Welcome to the Moon, and to New Las Vegas

The Game

Welcome to the Moon is part of a family of games - the Welcome To series. I have not played the first game in the series. This was my first time being introduced to the series. This is a roll-and-write game. Technically you don’t roll, because there are no dice. Instead you draw cards. Every round three pairs of cards are drawn, determining the three options you have. Everyone decides which pair to use and marks their individual player sheets. In this game you compete to launch colony ships to the room. Marking your player sheet translates to preparing your colony ship. Once anyone has enough points to launch, the game ends and you compare points. 

The golden rule in this game as you fill your sheet is the numbers in every row must be in increasing order. For example if you fill a 9 in a particular spot, thereafter any spot to the left must be less than 9, and any spot to the right must be more than 9. The number distribution of the cards is from 1 to 15. The middling numbers occur more frequently, the extreme numbers rarely. In each pair of cards drawn every round, one is a number and the other an icon. The icon tells you which row you can fill the number. You choose from the three pairs and then choose a valid spot on your sheet to fill the number. In case you can’t, you take a penalty (in game terms, an error). As you fill up sections on your sheet, you gain various benefits. Rocket icons increase your readiness to launch, which translates to points. There are some inactive rocket icons. For them to take effect you need to activate them first using an activate icon. There is an icon which lets you fill a spot with an X. Sometimes it is hard to fill spots due to the number restriction. When you fill an X you are not subject to this restriction. Finally there is an error icon which forces your opponents to lose points. Such attack icons in specific sections can only be activated once by the first player to complete the sections. If another player completes the same section afterwards, there is no more attack triggered. 

The icons in the corners of the number cards tell you these are the icons you can expect next round. 

As you gain rockets, you cross them off accordingly on the right. Once you cross out all these rockets, you launch and the game ends. The player who launches scores 150 points for launching, but may lose points from errors (red exclamation mark). Launching doesn't necessarily mean you win. 

You must complete a room (not the whole level) to gain the benefits. For example in the blue row (above), you only need to fill the two leftmost spots to complete that room on the left to gain its benefits. 

The Play

Welcome to the Moon is a fun game of risk assessment and completing sets. You can pursue different goals. How successful you are is somewhat dependent on luck, but your choices do make a difference. You should fill your sheet in a strategic manner to keep your options open as much as possible. You want to position yourself such that no matter what cards get revealed, there is something useful you can do. There is a wild row. Regardless of icon you can always fill a number there. It is an important safety net. You want to maximise points by activating those inactive rockets before you complete their sections. You want to have some X’s ready to fill those difficult spots. There are several tactical considerations to ponder. However there are only three pairs of cards to choose from, so you probably won’t have analysis paralysis. 

Although mostly a solo game, you do have to watch your opponents a little, because of the attack abilities. You don’t want to be at the receiving end too much. It’s nice to see a roll-and-write game have a bit of player interaction. 

The Thoughts

I find the game highly enjoyable. There are many clever little things you can do. It is satisfying to learn to manage risk well and to be able to plan your development well despite the uncertainty. The game is easy to understand and it will work for casual gamers. 

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Welcome to New Las Vegas

This is another game in the series. After trying Welcome to the Moon as a two player game, I gave this a go but as a solo game, playing against a bot. There are several common principles, but I find the game quite different. It’s still roll-and-write, but it’s a bit more complex. You still have those three pairs of cards, but instead of choosing a pair, you choose a number from one pair, and then you must choose an icon from another pair. So instead of three options, you have six. 

The things you do in the game are different. It is not only about filling spaces. One thing you need to do is to trace the path for a VIP's limousine. He needs to make a circuit before the game ends, and certain casinos (spots in this game are called casinos) he passes by gives you benefits. If he doesn't complete the trip and return to the airport by game end, you lose points based on how far he is from the airport. 

One way you score points is having consecutive odd or even numbers. You score points based on your longest odd stretch and even stretch. You also score points for completing columns on your sheet. There are several dimensions to juggle. 

Some of the plots are empty, and you need to perform the construction action to build the casino before you can fill any number. 

The scoring sheet looks intimidating, but once each section is explained it's not that complicated. However during play there are multiple aspects to consider and prioritise, so this is a more challenging game than Welcome to the Moon. You can charge up a power (the opening ceremony track along the top) and use it for three special actions (top right). For example one special action lets you treat an icon as wild. This gives you a bit more control, but it also means more to think about on your turn. 

I'd say Welcome to the Moon is more beginner friendly, and for those who like roll-and-write games and want a bit more challenge, then go for Welcome to New Las Vegas. I personally enjoy Welcome to the Moon more. I prefer the simplicity. Welcome to New Las Vegas felt a bit like too much work. Maybe it was because I was expecting a carefree holiday but it was actually a city planner and chauffeur job.