- BGG rank
- BGG #10,462
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Fifth Frontier War
- 2–4 players
- 240–360 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 1981
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,506
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Mayday
1978
Rules assistance for Mayday
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Mayday
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mayday is a board game released in 1978 for 2 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Marc W. Miller and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
Basic two-player SF wargame of ship-to-ship space combat featuring movement (responding to both thrust and gravity), laser fire, missile fire, and ship-computer programming. Scenarios include The Grand Prix, The Attack, Piracy, Battle, and Smuggling. Intended as Game 1 for the "Traveler" RPG universe and uses a variant of the "Traveler" starship rules. One of GDW's Series 120 games, designed to be played in two hours or less. The original 1978 version won the Charles Roberts Award for the Best Science Fiction Game of the Year; other editions were published in 1980 and 1983. The Cover Art for the original 1978 GDW version was by Rodger B. MacGowan (RBM). Japanese edition published by Hobby Japan and later by Kokusai-Tsushinsha ('RPGamer' magazine #1).
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby Japan
- Game Designers' Workshop (GDW Games)
- Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd. (国際通信社)
Questions and answers
Mayday 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 Mayday is 120 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 Mayday 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.
Mayday 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.
Mayday belongs to these categories: Wargame and Science Fiction. 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 Mayday 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 Mayday 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.