This game is fantastic. Easy to learn
937361
This game is fantastic. Easy to learn, very exciting and quick to play. I got the Batman version, but it plays the same. It's a great game for a small group and you can play a round in just a minute or two. A full game can last 15 minutes, and it can get intense! check it out.
2164808
Full disclosure: I am a friend of the creator of this game.  He gave me a prototype to try a year ago.  But don't let this steer you away from considering this easy-to-learn, satisfying game made from quality materials.

The first you notice is that the set is not made of plastic, from an offshore manufacturing plant.  It's made in the USA.  The board is handsome and has a quality heft.  My wife and I display it in our living room. The play pieces are even more interesting.  The earthy tones and medieval player shapes remind you that this is not a little kid's game, though kids could master the moves quickly.  The next thing you notice is the set-up of player piecies:  it's not my-pieces-on-my-side, and the opponent's pieces on theirs, like conventional chess.  It's fascinating:  the king in the middle attempts to reach one of the four corners.  But it's not easy to do, and it's equally challenging to capture him, as it turns out that he's a little "slippery".

How is it for game-playing?  Anyone can do it, even a three-year old.  You learn quickly from moves that aren't successful, and take advantage of your improvement in the same game.  You can take an aggressive or defensive approach, and be successful with either (I like to be aggressive).  You also create your own strategy quickly.  It can be a bit addicting since it's so straight-forward and engaging.

This is the only game in my home that has not been relegated to the shelf in the closet.  It looks great on the coffee table, and is fun to play on a whim.

Do yourself a favor:  remember this as a gift idea for when you don't know what to give someone for a birthday, Christmas, or graduation.  It's not too big to carry around.  The recipient will notice the artistic quality of the board and pieces.  They will quickly see how engaging the play is.  Since the board is so nice, I would be inclined to buy it for people over the age of 12 or so.

Drawbacks?  1. The name is awkward (Hnefatafl -- NEH-fuh TAH-ful).  2. I think the board would break if dropped (so I make sure to not drop it).
1451710
I just love this game.  It's easy to learn and although there's a lot going on, it's easy to play.  Lots of choices and some strategy involved.  I definitley recommend it.
3270413
This game was easy to learn (watch their instructional video online, it's hilarious). The game is simple, I've taught my 6 and 8 year old kids to play and they love it. Additionally, I can play with a group of adults and have just as much fun.
1795940
Such a good travel game - and easy to learn for newcomers. You can play with any number of people but 5-6 is really the best IMO.
3693353
Got to play this at a Convention. What a great game, it gets even better if you mix in other set cards. Really fun game that is easy to learn, doesn't take too long to play, and can be complex, but not necessarily.
435475
Great game!  I wish I had bought it a long time ago.
393245
Wow.  I can't say enough good stuff about Star Realms.  The game is so simple yet so competitive.  The card art is simplistic but perfect.  The play is fast and understandable.  The setup is quick but meaningful.  I think Star Realms has gone down in my personal hall of fame as a top 5.

One of the things I like is how different the different races (colors) play from each other. Do you want to be a healer?  Do you want to be a minimalist? A card drawer? A Brute?  Each has it's own flavor and its own weaknesses and I think that all of it was done to perfection.

Game play is extremely simple.  Pick some cards, play them, resolve them, and buy some more cards.  Next player.  What makes the game so wonderful (aside from not being a CCG) is that those few steps, while always being the same, feel so different game by game.  I also like that each person will develop a favorite style that you can kind of expect from one player to the next.  Makes it feel like you have a "character" and not a group of random cards.

Also, the portability is awesome on this game.  It's about twice the thickness of a box of bicycle playing cards.  This means that you can always throw a copy in with you when you travel.  Games are fast with expert players (We can easily get a game in 10 minutes)  but it feels tense.

I also like that you can expand the number of players by simply buying another deck of cards.  We've played with up to 6.  I don't think we'd go any more.

In conclusion, I think that if you are considering this game, just go for it.  Certainly at this price point it's a no brainier.  I will say that I think you should get two copies, meaning some other games come up for the decision process in that price point, but in general, I don't think many games can hold up in terms of longevity and overall fun to Star Realms.

Games I Love to Play- Galaxy Trucker, Resistance Avalon, Small World, Istanbul, Warhammer Invasion, Caylus, Space Cadets Dice Duel, Eclipse, Caverna, Dead of Winter, Summoner Wars, Sheriff of Nottingham, Seasons, and Cosmic Encounter.

Games I'll Play-Settlers of Catan, Dominion, 7 Wonders, Agricola, Mice and Mystics, Race for the Galaxy, Mage Wars, Takenoko, Ticket to Ride, Game of Thrones LCG, Arkham Horror, Splendor, and Smash Up.

Games I Won't Play-Power Grid, Memoir 44, Android Netrunner (I know, this one will hurt people), Robinson Crusoe, Lords of Waterdeep, Mage Knight, Pandemic, Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity (I'd list that one 10 times), and Battlelore.
448173
Super easy to learn.  Super easy to play.  Quality of the cards and box is good. The artwork is pretty jokes. I like it a lot. My friends found the cards to be hilarious. Good conversation starter.

It is definitely fun when you first play it with friends.  Recommended to play with 4-5 people for maximum enjoyment. Also tried playing it with 2 players and we always go through the entire draw pile.

It s a good filler game which takes 15-20 kin with 4-5 ppl.  Good for killing time, and can be easily introduced to new people who have never played it before.

