Retrogamers like myself can appreciate a good “SHMUP” (Shoot-em-up)…that is, a game where you control some type of craft and progressively head in one direction, shooting enemies as you go. “Inglorious Space” brings this idea to the tabletop and shares a partial likeness to “Life Force” by Konami. Before you impress me with you Konami code knowledge in the comments below…”Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start”. I’d like to quickly thank the folks at Black Table Games for providing me with a press copy for preview purposes.
Inglorious Space: 1-4 Players, Ages 12+, Average Play Time = 30-60 Minutes
Review
Editor’s Note: Rather than type out the components, game setup, and how the game plays here, I took the liberty of recording a video outlining most/all of the game’s features. It’s easier for me to do it this way as I have been very busy as of late both personally and professionally. You can find it at the bottom of this section.
“Inglorious Space” is an awesome tabletop game that certainly takes me back to the good ol’ days when angrily spiking your NES controller into the ground was a thing. The graphics and art capture the retro feel while the semi-simplistic gameplay keeps things moving, just like those old-time “SHMUPS” did. It’s a cooperative game at heart as the more players you add, the wider the board becomes…meaning you’ll have to work together to stop them from getting past you. On the other hand, you ARE competing to have the most points when it’s all said and done, so deciding when to ram your opponent into the path of an enemy laser beam can be quite strategic (not to mention risky).
I love the fact that players who are eliminated can still participate by dropping a mine onto the field of play. If they manage to damage a fellow player, they get a point (dead players have their score reduced to zero when they are eliminated). In theory, a dead player can still win assuming they do a lot of mine damage and every player gets eliminated before the two mob decks are defeated by an active player.
My only real gripe with the game is with its fairly hefty price tag of $39.99 (link below). Yes, it’s different and I love that about “Inglorious Space”, but I’m not so sure that the quality and quantity of the components warrant that kind of price tag. $25-$30 would have been a bit more realistic and on par with other games on the market. Generally, I only see a $40-$60 price tag when the game is classified as moderate to heavy Euro and comes with a ton of components.
If you can afford the game however and enjoy semi-cooperative experiences, then give this game a go. Families who want to forgo the competitive part of the game can simply ignore the individual scores and aim to get through the enemy mobs as a team before they’re all eliminated. This means ignoring the ram action too, unless it’s to push another player out of the way of an enemy shot. All in all, everything about “Inglorious Space” presses all of the right buttons (pun intended), making it a worthy addition to my ever-growing board game collection.
Final Verdict: 8/10
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Buy: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/inglorious-space
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