With the new Rogue One film just around the corner, the galaxy is once more about to be engulfed in Star Wars fever. Here are 8 of the greatest Star Wars board games to show the power of the Force to your friends and family, as suggested by our sponsoring partner Board Game Prices.
For beginners and families
1. Carcassonne Star Wars
2-5 players ♠ 35 Minutes ♠ Ages 7 & Up
$30 dollars on BoardGamePrices.com
For over a thousand generations, the Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic — before the dark times. Before the Empire.
Based on classic board game Carcassonne – a game of gentle idyll in which players must lay claim to fields, farms, and roads – this edition gives the 16 year old system an injection of Star Wars theme, makes the game easier to get into, and even some rules for combat.
Players take turns building their galaxy, ensuring that the tiles they lay can always form a contiguous map with the edges matching – and then claim areas of space for themselves. Maybe you’ll nab a trade lane or control an asteroid field, and each of these will score you points as you complete them.
A simple game that’s easy to learn and based on a proven game system, Carcassone: Star Wars is a safe bet for introducing younger and beginner gamers to the wonderful cardboard world.
2. Loopin’ Chewie
2-3 Players ♠ 15 Minutes ♠ Ages 4 & Up
$12 from BoardGamePrices.com
Traveling through hyperspace ain’t like dusting crops.
…But when Chewie’s got the keys to the Falcon, he’s going to do just that! (except instead of crops, he’s gonna dust Stormtroopers. More fun.)
A spin off of popular dexterity game Loopin’ Louie, the game’s core conceit is that Chewie will fly the Falcon in circles in the center of the table while players try to prevent him from hitting their Stormtroopers using a small push-lever – carefully timed hits will move Chewie away from your tokens and hopefully hitting your opponent’s. Last stormtrooper standing wins!
And for those electronics-savvy players willing to get some extra challenge, the game can also be modified with some YouTube guides to go faster, randomize movements, and even travel backwards.
3. Star Wars: Destiny
2 Players ♠ 30 Minutes ♠ Ages 10 & Up
Starter packs from $12.79 on BoardGameprices.com – available in Rey or Kylo Ren editions
You cannot escape your destiny.
Who would win in a fight? Yoda, or Kylo Ren? Star Wars: Destiny is a game that lets you answer that question.
Destiny is an innovative combination of cards and dice from the brain of the lead designer behind one of the world’s best card games, Android: Netrunner. Destiny is a full bodied affair that’s nevertheless easy to pick up and teach.
Players choose the characters they want to have in their deck and use them to do battle with another player. Fight over locations like the Death Star and attach support cards like BB-8, Lightsabers, and even TIE Fighter squadrons to overcome your opponent’s tactics.
As a brief word of warning: This is a collectible game, meaning it’s going to be easy to fall down the rabbit hole of chasing random booster packs in search of your perfect deck. But if you want a game that’s easy to pick up and play with just the two starter boxes and maybe a booster or two (From $2.59 each), this is an excellent, low-priced choice.
For older fans
4. Risk: Star Wars Edition
2-4 Players ♠ 60 Minutes ♠ Ages 10 & Up
$30 from BoardGamePrices.com
Rule the galaxy as father and son.
Despite the familiar name Risk: Star Wars Edition has jettisoned most of the elements of classic Risk and instead allows players to reenact the climactic scene in Return of the Jedi.
Side with the Rebel Alliance as they try and destroy the 2nd Death Star, or as the Empire trying to crush them for ever. Both sides must balance their attention between Han Solo and trying to bring down the Death Star’s shields, the titanic clash of fleets in orbit, or the climactic duel between Luke and Darth Vader.
It also comes in a Limited Black Edition, with added miniatures for the Death Star, super star destroyer, Millenium Falcon, and Stormtroopers.
Risk: Star Wars Edition gives a sense of titanic struggle without being overly heavy on complex rules, remaining fairly family friendly while still retaining that epic feeling of conflict.
