Review: Gaia Project

Introduction & Overview

In Gaia Project, the successor to the acclaimed Terra Mystica, each player controls one of fourteen distinct factions fighting to peacefully colonize the galaxy. Each faction has different environmental needs to survive on the seven different types of planets, and each faction is bound to its home planet. These needs have led the factions to master terraforming, as in order to grow and develop, they must terraform neighboring planets into their native environment, competing with other players. During the game, you will colonize new planets, upgrade mines to create better structures, and unite planets to form federations, all while needing to research and discover new technologies to improve your abilities.

This is how Gaia Project is presented to us, designed by Jens Drögemüller and Helge Ostertag, the minds behind Terra Mystica, a game they have given a couple of twists to for the title at hand today. It was published in 2017 by Feuerland Spiele in a German edition and by Z-Man Games in its English version. The illustrations are once again handled by Dennis Lohausen (The Voyages of Marco Polo, Qin, Helios).

In our country, it is published in Spanish by Maldito Games (although language dependency only appears on a few cards in the solo mode). It allows games for 1 to 4 players, with a suggested minimum age of 12 and an approximate duration of between 60 and 150 minutes. The recommended retail price is €70. For this review, a copy of the Spanish edition by Maldito Games was used, which the publisher themselves kindly provided as a review copy.

Important: if you already know the game and/or are only interested in my opinion about it, you can go directly to the Opinion section. The Content and Mechanics sections are especially intended for those who do not know the game and prefer to get a general idea of how it works.

Go to Personal Opinion

Components

Inside a two-piece cardboard box (lid and bottom), measuring 36.5×30×8 cm. (a large rectangular box similar to Scythe’s, though with less depth), we find the following elements:

• 10 Space Sector tiles (cardboard)
• 7 Faction boards (double-sided) (cardboard)
• Research board (cardboard)
• Scoring board (cardboard)
• 10 Round Scoring tiles (cardboard)
• 6 Final Scoring tiles (cardboard)
• 10 Booster tiles (cardboard)
• 36 Standard Technology tiles (cardboard)
• 15 Advanced Technology tiles (cardboard)
• 19 Federation tokens (cardboard)
• 6 Space Stations
• 15 Record tokens (cardboard)
• 12 Gaia Planet tokens (cardboard)
• Lost Planet token (cardboard)
• First Player marker (cardboard)
• 20 Action tokens (cardboard)
• 30 Quantum Intelligence Cubes (plastic)
• 175 Satellite cubes (25 of each color: grey, white, blue, red, orange, yellow, and brown) (plastic)
• 56 Mines (8 of each color: grey, white, blue, red, orange, yellow, and brown) (plastic)
• 28 Trading Stations (4 of each color: grey, white, blue, red, orange, yellow, and brown) (plastic)
• 21 Research Labs (3 of each color: grey, white, blue, red, orange, yellow, and brown) (plastic)
• 14 Academies (2 of each color: grey, white, blue, red, orange, yellow, and brown) (plastic)
• 7 Planetary Institutes (1 of each color: grey, white, blue, red, orange, yellow, and brown) (plastic)
• 21 Gaiaformers (3 of each color: grey, white, blue, red, orange, yellow, and brown) (plastic)
• 7 Ore markers (plastic)
• 7 Knowledge markers (plastic)
• 14 Credit markers (plastic)
• 50 Power tokens (plastic)
• 1 Brainstone (plastic)
• 7 Faction markers
• 30 Cards (57×89 mm.):
  • 25 Automa Cards for Solo Mode
  • 4 Reference Cards
  • Variable Turn Order Card
• Automa Rules
• Automa Player Aid
• Rulebook

How to Play

Gaia Project is a sci-fi revision of Terra Mystica. Each player controls one of fourteen factions with unique environmental needs competing to peacefully colonize the galaxy. At the beginning of each of the six rounds, income is received in the form of resources and power based on the structures built, and active planetary transformation projects are completed. After this, players alternate turns. On each turn, the active player can build a mine to colonize a new world, start Gaia projects on transdimensional planets, upgrade their existing structures to gain technology tiles and boost their economy, advance in the different areas of the research board, or connect planets via satellites to form federations. Actions allow players to accumulate ore, credits, and knowledge (tracked on personal boards), as well as use Quantum Intelligence Cubes or spend power from a cycle of three dynamic bowls to activate common action spaces. Free actions can be resolved before or after the main action, such as trading resources or discarding power to speed up its availability. After six rounds, points accumulated from formed federations, research levels reached, leftover resources, and majorities dictated by the final scoring tiles are added up. The player with the most points is proclaimed the winner.

