Today is the last day of 2008. Some people will be glad to see the back if it, and others will bid 2008 a fond farewell. It has been a tumultuous year for most. It has been the year the US sub-prime issue took a stab at practically everyone in the world. It has been the year of many landslides in Malaysia. It has been the year where political flashpoints erupted in many areas of the world. It has been the year of suffering. However, 2008 also have had its cheerful moments. It has been the year of the Beijing Olympics. Who could forget the amazing Opening Ceremony, or Michael Phelps' eight gold medals? It has been the year of the first Formula One night race in Singapore. It has been the year when the price of crude oil plummeted. Games-wise, it has been The Year of the Outer-Space Euro Game - the year when the theme of Designer Euro Games moved on from the Renaissance trader into outer space.
The typical theme of a Designer Euro Games was trading in the Age of Renaissance. Being games designed in Europe, this was understandable. However, there were too many games with similar settings. Examples of very good games with Renaissance trading themes are The Traders of Genoa, Ys, Goa, Oltre Mare, Medici, etc. Besides these classics, there were also mediocre games with tired oft-repeated games mechanics set in the Renaissance era. Personally, I am of the opinion that the Renaissance trader theme has been over-utilised in board games design. The delicious games displayed in Essen Games Fair 2008 had a preponderance of science fiction themes. This is a refreshing change. I believe 2007's very popular card game, Race for the Galaxy (RftG) had something to do with this. RftG was a hot game for many reasons. It's a fast game where players has to analyse the immediate game conditions and deploy compatible combination of cards. The adrenaline felt while playing a good session of RftG is, to date, unmatched. Needless to say, RftG sold like hot cakes. Board game designers, being intelligent beings as they were, quickly caught on to this and saw the light beyond the candle-lit Renaissance night. A quick theme change and voila! One science fiction game was born.
