There are tons of reviews out there that give good details about games, mechanics, bits, rules, etc. I find that, for me, a good game keeps me engaged throughout the game, even when it's not my turn. So I've decided to use my recent play of Mission Red Planet as a test for a new review method for those already familiar with the game itself, but who want more understanding about how the game actually plays. So...

Game Speed

This game is only 10 turns. You know that from the outset and after 1 turn you have a sense of what you need to accomplish and the short amount of time you have to accomplish it. I felt engaged right away, focusing in on my goals and watching everybody since all of their actions affected how I would play once it became my turn again. We played a 4 player game with 4 new players in 1 hour.

I felt the game moved very well through it's progression. You only score 3 times so you're not getting interrupted by unexpected scoring rounds. Character selection is not a new mechanic, but I think have it be simultaneous makes this game work. There is very little downtime between your turns, and even once your turn is over, you are launching ships and everyone is figuring out how they are helping or hurting them and planning their next move before it even gets that far.

Game Feel

I consider this a very subjective category. Some games may play fast but just feel off, I'm sure others have experienced this. I felt M:RP played well. It was paced well. There was a definitely a sense of, "Uh Oh, we are scoring next turn.", but it never felt rushed or hurried. It also never bogged down. Sure there are times when 1 player has a back and forth about which character to choose, but I'm thinking a lot of that was getting to know the cards.

So, on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is "Umm, who's turn is it? Somebody do something!" and 10 is, "Wow, it's already been an hour?", I'd give M:RP an 8 and recommend people give it a try. It's a relatively quick game that keeps you engaged the whole time.