Star Realms Deck Building Game (WWG001)

Star Realms fills a much-needed niche in the deck-building game category, as it's one of the few science-fiction games available. Star Realms has become wildly popular due to its single-deck nature and low cost. Players need to purchase one deck for two players to duel in space, or two decks for three or four players.

As in other deck-building games, players start with currency and basic units — in this case, starships. Players can then buy bigger ships and starbases, and on later turns, play those powerful ships and attack the opponent. At the end of a turn, ships and other cards are discarded, but starbases remain and, if they're also outposts, can prevent a defending player from losing "authority" (health) until the starbase is destroyed.

Most of the cards in the set belong to one of four factions: The Trade Federation, The Blobs, The Star Empire and the Machine Cult. It's often important to keep faction in mind when purchasing cards within the game, as you'll get bonuses in combat, trade or authority with multiple cards in play of the same faction.

Without the setup time of other deck-building games like Dominion, Star Realms can be enjoyed at a fast pace in between more involved board games. It has enough strategic depth to become the main game of a game night as well, though you'll be playing several games throughout the course of one evening.