Build a communist utopia in space with Kickstarter game Red Outpost
To the stars, comrade!
Currently on Kickstarter, you can build a communist settlement in space with two to four player worker placement board game Red Outpost.
Story-wise, you’ve been sent out on a secret Soviet mission to “build a new world where all people can be equal”. Unfortunately, your ship crash lands on a strange planet before you reach your destination. Now, you must guide your comrades to prosperity among the stars.
In Red Outpost, each player takes a turn controlling the workers, and placing them on one of the 12 spots on the map. Settlers include the likes of the shepherd, the bureaucrat and the miner - among others. If they’re the wrong worker for the job (like you send the fisherman out to the mines), they’ll become unhappy.
You’ll also need to manage resources, while keeping morale up. For example, there’s a labour camp, which produces ample resources, but makes the worker placed there miserable. Luckily, drinking and lie-ins will help your folks feel better, plus they can enjoy a respite from their toil with food breaks.
In addition, there are favours to be nabbed with the political administration building, and you can please your settlers by building the Palace of the Soviets monument.
Mechanically, the game consists of two rounds, which represent two days and are split into four phases. On your turn, you can move a worker, place a disk on the worker’s portrait, adjust the worker’ mood and then perform any actions available at the location you’ve chosen.
Although “you’re all in this together”, this is not a co-operative game. One of you is angling to become leader, after all. That said, the future has no place for private property, so players will share both the workers and any resources produced.
You’ll win by keeping workers productive, shipping goods out on time, and keeping folks happy in spite of their unending toil. Whomever has the most victory points at the end, wins the game.
At the time of writing, Red Outpost has raised over £41,000 ($53,958), beating its initial goal of £3,802. There are 21 days left to go before the Red Outpost Kickstarter ends.