Shaun M Jooste 
Coriolis: The Third Horizon Review | Galactic Tabletop RPG
Welcome to my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review! Learn more about the story, gameplay, visuals, and more in this sci-fi tabletop game!
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Welcome to my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review! It’s a science fiction role-playing tabletop game published by Free League Publishing and created by the Fria Ligan (Free League) AB team. The design team consists of Tomas Harenstam, Nils Karlen, Kosta Kostuluas, and Christian Granath, while Kosta took the lead as Lore Manager. The Core Rule Book was originally published in 2021.
The story is set in a remote cluster of star systems called The Third Horizon. It’s a place ravaged by several conflicts and wars. Yet, it’s also home to proud civilisations, both new and old. The backstory revolves around the so-called First Come colonists and the newly arrived Zenithians just before the Emissaries arrive, and all chaos breaks loose.
That sets the stage for my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review. In my article, I’ll give you some details of the main story, how the rules and gameplay work, and the stunning visuals provided with the Core Rule Book. For now, here’s a quick look at the main features.
Coriolis: The Third Horizon Primary Game Features:
- Easily create a unique player character: skills, talents, gear, relationships.
- Fight fast and furious space battles while praying to the Icons to overcome your enemies.
- Build and crew your own spaceship, exploring the Third Horizon systems, planets, and stars.
- Engage in thrilling spaceship duels within an exciting game system.
- Investigate the mysteries between powerful factions on the majestic space station Coriolis.
- Explore a rich tapestry of cultures that have settled the Third Horizon stars.
Coriolis: The Third Horizon Review Section 1: Story and Lore
I’m going to begin my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review with the story and lore developed by the design team, lore manager, and writers. It sets the stage before jumping into the gameplay. The lore is rich with detail, and you can easily lose yourself (in a good way) simply reading about the characters, factions, cultures, and systems.
Here’s a summary of what you will find, but it doesn’t do it justice. I won’t spoil the main quests and story for you, but you’ll get the gist of it in my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review below.
Welcome to Coriolis
From the start, the tabletop RPG blesses you with the information you need to start your sci-fi adventure. The Coriolis: The Third Horizon introduction teaches you about the Firstcome and Zenithians, their part in the galactic system, and how the arrival of the Emissaries has changed everything.
I don’t want to delve too much into the lore in my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review. What I can tell you is that the writers are really good at weaving the backstory tale with their words. You immediately grow interested in the story, wanting to know what part you’re going to play.
It becomes even more interesting with Chapter 2: Characters. This section shares what your party can consist of and sets the stage for establishing your Player Character (PC). Your group can be Free Traders, Mercenaries, Explorers, Agents, or Pilgrims. I’ll cover this in more detail in the gameplay section of my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review.
Meet the Characters
I’ve briefly discussed the group concept, but it mainly plays a role in the party you’ll be forming. Chapter 2 goes into expanded detail about the various characters you can play as, which is divided as follows:
- Appearance
- Sub-Concepts
- Talents
- Personal Problems
- Relationships
- Standard Gear
- Common character names
- Reputation
- Key attribute
- Concept Skills
The main character types are Artist, Data Spider, Fugitive, Negotiator, Operative, Pilot, Trailblazer, Preacher, Scientist, Ship Worker, and Soldier. The area I love is the sub-concept. Each character type has a set of these.
For example, the Artist has Courtesan, Musician, and Poet. It gives you a greater selection of choices, especially when creating your party and character backstories. I’ll explain more about character concepts in the gameplay section of my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review.
Lore, Locations, and Star Systems
The rest of the content up until and including Chapter 7 deals with character development, combat, space movement and other gameplay mechanics, so I’ll leave that for the next part of my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review.
As far as the story goes, the next part the Gamemaster will focus on is Chapter 8: The Third Horizon. It contains the details of the entire star system, the history from the Firstcome, the Portal Wars, the Zenith and Nadir, and the founding of the Coriolis Space Station. Then it describes the New Era and the current age in which the story is set.
Chapters 11 – 13 also expand on the culture, lore, and trade of the space system, summarised as follows:
- Coriolis Space Station: People, culture, and facts about the station.
- The Kua System: Main stars and planets in the Kua System where the Coriolis space station is located.
- Atlas of the Third Horizon: Different star trade systems, portal jumps, and Quadrant of the Pillar.
All I will say in this part of my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review is that there is a tremendous amount of detail to get you familiar with the space station and the stars you’ll travel to in your adventures. It makes the journey rich for anyone playing the sci-fi tabletop game. Your only limit is your imagination.
Introducing the Factions and People
Chapters 9 and 10 deal with NPCs and groups you’ll come across while playing the space RPG. The first section introduces you to the two main groups, Zenithians and Firstcome, and their respective factions. Each group has five factions, and they each have different beliefs, cultures, companies, and main NPCs. Studying this information is vital to future adventures in the Third Horizon.
