The fantastic Fantasy Flight board game Star Wars: Outer Rim allowed players to drive a ship across the galaxy in pursuit of fame and fortune, and now players can add a host of new characters, jobs, ships and mechanics to the game courtesy of the new expansion Intangible Business. The unfinished business would have been fine if it had just added more of what was so great about the base game, but Fantasy Flight decided to make some improvements to the original experience in both the main and the fantastic genres, and those are what make this particular expansion a no-brainer. Indispensable and the best way ever to experience the game as it moves forward.
For those unfamiliar with Outer Rim, the game makes you play any number of memorable characters from the Star Wars franchise as you travel across the galaxy and gain fame. To do this, you’ll complete quests, deliver merchandise, and pick up (or cancel) rewards, although you can also gain advantages by meeting contacts, drawing confrontation cards, and taking on leagues. Unfinished Business ups the bet and adds 8 new playable characters (each with their own unique abilities), 45 market cards, 6 new ships, 52 new data bank cards, 91 encounter cards, plus spinner charge cards ( which carries a second stop and better bonus) and multi-person functionality, which requires some unexpected teamwork, and all these new additions inject some welcome new energy into the next remake.
For those new characters, there are some fan favorites in the mix, including Hera Syndulla, Black Krrsantan, Cad Bane, Chewbacca, and Maz Kanata. These characters and more are also represented in the 11 orange connection symbols, which are now placed on each of the planets as well as the other two connection symbols. Orange tokens allow you to meet more Star Wars favorites early in the game, although they’re also more expensive to add to your crew and harder to remove if there’s a reward for them. Despite the added challenge, I enjoyed getting the chance to meet more famous names sooner and even being able to add a few to my crew earlier to help tip the scales in my favour.
The biggest addition to date is Core Worlds, which is added to either side of the board and allows hyperdrive travel. In the previous version, you had to make your way back if your next destination was along the way on the other side of the universe, but now you can go through a portal with its Encounter Deck, and this addition opens up the game considerably. You will still get the random element of chance which could cost you some money, damage or reputation of course, but the risk is worth more than that. Sometimes it was easy to dismiss some mission shipments or shipments due to the dimension of the destination, same goes for capturing the reward, which asks you to capture the bounty and then take it to another place to get a better reward. The Core Worlds has changed that, as now no site seems too far away, and so I find myself taking on more jobs and expanding the scope of my previous work.
Unfinished business also brings two optional rules that can enhance the experience of favors and ambitions. The preferences will have an immediate effect on the game, as you can ask the player for a favor at any time during the game (outside after rolling the dice), and if they accept, you will owe them a favor at a later time. It’s a guaranteed order too, and it can be in the form of using one of their skills for a dice roll or skill test, getting bumped up with a faction, adding another dice to your fight, and an extra boost to your Hyperdrive. Players can also negotiate the terms of this with Credits and Assets if you really want to spice things up, and you might want to if you all play with the optional Ambition rule, which carries a set of unique winning terms on top of the Reputation required goal. This is ideal for those looking for a long-term shake-up experience, and since this game is not on the short side by any means, old players will definitely get something out of this new development.
The unfinished business introduces a host of new additions that not only enrich the core experience but also greatly improve it, and I can’t imagine a time when the bezel would be on the table without the expansion next to it.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Published by: Asmodee and Fantasy Flight Games
Designed by: Tony Vinci and Cory Konishka
Art Direction By: Jeff Lee Johnson
Star Wars: Outer Rim Unfinished Business releases in stores on June 10th, and it could be Pre-ordered here.
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