Sidereal Confluence BGG ↗

My BGG Comment

For all that the game seems overwhelming, the ruleset isn't all that complex. This game involves resource conversion, trading and negotiation with a possibly huge number of players (4-8). Rating 8 based on a simulated 4 handed simulation. 2026: 1st play. After it sat on my shelf reserved for "Look at this beautiful cover, sadly I'll never get to play this"-games for several years... somehow I decided to try to bring it to the table during a midweek gamenight. I sold it as a mashup of Catan (trading), 7 Wonders (synchronous play) and Terraforming Mars (engine building/production). I almost failed the teach. It's just a lot and while I had tried to simulate a 4 handed game once with my partner that did NOTHING for rules retention 2 years later. I got lucky that our gamer friends were very patient with me and so I got to play this game with 6 people at last. I believe that 4 is a better player count for a first game for the whole table. But 6 it was. It is hard to describe what a challenge the game was for all of us but it was also such an experience to have a game that's so different from our usual fare. People struggled to grok how to evaluate trades, how to find VP and we had lengthy discussions about our deals. Our trading rounds took forever. I spent some extra time in the rulebook to find things we had overlooked during the teach. I cannot truthfully say that I loved every minute of it because half the time I was afraid someone would say "let's call it, I am done." But we finished the 6 rounds. And the discussions continued because the game resonated. I am glad I got to have this play. I don't really dare hope for further plays but maybe I have incited some interest in the others. None of them hated it. Me: I think it was a great experience and gave me a new appreciation for what games can do. Rating 8

• 2026: Yashima's Game Diary
  After it sat on my shelf reserved for "Look at this beautiful cover, sadly I'll never get to play this"-games for several years... somehow I decided to try to bring it to the table during a midweek gamenight. I sold it as a mashup of Catan (trading), 7 Wonders (synchronous play) and Terraforming Mars (engine building/production). I almost failed the teach. It's just a lot and while I had tried to simulate a 4 handed game once with my partner that did NOTHING for rules retention 2 years later. I got lucky that our gamer friends were very patient with me and so I got to play this game with 6 people at last. I believe that 4 is a better player count for a first game for the whole table. But 6 it was. It is hard to describe what a challenge the game was for all of us but it was also such an experience to have a game that's so different from our usual fare. People struggled to grok how to evaluate trades, how to find VP and we had lengthy discussions about our deals. Our trading rounds took forever. I spent some extra time in the rulebook to find things we had overlooked during the teach. I cannot truthfully say that I loved every minute of it because half the time I was afraid someone would say "let's call it, I am done." But we finished the 6 rounds. And the discussions continued because the game resonated. I am glad I got to have this play. I don't really dare hope for further plays but maybe I have incited some interest in the others. None of them hated it. Me: I think it was a great experience and gave me a new appreciation for what games can do. * Player Count: 6 * My current rating: * Total Lifetime Plays: 1 * Rules Retention: It was a complex teach and I overlooked quite a few details that had to be cleared up during the game. But I think now that I have played it, it would be far easier to remember, relearn and teach the rules. It's such an unusual design that makes it harder at first. * Keeper: Definitely. If only for the cover. Playing was a unique experience I would love to repeat * Recommended: Fans of creative trading, combos, euros, playing games other than party games with 6+ players * Competition: Cosmic Frog, Bad Company, Cosmic Encounter, Zoo Vadis, 7 Wonders. But only because of player count. Nothing is quite like this. At least nothing I know.
• 25 Games I want to finally get to the table
  Cube conversion to the max. 4-8 players needed. It's easier than it looks and gets rave reviews from people who have actually played it
• Favorite Covers
• My Favorite Covers
  I have this as a puzzle and the whole piece is even better than this great cover.

Owned Expansions

• Sidereal Confluence: Bifurcation