- BGG rank
- BGG #17,899
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Star Traders
- 2–6 players
- 20–180 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,652
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Star Traders
1987
Rules assistance for Star Traders
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for Star Traders
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Star Traders is a board game released in 1987 for 2–6 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by David Ladyman and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Pick-up and Deliver.
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About the game
from user review: Each player assumes the role of a intra-galactic merchant, traveling from planet to planet in a future where wars are unheard of and "Traders" are the heroes of the cosmos. The board shows 36 planets: six clustered together in the center of the board, six more in each of five arms of the galaxy. Planets are connected by "jump lines": you can jump to an adjacent planet on an orange line, to a planet halfway down a galaxy arm on a purple line, and from one galaxy arm to another via green lines. The length of the jump line also indicates the difficulty of the jump, so to successfully complete an "orange' jump you must roll a 2 or better on a single die, a purple jump requires a 4 or better, and the green jumps necessitate a 6. As the players scurry about the galaxy, they can pick up and deliver cargoes, which pay both in money and in "Prestige." These "contracts" vary throughout the game, and only one player can fulfill any given contract. This isn't to say that multiple players can't pick up the named cargo, though. But only the first player to arrive at the contract's destination gets the payoff for a contract; everyone else with the cargo is now just stuck with unwanted junk, and may have to pay a penalty to dump it. Players can also build bases on the various planets as they move around. Building bases earns the players Prestige, and when a player tries to make a jump to a planet with a base, the jump is an automatic success if the player has the owner's permission. Traders obviously have permission to jump to their own bases, but if they want to jump to an opponent's, they will probably have to pay a fee. And since only one player can have a base on any given planet, bases rapidly become lucrative investments. Microbadge available:
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Steve Jackson Games
- Laurin Verlag
Questions and answers
Star Traders supports 2–6 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 Star Traders 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 Traders 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 Traders 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 Traders belongs to these categories: Economic and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Pick-up and Deliver. 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 Traders are: David Ladyman. 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 Traders 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.