- BGG rank
- BGG #10,606
- BGG rating
- 7.2
The Game of Y
- 2 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 1953
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,497
- BGG rating
- 7.6
*Star
1999
Rules assistance for *Star
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 10+
- Complexity 2.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for *Star
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
*Star is a board game released in 1999 for 2 players and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Ea Ea and its main mechanics are Connections.
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About the game
"*Star is an abstract strategy connection board game for two players, the end product of the evolution from Hex to Y to Poly-Y to Star to *Star." (from website) Whereas Hex and Y, the most popular of this line of games, are purely about connecting edges, *Star balances occupying edge spaces and connecting your groups together. Basically, occupied edge spaces score points, and you lose points for each separate group you have at the end of the game. The game appears to have a strategic depth similar in style to Go (trying to give groups bases along the edges while also trying to connect groups together in the center; whole-board strategy directing the tactics of each local fight), yet with the tactical elegance and simplicity of Hex. It also retains the mathematical elegance of Hex, which has nice implications such as the impossibility of draws, and the existence of seemingly very different scoring rules which are provably equivalent. Worth a look for fans of Hex and/or Go.
Questions and answers
*Star 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 catalogue lists *Star 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.
*Star has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
*Star belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Connections. 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 *Star are: Ea Ea. 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 *Star 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.