SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Board Game Review

Written by Chris Marling

I’m always excited for a new Czech Games Edition release as the publisher has proven itself one of the best in the business at everything from components and rulebooks to innovation and pure fun, in genres ranging from party to deep strategic – think Lost Ruins of Arnak, to Codenames. Better still, this one was designed by promising newcomer Tomáš Holek who had already impressed with Galileo Galilei and Tea Garden. What could go wrong? As it happens (spoiler alert), very little. 

What is SETI?

SETI is a beautifully crafted mid-weight euro game which nails its ‘search for extraterrestrial life’ theme with aplomb. The components, explanations, iconography and player aids are as good as we’ve come to expect. While it can run long (especially in those first few plays) the game has a great arc that builds from short tentative steps into space up to revealing and being aided by alien races.

Playing SETI

As you’d expect from a sci-fi euro, SETI is much more Arrival than Independence Day. Each player controls a space agency that will scan for extraterrestrial life, analyse data, launch probes, and then use them to orbit or land on moons and planets. The game is played over five rounds, with players taking turns to do actions in each. All actions require one or two of the game’s currencies, of which you’ll never have enough to do all you want, so players must earn and spend wisely to succeed.

Launching, flying around the solar system (see below), and then orbiting and landing is a large part of SETI, but will mostly earn you one of the three alien life trace types required to trigger that Close Encounters moment. Some orbiting and landing rewards are first come, first served, introducing a nice passive interaction element to proceedings. The variety in rewards is high, allowing you to strategically seek specifics or tactically land as quickly and cheaply as possible, depending on your priorities and play style.

Those wanting direct interaction should look to scanning space for life traces in other star systems. This has a neat area majority mechanism that feels like a game in itself, where tactical timing can make all the difference. The third type of alien trace comes from data research, which sees you spend another of the game’s currencies (data) to gain both the trace and some bonuses. Outside of these actions, you can also use publicity to grab techs. Each tech either breaks a game rule, or makes something cheaper, better, or both.

There are five alien races in the box (do I hear the word expansions?), two of which are randomly chosen for each game. They stay face down until discovered, which adds a nice air of mystery to the early turns. When you earn a trace of any type, you put it on the alien species of your choice. Once a species has at least one of each trace type, it is flipped over and joins the game. Each has its own rule set that I won’t spoil here, adding a combination of cards, objectives and rewards via unique game mechanics.

Much as with Terraforming Mars, while actions can always be taken in their basic form in SETI, they can usually be done more efficiently with a card. There are 138 unique cards in the main deck. Each will either reduce the cost of an action, add a bonus to it, or give you an added opportunity to score points by playing it (either immediately, later, or end-game).

While players don’t have asymmetric abilities per se, the huge variety of cards makes every player’s priorities, actions and motivations different. This asymmetry is further fuelled by techs that are purchased throughout the game and while all 12 can be purchased by all players, you’ll only likely grab up to half in any one play, furthering replayability.   

Each card has art and thematic text relating to real-life space discovery, from satellites and events to programs and locations, which you can ignore if you like - but you can’t help but appreciate the depth of thought that’s gone into it. Similarly, launching a probe sees you enter an actual moving solar system, with the planets, comets, and asteroids orbiting the sun on different trajectories.

This has a genuine in-game impact, allowing a savvy player to save on costly movement by waiting for the boards to rotate to an optimal position, but it also further brings the theme home.

While a good number of points are scored during play, the same or more are earned at the end. You’ll gain points by doing everything from landing on planets to studying data, scanning space to orbiting, and playing or completing card objectives. Passing certain point targets triggers milestones, which you can choose from four available in each game (these are randomised) and score at the end.

You may also have end-game cards for even more points, while some alien races have a scoring type of their own. You don’t get scrappy points for unused resources but in every other way, this is a huge point salad of a game that rewards efficiency over any particular dominant strategy.

Solo players are well catered for via a six-page rules section that sees you setting up a rival with a choice of five difficulty settings. It comes with a whole extra set of components and, while a little fiddly, it does a good job of using the game’s core mechanisms while introducing objectives that focus your play and keep things feeling competitive. I tend to prefer a simpler solo experience, but what SETI does here it does very well.

SETI Review

I probably like the game best with two, as it zips along with two experienced players and the only part of the game that suffers is the area majority scanning, which is my least favourite part anyway. You’ll need a big table, and plenty of time, to play with more. But as long as people play at a decent speed it is still an excellent experience, especially if you like increased competition for everything from end-game objectives to alien rewards. 

I have occasionally run out of steam near the end of a game in terms of meaningful things to do and, consequentially, my enthusiasm drops. As with many games of its kind, you can end up agonising over four different options that all end up being worth roughly the same number of points.

The game can also feel too generous, especially once the alien races arrive, and if one player has finished poorly they may as well put the kettle on in the final round while the rest work through a gazillion more actions. 

But these are minor quibbles against an otherwise excellent, well-balanced euro game. It largely makes sense thematically, which helps the teach and new player understanding. But returning players will find something new each time, from new combos of alien races to aiming for goals thrown up by random cards you draw. 

Everything in SETI slots together seamlessly and there are so many other nice little touches to talk about. There’s the well-engineered income system, cool extra uses for cards as currency, and multiple other ‘free’ actions; while I haven’t even gotten into how the clever solar rotation system works. You’ll just have to play it for yourselves… 

Our Verdict

This is a real must-play game. 

SETI is a complex euro with a well-implemented theme and satisfying game arc, making it a must despite any length and ‘analysis paralysis’ concerns.

It's a great option if you liked Terraforming Mars – a similarly satisfying medium-weight space-themed euro game using cards for actions, with several routes to victory and masses of variety in the box. 

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About this board game

Designer: Tomáš Holek

Publisher: Czech Games Edition

Time: 40m-160m

Players: 1-4

Ages: 14+

Price: £68

What’s in the box?

• Main board (11 connecting sections)
• 4 Player boards
• 5 Alien boards
• 5 Alien rules sheets
• Rulebook
• 4 Player aids
• 231 Plastic pieces
• 159 Cardboard tokens and tiles
• 216 Cards