One False Step for Mankind

One False Step for Mankind is a serious strategy game from Cheapass Games, a company known for its lighter, more humorous take on games. It works fairly well, but is a bit on the long side.

In the mid 1800s, California was a land of dreams. Would-be millionaires came to find gold, and in One False Step for Mankind they've done just that. The players are gold-rush town mayors with grand political aspirations -- and they all believe the first step to the White House is to put people on the moon.

The game comes with eight board sections, but only five are used per game -- and these can be laid out in numerous ways, so the map will almost always be different. The first step in the game is to auction off the county seats -- important cities on the map. The game then takes place over a series of "weeks," with a different action happening each day.

Players compete to claim gold mine and farms, both of which generate income (cash and food, respectively), pay expenses, upgrade rockets and shoot them to the moon, and try to win new cities. Points are earned for each city owned (some are worth more than others), for having superior rocket technology, and for successful rocket shots. Although the theme is a bit quirky, don't expect the zany nature of Cheapass releases like Kill Doctor Lucky. This is a real strategy game, and it works pretty well.