Because of the sheer number of component tiles, game-to-game variability is very real. The ample handful of crazy pieces feels like an adventure in its own right. Galaxy Trucker is a really fun production. The player with the most cash at the end of the journey wins the game and intergalactic trucker bragging rights. Players, of course, will have to pay back the corporation for any pieces of their ship lost along the way. Players earn points for finishing ahead of the opponents, selling their goods collected, and having the best looking ship. On the more unfortunate side, you’ll need to fend off smugglers, meteorites and navigate combat zones with minimal ship damage. On the bright side, you may have the opportunity to bid on extra cargo or pick up goods at random planets along the way that can earn you additional bucks. Navigating challenges also helps you jockey for position on the game board where players will determine turn order for each new card.

Each card reveals some challenge, benefit or struggle that must be resolved. The flight involves a deck of adventure cards. Once all players have mustered a half-usable ship, everyone is ready for launch! Batteries and crew are added to the necessary places and you’re ready to embark on your trucking adventure. The tile drafting phase also comes with a timer that can be employed by any participant to speed up the process and cause unnecessary anxiety. What else could we pack in here? How about pods specific for strange alien lifeforms? Let’s throw those in too.

Don’t forget the engines, helping you speed across the galaxy or additional cargo holds for hauling extra goodies. Crew may just come in handy, so life support pods might be a nice touch. Nothing really functions without power so be sure to bring plenty of batteries. You may want to stock your ship with cannons or shields to fend off pirates and deflect meteorites. The game does feature different play modes and each play mode provides a board with a different sized ship so the game can be adjusted to meet your trucking demands. Since pretty much everything is beneficial, you’ll work to pack as much of a punch as possible in your ship. There are a huge variety of ship pieces, each with their own abilities and benefits, but also with their own stipulations on how it can be attached. From there, you’ll endure through a series of trials and misfortunes in an effort to reach your destination with enough cargo intact to earn money for the long ride home. In Galaxy Trucker, players will work over the first half to piece together their ship in an effort to fend off anything the galaxy has to throw at them. It’s now your turn to step into the cockpit of a tried-and-true, pipe-hauling, galaxy trucker seeking to earn your fortune… or at least turn a minimal profit. What could be more sturdy than a ship built from sewage pipes? On top of that, only the most desperate, cheap pilots were sought – those who would be financially responsible for any damages. That’s when some suit in an office high-rise came up with the brilliant plan to just build the ships out of the cargo they were attempting to haul.

Truckers were disgruntled and hazard pay was demanded. Over the years pesky space pirates and random meteors have wreaked havoc to anyone trying to transport goods across the universe.

Galaxy trucker rules