Tharsis is FTL for real cosmonauts who know problems are solved by random dice throw and by marginal ability to strategize in unclear situations. And it's funny!

Tharsis offers some interesting mechanics, a story with little innovation but plenty of space for the player to create his narrative, and a lot of replayability, but all of that comes at a price: the difficulty level that can make players abandon the title before they see everything it has to offer.

Tharsis isn't a game for everyone. Strategy may be an important factor in determining how long you'll survive, but luck plays a much bigger role in things toward the end. The game is punishingly difficult early on, but it throws you a bone every now and then with character unlocks that can make things feel different.

With a few tweaks and maybe a more casual-friendly difficulty level, Tharsis could be a fun strategy alternative for those who don’t enjoy building large kingdoms or waging wars that take hours to complete. In its current state however, Tharsis is little more than a sadistically cruel game of digital roulette.

Tharsis is a well constructed dice-game with an interesting theme. Too bad that luck has too much a say in the player’s destiny; this can inflict frustration and anger which, in my book, are the opposite of entertainment.

Its simple rules coupled with the brief length of its rounds make Tharsis very easy to pick up and get addicted to...for a few hours. Unfortunately, so much of its gameplay is reliant on luck, which can make for an incredibly frustrating and unforgiving experience.

Tharsis is well made, but not well designed—an attractive, interesting board game idea, but only the first draft.