A new game by Queen Games and designer Emanuele Ornella will attempt to tackle the future of energy in the aptly named board game “Future Energy.” The designer is known for several great games, including “Assyria, ”Oltre Mare,” and “Hermagor,” with the new theme appearing a little outside of his comfort zone.
“Future Energy” Player Count and Theme
Regardless, “Future Energy” is set to be a thematic experience for 2-4 players and 60-minute playtime. The publisher has not released too many details yet, with the BoardGameGeek entry the only available information about the game.
The turns are split into three phases. All players receive income, make 1-3 purchases of new power networks or contracts as they strive to build a carbon-neutral future for Europe, and finally, they use a special piece to inspect the newly-constructed networks.
Modernized plants that hit the carbon neutrality target or hew closer to it will grant players specific one-time benefits or other special abilities. The board is randomized with every playthrough so that players can expect to find plenty of replayability in “Future Energy.”
Connecting cities and building power grid networks all contribute to the end goal which is to amass the most points. “Future Energy” has been likened to “Pioneers,” another game by Ornella which has been “criminally underrated” according to one BoardGameGeek user.
As more details are forthcoming, “Future Energy” is set to be playable for ages 8+, making it a fairly light on the rules, and not too long in terms of play time. No information about variance depending on player count is available yet.
In the meantime, if you love the idea of producing energy from different sources, there are at least several great picks for you to consider. You may opt for “Power Grid,” a true boardgame classic or “Photosynthesis” if you love trees, and not least “Barrage” if you want a bit of a drier euro feel to your gameplay. All of this while we wait for more details about “Future Energy.”