Then you have the people of Third Horizon. They’re divided into four main groups: Firstcome, Zenithians, Starfarers, and Humanities. This section deals with daily life across the star systems, various cultures, and the lifeblood of meeting NPCs along your quests.
Since I played as the Gamemaster for my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review, I can’t express enough how helpful this information is. The players only need these details when they come across specific types of people, such as members of the Church of Icons. Studying the Core Rule Book will help the GM know exactly where to look when needing key information on NPCs.
Creatures of the Third Horizon
Chapter 14 of the Third Horizon Core Rulebook is possibly my favourite. It details the various types of creatures you’ll come across in your travels across various planets. There are various main types such as semi-intelligence, beast, darkmorph, construct, spirits, and more. It’s the GM’s role to introduce as many of the creatures at appropriate times to make the game more exciting.
This section deals with skills, actions, weapons, swarms, special abilities, and general descriptive information on each creature. The GM should make a creature sheet with hitpoints, attributes and every detail needed for when the group meets them.
The Main Campaign
The final part of the story Coriolis: The Third Horizon review is the main campaign. Now if you’ve played tabletop games and understand how they work, you’ll know that the GM creates scenarios and sessions for players to enjoy. If you’ve never played a tabletop RPG before, Chapter 15 explains how the GM can construct a grand adventure.
However, the rulebook doesn’t leave you wanting. There is a mini-scenario and two scenario locations included. You’ll find spaceship layouts, maps of planet surfaces, and scenario details. If you enjoy these small adventures, then you’re well on your way to creating your own story.
Coriolis: The Third Horizon Review Section 2: Gameplay Elements
The next part of my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review is gameplay. While I won’t go into detail on the rules and how to play (maybe a guide on that to come), I’ll share some of the information and how I feel about it. I’ll also share any elements I feel are lacking.
Coriolis: The Third Horizon Gameplay summary:
“In this game, you will crew a spaceship and travel the Horizon. You will explore the ancient ruins of the Portal Builders, undertake missions for the powerful factions and partake in the game of political intrigue on Coriolis station – the centre of power in the Third Horizon. You might even encounter strange beings from the Dark Between the Stars”.
What’s Included with Coriolis: The Third Horizon
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll receive in the digital version of the tabletop game:
- Master Sheet
- NPC Sheet
- Character Sheet
- Spaceship Sheet
- Battlemaps Downloads
- System Sheet
- Core Rulebook
The digital files help when you want to mass print sheets for several players and multiple sessions. You can buy and download them from online sites like DriveThruRPG.
Print-on-Demand services for printing the hardcover book are limited, but I managed to get my hands on a review copy thanks to Free League Publishing and Uber Strategist (Thank You!). Similar sheets are provided in the physical book, but you’ll still need to make copies for actual gameplay. There’s also a poster map of the Third Horizon system and the Coriolis space station, which I absolutely love!
What’s Not Included with Coriolis: The Third Horizon
As is generally the case with most tabletop RPG games, you won’t receive specialised or themed dice, props, miniature figurines, miniature spaceships, or any general GM aids. If this is your first time playing these type of games, you’ll need to stock up on some items first, especially as the Gamemaster.
Fortunately, I have a few Dungeons & Dragons accessories I’ve collected over the years I could use. Still, it would have been nice to receive some Coriolis-themed items. Another extra item I’m excited to get my hands on is the Coriolis Atlas Compendium, which guides you into creating your own systems and stars for your unique gameplay within the Third Horizon.
Learning how to play Coriolis: The Third Horizon
As I mentioned before, I took on the role of GM for my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review. The players will learn everything they need to know from the GM. As for the GM, all you need to know is in the Core Rulebook. It’s segmented into logical sections so it’s easy to find information, and you can add tags to pages to more easily jump to them.
There is quite a steep learning curve if you’ve never played tabletop games before. Still, once you’ve played a few sessions, you’ll get the hang of it easily enough.
Establishing Your Group
I told you earlier in my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review that I’ll give more details on this. Before you can even create a character, you need to establish a group or party. Some concepts work better with specific groups better, such as Smugglers, Bulk Haulers, and Couriers with Free Traders. Characters that align with these include the Negotiator, Pilot, Scientist, and so on. You can even break down these characters into sub-types depending on the group, such as a freighter pilot or fighter pilot.
In this stage, you’ll establish the group concept, develop your spaceship, establish the group talent, select a patron, and choose a nemesis. It’s an essential stage that will set the tone for your future adventures, which is why it will take a while to get right the first time.
Your Character Skills and Talents
Once the group is established, it’s time for players to create characters. They need to align with the group created before. Otherwise, it won’t really make sense. There are character sheets to pen down attributes, talents, and skills, all of which are listed in the Third Horizon Core Rulebook. For my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review, I found the details incredibly informative and easy to understand, making it exciting for the games we were going to play.
