If I were to add to the different strategies on your list I'd include swap sector strategy, saving up for an expensive card early (like the 2 ship that buys extra cards or a tier 3 card like you said), and a similar rush strategy where you try to only put points on 1-6 blue side and save money after that.

Space Exploration Board Games - Board Game Halv 10 Best Space Exploration Board Games - Board Game Halv

Players are dealt 4 Level 1 cards and 2 Level 2 cards. They choose which cards to keep, but must pay the cost for each one. In Space Base, you gradually build up a fleet of ships to gain rewards according to dice rolls. Your board has 12 sectors, corresponding to different outcomes of a dice roll. Each turn, all players will have a chance to activate cards in sectors that match the dice values (either individually or their sum). As new ships are added to your fleet, the current card in that sector will be "deployed" above your board, allowing it to trigger on other player's turns. Xia: Legends of a Drift System makes the list of the best space exploration board games because of its sandbox style that allows you to spy around the deep reaches of space and choose your path to glory. This is an adventure game driven by dice rolling and action points. So far, we’ve held the spotlight on games of adventure and conquest. But space is big, and there’s room for games of economy and tableau-building as well. Not that Race for the Galaxy feels all that more sedate. The secret action-selection adds a vital layer of tension: will you be able to do what you need this round? Worse, will you accidentally enable another player to do what they need?

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The game end is triggered once a player reaches 40 VP. A few additional turns may be played, until all players have had an equal number of turns. Terraforming Mars makes the list of the best space exploration board games because if you want something that dives into Mars exploration, but in a realistic and relatable way, this is it. Terraforming Mars is a few years old but it has won many accolades, including board game of the decade, for being one of the best heavy engine builders to ever exist. A great game that takes you into a space that is based on reality but still fun, While we’re on the subject of licensed games, a list like this wouldn’t be complete without the big space kahuna of Star Wars. Fortunately, it has a fantastic contender in Outer Rim. You play as members of Obi-Wan’s scum and villainy, touring the rim in search of fame and fortune. What that means is up to you: it’s one of the game’s pleasures that you can swing between hunting bounties or accruing them as you see fit.

Space Base: BoardGameBoost Resource Track Overlay Space Base: BoardGameBoost Resource Track Overlay

Who wouldn’t want to be crowned the greatest explorer in the entire galaxy? The gaming narrative here begins in the year 3042 just as humanity is prepared to start exploring other stars. After many centuries of studying the neighboring celestial bodies, scientists have now identified the best candidates for human colonization and habitation. Yet, nestled into a cosy corner lies a modest little box which continues to prove that bigger does not necessarily mean better. Should you accept the job of Space Admiral, done your spacesuit and build your space empire? Or should you remove it from your shelf and make some…space (sorry, I had to). You know it’s all about that base Whether it's alien invasions or the zombie apocalypse, sci-fi board games keep your brain engaged while being loads of fun, too. The best sci-fi boards games blend exciting storylines with beautiful artwork and are satisfying enough that you'll want to play them again and again.I mentioned the 9 card slightly when talking about the You Win card, I suppose the safer version is doing that with a point card on 12 instead of the You Win card. It's something I don't personally go for but I can see the appeal and a strategy I should add to my game. This is a space card game that you’ll want to play again and again because as you understand more with each playthrough, you’ll uncover new strategies and combos to try. If this still isn’t enough, there are five expansions available for more worlds to explore and conquer, such as highly rated Race for the Galaxy: Rebel vs Imperium. To begin with, it’s a cakewalk. After a few minutes, however, the entire affair will degenerate into a shouting match of bitter blame and recriminations over who forget to reload the laser cannons as yet more horrors hove into view. Rather like starring in your own favourite episode of Star Trek.

Space Base: The Mysteries of Terra Proxima | Board Game

While this is a typical setup for an intergalactic conquest game, Ascendancy uses its licence to stand out from the crowd. It’s very asymmetric, with each civilisation trying to win the way you’d expect; the Federation spreads culture, the Klingons war and the Romulans research. The way exploration leaves aspects of the galaxy fluid until late in the game helps you feel like you really are going where no-one has gone before. The result is a rich tapestry of space-based storytelling, shaped around a solid strategic core of managing your ship’s systems and energy. Doing so is a satisfying mini-game in its own right, customising your pre-painted miniature ship with cool new options and combos. Xia has so many fun toys to play with, it’s an easy system to drift in. As you might imagine, such an epic scope comes with an epic play time. Despite various shortcuts and smoothings added over previous iterations of the design, you’re still looking at a half-day’s play at least. If you can find the time and the opponents though, Twilight Imperium 4E offers a grand, sweeping experience like no other game.The active player rolls 2 dice. All players then choose which sectors to activate, based on the die values. Players may choose either the sector that matches the sum of the dice or both sectors that match individual die values. If both dice show the same value, then that sector can be activated twice. The active player takes the reward shown on the station card for that sector (blue section), and the other players take the rewards for all deployed cards above that sector (red sections). The difficulty level of the game can be tailored – each of the nations has a complexity rating and the disasters can be made more or less disastrous as desired – meaning the game can be enjoyed by new gamers as well as more experienced ones, while the varied nationalities increase replay-ability and keep the game fresh. It’s also a strategic engine builder using a player board (your space base) and tableaus of ship cards you can buy and add to your board. Attempt to entice others with a name like Space Base and you will be greeted with a sea of ambivalently sceptical groans. All this aside, the foldable players boards, acrylic cubes and sparkling dice are all of a high standard, including the well-designed insert. Personal Point