Shiny

We picked up Firefly: The Game a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I know, welcome to eight months ago. I enjoyed the show and felt it was canceled prematurely, but I am not a Browncoat. So I waited on the game until I got some positive feedback on how it was as a game, not just fan service.

Luckily, it does both! The game's art is well done and just oozes Firefly atmosphere. It may try a bit too hard in some aspects, but it is not overbearing for players not real familiar with the show. The big question is how does it play?

Firefly: The Game is a 1-4 player game were the player is a captain of a Firefly-class ship trying to make their way across the 'verse. This is accomplished by hiring crew, buying gear and getting jobs. You can stay on the right side of the law, but the jobs don't pay nearly as well. Things can get very dangerous outside of Alliance space, but that is where the real money is made. A player wins by completing the goals on the Story card. Goals vary by the different Story cards, so replay value is very good. That and the random nature of  drawing from many different decks for contacts, jobs, gear, and travelling.
Player interaction for the base game is low, (the second expansion adds some) but that is not really a minus in this type of game. The game flows quickly, and has a short learning curve. Gale Force Nine has done a good job with this license. Even though it is aimed squarely at fans of the show, it is a good game that benefits from it's setting rather than being handicapped by it like so many games based on a TV show or movie are.

 I have picked up the first mini-expansion, a deck of extra cards that add nicely to the game without adding any new rules. The second expansion adds two new ships, bounty hunting, and new story cards. A third expansion has been announced, so it looks like there will be support for his game for while. I just hope they don't go totally overboard with the expansions and make the game an unwieldy mess.

We recommend Firefly: The Game if you liked the show and enjoy a good sci-fi trader/smuggler game.