I first saw SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence during a press demo at Gen Con 2024. I was immediately enamored of the game. Space setting? Check. A giant stack of unique multi-use cards? Check. Random aliens to encounter? Check. An amazing board with great art and a rotating solar system? Check.
The following is a (potentially illegal) secret recording of a conversation between Tony and me that took place after that demo.
*The recording starts, and there is a swishing sound as my phone is moved in my pocket*
Me: Tony, I NEED to review that game.
Tony: Ok.
*There swishing sound repeats, and the recording stops*
That is the true story of how I was chosen from tens of BGQ writers to review SETI.
Gameplay Overview:
SETI uses multi-use cards to drive building the engine that one to four space exploration agencies (players) will use to discover alien life. Games last between 90 and 180 minutes, depending on the number of players and their experience with the game.
Games last for five rounds, with each player taking a variable number of turns during each round. Players can choose one of eight main actions:
- Play a card for its effect – resolve the effect section on a card, paying its cost (credits). If it has a mission, place the card in front of you.
- Launch a probe – pay the cost (credits) to launch a probe from Earth.
- Orbit a probe – place a probe in orbit of a planet for its cost (credits and energy) – this is the main way to discover traces of alien life in our solar system.
- Land a probe – if possible, land a probe on a planet or moon, paying its cost (energy).
- Scan nearby stars – scan for signals outside of our solar system, paying its cost (cost and energy) – this is the main way to discover traces of alien life in other solar systems.
- Analyze data – Process (remove) all the data from your computers to discover traces of alien life.
- Research technology – pay the cost (publicity) to research a new tech for your player board – this will also rotate the solar system.
- Pass – discard down to four cards in your hand, rotate the solar system if you are the first to pass this round, and choose one card to keep from the end-of-round card stack.
Players can also use as many free actions as they want during their turn. These actions are as follows:
- Place data – Place data on your player board, gaining a reward, if appropriate.
- Complete a mission – when the condition is met for a mission card, you can complete it.
- Discard a card for the free action – every card has a free-action effect in the top left corner of the card.
- Buy a movement – spend one energy to move your probe through space.
- Buy a card – pay three publicity to buy a card.
- Exchange resources – exchange two of one resource for one of another.
At the end of five rounds, the game is over. End-game scoring is calculated, including cards with end game scoring effects, the gold scoring tiles, and the aliens discovered during the game, if applicable. The player with the most points wins.
Game Experience:
What made me want to join NASA and search for ET:
My favorite aspect of SETI are the multi-use cards. There are over 130 of them (not counting alien cards), they are all unique, and they are all based on either historic or future scientific projects. The card art is excellent, unlike a certain other space-based game. But the main reason I love these cards is the tactical decision-making of how and when to use them.
Cards can be discarded for their free-action benefit, which can help move a probe to a planet, get that last piece of data you need to allow you to analyze data, or to get the publicity you need to purchase a new technology. It can also be used as part of your main action, allowing you to pay credits to gain the card’s effect. These effects include missions, which allow you to gain benefits in future turns when their criteria are met. As a final option, they can be tucked under your income card for an immediate resource, as well as income in future turns.
The game’s tight economy works hand in hand with the multi-use cards. You start the game with four publicity, four credits, three energy, and five cards, one of which is tucked for income in future turns. This also grants you the tucked resource immediately. Future turns have a base income of three credits, two energy, and one card. That is it. The cost of playing some cards is three credits. Each space of movement for your probes is one energy or a discarded card. Some probe landings cost three energy.
As you can see, you can burn through your resources VERY quickly. Analyzing what you can do with your limited resources and maximizing your turn is the magic of the game. Oh, and creating those combos that let you do everything you want in a turn. THAT is when SETI is at its best. You land a probe that completes a mission, granting you two credits, which allows you to buy the card you need for the extra movement you can discard it for so you can move your probe to a planet to land it…. Man, I want to play the game right now.
I also really enjoyed the player boards and deciding which technologies to invest in. There are three types of technology in the game. Probe tech upgrades your probes, allowing you to increase the number of probes you can have on the board or improve your landing capabilities, including landing on moons. Telescope tech improves your scanning action. Players scan sectors for signals. Each sector has a track, and the player with the most discovered signals in a sector will get the reward for that sector. Improving your telescope tech will let you discover more signals, and maybe snatch a sector from one of your opponents. Finally, there is computer tech. This will cover a space on your existing player board, adding points and providing an optional lower space for resources. You cannot try to analyze data and discover traces of alien life until the upper track is entirely filled with data.
The tactical player board upgrade decisions are the fun, brain-burning kind. You only have five rounds. Your opponents are sending out and discovering signals in multiple sectors. Do you want to invest in tech to improve your scanning? Or do you let them pretend to be Jodi Foster in Contact while you focus on landing probes on planets and their moons? Following the right upgrade path to maximize your points is key to winning a game of SETI.
The last star of SETI is the aliens. You do not know which two of the five will be in the game until you or an opponent discovers them. Discovery happens when each of the three trace types (scanning, landing on planets, and data) are completed for a species. At that point, the alien board is revealed, and their unique rules, cards, and tokens are added to the game. I do not want to spoil what the aliens add to the game, but I will say that I enjoyed each of them as they had their own benefits and potential drawbacks. In fact, I wish CGE included MORE alien species in the game because I enjoyed them so much, but more on that in a bit.
What made me want rather watch birds than play SETI:
I only had two issues with SETI, both of which are minor, and one of them will most likely be addressed. And it has been a bit, so…
I want more alien races. I know I am greedy, but I love the different flavor these add to the game. Each new alien added increases the replay value exponentially. I found the inclusion of “only” five alien species unusual. If you use a new species every game, you will play two games before seeing every species. I thought the base game should have at least six, to extend that number to three plays before repeats. That being said, this game has been a success. I would be more surprised if there is NOT an expansion announced sometime this year than if one is announced.
The only other complaint I have is that the moving solar system puzzle becomes more random at higher player counts. The main actions that move the solar system are when a player gains a tech or the first time a player passes in a round. Inner tracks move more often than outer tracks, so trying to figure out where your probe(s) will be is important. You do not want your probe that was lined up with Saturn to suddenly have the sun between it and its destination. At two players, you can usually estimate the board state for your next turn. At three players, it is significantly more difficult to do so. At four players, you can forget about it. I am only calling this out because I have seen other gamers discuss this part of the game as a plus. I did not find this aspect of the game as entertaining as my pros listed above.
Final Thoughts:
I love SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence! It is a rare game that is worthy of the pre-release hype. From being introduced to it at Gen Con, to playing the game, to writing this review, my joy for this game has not wavered. To be honest, it has grown with more plays. The puzzle of planning your player board growth, the tactical decision-making needed to maximize card usage, all while balancing a very tight economy, makes for an incredible game. If you love Euros, you probably already have this game. If you like Euros, go buy this game. If you are ok with Euros, at least give the game a try. This is my favorite Euro of 2024.
Wow, what a game!
Final Score: 4.5 Stars – The best Euro of 2024
Hits:
• Multiuse cards
• Tight economy
• Player board
• Aliens
Misses:
• More aliens please
• Solar system puzzle at higher player counts
Source: Board Game Quest
