Summary
Science fiction is a huge genre that has been implemented for decades, especially in the world of board gaming. Games likeDuneandCosmic Encounterhave been around since the 1970s, and the popularity of science fiction has only burgeoned over the years.
RELATED:Board Games That Are Shockingly Old
This shared love of science fiction has led to a plethora of sci-fi-themed board games that use the themes and aesthetic of sci-fi to create immersive, unique experiences on the tabletop. The following examples provide a broad and varied selection of games, both old and new, that use science fiction as their theme to great effect.
10One Deck Galaxy
This follow-up to the hit gameOne Deck Dungeonis a deep, strategic dice/card game in which players roll dice and assign them to various cards, working together to create a federation while simultaneously dealing with a unique adversary. Miraculously, the game, which also has a unique campaign-style system for those that want it, manages to fit itself into a small box.
One Deck Galaxydoesn’t just differentiate itself from the originalOne Deck Dungeonwith its theme, though. Its major difference is the “Starbase,” a card that gives players a place to use their dice should they be useless elsewhere. For fans of cooperative experiencesthat don’t mind heavy RNG in their games,One Deck Galaxyis a great sci-fi game witha charming, whimsical aesthetic.
9Galaxy Trucker
Now in its second edition at the time of writing,Galaxy Truckerwas originally released in 2007, with its second edition releasing in 2021. The game tasks players with simultaneously building a ramshackle spaceship from a shared pool of tiles following a strict set of rules, all in a limited amount of time. After players have constructed their spaceships, the second phase of the game begins.
The second phase ofGalaxy Truckeris where the actual trucking comes in. Players will take their ships and send them through a gauntlet of encounter cards, collecting as much cargo as they can while fending off enemy ships and flying through asteroid fields. At the end of the encounters, players sell their cargo for cash, and depending on the difficulty of the run they chose, build another ship and head back out to face harder encounters.
8Nemesis
Nemesismanages to unofficially capture the heart and soul oftheAlienfranchiseby putting players in the shoes of a blue-collar sci-fi spaceship crew facing off against deadly alien horrors that have taken over the ship.
RELATED:Awesome Sci-Fi Horror Tabletop Games
InNemesis, players won’t just have to avoid the deadly creatures while trying to get out alive, they’ll also have to complete their own unique objective. This unique objective may be a selfless act, or it may be something that hinders other players, meaning that the game isn’t always entirely cooperative. For players that don’t mind a bit of backstabbing in their games, and are fans of sci-fi horror,Nemesisis arguably the perfect game.
7Space Hulk (4th Edition)
Games Workshop has released many boxed gamesover the years, with many of them taking place in the iconic universe ofWarhammer: 40,000.Space Hulkis perhaps the most famous of these boxed sets, with the 4th Edition being the latest and releasing back in 2014. Of all the editions, Board Game Geek rates 4th Edition the highest at the time of writing.
Space Hulkisa cooperative gamefor two players in which one player takes control of the Space Marines, and the other takes control of the Genestealers. The term “Space Hulk” refers to a derelict spaceship where the game takes place, and the Genestealers are a horde of horrific creatures that have made their home there. The game is best known for its tension, atmosphere, and fast-paced gameplay, and is a great choice forWarhammer: 40kfans. Unfortunately,Space Hulkhasn’t seen a new edition or reprint since 2014 at the time of writing, but as one of Games Workshop’s most iconic properties, one can hope that a new edition will be released in the coming years.
6Star Wars: Imperial Assault
Star Warsis one ofthe most iconic science-fiction franchises, and it reflects this with the number of games (both digital and tabletop) that are based on its source material. AlthoughStar Wars: Rebellionis a great versus game andStar Wars: X-Wingis an accessible and thematic miniatures game, it could be argued thatStar Wars: Imperial Assaultis the best due to its higher player count and the sheer amount of content packed into its core box.
