Star Scrappers: Orbital

I went into another Fryx design expecting something tidy, and Star Scrappers: Orbital does not overpromise. It has a little of the original Terraforming Mars in its bones, only lighter on its feet and much keener to let you mess with the person beside you. Five rounds, some building, some spite, and the table is awake.

You begin with money, a basic module and cards in hand, then build up your station while buying fresh cards from the market. Play runs through five relaxed rounds with scoring in between, so making a handsome private engine is not enough; it needs to pay before the next count arrives.

Then come the events and sabotage cards, because apparently your neighbours' stations have no security budget. At two, the aggressive route felt close to compulsory: modules that hand out free damage can put the other player a long way behind. With three or four, though, the game gets its proper rhythm. You hit someone, someone hits you, and nobody has time to settle in. That is the point.

It is not a landmark design and it is not especially deep, but it is cohesive, pleasant, and offers repeat play on something like the Furnace level. If your shelf needs games in this time slot, this is an easy recommendation for the start or finish of an evening.

Updated session

The four-player game was noticeably better, confirming that Star Scrappers: Orbital benefits from having more targets and more threats around the table. The mini expansion added a little extra flavour without adding much complication. It did not change the verdict; it made it firmer: Star Scrappers: Orbital is a lively, cheerful filler that gets out before it wears out its welcome.