Key Concepts

Let’s start with the Space Sector Tiles. These connect to form the game board, varying in quantity depending on the number of players. They are hexagonal tiles divided into hexagonal spaces (three spaces per side). These spaces can be empty (space) or show a planet. There are 7 types of planets on which players can build structures, plus Gaia Planets and nebulas. Additionally, as the rounds progress, players can form federations by connecting planets through the use of satellites (we will see this later). The important thing about this tile system is that it allows for slight variations in the board’s layout from one game to another.

On the other hand, each player will control a faction, represented on their Faction Board. There are 14 factions split across 7 double-sided boards. Generally speaking, all factions feature the same elements:

• On the upper strip, we find the resource track, with spaces numbered from 0 to 15. Four markers move along this track to indicate the number of resources the player possesses (some spaces have a colored background or a small symbol indicating the starting resources).
• In the next strip, on the left, we find the power area, composed of four zones:
• The first, with a green background, is the Gaia power area, where tokens are placed when a Gaia project is carried out.
• The previous area connects to the power space of value I, which is located within a power triangle alongside the zones of value II and III. Power tokens circulate between these zones clockwise as players gain power. Between zones II and III, a symbol shows the possibility of transferring a power point from zone II to zone III in exchange for removing a power token from zone II (in addition to the one being transferred). Additionally, the spaces indicate the starting power tokens of the faction.
• To the right of the power area, we find the faction’s unique starting characteristics, split into two zones. The first is circular and shows a specimen of the faction with its suitable home planet in the background. The second is rectangular and symbolically indicates the faction’s specific traits, whether they have a quantum intelligence cube at the start of the game, and which technology they advance one level in.
• Below the previous area, there is a space with three hexagons to place the gaiaformers as they are obtained.
• Occupying most of the board, in the lower left area, we find the space for the structure supply. These are five connected structure zones, indicating which upgrades can be applied to a structure. Placing a structure on the board frees up its space, which can reveal an income symbol (a hand with resource symbols). Additionally, for each structure, its associated power value (1, 2, or 3 power points) and its construction cost are shown. It is worth noting that the Planetary Institute always displays unique income and abilities for each faction.
• Finally, in the lower right area, we find two vertical reference columns. The first indicates the faction’s requirements to transform planets other than their own home planet. The second shows the exchange rate for power tokens and resources.

And speaking of structures, we mentioned that the starting point for building on a planet is mines. These can be upgraded to new structures. One of the important details is that each structure has an associated power level, which is taken into account when a player builds on neighboring planets, as well as when a player wants to form a federation of planets. Let’s list the structures available to each faction:

• Mines (1 power point): they are the basic structure and the only one that can be placed directly on an unoccupied planet. The rest of the structures must be placed via upgrading. When their spaces are cleared, they will generate ore during the income phase.
• Trading Stations (2 power points): they are the evolution of mines. Their unique feature is that their credit cost depends on whether there are neighboring rivals (at a maximum distance of 2 hexagons) or not. When their spaces are cleared, they will generate credits during the income phase.
• Research Labs (2 power points): they are one of the two possible evolutions of Trading Stations. When placed, they allow you to obtain a technology tile, in addition to generating knowledge during the income phase.
• Academies (3 power points): they are the evolution of Research Labs. Similarly, when placed, they allow you to obtain a technology tile. There are two Academies available, each with different income: the first generates knowledge, while the second generates a quantum intelligence cube.
• Planetary Institute (3 power points): it is the other evolution of Trading Stations. This structure generates a special income and activates a unique ability for each faction.

To build all these structures, players must spend resources. There are three basic types of resources:

• Ore (represented by a white square marker). It is used to build structures and transform planets.
• Credits (represented by two yellow discs). They are mainly used for building.
• Knowledge (represented by a light blue hexagonal marker). Its primary use is progressing along the different research tracks.

On the other hand, we have Power Points. These are represented by small purple discs that can be used to execute special actions or exchanged for resources. The basic mechanic of power points is that, within the previously described triangle of zones on the faction board, tokens must progress from one zone to another, and they can only be used if they are in the third bowl (regardless of whether there are still markers in other bowls). When used, they move back to the initial bowl. There are three ways to acquire power: through income, by reaching the third level of a research track, or when a rival builds on a neighboring planet. This last way involves losing a number of victory points equal to the amount of power to be gained (the highest power level of an adjacent structure) minus one (the player cannot choose which structures grant them power; that is, they must gain all possible power or none at all).

