4 Best Star Wars Board Games

Board games have evolved over time and are much more than merely a way to kill time. Board games help to stimulate your brain, are an excellent bonding activity, and can bring tons of excitement and fun to an otherwise dull evening. Whether you want to indulge yourself in a complicated one-player game that will keep you engaged for hours on end or challenge your friends for a competitive board game match that will be over quickly, you will find something to your liking. What’s more interesting is that you can now find board games of your favorite movie series!

So if you’re still as mesmerized by the Star Wars franchise as we are, you would love to be a part of it too! And what better way to be a part of one of the most famous trilogies of all time than by immersing yourself in its franchise board game. Since the release of the Star War series, numerous board games have come out that aim to make you feel like you’re a part of the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance.

No matter which side of the Force you choose to be on, you are bound to find a board game that will keep you engrossed for hours on end. But, of course, the best part about playing a Star Wars board game is that you continue to learn more about the series and really walk in the characters’ shoes to experience what they may have gone through.

However, with so many Star Wars board games that have been released and continue to be released, picking the right one may be difficult. Additionally, if you choose a game and learn how to play it and go through its entire premise only to discover that you don’t really enjoy it, all your hard work would have gone in vain.

So to help you pick the best Star Wars board game, we have put together a comprehensive guide of the top games currently on the market. Read ahead to find out more about your favorite new pastime!

Star Wars Rebellion

The stage is set for a post-war universe where the mighty Empire rules above all and is strong enough to quash any opposition. The rulers of the Empire have built a deadly battle station named Death Star that can destroy even the most potent opponents. However, a group of brave Jedi has chosen to stand against the Empire and defeat its cruel rulers. The group operates from their secret base. They have one objective in mind: defeat the Empire and bring peace and freedom to the once-prosperous Galactic Republic. But, they must do so stealthily as their numbers are too few to challenge the Imperials leading the Empire openly. On the other hand, the Imperials must finish the Rebels’ threat by finding the Rebel base and conquering it. What’s left to see is which side will be the winner of this Star Wars saga.

Star Wars Rebellion is a card game and board game in one. Before starting the game, you must first decide which player is on the Rebel’s side and who is on the Imperial’s side. If you cannot decide on your own, you may roll a dice to help make the decision easier. Once the teams are selected, you must set up the board and its components. Remember to set the Time Marker at 1 and the Reputation marker at space 14.

Each round has three phases:

• The Assignment phase
• The Command phase
• Refresh Phase 

In the Assignment phase of the game, players assign missions to their Leaders. The Leaders are essential figureheads in the Star Wars series, such as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Princess Leia. These Leaders lead all the game’s actions, such as attempting or completing a mission or driving units. To assign a leader to a mission, the player must take one of their mission cards and place it face down in front of the Faction sheet. Then the players select a Leader or two Leaders from their leader pool and put it on top of the mission card. The rebel player does this action first, followed by the Imperial player, who will assign two leaders on missions and leave two of them in the pool.

Once these actions are complete, the players enter the Command phase, where they can either Activate a system and move their units or reveal a mission. Suppose a player chooses to activate a system. In that case, they can put one of the leaders from their leader pool onto the desired system and move his units from the adjacent systems. Once the units have been moved to the system, the player can choose to initiate combat. Alternatively, players can choose to reveal a mission by showing their mission cards. If the mission card they have in hand uses the term “resolve,” you must immediately carry out the card’s ability. But, if the card uses the word “attempt,” its abilities are only carried out if the mission is successful.

The third phase is the Refresh phase. In this phase, players can retrieve their leaders, draw missions, draw objectives, launch the probe droids, move the Time marker to the next space and start a new round.

Each side has different criteria for winning the game. For example, if the Imperial player conquers a system used as the Rebel’s base, the Imperial side wins automatically. But, if the Rebel side moves the Reputation marker and meets the Time marker, then the Rebellion has won. You can move the Reputation marker most efficiently with the help of the objective ca. They are picked up at the beginning of the game and during each Refresh phase. You can play one objective card during each combat phase. This will yield one reputation that you can use to move the reputation marker.

