Mining Colony: Laying a Foundation for Planetary Structures
Choose resources to mine and collect to construct a settlement with space stations and outposts in Mining Colony.
To SPAAACE! Or, more accurately, to a new planet filled with resources to mine. Mining Colony looked like a neat little puzzle that I was interested in trying out. I found a copy in a local swap a little while ago, and it was time to put my planetary settlement planning skills to the test! That is, if I could work out the polyominoes and spaces between. Ha!
Game Overview
Game Name: Mining Colony
Publication Year: 2021
Designer: Steve Finn
Artist: Marius Janusonis
Publisher: Dr. Finn’s Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Over 10 rounds, a settlement takes shape with decisions of which polyominoes and resources to pick up. Initiative cards set out the bids, which introduce tradeoffs as to the resources to risk losing out on. All of the different space stations and outposts must be present in a complete area!
First Play
April 22, 2024
Complexity
2
Latest Play
April 22, 2024
Expansions
0
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
2
Play Time
20 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
20" x 18"
Low Score
N/A
A Pleasant Play Space
The box was filled to the brim with components, and I wondered if I was in for a lot. Luckily, this is a nice value in terms of the amount of stuff included in a small box!
It all fits in a relatively small play area. The solo opponent uses initiative cards to provide random bids, but is mostly there to take resources at inopportune times.
There are some really cool wooden components to see, especially with the unique buildings that must be placed!
Overall, the goal is to build these structures in empty spaces between matching components. Easy, but tricky!
Modest Beginnings
At first, I made a couple of small blunders. Did I need extra spaceships of the same color? Nope! But I got pretty close to filling in the entire region and didn’t fare too poorly.
The choices were pretty interesting, too, as I had to find the right balance between tiles and components.
Different crystals looked really nice, although I had a little trouble telling apart the colors on the orange background. Not a major problem, though. So many colors here!
My only concern was how the puzzle worked. The resource cards were the same, so it was just a case of the order.
Bidding for Initiative
Probably the neatest mechanic features the initiative cards, illustrated with fantastic artwork and scenes!
Each round, 3 cards are drawn to choose from. The highest value goes first, so this often comes down to figuring out when to guarantee a first choice over the solo opponent.
It’s also a matter of using low initiative cards, as the leftover cards add a nice reward during the final round.
This was an interesting element, yet I didn’t find myself drawn to the puzzle that much. Maybe I hadn’t found the perfect solution, but it didn’t stand out to play a lot more.
Placing Resources
Resource cards define the different tiles, crystals, workers and spaceships that are on offer. There are always a pair of these each round, leading to neat choices and risks.
In the end, it was usually about securing the most valuable option and using what I could with the low initiative cards.
Since all of these cards were used, it also seemed like there was a clear pattern in terms of the best paired options.
There were a few concurrent rounds that were amazing for me as I saw everything come together! Lots of fun in this little puzzle that I’m happy to have tried out at last.
An Interesting Observation About Tiles
As I played, part of me wondered what felt so different about these polyomino tiles. I’ve played many games with them, and have seen these evolve into different sorts of tiles. But in a lot of those cases, at least in my recent memory, it’s more about expanding outward with tiles rather than fitting them in a confined space. Subtle, but intriguing!
Having a general constraint on these placements made me appreciate the thought process of making my decisions. If I picked the largest tiles all the time, they wouldn’t fit. The smaller tiles made the most sense later on, so getting lucky with the resource cards helped… As did making sure I could choose these smaller options with higher initiative cards.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1 & 2
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Easy Difficulty Level
Outcome: 2 Losses
So close! I managed to build all of the structures during my second play, but failed to fill in a few squares for a complete area. The experience was enjoyable, and I feel like I saw a lot of what makes it great. Figuring out the puzzle and how to arrange the polyominoes is a nice little challenge, all with awesome components! Just don’t hire me to plan settlements… I leave too much SPAAACE. Ha!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
6
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- The component quality is excellent with tons of elements included in a fairly small box, making it feel worthwhile.
- Decisions about using high initiative cards are very interesting and involve taking calculated risks.
- Placing the right resources in order to construct a structure feels like an accomplishment and is quite fun.
- Filling in the board with tiles isn’t merely a simple act of picking the largest polyominoes, and feels challenging.
- For the number of components, the play space is kept very compact and doesn’t spread out from the setup space.
- Using credits to build and over-build takes some careful planning and can be a very satisfying part of gameplay.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Some of the crystal colors are a little similar, particularly when placed on the orange background and tiles.
- There seems to be a fairly optimal solution to the puzzle that may not make it as challenging in the long-term.
- The solo difficulty levels are based on paying more for certain elements, which then leans into relying on luck.
- Keeping polyominoes stacked neatly is always a bit of a challenge, and shuffling them can be slightly tedious.
Victory Conditions
Build 7 Structures and Fill the Board
- Overall Goal Progress 33%
Goals and Milestones
Build all 7 structures in at least 1 game.
Fill the board in at least 1 game.
Win at least 1 game at the easy difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
What do you enjoy about Mining Colony? Which difficulty level has worked the best for you? The puzzle is a fun process, particularly since it involves a combination of filling in areas and building. Some empty space is helpful, although I need to manage that a lot better. Maybe I got distracted by all of the neat components… It’s bound to happen! Ha ha!
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