For those new to tabletop games, the skills and talents will help in specific situations. When you engage in a situation that needs a specific skill to pass the scenario, it helps if your character has that ability. Don’t worry if no one in the group has it, though. It’s time to get creative and find another solution.
Combat Rules
So, Chapter 5 of the Third Horizon Core Rulebook is devoted to combat. This section becomes essential when it’s time to attack and defend. It’s quite comprehensive, so I want to steer away from turning this Coriolis: The Third Horizon review into a guide.
Basically, it explains the following:
- Turns and initiatives
- Action points and how to use them
- When dice should be used
- Icon card deck uses
- Range and movement rules
- Sneak attacks
- Different types of combat (melee, ranged)
- Weapon types and bonuses
- Stress and damage
- Vehicles
When you enter your first combat scene, the GM and players will probably work through these listings to correctly engage with the enemy. After a few combat sessions, it should become easier to manage. Veteran tabletop gamers should have no problem understanding how combat mechanics work.
Utilising Weapons and Equipment
Ok, the next part of my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review covers weapons and equipment, which is Chapter 6. After Beasts and the various star system sections, this is my next favourite part. It’s split into Gear, Weapon and Armour, and Cybernetics and Bionics. There are also three different tiers: Primitive, Ordinary and Advanced.
You’ll acquire various items on your journey through the Third Horizon. These sections will be important to see what’s available, what benefits they provide, and how many attack/defence points they have. You can also buy many items, and the book shows the cost involved in purchases.
I’ll explain later in the visuals part of my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review why I love this section so much. For the gameplay element, the team put a lot of thought into unique types of gear, weapons, and armour that align with the core theme and cultures.
Travelling Through Space
The next exciting part is Chapter 7, dealing with creating a spaceship and travelling through space in the Third Horizon. You can travel on a planet, from planet to planet in a system, and between various systems. The rules clearly explain how to do each one. There’s even a cool spacemap poster when space combat takes place!
This section deals with topics like portal jumps, landing on planets, types of ships with stats, ship modules and problems, ship maintenance and repairs, special features, and combat rules. The book even gives you some examples of current spaceships in the Third Horizon to inspire you.
Basically, if you love playing No Man Sky on PlayStation, you’ll love this part of the Coriolis: The Third Horizon tabletop RPG.
Coriolis: The Third Horizon Review Section 3: Visuals and Presentation
Alright, so my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review covers all the basics of the story and gameplay. I’m busy setting up a tabletop station at home, and then hopefully I can stream and record some gaming sessions for you. For now, here’s how I feel about the visual components of the Core Rulebook. No accessories were included, so this is just about the Rulebook itself.
Star System and Spaceships
I absolutely love the presentation of various spaceships and planets. The visual detail is absolutely beautiful, making me wish I could see those planets in person. The information about ships and systems is neatly displayed and not hard to find.
There aren’t visuals for every single planet in every single system, so if you do travel elsewhere, you’ll have to use your imagination. That’s how tabletop gaming works, anyway. So, I would say that’s a positive, as it encourages you to explore and gives you more freedom to create.
Creatures and Beasts
Those who know me and what I enjoy in games will know I love Bestiaries. Once again, the Core Rulebook doesn’t have visuals for all the creatures listed, but all the details are there for your imagination. If the design team ever does a stand-alone Bestiary book, I would grab it in a heartbeat! Still, you’ll find sufficient descriptions and stats for each one to get an idea of what they look like.
Maps
Whether you get the physical or digital edition, you’ll have the full Third Horizon map included. For my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review, I was fortunate to have a poster included with the system maps and space station details. Inside the rulebook, you’ll also have other maps and deck plans to help you with specific scenarios.
Characters and Factions
Since Characters and Factions are complete chapters and play the most pivotal roles in the game, you have plenty of graphics to accompany each character type and faction. Of course, your character can look however you want, but you’ll get a general idea of their appearances from the visuals.
Overall Presentation
Overall, for my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review, I feel the presentation is outstanding. A lot of time and love went into design and visuals, making it appealing to sci-fi nuts like me. I’d love for Celenic Earth Publications to make a publishing deal to make the physical copy available on print-on-demand around the world just so more people can have the actual book in their hands and see how beautiful it is.
Coriolis: The Third Horizon Review: Final Verdict
That’s it for my Coriolis: The Third Horizon review. As my final verdict, playing the tabletop game is extremely enjoyable. The last time I had so much fun was playing Risk Godstorm with my family for an entire weekend and Star Wars Outer Rim for a few hours at Cape Town Comic Con. Third Horizon is actually more fun and more detailed, and I recommend buying it the first chance you get!
For my next Coriolis review, I will be covering Coriolis: Last Voyage of the Ghazali, the prologue to the Mercy of the Icons campaign, so stay tuned! For now, check out my other reviews or YouTube gameplay videos!
