Sidereal Confluence
It’s all for one and everyone for themselves in this brain-burning game of interstellar politics
Designer: TauCeti Deichmann | Artist: Nakarin Sukontakorn
Its title may sound like some sort of embarrassing medical condition, but Sidereal Coinfluence is actually a game of deep-space diplomacy where starfaring species vie to become the dominant faction in a cut-throat cosmos. While that’s hardly a novel concept, the game combines free-wheeling negotiation with complex economic strategy in some intriguing ways.
It rejects the militaristic flavour of many sci-fi games in favour of interplanetary politics. While it’s undeniably competitive, it encourages co-operation between players. You’ll use resources represented by different coloured tokens to research technologies, gaining new abilities and victory points in the process. But each new discovery requires a different combination of resources to unlock, and you won’t be able to acquire them without help.