- BGG rating
- 8.5
Shackleton Base: Below. Within. Above.
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #358
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon
2024
Rules assistance for Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.9/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon is a board game released in 2024 for 1–4 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Fabio Lopiano and Nestore Mangone and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Income, and Area Majority / Influence.
Expansions
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About the game
A permanent base is being built in the Shackleton crater at the Moon's South Pole. You're leading one of the space agencies that are working together to expand their presence on the base, while at the same time the three major corporations sponsoring the mission are each pursuing their own agenda. In Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon, you will build structures on the base, while also funding projects from the corporations that provide special abilities and scoring opportunities. At the start of the game, pick three corporations randomly from the seven available. Each corporation introduces new projects, actions, and scoring opportunities, along with their specific mechanisms. The game is played over three rounds, each divided into three phases: • Shuttle phase: Each player drafts a shuttle tile from an open display to determine which type of astronauts and resources they can use that round, as well as the turn order for the next phase. • Action phase: Players take turns deploying their astronauts on the moon to collect resources, build structures, or fund projects. Depending on which corporations were selected, different types of resources will be available, resources that can be used in various ways for the projects or to build structures. Each project provides ongoing abilities and scoring opportunities. Each corporation provides different ways to score points, which could be during the action phase, the maintenance phase, or at game's end. • Maintenance phase: Deployed astronauts are assigned to work on the structures (providing a bonus to the player owning them), then players collect income and pay maintenance costs. If corporations in play have end-round effects, those effects take place. The end of the game brings a final scoring, then the player with the most points wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Galakta
- Ghenos Games
- Happy Baobab
- YOKA Games
- Grok Games
- Arrakis Games
- Hachette Boardgames UK
- Vagabund
- Pandasaurus Games
- Sorry We Are French
- Engames
- Giant Roc
- 4GAMES
Questions and answers
Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon supports 1–4 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 Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon is 60–120 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 Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon 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.
Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon has a complexity rating of 3.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon belongs to these categories: Science Fiction and Space Exploration. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Income, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon are: Fabio Lopiano and Nestore Mangone. 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 Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon 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.