Another resource that players can obtain during the game is Quantum Intelligence Cubes. These cubes, like power tokens, can be used to activate certain special actions on the research board or exchanged for other resources. As a special case, they allow players to temporarily increase their faction’s range when performing a build action. They will also be necessary to build on Gaia planets already present on the board.

Gaia Planets are a special type of planet that does not require transformation by any faction. The only requirement to build on them, besides reaching them from another planet, is having the aforementioned cubes.

There is another option, which is to convert the nebulas found throughout space into Gaia Planets. To do this, players will have to deploy their Gaiaformers, which are a type of structure obtained by developing a research path. They allow the player to convert a nebula into a Gaia Planet, with the difference that this new planet is reserved for that player (the gaiaformer remains on the planet until a mine is built on it) and it won’t be necessary to spend quantum intelligence cubes.

We have talked about the research tracks. These are represented on the Research Board, which also includes the scoring track around the frame with spaces numbered from 0 to 99. In the upper area, the six technologies are shown, divided into 6 levels (the first is level 0). The technologies are: planet transformation level (sets the ore cost to transform planets), range (sets the spaces accessible from planets with player structures), quantum intelligence cube acquisition (simply provides cubes), gaiaforming technology (allows gaiaforming and sets how many power tokens are required for the operation), income technology (provides resources in the first phase of each round), and knowledge technology (provides knowledge in the income phase). In the transition between the second and third levels, there is a power gain of 3 tokens. In the lower area, we find the spaces for the 9 technology tiles. Six will be associated with each of the previous tracks, while another three will be disconnected from any specific technology. Whenever a player acquires one of these tiles (by building a lab or an academy), they will advance in the associated technology (or in whichever they prefer if it is one of the two disconnected tiles). Additionally, between the fourth and fifth levels of each technology, there is a space for an advanced technology tile.

As we mentioned, one of the ways to progress on the research tracks is through Technology Tiles, which are obtained when building a lab or an academy. These tiles can provide one-time bonuses in the form of resources or victory points, special actions, income, or trigger effects. There are nine different types, and one copy is available for each player.

Similarly, Advanced Technology Tiles are available, which, as previously mentioned, can only be obtained upon reaching the penultimate level of a corresponding technology. These tiles, unlike the standard ones, are unique, and each can only be claimed by a single player. Furthermore, they require at least one formed federation and a standard technology tile upon which these new tiles are placed.

Federations are simply connections between planets where the same player has built structures, provided these structures add up to a total power value of 7 (remember that each structure has a power level). Since most planets are separated in space (although some planet spaces are adjacent to each other), to make these connections, players must use satellites, which are represented by cubes of the faction’s color. When placing these satellites, players must discard power tokens (one for each satellite), and they cannot place more satellites than necessary to form the federation.

Upon forming a federation, a player can take a Federation Token that provides victory points and, in most cases, an additional bonus. These tokens will be required to access advanced technologies.

In each round, each player will have a Booster Tile that will provide new income, special actions, or trigger effects during the game. When a player passes, they must return their tile and take a different one from those available.

Passing will mean, in addition to the end of the round for that player, setting their position in the turn order for the next one. This is tracked using a card with two columns, and players’ markers will move from one to the other depending on whether the round is even or odd.

To keep track of the round, there is a board where the objective tiles are placed.

The Round Scoring Tiles determine the condition that must be met during the current round to earn victory points.

On the other hand, in each game, two Final Scoring Tiles will be placed, which determine a competition between players at the end of the game and will award points based on relative ranking.

That is enough to get started.

Setup

1. First, the board is prepared by placing a number of tiles according to the player count (10 for 3/4 players, 7 for 2 players).
2. The research board is deployed, and the 9 starting technology tiles are randomly placed on the standard technology spaces. Stack copies on each standard technology until there is one per player. Additionally, 6 advanced technology tiles are placed in the upper spaces of each track.
3. The round board is deployed on the table, and 6 round scoring tiles and 2 final scoring tiles are randomly placed.
4. A general supply is formed with the quantum intelligence cubes, power tokens, action tokens, federation tokens (sorted by type), and federation markers.
5. A supply is formed with as many booster tiles as there are players in the game plus three.
6. Each player chooses a faction and receives all elements of their color, which they will deploy on their board (on the chosen side), setting aside the satellites and gaiaformers.
7. The power tokens indicated on the board are placed in the power bowls.
8. The octagonal markers are placed at level 0 of each track on the technology board, and another one on the 10-point space of the scoring track. Players advance the levels indicated on their faction board.
9. If indicated by their faction board, players receive a quantum intelligence cube.
10. The turn order card is placed, and a starting player is randomly chosen, who will place a satellite marker on the first position. The remaining players do the same clockwise.
11. They also place two satellite cubes on the final scoring tracks.
12. In reverse turn order, each player chooses a booster tile.
13. Finally, starting with the first player and continuing in turn order, each player places a first mine on a planet native to their faction. Then, in reverse order, each player places a second mine.

