We’re back today with the Nemesis board game review by Rebel, and it is a DOOZY!
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to have a board game that puts you right in the middle of the Alien franchise?
And would you like it to feature all the space ships and escape pods that come with all that crazy alien space monster murder action?
Well, look no further than ‘Nemesis’!
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Rebel Nemesis
“Pricey Game Worth Every Penny!”
Our Rating: 5
A Ton of Fun
Keep reading to find out how awesomely crafted plastic miniatures are managing to excite fans with surprise attacks and card draws in this semi coop game!
And we’re not exaggerating here: Adam Kwapinskiand Tom Vaselwould be proud of this eldritch horror themed game!
So, ready your cards in hand, get those noise tokens, and prepare to escape the ship.
This Nemesis board game review will have you hankering for some sci fi terror!
Board Your Walls!
There are a lot of board games out there that have become classics over time.
Examples include the Lord of Hellas and Arkham Horror and releases from Awaken Realms.
And we have to say, after our Nemesis board game review, the world of tabletop gaming has found yet another gem.
Trust us: you won’t have to push your luck to pull the trigger on this tabletop classic even if it’s honestly a bit pricey these days.
So, from player counts to event phases to card draws, our Nemesis board game review is here to give you everything you need to know.
Oh, and did we mention that Nemesis also has player elimination elements, because it totally does!
Beat the Nemesis!
So, to start things off, let our Nemesis board game review provide you with a bit of background to the whole lore of the game.
When it comes to the player count, space ships are involved: it’s a game for one to six players.
The main objective is to escape the ship and survive all the surprise attacks from an enemy ripped straight out of the Alien franchise.
The space ships that you’re on are in tatters and there are alien intruders on board.
And, as you’ll find out in this Nemesis board game review, you’ll have to use everything in your arsenal to make it to the end!
Play with Others
And since this is one of those fun semi coop games, working together with other players plays an important part in the game.
And that’s the beauty of this tabletop game: as our Nemesis board game review discovered after hours of using exploration tokens and event cards.
The “semi coop” part is important, but that’s not all there is to it.
The Whole Shebang
Tom Vaselfrom The Dice Tower couldn’t have put it better in his very own Nemesis board game review: this tabletop adventure is mind-blowing!
Looking at the package and everything you get from the box you’ll notice that this Awaken Realms release is worth every penny.
First off, the player count (1-6) is represented each by a beautifully sculpted little plastic miniature that has a very amazing paint job.
Each of these little plastic miniatures has a character card that corresponds with them: you could be the scientist, pilot, scout, soldier, mechanic, or captain.
Additionally, you also get an exploration token for each tile of the board that represents areas within the ship (storage rooms, technical corridor, etc.).
You also have event cards placed on each of them.
More Cards!
These noise tokens, event cards, and exploration tokens allow players to push your luck and maybe get to escape the ship at the end!
Each character also gives players a set of character cards in hand, which allow for various moves, such as surprise attacks and contamination cards.
The board itself also has a couple of gauges on both its lower left and lower right corners.
On the lower left, you have a time counter that marks whether the ship you’re on is about to self-destruct.
Hyperdrive Counter
On the lower right hand, you have a hyperdrive counter.
It is a marker for players to know when to get into one of the stasis chambers in the game.
As such, this is a very card driven game with itssemi coop aspect, but also relies on that sweet player elimination side of the game.
And, during our Nemesis board game review, we’ve definitely proven that in space, no one can hear you scream!
Winning it
Like we said earlier, the goal of the Nemesis is to survive and bring your ship back to Earth.
To do this, players also get coordinate cards that could lead to four destinations: the Earth, Venus, Mars, and… DEEP SPACE!
And this is where you’ll have to balance the semi coop and player elimination aspects of the game.
Not only do you have to get the coordinates right, but you have to make sure that the ship’s engine is working properly.
Multi-Faceted Fame
To be completely honest, we had a hard time agreeing on what to do in the game during our Nemesis board game review.
That’s both the gift and curse of semicoop games, we guess.
That’s how multi-faceted this game is, as the whole draw bag includes both team objectives and personal objectives that players should accomplish.
That makes cooperating and competing a real balancing act.
But hey, if you’re a fan of tabletop gaming, this is all just par for the course.
You wouldn’t be put off by all these gaming aspects Nemesis possesses.
What’s going on?
So, when it comes to team objectives, you get a whole lot of message icons that tell you what to do.
On one hand, it could be a player elimination style objective, such as not letting one of the players survive the game.
On the other, it could be cooperative, like finishing the game with all of the players in escape pods and an alien egg in tow.
All of this added up to make our Nemesis board game review a fun—albeit intense and, well, violent—experience.
With all its event phases, noise tokens, exploration tokens, and contamination cards, winning becomes a difficult AND rewarding task in this tabletop classic.
Speaking of…
Speaking of contamination cards, the player counts whether their character is still in proper condition via this cute 3-D card accessory accompanying the whole Nemesis package.
