Cats set off to conquer space in this super fun game

What is backgammon? Space Agency MLEM ?

Cats are now masters of the earth. They do not intend to stop there, and send their best “astronauts” to conquer new planets. But be careful not to cause “disasters” and cause the rocket to crash.

Accessible from 8 years of age, for 2 to 5 players and matches of 30 to 60 minutes, it is a stop-and-even (risk, “push your luck” in English) dice-throwing game, strongly influenced by chance and generation. Good atmosphere around the table.

Copyrights: Space Agency MLEM It is a game written by Rainer Knizia, illustrated by Joanna Rzebicka, and Sold for €27.95 at Philibert.

How can you do it?

The game revolves around several trips into space, in which players try to go as far as possible and land on a moon or planet before the rocket crashes miserably.

In each round a AstronautFrom each player climbs into the rocket, starting with the pilot of this flight. Each cat has a certain power, which can be used during the flight, or get more points at the end of the game (the ability to land one square away, or despite the explosion of the missile, score twice as many points. It is on a planet, moon or so) .

The journey begins at the surface of the Earth, continues several cycles, moves farther and farther, and stops either when everyone descends, or when the rocket crashes.

On each turn, the captain rolls the dice. The goal is to create at least one face required by the location where the missile is currently located. For example, square 5 requires at least 1 or 4 so you can start from there. If successful, it removes all dice of at least one of the values ​​(all 1 or all 4 in the previous example), thus limiting the number of dice and thus the probabilities during the next roll, advancing the missile as many squares.

After each move, players have the opportunity to unload their cargo Astronauts . If they're opposite a planet, there's room for everyone. But at the end of the game, the more cats you have, the more points you earn. However, on the moons, there is only one place: first come, first served.

the Astronauts They are still in the rocket continuing their journey. Until everyone gets down… or the missile explodes, because there is no template matching the required values. But all is not lost: the Exploding Cats are thus returned to their players, who can play them again during the next round.

The game ends once the player has unloaded all of their cats, or the rocket has crashed for the eleventh time, and the highest scorer wins.

Note that the game offers some variations in rules and equipment to add a bit of variety to your games.

Why are you playing? Space Agency MLEM?

Space Agency MLEM Undeniably excellent reminiscence Celestia . But in the latter case we had little control thanks to the use of cards, Space Agency MLEMIt generates a much greater atmosphere around the table thanks to (or because of, depending on your point of view) the opportunity that dice provide.

Both games use the stop or go principle, and depending on your affiliations, it's best to resort to one or the other to avoid repetition. But if your group of players is really a fan of this mechanic, use both to diversify the fun.

Let's start with what's annoying. If the game is so successful graphically, it's still worth noting all three Astronauts The cover is a bit of a failure, even creepy. Especially since adding cats to the topic adds nothing at all. Simple astronauts would have had more than enough. Then, first of all, why this title, unpronounced and incomprehensible?

But beyond these ultimately secondary considerations, it's worth noting that the game is particularly successful. As long as you're not allergic to dice chance. If so, run away immediately, every part will be very painful for you.

But this randomness has a definite advantage: it creates atmosphere around the table. When the captain succeeds at the last minute, the dice roll goes well. When we sheltered others who had crashed miserably when we had just stepped off the rocket. When we gently mock the captain who just missed an improbable roll of the dice. etc. It's screaming, it's laughing, it's talking, and that's what we're looking for in this type of game.

Especially since the rules in no way hinder this good atmosphere. It's simple and smooth, with variations provided at the end of the booklet to add a little extra complexity and a little variety.

We also value our different strengths Astronauts, which provides a little control over all this uncertainty, and also allows you to make choices. And then, as in all games of this type, the essence of the mechanics pushes us to our limits: we know very well that we should stop, but we want to go further, we want to believe that the dice will be in our imagination. Known, we feel that this time is right, the odds are with us…or not.

If in the first parts we regretted the return of the cats left in the crashed rocket to our base, in the end it is a good idea. Otherwise, the matches would have been much shorter, the players would have taken fewer risks, they would have gone down earlier, and the game would ultimately have been less fun.

If you are looking for a stopping game or even fun, without any hassles, that creates a good atmosphere (more or less depending on which side of the shell you stand on) around the table, MLME Space AgencyHe is a good candidate. Aside from the cats and the incomprehensible title, the material is quite fascinating and the subject matter is quite appropriate. A very good game, you can play it with family as well as among friends.