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For Xcom The Board Game, 40 customer reviews collected from 1 e-commerce sites, and the average score is 4.8.

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1.5.2016

As a fan of the Xcom series this had the advantage of grabbing my attention from the start, as the one thing that was truly lacking in it was a viable option for co op or playing with other fans. I was not even aware of this product's existence until I by chance saw it on the shelves on the way out of a well known book store. I went on YouTube for a game play run through and was pleased enough by what I saw to spend my money on it. The price in store was somewhat higher than I'd have expected from a board game, but given the quality of the product looking back I can see how they can justify it, however I did manage to secure a better price from Amazon,which is where I ultimately made my final purchase.The premise of the game for those who may not know is to defend the earth in turns from an invasion by hostile aliens with an unknown objective. There are 4 roles filled by 1-4 players which combat the crisis as they emerge in very unique ways. These roles are Commander, who's job it is to dispatch interceptor craft to take out UFO's to keep the skies clear and he's also in charge of the overall budget, as each unit deployed by the whole team costs 1 token. Exceeding your available funding has consequences, none of them good. The next role is the Chief Scientist, who's task it is to research new technologies which will help make everyone's life a bit easier. The Squad Leader has an important role as he or she will be in charge of the finite supply of soldiers, deploying them to missions and defending the base. Then there is the Central Officer who is responsible for keeping track of the threats as they should be appearing on the board, communicating these to the rest of the team and deploying satellites into orbit to combat any little green men attempting to interfere with the order of your turns.This is the first game I've ever played that uses a free downloadable app. The app basically is the dungeon master if you understand the reference. By which I mean the alien actions are randomly generated by it, making each game you play a unique experience and challenge. It's quite possibly the cleverest tool I've ever seen and it makes it possible for a player to play this game alone, assuming all 4 roles against the app generated AI. The rules section state that the App is managed by the player running as the Central Officer.This is a board game however and essentially it all comes down to die rolls. One 12 sided red dice and a bunch of 6 sided blue dice. The aim is to roll the blue dice and get it to land success side up. The bad news is that only 2 of those six blue dice sides are success faces, so you will fail on average more than you succeed, and each time you reroll more threat is generated, meaning you are more likely to incur losses in terms of soldiers, aircraft or whatever resource you are playing with. This is justifiable I feel because you are combatting a technologically superior enemy, and the odds are always against you, which is why the chief scientist role is so important to levelling the playing field.There is another thing about this game which I should mention. There are a few modes of difficulty to choose from before you start, and every mode with the exception of easy has a countdown timer for actions to be completed. This adds an element of plunging urgency to the proceedings as you quickly assign resources within your budget and click next on the app screen. Lee me just say that if you do play this game alone, this is the biggest challenge, and needs a level of organisation from the player, but I suppose the same could be said from a 4 player game with players shouting across the table to one another trying to coordinate actions as the clock continues to tick ominously down.You can lose the game in a couple of ways. Either by having your base destroyed by aliens attacking it, or by losing 2 countries to panic. You win by avoiding those two conditions for as long as you can until the app informs you that the final mission is available. Send troops to that mission and succeed and your team win the game. For as simple as that sounds it isn't. With the die rolls loaded against you, the clock ticking down and an enemy who will inevitably beat you down with sheer numbers it's very much a case of crisis management, accepting losses and picking the battles you have to fight, holding the line until that final mission pops up with its accompanying music. The more missions your squad leader has successfully completed will factor into how soon the final mission arrives.All in all a great clever game that can be played solo, or with up to 3 friends joining you against an AI that will do everything it can to throw you off balance and crush you lolIn short I'll say this. WORTH EVERY PENNY.
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30.9.2015

Since I know the XCOM series from its various versions, spin-offs and knock-offs, I was really intrigued to see how this board game played out and I wasn't disappointed! The designers have done a great job at keeping the frustration of managing limited resources, and the suspense and urgency of the overall game play as experienced in the computer games. The different events and actions of the board game could mean you have either a really quiet round and the next be a absolute desperate fight to stop things spiraling out of control.The use of a software program which dictates game play is something novel and takes a little getting use to. During my first few play through's,I found that i needed to refer back to the help guide (on the program) to remind me what it was I was suppose to be doing. Whilst the program has fairly good and concise help, you have to spend a few minutes to find exactly what your after as its not the easiest to navigate. The programs tutorial though is good and the games website has PDF versions of the help guides (possibly in response to new-player frustrations?).Overall, if your into novel and challenging board games, then I highly recommend this. Its a very good representation of a computer game classic with great models (with a decent paint job from a hobbist, could look even better!) and cards too. Its somewhat tricky to get use to using the software companion, but its challenging and rewarding to play!Last note; if your a fan of keeping your cards all neat and pristine, look to buy 2 green packs of Fantasy Flight sleeves, 2 yellow packs and 1 orange as there are lots of different sized cards in the box.
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3.7.2017