We are ready to begin!

Game Flow

A game of Gaia Project consists of 6 rounds. Each of these rounds is composed of four phases.

Phase I: Income

In this phase, simultaneously, each player receives ore, credits, knowledge, and power tokens as indicated on their faction board, the position reached on certain levels of the research board, certain technology tiles, and the booster tile (symbols with a hand indicate that the corresponding items are obtained in this phase).

Phase II: Gaia Phase

First, if any player has power tokens in the Gaia space of their faction board, they must move them to bowl 1 of their power areas.

After this, a Gaia planet token must be placed under each gaiaformer that was placed on the board in the previous round. The gaiaformer remains on the new planet until the player builds a mine on it.

Phase III: Actions

In this phase, players alternate turns according to the order indicated on the turn order card. The phase ends once all players have passed. On each turn, the player must execute one of the following actions:

• Build a Mine: the player places the next mine from their faction board (starting from the left) on an accessible planet according to the level of the corresponding technology (initially you can only build on adjacent planets). This range can be temporarily increased by spending a quantum intelligence cube for 2 additional spaces or by activating a special action (if the special action does not provide enough transformations, the player can pay for the remaining necessary ones with resources). The planet, of course, must be empty and habitable by the player’s faction. If it is not, they must pay the habitability costs according to the level of the corresponding technology (some planets will require 1, 2, or 3 transformations). Additionally, if it is a Gaia planet within range, the player can build a mine by paying a quantum intelligence cube or by having a gaiaformer on it (which they would remove and return to their faction board).
• Start a Gaia Project (it is necessary to have progressed at least one level in gaiaforming technology): the player moves the number of power tokens (regardless of which bowl each token occupies) indicated by the gaiaforming technology level to the Gaia area used for gaiaforming, and places an available gaiaformer on a nebula within range.
• Upgrade a Structure: a structure can be upgraded one step. There are the following options:
  • From mine to Trading Station. When upgrading a mine to a trading station, the credit cost depends on whether there is an adjacent rival structure (within a range of two spaces): lower cost if true, higher cost if false.
  • From Trading Station to Planetary Institute. The player receives benefits depending on each faction from the very moment the Planetary Institute is placed.
  • From Trading Station to Research Lab. The player gains a technology tile and advances one step in a technology. If the tile belongs to a specific technology, they will move up on that track. If the tile is one of the three not associated with any technology, they can advance on any track. An advanced technology tile can also be taken (advancing on the corresponding track if possible) if these requirements are met:
    • The technology marker is at the fourth or fifth level.
    • The player possesses a standard technology tile.
    • They have a federation token on its green side (which must be flipped over).
    • Remember that only one player can reach the final level of a technology.
  • From Research Lab to Academy. Just like with Labs, the player gains a technology tile and advances one step in a technology.
• Form a Federation: the player can form a federation by connecting structures that add up to a total power value of 7 and do not already belong to another federation. Connections are made by placing satellites on the board, keeping in mind that a player must make the most direct connection possible. For each satellite placed, the player must discard a power token from any of their bowls. These satellites can only be placed in spaces without planets that do not already contain their own satellites (although they can contain other players’ satellites). After forming the federation, the player takes one of the federation tokens and receives the benefits indicated on it.
• Research: the player spends 4 units of knowledge to advance to the next level in one of the 6 technologies. Each new level can provide resources obtained immediately or income for the first phase. Only one player can access the final level.
• Power Action/Quantum Intelligence Cube Action: the player resolves the effect of one of the power or quantum intelligence cube actions on the research board. To do this, they spend the number of quantum intelligence cubes or power tokens indicated by the action and cover it with an action token.
• Special Action: these are actions found either on technology tiles or booster tiles. After activating one of these actions, an action token must be placed on it (it will become available again for the next round). These actions cannot be combined with other special actions or with power actions/quantum intelligence cube actions.
• Pass: the player stops executing actions in this round and follows these steps:
  • If the booster tile shows an effect upon passing, it is applied at this time.
  • They return their booster tile and take one of the 3 available, placing it facedown in their play area.
  • They move their marker to the opposite side of the turn order card, occupying the first free space starting from the top.