What you do is slide your respective character card through this 3-D screen and it shows whether your character is contaminated or not.
If you draw one of the character cards that reveal the word “infected” on it when you slide it into the 3-D reader, it’s bad news.
It means your character is not going to survive until the end of the game.
So, that means you could either play the martyr or go full chaotic evil on your friends (we prefer the latter, since helping the team is MEH!).
This isn’t all about eldritch horror or ripping off the alien franchise, though, as a lot of action is involved in order to progress in the game.
And… Action!
Our Nemesis board game review was made more exciting by the whole role-playing game aspect of this tabletop adventure.
Aside from the event cards and card draws, each player also has a specific specialty denoted by the character cards in the game.
Each of these traits is unique to whichever character any given player is using.
There are things that the captain character could do that, say, the pilot couldn’t and vice-versa.
So, playing Nemesis isn’t just about how to push your luck with card draws and dice rolls, but about strategy too.
As our Nemesis board game review found out, this Awaken Realms game leans heavily into RPG exploration territory as well.
Playing the Role
Aside from having to portray different characters during your tabletop sessions, exploration also plays an integral part in winning the game.
With each opened area, such as a technical corridor or one of the escape pods’ maintenance room, you also get to rummage through these.
That allows you to find some much-needed tools and items that are represented by item cards that you get from, of course, card draws.
Using them determines how fast or slow—or even if it’s at all possible— you’ll make it out of the ship intact.
Furthermore, the number of items you could get from any given section of any given corridor or area in the game also varies.
Item cards are divided into three categories: green, yellow, and red, and each of them has a specific purpose.
The Item Cards
Green item cards represent health packs and other HP-related items you could use to help you and your team survive the failing ship andthose damn aliens.
Yellow item cards represent technical tools to fix the failing ship, slow down the self-destruct counter or the hyperdrive timer.
That helps you reach the escape pods in time.
Finally, there’re the red cards, which stand for ammunition and weapons, because no one survives in space with wits alone.
Ammunition and weapons: yes, we said it, because you’re really going to need these once the real action starts.
Because if there’s one thing that made our Nemesis board game review one hell of an experience, it’s the killer aliens you’ll encounter and have to defeat!
Aliens! Aliens! Kill!
Nemesis wears its alien franchise influences on its sleeve proudly, as any of the FOUR little plastic miniaturealien figurines could appear randomly at any given area.
So, you could either escape these surprise attacks or go head-on and push your luck with a good old fashioned science fiction space fight!
When it comes to the aliens, you get one figurine each of varying sizes that go from reasonably large to the terrifying alien queen.
Not only do they differ in size, they also have unique attributes that players need to adapt to if they want to win the whole Nemesis game!
All in all, there’s a whole lot going on for this Awaken Realms release.
Despite its rather hefty price tag, you’ll realize that it’s money well-spent to experience what it has to offer.
Background
Nemesis is a game that is heavily influenced by the alien franchise – a sci fi survival romp that does not necessarily rely on all-out RPG action.
Our Nemesis board game review proves this: you could play it like a stealth game, a drama, and even a freaking comedy should you wish.
Its in-game storyline is pretty straightforward and something that is not unlike what various science fiction films and books have done in the past.
You and your fellow tabletop friends go on a survival adventure romp, as you portray one of six available characters.
In Nemesis, the whole goal is to escape the ship, but there are two main problems: one, the ship is about to crap out on you.
Second, alien monsters abound and would be more than happy to attack and devour your whole crew.
A Cool Romp!
Aside from those aliens, you also have to deal with maintaining the ship’s condition so it doesn’t self-destruct.
Then, there’s setting the course for Earth and making sure you occupy the escape pods once the ship’s hyperdrive kicks in.What we’re saying is, there are as many ways for you guys to lose in the game as there are to win it.
That all adds up to the appeal of Nemesis.
It is card driven, but it doesn’t demand you to push your luck on card draws, which is what makes this tabletop classic such an amazing experience.
Simply put, Nemesis is what happens when the Alien franchise and Metal Gear Solid had a baby in board game form!
Manufacturer: Awaken Realms
Awaken Realms is one of the leading tabletop manufacturers in the world today.
They released hits like Arkham Horror, Lord of Hellas, and a slew of other well-received board games.
The company has cemented itself as a premier player in the tabletop gaming industry.
And with this board game review, we’re not surprised why that’s the case!
Nemesis Board Game Review: Our Verdict
Aside from the hefty price tag that comes with this game, Nemesis is one of the best board games we’ve played in quite some time now.
With its amazing lore and spot-on gameplay mechanics, both newcomers and hardcore tabletop gamers alike will have something to enjoy in this sci fi thriller.
Even with its intricate rules, any player could easily enjoy this game after a couple of practice runs, and that’s pretty rare for today’s tabletop landscape.
As such, our Nemesis board game review gives this one a resounding “YES” if you ask us if you should buy it.
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