Lift Off! Get Me Off This Planet – Expanded Deluxe Edition

Lift Off: Get me off this Planet was originally published in 2015 and has recently had an upgrade. Featuring adorable alieneeples and a new solo variant, this fast-paced racing game will have you hooked. Can you rescue more aliens off the planet than your opponents before the time runs out and it all goes kaput with a massive space explosion? Let me tell you, those aliens are the cutest aliens you ever did see so you will want to try!

So, How Do We Get Out Of Here?

Lift Off: Get me off this planet is a 1-6 player racing game featuring some worker-placement elements. You will start by placing your coloured aliens in the centre of the modular board, along with the terrifying Garglore meeple.  On your turn, you will move your alien up to two spaces, or two aliens one space, with the objective being to get your aliens from the core of the planet, up the chutes and to the outer edges where they can join an exit point and, with any luck, be blasted off into space. The board is made up of modular tiles that slot together, alternating between exit points and lift-off points, and surrounding this is a circular track that the moon will move along.

In order to blast your aliens off into space, you will need to pay the cost of each lift-off point. Some are easier than others, and all require you to first gather resources in the form of cards. These can include fuel or screws. Some lift-off spaces are more difficult than others and will require you to work together as a team, and others will explode themselves during the game and will need replacing with other spaces, sending any aliens on that spot back to the core. The moon position is also important in determining the cost required for each lift-off point, and there are cards that allow you to move the moon forward or backward – but remember, if it orbits the planet too many times, it will explode, and the game will end.

How Does The Solo Game Work?

In the solo variation you are still trying to get your aliens off this planet, however you are going up against the angry Garglore, who is furious that his planet is about to blow up. The solo version of Lift Off follows the same general stages as the multiplayer version, however you have an extra third action.  This is the repair action. Each lift off space in solo mode starts with two ‘scrap’, and if you’re lucky the meddling Garglore won’t add too much more!

To repair may cost you 1, 2 or 3 actions to remove scrap from the lift-off point. The Garglore is controlled by a deck, in which there are numerous ways that he will make your escape more difficult – such as adding extra scrap, scaring your aliens back to the core and moving your aliens to the opposite side of the planet. The solo game takes place over one day, so there isn’t much time to save your aliens, and the moon does start to put pressure on you, adding the same ‘race’ feeling you get from the multiplayer mode.

The thing we love about the solo mode is that it doesn’t generate many more rules and feels similar to the main game. In terms of winning condition, you still win or lose depending upon if you have saved all your aliens in time. The game has a short set up time, so is easily reset for another game if you do lose.

Final Thoughts

Lift Off: Get me off this planet is a wonderful game with a great production. The components are sturdy and very well-made, and we love the modular game board that slots together like a jigsaw.  It’s a relatively new game to us, and we’ve had a blast playing it in recent weeks with all kinds of people. It’s been a hit with everyone who has played it.

Lift Off: Get me off this planet can be a ruthless game as you bide your time watching players add supplies to a lift off point you have your eye on, only to sneak a spot at the last minute, or block them altogether with the Garglore! You can even watch all your friends gather up a hand full of supply cards, and then play an action card forcing them all to discard their entire hand! Having said all that, you don’t have to play mean at all. You can work together as a team and hope that you come out on top with the most aliens rescued.  But where’s the fun in that?

The thing we love most about this game is the replayability factor. It has the feel of the classic ‘gateway’ game and will have you wanting to play it over and over to see if you can beat your opponents.  With lots of lift-off points, no two games are the same, and there’s a lot to sink your teeth into. The solo mode is also brilliantly done and doesn’t feel like it’s been added as an afterthought.  If you like a bit of fun to start or end a gaming session or are looking for something a bit different to play with the kids, we would recommend you try Lift Off!