7 top Star Wars board games to celebrate May the 4th in 2022
PHOTO: Facebook/SWLegion
PUBLISHED ONApril 11, 2022 9:22 AMByBrandon Toh
May 4th is upon us, and while it is still weeks away, it is never too early to prepare for Star Wars Day! There is nothing like having fellow Star Wars fans gather to celebrate the classic sci-fi franchise. Other than movie marathons, there are also many Star Wars-themed board games to try out.
Due to the number of Star Wars-themed board games out there, it can be difficult to know where to start. Thus, we have listed down a few titles that will appeal to a wide age and experience range, with some for those new to board gaming, and others for those who are veteran board game players. One thing’s for sure, they are all great ways to be immersed in the intergalactic world of Star Wars!
Spot It! The Mandalorian
Here is a game that’s fast-paced and calls for quick reflexes. Players simply try to be the first to spot two matching pictures on each card. This is a game that children can easily pick up and get into, while the pacing builds up a bustling atmosphere well.
This version is filled with iconographies from the Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, such ss Grogu, Ahsoka Tano, Kuiil, and many more. This is a perfect game for the whole family to identify all the bits and pieces that make The Mandalorian great. For $24.90, it is easy to pick up and a very accessible game.
Star Wars: Jabba’s Palace – A Love Letter Game
This is a Star Wars variant of the award-winning game, Love Letter. Players compete using members of the Rebel Alliance and denizens of Jabba’s Palace to outwit and outlast one another.
This game involves deceit, social deduction, and taking risks at a fast pace that makes for a thrilling night of tabletop fun. This is a game that allows players to explore a side to themselves and each other that doesn’t usually surface in normal social interactions. If you ever needed an excuse and low-stakes environment to role-play as Star Wars characters, this is it! At S$23, this is a no-brainer.
Star Wars UNLOCK!
The UNLOCK! series of escape room mysteries condenses the experience of scouring a certain location for clues to solve various puzzles. That experience is made portable and contained within small, compact boxes.
In this Star Wars-themed version of the cooperative game, there are three adventures to go on as rebels, smugglers, or imperial agents. Think point-and-click adventure games made tactile, and as a way to imagine exploring and interacting with various locations in Star Wars. This is a great pick for $53.
Star Wars: Outer Rim
For those looking for a more substantial game with resource management, card playing, and strategising, Star Wars: Outer Rim is worthy of consideration. In this game, players control their own starship, and hire legendary Star Wars characters such as Boba Fett and Han Solo to join their crew.
Then, they try to become the most infamous outlaw crew in the galaxy by hunting down bounties, delivering illegal cargo, and more.
At $105, this is a heftier game than the ones above, but it is justified by the number of components and its gameplay depth.
Star Wars: Imperial Assault
Star Wars: Imperial Assault places players right in the middle of the Galactic Civil War where the Rebel Alliance goes up against the Galactic Empire after the Death Star was destroyed. The game lives up to the epic scope of the battle by offering two distinct game modes.
In the campaign mode, one player takes on the role of the Galactic Empire trying to suppress the rebellion, while up to four other players take on the roles of heroes from the Rebel Alliance. They engage in covert operations to try and usurp the Empire. As the campaign progresses across multiple gameplay sessions and the story unfolds, both sides get new skills and their characters evolve.
The skirmish mode has two players going one-on-one in a tactical battle. Each player gathers their own team of Imperials, Rebels, and Mercenaries while also building a command deck. This is like a game of intergalactic chess on steroids with iconic characters and a pinch of uncertainty.
For $154, it is a big, epic game, and there is perhaps no better choice for Star Wars fans who want to experience one of the most memorable parts of the franchise for themselves.
Risk: Star Wars Edition
How about the moment before the Death Star was destroyed? Is there a board game that lets players play out the most climactic part of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi? Just like how the movie is a sci-fi classic, the space battle that determined the fate of the universe is brought to us as a variant of a classic board game, Risk.
Risk: Star Wars Edition features a board shaped like a TIE Fighter, and players are split equally between either the Rebel Alliance or Galactic Empire. Then, by controlling their characters and ships across three concurrent battles, the players try to either defend or destroy the Death Star.
At $89.90, this is a reimagined version of Risk for Star Wars fans.
Star Wars: Rebellion
The central conflict of the Rebel Alliance fighting against the Galactic Empire drives so much of the story in Star Wars forward. It is difficult for any single board game to capture the scope and intensity of the conflict with all its ups and downs, but Star Wars: Rebellion comes quite close.
Players are pitted against each other with one side controlling the entire Galactic Empire and the other as the Rebel Alliance. Players then command starships, move troops around the battlefield, and win planets over to your side of the conflict.
Each side has a different playstyle – the Galactic Empire is trying to find the Rebel Alliance’s base and destroy it, while subjugating planets or destroying them along the way, and the Rebel Alliance is trying to build up forces, sabotage Imperial resources, and steal information, winning once the galaxy is inspired to stage a full-scale revolt.
With more than 150 miniatures and two game boards to accommodate the 32 star systems in the Star Wars galaxy, this really puts the sheer scale of the story into perspective for $154.
Of course, there are many more Star Wars-themed board games out there for both fans and collectors alike. This is but a small sampling of how the various board games iterate upon the story and allow players to experience the set pieces and more in different ways. Good luck, and may the Force be with you.
This article was first published in Geek Culture.