Launching on June 15, the Entropy board game crowdfunder promises an intriguing spin on the sci-fi eurogame formula. Adopting a pleasingly high-concept premise, Entropy has you play as competing scientists in the far future who are racing to design solar systems and biomes to gain entry into an elite caste of world-shaping, entropy-channeling super scientists.
The crowdfunding campaign offers a close look at Entropy’s colourful art style, epitomised by an eye-catching central board that evokes the optimistic futurism of Star Trek in its bold design and punchy color scheme.
What’s also worth noting is the presence of three tried and tested designers on the project: Tommaso Battista, Simone Luciani, and Nestore Mangone. These three designers have plenty of experience designing deep, rewarding eurogames. Battista’s post-apocalyptic Barrage and Luciani’s thoughtful ecological worker-placement game, Darwin’s Journey, are strong, distinctive parts of the eurogame tapestry. Their success bodes well for Entropy.
The game has you and your opponents race to build solar systems by evolving stars and populating planets with lifeforms to create biomes. In the tradition of many of the best board games of its type, Entropy assigns you missions and objectives to reward you for steering your ecologies in certain directions.
The game will be available at a pledge level of $55 (£41). This will include Entropy itself as well as three extra goodies: Satellites, Home System, and Luminescent Lifeform Cards. Those interested in something more down-to-earth can opt for the Maestro add-on, also for $55 (£41), which will add the engine-building historical board game Maestro to your order.
Entropy’s colorful aesthetic and emphasis on biodiversity and natural wonder put me in mind of No Man’s Sky, a cult classic sci-fi survival video game published way back in 2016. Though I’ve not played Entropy for myself, the chance to bring a bit of growth-oriented sci-fi optimism to the tabletop might be too much for me to pass up.
If you’re looking for a fascinating biome that already exists, check out the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
