Star Wars: Legion (2018)
2 players, 60 to 120 minutes, ages 14 and up. Lead ground armies. Atomic Mass Games runs it, and a revised edition arrived in 2025.
Genre guide
Sci Fi Board Games From Films and TV
Sci fi board games from films and TV range from starfighter duels to galactic empires and giant monsters. Browse by group size, age rating and play time to find a good fit.
- 10 top picks
- 6 franchises
Pick a faction. I’ll handle the snacks.
Sci-fi games range from 20-minute card games to campaigns that run four hours. Star Wars board games cover the widest range, Star Trek board games focus on exploration and diplomacy, and the picks below include both styles alongside Dune, Jurassic Park and Godzilla.
Check each game's status before you start collecting.
Best sci fi board games for different groups and situations
Most miniatures games are for exactly two. Plan your table space.
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Star Wars: Rebellion
- 2016
- 2-4 players
- 180-240 minutes
- Ages 14+
The big strategy showdown for two sides: 2 to 4 players, 180 to 240 minutes, ages 14 and up. One player leads the Empire, the other the Rebel Alliance, and the box has over 150 miniatures.
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Star Wars: Shatterpoint
- 2023
- 2 players
- 90-120 minutes
- Ages 14+
A two-player miniatures skirmish that takes 90 to 120 minutes for ages 14 and up. Small strike teams of named characters pursue objectives, and the game is still in print.
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Star Wars: Outer Rim
- 2019
- 1-4 players
- 120-180 minutes
- Ages 14+
For solo players and small groups: 1 to 4 players, 120 to 180 minutes, ages 14 and up. Race to ten fame by taking jobs, or add the solo mode’s AI-controlled opponent.
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Carcassonne: Star Wars
- 2015
- 2-5 players
- 35 minutes
- Ages 7+
A family pick for 2 to 5 players, about 35 minutes, ages 7 and up. Roads, cities and fields turn into trading routes, asteroid fields and planets.
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Star Trek: Captain's Chair
- 2025
- 1-2 players
- 60-120 minutes
- Ages 14+
A deck-builder that works well solo, for 1 to 2 players, 60 to 120 minutes, ages 14 and up. It’s one of the few Star Trek games with a solo mode.
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Dune: Imperium
- 2020
- 1-4 players
- 60-120 minutes
- Ages 14+
Deck-building meets worker placement for 1 to 4 players, 60 to 120 minutes, ages 14 and up. It has a solo mode and is the game most people mean by a Dune board game.
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Dune: War for Arrakis
- 2024
- 1-4 players
- 120 minutes
- Ages 14+
A miniatures strategy game pitting House Atreides against House Harkonnen: 1 to 4 players, about 120 minutes, ages 14 and up. Each side has different starting positions and victory goals, plus a solo mode.
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Star Trek Catan
- 2012
- 3-4 players
- 45-90 minutes
- Ages 10+
A standalone Catan for 3 to 4 players, 45 to 90 minutes, ages 10 and up. Trade across Federation space, with no need for base Catan.
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King of Tokyo: Godzilla
- 2026
- 2-6 players
- Ages 8+
A dice game for 2 to 6 players, ages 8 and up, with monsters battling for Tokyo. IELLO lists an October 9, 2026 release; we haven’t confirmed it has shipped.
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Jurassic Park: Danger!
- 2018
- 2-5 players
- 50 minutes
- Ages 10+
A one-versus-many game based on the first film, for 2 to 5 players, about 50 minutes, ages 10 and up. Hidden hunters make it a fun pick for families or mixed groups.
Six franchise guides back this page. Dune board games focus on deck-building and strategy, while Jurassic Park adds a family-friendly dinosaur game. Godzilla board games reach back to 1963. Each page lists every licensed game, its year, publisher, and film connection, so you can explore beyond these ten picks.
What each sci-fi franchise brings
Star Wars Board Games
This genre has a huge shelf: miniatures lines, card games, family games and licensed classics, from a 1977 Kenner game to Star Wars: Unlimited.
27 games listed
Star Trek Board Games
Exploration, diplomacy and crew-level play take center stage, from the Ascendancy civilization game to Away Missions skirmishes.
