Firefly: The Game

2013

Experience the Firefly universe in this immersive board game. Captain your ship, hire crew, take on jobs, and dodge dangers in your quest to be the top trader!

240
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

13+

Medium

About the game

“Firefly: The Game” is an immersive, strategic board game that takes you into the vibrant, expansive universe of the cult-classic TV series, Firefly. It is a game of space exploration, trading, and combat in which players strive to become the most successful captain of the ‘Verse.

The game is set in a space-faring future, where you navigate a galaxy filled with a variety of planets and moons, each with its own distinct flavor and opportunities. From the advanced, wealthy Core Worlds to the rustic, remote Border Planets, the game faithfully recreates the diverse, gritty charm of the Firefly universe.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Firefly: The Game is a complex and enjoyable board game that relies on strategic decision-making and risk-taking. It has a variety of components, each of which plays a unique role in the game play. Here’s a list of each component and its function:

1. Game Board: The central feature upon which the game is played. It represents the ‘Verse, with multiple planets, sectors and routes for players to navigate.

2. Firefly Spaceships: There are four Firefly-class spaceship models. Each player controls one of these spaceships, moving it around the game board to complete jobs and evade danger.

3. Leader Cards: These are the player avatars in the game. Each leader card has unique abilities and stats, influencing the strategy a player might use.

4. Ship Cards: These cards represent the spaceships that players command. They contain slots for cargo, crew, gear, and jobs.

5. Money Cards: The currency in the Firefly universe. Players earn money by completing jobs and spend it to hire crew, purchase upgrades, and pay fines.

6. Supply Cards: These cards represent available resources, including crew members, gear, and upgrades. Each supply planet has its own deck.

7. Job Cards: Jobs are the primary means for players to earn money. Each job card specifies its requirements, rewards, and potential complications.

8. Aim to Misbehave Cards: These cards represent the unexpected obstacles or opportunities that can occur during a job. Players draw these cards when they choose to misbehave to complete a job.

9. Alliance Cruiser and Reaver Cutter: These are two non-player ships that move around the board, posing threats to the players. The Alliance Cruiser enforces the law, while the Reaver Cutter represents the terrifying and deadly Reavers.

10. Dice: A set of six-sided dice used to resolve various challenges and conflicts within the game.

11. Tokens: Various tokens are used in the game to represent cargo, contraband, passengers, fuel, parts, warrants, and disgruntled crew.

12. Story Cards: These cards set the overall goals for the game. Each story card provides a unique set of objectives that players must accomplish to win.

13. Reference Cards: These cards provide quick rule summaries to assist players during the game.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Firefly: The Game is a detailed and immersive strategy game that requires careful planning and resource management. Here are the steps on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Unfold the Game Board

Begin by unfolding the game board in the center of the table. This board depicts the verse and outlines the various locations, planets, and shipping lanes that players will navigate during the game.

Step 2: Distribute Player Components

Each player should choose a color and take all components of that color. This includes a Firefly-class ship and four player tokens. Players should place their ship on the starting space and their tokens on the corresponding spaces on the player status console.

Step 3: Set Up Supply Decks

There are five different supply decks, which should be shuffled separately and placed face down in their labeled spots on the game board. These decks include Fuel, Parts, Cargo, Contraband, and Passengers.

Step 4: Set Up Draw Decks

There are three draw decks, which should also be shuffled separately and placed face down on their labeled spots on the game board. These decks include Jobs, Misbehave, and Reaver Cutter.

Step 5: Distribute Starting Resources

Each player receives a starting hand of resources, which includes six Fuel cards, two Parts cards, and 3000 credits. These resources are drawn from the supply decks and are kept hidden from other players.

Step 6: Define Player Roles

Each player assumes the role of a ship captain, with the goal to complete jobs, earn money, and avoid Reavers. The first player is the one who can best recite the theme song from the Firefly television series.

Step 7: Random Elements

The game has several random elements. For example, the order of cards in the supply and draw decks is random, and many jobs and events require players to draw random cards. The movement of the Reaver Cutter ship is also random, determined by the roll of a die.

Step 8: Begin the Game

The game begins with the first player, who can take two actions on their turn. Possible actions include moving, buying, working (i.e., completing a job), or dealing (i.e., drawing new job cards).

Game flow Round and round we go

Firefly: The Game is an exciting and strategic board game where players captain their own Firefly-class spaceship and travel around the ‘Verse with their crew. The game is structured into a series of turns, with each player performing actions during their turn. The main objective of the game is to complete jobs and earn enough credits to secure a victory.

