Core Worlds

The objective of Core Worlds, by Stronghold Games, is to build an army of soldiers and starships as you invade the Galactic Core Worlds from the very edges of the Galaxy. Conquer planet after planet before your opponents can reach them. The one who has the most prestigious collection of planets at the end of the game is the winner.

Core Worlds is a deck-building game in which you draft cards into your deck. Cards are bought using the precious energy reserves generated by worlds in your galactic empire. Only two things ultimately matter: the strength of your fleet and the strength of your ground forces. These strengths will determine whether you can defeat a planet's army and capture it. You will have to make choices about whether to draft new units into your army or conquer a planet on each turn — and be wary, because your opponents all have the same opportunities you do. If you want to win, strike first.

The basic mechanism of the game — the two strengths — is simple and easy to understand. This provides a solid foundation for all of the different abilities in the game, which usually relate directly to the fleet and ground-unit scores. However, because there are few duplicate cards in the game and everyone drafts cards from the same pool, the deck you create will inevitably be a mismatch of different abilities making early strategy difficult. This is a game of improvisation, and those who enjoy clear-cut tactical rules may dislike its play style.