Alright. I am going to start this particular piece with the biggest drawback Quantum has at the time of writing and it is a very unfortunate one at that. The Game is out of print. Out of print and somewhat difficult to locate without paying an arm and a leg. Ebay ranged from $130 to $200 when I looked and Noble Knight had one copy also floating around $200
(https://apenaquillandadatapad.com/Noble-knight/Quantum)
That being said. This is a game I have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of. Each player takes on the role of a fleet admiral looking to be the dominant force in space and construct all of their quantum cubes. The factions are all functionally the same aside from name and color. The board is made up of several panels cordoned off into nine sections. Eight empty space sections and a planet in the middle. Each planet has a certain set number of spots available to construct cubes and a specific value.
The goal is to put your ships in orbit around the planet to match this value. The ships are all represented by a six-sided die of the faction’s color with each number on the die representing a different ship. Each ship in turn has a different special ability that will affect how it moves, how it behaves or how it behaves in combat. The value is also its combat number and speed with lower numbers being the winner in combat plus an additional die rolled by each player involved.
There is also a deck of cards that play into this through research or combat dominance as well as by placing the quantum cubes. Each of these cards might give you extra actions on your turn, an ability to manipulate values on anther form of movement or combat advantage. The component quality is great and the rules are incredibly easy to pick up for this game.
For how easy the game is to pick up and play, no game ever goes the same because of the combination of the dice variances and card mechanics. It’s a game I never mind losing either because the game flows quickly and never grinds to any kind of halt. You always have something you can do whether it is in service of trying to get yourself to victory or stopping another player and the mechanic to get ships back on the board when you lose in combat never feels arduous or punishing.
I have taught the game to player ages ranging from 10-70 and have yet to get a poor reception (Aside from the very instance of teaching the game and not adjusting the board based on number of players. That one was my own dumb fault) if you can find a copy or a friend with a copy Quantum is a game that comes with my highest recommendation. It hits a very hard to reach spot of not being a filler or social game but also not having an incredibly steep play time or learning curve.
Thanks for taking the time to read this review and I hope my fellow board gamers find this review helpful!
Relevant links:
Noble Knight link(May sell out)
https://apenaquillandadatapad.com/Noble-knight/Quantum
Youtube how to play: