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High Frontier 4 All
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- 2020
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- 6.8
Outpost
1991
Rules assistance for Outpost
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–9 players
- 150 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Outpost
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Outpost is a board game released in 1991 for 2–9 players, 150 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by James Hlavaty and Timothy Moore and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding.
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About the game
Players compete to build the best outpost. They must build and staff factories to produce resources, which are then used to build more factories, and purchase any of 13 outpost improvements that give different advantages (ranging from production technologies, resource storage, and increased population maximums to resource producing stations). Improvements are purchased through auctions, and each player may win several per round. There are 3 phases in the game, and with each phase after the first, a new set of improvements is available to purchase. Each staffed factory and improvement is worth a certain number of victory points (ranging from 1 pt for an ore factory to 20 points for a moon base), and the first player to reach 75 points wins. This game's mechanisms were later reused in The Scepter of Zavandor and, to a lesser extent, in Phoenicia.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Stronghold Games
- TimJim Games
Questions and answers
Outpost supports 2–9 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 Outpost is 150 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 Outpost 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.
Outpost has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Outpost belongs to these categories: Economic and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding. 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 Outpost are: James Hlavaty and Timothy Moore. 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 Outpost 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.