I’m in the middle of playing my first game (using Roswell, as recommended my first-timers), and I’m liking it. It certainly is a brain-burner that can induce AP if you really want to think and plan your moves out. I also see it as two games in one (plus a campaign added on…alleged no endgame result aside). It’s like you have to pay attention to how you’ll win and how you avoid getting damaged by the aliens. In fact, I find managing the alien ships to be the genius part of the game. Oh, and there’s a reason why it got BGG’s Best Solo Game of the Year. I guess that crushes any negative reviews of the game.