals at a good pace. I was confused a little here and there, but always found my answers in the book very quickly and was off and playing again in no time. Replayability here is infinite because of the way the ship is randomized every game and the missions will always be different, and there’s even a great campaign thrown in here written as a comic book, but with game layouts and descriptions at the end of every chapter. This is amazing sci fi horror gaming that will pull you in and not let go. This game is so thematic and engrossing, you’re not gonna wanna stop playing once you start. And non gamers may want to get this after playing it, it’s that good. And that’s what gaming is all about, creating worlds to pull EVERYONE in and experience amazing new worlds and new forms of escapism from this sometimes terrible real world.(laughs) That’s why I game anyways, escapism and discovering great new worlds like this to have fun by myself and with my friends.

     You’re gonna have a hard time finding a better sci fi aliens type game right now. This tops the charts for me in this genre. So I would highly recommend you try and find a copy of this game, find a friend who has it, just to experience this gaming joy. Games like this don’t come around often, of this magnitude and scope, so again, I say this is masterful game design done with class and style. It may not be cheap, but this game is worth every penny when you see what you get in this massive box and the miniature sculpts, etc.. So in closing I say, GET THIS GAME!(laughs) Or just find a way to play it, you will be glad you did. THIS is why we game.

Overly excited and enthusiastic as always,

Andrew Baumgartner