- BGG rating
- 8.2
New Frontiers: The Starry Rift
- 1–5 players
- 45–75 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #905
- BGG rating
- 7.4
New Frontiers
2018
Rules assistance for New Frontiers
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 45–75 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for New Frontiers
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
New Frontiers is a board game released in 2018 for 2–5 players, 45–75 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Thomas Lehmann and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Race, and Open Drafting.
Expansions
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About the game
In New Frontiers, a standalone game in the Race for the Galaxy family, players build galactic empires by selecting, in turn, an action that everyone may do, with only the selecting player gaining that action's bonus. The developments to be used are determined during setup, allowing players to make strategic plans based on them before play begins. One group of eight developments is always in play. The game includes a suggested set of sixteen additional developments for your first game; in later games, players randomly select which side of eight double-sided "small" developments and eight double-sided "large" 9-cost developments to use during setup. Many worlds that players can acquire have special powers, with these worlds being drawn from a bag during the Explore phase. Unlike in Race, in New Frontiers worlds need colonists to be settled, in addition to either payments or conquest. Some worlds are "windfall" worlds and receive a good upon being settled. Others are production worlds and receive goods when the Produce action is selected. Goods can be traded for credits or consumed for victory points. Play continues until one or more of four game ending conditions is reached. After all actions for that round have been done, the player with the most victory points from settled worlds, developments, 9-cost development bonuses, and VP chips earned from consuming goods wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby Japan
- Korea Boardgames
- Rio Grande Games
- Gigamic
- Portal Games
Questions and answers
New Frontiers 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 New Frontiers is 45–75 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 New Frontiers 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.
New Frontiers has a complexity rating of 3.0 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.
New Frontiers belongs to these categories: Science Fiction and Space Exploration. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Race, and Open Drafting. 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 New Frontiers are: Thomas Lehmann. 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 New Frontiers 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.