Enjoy the conquest of space. “Starfleet” – review of the board game

Space fun

As you can probably see after the introduction, we get a board game with a huge dose of humor. In short, Starfleet is a strategy game in which we have to develop our ship and crew. As captains, we manage subordinates and perform subsequent missions. The key here is the proper use of the skills of each crew member. Space battles, pirates, exploration await us – in short, everything we love science fiction for.

Preparation for the game

The main axis of the game is a large board depicting the entire galaxy that we explore. Before starting the game, we determine on which planets space stations and mission cards will appear, and which will be waiting for such an eventuality. Then, randomly selected pirate tiles are placed on the board. The tech board is equipped with three random omega techs and some alpha techs. The events of individual factions are also randomly prepared. Players receive ship boards, then draw an individual board to develop technology. We’re also adding damage markers, promotion rings, a medal, and most of all, our crew. Then we can start the game. I admit that the preparation itself was a bit complicated.

The course of the game

The game lasts four rounds. In each of them, players can take several steps. The first is to activate rooms. To do this, select a crew member of the appropriate color and then move them to one of the rooms. Standard actions include moving a ship, fighting pirates, repairing and researching technology. Each of them can be performed by a meeple with a specific color assigned to this action. The exception is repair, which can be performed by any crew member.

The second option is to complete the mission. If the planet we are on has such an option, the player may choose to take this step. We then draw a mission card from the planet and assign the number of crewmen listed on the card. Unfortunately, that’s it. Completing missions is connected only with assigning the appropriate number of figures to them. It is important, however, that the graphics and descriptions on the cards are extremely attractive. The last option for players is to fold. There’s not much to explain here, it’s just that the players have no more options to take action, and the round ends. Here it is worth adding that before starting the next one, you should move your crewmen’s turn accordingly, pass the first player marker, replenish the space station tokens, and for rounds three and four, draw one cadet figure each for your crew pool. After the end of the fourth round, it’s time to count the points. Missions completed, our position on faction tracks, technologies developed, tokens collected, and the amount of damage to the ship are important here. The player with the most points wins.

How to evaluate here?

Starfleet is a very difficult game to rate. On the one hand, it is quite complicated, on the other hand, it is simple enough that for experienced players there is not much room to show off and combine. There is little plot, which is lacking, however, it is rewarded with great illustrations. A very strong inspiration from Star Trek comes out well and effortlessly here. The gameplay itself, however, is quite tedious, it does not give players the opportunity to prove themselves. It’s a good game for a group of board game beginners as well as seasoned veterans. If you want a little Star Trek fun , reach for Starfleet !