
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,391
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Beyond the Gates of Antares
- 2–6 players
- 90–180 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2014

Rules assistance for VOR: The Maelstrom – Growlers
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
VOR: The Maelstrom – Growlers is an expansion for VOR: The Maelstrom released in 1999 for 2–10 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mike Nielsen and Mike Nielson and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Secret Unit Deployment, and Simulation.
Eat! Breed! Kill! Like a primal force of nature, the savage alien race known as the Growlers smashes their way across the Maelstrom, voraciously eating all opposition. Practically unstoppable, the unique packmind telepathy and hyper-adaptive physiology of the Growlers allow them to conquer even the most extreme environments. There's only one defense against a Growler's ferocious, unpredictable attack-another Growler! The Growler Forcebook is the ultimate source of information on this mighty race, including details on the Growler life cycle, culture, breeds, colonies and their homeworld of Primordia. A complete Growler force list covers the four main breeds (Razorbacks, Bluefangs, Whitetusks, and Fireguts) and new abilities. This book includes a Primordia Battle Terrain Table, rules for mixed-breed and custom-breed forces, and Growler-specific campaign rules that show how to grow a Growler pup into a terrifying chieftain.
VOR: The Maelstrom – Growlers supports 2–10 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 VOR: The Maelstrom – Growlers is 90 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 VOR: The Maelstrom – Growlers 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.
VOR: The Maelstrom – Growlers belongs to these categories: Wargame, Dice, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Secret Unit Deployment, and Simulation. 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 VOR: The Maelstrom – Growlers are: Mike Nielsen and Mike Nielson. 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 VOR: The Maelstrom – Growlers as an expansion for VOR: The Maelstrom. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need VOR: The Maelstrom to use it. Check that your edition of VOR: The Maelstrom is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.