
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,297
- BGG rating
- 7.2
The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31
- 4–8 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2017

1992
Rules assistance for How to Host a Mystery: Star Trek – The Next Generation
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 8 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
How to Host a Mystery: Star Trek – The Next Generation is a board game released in 1992 for 8 players, 360 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. Its main mechanics are Role Playing.
[from the box] You and your guests are the "star suspects!" Eight of the galaxy's most colorful characters await the arrival of their host at a commemorative dinner held in the banquet room of the U.S.S. Enterprise. High spirits soon turn to astonishment as Captain Jean-Luc Picard announces a theft of universal proportion! You and your dinner guests will enjoy hours of suspense and intrigue recreating eight of television's most fantastic roles and figuring out which "STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION" suspect is guilty of committing the crime? [sic] All you need is a sense of humor and a willingness to take a lighthearted attitude toward blackmail, sex, larceny, deceit and sci-fi. Just add eight suspects and the food. This special edition game supplies the rest!
How to Host a Mystery: Star Trek – The Next Generation supports 8 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 How to Host a Mystery: Star Trek – The Next Generation is 360 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 How to Host a Mystery: Star Trek – The Next Generation for ages 14 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.
How to Host a Mystery: Star Trek – The Next Generation has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
How to Host a Mystery: Star Trek – The Next Generation belongs to these categories: Movies / TV / Radio theme, Murder / Mystery, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Role Playing. 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 catalogue lists How to Host a Mystery: Star Trek – The Next Generation 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.