At the core of every strategy game is a tension between control and chaos. By definition, a strategy game is one where player action directs outcomes. The big moments in the game, those that end up deciding the winner and losers, need to be player-controlled. If victory relies on simple luck, your choices feel hollow and any sense of strategy disappears. However, games where all outcomes are predictable preclude the possibility of comebacks, upsets and surprises. My favourite games are those that show an understanding of this tension and know when to give players control and when to take it away. They let me create a vague outline of a strategy which gets filled in as the game progresses and shifts focus when necessary.
I love Alien Frontiers because of how it puts this tension front and centre. Every aspect of the design encourages – or forces – players to change their strategies as they compete to colonize a newly discovered planet. On any given turn, there may be an optimal move, but it's impossible to predict what next turn's optimal move will be, meaning that players are constantly thrown out of any ruts they might fall into. The game's insistence that every turn should require me to re-evaluate my goals – as well as those of my opponents – keeps it tense and exciting every time I play.
