
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,226
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Fire of Eidolon
- 1–6 players
- 30–40 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2017

2019
Rules assistance for Incoming Transmission
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.
Incoming Transmission is a board game released in 2019 for 2–5 players, 30–40 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Michael Lipton and its main mechanics are Memory, Grid Movement, and Cooperative Game.
In this co-operative futuristic board game for two or more, one player takes the role of Mission Control, and the others take control of a Cadet stranded on a heavily-damaged space station set to self-destruct. You will need to use wits and cunning to interpret the instructions as they will not be delivered in order! Figure your way through the objectives before time runs out! DESCRIPTION: a 5×5 Grid of tiles with stations and objects scattered randomly, some broken, comprise the game board. Individual instructions are provided by Mission Control to the Cadet team, but shuffled before revealed. The Cadet team must deduce what the correct interpretation of the instructions are. Too many mistakes and time will run out! GAMEPLAY: Asymmetrical/Co-operative. One player is Mission Control, feeding instructions to the rest of the players who act as a single team controlling the Cadet meeple on the Board. Mission Control will have a list of objectives to complete, and may only be able to communicate to the Cadet by use of command cards providing simple instructions to move East, West, North, or South, or to Collect or Drop objects. Each round a card will tell Mission control how many of these cards to give to the Cadet, but they are randomized before they are turned over. Work co-operatively, but without speaking, to figure out the solution within the allotted number of rounds.
Incoming Transmission supports 2–5 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 Incoming Transmission is 30–40 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 Incoming Transmission 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.
Incoming Transmission has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Incoming Transmission belongs to these categories: Deduction, Memory, and Puzzle. Its main mechanics are Memory, Grid Movement, and Cooperative Game. 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 Incoming Transmission are: Michael Lipton. 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 Incoming Transmission 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.