
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,045
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Jump Gate
- 2–6 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2010

2011
Rules assistance for Space Mission
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Space Mission is a board game released in 2011 for 2–5 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Matt Worden and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Modular Board.
In Space Mission, players explore eight planets (randomly selected from twelve in the game) by flying from planet to neighboring planet or passing through a "jump gate" that allows them to travel anywhere. Each planet has a different combination of values for jumping to it, scanning it and landing on it. Each player has a hand of five cards, with each card having three color-coded values on it: blue for jumping, green for scanning, and orange for landing. On a turn, you take two actions from six possibilities, with the same action being possible: —Top up: Discard any number of cards (including zero), then refill your hand to five cards. —Jump: Move your spaceship from the jump gate (where players start the game) or a planet to any other planet by discarding a card that shows the landing value of the target planet. Place one of your tokens on the jump gate. —Fly: Move your spaceship to either neighboring planet; this move is free. —Scan: Discard a card with the scanning value of the planet where your spaceship is currently located; look through the face-down planet tiles, place one aside face-down with your marker on it, then return the tiles to that planet. This action is possible only on undeveloped planets. —Develop: Develop the planet where your spaceship is located by discarding two cards that match the two landing values shown on that planet. Mark this planet with your space station token, hand out all scanned and claimed planet tiles to the appropriate players, claim one remaining planet tile for yourself, then place the remaining tiles face-down again. A planet can be developed only once. —Discover: Take a planet tile of your choice from the developed planet where your spaceship is currently located. If at any point, all of the planet tiles on a planet show only empty space, the player holding the tiles lays them face-up next to that planet. When 6-12 space tiles have been revealed, an amount based on the number of players, the game ends and players tally their points. Each type of planet tile scores in a different way. With Minerals, for example, you multiply the number of mineral tiles you hold with the largest number of mineral tiles in a single color. Medals are worth three points each. A green-blue pair of Matter tiles is worth seven points, while a single Matter tile is worth only two. Each space station you've built is worth three points, and the players score 9, 6, 3 and 1 for having the most, secondmost, etc. tokens on the jump gate. The player with the most points wins. Reimplements: Jump Gate Online Play Yucata (turn-based)
Space Mission 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 Mission 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 Mission 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 Mission has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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 Mission belongs to these categories: Science Fiction and Space Exploration. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, 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 Mission are: Matt Worden. 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 Mission 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.