If you have been waiting to see the highly anticipated expansion for Shackleton Base in action, the fantastic team over at the Gaming Rules! YouTube channel recently did a full three-player playthrough and review of the new content. Hosted by Paul, alongside guests Chris and Rob, the video showcased exactly how the new corporations completely transform life on the Moon.
However, the biggest takeaway came at the very end of the stream, during the round-table review, when Paul made a massive admission: Shackleton Base belongs in his Top 10 Games of 2024.
The Game That Got Away... Until Now
During the review segment, Paul displayed his original Top 10 games list for 2024 and admitted that Shackleton Base had been the game that "got away" from him. Because he receives so many games to review, it sat unplayed for nearly a year after his initial plays, meaning he didn't feel he had enough information to properly evaluate it for his end-of-year list.
After returning to the Moon and adding the three new corporations from the expansion, Paul officially re-evaluated his rankings. He stated that Shackleton Base is a "fantastic" and "very well-designed game," and if he were to redo his list today, it would easily make it into the Top 5 - joining heavy hitters like SETI and Agemonia. He particularly praised the game's modularity, noting how mixing any three corporations completely changes the puzzle.
The Post-Game Verdict
Paul wasn't the only one impressed by the lunar strategy:
- The First-Timer: Rob, who had never played the game before the stream, admitted he was apprehensive about his ability to play heavier games. However, he found it absolutely fantastic, praising the fact that the game gives you options and doesn't severely punish you if you don't make the absolute perfect move. He also added that for him, the game easily sits in his personal top four.
- The Veteran: Chris, who played the base game with Paul back in September 2024 and bought it immediately, loved the new content so much that he bought the expansion on the morning of the stream. He highlighted how the expansion brilliantly adds immense variability and three entirely new playstyles with only a single negligible new rule regarding scoring tokens.
A Quick Look at the Expansion
The playthrough gave viewers a fantastic look at the three new corporations included in the expansion:
- Under Moon: Focused on drilling deep into the Moon's surface to uncover open chambers, which creates fractures on the board but yields massive benefits if managed properly.
- Luna City: Introduces civilians that can be sent out to exploit craters for resources, acting as a wild card but costing reputation to do so.
- Zenith Works: Introduces a brand new resource—blueprints—which players spend to "overbuild" smaller structures on top of their larger ones to create point-generating towers.
(Note: Paul uses custom 3D-printed structures in his video which look brilliant, but it is worth noting that these are third-party upgrades and not included in the retail box.)
With this incredible glowing review from Gaming Rules!, there has never been a better time to dive back into the game. Shackleton Base: Below. Within. Above. is available now!
We will have copies available to buy at the upcoming UK Games Expo. If you want to secure your copy ahead of the show, you can place an order today and collect your copy directly at the Hachette Boardgame UK stand (2-416).