Last Light - part art installation and part galactic epic

 Last Light is an epic 4X game about the heat death of the universe. It's also short and 'simple' enough that you could probably get a game in on a work night.

I don't actually own a copy of Last Light. More than that, my one friend who does own a copy lives several states away. On top of even that, it’s not the kind of game I'd get out for the family so I don't actually need a copy. Still, glad to have learned it.

My friend owns the Kickstarter edition with all the stretch goals so it was like there was an art installation on the table. A board with two inner circles that revolve. Lovely model planets on stands. Last Light wouldn't look out of place in a glass case at a planetarium and made me think of Aughra's living room from the Dark Crystal.

My friend also argued that the game was very simple since the rules were all on the cards. Which would make Magic the Gathering a simple game and my friends who are tournament judges would have no reason to be there. With that said, the action cards do clearly lay out the structure of the game and help make it a lot more accessible.

My buy-in to Lost Light was Puerto Rico and Race for the Galaxy. While they are very different games, the similarities in role/action card selection structure helped me understand the core mechanics of Lost Light.

Another game that Lost Light brought back to me was Nexus Ops, although that has even less in common with Lost Light than Puerto Rico or Race for the Galaxy. However, it was Baby's First 4X Game for me and Lost Light brought back how I learned that you need to pay attention to all for the Xs. You need to eXplore, you need to eXpand, you need to eXploit and you need to eXterminate. You can (and may have to) specialize but you can't ignore an element.

Last Light has a lot of nice touches that I liked. The rotating board means everyone will end up in each other's business. The limits on refreshing action cards means you have to balance out your choices.  And the fact that collecting light, not military conquest, is the ultimate goal of the game makes the decision tree broader and more interesting.

Last Light isn't a simple game. Its a game that makes complex choices accessible. I'm glad I had a chance to play it.