Gameplay Experience

Star Wars rebellion is indeed a unique board game to play. It can be played by two to four players aged fourteen years and above. Since the game has numerous rounds and a long drawn premise, it usually lasts for about three to four hours on average. The most intriguing part about the game is that it has completely different criteria for both players. The Imperials are an all-mighty force that is plagued by determined rebels. The Imperial player represents the Empire, and they aim to seek out the hidden base of the Rebel forces and destroy it. By doing so, the Empire will have wiped out the Rebel Alliance once and for all.

On the other hand, the Rebels have an entirely different objective and method for winning; they must slowly garner enough support from the systems in the Galaxy to set into motion the demise of the Empire. Then, if they have gathered enough Reputation before their time runs out, the Rebels have achieved what they set out to do and can claim victory.

The game requires careful planning, patience, and perseverance to win. Although it is a game of tact, luck is involved, and you do not know what hand you are dealt.

Another interesting point to note is that though the game employs two opposing parties, it does not shy away from the fact that one of the parties is clearly on the dark side. This may not sit well with some players who would prefer to see themselves as the game’s heroes.

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Star Wars Outer Rim

Players: 1-4

Ages: 14+

Game Time: 120–180 minutes

Complexity: Medium

Release Year: 2019

Ever wondered what life would be like on the edge of the Galaxy? A place that is away from the tight grip of the Empire and the constant skirmishes created by the Rebels. The border of the galaxy, also known as the Outer Rim, is marred by scoundrels, bounty hunters, and renegades. Although most individuals living and working on the galaxy’s Outer Rim have earned a bad name for themselves, they are simply lone wolves out for a new adventure and a hefty paycheck.

Star Wars Outer Rim helps players visualize the lives of runaways who embark on numerous adventures living on the Outer Rim, where the grip of law is rather loose. Far away from Empire battleships and Rebel forces, the inhabitants of the Outer Rim represent the lesser-known yet equally impressive side of the Star Wars universe. This is an excellent opportunity for die-hard Star Wars enthusiasts to expand their knowledge and interests outside the main characters and storyline and get a more holistic view of the Galaxy. Rest assured, you will not be bored by the fun adventures the renegades embark on.

The game has a relatively simple structure. On each player’s turn, they must perform the following steps:

• Planning
• Action
• Encounter

Once a player completes these steps, the next player seated in a clockwise direction may begin their turn and follow the same steps.

In the planning step, players can either move their icons on the map, recover damages from their characters or ships that have been in combat, Gain 2000 in credits by completing odd jobs, or resolve the abilities of the cards boldly labeled: “PLANNING.” Once you have completed a task from the planning step, you must move on to the next Action step. Four actions are available to you, and unlike in the other stages, you can choose to resolve any number of them. For example, you can Trade your cards with players, purchase a new card from the deck labeled market, gain rewards by doing odd tasks such as dropping cargo or bounties to a planet, or resolve a task written on the boldly printed “ACTION” card.

After performing your last Action task, proceed to the final Encounter step. The encounter step is where you resolve your actions and go on adventures. For example, you can encounter a patrol ship and battle with it in this step. When you do so, you can either: encounter your space and draw a matching card, encounter a contact, or you can resolve the abilities of one of the cards labeled “ENCOUNTER.” 

After completing these three steps, the next player can begin their turn.

Another important thing you must remember is the role of your reputation with a faction. There are four factions in the game, and your reputation with each one is essential as this can restrict your movement on the board. You will have one reputation token for each faction, and you must place this on the reputation track of each faction. There are three spaces on the reputation track of each faction:

• Positive reputation: This means that you are an ally for this faction and will not be hindered by Patrols of the faction and can gain from encounters.
• Neutral reputation: You are neither an enemy nor an ally for that faction. You will not earn any rewards, nor will you be awarded penalties from this faction.
• Negative reputation: This means that the faction sees you as a threat and will impose penalties and restrict your movement during its encounters with you. 

You can perform numerous actions that affect your reputation with a faction. For example, by stealing from the character Jabba, you are making yourself an enemy of the Hutts, so you must tread carefully.

