New Captain

A few years ago I set out to write the most Star Trekky Star Trek game that ever Treked to a Star. I thought I had succeeded and then along comes New Captain, which blows my game out of the water in terms of how much like an episode of TNG it is.

As a Trek fan, I enjoyed this game immensely. There is just something so satisfying about sitting in the captains chair, calling for status updates, and giving orders.

Instead of raising shields and exploring unknown space, New Captain focuses on the other side of Trek - complicated diplomatic missions, treaty signings, and observing rare stellar phenomena. Naturally there are complications to sort out and interdepartmental meetings to be had.

This could have been dull but the excellent presentation and good use of the Star Trek setting made the game a joy to play. Just wandering around the ship was fun and the way the game moves the clock (and plot) forward makes a lot of sense.

New Captain gives you a lot of freedom to move around, read reports, and talk to people. Perhaps a little too much freedom, to complete the missions successfully you have to be diligent to click on everything and talk to everyone. I've played three times and still haven't found the last(?) secret. But concluding the main plot is fairly simple if you don't care about points.

My major issue with New Captain is that it feels like the first act of a much larger game. I felt I was just getting the hang of being a captain as the game came to an end.

GOOD:
Excellent atmosphere
Great interface with an excellent sense of freedom of choice

LESS GOOD:
Be prepared for a lot of clicking and reading if you want to complete the mission with all the points.
It is very like any number of episodes of TNG, but not one of the more exciting ones.

SUMMARY:
Like stepping aboard the Enterprise for twenty minutes. You can just about hear the doors hsss as you move between locations. It sparks joy.