Astron (1954)

Astron is an around-the-world travel game with one unique component feature: a game board that scrolls from one end to the other. Players are dealt cards to help them both in moving their plane and in scrolling the game board. Each time a player's plane sits on an airport space at the end of any player's turn, they get an Airport card. Similarly, if a player's plane ends any turn on a hazard, they draw a Hazard card.

The object of the game is to have the most points in hand when the board reaches the "GAME OVER" position. Airport cards add to your point total; Hazards subtract from it.

Astron was originally produced using the same rocket ships supplied in their Wide World Travel Game. It was later published as Sky Lanes using the same game components as in ASTRON.

While the rolling board, card drafting mechanic and even game play are the same, the British (Waddingtons) and American (Parker) games look very different. The British version is a space race from Earth to Saturn (hence the dinky Dan Dare style metal spaceships) while the American version is an air race round the world. There are pictures of both versions in the gallery.

Gameplay for the American and the British version feel very differently.
The British version is much more predictable, as the game board moves always (with the exception of some scarce hazard cards)1 track section forward after every player has laid a card and had his move.
In contrary it's much more difficult to reach the space ports, as they are far away from each other and with the exception of the finish station on saturn only 1 space wide, so that it's possible to block your opponents landing.

SKY LANES had exactly the same box content than Astron, even the movable board with ASTRON imprinted. This is no wonder, as it was already stated that production costs were high, and why should the company invest again in a game they made the last rescue effort for and that was already on the decline ?
Only the box lid looked completely different, and the game rules were headlined with SKY LANES.