Is your child learning about space, or do they want to learn about space? Then you definitely want to check out Brave New Worlds! I got it on Kickstarter when my space-obsessed son was far too young, so it’s been sitting in storage for several years.
Unfortunately, while Brave New Worlds did fairly well on Kickstarter (it made enough for the game to actually be created), it’s not widely available. However, I did manage to find one place selling copies and it’s totally worth it!
Cons of Brave New Worlds
As we were setting up the game, we were reminded of all the tiles of Catan and how they need to be just so. Brave New Worlds is like this, only worse. Not only are the tiles circular (so no straight edges to line up) but they are first placed on the table upside down. Only after an individual tile is looked at within the game is it turned face-up.
As we were playing and having to keep different ships straight and deal with complicated scoring, we were reminded of Axis and Allies. Luckily, though, here I can report that Brave New Worlds is a bit simpler.
My least favorite part of the game is the playing surface. Setting up all those tiles and then trying to keep them in their places as they’re looked at and turned over throughout the game was not fun. However, if a tray was made with right-size holes that the tiles are placed inside of, that would make the game much more playable.
It’s Not as Complicated as it Seems at First
When you first pull everything out of the box and attempt to figure out how to play, it’s really overwhelming. However, we got the hang of it just a couple of turns into the first round. It’s really not that hard to actually play.
Each of your different vehicles (orbiter, lander, and crew module) has a different cost to launch and land as well as a different range. Happily, these are listed on each player board, making it easy to keep track of. There’s even a picture of each vehicle next to the information, so you don’t have to remember what you have.
Advanced Rules add Details
There are a lot of details when it comes to how to use telescopes, gravity assists, and hazards. However, the basic rules are pretty straightforward. If you need more complexity, there are advanced rules to explore, too! Each player represents a different nation’s space agency and the advanced rules take their individual strengths and into account.
I am very excited for my kids to get into Brave New Worlds and really dive in when they’re a bit older. We had fun playing it today (and it went better than I expected). Unfortunately, the many-pieced playing surface makes it not the game for me.
Brave New Worlds Comes with an Informational Book!
My favorite part of Brave New Worlds, though, is the informational booklet it comes with. The game was made in 2020 and every single planet, moon, asteroid, etc in our universe that had been discovered was included. A photo (not drawing!) was included for each “world.” I love it when games include extra information!
If you can find a copy of Brave New Worlds and you don’t mind games with lots of pieces, I definitely recommend it. Looking back at the Kickstarter, I paid $65 for it, and it was worth it. This goes in the category of big, beautiful games with matching price points.