The main aim is to become the most famous adventurer in the galaxy. To do this, you must earn fame points. Each player starts the game by placing their fame token on zero on the fame tracker. The first player to hit ten fame points wins the game.

You can earn fame points in the following manners:

• Completing odd jobs and collecting bounties
• Resolving goals mentioned on ship sheets and character cards
• Delivering cargo
• Combating level-3 and level-2 patrols and winning the batter
• By using cards of the deck labeled luxury market

Gameplay Experience

Star Wars Outer Rim is a fun collectible board game for one to four players that lasts between two to three hours. The game is aimed at teenagers and adults over the age of fourteen. The board game’s premise is quite unique as it takes away the focus from the main characters that have been done to death and instead highlights the smaller characters that have an exciting yet different life.

The game requires quick thinking, a mischievous streak, and the ability to make difficult on-the-spot decisions to win. The best part about the game is that it is pretty straightforward to understand. However, to make things easier for you, in the beginning, you should start by making the limit of fame at 8 instead of the usual 10. This will effectively shorten the game for you and make it less complex. Then, once you have got the hang of all the rules, you can increase the difficulty level and make 10 fame as your end goal again.

Overall, the game is light-hearted, simple yet challenging, engaging, and exciting.

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Star Wars Imperial Assault

Players: 1-5

Ages: 14+

Game Time: 60–120 minutes

Complexity: Medium

Release Year: 2014

If you simply cannot get enough of the battle between the Empire and the rebels, then this game takes you right to the heart of the fighting. The game beautifully recreates the cinematic moments following episode 4 of Star Wars, A New Hope. The rebels are successful in causing the explosion of the Death Star over Yavin 4, and the Empire has just begun to take the threat of the rebels seriously. The Imperials are now searching for the Rebels responsible for defeating Death Star. In contrast, the latter slowly continues to infiltrate the Empire’s defenses.

However, players are pitted against one another in a unique fashion this time that truly makes the game stand apart from others with the same theme. In Star Wars Imperial Assault, the Empire and its troops are controlled by one player. While the other players team up with one another to form the Rebel Alliance that seeks to undermine the Empire from within and defeat the mighty kingdom. Each player from the Rebel’s alliance team controls a Rebel hero that will go on various missions and face off with the Galactic Empire.

During the game, the heroes or the Rebels take part in numerous missions and face off against the Imperials in tactical combat. With every mission they win, the heroes increase in knowledge and power. Finally, in the last round, both parties face off in an epic final battle that will determine the fate of the Galaxy.

To learn how to play the game, it is always best to start with a simpler tutorial game where players can learn how to play missions. Once the concept is clear, players can move on to playing multiple consecutive missions in campaign mode. Additionally, this game can also be played as a fierce two-person battle called Skirmish or in an app-controlled mode known as Cooperative.

The game’s rules differ slightly according to the number of players playing the game. If there are four players, then the player controlling the Empire does not get to use the Engineer’s E-Web Deployment card. I there are three players, then the Empire is also unable to use the Probe Droid Deployment card and, of course, the figure.

The missions in this game are set out over some rounds, and each round has two distinct phases:

• Activation Phase
• Status Phase

In the Activation phase, the players turn wise in activating their forces. The player controlling the rebel’s side goes first and activates a figure to carry out two actions. These actions can include moving the figure to a certain place on the map, attacking a hostile figure, interacting with an object, resting and sometimes recovering strain and damage, or fulfilling an action on the action card.

After the rebel player has completed the necessary actions of their phase, the Imperial player takes over and deploys a combat group. The number of figures that the Imperial player can activate is determined by the deployment card. Once all the figures in the deployment group have been activated by the respective player, the Rebel group chooses to activate another hero. This continues until all the figures are activated.

This phase is followed by the Status phase, during which players have to carry out a few steps to complete the phase. First, players must ready all their deployment and action tokens by flipping them to the correct side. 

