New Game Company Releases Smugglers of the Galaxy

Playus Maximus has just launched as a company with the release of their first product, the science fiction adventure board game Smugglers of the Galaxy. In the game, players run a space freighter and cruise the galaxy competing for trading opportunities. As they earn credits, they can upgrade their ships. At the same time, they deal with space monsters, bounty hunters, space pirates, asteroid fields, and other challenges.

According to a company press release, partners Daniel Strain and Nathan Abrashoff have been lifelong gamers and designed games as a hobby for nearly two decades. Daniel is also the art director for the company and in the past has worked as a freelance artist, having created art for the Kingdoms of Kalamar (Kenzer & Co.), Dragon Magazine (then WotC), Terra Incognita (Grey Ghost), and several other game companies.

Playus Maximus has long-term plans for a full line of games and related products. Their current project, Rocket League: The Thrilling Roleplaying Game is currently being written and illustrated. The third release will be another board game, this one set during the Spanish Main pirate era and will incorporate a literary mechanic new to board games.

"We are going for themes of epic adventure and conflict," said Strain. "A simple core rule that can manifest itself in a huge variety of outcomes, according to a player's fortune and chosen strategy is key to our design philosophy."

Smugglers offers players the chance to play the role of one of a dozen different characters, each with their own special abilities. "Just about anything you encounter, you can also be in the game" said Strain. Of the characters, Abrashoff said, "What's nice about these characters is that no matter which one you look at, you think, 'This character must be the most powerful one.'"

In its premier convention, KublaCon 2004, players in open gaming called Smugglers a "great game." Allen Sugarbaker of Ogrecave.com, referring to Smugglers as a "gem," gave a preliminary report stating, "The game boasts a gorgeous board, lavish full-color cards, and an engaging system to boot."

Ben Seeman of Hero Games said, "I want to play it many, many times using different characters... Man, the game seems to have so much to it that the combination of strategies seems to be plentiful. I haven't been this excited about a board game since Hero Quest or Survive!"

Smugglers of the Galaxy is for 2 to 6 players, ages 12 and up.