Spaceship X from Creative Gamescapes

This is a single set of Spaceship X from Creative Gamescapes. I received it as a Kickstarter award from awhile back. There were delays in getting the product out and communications could have been better. On the other hand, getting it late was better than not getting it at all. That's far more success than some Kickstarters can claim. Bottom line - Creative Gamescapes could have done better, but they ultimately came through for me.

Set with almost all of the pieces - one door was being stripped for repaint.

This set featured in a few previous posts - most notably a description of a Star Trek Adventures encounter and a work in progress post after I decided to have another go at assembling and painting it. Since then, I've sprayed the corridor pieces with a coat of clear sealer. This seems to have solved the silver overspray problem. I also decided that I didn't do as bad a job with two of the doors as I thought. The paint job on the third door didn't come out at all - that one is getting stripped and repainted down the road. Still, the set is in a state where I feel comfortable about writing a review, especially since I've already used it in play.

Door close up. The one with the green keypad is intended to look more worn.

Spaceship X represents the interior of a large spacecraft. The level of detail - floor grating, round bolts, doors with keypads - is sufficient to convey a futuristic industrial appearance. The aesthetic is well suited for a game about exploring a derelict spacecraft inhabited by violently aggressive extraterrestrials, although some might lament the lack of decorative skulls. The rugged industrial look is generic enough for a variety of sci-fi settings. Spaceship X is also handy for representing other sci-fi environments - a built up underground area like a moonbase, a confined industrial area, a supervillian lair, etc.

The scaling of Spaceship X is flexible by design. The corridors work equally well for 15mm or 28mm figures. The keypads on the doors are a little large for 15mm, but the effect is not too jarring.

15mm figure comparison. Maybe tall enough to reach the top row on the keypad?

Assembly is relatively straightforward. The parts did arrive with mold lines, but nothing that a little work with a hobby knife and some sanding couldn't take care of. I made a couple of minor errors when I reassembled the parts due to my misplacing the instructions. Unfortunately, Creative Gamescapes did not respond to my inquiries about getting a replacement instruction sheet and it isn't available for download. The sides and bottom of each corridor segment do lock together, but I don't feel that the fit is snug enough to rely on. I ended up using plastic cement to bond the parts of each corridor segment together permanently. The details on how I assembled and painted my Spaceship X set are presented in a previous WIP post.

Who needs keypads when an anti-armor weapon is available? Just mind the back blast!

Each corridor segment is designed to slot together with the others. Unfortunately, the interlocking tabs and slots don't always fit smoothly. They line up well, but the slots aren't always large enough for the tabs to fit without forcing them together. Priming and painting the pieces has only made the issue worse. However, the fit issue is likely to resolve itself as the interlocking tabs and slots wear down.

Close up of interlocking tabs and slots.

Creative Gamescapes used a sturdy plastic for Spaceship X. I'm more concerned with the paint job and cement bonds than the plastic getting damaged during normal use. A piece did fall on the garage floor while I was preparing the set for priming - it bounced off and wasn't even scuffed or scratched. Durability doesn't seem to be an issue with Spaceship X.

28mm figure comparison. The girls are having an easier time with reaching the door controls.

Spaceship X is an affordable product with limitations. Spaceship X is at its best when its used for assembling tight corridors and claustrophobic rooms that result in intense close-in encounters. A single set of Spaceship X retails around $35 USD before shipping and tax. It provides a variety of corridors arranged on a single level, a couple of small rooms, and an assortment of accessories such as doors - a good value for the price. There are other products on the market featuring multiple levels, more expansive rooms, and a higher level of detailing. Such products allow for more maneuvering and better use of ranged attacks during play. However, those products tend to be correspondingly more expensive and many use less durable materials such as card. Spaceship interiors are a niche market within a niche market - trade offs may be unavoidable. Potential buyers would be best served by carefully evaluating their needs before making a purchase.

I'm satisfied with Spaceship X, but I have concerns about Creative Gamescapes. They demonstrated a lack of good communications during the Kickstarter and when I reached out to them for support. On the other hand, they put out a good product. There were some issues during assembly and with how the tabs fit, but nothing too serious. It looks good and works well on the table.