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Imperium: Empires in Conflict – Worlds in the Balance
- 2 players
- 180–300 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 1977
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,917
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Dark Nebula
1980
Rules assistance for Dark Nebula
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 90–180 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Dark Nebula
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dark Nebula is a board game released in 1980 for 2 players, 90–180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Marc W. Miller and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Point to Point Movement, and Variable Set-up.
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About the game
Dark Nebula has 8 small map-boards representing sectors of about six or so Star systems. The boards are placed randomly at the start of the game by both players one at a time, to their own advantage. The game is played in turns with each player's turn having a number of phases. Get the money you earn from your star systems, move your ships and combat, a reaction from your opponent (which has some restrictions), a final move and combat by you, then it is the other players turn. The object of the game varies with the board placement, but basically you need to control your opponents Home-World for a number of turns.. One of GDW's Series 120 games, a line of introductory wargames spanning various historical eras. The games in the series had 120 counters and were supposed to be playable in 120 minutes or less, hence the name. The game plays quite fast because the rules, while badly referenced (typical of GDW), are quite straight forward (medium simple). You need to get some card and mount the boards, but the boards themselves are nice enough. The counters are standard fare, but have no printing on the back to show disrupted units. The system is based on that used in Imperium: Empires in Conflict – Worlds in the Balance.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Game Designers' Workshop (GDW Games)
- Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd. (国際通信社)
Questions and answers
Dark Nebula 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 Dark Nebula is 90–180 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 Dark Nebula 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.
Dark Nebula has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Dark Nebula belongs to these categories: Economic, Wargame, and Exploration. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Point to Point Movement, and Variable Set-up. 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 Dark Nebula are: Marc W. Miller. 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 Dark Nebula 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.