Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy(Second Dawn) (2020)

The Brothers Murph regard "Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy" as a highly enjoyable and fun 4X space game, particularly appreciating its immersive experience for extended play sessions.

“In my humble opinion, this is THE space game to be playing. This is a game that NEEDS to be played.”

The reviewer enthusiastically praises 'Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy' as a brilliant and terrific game, highlighting its successful blend of Euro core and wargame elements, excellent play time, and accessibility, making it one of the best board game experiences.

Quinns enthusiastically endorses "Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy" as an exceptionally worthwhile game, even surpassing his previous favorite wargame despite its considerable size, cost, and potentially dry elements.

The reviewer enthusiastically praises Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy as an all-time favorite and the quintessential 4X game, noting its phenomenal graphical improvements and the fantastic dynamic of its core gameplay.

The reviewer expressed a strong love for "Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy," praising its thematic depth, ship building, and technology research, and even preferring it over another highly-rated game. However, they noted that the game is not ideal for two players and performs better with higher player counts.

“Geeks Under Grace highly praises "Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy," noting its success in blending economic gameplay with space combat and exploration, making it a faster and more playable alternative to similar games. The reviewer considers it the definitive edition and one of the best physical editions of a big box board game ever.”

The reviewer highly praises 'Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy,' calling it an exceptional 4X game that successfully modernizes the original while retaining its core identity, offering a fluid mix of exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination.

The reviewer enthusiastically recommends Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy, calling it a brilliant and terrific game that offers one of the best board game experiences. They praise its successful blend of 4X and Euro game mechanics, outstanding design, and excellent performance across all player counts, acknowledging the high price but deeming it worthwhile due to top-notch components.

The reviewer highlights 'Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy' as an excellent and highly engaging 4X space board game, praising its streamlined gameplay and compelling strategic choices that make for a rewarding experience.

“Bumbling Through Dungeons finds 'Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy' to be a compelling and accessible alternative to other grand space epics like Twilight Imperium, offering similar excitement with a more streamlined gameplay experience that has made it a preferred choice for their gaming group.”

“Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy offers an overall outstanding and addictive experience with top-notch production quality, successfully bringing a fresh, more Euro-ish focus to the 4X genre, making it a valuable addition to any collection despite minor component alignment and slider issues.”

The reviewer highly praises "Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy" as one of the best board game experiences available, noting its successful combination of classic space 4X elements with a strong Eurogame core. They emphasize that the game excels at all player counts.

The Gaming Rules! video provides a comprehensive tutorial and playthrough of 'Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy,' showcasing its depth as a 4X space strategy game with engaging mechanics, quality components, and strategic gameplay involving exploration, research, and combat.

“Overall it’s a very, very good game, and it promises exploration, technology, and laser battles in space, and it does a brilliant job of it, which is why I find myself conflicted when I write that I’m not sure I ever want to play it again.”

The reviewer praises 'Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy' as a great game that skillfully blends resource management and combat, encouraging early player interaction and offering varied experiences based on player count.

The reviewer praises Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy as an engaging and streamlined space epic that has become a favored choice over more complex alternatives for their gaming group, acknowledging that while personal desire to replay can be impacted by early defeat, the game itself does a brilliant job.

The reviewers from Tantrum House provided a positive initial impression of 'Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy', an updated edition of the game, showcasing its key features and components to generate interest.

The reviewer praises Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy as an excellent update to the classic Eurospace 4X game, highlighting its successful streamlining of complex mechanics, efficient tracking of economy, and fun ship customization. Despite some minor lingering fiddliness and less narrative depth compared to other 4X titles, the game provides a highly engaging and enjoyable experience.

“Eclipse is a truly massive game but manages to still be moderately accessible. However, after multiple plays of the game, some of the shine begins to wear off, and playing different factions feels homogenized.”

The Board Game Hot Takes channel offers a 'Double Take' review of Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy, providing an updated perspective on the game and reflecting on how it has held up over time since their initial review.