Starting this spring, players go on weightless mission ISS

Schmidt Spiele - January 2021

For more than 15 years now, the International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting the Earth, providing mankind with vital insights through the research conducted there. However, before the gigantic space station could start its work, it had to be assembled in individual parts - in space. This is exactly the task that up to four players now face in their living room. In "Mission ISS", the players cooperatively build the international space station and carry out important research work there with their astronauts. However, the players have to work well together to avoid incidents and complete the construction on schedule. The game was developed in close cooperation with the German Aerospace Center in order to provide as authentic an insight as possible into life on the space station.

There is a lot for the astronauts to do on the international space station: research, construction and experiments are carried out in a weightless state. Up to four players aged ten and up can now immerse themselves in this world in "Mission ISS". There, the players have to gradually build up the space station, which consists of 13 modules and in which various research and everyday tasks have to be completed by the astronauts. In the process, however, time flies quickly - and incidents do not stay away. The players have to work hard to advance the expansion of the ISS. The game is played cooperatively using cards. Each player receives different command cards, which are displayed face up and are used to set the astronauts in motion to carry out tasks, of which new ones are added in each module. On a player's turn, he or she chooses a card from his or her face-up deck and forms an action pair with any card of a fellow player. The player lets any astronaut execute the associated command. For all can access any astronaut. However, not all tasks can be solved alone. Because the astronauts have different characteristics and therefore require the assistance of the others for some tasks. If a player can no longer form command pairs, he must end his shift. He may turn over new cards in the next round, but the process costs the entire group time. The game ends successfully when the group has managed to build all modules or the last square on the progress bar has been reached. However, if the group does not manage to keep to the schedule for building the station, the game ends prematurely.