Board Game Friday #2: The Stars Are Right

Looking for a new game to play this weekend?  Here ya go…

I first played this game at a Gaming Guild meeting (GG is an on-campus organization where we get together and play board games).  I didn’t really know anything about the game except that the other three players inviting me kept saying “It’s awesome!”  The game is based on Cthulu mythology, which I know nothing about, so I don’t know if it’s more fun if you know your monster mythology or not, but a game where you summon ghasts, minions, and Great Old Ones is still fun!

Rules and Components:

This isn’t a full run-through of everything in the game, but a quick look at the basics.

The game is set up very simply.  Twenty-five “star” cards randomly make up the night sky:

Each of these cards has its own patter, and a pattern on the flip side. 

These cards and the patterns on them are what help you summon monsters.  Monster cards are dealt out at the beginning of the game; you get a 5-card hand at the beginning.

Each monster card has a pattern that needs to be on the board in order for it to be summoned.  Obviously, minions are easier to summon than Great Old Ones, and also are worth less points.  You need 10 points to win the game.  Minions are worth 1, others worth 2, and Great Old Ones worth 4.  Monsters you have summoned also allow you to change the pattern of the board, once per turn.  Some cards allow you to shift rows, swap adjoining cards, or flip cards over.

 

Playability:

This game is all about finding patterns and manipulating the board.  Each person’s turn generally takes a while, so make sure you play with people you like; you can talk to the other players while one person is taking their turn.  Usually, it doesn’t help to try and plan out your next move; someone else will mess up your plans with their moves.

This isn’t a fast-paced game at all, so if that’s what you’re looking for, pass over The Stars Are Right.  This game can be a lot of fun if you’re looking for a slow-moving family night, or a long night of board gaming with friends.  There were times when I played that someone took 10 minutes to search through every single possibility before making their turn. 

So ultimately, if you are fine with slow-moving games, like patterns, and love games that make you think, check out The Stars Are Right.

I give it 4/5 stars!

(note: This review is my opinion.  I did not receive any incentive or compensation.  I also don’t know what version I played, as I didn’t know there were more than one)

The game is really easy to learn. Though I didn’t explain everything, it’s simple and easy to understand.