A Few Handfuls of Space | Casus Belli First Impressions, Overview, Game Comparisons

About Casus Belli, from BoardGameGeek:

Casus Belli is a game of exploration, settlement, and warfare in space. Over a thousand years ago, humanity spread to the stars, creating a massive empire. This empire grew too big and split into four main factions, a period now known as the 'Great Split', which then led to a time of war. Conflict led to an era of darkness for humanity. Now after many years, the four faction have started to expand again. How they act is determined by by their prevailing ideology, who knows if this will lead to a new war. Each faction will explore and colonize the systems in the region. In doing so, they will come across ancient alien technologies. However, some of these technologies will lead to corruption. The game starts in a period of peace. Some actions may lead to an increase in tension, which in turn may lead to war. While peace reigns, factions cannot fight each other...unless they have a casus belli. Once war breaks out, the factions will divide into alliances and major battles can occur. The game plays over seven to nine rounds, and at game's end, each faction scores differently for assets they have on the board. -description from the publisher