This is a very strategic deck building game, this plays 1-4 players. The goal sounds simple, the head quarters just has to survive 9 rounds of enemy attacks, but each round the players get to buy troops, equipment, etc... to help survive the rounds. Sounds easy right? Nope it's grudgingly hard, there are 3 different decks of bad guys, wave 1 enemies for the first 3 waves, wave 2 for waves 4-6, and wave 3 enemies for waves 7-9. And depending on number of players, there are either 1-2 bosses per deck. But the higher the wave, the better troops you get access to. The game comes with 24 unique item tracker cards 120 item cards, 6 division cards that give each player a unique special power, 108 total enemy cards, 6 boss enemy cards 2 per deck, 20 damage tokens, 20 ability tokens, 1 base HP spin dial, 1 wave dashboard for available troops, 1 item dashboard for available items, 4 player lane dashboards, 4 enemy lane dashboards, and rule book. The card stock is good not great, but not so bad that have to sleeve the cards. The rule book is very easy to follow, and makes it easy to learn. The parts I don't like are the damage, and ability tokens, there little plastic poker chips, not the easiest to pick up, and when marking damage on the player or enemy cards they slid around very easy. And the player and enemy dashboards are a thin cardboard, which is slippery, and the cards slid around if you just bump the table a little bit. But the game is still awesome enough that these little gripes won't stop me from playing. Xenoshyft is a very hard but very fun addictive game. The feeling you get from surviving a wave is great, then purchasing new weapons, armor, med-packs, or enhancers is fun. You have to plan out what your going to do, but you can also play cards on another players turn to help them. If you dont think you have good enough troops, and dont have the resources to purchase better one, your team mates can buy them for you. So this is a Huge Co-op game. This game gets a 8.5-10 with us, if the components were vetter quality it would get a better score, and there is replay ability here also. Hope the release some expansions for items, and enemies though. Just so it doesn't get to stale after to many play throughs.This is one of my favorite games of all time. At first I was a little skeptical, but it is absolutely fantastic! Worth every penny!Pros:- Although I did not see it at first, this game has an immense amount of strategy necessary to beat it.- Requires lots of teamwork and working with your assigned "role."- Unique in how it is a cooperative deck building game and you can affect your teammate's decks.- Simulates unpredictability of battle and what you'll run into and what you'll need.- There are absolutely no cards that are not useful. Some can be used more generically while others are meant for more specific purposes, but every card is useful.- Forces you to make tough choices every turn with no guaranteed outcome.- Your airtight strategies can be destroyed by one card, forcing you to account for everything.- Great artwork.- Still have not beaten the game, giving it lots of replay value.- No negatives about gameplay.Cons:- The box is poorly designed for holding cards. You have to handle it carefully or else the cards will get all mixed up and thrown around. Not a game meant for bumpy travel unless you don't mind resorting it all.- The cards really stick together when you first open it.- The "mat" for the cards places them too closely together- A couple rules seem a little vagueAbsolutely love this game! I really enjoy good cooperative games, and the nature of this game makes it seem more cooperative than any other I have played. You really have to work with your fellow players and constantly interact, exchanging equipment, deploying extra soldiers to their lines, etc. My one nit-picky complaint is that I would have liked to see more variation in the alien opponents you face. While it is nice, especially when playing with a first time gamer, to be able to spout off the stats, damage and effects of a monster when it pops up, you can do that after one or two play sessions because you see so many of the same thing. To me though, it is minor, just something I would like to see. I know an expansion is on the horizon to add more, but I would have liked to see more in the base game. Overall it does not detract from the experience the game delivers, and you feel like a marine fighting off the bugs in Starship Troopers or a Xenomorph onslaught in Aliens. Fantastic game that combines deck building, coop and a tower defense game.Xenoshyft is a fun game. The components are high quality, the game is easy to learn, the organisation insert that comes with the game is great. The art is great. I can't say enough good things about this game.I wish i could give it 5 stars, but it's very difficult to win a 2 player game. It's possible, and can be done.... but holy hell some enemies are really strong. I think learning some more of the mechanics, how to better use my assets, remembering to use my division abilities, etc could really help. So far I've been completely destroyed every time I've played a 2 player game.All in all... it's a great game. Highly recommended, just be prepared to be decimated.....If you like Aliens and Starship Troopers, then this is the cooperative deck builder for you. Players take on the role of Space Marines, assigned to protect their base from wave after wave of alien bugs that get harder and harder as each wave increases. But just as they increase in strength and power, the Marines also gain new weapons, armor and units to defend the base, because failure equals annihilation. The game has great artwork, the box, has slots for easy storage for the cards, and the boards look great, but could be a bit sturdier. Overall, one of my favorite cooperative or solitaire games.Solid co-op (or solo) sci-fi boardgame to be played here.It will seem daunting at first, there are many mechanics to completely figure out, and the literature supplied isn't very good explaining some of the nuanced mechanics.However, once you appreciate how to synergise the right items with your department's abilities, combined with the instant cards, you can start doing some serious damage to the hive. Science Lab's powers combined with science heals, stims and grenades are a force to be reckoned with in the 2nd and 3rd phases. Not all departments are equal in their usefulness either, and the item RNG at the start may make things tricky.If it seems too difficult, then there may be some mechanics you've overlooked. If you're going for guns & armour and having no luckr, it might be worth switching to something more flexible.My only two gripes are:- Physical design: Would be nice if the Hive and Nortec lanes had a plastic raised border to help keep the cards on track- Literature: Booklet included in the box is near useless for all but the most basic elements of the game. A decent length section to help players to appreciate department power/item synergy and static vs. flexible & instant items quicker would help them improve their early experiences.Otherwise, a very good game!Great xxxThis has rocketed to one of, if not my favorite game of all time. It is hard but achievable to win, and its so satisfying to see off that final wave of aliens. The artwork on the cards is awesome, and the different divisions and items you can play with make replayability high. The designers have created the aliens so that, despite them being random, they form an evolving AI that works together to defeat you. The way that players have to work together to survive, whilst still being able to have individual tactics makes this one of the best co-op games going round. Could not be happier with this game!After reading a few reviews and watching some gameplay vids I picked up Xenoshyft as my sons like co-op deckbuilders. After checking the box contents I must say I'm disappointed.While the card stock is OK there's a lot of scuffing and smudging evident on some cards. The game boards are flimsy and would be something I'd expect from a game half it's price. And even though the box insert is designed to hold all cards in their own slot for easy setup and tear down, I have yet to find a good spot for the base health tracker. I will attempt to contact CMON to replace the scuffed cards but the initial impression when opening the box was anticlimactic.The game itself is enjoyable and the art style is great. It's a shame the mainstream retail release isn't really built to last.Fantastic 1-4 player game takes a few try's to get in the swing of things great solo game but more fun with more people u collect Xenosathe mineral currency to buy troops an upgrades to fight off monsters an survive 9 rounds monsters get tougher weapons get better each level.