Concurrently, there are a series of free actions that a player can carry out during their turn:

• Spend 4 power points to gain a Quantum Intelligence Cube.
• Spend 3 power points to gain one unit of ore.
• Spend a Quantum Intelligence Cube to gain one ore.
• Spend 4 power points to gain one unit of knowledge.
• Spend 1 power point to gain 1 credit.
• Spend 1 unit of knowledge to gain 1 credit.
• Spend 1 unit of ore to gain 1 credit.
• Spend 1 unit of ore to gain a power token (placed in the first bowl).

Phase IV: Maintenance

1. All action tokens are removed from the board, technology tiles, and booster tiles.
2. Booster tiles are flipped faceup.
3. The round scoring tile is flipped over.
4. A new round begins, unless it is the sixth and final one.

Game End

The game ends at the conclusion of the sixth round. The final scoring is then carried out:

• First, the two final scoring goals are resolved. According to the relative ranking among players, those occupying positions 1/2/3/4 will receive 18/12/6/0 points. In case of a tie, the points for the corresponding positions are added together and divided by the number of tied players.
• In a 2-player game, a third marker representing a virtual player is placed in the position indicated by the tile.
• 4 Victory Points for each technology level reached or surpassed starting from the third.
• 1 Victory Point for every three resources (credits, ore, or knowledge in any combination).

The player with the most points will be the winner. In case of a tie, victory is shared.

Variants

Solo Mode: through an Automa Factory system, a virtual player faces off against the user. This player will score points in a simplified manner according to decision cards.

Personal Opinion

There was a commotion in the board gaming world when, back in 2012, Terra Mystica (here is my tocho-review) was launched onto the market. A eurogame that, on paper, didn’t seem to stand out for anything special beyond the classic features of this genre—namely, a cold, soulless design about pushing cubes from one place to another and optimizing resources to the maximum. However, it became one of the titles of the year and managed to hold its ground as one of the best-regarded eurogames for a good handful of years.

However, and this is just a personal opinion, I found details that didn’t quite fit. Rough edges that prevented me from placing it on the top tier, as I indicated in the tocho-review published back then. Five years had to pass for the authors to finally polish those small flaws, bringing us this Gaia Project. Before diving into its breakdown, I would like to thank Maldito Games for providing the review copy we used to write this review.

In essence, Gaia Project remains almost exactly the same game as Terra Mystica, so much of what I will say in this review is nearly a carbon copy of the one for the “original game”. But it won’t hurt, since there will surely be readers who haven’t experienced the game that truly popularized the concept of terraforming in board games (and not the one about making Mars habitable which, curiously, is also published in our country by the same publisher as the game we are looking at today).

In essence, Gaia Project is a eurogame in which each player takes control of a faction with the goal of scoring the maximum possible victory points. This will be achieved, basically, in three ways: expanding across the board to fulfill a series of objectives (both round and final scoring), forming federations by connecting planets, and researching (there are six development tracks that will provide points at the end of the game once a certain level is reached). The player who manages to develop best and most effectively based on these objectives will win the game.

The catch is that, although the goals are clear, how to achieve them is a different story altogether. First of all, because we are facing a very demanding game. And when I say demanding, I mean that from the very first turn, players will find themselves up to their necks regarding available resources. This is one of the axes around which the game revolves. There are three basic resources (ore, credits, and knowledge) that will allow players to carry out the main actions of the game—namely, expanding across the board by building and upgrading structures, and moving up the different research tracks to obtain greater benefits.

This is what makes Gaia Project (as was already the case with Terra Mystica) a great game, since players must calibrate each step to maintain a certain balance for the following rounds, where a new income phase will occur, receiving resources according to the structures placed on the board. Each type of structure provides a different income, so you have to carefully weigh the structure loop on the board. Mines provide ore, which is extremely important and scarce at the beginning of the game. Trading stations, the evolution of mines, provide credits instead, which are just as or even more important than ore, with the notable difference that at the beginning of the game you will have more than double the credits compared to ore. Finally, knowledge is the most expensive resource to generate, as it depends on labs (evolution of trading stations) and academies (evolution of labs). When I say that a certain balance must be maintained, it is because structures, when upgraded, return to the player’s faction board, covering up the income they generated while on the main board.

