Let me take you on a journey to the year 2075. Just as soon as they took control of the world, cats set their sights on a new frontier - space! The crème de la crème of feline specialists now compete for cosmic dominance, with their determination unmatched even by the lack of opposable thumbs. It's a fierce race, filled with catnip-fueled shenanigans and rockets that go boom! Who will emerge victorious in this epic race, claim their paws on the infinite treasures of the Milky Way, and become the true cosmic conquerors?
MLEM: Space Agency is a family board game where you step into the shoes of fearless captains of cosmic expeditions. But hold on, these aren't your ordinary explorers - they're cats! These intrepid felines have long conquered the Earth with their unmatched bravery, and now they've set their sights on conquering the entire cosmos. However, their clumsiness might lead to some purrfectly chaotic cat-astrophes. Take the helm of a cosmic rocket, reach for the stars, or trust your cat instincts and bail out before things go up in flames. Fame and admiration from the entire meowing world await the most exceptional leader of the feline space agency. Get ready for an adventure that's out of this world!
Let's Play MLEM: SPACE AGENCY | Board Game Club
- two-player viability remains strong; scales well with more players
- fun theme with cat astronauts; visually appealing
- decisions feel meaningful even with dice-driven luck
- some downtime due to the dice-driven turn structure
- abstract in places; can feel light for experienced euros
- cats in space; light, humorous sci-fi teamwork with push-your-luck dice elements
- two to five players guide cat captain characters on a space-faring agency
- playful and breezy with moments of planning and pressure
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area/track progression — navigate a track to advance and earn points; some spaces grant instant points or rewards
- dice chucking — roll dice to determine movement options and actions for the captain/ship; dice faces constrain what can be used
- Push Your Luck — choose when to press luck for better movement vs. safe, guaranteed options
- push-your-luck — choose when to press luck for better movement vs. safe, guaranteed options
- Track advancement — navigate a track to advance and earn points; some spaces grant instant points or rewards
- Variable Powers — each astronaut (played by players) has a unique power influencing decisions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I can't recommend it enough
- great little filler game with some really lovely artwork
- it's arguably the most solitaire game we've played outside of some Roll & Write games
- two players is best; a lot of downtime when you add more players
References (from this video)
- Charming cat-themed presentation and art
- Easy entry for new players via clear rules and lively banter
- Varied cat powers add strategic depth without heavy complexity
- Trophy scoring provides additional short-term goals during play
- Light, social, and highly replayable in casual settings
- Significant luck factor due to dice results
- Potentially abrupt game length if players crash repeatedly
- Some players may find the theme childish or silly
- Cosmic conquest featuring spacefaring cats with unique power tokens
- A playful, cat-centered space race across planets and moons toward the universe's end
- lighthearted, humorous banter with improvisational storytelling
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- After Burner tokens — After Burner dice give extra movement and can be kept for future turns; some options let you maximize results.
- Cat tokens with special powers — Each astronaut cat token provides a unique power (doubling results, bonus movement, etc.).
- Compound Scoring — Feats such as placing multiple cats on the end goal provide bonus points via trophies.
- Dice grouping and allocation — Dice of matching values must be grouped to form moves; players choose which groups to apply for movement.
- End-game and scoring — Game can end by ship catastrophe, completion of the track, or placement of all cats; final scoring aggregates planets, moons, trophies, and end-zone bonuses.
- Parachute options — A parachute token allows escaping or special options after crashes or near-end situations.
- Push-your-luck dice rolling — Players roll captain dice to advance; a mismatch on the current space can cause a ship crash and loss of progress.
- Trophies and feats scoring — Feats such as placing multiple cats on the end goal provide bonus points via trophies.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's luck based
- meow meow meow
- I'm going to Moon the whole lot of you
- double moons huge
- we're going all the way on the Galaxy
- puss