Non est ad astra mollis e terris via
There is no easy way from the earth to the stars

- Seneca the Younger, Hercules Furens

It is the distant future and the children of Sol III, Homo Sapiens, have slowly colonized their solar system and over the course of centuries have evolved and adapted, diverging into five new races, each suited to life under different planetary conditions. But danger threatens as Sol, the life-giving star for all five human subspecies, is dimming, beginning its final descent into oblivion and wiping out humanity with it, unless new worlds can be found in distant galaxies. Will Earth's children find a new home before the Sun goes out, extinguishing humanity forever?

This Summer, Nexus Games and Fantasy Flight Games are proud to present from famed designers Bruno Faidutti ( Citadels, Red November ) and Serge Laget ( Mystery of the Abbey, Shadows over Camelot ), the first in Nexus Games' Designer Series: Ad•Astra .

Ad•Astra takes three to five players into a possible future where five disparate human subraces must take the next step and explore the wider galaxy, searching for new planets to call home. In the search for a New Earth, players will discover uninhabited resource-rich planets and mine them for the building blocks of a new galactic empire, space ships, colonies, and factories. Also, deep in the far reaches of space are the relics of dead alien civilizations, ancient technologies that can swing the balance of power in the universe.

Ad•Astra features:

• A modular game layout providing a wide variety of new gaming experiences every time Ad•Astra is played.
• A highly strategic action-programming game mechanic where players must plot their moves in advance as well as try to predict the actions of their opponents
• An interactive resource collecting and trading mechanic that will keep players involved and present some opportunities for hard bargaining.
• Game-changing Alien Artifact cards that will reward those quickest to explore the galaxy.
• High-quality plastic playing pieces.

In this game of exploration, settlement, and development, players must carefully guide their faction to galaxy-spanning victory, but beware: the universe is a large and lonely place, life can find few safe footholds in it, and the factions must contend fiercely against each other for what little the galaxy has to offer. As the saying goes: " Per Aspera Ad Astra " or "Through Adversity to the Stars."

Watch this space for more news, previews, and spoilers for Ad•Astra in the weeks to come. To learn more about Ad•Astra now , follow this link to our brand-new minisite !

Mystery of the Abbey © 2003 Days of Wonder
Shadows over Camelot © 2005 Days of Wonder