5. Imperial Assault
2-5 Players ♠ 90 Minutes ♠ Ages 12 & Up
$70 from BoardGamePrices.com
Don’t underestimate the power of the dark side.
Imperial Assault hurls you into in the action as you fight off stormtroopers, Imperial walkers, and even Darth Vader himself. And for one lucky player – you get to BE Darth Vader.
Imperial Assault gets a team of players to face off against one of their friends as Rebels vs The Empire. The game features a story campaign set between episodes IV and V of the film series and your heroes must level up, level up and gain experience and equipment, and follow their own personal sagas.
The game comes with a huge selection of amazing plastic minis, including a giant AT-ST. If you’re not feeling like a long campaign, you can throw the minis onto the table and do battle in the skirmish mode, making an Imperial Assault purchase 2 games in 1.
Imperial Assault is a great game with just the core set box, serving as an introduction to RPG-style games – but it also comes with plenty of expansions, and Hero and Villain packs to introduce variety and play as the characters you’ve always loved.
6. X-Wing Miniatures Game
2-4 Players ♠ 30 Minutes ♠ Ages 10 & Up
$30 from BoardGamePrices.com
Stay on target!
X-Wing is a fast and furious miniatures combat game. If ever you’ve wanted to be Red Leader and keep those Interceptors off your six, X-Wing is your chance.
Featuring gorgeous ships and easy rules, an X-Wing game can be as small or as large as you like – a core set’s 3 ships can do unhurried battle – or you can field a massive TIE swarm vs the Millenium Falcon and a Rebel Transport trying to escape from Hoth – or even recreate the Death Star trench run.
The core set comes in both original trilogy and Force Awakens editions, the rules are accessible and fast – no measuring tapes or laser sights to get in the way of you making TIE engine screams with your lips.
X-Wing is a blast to play and easy to teach, and scales very well from small furballs in an asteroid belt to all out space assaults. The Core Set remains a great way to sample the experience, although you can just grab whatever ships take your fancy and be ensured of a good time.
For Enthusiasts
7. Armada
2 Players ♠ 120 Minutes ♠ Ages 14 & Up
$70 on BoardGamePrices.com
Concentrate all fire on that Super Star Destroyer!
On the opposite end of the scale from X-Wing is Armada. Where the iconic Blockade Runner from the start of A New Hope is the largest ship in X-Wing, in Armada it’s among the smallest.
Command Star Destroyers and whole squadrons of fighters as you fling them against each other among the stars. Compared to X-Wing, Armada is slower and more thoughtful, requiring more strategic planning as you maneuver your huge ships to take advantage of their firing arcs and keep your weak spots facing away from the enemy.
While not having as many expansion ships as X-Wing, Armada is a grander experience that you can get in on the ground floor for without having to chase too hard to buy everything – although who wouldn’t want to plonk down TWO Star Destroyers onto the table instead of just one? Or Admiral Ackbar’s flagship?
An Armada Core Set is an epic experience on its own, and just like X-Wing and Imperial Assault, you can pick and choose extra ships at your leisure, or just stay with the base experience and still have a grand old time – John Williams music playing in the background as you roll your spaceships into firing range…
8. Star Wars: Rebellion
2 Players ♠ 240 Minutes ♠ Ages 14 & Up
$65 on BoardGamePrices.com
The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
Based on the classic 90s video game, Rebellion lets 2 to 4 players reenact the Galactic Civil War at a truly strategic scope. Encompassing the entire original trilogy (from Alderaan to the destruction of Death Star 2), players must either seek and destroy the hidden Rebel Base or convert enough systems to your cause to finally overthrow Palpatine once and for all.
Rebellion allows players to establish trade relations with Kashyyyk – or blow it up with their Death Star. The game comes with 150 miniatures which you can use to incite rebellion against the Empire or crush the Rebellion beneath your boot heel with not one but TWO Death Stars.
A tense game of cat and mouse writ large across the Galaxy, Rebellion is the ultimate Star Wars-in-a-box experience to lose a whole afternoon to.
