
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,248
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea
- 1–6 players
- 120–300 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2019

Rules assistance for Princess Ryan's Star Marines
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Princess Ryan's Star Marines is a board game released in 1997 for 1–6 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Mark McLaughlin and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Cooperative Game.
The evil Dar Yamaguchi has kidnapped Princess Ryan and now a third rate group of Star Marines is charged with finding her before she's put to death. The players form a semi-cooperative team that must overcome a steady onslaught of deadly attacks. When the Marines win a contest, the biggest contributor wins the right to rewards, which could help him determine the location of the captive Princess. If the Marines get to the castle in time, the player who determines the correct location of the Princess is dubbed the victor. Re-implements: Princess Ryan's Space Marines
Princess Ryan's Star Marines supports 1–6 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 Princess Ryan's Star Marines 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 Princess Ryan's Star Marines for ages 10 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.
Princess Ryan's Star Marines has a complexity rating of 2.4 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.
Princess Ryan's Star Marines belongs to these categories: Deduction and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Cooperative Game. 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 Princess Ryan's Star Marines are: Mark McLaughlin. 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 Princess Ryan's Star Marines 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.