Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
This was Zocchi's revamped version of his Star Trek Battle Manual, without the (unlicensed) Star Trek references. The two games are very similar, although Alien Space Battle Manual includes 8 different ship types instead of the original 3, at least in later versions.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Scenario Campaign
Play linked or standalone scenarios with their own setup, objectives, and consequences.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Simultaneous Action Selection
Choose actions secretly or concurrently before revealing them together.
Measurement Movement
Measure physical distance to determine how far pieces may move.
Simulation
Model a real or imagined system through detailed cause-and-effect rules.
Read the full game description
This was Zocchi's revamped version of his Star Trek Battle Manual, without the (unlicensed) Star Trek references. The two games are very similar, although Alien Space Battle Manual includes 8 different ship types instead of the original 3, at least in later versions. The Alien Space Battle Manual is now considered to be a companion to the Star Fleet Battle Manual which was released in 1977 and marked a return to familiar Star Trek ships and races due to a loophole in the Star Trek IP ownership. The game is played on a large surface with cardboard counters marked with a ship picture and a compass circle. A piece of string is passed through these tiles and knots are made at the 3, 5 and 6 feet marks. A record sheet inserted in a clear holder shows ship characteristics and a grease marker is used to mark damage. Players physically move their ships by measuring distance with a ruler. During combat, player must estimate their firing angle. The string is pulled along that angle and the enemy ship is hit if the string passes over it.