Game Title : Adventure of Hayabusa
Publisher : One Draw
Game Designer : Macoto Nakamura
Game Thema : voyage of space explorer ship Hayabusa
Game Scale
Period : 2003-2010
Game Components
Cards : ion engine cards, trouble cards, action cards, voyage cards
Card layer
Rulebook
Background of History
Space explorer ship Hayabusa was launched by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on May 9th, 2003. It went to asteroid Itokawa for getting sample and came back to the Earth on June 13th, 2010. This was the first successful approach that went beyond the Earth’s gravity range to get the sample.
Game Sequences
Draw phase
Action card phase
Ion engine phase
During draw phase, each player refills his hand up to 4 cards. If he draws the second trouble card in his hand, he must immediately play one of the trouble cards. In other words, as long as you have only one trouble card, it is not a trouble, just to be a potential danger. And every player can keep one trouble card. This is critically important in many cases.
After you refill your hands, you can play action cards as many as you have and you wish. Basically action cards help Hayabusa’s voyage and counteract against trouble cards. Many action cards have difficulties rating. In this case, you must play the card then roll a die and must have a number equals or higher than the rating. Usually the rating is dependent to the effects of them. It is interesting idea that some action cards can help other action cards. For example, the cards “ Of all things I wanted to do this ” is automatic successful action cards, which can make an automatic, pass for another action card. This is a great combo that you must remember in this game. But, you must keep this combo in your hand until the best timing. Since your hand size is only 4 cards, this is not an easy strategy as you first think.
In ion engine phase, every player simultaneously plays one ion jet card. There 4 types of ion engine cards from A to D. If the card does not encounter the same type, it is effective and placed on the field. If the card does encounter the same type, all of that type cards are discarded without effect.
Once there are determined numbers of ion jet cards effective on the field, Hayabusa can advance its voyage one step.
When Hayabusa complete a step, players can get 3 action cards from 9 action cards. Players can discuss which action cards to get. This is one of the most important cooperation during the game.
On the other hand, every time the card deck runs out players must put one new trouble card into the deck.
So, the game goes on, the deck has more number of trouble cards and also action cards.
As a result, during early game, the play is simpler with playing ion jet card and flies. On the other hand, during late game, the play is filled with many troubles and counteractions.
If you go on through 8 stages and successfully finishes the last voyage card to land on the Earth, everybody share the victory.
Challenge for players
The trouble cards are the key of the game.
There is variety of troubles.
Ion engine malfunction are the easier part. They sweep each type of the ion engine cards accumulated in the field. As mentioned earlier, you can keep one trouble card without any problem. So, you can play this card when there is no ion engine card of that type.
Ion engine stop are the harder version. This trouble cards stay on the field and prevent playing that type of ion jet cards.
Reaction wheel malfunction is serious. This event actually means that Hayabusa cannot change its solar cell resulting in serious energy shortage. These cards stay on the field and make all difficulty rating increased by one for each of this card. There are 3 same cards and once all 3 cards are in the field Hayabusa goes into the end of universe.
Fatal error is similar critical problem. These card stay in the field and for each of this card in the field you must put one more trouble card when the deck is exhausted. This card critically increases the speed of troubles. And also there are 3 same cards, and once all 3 cards are in the field Hayabusa goes into the end of universe.
There are more annoying trouble cards in the game. Please find them during your play of this game.
Final words
After “ Lord of the Ring ” by Knizia, we recently have several cooperation games.
Frankly speaking, I prefer “ Lord of the Ring ”. Because, in that game players can travel several boards and each board has very different feel.
But, this game is much smaller and less inexpensive. So, this is fairly good game for its size and price.
Though the play is somewhat repetitive, there are several scenarios, which have different set of starting trouble cards and different number of voyage stages.
