We had the original and we got the expansion. I don't recommend getting it without the original. The new factions offer more depth to the game but okay.. I can't say we went crazy about it.

This particular game in the series, despite being an expansion of Smash Up, can be played as a standalone since it includes all the necessary cards.

Amazing game especially if you have both the base and the expansion. Very simple rules and the more people you add, the better it gets. There are variations where you can form alliances in order to lead to victory militarily, as only one person can win. If you have played many times, you can slightly modify the rules and make it even more challenging. It can be easily played by children and it is an awesome party game.

This expansion includes some new races and some tokens for point counting. It can be played with 6 players, but it is not recommended for their first time. They should start with 2 or 3 in each game because they will get bored waiting to read and decide on the cards. It can also be played without the base set, not in its full variety obviously, but it can be played. The rules say so too.