But it’s not as simple as just calculating and building. Positioning on the board, technologies, and interaction with other players all come into play. To start with, on the game board we find seven different planets plus a special planet that can be found in two states (nebula or formed). Each faction can directly inhabit one type of planet (matching in color), while to colonize the rest of the planets, it must carry out certain transformations to make them habitable. The cost of these transformations will depend on progress in one of the research tracks on the board.

On the other hand, spaces with planets are generally not adjacent to each other; instead, the coldness of space separates them. This is why there is a second technology that determines the faction’s range from planets where it already owns structures. Initially, it will be only one space, meaning you can only build in adjacent spaces. But with progress in this track, the range will expand.

The third technology refers to a fourth type of resource that is harder to access: quantum intelligence cubes. These cubes allow players to activate various advantages, their main uses being the colonization of Gaia planets (those special planets I mentioned earlier) and temporarily extending range. This technology will simply provide us with cubes at specific points (they are not income) every time we progress along it.

The fourth technology refers to the formation of Gaia planets. As I also said before, on the board we will find a series of nebulas with purple tones that can be consolidated into Gaia planets. To do this, we will have to make use of gaiaformers, which are small structures that can be used when progressing in this research track to convert the nebula into a planet from one round to the next. This transformation will have an additional cost that we will talk about shortly.

The remaining two research tracks simply provide a fixed and increasingly powerful income, as if they were structures placed on the board. The first provides credits, ore, and power tokens, while the second provides knowledge.

I have just mentioned for the first time one of the hallmarks of Terra Mystica which, of course, remains practically intact in this Gaia Project: the famous power points. A special resource represented by markers that, instead of moving along a track, passed from one zone to another in a triangular space, so they were only useful if they were in the last bowl (where they remained locked waiting to be used). A system that might remind you of video games where a player’s specific ability needs time to cooldown before being activated again. In this case, it’s not time, but gaining power points. And what is the main way to accumulate this power? Building near rivals so that every time a rival builds and upgrades, we can benefit. Let’s say that the game represents, through this system, that factions make exchanges. The one who builds has the option to receive a discount, while the neighbor receives power based on the importance of their own structures. But of course, this is not free, and the player must sacrifice victory points to accumulate power. Once again, complicating matters and prompting difficult decisions at every moment. And these power points allow you to activate certain general actions, found on the main board, which provide major benefits that can save a round.

This system is well-liked, additionally, because it forces players to manage their timing. If a player does not have all their power tokens in the last bowl, it probably suits them to delay using them as much as possible in order to manage to transfer all markers to that last bowl. Otherwise, if they activate an action using part of these points, the markers will return to the first bowl, being the first ones to absorb any new power points acquired, since the rule states that a marker cannot leave a zone if there are markers left in the previous zone.

To heighten the drama, the system allows you to push your luck by sacrificing power—that is, it allows you to transfer a marker from the second zone to the third (remember, the one that allows you to use the points), throwing another marker from the second zone into the trash. So you not only have to manage the points gained, but the amount of markers themselves. Sometimes it will be interesting to have few markers so that they quickly reach the third zone, while at other times it will be interesting to have a good number of power points because they have other uses. That is one of the main new features of Gaia Project, although I will leave that for later when I do a small comparison between Terra Mystica and Gaia Project.

Let’s talk about the objectives now, which map out the path to follow during the game. A large amount of the points to be obtained in the game stems from the round tiles, which reward players for performing a specific action. An interesting system that also forces players to project the game almost from the very first moment. There will be games where a rapid expansion without upgrading structures too much is key, while in others a swift upgrade of structures will be important to seize these valuable points. In parallel, there will be two final scoring goals for which players will compete in a ranking. Based on positions, players will score points. Here we have another point of friction among competitors.

And speaking of interaction, what are the other elements players compete for? The first and essential one is the central board. Planets are the starting point for structures, and a player occupying a space you had in mind can cause quite a mess. It is important to emphasize the relevance of the chosen factions when playing. It’s not the same if players choose factions close to each other in terms of home planet types—as it will cost relatively little to occupy a planet suitable for the rival—versus choosing factions with distant planets in terms of transformation, since, at least during the first half of the game, we won’t step on each other’s planets. There is also the matter of the research tracks, where the final space can only be occupied by a single player. Lastly, minor elements, like advanced technology tiles (competition is very long-term) or the supply of federation tokens. But come on, the important things are the blockages on the board, which often happen almost unintentionally.

