Pioneers on Mars

✏️ Roll & Write • 2P / Solo • Print & Play • Kickstarter September

Preview: We got to try out Keepers of Fun's Pioneers On Mars - a Shared-Sheet Roll and Write which will soon launch on Kickstarter as a Print & Play game

What do you need for a 2P-game? 1 Sheet (!) | 5 Dice | ✏ 2 Pencils

GAMEPLAY Both players play on the same sheet/map Players will roll 5 dice and then draft 2 each. These are used to make dominoes-like pairs that are drawn on the map (each die-face is represented by a specific icon type), to score points based on icon chains made this way. The game ends when only a few spaces are left on the map. This makes for a relatively simple premise, and we honestly weren’t sure what to expect of it at this point into the rules, but bear with us.

Each of the six icons is scored separately, and final scoring is based on the icon that has the LEAST points. So players will have to take care of spreading their efforts across all six icons and not just max out on one (although that could earn you long-term bonuses). This creates awesome tension, especially towards the end, because tides can change at any given time if your opponent manages to activate a great chain/combo and suddenly their lowest number is 10, instead of 4. Along the way, there are several bonuses to pick up, that allow for that sweet combo action ? And we haven’t even mentioned the volcanoes yet, which pop up on any single surrounded open tile and score you points for any adjacent icon!

?THOUGHTS? We're not big on conflict so we’re always happy with other ways to meaningfully interact (ie. in X & Write games: alternatives to “disturb the sheet of the player to your right, and otherwise this game is solitaire” are refreshing). Pioneers has Dice Drafting, a shared map, and the nature of the scoring really encourages you to pay attention to how your opponent is doing - so it’s super high on the interactivity charts! Normally we’re not into blocking (Ticket To Ride has no love in this household), but towards the end, even the two of us got excited to thwart each other’s efforts at colonising the red planet.

The fact that the game is played on one sheet also means that it’s super easy to take anywhere (especially if you load it onto a tablet) and additional printing/laminating cost is kept at a bare minimum, which we truly appreciate. If you haven’t tried your hand at print & play games yet, Pioneers on Mars is a great place to start.

(We got to play demo files for preview & testing purposes)