Once this phase has been resolved, players restart a new round by the Activation phase until the mission is resolved. Each mission has a different objective that you must fulfill to resolve it. For example, a mission could ask for the rebel team to defeat all the Imperial figures to win, and for the Imperial player, a mission could be to defeat a hero. When the mission’s objective has been fulfilled, the mission is completed, with the party that has met the objective first being the winner. In the full campaign mode, players must go through a series of missions and then face each other in one final battle at the end.

Gameplay Experience

This strategy game is not of the same caliber as other board games following a similar theme. It is much more complex and requires a great deal of strategic planning to win. But the best part about this game is that you are involved in combat straight away and can experience the thrill of battling your opponents using various tactics. Additionally, the game uses a combination of opponent playing and cooperative playing to create a one-of-a-kind experience.

Star Wars Imperial Assault can be played by two to five players aged 14 and above and can be resolved relatively quickly in one to two hours. So if you’re looking for a thought-provoking, fast-paced game that is challenging enough to keep you entertained and engaged on the tabletop, look no further. In addition, it is an ideal game to play among a group of friends who are united by their love for the series. 

Another interesting feature of this game is the free Star Wars Imperial Assault application that provides players with numerous missions and content so that players can engage in new missions in the Co-op or Skirmish mode.

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Star Wars Destiny

Players: 2

Ages: 10+

Game Time: 30 minutes

Complexity: Medium

Release Year: 2017

If you want to engage in a short, light-hearted, Star Wars-themed dual with your closest friend, we have the perfect board game for you! Star Wars Destiny is an action-packed card and dice game that breaks the entire series into one simple mission: defeating your opponent. You are engaged in a one-on-one battle with your enemy, and you must defeat them at all costs with the help of some luck and quick thinking. The game is split into two parts:

• Action Phase
• Upkeep Phase

During the action phase, each player can perform one action. The player that controls the battlefield must go the first turn and perform one of the following actions:

• Activate their support or a character
• Resolve their dice
• Play a card from their hand
• Discard a chosen card and roll their dice again
• Play an action card
• Claim the field of battle

Whichever player claims the battlefield first gets a bonus for going out first. If players choose not to take any action, they can pass their turn. When both players pass their turns, the game moves to the Upkeep phase.

In the Upkeep phase, players can perform the following actions:

• Unexhaust a chosen card
• Discard and then re-draw cards. Remember, you must have a total of five cards in your hand.
• Gain two resources

Whichever player defeats all the opponent’s characters wins. Additionally, if your opponent does not have any cards left after the upkeep phase, then you will automatically win the round as well.

Gameplay Experience

The Star Wars Destiny board game has several unique features that stand out from its competitors. Although it is not the only game that combines dueling and dice, it is one of the very few games where the results of the dice are direct actions that the player must take. To win the game, the strategy players use must keep both the results of the dice and the cards in mind.

The game is relatively straightforward and does not involve extensive complex mechanisms. Do you have to employ long-drawn strategies that may or may not succeed? Simple, quick decisions and a thorough understanding of how the cards work are all you need to navigate the game with ease and defeat your opponent. Additionally, the game is simple enough for you to get the hang of after a quick perusal of the rules and a test match.

The game is quite short and can usually be completed within thirty minutes, so it is an excellent way to kill some time with a Star Wars fan. It is a two-player game, and players must be above ten years of age to be eligible to play.

Conclusion

The Star Wars universe is quite expansive, and the movie series has numerous fans that want to do more than just watch the films. Star Wars board games help enthusiasts be a part of the action and experience the battles and complexities that are part of the Galactic Empire firsthand.

There is a wide range of games to choose from in the Star Wars franchise. These include quick games that last thirty minutes and are quite straightforward, and also longer, more complex games that involve careful planning and can last for over four hours. Depending on the number of players involved and the amount of time you have on hand, you can select the most suitable Star Wars game and become either a part of the Empire or the rebels.

But, this is not all. The Star Wars universe includes the Outer Rim of the galaxy, which is filled with mercenaries, defectors, and loan wolves looking for their next paycheck in return for an odd job or two. So whether you want to be an apprentice for Darth Vader, Luke Sky Walker, or Han Solo, you can pick your character and dive right into the action. May the Force be with you no matter what side you pick.