Star Wars: Legion (2018)
A two-player wargame of ground battles, with armies of troopers, vehicles and heroes.
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 game for two sides. One player leads the Empire, the other the Rebel Alliance, and the box holds more than 150 miniatures.
Source 1 (fantasyflightgames.com) Source 2 (en.wikipedia.org)
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Star Wars: Shatterpoint
- 2023
- 2 players
- 90 minutes
- Ages 14+
A two-player skirmish where small strike teams of named characters battle over objectives. In February 2026, the publisher said it would slow the pace of new releases.
Source 1 (atomicmassgames.com) Source 2 (atomicmassgames.com)
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Star Wars: Outer Rim
- 2019
- 1-4 players
- 120-180 minutes
- Ages 14+
For small groups up for a long game of jobs and bounties. Play an outlaw on the edge of the galaxy and race to ten fame.
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Carcassonne: Star Wars
- 2015
- 2-5 players
- Ages 8+
The family pick. Roads, cities and fields turn into trade routes, asteroid fields and planets. Roll dice to attack other planets.
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Star Trek: Captain's Chair
- 2025
- 1-2 players
- 60-120 minutes
- Ages 14+
A deck-builder where you take command as a captain. There’s a solo mode, and the core box includes six captains.
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Dune: Imperium
- 2020
- 1-4 players
- 60-120 minutes
- Ages 14+
A mix of deck-building and worker placement, and the game most people mean by a Dune board game. It was nominated for the 2022 Kennerspiel des Jahres.
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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. Each side starts in a different position and has its own way to win.
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Star Trek Catan
- 2012
- 3-4 players
- 45-90 minutes
- Ages 10+
A standalone Catan set in Federation space, so you don’t need base Catan. A Klingon ship complicates things.
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King of Tokyo: Godzilla
- 2026
- 2-6 players
- 30 minutes
- Ages 8+
A Godzilla edition of King of Tokyo, the dice game where monsters fight over the city. IELLO lists it as a 2026 release, so check availability with the publisher.
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Jurassic Park: Danger!
- 2018
- 2-5 players
- 50 minutes
- Ages 10+
A one-versus-many game from Ravensburger. One player controls the dinosaurs; everyone else plays human characters trying to escape the island.
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.
28 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 minutes | 14+ |
| Star Wars: Outer Rim | Star Wars | 2019 | 1-4 | 120-180 minutes | 14+ |
| Carcassonne: Star Wars | Star Wars | 2015 | 2-5 | Not listed | 8+ |
| 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 | 30 minutes | 8+ |
| Jurassic Park: Danger! | Jurassic Park | 2018 | 2-5 | 50 minutes | 10+ |
Picking a faction is a quick way to get into a long game. A side with a clear identity, like the Empire or a Klingon player, gives you a feel for the game 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.
Source 1 (fantasyflightgames.com) Source 2 (en.wikipedia.org)
Federation, Klingon or Romulan
In Star Trek: Ascendancy, players develop a home region across the Star Trek galaxy.
Outlaw and bounty hunter
In Star Wars: Outer Rim, take jobs, buy gear and race to ten fame. It plays one to four players.
Kaiju
King of Tokyo: Godzilla is a dice game for 2 to 6 players, with monsters fighting over the city.
Miniatures games are mostly designed for two players, so check the player count first. The list below covers nine licensed games and notes which lines have slowed down, including 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
Nine licensed games use miniatures. Check each game’s status, since several have changed hands or slowed down.
Star Wars: Shatterpoint (2023)
A two-player skirmish where small strike teams of named characters fight over objectives.
Source 1 (atomicmassgames.com) Source 2 (atomicmassgames.com)
Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game (2012)
A two-player dogfight where secret maneuver dials steer starfighter miniatures. The first edition debuted at Gen Con in August 2012, followed by Second Edition in September 2018.
