For hundreds of generations, the tyrannical Intercosmic Dynasty has ruled the galaxy with a titanium fist. Their power and reach is spreading, but so is word of their misdeeds. A band of resistance fighters known as the Liberation has begun striking at the Dynasty from a hidden base. Will you help the Liberation gain enough support before their secret base is discovered, or will the you wield the awesome power of the Dynasty to hunt down these traitors and bring them to heel?

Liberation is a wallet-sized cat-and-mouse card game designed for two players, with each player adopting a role as either the Liberation or the Dynasty.  The objectives are simple; Dynasty players want to seek out and destroy the Liberation, while Liberation players attempt to evade capture for three 'eras' of the game.

The game contains 14 city cards, and players have different moves based on their alignment.  Dynasty players, for example, have the option to exploit their cities in order to carry out attacks, occupy adjacent cities, or complete the mission outlined on their exploited city's card.

Conversely, Liberation players can evade capture by changing the location of their base - or at least pretend they have.  The Liberation city base card remains face down in front of the player until their city is attacked or they successfully finish the game without capture.  They can also sabotage other cities, making it harder for the Dynasty to expand their titanium grasp.

There's plenty to be excited about in this game.  While the galaxy map is small, by dividing it across four cards and making it modular, Button Shy have ensured player strategy doesn't become complacent, and the artwork has an early 70s futurism vibe which translates well to this sort of pocket game.

However, I do have some issues.  I know this is only a quick pocket-game, but naming the factions Dynasty/Liberation demonstrates a real lack of imagination, and makes the overall game concept feel skeletal.

And that bare-bones approach works itself into the mechanic as well.  The rebellious 'Liberation' never actually have the opportunity to overthrow the Dynasty - merely wait them out for three eras.

I'm unsure how many rebellions succeeded by just waiting for everyone to die off, but I would love to see an iteration of this game which provides the Liberation with a more active role.  That all being said, I still like this as an easy-to-learn card game which can be played on the move.  Get it on Kickstarter now.

What board game would you like to see pocket-sized?