
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,436
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Starship Troopers
- 1–2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 1976

1982
Rules assistance for Berserker
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Berserker is a board game released in 1982 for 2 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Rick Loomis and Fred Saberhagen and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
"Ugly" John Carver shares development credit with Michael Stackpole. From the box: A tactical space conflict game based on the novels and stories by Fred Saberhagen. Berserkers, the fearsome robotic dreadnoughts of space, race towards Earth in their attempt to destroy the birthplace of mankind. Fighting against extinction is a hastily gathered force of human ships. Cruisers and C-plus guns batter the Berserkers from afar, while Earth's only hope - the ram ships - swarm like killer bees. Inside the ram ships huddle the marines who must board the Berserker and destroy it from within... Berserker is an easy and thrilling game of the human struggle for survival against Berserkers. Optional rules cover Earth Shadow, Veterans, Prisoners, and a lengthy campaign game. COMPLEXITY: fairly easy to intermediate level
Berserker supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Berserker is 90 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 Berserker for ages 12 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.
Berserker has a complexity rating of 2.2 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.
Berserker belongs to these categories: Wargame, Science Fiction, and Novel-based. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Berserker are: Rick Loomis and Fred Saberhagen. 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 Berserker 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.