Star Wars: Armada (2015)
Two players command fleets of capital ships and fighter squadrons. The 2015 Core Set included three pre-painted ships, a maneuver tool, command dials and attack dice.
Star Trek: Attack Wing (2013)
A Star Trek miniatures game built around fast ship duels. The ships come pre-painted, and the starter set includes the Enterprise-D.
Star Trek: Away Missions (2023)
The Star Trek Away Missions board game is a crew-level skirmish featuring character miniatures.
Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps (2020)
The big miniatures game for fans of the 1986 film Aliens is a cooperative survival game. It pairs a central campaign with standalone Bug Hunt missions.
Dune: War for Arrakis (2024)
An asymmetric miniatures strategy game about the Desert War between House Atreides and House Harkonnen.
Unmatched: Jurassic Park: InGen vs. Raptors (2020)
The first Unmatched Jurassic Park set pits a human team against Velociraptors. Wikipedia lists it as out of print.
Unmatched: Jurassic Park: InGen vs. Raptors
Source 1 (restorationgames.com) Source 2 (restorationgames.com)
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 (2019)
Play outlaws on the fringes of the galaxy. Travel in your own ship, hire characters for your crew, and take jobs, bounties and cargo runs.
Star Trek: Fleet Captains (2011)
A fleet game of exploration and combat for two or four players. Go head to head or team up in two-versus-two play.
Star Trek: Ascendancy (2016)
A civilization game spanning the Star Trek galaxy. Federation, Klingon, and Romulan players each develop a home region.
Star Wars: Rebellion (2016)
One player leads the Galactic Empire, the other the Rebel Alliance, across two boards covering 32 star systems.
Source 1 (fantasyflightgames.com) Source 2 (en.wikipedia.org)
Dune: Imperium (2020)
The Dune board game most people mean today: deck-building meets worker placement.
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 (A Pandemic System Game) (2022)
Supports 1 to 5 players. Matt Leacock created this cooperative game using the Pandemic System.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (A Pandemic System Game)
Source 1 (zmangames.com) Source 2 (pressreleases.triplepointpr.com)
The Mandalorian: Adventures (2024)
Supports 1 to 4 players. This cooperative mission game draws on Season 1 of The Mandalorian.
Star Wars: Outer Rim (2019)
Supports 1 to 4 players. Players take the roles of outlaws on the galaxy’s fringes, traveling in their own ships, hiring crew, and taking jobs, bounties, and cargo runs.
Star Trek: Captain's Chair (2025)
Supports 1 to 2 players. Take command as a captain in this deck-builder.
Alien: Fate of the Nostromo (2021)
Supports 1 to 5 players. This Alien board game takes place aboard the Nostromo and is based on the 1979 film.
Dune: Imperium (2020)
Supports 1 to 4 players. The Dune board game most people mean today: deck-building meets worker placement.
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. X-Wing wraps up in 30 to 45.
Check the age rating
Most Star Wars and Star Trek strategy games are for ages 14 and up. Carcassonne: Star Wars is for ages 8 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 is for small groups who like jobs and bounties. Carcassonne: Star Wars is an easy family pick.
Are there sci fi board games with miniatures?
Yes. Star Wars: Legion and Shatterpoint are Atomic Mass Games lines. Star Trek: Attack Wing has pre-painted ships, and Dune: War for Arrakis is a miniatures strategy game.
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. Outer Rim and Rebellion run from two to four hours.
Can I play sci-fi board games solo?
Yes. Outer Rim supports 1 to 4 players, Star Trek: Captain's Chair supports 1 to 2, and The Clone Wars supports 1 to 5.
Which sci-fi board games are good for families?
Carcassonne: Star Wars and King of Tokyo: Godzilla are rated 8 and up. Jurassic Park: Danger! and Star Wars: Villainous are rated 10 and up.
What sci-fi board games are best for two players?
Shatterpoint, Legion, X-Wing, and Away Missions are designed for two. Rebellion plays 2 to 4, but is built around 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.