
- BGG rank
- BGG #929
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Circadians: First Light
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 2019

Rules assistance for Alien Frontiers: Factions
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Alien Frontiers: Factions is an expansion for Alien Frontiers released in 2012 for 2–5 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Tory Niemann and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence.
Alien Frontiers: Factions adds a number of items to the Alien Frontiers base game: Ship and colony tokens for a fifth player. Factions (thus the name), with each faction providing its owner a special ability and new orbital facilities under his control. Agendas, which are hidden objectives that allow a player to earn bonus points at game's end or when the agenda is revealed in-game. New Alien Tech cards, such as the Lunar Tunneler, which will allow its owner to pay one fuel to receive an extra ore when using the Lunar Mine. This card's discard power will send all ships docked at the Lunar Mine to the Maintenance Bay, which can be useful when the Mine is clogged with high-value ships.
Alien Frontiers: Factions supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Alien Frontiers: Factions is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Alien Frontiers: Factions for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Alien Frontiers: Factions has a complexity rating of 2.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Alien Frontiers: Factions belongs to these categories: Dice, Science Fiction, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Alien Frontiers: Factions are: Tory Niemann. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Alien Frontiers: Factions as an expansion for Alien Frontiers. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Alien Frontiers to use it. Check that your edition of Alien Frontiers is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.