Going Far, Far Away from Far Away… And a Joyful Return
Travel to distant stars and unknown planets populated with unusual creatures during the unique missions in Far Away.
It seems like this post has taken a light travel time approach… Traveling millions of miles before finally showing up about a month late. Ha ha! Call it fitting, for I finally returned to Far Away after a rather lengthy break. This is an amazing sort of science fiction adventure, filled with unexpected surprises and laughs in the name of galactic exploration. To a new planet!
Spoiler Alert
Details about mission 05 are included. Every mission offers its own unique set of protocols and contingencies that can be wonderful to discover. So many surprises! I haven’t gone into too much depth, but be aware that if you haven’t played through this mission, there are some overall spoilers about what to expect. Skip on by if you’d like to: No problem!
Game Overview
Game Name: Far Away
Publication Year: 2020
Designer: Alexander Jerabek
Artist: Jake Breish
Publisher: Cherry Picked Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game (Cooperative)
A pair of explorers set out to complete a mission, whose parameters aren’t always fully disclosed up front. Surviving is paramount, as is understanding the local creatures. An ecosystem slowly takes shape and comes alive, all while anomalies and surprise dangers pop up rather frequently.
First Play
January 28, 2023
Complexity
3
Latest Play
May 18, 2026
Expansions
1
Setup Time
10 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
10
Play Time
2 Hours
High Score
N/A
Game Area
50" x 26"
Low Score
N/A
A Vintage Sort of Feel
There are all sorts of funny notes about the component names. I found myself smiling as I returned to this sort of older style appearance. Lots of information to parse!
Setup was a lot of fun as I remembered a lot of the cards, and had a chance to partially populate the world with random creatures. Lots of familiar faces over there! But… Oh, no.
The Volubilem Multos was my undoing before, due to its desire to descend upon structures and corrode them.
But despite this initial obstacle, I was excited about this very different sort of mission. What would I uncover this time?
Disguised Explorers…
With the arrival of the latest expansion, I managed to pick up a couple of pretty awesome explorer miniatures!
Their poses were perfect, too… Definitely doing some science-related activities, yet with a somewhat confused or startled expression. Exactly the right mood. Ha ha!
It was exciting to get everything all set to go. The hexes might not look all that different all the time, but it was fun to see how the swamp meandered through the planet.
My eyes were focused on the blobby creature that was too close to the crash site. But first, a peek under the helmets.
Katherine and Samuel
Welcome back, intrepid explorers! This adorable duo of Katherine and Samuel has been the center of my adventures for years. They had to erase their identities after last time…
True story, actually. Ha ha! I love how quirky the missions can be, and how the story is always unexpected. At long last, these two returned to keep earning more credits.
If it’s not clear, Katherine is the leader and knows what she’s doing. Samuel is the opposite: Troublemaker and comedian.
Just the sort of pairing you would want to fund for unknown expeditions! I knew they were ready for more disasters. Ha!
Across the Chasm
This mission introduces an unstable planet, which shifts and rotates randomly each round. Talk about unpredictable!
One of the most important things to do after a crash landing is to set up a safe perimeter and secure food sources. Try doing that on a planet that keeps on moving. My goodness!
It wasn’t long until Katherine found herself on a veritable island. For these sorts of chasms are possible, and can be hard to navigate. Note Samuel’s nonchalant expression.
He was more interested in the creatures, following them about without doing too much. Samuel! Get back to work!
On Taking Breaks and Coming Back to Play
The last month and a half has been odd for me with a marked break in playing games… Mostly due to a literal break in my elbow. Ha ha! I’m doing well, though, and it’s nice to start catching up on posting and playing again. I’ve talked about it in the past with how occasionally getting away from the hobby can happen, and I often return feeling refreshed.
I’m leaning more in a direction of paring down my collection a little more so I can stay focused on the solo games I really enjoy. Finding the joy in new experiences is still excellent, yet I sometimes find myself chasing that feeling and getting lost among a string of disappointments. Better to find what I love and live in that comfort zone a little more sometimes!
Deep Conversations
I gave Samuel a little credit for making progress on getting a drilling operation underway… But did he stay focused? No!
While Katherine kept moving to avoid the bloodsucking bat-like creatures that swarmed around her, Samuel had a lot of deep conversations with a creature at the crash site.
Actually, he needed to hang around all of the structures due to the natural corrosion that showed up. So much slime!
It was pretty clear that things weren’t going all that well. This game often has a good general indicator of the progress, but I wasn’t about to give up just yet. You can do it!
Home for Dinner
Loneliness and hunger are the only needs the explorers need to manage, and these can be harder than expected.
Meeting up regularly is important, although taming some of the friendly creatures can also help with socializing.
But hunger? That was tough when there were virtually no food sources on this planet. Samuel looked a little starved, and I was prepared to see the mission turn around.
Alas, he promptly laid himself down, declared it was time to return home for a proper meal, and forced Katherine to call for an emergency retrieval. Samuel! Up to his old antics. Ha!
Session Overview
Play Number: 9 & 10
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game (Cooperative)
Play Details: Mission 05
Outcome: 1 Win & 1 Loss
I ended up resetting and playing through the mission again in order to log a proper victory! The ecosystem plays a vital role in the difficulty level, although it’s very fun to see how the creatures interact with each other. Some elements felt a little too long and stretched out. At the same time, there is no other solo game in my collection that feels like this, and I had a wonderful time returning to this quirky, fun galaxy!
%
10 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
10
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
8
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
9
+ Pros (Positives)
- Each mission provides a very unique perspective with unexpected outcomes and often hilarious surprises.
- The variety is excellent with the different creatures and anomalies that can interact with each other in cool ways.
- Many paths exist in terms of collecting resources and deciding which structures to invest in early on.
- Although the missions may be played individually, there is a neat campaign with rewards and bonuses to carry over.
- Everything feels like it has a vintage or older style in a way that’s memorable and enjoyable with the muted colors.
- Humor is present in a way that makes the game stand out against the more typical serious science fiction setting.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Roleplaying the ecosystem requires a lot of work at times, and isn’t always intuitive when it comes to interactions.
- Gameplay can drag on when the contingencies keep going, rather than quickly leading to the end of the mission.
- The amount of required table space is rather enormous, especially when exploring a lot of hexes on the map.
- A lot of text is present, which isn’t an issue, but there are so many cards that it can be easy to lose track of everything.
Victory Conditions
Complete the Mission
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Complete mission 00.
Complete mission 01.
Complete mission 02.
Complete mission 03.
Complete mission 04.
Complete mission 05.
Continue the Conversation
What do you enjoy the most about Far Away? Have you managed to complete all of the missions? I sometimes forget that this is more like an ongoing campaign with neat outcomes for every play. Such an amazing time! Bringing back Katherine and Samuel was worth it, although I plan to have much less time in between missions. Keep the science fiction fun rolling!
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