SYNDICATE is live (Join the inter-planetary mafia)
Update: SYNDICATE is live on Kickstarter and the campaign will run for 23 days. You may back for one or multiple copies of the game. If you pledge in the first 48 hours, you get a free pin and a $5 coupon.
Our preview post below was published on August 17.
SYNDICATE is a 1-5 player 4X sci-fi game in which criminal organizations vie for power in the Arcturus star system. It will launch on Kickstarter on August 18.
In the year 3105, the Arcturus planetary system is governed by an authoritarian regime called The Sovereign. As its grip begins to loosen, criminal syndicates flourish and compete against each other for money and dominance. SYNDICATE comes with a solo campaign in which you play as the NGATA Family. Your goal is to save one of your members within a specific amount of time. According to the description, the campaign is 'narrative-heavy'.
In the multiplayer mode, gameplay is divided in three phases: in the first phase, players take as many actions as they can afford. These may include completing a mission, attacking other players' bases, activating traps, purchasing or upgrading bases and technology. In the second phase, a Sovereign card is drawn from the deck and resolved. Over the course of the game, the alert level of the Sovereign goes up, and Sovereign card effects become more punishing. In the third phase, players collect resources: a minimum income of credits, influence and crew, as well as any bonuses they may have gained during the game.
How the rules change in the solo mode campaign remains to be seen when SYNDICATE goes live.