- BGG rating
- 9.0
Space Hulk: White Dwarf #115
- 1989
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,028
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Space Hulk
1989
Rules assistance for Space Hulk
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 45 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Space Hulk
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Space Hulk is a board game released in 1989 for 2 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Richard Halliwell and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Modular Board.
Expansions
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About the game
Space Hulk is a light miniatures wargame set in the Warhammer 40K universe. It has a relatively simple rule-set (compared to Warhammer 40K itself) and is known for its fast play and immersive theme (think the movie Aliens). You lay out corridors and rooms that represent a space hulk, a large disabled ship floating in space. The Space Marines wear powerful space battle suits and carry heavy weaponry. The Genestealers (reminiscent of the alien in Alien) are naked, except for their quick movement, multiple clawed arms capable of ripping through Terminator armor and their seemingly endless numbers. Each game is played as a scenario. The Space Marines win by completing a certain goal, such as retrieving an artifact and escaping alive. The Genestealers win by stopping the Space Marines from achieving their goal, usually by killing them all. A unique mechanism is that the Genestealers have no time limit for their turn, but the Space Marines have a 3 minute time limit, and less if a sergeant is killed. This simulates the fact that Genestealers move so much quicker and adds a lot of tension to the game for the Marine player. The miniatures are excellent although you do have to paint them yourselves and the modular board is very well done. The Deathwing Expansion adds new personnel, weapons, rules for multilevel hulks, new missions and a mission generator along with some complexity. The Genestealer Expansion adds new marines, weapons, Genestealer Hybrids who can use weapons and new missions. There are also rules for psychic powers. There was also the Space Hulk Campaign Book that can be linked for longer games. This book also added rules for traitor Marines and new weapons. Even with all rules in place the game does not get too complicated and is a very good introduction to Warhammer 40K. Re-implemented by: Space Hulk (2nd Edition) Space Hulk (3rd Edition) Space Hulk (4th Edition)
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Games Workshop Ltd.
- Diseños Orbitales
- Welt der Spiele
- ISA
Questions and answers
Space Hulk supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Space Hulk is 45 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 Hulk 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 Hulk has a complexity rating of 2.5 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 Hulk belongs to these categories: Fighting, Wargame, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, 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 Hulk are: Richard Halliwell. 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 Hulk 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.