Space Hulk (Third Edition)

Space Hulk is set within a sprawling, derelict starship. Setup begins by selecting a mission from the rulebook and assembling the modular board tiles—corridors, intersections, and rooms—according to the scenario map. Players place doors in their designated bulkhead slots. The Space Marine player deploys their specific squad miniatures into the entry area, while the Genestealer player places token-backed blips at the marked entry points representing alien reinforcement squads.

The game is asymmetric. The Space Marine player must achieve specific tactical goals detailed in the mission briefing, such as reaching a destination, securing an object, or eliminating threats. Conversely, the Genestealer player's objective is to halt the Marines by eradicating every squad member before mission completion.

Rounds consist of sequential turns for each side. The Space Marine player takes the first turn, subject to a strict time limit measured by an hourglass and governed by command point allocation. Marine units expend action points to move, shoot, open doors, go into overwatch (alert), or fight in close combat. Afterwards, the Genestealer player takes their turn, moving blips and revealed alien miniatures across the board and launching deadly close-combat assaults.

There is no traditional point-scoring system. Victory is determined strictly by whether the Space Marines fulfill their mission parameters or if the Genestealers successfully defend the Hulk.

The game concludes as soon as the active mission objectives are met by the Space Marines, or when all Space Marine miniatures are eliminated, or if the Marines exhaust their allotted command points or resources leading to defeat.