In Beyond the Edge, created by Ken Shannon, the players are heroic starship captains trying to preserve the tiny remnants of a universe where the very fabric of space and time has been mangled by ancient wars.  Setting out from the free planet Orion, they must contend with pirates and other threats as they discover what exists out in space.  The game uses a system called “Evolve/Beyond” that allows players to retain what they have gained from one game to the next, creating a story for their character that carries through with each playing in a manner similar to “legacy” style games.  The decisions players make and the groups they ally with determine what abilities and upgrades they can earn in later games.  They can even use the “Dry Dock” system to take their characters and ships and use them in games with a different group of players.

The game is designed to allow novice players to learn as they go, while still providing enough depth of play to appeal to more experienced gamers.  It features multiple storylines, including stories written by Richard Lee Byers and Ed Greenwood, that players can encounter.

Beyond the Edge comes with 627 cards, 10 sheets of tokens, 21 ship mats, a Threat board, a Faction Alliance board, 20 energy cubes, 4 dice, 2 sheets of stickers, 1 cloth bag, and “Dry Dock” envelopes for holding player materials between games.  The game is intended for 2 to 4 players, ages 14 and up, and each game takes about an hour to play.  MSRP is $69.99.

WizKids has announced plans to release two other games in April:  Endless Pass:  A Viking Saga (see “Fight Never-Ending Foes in ‘Endless Pass:  A Viking Saga’”) and A’Writhe:  A Game of Eldritch Contortions (see “Contort the Elder Gods in ‘A’Writhe’”).