Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon
- Players
- 1-4
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 3 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 120 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 14+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 3.9 / 5
- Year
- 2024
About the game
Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon has players leading space agencies competing to expand a permanent lunar base while corporations sponsoring the mission pursue their own agendas. Over three rounds, players draft shuttle tiles to determine resources and turn order, deploy astronauts to build structures and fund corporate projects, then manage maintenance and income. Three of seven possible corporations are randomly selected each game, each introducing distinct projects, actions, and scoring paths. Designed by Fabio Lopiano, it's a modular, replayable worker-placement game of lunar development. It supports 1 to 4 players over about two hours.
Hobbli's Notes
An ambitious, modular design from Fabio Lopiano. The randomized corporation selection means every game asks different strategic questions, though it's a genuinely heavy, involved sit for your group.
What we like
- Highly modular corporation selection keeps every game distinct.
- Deep worker-placement strategy with multiple scoring paths.
- Strong solo mode for a fundamentally competitive design.
- Thematic space-exploration presentation and components.
Keep in mind
- Long two-hour playtime and high complexity are a big commitment.
- Notable downtime possible depending on player count.
- Steep learning curve for players new to heavy euros.
Who it's for
Heavy euro-game fans who enjoy modular, variable setups, ages 14 and up, playing solo or in groups up to four.
