Firefly Board Game

Product Information

The Firefly game drags the magic of tabletop gaming into the Firefly universe, and places gamers directly into the Captain’s seat, where they can get an insider’s look at the world that they loved. Firefly boasts a range of expansions to add even more to your game. The great thing about this game is that the expansions can be added depending on what you want to add to your game. ‘Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!’– Hoban ‘Wash’ Washbourne The game is fairly weighty for a TV show tie-in. It has a complexity rating of 2.95 out of 5 on Board Game Geek so comfortably in the medium weight category. There are a fair few mechanics to work around that can feel a bit overwhelming at first but once you’re used to how the game works then it will become second nature. Size & Scale Oh, and every single time you move to reach these planets you have to draw a card to see if some event happens. This can be avoided by “moseying” only one space on your turn, but if you did that all the time someone else would win the game before you completed your first job. Over half of these event cards say that nothing happens. So much time in this game is spent moving a space, pulling a card that says “continue”, moving another space, another uneventful card, another space, another card, etc etc etc. Riveting. The cards that do have events on them are only slightly less variable than the misbehavin’ cards. Failed Concept Five new cards, for the crew from the show. Makes them all stronger, not really a huge priority on getting this.

Stay ‘shiny’ Firefly fans! ‘ Firefly: The Board Game’ is here to fill the hole in your heart left by the series. Firefly is a game that is dripping in theme, matching the tone of the show well and dropping in plenty of easter eggs and references to keep even the most hardcore fans appeased. Gameplay ‘They’ll take any job, legal or illegal, to keep fuel in the tanks and food on the table.’ Travelling around the ‘Verse in your Firefly is a brilliant experience. Just like the experience of the Serenity’s crew, the game is full of unpredictability you never know when you’re going to bump into an Alliance patrol or worse, reavers! ‘I Aim To Misbehave.’– Mal ReynoldsAs wonderful as it is, the Firefly board game was designed specifically for one niche group of fans – people who love Firefly.

But what about the other expansions? Well, a big damn hero called Ken Savage has written an excellent yet succinct breakdown of the 11 various expansions and what they do. So from here on in, its Ken’s words. Over to you Ken! (Matt steps away from the keyboard to go misbehave somewhere else). The Firefly Board Game is based on the popular television series that Joss Whedon created, so it’s probably going to appeal most to people who are already in love with the series. Within the game, players captain their own version of the Firefly-class transportation ship. You make your way through the immersive universe with a crew of fighters, travelers and mechanics. Additionally, you’ll need to take on jobs to collect money and eventually win the game.

Foil Type

Each expansion brings new content into the game, but mostly also “fix” something in the base game. This overview is from a huge fan of the show and game:

Firefly boasts a range of expansions to add even more to your game. The great thing about this game is that the expansions can be added depending on what you want to add to your game. ‘Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!’ – Hoban ‘Wash’ Washbourne After a player has finished their 2 actions, the next player takes their turn. Play continues in this manner until one player has achieved the scenario’s goal and wins. Firefly comes with a number of detailed plastic miniatures. Each player gets their own Firefly class ship and there are also ships for the Reavers and Alliance Cruiser. Game Experience: Over a decade ago, a little known TV show premiered on the FOX network called Firefly. As any fan of the show (Browncoats as they are known) can attest to, this sci-fi/western TV show was completely mismanaged by the network until it was canceled halfway through its first season. To say the show has gone on to become a cult hit would be a gross understatement. Firefly has spawned a loyal following of Browncoats that any TV show on the air now would be drooling to have. The end game goals can vary from getting a certain sum of money or completing a big ‘misbehaving’ mission. This offers a nice variety dependent on your of your group’s preferred playstyle. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t fun to be had if you haven’t watched the series. The variety of different gameplay options available and the unique storytelling aspect of the title make it a compelling choice for any game night.

There are other smaller expansions available, from individual ships to even more cards to keep the game fresh. Final Thoughts Or do you want to explore the WHOLE ‘Verse? Then you’ll love the ‘Blue Sun’ and ‘Kalidasa’ expansions which extends the board on both ends and adds a heap more content from ‘Serenity’ including new missions and new items to add to your shops. Fair warning – if you’re struggling to fit the base game on your table, you might need to buy a bigger table before you buy these board expansions! Once you get a great crew together in the game, Misbehaving and completing jobs becomes very simple and has low/zero risk. This expansion changes that alright! More (and tougher) misbehaves and nicer rewards make this a very important late game expansion. With more expansions in the works Firefly is definitely one to watch if you’re looking for a quality space adventure. (Tom Randell, www.gamesquest.co.uk/blog) Buy your copy here. As you might expect, the most lucrative jobs will require players to misbehave from time to time and go against the law. You can win while following the law of course – however, that might not be as much fun.

Fifty new cards, adds a number of jobs/equipment which reward specializing your crew. Surprisingly good expansion, for being so small. But on the same token, Firefly: The Game is far from a cheap, licensed tie in. While, yes, the Firefly license defiantly helps sell this game, overall Firefly is a well-designed game that’s also a lot of fun. And for me, that’s a sigh of relief. Nothing is worse than getting a game based on a subject matter you enjoy and finding out it’s nothing but a shallow box of cards with no game play to speak of ( World War Z I’m looking at you). Travelling around the ‘Verse in your Firefly is a brilliant experience. Just like the experience of the Serenity’s crew, the game is full of unpredictability you never know when you’re going to bump into an Alliance patrol or worse, reavers! ‘I Aim To Misbehave.’ – Mal ReynoldsDeal: Deal cards work similar to the buy action. Instead of getting just equipment and crew, you also take on jobs. There are five different kinds of contracts to choose from, ranging from safe but low paying, to dangerous but lucrative. The Firefly Board Game will be an amazing gaming experience for you if you already love the Firefly series. A lot of the enjoyment comes from being able to explore the environment that you loved from the shows in a new way. If you’re not a huge Firefly fan, then the game is still fun and worth a play, but it’s probably not going to blow your mind. Hauling stuff is good, but is it shiny? There’s more than enough tokens in the game, so The Whole Damn Verse playmat, the Shiny Token Set and Big Money In 2002, director Joss Whedon, introduced sci fi fans to Firefly. Named after an in-show class of spaceship, this excellent series lasted only 14 episodes before it was cancelled by Fox. Firefly the Game drags tabletop gaming firmly into the Firefly universe. Well-themed, and cleverly implemented, it places you in the Captain’s seat of your very own Firefly and sends you out into the ‘verse. Hauling things around the universe makes sense in the game too. As you play, each player will take on the role of captain of their ship, hiring crew, equipping them with tools, and making decisions about which contracts to take, and which to abandon.