How to Play

Firefly: The Game

1-4 players 120-240 min 7.4 Board Game Geek Rating

Command your own transport vessel across the galaxy, assembling crews and hauling cargo through card-based missions. Navigate space by revealing "full burn" cards that may trigger Alliance encounters, breakdowns, or deadly Reavers. Illegal goods risk confiscation during inspections. Earn money by completing delivery contracts and achieving story objectives first to claim victory.

Published 2013

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Place Scanner cards

Set the three Scanner cards face-up near the Bounty deck

Prepare Vessels deck

Shuffle the Vessels deck and place it next to the Scanner cards

Draw initial Vessels

After all players have placed their Ships, draw the top three cards of the Vessel deck and place one on each Scanner card

Position Vessel models

Place a ship model in the sector noted in the *last scanned* entry of each Vessel card

Issue Vessel supplies

Each Vessel receives the top 4 face-down cards from the Supply planet listed in their *last port* entry, kept face-up with the Vessel card

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Encounter Vessels

When a Ship enters or begins a turn in a Vessel's Sector, they encounter it and must either Work a PvP Job against the Vessel or roll to see how they can interact with it

Flying encounters

If a Flying ship enters a Vessel's Sector, do not draw a Nav card for that sector as the Vessel encounter replaces it

Resolve Alert Tokens first

If entering a Vessel's Sector with Alert Tokens while Flying, resolve Alert Tokens before encountering the Vessel

Work PvP Jobs

Players may Work Piracy Jobs against Vessels and capture Fugitives aboard Vessels as if they were Rival Ships

Resolve Showdowns

Each Vessel has a Showdown skill representing the captain and gear, counting as all skill types

Claim Booty

If winning a Showdown on a Piracy Job, roll a die to determine how many Goods the Vessel was carrying; choose the type but Job may limit what can be taken

Roll for Attitude

If not Working a PvP Job, roll to determine the Vessel's attitude:

Resolve Alliance Visit

Move an Alliance ship to the Vessel's Sector; move Operative's Corvette if in Border or Rim Space, or Alliance Cruiser if in Alliance Space

Resolve Reaver Ambush

Move the furthest Reaver Cutter to the Vessel's Sector; if tied, player to active player's right chooses

Resolve Pirate Contact

The Vessel attacks the active player's ship, requiring Boarding Test then Showdown

Purchase or salvage Goods

Roll a die to determine total Goods available on the Vessel

Hire Disgruntled Crew

Players stopped in a Vessel's Sector may hire Disgruntled Crew from that Vessel as usual

Use Vessel Supply cards

The player to the active player's right decides how the Vessel uses its Supply cards for best benefit

Discard Vessels after interaction

After the Work action or interacting with a Vessel, discard it regardless of success or failure; discard all remaining Supply cards and draw a new Vessel card

Handle Reavers vs Vessels

If a Vessel shares a Sector with a Reaver Cutter, Kill all Crew on it, then discard the Vessel

Handle Alliance vs Wanted Vessels

If an Alliance ship shares a Sector with a Wanted Vessel, discard that Vessel

Winning

How to claim victory.

Standard victory conditions apply

This expansion adds ship-to-ship action for smaller or PvP-adverse groups but does not modify the base game's victory conditions

Complete Jobs and Story goals

Players pursue victory through the base game's established win conditions while using Vessels as additional targets for Piracy Jobs and sources of supplies