14 games listed
Godzilla Board Games
Bring monster-sized fun to big groups, from Tokyo Clash to a Godzilla edition of King of Tokyo. Games date back to 1963.
11 games listed
Alien Board Games
Cooperative survival games and miniatures campaigns draw on the 1979 and 1986 films. There are vintage collectibles and an RPG, too.
10 games listed
Dune Board Games
For strategy fans, there’s Dune: Imperium and its standalone follow-up, a miniatures war game, a 1979 classic and a social deduction card game.
10 games listed
Jurassic Park Board Games
Dinosaurs bring a one-versus-many family game, a legacy campaign and Unmatched duels for two players.
10 games listed
Compare the picks
| Game | Franchise | Year | Players | Play time | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Wars: Rebellion | Star Wars | 2016 | 2-4 | 180-240 minutes | 14+ |
| Star Wars: Shatterpoint | Star Wars | 2023 | 2 | 90-120 minutes | 14+ |
| Star Wars: Outer Rim | Star Wars | 2019 | 1-4 | 120-180 minutes | 14+ |
| Carcassonne: Star Wars | Star Wars | 2015 | 2-5 | 35 minutes | 7+ |
| Star Trek: Captain's Chair | Star Trek | 2025 | 1-2 | 60-120 minutes | 14+ |
| Dune: Imperium | Dune | 2020 | 1-4 | 60-120 minutes | 14+ |
| Dune: War for Arrakis | Dune | 2024 | 1-4 | 120 minutes | 14+ |
| Star Trek Catan | Star Trek | 2012 | 3-4 | 45-90 minutes | 10+ |
| King of Tokyo: Godzilla | Godzilla | 2026 | 2-6 | Not listed | 8+ |
| Jurassic Park: Danger! | Jurassic Park | 2018 | 2-5 | 50 minutes | 10+ |
Choosing a faction is a quick way into a long game. A side with a clear identity, like the Empire or a Klingon player, gives you a feel for what to expect before you open the box. Here are four examples, from Star Wars: Rebellion to a kaiju dice game.
Pick your faction
Four sides, four ways to spend game night.
Empire or Rebel Alliance
Star Wars: Rebellion gives two sides a star-system map and over 150 miniatures. It’s a long, large-scale duel for 2 to 4 players.
Federation, Klingon or Romulan
In Star Trek: Ascendancy, three players develop a home region across the Star Trek galaxy. Expect about 180 minutes.
Outlaw and bounty hunter
In Star Wars: Outer Rim, take jobs, buy gear and race to ten fame. The base game has eight characters to choose from.
Kaiju
King of Tokyo: Godzilla is a dice game for 2 to 6 players, with monsters fighting over the city.
Miniatures games usually suit two players, so check the count first. The list below covers ten licensed games and notes which lines have slowed down, such as Star Wars: X-Wing. Superhero fans can find similar skirmish games in our superhero board games guide.
With pre-painted ships, you can play right out of the box.
Sci fi board games with miniatures
Ten licensed games feature miniatures. Check each game’s status; several have changed hands or slowed down.
Star Wars: Shatterpoint (2023)
2 players, 90 to 120 minutes, ages 14 and up. Build skirmish teams. In February 2026, the publisher said it would release fewer sets.
Star Wars: X-Wing (2012)
2 players, 30 to 45 minutes, ages 14 and up. Starfighter dogfights use secret dials. Atomic Mass Games announced the end of development in June 2024.
Star Wars: Armada (2015)
2 players, about 120 minutes, ages 14 and up. Fleet combat at a larger scale.
Star Trek: Attack Wing (2013)
2 players, about 60 minutes, ages 14 and up. Fast ship duels use pre-painted ships.
Star Trek: Away Missions (2023)
2 players, 60 to 90 minutes, ages 14 and up. Federation and Borg crews face off in skirmishes.
Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps (2020)
1 to 6 players, 60 to 120 minutes, ages 14 and up. Run a cooperative miniatures campaign with standalone missions, based on the 1986 film Aliens.
Godzilla: Tokyo Clash (2020)
2 to 4 players, about 45 minutes, ages 10 and up. A deck-driven strategy game with miniatures, and the most accessible pick on this list.
