Science Fiction

Space Mission

In Space Mission, players explore eight planets (randomly selected from twelve in the game) by flying from planet to neighboring planet or passing through a "jump gate" that allows them to travel anywhere. Each planet has a different combination of values for jumping to it, scanning it and landing on it.

Each player has a hand of five cards, with each card having three color-coded values on it: blue for jumping, green for scanning, and orange for landing. On a turn, you take two actions from six possibilities, with the same action being possible:

—Top up: Discard any number of cards (including zero), then refill your hand to five cards.

—Jump: Move your spaceship from the jump gate (where players start the game) or a planet to any other planet by discarding a card that shows the landing value of the target planet. Place one of your tokens on the jump gate.

—Fly: Move your spaceship to either neighboring planet; this move is free.

—Scan: Discard a card with the scanning value of the planet where your spaceship is currently located; look through the face-down planet tiles, place one aside face-down with your marker on it, then return the tiles to that planet. This action is possible only on undeveloped planets.

—Develop: Develop the planet where your spaceship is located by discarding two cards that match the two landing values shown on that planet. Mark this planet with your space station token, hand out all scanned and claimed planet tiles to the appropriate players, claim one remaining planet tile for yourself, then place the remaining tiles face-down again. A planet can be developed only once.

—Discover: Take a planet tile of your choice from the developed planet where your spaceship is currently located.

If at any point, all of the planet tiles on a planet show only empty space, the player holding the tiles lays them face-up next to that planet. When 6-12 space tiles have been revealed, an amount based on the number of players, the game ends and players tally their points.

Each type of planet tile scores in a different way. With Minerals, for example, you multiply the number of mineral tiles you hold with the largest number of mineral tiles in a single color. Medals are worth three points each. A green-blue pair of Matter tiles is worth seven points, while a single Matter tile is worth only two. Each space station you've built is worth three points, and the players score 9, 6, 3 and 1 for having the most, secondmost, etc. tokens on the jump gate. The player with the most points wins.

Reimplements:

Jump Gate

Online Play

Yucata (turn-based)

Quantum

Send out the scouts! Position the Flagship in tactical orbit! And reconfigure that Battlestation into something new! Your fleet of loyal ships, powered by the might of quantum probability itself, carries your empire to the far-flung stars. How will history remember you? As a ravenous destroyer? A clever tactician? A dauntless explorer? Command your armada, construct world-shattering technologies, and rally the remnants of humanity for a final confrontation.

In Quantum, each player is a fleet commander from one of the four factions of humanity, struggling to conquer a sector of space. Every die is a starship, with the value of the die determining the movement of the ship, but also its combat power - with low numbers more powerful. So a [ 6 ] is a quick but fragile Scout and a [ 1 ] is a slow but mighty Battlestation.

Each type of ship also has a special power that can be used once per turn: Destroyers can warp space to swap places with other dice and Flagships can transport other ships. These powers can be used in combination for devastating effects. You're not stuck with your starting ships, however: using Quantum technology, you can spend actions to transform (re-roll) your ships. Randomness plays a role in the game, but only when you want: Quantum is very much a strategy game.

You win by constructing Quantum Cubes - massive planetary energy extractors. Each time you build a new one, you can expand your fleet, earn a new permanent ability, or take a one-time special move. The board itself is made out of modular tiles, and you can play on one of the 30 layouts that come with the game or design your own. The ship powers, player abilities, and board designs combine to create a limitless set of possibilities for how to play and strategies for how to win.

With elegant mechanics, an infinity of scenarios, and easy-to-learn rules that lead to deep gameplay, Quantum is a one-of-a-kind game of space combat, strategy and colonization that will satisfy both hard-core and casual players.

Quantum won the 2012 Game Design Award at the IndieCade Festival of Independent Games, as a prototype game with the title Armada d6.

Battle Beyond Space

Battle Beyond Space is a massive, multi-player free-for-all space battle with 60–80 ships slugging it out IN SPACE.

In 45-60 minutes. And 9 turns. In an asteroid field.

The combat system is diceless and extremely deadly. On a turn, you choose one of your three squadrons, move and fire with it, then get to move one of your two capital ships.

The big difference between the players is the super-secret alien power of technology which they can spring on another player at any time. Some are one-use, amazingly powerful items (aka Death Blossom), some are more subtle, long-term effects.

Firefly: The Game – Breakin' Atmo

Game description from the publisher:

Firefly: The Game - Breakin' Atmo introduces fifty new cards to the game: 25 job cards and 25 supply cards. New jobs present new challenges for captains and their crews with payouts based on their skill levels. The additional supply cards offer new resourceful crew members for hire and specialized gear to help you pull off the big scores.

Firefly: The Game

Players begin with a ship, and travel from planet to planet, hiring crew, purchasing ship upgrades, and picking up cargo to deliver (jobs) all in the form of cards. Some crew and cargo are illegal, and can be confiscated if your ship is boarded by an alliance vessel. Travelling from planet to planet requires turning over "full burn" cards, one for each space moved. Most do nothing, but you can also encounter an Alliance ship, have a breakdown, or even run into Reavers. Completing jobs gets you cash. First player to complete the story goals wins.

Game description from the publisher:

In Firefly: The Game – based on the popular Firefly television series created by Joss Whedon – players captain their own Firefly-class transport ship, traveling the 'Verse with a handpicked crew of fighters, mechanics and other travelers. As a captain desperate for work, players are compelled to take on any job — so long as it pays. Double-dealing employers, heavy-handed Alliance patrols, and marauding Reavers are all in a day's work for a ship's captain at the edge of the 'Verse. Firefly: The Game is a high-end thematic tabletop boardgame from Gale Force Nine (GF9) and the first in a series of tabletop hobby board games and miniatures games from GF9 set in the Firefly Universe.