- BGG rank
- BGG #3,324
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Space Cadets: Away Missions
2015
Rules assistance for Space Cadets: Away Missions
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 60–120 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Space Cadets: Away Missions
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Space Cadets: Away Missions is a board game released in 2015 for 1–6 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Dan Raspler and Al Rose and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Modular Board.
About the game
Long before the threat of the Nemesis, before the perils of warp drive or the founding of our own Space Academy, humanity experienced a Golden Age of space exploration. The mineral riches of the thriving Moon colony inspired legions of hearty Earth citizens to seek their fortunes in space. Humble rockets probed the farthest reaches of the solar system in an eager quest for resources, and brave colonists forged homes wherever they could survive. Pioneer life was hard, but the men and women who worked and raised their families on those planets and asteroids had much to be proud of. Then the rumors began — whispered tales of frontier abductions and sightings of mysterious creatures. By the time the secret invasion was exposed, the aliens were everywhere. Families had been stolen away by slavers from the stars, and the peace-loving survivors had no choice but to arm themselves and fight. Fight to stop the alien attacks! Fight to free the helpless abductees! Fight to throw the aggressors back into space and end forever their power to threaten humanity! Thus was born the Rocket Patrol – an organization of brave and hearty women and men dedicated to defending humanity and taking the fight to the alien menace from the stars. Space Cadets: Away Missions is a cooperative, scenario-based, tactical action game for 1-6 players, which is set in the Golden Age of science fiction. In this game, the third standalone title in the Space Cadets franchise of cooperative/team space-themed games from Stronghold Games, players take on the roles of adventurous human spacemen who explore UFOs, acquire Alien technology and fight hostile extraterrestrials. Each turn, spacemen have three action points to spend on activities such as firing their atomic rifles, analyzing exotic equipment, or subduing the malicious Brain-in-a-Jar. When the spacemen are finished, the aliens take their turns by following simple movement and combat protocols; seven types of hostile aliens threaten the players, from the repulsive mind leeches to the rampaging titanic sentinels. Space Cadets: Away Missions contains twenty scenarios linked in a campaign story. Each mission features different combinations of aliens on different spaceships, with hexagonal map tiles arranged to form flying saucers, rocket ships, space stations, etc. Cooperation, tactical planning and good dice are essential if the spacemen hope to overcome the relentless horde of little green men.
Designers
Publishers
- Stronghold Games
Questions and answers
Space Cadets: Away Missions 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 Space Cadets: Away Missions 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 Space Cadets: Away Missions 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.
Space Cadets: Away Missions has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
Space Cadets: Away Missions belongs to these categories: Fighting, Wargame, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Modular Board. 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 Cadets: Away Missions are: Dan Raspler and Al Rose. 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 Cadets: Away Missions 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.