- BGG rank
- BGG #28,207
- BGG rating
- 5.3
Oregon Trail
- 1–8 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 1981
- BGG rank
- BGG #17,503
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Star Explorer
1982
Rules assistance for Star Explorer
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Star Explorer
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Star Explorer is a board game released in 1982 for 1–4 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Leonard H. Kanterman and Douglas Bonforte and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Role Playing.
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About the game
A game of exploration and encounter in deep space, Star Explorer puts each player in the role of a star ship captain. After modifying ships and optimizing their crew complement, captains set out to explore a set of planets near their common Starbase. Each planet presents a series of exploration missions (mostly unknown at game start) ranging from geological surveys to encounters with sentient aliens at various tech levels. Random events both planet-side (like ice storms, disease outbreaks, and earthquakes) and space-borne (like enemy starship encounters or uncharted gravity wells) keep things unpredictable and drain precious fuel. It takes luck combined with prudent decisions and careful resource management to come home with honors rather than be reassigned to a garbage scow. Components include: 16 page rulebook 17"x22" map 266 die cut counters A pad of ship and planetary log sheets 2 six-sided and one 20-sided die (Note that the original 20-sided is "80s style" and thus numbered 1-10, allowing it to be used as either a 10-sided or 20-sided during the game.)
Designers
Publishers
- Fantasy Games Unlimited
- Goblinoid Games
Questions and answers
Star Explorer supports 1–4 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 Star Explorer is 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 Star Explorer 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.
Star Explorer has a complexity rating of 2.3 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 Explorer belongs to these categories: Wargame, Adventure, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Role Playing. 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 Explorer are: Leonard H. Kanterman and Douglas Bonforte. 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 Explorer 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.