After a while it may get a little repetitive though. But that's with almost every game anyway.
717962
Really amazing.  Played it last night for the first time.  The other reviews before this are on the money. The reason why the reviews where just a sentence or so is because why the game is clean and simple it is hard to describe. It really draws you in, and it is hard to describe. Quantum games are short and intense.  It is a dice game; however skill and strategy dominate.

You really have to play the game to see what it is like because game play is original, and unlike any other board strategy games that come to mind.  I probably cannot do the game justice in giving a description, but here it goes: It is a strategy game where the ships are dice meaning the tokens you move around the board are dice (typically just 3 dice shops and that's it), and each number on the die is a different type of ship.  It is a very clean, and well done game with excellent game mechanisms. It is a simple game usually players have only 3 dice ships and possibly a card, so very few tokens to keep track of.  Brilliantly simple yet your strategies can be highly complex. Well balanced. If one player gets ahead all the other players will work to cut that player down to size- the enemy of my enemy and all that. The game is easy to understand and the level of play depends strategy skills of the players.

Also worth mentioning the game is high quality. Great art, rules, and decent components- nice dice for each player.  Best played with 4 players.  Again game play time is short, but intense.
4315354
Great game. Something about the theme, and the game play, come together beautifully. Comparisons to Race for the Galaxy are appropriate, but this game is SOOOOOOO much easier to learn, and to get good at. The iOS ver is really good, and would let you find out whether or not this title you'd want to own, but I reckon it's worth the scrilla for a physical copy.
4847779
I have to admit I was a little put off by the "cuteness" factor of the box cover, but this game is fantastic.  Great components, simple rules and a lot of fun and strategy.  I recommend that you watch a youtube video before you play the first time.  seeing this game played helped us get through the rules without much effort.  We had a fun time with two players.  Looking forward to playing with 3 or 4.
414633
Easy to learn!!  Great fun game for everyone!!  One of my favorite games EVER!!
1698663
Fantastic game; great for board game nights with friends or family. Simple enough to learn, although some of the haunts are a bit confusing. Wonderful game, can't wait for the expansion.
3964505
This game is fantastic. I mean, addicting. The premise is simple enough that most kids or teenagers can easily catch on and any adult will find it fun and interesting. If you haven't played any Ticket to Ride games, the premise is that you claim tracks between cities to complete various routes, while other players are doing the same thing for different routes.

The Europe edition is different from the debut US edition in that it: (1) uses a Europe map, obviously; (2) adds ferries, requiring one or two locomotive cards to cross water; (3) adds tunnels, meaning a section of track in mountainous areas could cost up to three extra train cards; and (4) adds train stations, which allow you to "borrow" someone else's track between two cities to complete a route. These changes are all for the better, I think. They make some tracks more challenging or more of a gamble to acquire, and they allow for a means to complete routes even if other players block one of your destination cities.

There are so many different strategies you can use and so much variation each time the game is played that it takes a long time for this game to get old. Each game lasts anywhere from 30-60 minutes, so it's not a huge time commitment, but is a lot of fun. One of the best games to come out in the past ten years. Strongly recommended!
2339416
I'm relatively new to the world of the new generation of boardgames. I recently purchased Ticket to Ride,  and had such a ball that I wanted to see if there were other games out there that could capture my family's imagination in a similar way. While this game will not ever supplant that amazing railroad game, it  has quickly become a go to favorite in the household.

Your first time playing through this game, but it about an hour to get used to the rules and do the initial set up. Queen games, the manufacturer, has an official tutorial video online, and we found that very helpful with our initial play through. Like many games, it can seem complex  at the outset, but this one is remarkably simple. It essentially takes place in two phases: the quarry, and building.  In the quarry phase, you're collecting the wrong materials needed to build a world landmark. Building phase is exactly that: the assembly of the raw materials.

While one can very quickly catch onto the basic functions of the game, there is a sneaky amount of strategy involved in both phases.  After a Playthru or two, you will note in the quarry phase, you will be anticipating which stones are going to gain you the highest point values, and you will try to grab those stones. So will your opponents. Then, if you're paying attention closely,  or can do a bit of card counting so to speak, you can try to manipulate the build phase to your advantage. It can be simple in strategy, or the game can get remarkably complex very quickly  depending on the skill of the players.

 My eight-year-old grasped the concept on the first Playthru, and already plays very competently, albeit a bit randomly. I have yet to beat my 14-year-old.  (Shaking my head.)  It's a game that can be taught to and enjoyed by your friends very quickly as well.

The quality of the game boards, the graphics, and the game pieces are all top-notch.  It feels substantial coming right out of the box.

 "Why only a four star review?", you ask.  The game has a couple of downsides. I anticipate that only having four building plans might get old quicker than I'd like. The game is primed for expansion packs galore, though I don't believe any exist yet. Also, this game would be absolutely impossible for anyone who is colorblind to play. One brilliant  innovation in the aforementioned railroad game is unique symbols that correspond to each color, which allows one who has difficulty distinguishing colors to play competently. This game could so easily have included a minor design detail like this, and it would have completely taken it over the top in quality.

 Overall, I am very pleased with this fun, easy to learn, family friendly game.
4756170
Great quality game. Worth the price now at $30-35. I wouldn't pay more though as this is a nitch player interest game. Not a game for players who like uncomplicated games. This game has a lot of cogs moving. But it's not too much to confuse you too much either. It's totally learn-able, and there's videos all over the place to teach you how to play. Totally awesome for those needing help. But don't let those notes scare you from enjoying the game if you loved the video game. The Songbird is just as scary awesome in this game. The Airship is too. And Booker is even scarier. PS: This game is very well balanced.