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- BGG rating
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Space Kraken
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Alien Wars
2015
Rules assistance for Alien Wars
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 10 min
- 6+
- Complexity 1.2/5
Rules assistant for Alien Wars
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Alien Wars is a board game released in 2015 for 2–6 players, 10 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Markus Geiger and its main mechanics are Memory.
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About the game
Alien Wars is a fast, card-tossing game in which your goal is to become Master of the Galaxy, and to do this you need to eliminate everyone else from the galaxy. Then you can do whatever you want with the place. To set up, place the three Nano Minefield cards face down about ten inches apart. Then each player simultaneously places their nine cards face down in the playing area, keeping space between all other cards, while also packing them in as tightly as possible. On a turn, you choose one card in play and reveal it. If it's... A Nano Minefield, flip it face down again. A player's card, that player takes the action on the card with the possible actions being: Planet: Return one of your eliminated non-planet cards to play. Scanner: Look at three face-down cards, then remove the scanner from play. Blaster: Shoot once. Double Blaster: Shoot twice. Retro Blaster: Shoot once; also, if this is card is eliminated, shoot once before removing it from play. To shoot, you place your pinky on the active card, then toss your shooting disc with your thumb and forefinger. When the disc lands, you can remove one card it touches from play, revealing it and returning it to its owner. If a player has no cards in play, they're out of the game. The final player with cards in play wins!
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- DV Games
- IELLO
- Origames
- Superlude Éditions
Questions and answers
Alien Wars supports 2–6 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 Wars is 10 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 Wars for ages 6 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 Wars has a complexity rating of 1.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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 Wars belongs to these categories: Card Game, Action / Dexterity, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Memory. 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 Wars are: Markus Geiger. 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 Wars as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.