Sidereal Confluence’s remastered edition solves a fantastic board game’s biggest flaw

Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant was one of the most intriguing releases of 2017, a heady mix of trading and diplomacy between alien factions in deep space that was done a slight disservice by the effort required to get to grips with its complex rules and convoluted presentation.

Now it seems that those dinks in TauCeti Deichmann’s otherwise polished creation are to be buffed out by an upcoming remastered edition of the board game, which will overhaul the game’s previously confusing rulebook and add a teaching guide aimed at getting new players up to speed with its nine asymmetric player factions.

The updated manual will apparently come with more visual examples of how to play and better define some of the game’s key concepts and terms – one of Owen’s few gripes with the game in our review.

Sidereal Confluence: Remastered Edition will keep Deichmann’s gameplay largely untouched, with players bartering using almost anything they possess during simultaneous turns to acquire new abilities and victory points.

Joining the changes to the rulebook are improvements to Sidereal Confluence’s cards, rearranging their layout to make information clearer from the off and make the game more accessible and less intimidating for newcomers.

The new game gains a revised front cover from artist Kwanchai Moriya, plus cardboard turn and bidding trackers in the box, stored in a revised insert.

The remastered edition of Sidereal Confluence is due for release next May from publisher WizKids. It’ll cost $70 in the US, so expect a UK price tag similar to the original game’s £65.