How to Play

Space Alert

1-5 players 30-30 min 7.4 Board Game Geek Rating

Teams of spaceship crew members must survive a frantic 10-minute real-time mission while scanning dangerous galaxy sectors. An audio soundtrack announces incoming threats like enemy ships, monsters, and system malfunctions. Players simultaneously coordinate movements, weapon firing, and repairs across their vessel. Victory requires teamwork to successfully defend the ship and complete the hyperspace jump back to safety.

Published 2008

Get Ready

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

Select player count

The game accommodates 1–3 players with a strictly-enforced "No Androids Allowed" policy

Assign crew roles

Choose colors and designate a Captain, Communications Officer, and Security Officer

Prepare action boards

Use only the Action Board numbered 1–7 and the 2-lined side of the Mission Steps Board

Position crew members

Place the Captain on the bridge (upper red station), Communications Officer in the lower blue section, and Security Officer in the lower red section

Deploy battlebots

Place deactivated battlebots in the upper blue section storage to balance the ship

Set energy levels

Put 1 energy on each of the two shields and 2 energy on each reactor

Distribute fuel

Each reactor gets 1 fuel capsule

Prepare light lasers

Each light laser has its own yellow block on its power pack

Load rockets

Put 2 rockets in the lower blue section

Place maintenance markers

Put 2 grey cubes over the computer

Set up trajectories

Arrange 2 external threat trajectories and 1 internal threat trajectory

Prepare damage tiles

Use only red and blue damage tiles, removing gravolift damage tiles (5 tiles per color; ship takes only 6 hits before destruction)

Deal action cards for 3 players

Deal each player 12 action cards: 6 face down on positions 1-3 and 6 face down on positions 4-7

Deal action cards for 2 players

Deal 13 action cards: 7 on positions 1-3 and 6 on positions 4-7

Deal action cards for solo

Deal 14 action cards: 7 on each phase

Apply threat handicaps for missions

Give each new threat 1 damage block per 3 hit points (rounded down); reduce threat speed by 1 if speed is 3 or more (except T+4 threats); cap shields at 3 (or 2 for solo/two-player)

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Plan actions

Play action cards face down with movement or action half oriented to the top

Use movement cards

Blue arrows move right, red arrows move left; gravolifts move between upper and lower decks with potential delays

Fire heavy cannons (A button, upper deck)

Uses 1 energy from reactor, deals 4 damage at maximum range of 3

Fire light lasers (A button, lower deck)

Uses its own yellow block energy source, deals 2 damage at maximum range of 3

Fire pulse cannon (C button)

Draws 1 energy from red reactor, deals 1 damage to threats in both zones at range 2

Charge shields (B button, upper deck)

Transfer energy from reactor to shields; each shield absorbs up to 2 damage

Refuel reactor first time (B button, lower deck)

Consume the fuel capsule and fill reactor to maximum 4 energy

Transfer energy subsequent times (B button, lower deck)

Transfer 2 energy from the other reactor through the connecting wire

Launch rockets (C button, lower blue)

Places rocket on track; rocket moves after compute damage turn, deals 3 damage at range 2

Maintain computer Phase 1 (C button)

Move one grey cube to the Phase One Check Step at the beginning of the 2nd line

Maintain computer Phase 2 (C button)

Move the remaining grey cube to the hyperspace jump step

Activate battlebots (C button, upper blue)

Activate or repair battlebots; command them by placing a battlebot action card

Perform solo double action

Once per phase, play 2 cards face up overlapping; resolve sequentially top to bottom (cannot combine with heroic action)

Respond to Incoming Data

Every player draws a card; solo players draw a card

Respond to Data Transfer

Any player may pass a single card to another; solo players draw a card

Observe Communications Down

Players cannot talk or plan; solo players cannot touch action cards on action board

Handle external threats

Place threats announced for Zone Red on Red Zone Trajectory; threats attack only their zone

Handle internal threats

Interpret Red or White zones as Red zone threats on appropriate deck

Winning

How to claim victory.

Survive the mission

Keep the ship intact for 5 minutes (7 action turns across 2 phases)

Maintain computer in Phase 2

If grey cube is not on hyperspace jump step at mission end, hyperspace systems fail and mission is lost

Avoid Phase 1 delay penalty

If grey cube is not at Phase One Check Step when Phase 2 begins, all players are delayed for Action 4

Prevent zone destruction

Each zone has 6 hit points; if either zone is destroyed, the mission fails

Calculate score for surviving crew

Total trophies from destroyed threats minus total ship damage (most damaged zone not counted twice)

Apply knockout penalties

Subtract 2 points for each knocked out player and 1 point for disabled battlebots

Apply position penalties

Subtract 1 point if two players end in same room; subtract 3 points if all three players end in same room

Earn campaign bonuses

5 points for completing two consecutive missions each scoring above 5; 10 points for three consecutive missions each scoring above 10

Repair between campaign missions

Ship gets 4 repair points regardless of crew size; 1 repair point revives each knocked out player

Space Alert

Get Ready

On Your Turn

Winning

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