Players- Dani L, Shimon

The two of us decided to play Life on Mars, a nifty little game about the voyage to Mars, what you do once you get there, and how it all affects you. You have a set number of months before you reach Mars, during which time you get to know the characters, and a set number of months once you get there before you can return... or not. Each player gets to do one thing per their turn involving exploring different areas/buildings, each with their own prompt for scenes. It's pretty nifty and it worked well for two players.

We told the story of Captain Dr. Dakota and Engineer Pilot Val, both of whom had left families back on Earth. Dakota had a husband and young daughter while Val had a recently discovered teenage son. The purpose of the mission was to establish the long-term viability of human habitation on Mars.

Things out of game and in game, actually, ended up going pretty smooth. Once we were able to find ice, it became clear that establishing a long-term colony was more than possible. Dakota returned home with most of the rest of the crew but Val, determined to forge a brighter future for humanity, stayed to help pave the way with one of the other crew members.

All in all a good time for the two of us! The mechanics are really very simple. Like some other games, there is a certain trajectory you're going to be following but depending on the players, the characters, what you do with the prompts, it's never going to be quite the same. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try and can't believe it was such a long time since I brought this game out. It can be a really reflective experience about how that kind of isolation and distance and close quarters can affect someone.

Thanks to Shimon for showing up and for the fun game!

- Dani L, aka Engineer Pilot Val

For the curious, this is actually the predecessor to Fall of Magic, also by Ross Cowman, and shares some similar elements.

Kudos for carrying forward and finding a great two-player game!