- BGG rating
- 10.0
Mission Control: Critical Orbit – Aethernaut Resupply Pack
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,616
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Mission Control: Critical Orbit
2023
Rules assistance for Mission Control: Critical Orbit
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 15–20 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Mission Control: Critical Orbit
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mission Control: Critical Orbit is a board game released in 2023 for 2–4 players, 15–20 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Corey Andalora and Donnie Coleman and its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection, Cooperative Game, and Real-Time.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 10.0
Mission Control: Critical Orbit – Crisis Command
- 2–4 players
- 15–20 min
- 2023
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About the game
In the year 1972, SAGA (The Space and Aeronautics Global Alliance) successfully completed the first ever hyperspace trip to Mars. But celebrations were cut short when the crew of the Mercury 3 rocket missed their reentry window and an explosion damaged the ship. Now, you must work together to bring the rocket and the crew home safely. Mission Control: Critical Orbit is an asymmetric, cooperative, roll and write, real-time rescue adventure. One player takes on the role of the Aethernaut Flight Commander, and up to 3 players take on the roles of Flight Controllers. Each of the Controller players have unique tasks that earn tools the Aethernaut player needs to restore oxygen and critical systems to the damaged rocket. If the Aethernaut can build a path with polyominoes before the 20 minute timer runs out, you win! But if you run out time the ship suffers a catastrophic failure causing the Mercury 3 rocket to explode in orbit… and everyone loses. —description from the publisher
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Broadway Toys LTD
- Geronimo Games
- Skellig Games
- 3WS Games
Questions and answers
Mission Control: Critical Orbit supports 2–4 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 Mission Control: Critical Orbit is 15–20 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 Mission Control: Critical Orbit 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.
Mission Control: Critical Orbit 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.
Mission Control: Critical Orbit belongs to these categories: Science Fiction and Space Exploration. Its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection, Cooperative Game, and Real-Time. 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 Mission Control: Critical Orbit are: Corey Andalora and Donnie Coleman. 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 Mission Control: Critical Orbit 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.