Star Traders

About this board game

Star Traders is a 1987 board game for 2–6 players, with an approximately 120-minute play time, in which players become intergalactic merchants in a future where wars are unheard of and Traders are the heroes of the cosmos.

The board features 36 planets: six clustered in the galaxy’s center and six more in each of five arms. Planets are connected by jump lines that determine both where you can travel and how difficult each jump will be.

• Orange lines: Jump to an adjacent planet with a roll of 2 or better.
• Purple lines: Reach a planet halfway down a galaxy arm with a roll of 4 or better.
• Green lines: Travel from one galaxy arm to another with a roll of 6.

As you move around the galaxy, you can pick up and deliver cargoes tied to changing contracts. Completing a contract earns both money and Prestige, but each contract can be fulfilled by only one player. Several players may collect the named cargo, yet only the first to reach its destination receives the payoff; the others may be left with unwanted cargo and a penalty for dumping it.

Players can also build bases on planets, earning Prestige and creating valuable travel connections. A jump to a planet containing your own base is automatically successful, while reaching an opponent’s base may require permission and a fee. Because each planet can hold only one player’s base, these locations can become lucrative investments. In Star Traders, route selection, timing, cargo competition, and access to bases all shape your journey through the galaxy.