Smugglers are cool. There’s Han Solo, who’s always stuffing things into various nooks and crannies around the Millennium Falcon (although if my model Falcon that I had in the 80’s was anything to go by, it’s hard to imagine it was worth the effort – I could barely shove two Dairylea triangles into the miserly stash-hole my toy in my possession), pirates did a lot of smuggling – they nabbed cool stuff like golden dubloons and dodgy rum. You want to be like them, don’t you? Guess what? Here’s your chance, with a sci-fi twist.
Smugglers of Kaimas from Intrepid Games is for 2-4 players who will each take on the role of a faction leader vying for control of an independent colony. You’ll have to smuggle resources past security checkpoints, raid GCC shipments and outwit your friends in a battle of deception and risk-taking. Every shipment is an opportunity to double-cross, outmanoeuvre and mislead your rivals, and you’ll already know if this is perfect for you and your ratbag group of pals.
You’re going to rely on bluffing and push-your-luck strategies to transfer resources from their Inventory to their Stockpile, enabling the completion of vital Projects and the accumulation of enough Influence to secure victory. The game’s thrill lies in the ever-changing dynamics of the Checkpoint, where the pace can accelerate or slow down unpredictably, compelling you to adapt your tactics. Smuggle more resources than you declare to outsmart your opponents, but tread carefully – random inspections may expose your deceit, causing you to forfeit your shipment and fall behind in the race for dominance.
Players should adjust their strategy based on the Global Coporate Coalition (GCC)’s current control level: Legal shipments speed up the Checkpoint, but continued legal shipments trigger GCC raids on the Separatists. However, dishonest shipments slow the Checkpoint, but continued dishonest shipments lead to more GCC inspections. The number of turns you take will be significant. Can you out-optimise your friends and claim victory first? Bear in mind that evry choice can make or break your smuggling operation. There’s no room for playing nice in the underworld: you need to bluff, bait and betray your way to victory.
The super interesting thing is that Smugglers of Kaimas will ship as a Print and Play game, along with a Tabletop Simulator implementation. Everything you need to play will be printed on 23 sheets of A4 paper. You’ll get a clear and detailed 8 page rulebook, an A4 Checkpoint mat, an A4 Separatist stores mat, a Project Roster, 4 player mats (also a full sheet of A4 for each), 30 Project cards, 72 Resource mini cards, and all the markers you’ll need to play, although you’ll have to provide your own D6 die (come on, you’re a board game, you must have loads of dice knocking about). You’ll even get STL files to 3D print those player markers, if you’re lucky enough to have a 3D printer (oh boy do I want one).
If you opt for the Print and Play version on its own, then it’s going to cost you less than a regular cup of coffee. Seems like a pretty sweet deal for this much gameplay. Head on over to Kickstarter and check it out.
