The newest crop of German games contains a lot of interesting and unusual games that don't take hours to learn or play. The themes are different, too; racing worms, printing counterfeit money, building trolley lines, racing sedan chairs, etc. And a lot of the best ones come from a new company (new to games, that is) called "Gold Sieber Spiele". Sternen Himmel (Starry Heavens) is one of this company's best.
The theme of the game is the constellations in the zodiac, and this makes for some very appealing graphics and pieces, although the game itself is pretty abstract. It comes with twelve round boards, each showing the major stars of a different constellation, connected by lines, and two numbers that show the first and second place scores for this constellation. There are five different colored sets of plastic stars, thick enough to stand on their edges. These are marked (via stick-on labels) 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, ** (double star), or l (black hole). There are also a lot of coins, with values of 1 and 2. (One and two only? Didn't anybody think that a five would be handy?)
Each player takes one set of plastic stars, all the same color. Then the constellation boards are shuffled and a number of them are turned face up (one per player). Each player, in turn, places one of his plastic stars on one star space of a constellation that is not already occupied. If it is a major star space, the plastic star is placed face down, and if it is a minor star space, the plastic star goes face up. When a constellation is full, then it is scored. All face down stars are turned face up, and the first thing that is dealt with is black holes. If two or more black holes are next to each other (connected by lines), they all swallow each other and are removed from the board. Then any black holes that are still on the board swallow up all the stars that are next to them. The stars are removed, but the black holes remain. Finally, all the points of the remaining stars are added for each player, to determine who has the most points for this constellation. Black holes and double stars count zero, but any star next to a double star has its point value doubled. The player with the most points gets the larger number of coins printed on the constellation, and second most points gets the other amount. Every other player on that constellation gets a number of coins equal to the number of plastic stars they have on the constellation (regardless of point values). And more importantly, they take these coins from the first place player's winnings! So you may actually earn more coins by coming in second. All the players get their plastic stars back, which may now be used on another constellation. The scored constellation is discarded and replaced by a new one. The game continues until all the constellations have been scored, when the player with the most coins wins.
The game is just the right length with twelve constellations. And with each player having only nine stars (one of each point value, one black hole, and two double stars), there is a lot of decision making about which stars to play on which constellations, knowing that you won't get those stars back until that constellation scores. Sometimes a player will fill up a constellation with low point stars, just to get it to score so they can get their stars back. The low pointers are also useful to try for second place on a constellation, or to steal some of the first place player's winnings. Double stars are useful for increasing your points, but other players can play next to your double star and get the benefits, too. In fact, it is better for them, because you spent a turn playing a non-scoring star, while they spent a turn playing a star that will double in value. For this reason, double stars are usually either played on a major star space, where they will be face down, or between two of your high point stars. But watch out: if someone plays a black hole in the empty space between your two high pointers, you're sunk!
Each constellation has between four and ten star spaces, less than half of which are major stars (except for Scorpio, which has four out of eight stars major). This is few enough to keep it from being totally chaotic, but enough to make for some good strategy, bluffing, and surprises. With the different number of star spaces, placement of major stars, and connectivity, each constellation engenders a slightly different strategy. And, of course, the number of points you can score depends on the number of stars in the constellation. If you are the only person with stars in a constellation, then you get both the first and second place awards. I have seen this happen by the strategic use of a black hole. Black holes are very handy. You can not only use them to remove other players' stars, but they can also be used defensively against another player's black hole. The problem is you only have one, so use it wisely.
All the Sternen Himmel games I have played ended up with pretty close scores, but so far none has been a tie. This says good things about the balance of the game, and it makes even the last constellation important. I especially like the fact that third place and later take their coins from first place's winnings. This makes for some great extra strategy, since you may want to actively try for second place, or play a few small stars just to steal coins from the winner. In a four or five player game, it becomes even more desirable to get second place instead of first.
There are lots of good strategies. Two major star spaces right next to each other are ripe for a double star and a ten pointer. Or you can put a black hole and a little guy, trying to lure another player's ten pointer next to your black hole. If two people are fighting over a constellation, you may want to throw a little star on, just so the first place player won't get off scott free. And there's always the problem of monopolizing versus diversification. Outguessing the other players, trying to figure out where they have played (or will play) their black holes, playing high enough for second place, deciding whether to play or save your black hole, ten-pointer, and double stars, all help keep the game lively and fascinating.
I have a hard time finding anything bad to say about this game. Maybe the more I play it, the more the play will become routine, but so far there are still enough strategies and surprises that this hasn't happened yet. When you get down to it, the game is an abstract strategy game, I suppose, but it doesn't feel like one. The stars and constellations are so pretty, and the coins and feel of the game keep you so distracted that you don't notice you're playing an abstract game. I suppose the worst that I can say about it is that it doesn't generate the same excitement when I say "Who wants to play Sternen Himmel", as there is when the game is Die Siedler von Catan. That and the fact that there are no five value coins.
Everybody has a good time playing Sternen Himmel, and so far nobody who has played it before has objected when somebody suggests playing it. So unless something drastic happens, I think I can safely say this game has earned a permanent place as one of the favorites of everyone in my gaming group.