Crazy Eights: Sean Jacquemain from CMON on Starcadia Quest

CMON had several surprises at Gen Con this year.  Newton, a heavy-looking Euro, isn’t something expected from them.  The fact they are coming out with a Wacky Races game shocked me, since it is an older license, but it could promise racing hijinks.  With CMON still supporting Arcadia Quest, they announced a spinoff called Starcadia Quest.  To find out about the game, which is currently funding on Kickstarter now, I asked Sean Jacquemain eight questions.

It seems like the Arcadia Quest line is going strong. Why go with this offshoot?

We are always looking for new ways to explore the titles that fans come back to over and over again. Changing the timeframe and setting allows us to introduce new rules and campaign elements, while streamlining the entire experience.

Besides the setting, what differentiates Arcadia from Starcadia?

There are some major changes to the game which add a lot of fluidity to the gameplay. The campaign book has been replaced with Quest cards, speeding up the setup time and adding some random elements. Players control a Crew of two Heroes instead of three. Event cards are played at the end of each player’s turn. They may be something good or bad, but only the active player knows the effect they’ll have on the game. There are more changes, of course, but those are some of the big ones.

Why move away from a campaign book?

The whole idea of Starcadia Quest was to create a game that reduces the barriers to entry. We wanted to make a game that families can pull off the shelf and play together anytime. Simplifying the way each scenario is played makes it a lot easier to jump into a game.

All players will play an event card at the end of their first turn. Will players get more event cards later that will need to be played?

Yes! Players will always have an Event card in hand. This means that at the end of every turn, they’ll play one and draw one. It adds a random element to the game which keeps it fresh and unpredictable.

Is there any significance to each character coming from different homeworlds?

The Starcadian Alliance is a loose affiliation of planets. Each of the Heroes comes from their own home world, with backstories and characteristics that support that idea.

Will players want to group characters from the same homeworld together for their team, or are there going to be advantages to diversifying the crew?

I think one of the fun elements of any Arcadia game is finding the team that is going to work best together for your play style. Players are going to enjoy making different combinations of Crews and finding what works best.

Will we see any crossover or relatives from Arcadia Quest show up in Starcadia Quest?

Stay tuned to the campaign for the answer!

We had Zombicide set in space earlier this year, and now Arcadia Quest. Will we soon see the next Eric M Lang Blood Rage/Rising Sun set in space?

I’d love to comment on Space Rage and Rising Stars, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy on those two very real and not-fabricated titles.

Can you say “major scoop” at the end of the interview?  Well, maybe not, but it doesn’t seem like it’s out of the realm of possibility.  In any case, check out the Starcadia Quest Kickstarter page for more information.  It’s only a two week campaign, so you don’t have much time to get in on the action.

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