The structure of a turn in Firefly: The Game is broken down into three phases:

Work Phase
Buy Phase
Fly Phase

During each turn, a player may perform two actions. These may be any combination of the aforementioned phases, in any order, and may even be the same action twice. Here’s a detailed breakdown of each phase:

1. Work Phase: During the work phase, a player can choose one of two actions:

Start a job: To start a job, a player chooses a job from their hand and places it face up on the table. Jobs come from contacts, which players must cultivate throughout the game. Jobs can be legal or illegal, with varying degrees of difficulty and reward.
Complete a job: To complete a job, a player must meet the requirements listed on the job card. This may involve traveling to a certain location or possessing certain items or crew members. Once a job is complete, the player receives the rewards listed on the card.

2. Buy Phase: During the buy phase, a player can purchase supplies or hire on new crew members. These actions take place at supply planets, where players can draw three cards from the supply deck and purchase as many as they like.

3. Fly Phase: During the fly phase, a player moves their ship around the board. Ships have a basic movement of five spaces per turn, but this can be increased through the use of fuel or engine upgrades. While flying, players can encounter various obstacles, such as Reavers or Alliance Ships, which they must navigate or overcome.

The game continues in this manner, with each player taking turns to perform actions, until one player completes the game’s victory condition. This usually involves completing a series of specific jobs and amassing a certain amount of credits.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

‘Firefly: The Game’ is an engaging board game with a complex gameplay. Each player’s turn is divided into two main parts: Work and Buy. Let’s delve into the specifics of what happens during each player’s turn.

During the Work phase, players can do one of the following:

Full Work Action: This allows a player to move their ship and potentially initiate a job. Movement costs fuel, so players need to manage their resources carefully. If a player chooses to initiate a job, they must follow the requirements specified on the job’s card. If they successfully complete the job, they receive the rewards detailed on the card. However, failing to complete a job may lead to penalties.
Deal Action: Players can choose to spend their entire turn dealing with a contact. This involves drawing three cards from that contact’s deck and potentially taking on new jobs. This action provides more opportunities but also requires careful decision-making and planning.

Following the Work phase, players enter the Buy phase where they can choose to do one of the following:

Buy Action: Players can spend their turn (and money) to buy equipment, crew, or ship upgrades from a specific supply planet. This can enhance their ship’s capabilities, improve their chances of successfully completing jobs, and provide various other benefits.
Mosey Action: If a player does not wish to or cannot afford to buy, they can choose to perform a Mosey Action instead. This allows the player to move one sector without spending any fuel. It’s a slower form of movement but it doesn’t consume resources.

Throughout the game, players must constantly strategize and make decisions based on their current situation, resources, and goals. The diverse set of possible actions allows for a dynamic gameplay where each decision can significantly affect the game’s progress and outcome.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Firefly: The Game is a unique and engaging board game that ends when a player successfully completes a Story Card’s victory condition. Each of the Story Cards has different victory conditions and is selected at the start of the game. Therefore, the game’s ending could vary significantly depending on the chosen Story Card.

‘Firefly: The Game’ Victory Conditions:

1. Completion of the Story Card’s Goals: The primary way a player can win in Firefly: The Game is by achieving the victory conditions laid out on the Story Card. This could involve completing a certain number of jobs, acquiring a specific amount of money, or reaching a particular location on the game board. Once a player fulfills these requirements, they become the winner.

2. Completion of the Final Goal: If multiple players complete the Story Card’s goals in the same round, the game continues until one player completes an additional goal indicated on the Story Card, known as the Final Goal. The player who achieves this goal first is the winner.

Actions Players Must Take Before Final Scoring:

Before the game ends and final scoring occurs, players must complete the following actions:

Finish Current Turn: If a player fulfills the victory condition during their turn, they must finish their turn before declaring victory. This includes resolving any remaining actions or encounters.
Verify Goals: All players must verify that the winning player has indeed met the victory condition stated on the Story Card. This includes checking the player’s cash, crew, and completed jobs if necessary.
Resolve Ties: In case of a tie, where multiple players meet the victory conditions in the same round, the game continues with the Final Goal as the new victory condition. Players continue taking turns until someone achieves the Final Goal.

In conclusion, ‘Firefly: The Game’ ends when a player achieves the victory condition stated on the Story Card. Players must verify the fulfillment of goals and resolve ties before final scoring and declaring a winner.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In ‘Firefly: The Game’, players don’t earn points in a traditional sense. Instead, they strive to complete jobs and accumulate money, crew, and gear to meet the victory conditions of different ‘Story Cards’. The winner is the player who first fulfills the victory conditions outlined on the selected Story Card.

