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Homeworlds
2001
Rules assistance for Homeworlds
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 15–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 3.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Homeworlds
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Homeworlds is a board game released in 2001 for 2–6 players, 15–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by John Cooper and its main mechanics are Player Elimination, Point to Point Movement, and Modular Board.
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About the game
In the game of Homeworlds, you take on the role of a space-faring civilization that has become embroiled in an epic, galaxy-wide struggle between good and evil. Good civilizations try to work together to eradicate evil, while evil civilizations crave only senseless destruction — but which players are good and which are evil? That's the ultimate question in this game of strategy, psychology, and diplomacy. Stepping back from the setting, Homeworlds is a deep abstract strategy game of perfect information, resource management, and galactic war in which you try to destroy your opponent's homeworld before their space fleet reaches yours. Originally, Homeworlds was played with a full sixty-pyramid ("classic icehouse") game set and could be played with 2–6 people. Multi-player Sinister Homeworlds and two-player Binary Homeworlds (Andy Looney's preferred variant) remove the good/evil roles, leaving the game as a perfect information abstract strategy game. In 2020, the standalone game Homeworlds was released, with this being the original two-player Binary Homeworlds variant rules. This edition of the game contains 36 pyramids in four colors that each provide specific powers in the game: red for attack, yellow for movement, green for growth, and blue for transformation. Using just 36 pyramids, Homeworlds is actually a 4X (expand, explore, exploit, exterminate) conquest game. This game is also included in Pyramid Arcade. Homeworlds FAQ
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
- Looney Labs
Questions and answers
Homeworlds 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 Homeworlds is 15–60 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 Homeworlds for ages 10 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.
Homeworlds has a complexity rating of 3.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Homeworlds belongs to these categories: Fighting, Abstract Strategy, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Player Elimination, Point to Point Movement, and Modular Board. 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 Homeworlds are: John Cooper. 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 Homeworlds 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.