Star Scrappers: Cave-in

About this board game

Star Scrappers: Cave-in is a competitive mining game for 2–4 players, with play taking about 75 minutes. You become a Galactic entrepreneur and rival mining boss, racing to collect Hexis crystals before the mine collapses.

Every turn, choose two of four possible actions: recruit mercenaries, send mercenaries to collect crystals, send them to find artefacts, or use the special action of a chosen mercenary. Your workers are valuable, but your opponents are always looking for an opportunity to buy them off or take your rewards.

At the heart of the game is its distinctive discard-building system. Each action sends mercenaries to your discard, and the order of those cards matters. The mercenary on top of your discard provides a special action at the beginning of your next turn.

A growing discard can become a tempting target, however. Another player may give up their entire turn to steal it from you, turning your carefully assembled options into a dangerous liability. In this harsh industry, planning your actions also means watching what your rivals might gain.

• Collect crystals, each offering victory points.
• Use artefacts to boost your crystal collection.
• Build sets of symbols for additional scoring.
• Protect your faction trophy while attempting to steal opponents’ trophies.

The player with the most victory points wins, but there is more than one route to success. Star Scrappers: Cave-in rewards opportunistic play, careful timing, and clever schemes as much as efficient mining. The best miner may not prevail—the best schemer might.