Stats:
No. of players: 2-4
Amount of time to play: 20-30 min
Age requirements: 12+
Set-up time: 5 min

In Android Mainframe you are a runner looking for fame and fortune. Can you secure more zones in this area control game set in the Android universe?

Android Mainframe Rules Description:

Android mainframe is a quick moving area control game for two to four players. You play cards to lay partitions or your access tokens. Once an area has just your token you secure it and it will score at the end of the game.

You start the game by selecting your runner and taking their eight access point tokens. Each runner has five unique program cards. You randomly take three of your runner’s program cards and put the rest back in the box. Then you randomly determine the starting player and in turn order place one access token on the board.

In addition to your unique program cards, four generic program cards are displayed. On your turn you may execute a program (unique or generic) or discard the top card of the program deck to place an access token. Executed programs are discarded after use.

Programs let you move or swap access tokens or move or place partitions on the board. Partitions enclose areas and if you have the only access token in an enclosed area, you secure it. Like I said above secured areas score at the end of the game, but they have an added bonus of not being able to be messed with. You mark a secured area by flipping over our access token. And then neither the partitions nor your token may no longer be moved or swapped.

When laying partitions you may not enclose an area that does not have an access token. And you must follow the pattern on the program card you play. You may rotate the card but not invert it.

Once the last card of the generic program deck has been drawn every other player gets one last turn and then you score your secured zones. Although rare the game can also end if all players must pass because they have no legal move.

You score a VP for each space that makes up a secured zone. If you have more than one token in a secured area you multiply the number of spaces by the number of tokens. The player with the most VPs wins.

A Quick Review of Android Mainframe:

Android Mainfame plays quick, is easy to teach and fun to play. It might remind you of the game dots you played as a kid. But this area control game has more depth and variety.

The components for this game are fantastic. The board is plastic and contains slots for the access tokens and partitions. The art looks great and the rules are easy to read and follow with lots of examples.

I like how quick Mainframe plays and how much replay value it has. You can play it over and over as game fly by and the experience is different each time.

Part of what adds to the uniqueness of each game is the different runners. Their unique programs vary in what they can do and you’ll want to try them all. And though this is pretty much an abstract board game, my friend that plays a lot of Netrunner confirmed that these runners are true to their roots in that game. So there is more theme than you might expect.

Be aware the game plays differently depending on the number of players. It is fun with any but I prefer it with three or four players. While fun with two it is just a lot tighter with less room for error. More players means there is more interaction and keeping the leader (and everyone else) in check.

Android Mainframe is a fun game that plays fast and can be enjoyed by both non-gamers and gamers. You can teach it in minutes. And it plays fast enough you will want to play it over and over again. Fans of the Android universe will like the runners too. If the game sounds appealing to you, pick it up. And if able you should at least give it a try.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 4 out of 6
Luck 4 out of 6
Player Interaction 5 out of 6
Replay Value 5 out of 6
Complexity 3 out of 6
Fun 5 out of 6
Overall 5 out of 6