Scoring through Jobs:

Legal Jobs: Legal jobs are usually safer but offer less reward. They typically require a certain skill set (like Transport or Diplomacy) and don’t often lead to entanglements with the Alliance.
Illegal Jobs: Illegal jobs can offer high rewards but carry greater risks. They often require more specific skills (like Fight or Tech) and can lead to unwanted attention from the Alliance or Reavers.

Scoring through Assets:

Crew: Recruiting crew members is essential for completing jobs. Each crew member provides certain skills which can be used to pass challenges during jobs.
Gear: Gear can be bought in shops across the ‘Verse and can provide additional skills or other benefits to your crew.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the following rules apply:

The player with the most money (including the value of their ship and any upgrades) wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who achieved the victory conditions first wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who started the game last wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

The board game Firefly: The Game does include some rare or special rules and exceptions that players should be aware of. These can greatly affect gameplay and add an extra layer of complexity to the game. Here are some of these special rules and exceptions:

1. Misbehaving Cards: When a player draws a Misbehave card, they must choose to either attempt the job or attempt to avoid the authorities. If a player decides to attempt to avoid the authorities, they must pass a Morale test. If they fail this test, they are caught and must face the consequences.

2. Solid Reputation: Players can gain a “solid” reputation with a contact by completing jobs for them. This can lead to the contact offering more lucrative jobs in the future. However, a player can lose their solid reputation with a contact if they fail a job or if they take an action that negatively affects the contact.

3. Full Stop: When a ship ends its movement in a sector that contains a Reaver Cutter, it must stop moving for the rest of the turn. This is referred to as a “Full Stop”. The ship cannot move again until the start of the player’s next turn.

4. Salvage Ops: If a player’s ship is in the same sector as a derelict ship, they can attempt a Salvage Op. This involves drawing a Salvage Op card and following the instructions on the card. Successful Salvage Ops can yield valuable cargo, but they can also result in the player encountering Reavers or Alliance ships.

Here are some clarifications on some rules that might be important:

1. Job Cards: When a player completes a job, they do not discard the job card. Instead, they place it face down in front of them. This is to keep track of the jobs that the player has completed. The completed job cards can be used for reference in case of any disputes or questions about past jobs.

2. Gear Cards: Gear cards represent various items and equipment that a player’s crew can acquire throughout the game. Players can purchase gear cards from various locations on the game board. It’s important to note that a player can only have a maximum of 3 gear cards in their hand at any time.

3. Buying and Selling Cargo: Cargo can be bought and sold at various locations on the game board. The prices for buying and selling cargo vary depending on the location. Players should note that they cannot buy and sell cargo at the same location during the same turn.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Firefly: The Game is a deeply immersive game that requires strategic planning, keen negotiation skills, and a bit of luck. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize your gameplay experience.

Advanced Strategies:

Focus on Effective Crew Building: Be sure to balance your crew with a variety of skills. This will help you overcome different types of challenges and complete jobs more efficiently.
Take Calculated Risks: Sometimes, it’s worth taking a risk to get ahead. For example, you might try to complete a difficult job with a high reward, even if there’s a chance of failure.
Manage Your Money Wisely: It’s tempting to spend money as soon as you get it, but saving for more expensive upgrades and crew can pay off in the long run.

Beginner Tips:

Understand the Game Mechanics: Before playing, take some time to understand the game mechanics, including how to move, complete jobs, and interact with other players.
Start with Simple Jobs: As a beginner, it’s best to start with less complicated jobs that have lower rewards. This can help you get a feel for the game and build your skills.
Build Your Crew Gradually: Don’t rush to hire a full crew at the beginning of the game. Instead, hire a few key members and add more as you gain money and experience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Not Planning Ahead: Always try to have a plan for your next few turns. This can help you avoid wasting time and resources.
Ignoring Other Players: While Firefly: The Game is not directly competitive, it’s important to keep an eye on what other players are doing. If another player is about to complete a big job, for example, you might want to try to beat them to it.
Spending All Your Money at Once: It’s important to save some money for unexpected expenses, like repairs or crew wages.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Maintain a Balanced Crew: A crew with a balance of different skills is more versatile and better equipped to handle various challenges.
Upgrade Your Ship: Upgrading your ship can improve its speed, cargo capacity, and other capabilities, making it easier to complete jobs and navigate the game board.
Choose Jobs Wisely: Not all jobs are worth taking. Consider the rewards, risks, and requirements of each job before deciding whether to take it on.