InStar Wars: Imperial Assault, up to four players take control of a member of the Rebel Alliance, while one player takes control of the Empire. The game is essentially a re-implementation ofDescent’score system and has players battling through various scenarios controlled by the villain player. The game can be unbalanced in places, and the enjoyment of the game can be dependent on the player in control of the Empire. Characters can’t die inStar Wars: Imperial Assault. Instead, they become exhausted and less powerful, with the goal of the Empire player being to exhaust all the Rebel players. This means that each scenario remains fun for everyone throughout, and removes the horrible feeling that comes from being knocked out at the start of a scenario and having to sit it out.
5Terraforming Mars
Ranked overall at number 6 on Board Game Geek at the time of writing,Terraforming Marsis a game in which players work together to make the Red Planet habitable, while simultaneously competing with each other, collecting victory points by contributing to the terraforming effort and other humanitarian projects.
Terraforming Marsis very much about resource management and engine-building as players take on new projects in the form of cards, gaining their immediate bonuses and working towards their requirements to play them, which costs currency in and of itself.Terraforming Marsisn’t one of the most immediately exciting games, but it’s a methodical and strategic experience that many board gamers are likely to have a good time with.
4Cosmic Encounter
Originally released in 1977 and still in print today,Cosmic Encounterhas players control one of the various unique alien races that each have their own individual powers. Each player controls a fleet of ships, which they take turns sending to other players' planets to establish colonies, winning the game when they have five colonies outside of their planets.
BecauseCosmic Encounterallows players to invite other players to help them colonize planets, the game involves a lot of diplomacy and politicking among groups, leading to some fun and dramatic social situations. Furthermore, the game allows for multiple players to win together, making diplomacy a viable strategy.
3Eclipse: Second Dawn For The Galaxy
This game for two-to-six players is a tactical grand strategy game that rivals sci-fi classics likeTwilight Imperium. However,Eclipsediffers fromTwilight Imperiumwith its emphasis on tactical combat and ship customization, in which players can upgrade their ships in various ways to counter specific strategies.
This ship combat and customization is the heart ofEclipse, and all the other moving parts of the game tend to revolve around it. Furthermore, the game is a luxury product. It has great components, and more importantly, an efficient storage system that allows players to set up the game quickly, which is important for a big-box game such as this. This isEclipse’ssecond edition, building on and polishing the original that was released in 2011 to create something truly remarkable.
2Dune (2019)
Originally released in 1979,Dunehas long been a highly regarded war game among fans of the genre, and for the longest time, it was extremely hard to come by, until it was finally reprinted with a fresh coat of paint in 2019. This re-implementation of the original game’s design brings the iconic game to the modern day.
InDune, players take control of one of six factions from Frank Herbert’s iconicDunenovels, fighting for control over the planet “Arrakis,” where the valuable commodity “Spice” is mined. This spice is also an integral part ofDune’sdesign, being a resource that is blown about the board for players to collect and use primarily to deploy more troops, which players need to take the game’s objectives.Dunecontains so many quirks and complexities that it’s hard to explain briefly, but for those that are patient and don’t mind a slow-burning, complex experience,Duneis a piece of board gaming history that’s not to be missed.
1Twilight Imperium
This sci-fi space opera from Fantasy Flight Games was originally produced back in 1997. Now in its fourth edition,Twilight Imperiumis grand strategy on an epic scale, tasking players with controlling the burgeoning empires of various alien races.
RELATED:Board Games That Feel Like Video Games
Each race inTwilight Imperiumencourages a different playstyle, making for a broad and replayable experience. The game is mainly focused on building and positioning fleets, as well as engaging in diplomacy with fellow players.Twilight Imperiumis a huge game, and not necessarily accessible, not only becauseit takes roughly six hours to playdepending on the player count, but because it requires a heavy amount of strategizing. However,Twilight Imperiumis a dramatic and immersive experience that fans of sci-fi space operas are sure to love.
