New Corp Order Kickstarter Preview
2Tomatoes supplied a preview copy of the game. Everything you see is a pre-production copy
New Corp Order is a 1-4 player game where 4 MegaCorporations compete for domination of all the media in the world. Deeply cynical, you will be pushing an agenda for the company “Generic INC”, trying to get their planted employees deep into distribution companies like social media houses, print media companies, and online advertising companies. However, you don’t represent 1 MegaCorp, you are acquiring shares of each of the 4 throughout the game.. that means’ your alliances are shifting as well.
The main actions in the game are all quite simple. You have a ticket to ride-esque card row where you acquire Conglomerate cards of the 4 MegaCorps. These cards are then used to increase your equity in the companies, allowing you to place and move workers of that company out on the board. Takeovers, allow you to fire workers from other MegaCorps. All of the actions in the game can be explained quickly, but you won’t be able to parse how all the mechanics interact together until at least half way through your first game.
The game is deeply interactive. You will be clawing and pushing the other players every step of the way. The biggest victory points in the game are earned by having the most shares of a specific MegaCorporation. If that Megacorp has ownership of a lot of the companies on the board, you will likely win the game. However, you will be fighting over those shares down to the last turn. Actions that allow you to swap cards with your opponents and even destroy their shares ensure that you won’t be able to win this game without getting your hands dirty. You need not apply to this game if you prefer indirect interaction with the other players.
It’s difficult to compare New Corp Order to anything. The straightforward nature of the mechanisms, coupled with a cynical theme, create something that has depth. Your ability to pivot within the game and have vested interaction in multiple MegaCorps means that no action is straightforward. A 2-player game will feel significantly different than 4-player game, where psuedo-alliances can form. In the full player count, the majority and minority shareholders both gain victory points at the end of the game, meaning multiple players want to spread the love of “Mega Media”
Rest assured, this is a niche title. It’s mean, rude, and not afraid to force you to stab your opponents right in their face. The artwork is gorgeous, and the unique theme adds levity to your actions. Thoroughly enjoyable, this game manages to layer simple mechanics into something complex and interesting.
