Galaxy Trucker

This is pretty much the best game in the universe.

Employed by Corporation Inc., it's your job to transport goods and little plastic alien men through outer space in spaceships made of sewer pipes. Galaxy Trucker doesn't just earn points for creativity, though; gameplay is wholly unique, combining a variety of phases and elements unlike anything you've experienced on colorfully painted pasteboard.

At the start of each round you have to build your spaceship. All the spaceship tiles are dumped in the middle of the table, and players grab from the pile to put together a working ship. Not all pieces fit together, and there are a variety of elements to take into account--do you have enough guns? enough hold room for cargo? are there exposed areas on the ship's exterior, and if so, do you have enough shield power to protect them from asteroids? do you have sufficient engine power? do you have batteries to generate enough energy for all this?

The first time you build a ship it's not very big. Rounds 2 and 3 require you to construct increasingly massive ships that are more difficult to keep balanced. Players check one anothers' vessels at the end of each round to make sure construction is sound. Advanced players can set a timer; ships must be built and functional by the time the buzzer sounds.

After ship-building you go on your mission. This is fairly involved and we don't need to go into it all here, but the object of the game is to have the most credits by the end. This may seem like a pretty simple objective, but believe you me, dear reader, getting cash in the galaxy's backwaters while fighting off pirates, meteors, and the cold black vacuum is easier said than done. There's even special space diseases out there among the stars, and some crews don't even get back to port whole....or at all.

It's hard not to simply enthuse about a game as great as Galaxy Trucker. Play is fairly easy once you've navigated the rules, but there's enough stuff to keep even the most hardcore gamer interested. Plus, it's got a great theme, and even the rule book is hilarious. Whether you're a board game geek or a casual weekend gamer, your collection's not complete until it includes Galaxy Trucker.

• 2-4 Players
• 60 Minute Play Time
• Ages 10 and Up

Review by C. Hollis Crossman C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.