Shackleton Base : A Journey to the Moon (EN)
Move mankind to the Moon!
In the very near future, mankind is setting up a base in the center of the Shackleton crater at the Moon’s South Pole. Players lead space agencies working together to expand the human presence on the Moon. The mission is sponsored by 3 major corporations, each pursuing its own goals.
An innovative modular sandbox system
Shackleton Base: a Journey to the Moon is a Eurogame strategy game based on a modular sandbox system. It can be played by 1 to 4 players.
The game box contains 7 unique Corporations, but only 3 are chosen each game. Each Corporation introduces its own challenges:
- Selenium Research requires you to retrieve samples from the Moon’s surface for analysis,
- Sky Watch requires you to work in semi-cooperation to destroy an asteroid heading for the Moon,
- Artemis Tour urges you to welcome tourists to your lunar base,
- Moon Mining specializes in extracting and shipping rare resources to Earth,
- EverGreen aims for food autonomy on Mars, and encourages you to build vegetable farms in the crater,
- To Mars begins space migration to the Red Planet with your support,
- Space Robotics invites you to invest in their versatile robots and technologies.
With the help of 3 different types of astronaut (Technicians, Engineers and Scientists), you’ll need to build structures within the crater, conduct corporate projects and enhance your reputation as a space agency.
Key concepts and single-player mode
Shackleton Base is based on several key concepts:
- Worker Placement: Use your Engineers, Scientists and Technicians in the various areas of the board to achieve your objectives. You’ll be in constant tension with the other players, who will be looking to grab the best – and, of course, limited – slots!
- Modularity: Thanks to the 7 Corporations in the box, there are a total of 35 different combinations of Corporations! This gives each game its own unique flavor. Naturally, the game provides a starting configuration for your first game. Thereafter, you can choose the combination of Corporations or leave it to chance.
- Sandbox: Shackleton Base is designed as a sandbox. You’re free to choose which direction to take, and the possibilities are endless. Build structures, fund projects, improve your reputation, get involved with Corporations…
Solo players can play against an Automa, entirely designed by authors Fabio Lopiano and Nestore Mangone.
How to play?
A game of Shackleton Base lasts 3 rounds, during which players go through various phases:
- Choice of Space Agency: before starting the first round, you can choose your agency. Each agency has a different ability.
- Shuttle draft: during this draft, you’ll choose your Shuttle tile from among those on offer. Each Shuttle tile details the types of astronauts and resources you will receive for that round.
- Action phase: on your turn, deploy one of your astronauts on the Moon to collect resources, build structures or fund projects.
- Maintenance: astronauts deployed on the crater populate players’ bases according to majority criteria (who has the most structures in each line of the crater). Players then collect their income and pay their maintenance costs.
Depending on the Corporations involved in the game, special skills can be activated during the various stages of the game. The space agency with the most victory points at the end of the game will be declared the winner!
Components
- 1 main board
- 4 player boards
- 116 wooden elements
- 77 cards
- 436 tokens and tiles
- 11 storage boxes
- 1 rules booklet
- 7 corporate sheets
