May The Fourth Be With You

Outer Rim - Carl Yaxley

Tabletop gaming fans of the Star Wars IP are pretty spoilt for choice in terms of Star Wars themed games. Publishing juggernaut Fantasy Flights Games alone have published board, card, dice, miniatures, and role playing games in the IP. Amongst my favourites is the one - four player, sandbox style exploration game, Outer Rim.

However, before I talk about that, I'd like to briefly recognise the Star Wars CCG. It was a two player game published by Decipher, until it was discontinued in 2001. As Star Wars games go, this was one of the best in terms of thematic gameplay (in my opinion). She may not look like much, but she's got it where is counts, kid. The game had some interesting mechanics and was fun to get into. The game lives on through an active fan community: SWCCG Players Committee.

Back to the present, and opportunities offered in the Outer Rim. You play the part of a smuggler or bounty hunter, operating in the semi-lawless regions at the edge of the galaxy. The aim is to generate fame, the first player to gain ten fame points wins. Players can acquire fame in numerous ways: completing jobs, collecting bounties, completing character and ship goals, and in some combat situations.

How you acquire fame is largely down to you. This is an aspect I particularly like. Players are assigned a character and ship, each with an in-game goal. The goals, however, are not required or particularly restrictive. Sure, they may influence how to play, but ultimately you have the freedom to explore and forge your own path.

Outer Rim is a great, thematic game fans of Star Wars will enjoy. But you don't need to be a fan to appreciate this game. If you like pick up and deliver, trading and variable player power mechanics, you may still enjoy this.

Star Wars Top Trumps Match - Nick T

I know the title suggests that I am about to write about some cards that will give you a pang of nostalgia from your childhood. In the same way as seeing a blister- packed Kenner toy would. But watch this Jedi Mind Trick... I’m not. This game has very little to do with that monotonous back and forth card game that always felt like it could go on as long as it takes a sarlacc to digest its food!

Top Trump Match has various incarnations, just like the cards, but is an entirely different two player game for children. What's more, dare I say it, it is actually quite good fun. It is a mix between tic tac toe and connect four, but I know this isn’t the description you’re looking for. So, my young Padawan, Match sees players duel across a vertical playing board. One cube is pushed through to start the game. The player who receives the cube studies it and once they have decided which of the six different images they want to face them, and where they want to place it, they push it back through another square. This in turn knocks another cube out of the board. Play goes quite quickly back and forth in this way with the cubes being rearranged until one player gains five identical images in a row.

Once you have five-in-a-row you will feel like you have the high ground, but there is a twist. Before the game starts each player draws two blind cards. If at the end of the game one of the loser’s cards match the winner’s five-in-a-row character they snatch victory from the clutches of defeat in a rather fun final luck-based “I am your father” style revelation. This gives a luck-based twist that means younger players can win and the concept is easy for them to grasp anyway. I am a fan of Star Wars, so for me there was only one genuine option as to which flavour of Match version I purchased. There are other character versions if you want to be a Salacious Crumb about it. Read my full review of Top Trump Match here.