Undaunted 2200: Callisto Board Game – A Sci-Fi Twist to a Beloved Series
Undaunted: Normandy was a surprise smash hit back in 2019 thanks to its novel marriage of building a deck of action cards in-game that you then played to command squads of soldiers on a board. It spawned several spin-offs with the same World War II theme, including the aerial Undaunted: Battle of Britain and the stupendous campaign version Undaunted: Stalingrad. Those games are so exceptional, by the way, they landed on our lists of the best war board games and best deck-building games.
However, right back to the original, some players who were uncomfortable reducing real-life conflict to a game wanted a sci-fi version. Now their wish has been granted, as the same systems have been ported to the fight for an icy, mineral-rich moon between miners and their corporate overlords in Undaunted 2200: Callisto
What’s in the Box
Undaunted 2200: Callisto arrives in a very heavy box, and those familiar with the previous entries in the series may be surprised to find the weight is mostly down to four double-sided, fold-out boards, replacing the modular board tiles of the original. While this reduces the number of maps you can fight on it is, for the most part, a positive change making setup easier and the boards better looking, with clear space demarcations and helpful information printed around the edges. The board art is suitably dark, cold and futuristic.
Some other surprises await. Alongside the 10-sided dice that the series has always used are a collection of eight- and 12-sided ones, used with one of this entry’s new rules, shooting at different elevations. This is also the first entry to contain a dedicated solo rule book, with solitaire play being available only via an expansion previously. There are also game rules and a scenario booklet which are clear and concise.
Rules and How it Plays
The core gameplay remains unchanged, so veterans of the series can dive right in. Each scenario gives you a list of cards for your starting deck, and a bigger pool of cards you can incorporate into your deck during play. At the start of each turn, both players draw four cards and pick one to bid for initiative, with more powerful cards having a higher bid value. Going first can have a huge impact on how the turn unfolds, and the loser’s card is wasted, so this is a rapidly repeating dose of tension.
Your other cards can be a mix of combat and command cards. Playing the former allows you to activate the corresponding counters on the board to do things like move and attack. The latter let you either choose new cards to add to your deck, or sometimes to draw more cards or re-activate units for a second action in the same turn. How you choose to use command cards is a fascinating strategic puzzle that depends on the scenario and the state of your forces.