Post-Apocalyptic Fun: A 51st State Review

One of our recent acquisitions is 51st State, a Toy Vault card game based on the world of Neuroshima (like Neuroshima Hex). There has been quite a bit of buzz about this one, often comparing it to Race for the Galaxy. In fact, many claim that it will effectively replace Race for the Galaxy in their collection. I want to share how we feel about the game after a handful of sessions under our belt. For those of you unfamiliar with the world of Neuroshima, it is a post-apocalyptic North America with various factions vying for power. It was originally based on the Polish role-playing game Neuroshima. 51st State designer Ignacy Trzewiczek is also one of the designers for both the Neuroshima RPG and Neuroshima Hex. For those of you familiar with Fallout, what I’ve seen and read closely resembles the world depicted in that video game series. It’s an interesting setting, and the card art does a great job of conveying the post-apocalyptic theme.

The rules of the game are not too complex, although I must point out that the rules are not that good. It wanders a bit, and some things are not mentioned at all times but are not explained until the end. That said, a couple of reads and a look at some online resources got us started. It begins with players selecting cards from several set up at the start of the turn. After card selection, players earn income and then take turns executing actions. Actions can be playing a location (more on that later), using a production location with a worker, playing a leader, rebuilding a location, or other minor actions. The game continues until all players have passed. For the most part, the game is a multiplayer solitaire, like Race for the Galaxy, or even Dominion.

Most of the cards you will see are locations, and locations are very interesting in this game. Each location can be played in one of three ways, each with an associated color. The most basic function is white, and that is to put the card in your play area as a location; doing this can result in one of several benefits, such as giving an income from a resource, or being able to produce victory points, or having a trait that remains in effect. Some are production locations where you, or sometimes an opponent, can play a worker for their benefit. Another option is to make a deal, which is the blue action. This will give you a modest income from your resource (or sometimes a card or victory points) each turn. The final action, indicated in red, is to conquer the location. This will result in a one-time windfall of resources, cards, or victory points. This is a definite fortress of the game. Every time you look at a card, you have to decide how you want to play it. It’s a very interesting and very thematic tactical consideration for the world.

Each player takes on the role of one of the factions in the world. There are four: Mutants, New York, Appalachian Federation, and Merchant’s Guild. Each faction is trying to establish superior dominance by controlling areas. Everyone plays a little differently. The differences are not huge, but somewhat thematic. This is reflected in how they spend resources to perform the three basic actions to deal with a location, and the income they receive from the resources present in the game: scrap metal, building materials, weapons, and fuel. As you might expect, they each have an advantage towards one of the basic placement actions.

I have to say I’ve been enjoying this game. Rulebook issues aside, it’s a great game. There is certainly a bit of randomness with the limited availability of cards per turn, but the cards seem balanced enough that you don’t have a situation where you need to search for cards to implement your chosen strategy. It has enough complexity to be interesting, without dictating an overarching strategy. The set playing time is 40-90 minutes and it is accurate. In a previous blog post, I talked about the “sweet spot” for gaming in terms of fun versus time spent, and I think this game does a good job of hitting it. 51st State receives a strong recommendation from me. I encourage you to try it!