It sets aside the various systems we've come to expect of Civilization and other 4X experiences and replaces them with some luck - based
dice roll mechanics and a choice based encounter system that feels reminiscent of adventure games.
Not exact matches
Basically spray and prey guns which appear to be designed for people who can't aim except for scout (recon) leaving you with a
roll the
dice mechanic on who dies.
Even though my childhood was filled with games like Monopoly where you had to
roll dice to move, that particular
mechanic has been mostly fazed out of the modern board game industry.
Though the
mechanics of Tharsis are often exciting and suspenseful, the game ultimately falls short of expectations due to irredeemably punishing
dice rolls.
I found that poor
rolls of the
dice, coupled with the tyranny
mechanic, could cause entire missions to fail.
What separates it from TCGs is the inclusion of a moderation
mechanics in the form of a communal Fate deck and random
dice rolls stacked upon the usual individual player deck format.
The title's board game - like
mechanics are still based largely on luck and random
dice rolls and this continues to prevent the series from being fair.