
- BGG rank
- BGG #416
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Nemo's War (Second Edition)
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2017

2012
Rules assistance for Moonbase Alpha
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Moonbase Alpha is a board game released in 2012 for 1–2 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Chris Taylor (I) and its main mechanics are Area Movement and Dice Rolling.
The two men knelt in the shadow of the rock outcropping and gazed at the destruction in the crater below them. Combat reporters, they made their living with words, but this time words failed them. The ambush had been perfectly executed. For less than an hour of soundless fury, moondust had erupted below them as the well-hidden crawlers, MCUs, and PMC soldiers of the Luna Mining Corp poured fire into the exposed ranks of the troops and MCUs of Mond Bergbau AG. Now as the dust drifted lethargically down, the two men could see wreckage and death spread out before them across the lunar surface. Moonbase Alpha is a simulation of lunar combat in an alternative history between two exo-planetary private corporations that have hired private "security" companies to enforce their territorial and intellectual property rights. In Moonbase Alpha, the first player to inflict enough casualties on his or her opponent to drive their stock price down or earn enough profit to maximize their own stock price wins a major victory. The corporation with the highest stock price at the end of negotiations wins a minor victory.
Moonbase Alpha supports 1–2 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 Moonbase Alpha is 45 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 Moonbase Alpha 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.
Moonbase Alpha has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Moonbase Alpha belongs to these categories: Wargame and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Area Movement and Dice Rolling. 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 Moonbase Alpha are: Chris Taylor (I). 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 Moonbase Alpha 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.