$75.00
First contact! Can you use logic and deduction to decipher an alien’s messages?
In A Message From the Stars, a team of scientists seeks to decipher cryptic messages from an extraterrestrial civilization.
Set against a backdrop of cosmic mystery, players take on the roles of brilliant scientists tasked with decoding a series of perplexing satellite transmissions. These transmissions are believed to contain vital messages from an alien race that could hold the key to the destiny of Earth. The catch? The messages are incomprehensible, written in an entirely unknown alien language.
Using engrossing deduction mechanics, players will collaborate with their fellow scientists to send messages back to the extraterrestrial senders. By exchanging these messages, you hope to unravel the intricate linguistic code that conceals the true intentions of the alien entity. Each interaction yields a numerical value, a piece of the puzzle that you'll need to solve the riddle of the alien language.
Players can engage in cooperative gameplay, where all scientists pool their collective intellect to crack the alien code and unveil the hidden message. Alternatively, delve into team play, with two alien players sending messages across the galaxy.
The future of interstellar relations lies in your hands!
"A masterpiece. It blends the best of really challenging, creative word games like Codenames or So Clover with a heavy deduction puzzle." - BGG User cblazer
Logic Game Turned Up To 11 - A Message From The Stars trusts your intelligence and lets you feel clever. It doesn’t hold your hand; instead, it lets you use every creative letter combination or funky word you can muster to convey the code. Have a “hail mary” idea? Try it out and be surprised at your teammates’ deduction skills! Or, laugh at hilarious bouts of miscommunication and try again. If you love riddles, sudoku, or tough IQ test questions, this one is for you.
Competing Goals - With each clue you are trying to solve the cypher algorithm, but at the same time you need to give clues to your hidden message. Either one by themselves might be easy, but doing both is the real challenge.
A Different Kind Of Word Game - This is a word game people can love even if they don’t like “word games”. Instead of pitting you against each other to spell long, arcane words, A Message from the Stars asks you to be creative in a different way. You’ll need to think of words that both test certain letters and give a clue to your hidden message at the same time.
Go For The Easiest Deductions First
A negative clue value is a really great start: you know that one of the letters present is a "Suspicion" letter. Start with the broadest deductions, and be careful of making any logical leaps as you progress through the game.
Be Diligent With Your Note-Taking
A Message From The Stars comes with large note-taking consoles to help you keep track. Careful note-taking? Good. Scribbles like a mad scientist? Not good.
Don't Forget About Word Association
With all of the deciphering going on, it can be easy to ignore the three final words that need to be communicated to get a perfect score. A good balance between testing letters and giving good, thematic clues is the key to success!
Set Up Cypher And Message Cards
These will be the final guesses that need to be made to win.
Send Transmission With Cypher Value
Give your scientists something to work with!
Scientists Send Transmissions Back
Don't forget, you're trying to get the alien to understand your message card! You can't just focus on the letter deciphering.
Use Deduction To Determine The Correct Letters And Words
Did you use your tools and creativity to somehow communicate with an alien?!
Part of Allplay's medium box form factor.
2–8 Players
45 Min Playing Time
Game Complexity (1=straightforward; 5=complex): 2.62
Age: 11+
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