Space is a large and spellbinding place, full of more mysteries than we can ever hope to comprehend in a dozen lifetimes. It’s expansive, complicated, diverse, and truly awesome to behold in the purest definition of the word. It’s amazing how much we’ve been able to learn about the great cosmos before us considering that humans haven’t stepped foot past our own moon yet. We’re getting there, slowly. One small step and all that.
But such things take time.
See, as much as we’re ambitious about exploring the unknown, the other thing about space is that, a few planets aside, it’s pretty inhospitable. There’s extreme temperatures, radiation, erratic and dangerous debris looking to damage even the most durable spacecraft, and lots and lots (and lots) of nothingness in between it all.
Still, we find ourselves wanting to go.
Now, whether we venture into the final frontier due to altruistic reasons of exploration and the pursuit of knowledge, or good old fashioned capitalism remains to be seen.
In the case of the clever asteroid mining game Periorbis, it’s most assuredly the latter. In this sci-fi based worker placement game, players have a handful of rounds to recruit workers and use their skills to gather resources from a series of nearby asteroids, all with the purpose of generating the biggest payout. The concept is simple enough, but the execution, just like the real thing, is a bit more interesting.
When it comes to designing a game’s mechanics, the goal is to create a system that’s enjoyable, repeatable, and provides a series of worthwhile choices to make. The goal behind a game’s theme, by contrast, is to draw players into the setting through the effective use of flavor, setting, and ambiance. And when a game is capable of successfully combining the two, as Periorbis does, the result is a strategic game that provides both purpose and creativity to the decisions that you’re being asked to make.
In this space adventure, that’s accomplished in two particularly artful ways. The first is that the workers in this worker placement game are not faceless, identical automatons. Every worker is specialized, providing bonuses when they’re asked to do the tasks they’re skilled at, adding an appealing angle to the standard worker placement genre.
Secondly, the game actually takes into account that asteroids, you know, move. Each of the game’s asteroids exist in their own orbital path, and their availability changes from round to round. Sometimes a specific asteroid resource will be farther away and require extra technology to reach it. Other times it won’t be available at all. This adds an interesting wrinkle to the game, while rewarding both strategic planners and lovers of theme at the same time.
Yes, we can’t be sure what exactly lies out there in the great expanse, or how much ore you’ll be able to get out of the mines before time runs out, but there’s only one way to find out. So hop on the next shuttle out to the rigs and join us for an engrossing (and high grossing) space-based moneymaking experience.
And if we’re lucky maybe it’ll help to erase the memory of that even more far-fetched Bruce Willis-led asteroid mining exercise while we’re at it…
In fact, we figured what better way to do that than to replace that movie’s memory with a more positive one – by winning a copy of Periorbis!
From now until midnight EST on November 5th you can check the contest out on our Facebook page, or by entering below. Just follow the entry form and proceed with the contest. The more you do, even if just one, you still have a better chance than not entering at all. Of course you’re welcome to do that too. But your odds of winning drop to zero. No pressure or anything.
The Fine Print: The Cardboard Republic, in conjunction with Perihelion Games is giving this game away strictly for entertainment purposes. This act is not a paid endorsement by Perihelion Games or any other entity. This contest is open to individuals only. Staff members of The Cardboard Republic and Perihelion Games are not eligible to participate. For winners outside of the Continental US, the publisher reserves the right to request they cover part or all of the shipping costs.