Another remarkable detail of Gaia Project as a game is its fourteen factions. It’s true that the asymmetric component they provide isn’t exactly game-breaking, but it adds just enough to enjoy distinct games without having to change barely anything. Faction abilities will boost certain strategies or provide starting benefits that will alter the game’s balance. To try out all the factions would require a player to play an equal number of games. With this, I think it gives an idea of the replayability offered by the design (provided it clicks with the players, of course).

With all this, Gaia Project stands out, in my opinion (that’s what this section is for), as the best game published at the 2017 Essen Fair (the only downside is that it is a reimagining). A tense and nerve-wracking game due to the need to generate a changing resource engine that adapts to needs in order to gain more and more speed as the rounds pass, and one that doesn’t forgive mistakes (a couple of bad moves in the early rounds and you can forget about catching up to those who took the initiative). When mastered, conflict is constant with other players over where everyone positions themselves, when to build (to see if we can take advantage and scrape together some power points). A marvel, though having a starting point like Terra Mystica, reaching excellence wasn’t difficult.

The only “but” you can find is that it is still a soulless cube-pusher. The change of theme is irrelevant, and only serves for the illustrator to have a new job to do (we will talk about him later). So for those looking for an experience that is a bit more immersive or with a more powerful level of interaction, it’s possible that Gaia Project is not your game. You come here to optimize and establish structures and interconnect them more efficiently than our rivals.

Let’s move on to that comparison, which will be the most interesting part of this section for those who already know Terra Mystica. Why is Gaia Project a better game? As I said at the beginning, because it irons out the rough edges of the original design. And what are these?

The first and most important is perhaps the board. Terra Mystica had a fixed board with pre-established spaces, which gave rise to certain patterns when a player chose one faction or another. This type of pre-cooked strategy usually feels bad in these games. The expansion tried to solve it, but the best result is achieved with the path taken this time, that is, through a modular board. Now players can configure their own board, so these patterns cannot be directly applied; instead, the board must be analyzed in each game.

The next notable one (some might even consider it more important than the previous one) is the research board. In Terra Mystica we had, on one hand, shipping and terraforming technologies (which appeared on the faction board itself) and, on the other hand, the cult tracks, which were tracks where players competed to get further ahead and, as a bonus, obtain power points. To progress on both tracks, a “special” resource was used: priests, which were pawns needed to advance on these tracks. In Gaia Project, the concept of priests disappears, and a third resource is introduced (in Terra Mystica we only had workers—here ore—and money—here credits). By paying a fixed amount of this resource, you can advance one level on a research track. Much simpler and more direct. But on top of that, there is the competitive value of trying to reach the final level, which gives more points (like in the cult tracks).

Linked to these tracks we have the technology tiles. These now offer more varied effects in addition to an advancement on the research track to which they are associated (this is similar to what happened with the tiles and cult tracks). However, now the choice of tiles determines which track you progress on, and since they provide benefits, it will no longer be as flat as it was in the terraforming game. Much more interesting, with constant decisions (the first time we have to choose a tile, we might experience analysis paralysis trying to make a choice).

The third major change appears in the use of power points. Now we find a more versatile system in which new markers can be gained (in Terra Mystica they could only be lost by sacrificing power). But on top of that, two new uses appear that are not directly linked to obtaining power, but rather to “locking markers.” These new options are forming federations and gaiaforming. In the first case, players must throw away a marker for each satellite that needs to be placed. And here the concept of range changes slightly. In Terra Mystica we had shipping capacity, so spaces connected by a river section were considered adjacent for construction purposes (though not for forming towns). Here, regardless of range, you will have to physically connect planets by placing satellites. The problem is that each satellite will cost a power token that will leave the player’s board. The gaiaforming issue is somewhat different, since the tokens used are not lost, but rather placed in an area that locks them until the next round. The number of tokens will depend on the level acquired. So, as you can see, the power mechanic gains depth, as it consists not only of managing points to activate special actions, but you also have to play with quantities so as not to end up crippled when forming federations and gaiaforming nebulas.

As if those weren’t enough changes, the game’s variability is boosted with objectives. The round goals are still similar (although there are more tiles now, so the same ones don’t always appear), but the final scoring goals change completely. This replaces the scoring for the largest connected network and the cult track comparison.

Variable turn order based on when players pass is also incorporated, something that was already solved in the expansion and is a mandatory addition, both in Gaia Project and Terra Mystica, to avoid favoring the player sitting after the one who passes.

