- BGG rank
- BGG #25,523
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Fantastate
- 2–12 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,266
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Space Bastards
2011
Rules assistance for Space Bastards
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.1/5
Rules assistant for Space Bastards
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Space Bastards is a board game released in 2011 for 2–5 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Jiri Mikolas and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,315
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Nowheresville: Bandit Paradise
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,523
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Bizzarie
- 2–8 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,388
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Exodus: Proxima Centauri
- 2–6 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,853
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Viral
- 1–5 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,500
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Peak Oil: Profiteer
- 1–5 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #440
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Mission: Red Planet (Second/Third Edition)
- 2–6 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,644
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Mission: Red Planet
- 3–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #155
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Rising Sun
- 3–5 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #242
- BGG rating
- 7.5
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition)
- 3–6 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #991
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Wallenstein
- 3–5 players
- 150 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2002
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,980
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Sun Tzu
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2005
About the game
Space Bastards is a science-fiction game in which players try to occupy several small planets with their five races of aliens, which have varied relationships between each other. Players try to manage and effectively use those aliens' relationships – whether to eat opponents, create new alien babies, trade goods, and so on – to their advantage for profit. Races are also determined by their size and shape, and planets are too small for everyone... Space Bastards is probably the first game with a relationship management system. Relationships – that is, defined relations between two races of aliens – are connected to the game actions of the players. Players use these relationships to occupy planets and have a majority there. Relationships are: Love (born new alien - Bastard), Hungry (eat enemy alien bastard - enemy is removed from the planet), War (shot enemy alien bastard which dead body will fill the planet), Trade, Friendship, Migration (traveling by spaceship), Mutation (transform to a different alien) and Political propaganda (changing the relationships). Space Bastards is a game in which you can enjoy and observe the picturesque aliens as small animals in an aquarium – while siccing them on your opponents, of course...
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Jira's Games
Questions and answers
Space Bastards 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 Space Bastards is 90 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 Space Bastards 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.
Space Bastards 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.
Space Bastards belongs to these categories: Humor, Wargame, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 Space Bastards are: Jiri Mikolas. 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 Space Bastards 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.