Pulsar 2849, Medium

The game is very hard to get started. Setting everything up is the hardest part and the instructions are quite bad in that regard; they throw out all these labels, but there aren't any signifiers to go with those labels. However, there are plenty of Youtube videos going over the rules, so it's not a huge deal.The actual gameplay is phenomenal with plenty of choice and depth, and the game has a high replayability. It's definitely not for the faint of heart, but those who are into games that require high levels of strategy and planning should love it.The cardboard and pieces are very robust and shouldn't wear easily.

This is not a game for newbies. If you've never played at least medium strategy games (or don't know what they are), do not buy this.This game is pretty great, quite comparable to Castles of Burgundy because of the dice placement and point salad aspect. Rule-wise it is probably simpler, but the added element of drafting make the game much harder because of the number of decisions to take at each turn.The drafting mechanism also reduces reliance on luck, like a draft would, but also because bonuses and penalties are assigned when taking bad / good dice.There is very little engine building in this game, a lot of the decisions are tactical, but given the end game goals and availability of technologies, the game can be very strategic.

I don’t think the theme is felt heavily on this game, but that’s OK. The game is enjoyable as it is! It took us a little while to get through the instructions, but we knew what we were already getting into when we saw the layout of the game. You definitely need a big table…at least 5ft width and length. It took us about 3 1/2 hours to play, excluding reading the instructions. you have to know yourself: if this doesn’t sound like a game for you, because of the game length, don’t buy it. However, for us, we didn’t mind the length because we knew what we were getting into from the start. The gameplay is excellent and definitely worth trying.

Pulsar 2849 is a die drafting game with a circular board, and all variable setup goes around the round board.After 2 plays, I can report that the game is wonderful. It will set around 45-60 minutes a play. And there are many options for variability (different starting configurations). In the game you basically fly around the board (circular) and discover Pulsars and planets (you place stations on planets, and if you land on the planet (and there is an available then you receive a bonus that is printed on the tile, or you choose a bonus tile at random). You can also claim pulsars, which can be developed to generate victory points each round, but there are some steps to develop.There are also transmitters that you can buy that give you bonus, but they cost dice (sometimes up to 3 to develop them completely), but can generate resources, and points over the game as well.We are excited to keep playing, and expect this to be a top 10 or top 15 game in our library (we really liked Underwater Cities by the same designer, and will also look for more of his games) - his name is V. Suchy.

This is an outstanding Euro-style dice drafting game. Variable board and component set up provide a different experience each time you play. Lots of crunchy decisions to be made as there are ample opportunities to score points, which if you or your fellow players are prone to analysis paralysis, could make for a long game. Otherwise, the way the game is set up allows you to formulate your strategy for the entire game, seeing what items will score you end of game bonus points, etc... The dice that you draft will determine the actions you take on your turn with higher dice generally being better. However, only taking higher value dice will quickly move you lower on the engineering and initiative tracks forcing you to balance your tactics as to when to really go for the high/low value dice. Excellent mechanism that I haven't really seen done quite like this before.As with most Euro-style games, the theme is pretty thin, but the presentation and component quality are top-notch and the game itself has an excellent table presence that will cause passersby to stop and take notice. All in all, this is one that will definitely find a spot in my permanent collection and will see frequent table time I'm sure.

This game can seem daunting to set up and learn to play, but is worth it. Fun game and endless variations allows you to play without getting bored.

Excellent “point salad”, dice drafting game.This is one of our (gaming group) favorites. The theme works and traveling around the board is exciting as you never know what you might discover.Each player is trying to score the most points but the path to earning points is varied. You can focus on the tech track or travel throughout space uncovering planets and laying down Pulsars, complete your own HQ player board...or, go for the transmitters.The game genuinely feels “vast” to me with all the options and while it may look complicated, it really isn’t. The rule book does a great job of explaining the game and in the back is a reference for any symbols you might want to quickly look up.I HIGHLY suggest this game. It’s great for any number of players and there really isn’t too many “gotcha” moments between players other then maybe picking a transmitter someone was hoping for, or flying through systems that someone was hoping for. These moves tend not to be intentional when they do occur.

The board game 2849 is so excellent