I've read a few reviews on this game, and being a fan of cooperative games (Shadows over Camelot), I thought I might give this a try. However, does anyone have any feedback from players that haven't seen the show? Can a group of people that aren't fans still wish to play this game?

Tarvaloth said:

I think it would be enjoyable. I knew practically nothing about the show when I decided to read the rules and buy the game. It looked like a game I would thoroughly enjoy having never watched an episode. But thanks to my excitement about the game and my friend having the series on DVD, I ended up watching the show and becoming a fan before I actually got the game on the table. So my opinion is now skewed but I thought I would have enjoyed it anyway.

To answer your question YES.

I've been trying to get my friends to play the game for months and months. Finally I had 5 friends come over tonight and play not one, but two games. Only one of them had seen more then one episode. Two of them had never herd of Battlestar Galactica. Not only did every player say that they loved the game and wanted to play again soon, but the two noobies asked me for my copies of the show!

I think the game is appealing to none fans because of the social interaction. It's always fun to throw your friend in the brig or shoot you girlfriend in the stumic and say "TAKE THAT YOU MOTHER FRAKER!" Just to find out that they where on your side the whole time.

Of course some of the cards, etc will have more meaning to you if you've seen the show, but being a fan seems to have little to do with enjoying the game. I've played with lots of non-fans and their lack of knowledge about the show hasn't hampered their enjoyment one bit. 100% of the people I've encountered who don't like the game don't like co-op games at all, so I'd say to focus on that as your deciding factor on purchasing the game.

Excellent, thanks for the replies. Looks like another game on my wish list now.

The first time I ever played this game half of us (2) had not seen the show. I was in the group that had never seen it and as a matter of fact, the board game got me intrigued in the show. I believe my exact comment was something to the tune of "If the board game is this interesting how could the show be bad?" I started watching the show after playing the game- and laughed quite a bit because I kept commenting as our population was dropping "We've got to start making babies!" (an almost direct quote from the show as it turns out.)

I'm currently about to start watching season 3, and I'll say that (as others have) having seen the show the enjoyment does go up because some of the cards- specifically the crisis cards are direct scenario's from the show. It's a nostalgic pleasure more so than an enhancement to the game.

I had only seen the 70s version of the show before I played. I was intrigued by the coop/traitor mechanic of the game, and tried it. After playing twice, I started watching the new series on dvd.

I think that your best bet for new players is for them either to be familiar with the show, or coop/traitor style games.