But not everything is an improvement. Although it’s not particularly major, there is still an element inherited from Terra Mystica that, in my opinion, subtracts elegance from the game. It is the matter of transformation actions (the shovels in Terra Mystica). It is because of that duality that causes confusion. In both games we have, on one hand, the action of building the basic structure, which in most cases requires adapting the terrain. This adaptation is a cost that will depend on the number of steps required to make the area habitable. But of course, we find that on the action board or on some technology tiles, the shovel symbol appears as an action. That is, we are “gifted” a free transformation, but it is not an action in itself; instead, the action would be building with a transformation discount. This duality generates confusion. I would have indicated it differently. For example, giving a symbol to the mine-building action and adding a number of transformation discounts. I think that would have made it clear and one wouldn’t end up thinking they can accumulate discounts or similar things (which is not allowed).

I don’t want to close this phase of differences without highlighting the new resource pulled out of a hat: the quantum intelligence cubes, which, despite being very interesting, are undeniably the most glaring patch in the design. They’ve even dedicated a whole technology track to them that does nothing but provide cubes at specific times. It’s true that they are powerful if you know how to use them, especially for temporarily boosting range to place a mine on a distant planet. But the research track feels a bit half-baked, being the one that least people develop, at least in early games.

Even so, someone will surely ask if it’s worth having both games in their collection. And, to everyone’s surprise, my answer would be yes. Because, precisely, the step up in some aspects of this Gaia Project makes it fully recommended for two and three players, the configurations where Terra Mystica faltered. On the other hand, playing at four, the experience can feel a bit too long. So we could say they complement each other in a similar way to Caylus and Carson City (each with its differences). While I would recommend Gaia Project for 2-3 players, I would bring out Terra Mystica for 4-5 players.

In terms of production, Gaia Project sets itself apart from its older brother by using plastic as the main material, with absolutely no wooden components. As if this were going to disguise a serious eurogame as something it isn’t. It must be admitted that the structure miniatures have their charm and look good on the board (although I will always prefer the huge wooden prisms of Terra Mystica). The cardboard, while thick enough, is too flexible for my taste, especially the faction boards, which warp with astonishing ease and must be forced a bit at the start of the game so they rest properly on the table. This doesn’t happen with the board tiles and the technology board. A shout-out to the quantum intelligence cubes, which are missing a little corner piece that allows them to snap together two by two, as if they were fusing. The rulebook maintains the level of Terra Mystica—clear, although there are concepts where I would have preferred greater clarification, such as the matter of discounts from special actions in transformation (already mentioned earlier).

The only area where Terra Mystica is clearly superior to Gaia Project is in the visual department. It’s true that space-themed games always look colder on the table, with so much navy blue or black as the main color. But the good old Dennis Lohausen didn’t put any effort into trying to fix it. It seems as if he set out to make the ugliest faction boards in the universe, with connections between structure types that are hard to distinguish, and faction characters that constantly beg for a dignified death. Ironically, Lohausen became famous because of Terra Mystica and, despite its flaws, its attractive table presence. Gaia Project does not entice you to sit at the table looking at those characters, though this is irrelevant for those of us who love pushing cubes.

A detail of the Spanish edition is that Maldito Games has taken certain liberties when translating the names of the factions (although they left the original ones in the rulebook for players to judge for themselves). It’s possible that some might not like this freedom, but if Lohausen himself doesn’t take his work seriously, what’s the problem with playing around a bit with the names? If it were a well-known franchise, maybe. But between having the Firaks or having the “Risketosos” (they would have been better suited as the orange faction), or having the Lantids or having the “Emasesianos” (referring to the water company, given they are dolphins). Personally, I don’t mind, but I didn’t want to overlook it, lest anyone be taken by surprise.

And let’s wrap this up. Gaia Project is a eurogame through and through that builds its premise around an implacable resource engine, the expansion of structures on the board, and progression in an intriguing technological research tree. The subtle management of power points and constant economic chokehold force us to measure every step from the very first turn, conveying feelings of absolute strategic control while keeping us constantly up to our necks. It is a mechanically superb design, where indirect interaction via geographic positioning and millimetric optimization heavily reward long-term planning. On the negative side, the game drags a certain lack of soul and some confusing rules text, like the duality in terrain transformation actions or the somewhat artificial fit of certain quantum intelligence resources. All in all, for those who enjoy racking their brains calculating efficient routes and perfect income loops, we are looking at an outstanding, tense, and punishing title that penalizes the slightest misstep with extreme harshness. A hell of a game. For all this, I give it an…