My goodness the instructions make this game seem super complicated. Everyone playing with me the first time had this look of "is it really this complicated". But, stick with it, because it's not as complex as the instructions make out. Play it at least a couple of times and you'll start to get the hang on it.One thing I would change though is the app. It would be VERY useful if you could configure the length of the timed phase of the game. Especially when you're getting the hang of the game and not in tutorial mode and just because the timed phase seems a bit too short and pressured. If one or more of you are playing multiple roles it's quite manic trying to do it all in such a short time.Some of the cards could do with titles on them,as they are same size and shape as other cards and not easy to distinguish between.Additionally, it feels too short -especially when you're learning. It was over each time, just as we were getting into the swing of it. I'm sure part of this was just that we didn't have the tactics down yet, but our base got destroyed far too quickly(we felt)That said, the game was great fun and when we started to get the hang of it and work out the game mechanics it was really enjoyable.
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31.1.2016

I've just returned to board games after a substantial absence and bought this based on previous reviews.Firstly, this isn't a game for novices and it's taken a few tries to get my head round the rules (I've played solo more than in a group to be fair although I have a mammoth season in the diary when we can all get together) but once everything clicks it's a superb, engaging and very satisfying game.First off the warning: even on easy this is incredibly hard, even on easy. But don't let that put you off, it's challenging in a good way.The rules are nice and clear, the app is incredibly helpful and everything flows nicely.Play it in a group and the tension is brilliant and genuinely engagingassuming you all get along and you can work together.All in all a fantastic recreation of a fantastic video game that's got me back into board games
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18.7.2016

I understand that this board game is based on a video game, but I have no knowledge of that and yet enjoyed this game immensely. It has a very clever games system in which a free app is used to provide challenges and game developments in real time. This keeps it fresh and exciting. It is also in the new style of co-operative game, which means that all players are on the same side. This makes for a fun easy evening with less tension (who hasn't ended a game of risk with no one speaking to each other!). It is easy to learn but very difficult to win, however therein lies the challenge. I play it with two people most of the time and it works well with that number.It's also a manageable length of a couple of hours at most.
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13.11.2016

This is a brilliant game if you like co-ops. Very well thought out, the pieces feel great, each person has a relatively equal amount to do and it's quite different from any other co-op I've played. The app that runs the game is great, very intuative and it keeps the pace of the game quite quick, adding the limited time element to the game makes it a bit more exciting. As with most of these rule heavy games it takes a while to learn what you're doing, especially as each of the 4 roles in the game are totally different, so I would say if you haven't got at least 4 people very into board games don't bother, but if you do you wn't regret the purchase.

29.6.2015

I was a bit suspicious of the App but it's really fun and adds loads to the game. For those wondering if you'll still be able to play it in 20 years? well I used the windows exe on Ubuntu through wine and it works perfectly. So basically as long as you have a laptop and a copy of ubuntu (which is free) you'll always be able to play this game. It's conceivable that you could homebrew your own "app cards" to be honest if the worst happened and we had no electricity in 20 years :-D. Great game, if you love xcom and board gaming this is a no brainer.

26.11.2015

This is basically 'project management' the board game.If that sounds boring, this isn't the game for you.If, however, you like arguing with people about how much of a budget should be spend resourcing various components of play before the next turn; all whilst a clock counts down for you to reach consensus, and then having to live with the consequences of your bad decisions, then welcome to the game for you.Seriously, this is so good for team-building, I'm considering buying a copy for work.

27.1.2020

Beautifully produced and good game balance although it is far from easy to be successful. Two of us played and this requires fast thinking as each player has two roles. The use of a tablet(or phone) works really well both as a reminder of the game sequence but also giving the added pressure of a time limit. Certainly helps in building the tension. Planning ahead in terms of spending the limited resource budget is crucial and requires co-operative play. Next time I hope the dice are kinder to me!

12.3.2015

Excellent board game, took some getting use to having to play along side a mobile device, but once you are use to that it's a great fast paced board game. Alas, no support for WP7 devices, but if you have an Android or Apple device you will be fine. If you have neither of those then you can use a laptop and either download the companion app or play it via their web player.I guess it's the only draw back that you MUST have a device to play the game, but it does make for compelling game play.

20.7.2015

Very well put together game, good pacing, nice board structure and enough interesting things for each role in the game. The app works very well on even a low spec tablet like mine, and integrates with the game seamlessly. The lack of a physical rulebook is a bit of a drawback but I found the tutorial level very comprehensive and the rules section on the main menu of the app is well put together and sufficiently detailed. Very tense game.

5.2.2017

A great game with a host of tactical options that emerge when you play the game. Given that the app drives the first stage of the game round, and is suitably varied in the threats it throws out to the players, replayability is very high. It is a tough game to beat, and will appeal to those who like a nail-biting challenge. The components are excellent, making this a value-for-money purchase. I recommend it without hesitation.

3.3.2015

I love this game, husband & I play it as 2 player, though I reckon the solo game would also be mint. Would love to have more players. Really difficult, we also just win in time (after a couple of losses, setting up our strategy). Still only on the easy level. Definitely play the tutorial a couple of times, you need to get familiar with the game, the timed phase can be quite stressful!

9.8.2015

We've played this a few times since getting it. As a fan of the xbox game this was on my 'to buy' list for a while. The game looks great and comes with great models and cards. The board is fantastic and overall it is a real challenge, the app works great although is a little long winded during the tutorial. We have'n't beaten it yet, but hopefully soon.

3.5.2020

This game is a lot of fun, especially with the app aspect included in it. I wold definitely suggest getting the maximum amount of people to play it as it is a lot easier to manage. It starts off quite difficult to get your head around it but once you have it gets a lot more exciting and fun.

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