To Boldly Game – the best gaming this side of the Milky Way!
- 26th Jan 2024
- Author: Mike Darch
Are you ready to grab some dice and BOLDLY GAME with us?
On 27-28 January 2024, the National Space Centre hosted the first “To Boldly Game” board game event. We partnered with the UK Games Expo (UKGE) team, who run the largest Hobby Games Convention in the UK, to bring a weekend of board-gaming bonanza to Leicester.
There were numerous space and science games to check out and play - this guide highlights what we had on throughout the centre. Whether you made it to the event or missed out, fear not as I've chosen five recommended games that were showcased - listed from simplest to most complex.
So, at the beginning of the list, we have…
#1 Flick Fleets
Published by Eurydice games, Flick Fleets gives you the destructive power of a space fleet at your fingertips! Literally!
In this dexterity-based game you and your opponent take turns flicking your ships around the battlefield with your fingers.
To attack you simply flick dice at enemy ships. It’s simple to learn but difficult to master. So a game that doesn’t just challenge your strategic mind also but your fast fingers as well!
Mike's final word: “Great for competitive people with itchy trigger fingers”.
#2 MLEM: Space Agency
If you want a more classic-style board game for the family, then check out “MLEM: Space Agency”. A game about exploring space as cool cat astronauts.
Designed by Reiner Knizia, this game pits two to five players against each other as cat space explorers, searching the cosmos for planets and moons.
You roll dice to see how far you can go into space, and the further into deep space you go, the higher the reward. But make sure you don’t crash your ship and miss out!
Mike's final word: “A cat adventure that makes full use of its spacey theme. Would recommend a GO BIG OR GO HOME strategy myself”.
#3 Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game.
Here’s another one-on-one competitive game from designer Caleb Grace, but this time instead of flicking spaceships across the table you're tasked with a bit of deck building!
Playing as either the evil Empire or the righteous Rebels from STAR WARS you attempt to blow up each others' bases. You have a deck of cards where you can play characters and starships from, and attack your enemy to build up your forces.
You’re going to need to build up because your starting deck isn’t very strong, and you will need to recruit bigger ships and more powerful allies to your cause if you want to come out on top!
Not only that but there is a “Force tracker” while you're playing, so that mystical energy STAR WARS is known for is either with you or against you, and that can have a huge impact on your strategy.
This game oozes STAR WARS charm, with beautiful card art. If you are not a STAR WARS fan don’t worry, this is a perfect introduction to deckbuilding games in general.
Mike's final word: “A fantastic competitive game that is quick to set up and offers great variety. A must have for STAR WARS fans.”
#4 Star Trek Adventures.
We’ve had our STAR WARS game, now what sort of nerd would I be if I didn’t big up a STAR TREK game as well?
Star Trek Adventures is next on our list and its a TTRPG (table top role playing game). If you’ve ever seen Dungeons and Dragons on a TV show like Stranger Things, this is the sort of experience to expect, except its set in the expansive universe of Star Trek!
So, it’s less of a board game and more of a collaborative story telling experience with your friends.
One player will be the “Gamemaster” who runs the game. They present the story and events to the other players as well as running the bad guys, side characters, and everything in between.
The other players will make their own Star Trek characters who will use teamwork, diplomacy, and the occasional photon torpedo, to overcome exciting challenges set forth by the gamemaster.
Mike's final word “The ultimate way to experience the Star Trek universe is to create a character and plant your boots on some strange new worlds. Great for folks who want a more cooperative gaming experience”.
#5 Den of Wolves
Are you a fan of 'The Traitors' TV show, but wish it was more spacey? This is as in-depth as games go, in fact it's not classed as a board game but a MEGAGAME, so that should be a clue for the experience you'd be getting yourself into. You'll need at least 26 players, although for the true experience 40 is the highest amount of people that can play.
Created by John Mizon. The story goes that human interstellar society is falling apart under the attacks of the Wolf Forces and a scrappy band of survivors have banded together with their spaceships – The survivor fleet. Players will take on the roles of starship captains, officers, engineers, and politicians. The objective is to work together and survive!
But here's the rub – over the seven-hour play time, you will have to keep a close eye on the other players because some are spies for the Wolf Forces and intend on sabotaging the fleet! Because there are so many players you will need multiple tables and that’s worked into the gameplay! Each table is its own starship with the players around it being its crew. So not only do you have to work together with your own shipmates but with other ships as well. All while keeping an eye out for spies!
Mike's final word: “This goes beyond a board game and is a pure space drama experience that you will never forget, it doesn’t get bigger than this”.
So, there you have it, a quick lowdown of some space science board games - just a small selection of what we had showcased at our 'To Boldly Game' event.
Enjoy your galactic gaming!
Full references / credits:
(Banner image) Be careful at the gaming table - things might get 'dicey'. Credit: Pixexid - Ralph CC BY 4.0 DEED https://pixexid.com/image/dice-erupting-into-a-bustling-cityscape-gambles-transforming-into-tangible-real-6kvxkzjj
(1) Ready, aim, FLICK! Credit: Eurydice Games Ltd
(2) Mlem is apparently the official word for the noise cats make when they stick their tongues out. Who knew?! Credit: Rebel Studio
(3) The game comes in a small and very transportable box, perfect for when you need to kill time waiting for the hyperdrive to be fixed. Credit: Fantasy Flight Games
(4) This game can be played simply using nothing more than some pen, paper, dice and your imagination! Credit: Modiphius
(5) Lovely minimalist design brings player interaction into the spotlight. Credit: SW Megagames
