Sci-fi board games can provide the thrill of space travel and planetary exploration, but these games will let Star Trek fans live out their fantasy of being Starfleet commanders.
Some of these games put you in charge of battalions of ships, while others toss you into a ground conflict or simply test knowledge of the galactic markets. All of them will make for a fantastic game night.
Star Trek Chrono-Trek
Based on the game Chrononauts, Star Trek Chrono-Trek is a great way for fans to nerd out about the series’s lore over a game. Each player picks a character from the Star Trek universe, and each character has a unique goal to pursue throughout the game. Then you’re tossed into a time-traveling adventure, reliving big moments from the series while crafting your own alternate universe.
Star Trek Cryptic
Cryptic is an escape room in a box, and this version lets you chart your own course through Starfleet and the universe of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The game’s three missions each require a healthy amount of puzzle-solving and code-breaking. Star Trek Cryptic arguably works best with a group, but one of my favorite parts about it is that it’s also designed to work as a single-player experience. It makes for a nice backup option when game night falls through.
Star Trek Fluxx
Star Trek Fluxx is a card game for two to six people where the rules are constantly in question. Players try to gather special cards called Keepers while playing cards that alter the game’s rules. You might adjust the maximum hand size for everyone at the table or give yourself the ability to swap hands entirely. It’s a blast, and every game feels fresh, but my only complaint with this one is that the Star Trek elements are really just theming and flavor.
Star Trek Star Realms
This game is essentially regular Star Realms with a Star Trek skin, but the theming fits naturally here. Star Realms is a card game for two to six players where you build up a deck full of starships and intergalactic bases. Different factions focus on dealing damage, gathering money, or boosting your overall health, and you have to pick a path on the fly while competing with your opponent over limited options. The Star Trek art really shines and makes this an especially enjoyable version of an already fantastic game.
Star Trek Galactic Enterprises
Space travel isn’t all about exploration and discovery. Sometimes it’s just about making a profit. Galactic Enterprises casts three to six players as Ferengi traders trying to dominate the galactic economy. It’s a simple economic management and trading game that gives you the option to cooperate with your fellow merchants or to stab them in the back at a crucial moment. Whoever is the most adept at manipulating the markets and hoarding wealth takes the win.
Star Trek: Away Missions
Star Trek: Away Missions is a two-player board game that puts you in charge of the Enterprise’s ground forces. The base game has you encountering the Borg after the Battle of Wolf 359. Your team needs to collect intel to defeat the Borg forces, or you might have a change of heart while on the mission and decide to help the Borg destroy the Federation forever. This game and its various expansions give you a chance to go right into the heart of an action-packed Star Trek episode.
Star Trek Discovery: Black Alert
Star Trek Discovery: Black Alert drops you right into the middle of an interdimensional chase scene. The U.S.S. Discovery has accidentally fallen into a mirror universe and needs to return home, but now the crew of the I.S.S. Charon is trying to capture the Discovery for themselves. Two teams guide each ship across the board, gathering resources while players use cards and abilities to tackle different missions in order to escape the mirror universe or ensure that the Discovery remains there forever.
Star Trek: Frontiers
Star Trek: Frontiers makes you feel like a main character in a Star Trek movie set in a distant part of space where the Federation and the Klingon Empire are vying for control over new territory. Through multiple cooperative and competitive scenarios, players control ships in the region, gathering resources and attacking enemy squadrons. Between the various scenarios and the randomness of the map, there’s a ton of replayability here.
Star Trek: Alliance
Star Trek: Alliance is a fleet battle board game that kicks off with the Dominion War Campaign and carries on into other expansions. The game is designed for one to two players to take on an enemy army. Players create their own Starfleet captains and then work cooperatively to defeat Dominion fighters. The game also includes a progression system to let you level up between missions. I’m a sucker for games with miniatures, and this one includes some truly awesome ships to use for playing out your war.
Star Trek: Ascendency
Star Trek: Ascendency brings together elements from multiple games on this list to create a 4X experience that has players controlling one of the primary factions in the Star Trek universe. Players lead their factions through multiple decades of expansion, trading, and war. If you love simulation games, have a solid group of gaming friends, and have several hours of free time, then this is going to be the best Star Trek game for you.
Published: Aug 17, 2024 10:05 am