As I approached the BGQ Review Copy Altar (B.R.C.A, for short), a new in-shrink copy of the Galileo Galilei expansion, Luna, materialized in front of me.
I looked around. “Hello?” No one responded. Tony is usually there for a snide comment, or Chris is hiding, waiting to snipe the copy right before you pick it up. But today… empty. I was relieved.
“Oh B.R.C.A., why have you graced us with this expansion to review? You know we have not reviewed the base game!”
“HUSH, child!” B.R.C.A. replied. “Malevolent beings approach.”
I scanned the room again. No one was there. “Nah. Andrew may be aloof, but malevolent. That’s a stretch.”
I picked up Luna and started to walk away.
“B.R.C.A., how did you know I loved the base game? It is a great euro, with the use of a rondel for actions and a shared market to create tension between players. An easy 4 out of 5 for me. In fact- “
“SILENCE!” boomed a voice from the shadows. Five Inquisitors, including one Grand Inquisitor, emerged. “You are under arrest for enjoying the heresy known as Galileo Galilei”
Tony’s head popped out from behind B.R.C.A. with a smirk. “Now you know why we did not review the base game.”
“But it is such a good game!” I called back to Tony as I was led away by my captors.
This is the true story of how I received my review copy of the Luna expansion and my subsequent arrest.
Expansion Overview:
Luna is the type of expansion I love. It is easy to integrate and adds more content to a great game without diluting the base game experience. The expansion adds nine moon tiles, along with nine randomized scoring tiles, nine moon observation cost tiles, nine Grand Inquisitor meeples, the Grand Inquisitor bonus board, and a new Moon achievement tile. The rest of the content is dedicated to the four new character boards and their unique components. Additionally, it all fits in the base game box. *chef’s kiss*
Game Experience with the Expansion:
My favorite addition to the game is the titular Luna observations. Players need to spend at least one die of each color that, when added together, equals or surpasses the required moon observation amount. This amount starts at five and increases by one after every observation. So why would you want to observe the moon? First, it adds two sets of bonuses.
The first is static and based on which of the nine tiles of the moon you observe. Note that the left three tiles are the only tiles that can be observed while Tier I Discovery cards are in play. The left and middle tiles can be observed during Tier II, and the entire moon can be observed during Tier III. The second bonus is random and grants a more powerful bonus to the observer and a lesser bonus to all other players. Second, there is a new achievement for being the first to observe the moon twice. Finally, there is the new Grand Inquisitor (more on them in a bit). The reason I love the inclusion of the moon is that it allows you flexibility in scoring bonuses that combo with your engine. I also like that there is a new way to spend your die, which is another way the moon adds more flexibility to Galileo Galilei.
There is, of course, a cost associated with this flexibility. When you observe the moon, you must add one Grand Inquisitor to your cellar. This meeple is the same as the ones in the base game, with three exceptions. First, they double the penalty of the space they are on during an interrogation. Second, when they reach the far right of the cellar, they are immediately sent to the new, two sided (yay, more replay value!) bonus board. No need for an Inquisitor’s Farewell, but also no way to keep them in the cellar to double the benefit on the far-right hand space. I appreciate the design choices used for the new Grand Inquisitor. It is a higher pressure inquisitor that does not provide the interrogation bonus the normal inquisitors do; however, they do provide a decent bonus when they are moved out of your cellar. It is blending how to manage this new mechanic into your old strategies that I enjoyed.
The Luna expansion also includes four new character boards included in the expansion, bringing the total number to eight, not including the Halley promo. What is different about these boards is their complexity. The base game had asymmetrical powers as well as minor changes to gameplay, from modifying the cellar to ways to change your library. The Luna character boards include mini-games for additional bonuses. For example, Elizabeth Hevelius adds a constellation mini game using 16 tiles. When you perform an action that corresponds to one of three face-up tiles, you take that tile and build a new constellation or add to an existing one. Completing bigger constellations awards better bonuses, so you must weigh guaranteed bonuses now versus a potential bigger payout later.
I played and enjoyed all four new character board options. I am glad the designers included these more advanced boards in the Luna expansion because, while fun, they also increase the replay value of the game. The only issue I have is that they may not be balanced well, especially in comparison to the base game boards. That being said, I do not have enough data points to prove they are, or are not, balanced. A data set of six games is not enough to provide a conclusive answer.
Finally, the expansion is easy to integrate. Add the Luna content with the Grand Inquisitors. Decide if you are using any of the new scientists. And that is it – off you go. I see no reason to keep the expansion content separate. Going forward, every Galileo Galilei game I play will include the expansion, even with new players.
Final Thoughts:
I love the Galileo Galilei base game experience. I was not sure that an expansion was even needed. After playing the expansion multiple times, I can admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Observing Luna adds a new way to spend your dice as well as score points. The Grand Inquisitors add pressure on moving them quickly across the cellar. Finally, the new scientists add more advanced ways to play the game. Honestly, I will never play the base game without the expansion. I highly recommend adding Luna to your base game!
P.S. As with almost every expansion ever published, if you did not like Galileo Galilei, this expansion will not change your mind.
Hits:
• New Moon observations
• Grand Inquisitor mechanic
• Four new character boards
• Easy to integrate
Misses:
• Are the character boards balanced?