Dune: War for Arrakis (2024)
1 to 4 players, about 120 minutes, ages 14 and up. House Atreides and House Harkonnen wage a two-sided war, with a solo mode.
Unmatched: Jurassic Park: InGen vs. Raptors (2020)
2 players, 20 to 40 minutes, ages 14 and up. A standalone duel between a human team and Velociraptors.
Space themed board games
If you care more about the setting than the franchise, these games bring the whole galaxy to your table.
Star Wars: Outer Rim
Play space smugglers and bounty hunters, for 1 to 4 players and 120 to 180 minutes.
Star Trek: Fleet Captains
Explore and fight across a modular map in this fleet game for 2 to 4 players, ages 14 and up.
Star Trek: Ascendancy
A civilization game for three factions, with a play time of about 180 minutes.
Star Wars: Rebellion
The Empire and Rebel Alliance face off across a map of star systems.
Dune: Imperium
Build your deck and place workers on Arrakis in a game for 1 to 4 players, 60 to 120 minutes, ages 14 and up.
Licensed sci-fi games offer plenty of solo play. Several games here support one player, and The Clone Wars goes up to five. Alien: Fate of the Nostromo is a cooperative survival game rated 10 and up, making it a fit for mixed-age groups.
Solo and co-op sci-fi board games
Play these games solo or team up around a shared goal.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
This Pandemic System game is for 1 to 5 players. Jedi take on missions as droids invade planets.
The Mandalorian: Adventures
A co-op game for 1 to 4 players, 30 to 60 minutes, with missions, hidden roles and a solo mode.
Star Wars: Outer Rim
In solo mode, one player faces an AI-controlled opponent.
Star Trek: Captain's Chair
A deck-builder for 1 to 2 players, with you at the captain's chair.
Alien: Fate of the Nostromo
A cooperative survival game for 1 to 5 players, 45 to 60 minutes, rated ages 10 and up, based on the 1979 film.
Dune: Imperium
This deck-builder has a solo mode and supports 1 to 4 players. Dune: House Secrets is a story-driven co-op for 1 to 4 players.
How to choose a sci-fi board game
Four quick checks can narrow the shelf. Each game card lists the details.
Count the players
Many miniatures games are for exactly 2 players. For three or more, try Outer Rim, Ascendancy or the Godzilla games.
Check the play time
Rebellion runs 180 to 240 minutes. Attack Wing and X-Wing take about an hour or less.
Check the age rating
Most Star Wars and Star Trek strategy games are rated 14 and up. Carcassonne: Star Wars is rated 7 and up.
Check availability
Some lines have slowed down or ended. Check each game card’s status before you start a collection.
Questions about sci fi board games
What are the best sci fi board games based on films and TV?
It depends on your group. Star Wars: Rebellion fits a long strategy night, Dune: Imperium suits deck-building fans, and Outer Rim works for solo play or small groups. Carcassonne: Star Wars is an easy family pick.
Are there sci fi board games with miniatures?
Yes. Star Wars: Legion and Shatterpoint are in print, Star Trek: Attack Wing comes with pre-painted ships, and Dune: War for Arrakis and Godzilla: Tokyo Clash include miniatures.
What are some good space themed board games?
Star Wars: Outer Rim, Star Wars: Rebellion, Star Trek: Ascendancy and Star Trek: Fleet Captains put a whole galaxy on the table. Play times range from 90 to 240 minutes.
Can I play sci-fi board games solo?
Yes. Outer Rim has a solo mode, Star Trek: Captain's Chair takes 1 to 2 players, and The Clone Wars supports 1 to 5.
Which sci-fi board games are good for families?
Carcassonne: Star Wars is rated 7 and up, King of Tokyo: Godzilla is rated 8 and up, and Jurassic Park: Danger! is rated 10 and up. Star Wars: Villainous is rated 10 and up.
What sci-fi board games are best for two players?
Shatterpoint, Legion, X-Wing and Attack Wing are made for two. Rebellion plays 2 to 4, but its design centers on one Empire player and one Rebel player.
With pre-painted ships, you can play right out of the box.
Rebellion takes up to four hours. Bring snacks.