Ad Astra

Ad Astra is a space exploration and civilization-building game with a unique twist. It's definitely reminiscent of The Settlers of Catan, but I find it to be a much more strategic and engaging experience. The shared planning board, where you place action cards face-down, adds an element of anticipation and intrigue. It's never quite clear what actions your opponents have planned, and this keeps everyone involved throughout the game.

I really enjoy the resource management aspect of Ad Astra. You need to carefully plan your actions to maximize resource production, build colonies and factories, and expand your influence across the galaxy. The terraforming mechanics are a fun addition, and the alien artifact cards provide some interesting bonuses.

However, I do agree with some of the criticisms regarding the game's balance. The starting metal worlds do seem to offer a significant advantage, and I can see how this could be frustrating for players who don't get them. I've experimented with a few tweaks to the rules to try and address this, but I haven't found a perfect solution yet. I'd be curious to hear what other players have done to adjust the game's balance.

Overall, Ad Astra is a fantastic game that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys strategy games with a space exploration theme. It's a little more complex than Catan, but the depth of the gameplay and the variety of strategic options make it a really rewarding experience. If you're looking for a game that's more engaging than Settlers of Catan, I think Ad Astra is definitely worth checking out.