Stats:
No. of players: 2-4
Amount of time to play: 45-60 min
Age requirements: 12+
Set-up time: 5 minutes

Science Fiction Double Feature is the third expansion for Smash Up. Like the previous two expansions it adds four new factions to the series.

Science Fiction Double Feature Description:

If you have never played Smash Up, read my review and overview of it. The rest of this post will be about the new factions and elements introduced in this expansion.

The new factions are Cyborg Apes, Shapeshifters, Super Spies and Time Travelers. Each faction comes with two themed bases and you also get more Victory Point tokens.

Minions from the Cyborg Apes faction get more powerful when actions are played on them. And many of their actions are made to play directly on their minions. This pairing helps them rival the strength of Dinosaurs from the base game.

The Shapeshifters is another powerful faction that helps you mimic your other faction or an opponent’s. They have a 0 powered card that gains power equal to the highest minion in play. Their copycat minion let’s you use another card’s ability. Some of their own actions require you to sacrifice minions but they are tough to play against.

Super Spies are all about deck manipulation and funny James Bond puns. They are more of a support faction that helps you get the cards you want while denying the other players’ the cards they want.

Time Travelers are interesting and feel like a mix of Zombies and Pirates to me. They have the ability to get cards from their discard pile and are pretty mobile once in play.

Quick Review of Science Fiction Double Feature:

Science Fiction Double Feature is another fun expansion for Smash Up. The new factions mix well with those from Awesome Level 9000 and the base game to create some fun (and funny) decks.

The rules are easy to read and follow, the art work is great and the cards are durable. The components for this game are in line with the rest of the series and top notch. There are no new rules to learn in this expansion.

The new factions are a lot of fun. They add some new strategies to the series and you can experiment to find some of the best combinations. Then you can try to find counters for those factions and the game can get a bit meta.

The new bases are mostly run of the mill, but one stands out. The Secret Volcano Headquarters makes all players reveal the top card of their deck. If it is a minion it is added to the base. This might seem too random to some players, but I feel it really fits the theme and tone of Smash Up. It is nice to see at least some of the wackiness extending to the bases.

Smash Up: Science Fiction Double Feature is playable by itself for two. But you’ll want to pick up another expansion or the base game to go with it. If you enjoy this series, this is a must buy. It is more of the same, it just adds more options and more fun.

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