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Battlestar Galactica: Official Variant Rules
120m1–6p2008
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Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game
Fantasy Flight Games · 2008
3–6120–180 min14+ yrs3.3/5 complexity7.7 BGG#126 BGG41 KCo-opStrategy
⚡ short answer
How do you play Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game?
The primary objective for the human players is to collectively travel 8 units of distance and then successfully execute one final jump to reach Kobol (Earth). This must be achieved while preventing any of the four critical resources (fuel, food, morale, population) from dropping to zero, stopping Cylon Centurions from reaching the end of the boarding party track, and ensuring the Battlestar Galactica does not sustain six damage tokens. Cylon players, on the other hand, secretly work to achieve any of these failure conditions for the humans.
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the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
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01
Setup
Players choose characters, receive a secret loyalty card (human or Cylon), and assign Admiral and President titles.
The rules, step by step
Setup
At the start of the game, each player chooses a character and receives a secret loyalty card, which determines if they are a human or a Cylon. One player is designated as the Admiral, controlling nukes and fleet jumps, and another as the President, managing Quorum Cards. The game board, representing the Battlestar Galactica and surrounding space, is set up with initial enemy ships and resource trackers.
Objective
The primary objective for the human players is to collectively travel 8 units of distance and then successfully execute one final jump to reach Kobol (Earth). This must be achieved while preventing any of the four critical resources (fuel, food, morale, population) from dropping to zero, stopping Cylon Centurions from reaching the end of the boarding party track, and ensuring the Battlestar Galactica does not sustain six damage tokens. Cylon players, on the other hand, secretly work to achieve any of these failure conditions for the humans.
On your turn
Each player's turn consists of four phases: first, drawing skill cards according to their character sheet; second, optionally moving their character to another location on the Galactica or discarding a skill card to move between ships; third, performing one action (from their current location, character sheet, or hand cards); and fourth, drawing and resolving a crisis card, which often involves a skill check where players secretly contribute cards to meet a difficulty target.
Scoring
There is no traditional 'scoring' in Battlestar Galactica. Instead, victory conditions are binary. Humans track their progress by accumulating distance units through successful jumps. Cylons win if any of the human resources (fuel, food, morale, population) fall to zero, if Cylon Centurions successfully advance to the end of the boarding party track, or if the Battlestar Galactica accumulates six damage tokens, leading to its destruction.
Game end
The game concludes immediately when either the human or Cylon victory conditions are met. Humans win if they successfully complete a jump after having accumulated at least 8 units of distance. Cylons win if any of the human resources drop to zero, Centurions reach the end of the boarding party track, or Galactica is destroyed. A 'Sleeper Agent' phase occurs after 4 units of distance are traveled, where players are dealt another loyalty card, potentially revealing more Cylons.
Tips
For humans, strategic resource management is crucial, as is careful deduction to identify hidden Cylon players. Contributing wisely to skill checks and coordinating actions to repair damage and eliminate Cylon threats are key. For Cylons, the challenge lies in subtly sabotaging skill checks by contributing non-matching cards, making other players appear suspicious, and strategically activating Cylon ships or boarding parties without revealing their identity too early. Knowing when to reveal oneself as a Cylon can be a powerful tactical move, granting access to Cylon locations and powerful Super Crisis Cards.
game anatomy
Complexity3.3 / 5
BGG rating7.7 / 10
Vibe
Co-opStrategy
Language dependence
Extensive text — heavy translation needed
Play time
120–180 min
Players
3–6
Recommended age
14+ yrs
BGG rank
#126
from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
The primary objective for the human players is to collectively travel 8 units of distance and then successfully execute one final jump to reach Kobol (Earth). This must be achieved while preventing any of the four critical resources (fuel, food, morale, population) from dropping to zero, stopping Cylon Centurions from reaching the end of the boarding party track, and ensuring the Battlestar Galactica does not sustain six damage tokens. Cylon players, on the other hand, secretly work to achieve any of these failure conditions for the humans.
Q2How do you set up the game?
At the start of the game, each player chooses a character and receives a secret loyalty card, which determines if they are a human or a Cylon. One player is designated as the Admiral, controlling nukes and fleet jumps, and another as the President, managing Quorum Cards. The game board, representing the Battlestar Galactica and surrounding space, is set up with initial enemy ships and resource trackers.
Q3How does a turn work?
Each player's turn consists of four phases: first, drawing skill cards according to their character sheet; second, optionally moving their character to another location on the Galactica or discarding a skill card to move between ships; third, performing one action (from their current location, character sheet, or hand cards); and fourth, drawing and resolving a crisis card, which often involves a skill check where players secretly contribute cards to meet a difficulty target.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
There is no traditional 'scoring' in Battlestar Galactica. Instead, victory conditions are binary. Humans track their progress by accumulating distance units through successful jumps. Cylons win if any of the human resources (fuel, food, morale, population) fall to zero, if Cylon Centurions successfully advance to the end of the boarding party track, or if the Battlestar Galactica accumulates six damage tokens, leading to its destruction.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game concludes immediately when either the human or Cylon victory conditions are met. Humans win if they successfully complete a jump after having accumulated at least 8 units of distance. Cylons win if any of the human resources drop to zero, Centurions reach the end of the boarding party track, or Galactica is destroyed. A 'Sleeper Agent' phase occurs after 4 units of distance are traveled, where players are dealt another loyalty card, potentially revealing more Cylons.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
For humans, strategic resource management is crucial, as is careful deduction to identify hidden Cylon players. Contributing wisely to skill checks and coordinating actions to repair damage and eliminate Cylon threats are key. For Cylons, the challenge lies in subtly sabotaging skill checks by contributing non-matching cards, making other players appear suspicious, and strategically activating Cylon ships or boarding parties without revealing their identity too early. Knowing when to reveal oneself as a Cylon can be a powerful tactical move, granting access to Cylon locations and powerful Super Crisis Cards.
Q7How much does Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game cost?
No store is currently tracking Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game. Check the Prices tab — you can set a price alert to be notified when it appears.
Q8Where can I buy Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q9How do you play Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game?
Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game is a bluffing game, for 3–6 players, taking ~120–180 minutes, featuring area movement. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q10How many players does Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game support?
Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game is played by 3–6 players.
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Mechanics & categories
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