It's your lifelong dream – to join the Star Patrol and be part of the crew of an interstellar Starship. You've worked hard, graduated from the academy, and received your first assignment as part of a team of young recruits, confident in your training and ready to be put to the test. Nothing can possibly go wrong as you are prepared for anything...
You are the Space Cadets.
Space Cadets is a fun and frantic cooperative game for 3-6 players who take on the roles of Bridge Officers of a Starship. Each officer must accomplish his specific task in order for the team to successfully complete the mission. You might be the...
Helmsman, plotting the ship's course through asteroid fields and nebulae.
Engineer, using dominoes to get enough power to each system.
Weapons Officer, completing puzzles to load the torpedoes and flicking a disc down a track to launch them.
Shield Officer, using tiles to form poker hands to get the strongest shields.
Sensor Officer, using your sense of touch to scan and lock on enemy targets.
Captain, setting the plan and making sure that everyone stays focused and does their job.
If your crew can work together to accomplish the mission goals, you just might make it home in one piece.
Space Cadets Review
- High-concept space operation theme can be appealing
- Encourages teamwork and communication
- Complex rules/learning curve
- Some players find it less engaging unless the group is very cohesive
- XCOM
- Detective
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- team-based coordination — Players must work together to operate a starship with shared responsibilities.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I realized I have been a victim of doing this very thing.
- I would make anybody play Strike as well but that's not the that's not that's not.
- Don't Mess With Cthulu... the little card game social deduction game.
- you keep hoping that some times you feel like people are missing out on something that they may like.
- I try when that happens to me... I try to give it my all for the remainder of the game but that can be very difficult.
References (from this video)
- Array
- Array
- Cooperative space exploration and ship management with thematic Star Trek–like flavor
- Array
- Outer space, starship exploration and mission maneuvers with a crew operating across multiple stations
- Array
- Array
- Array
- positive
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's unlike any other experience that i've had playing a board game
- it's a blast to play
- it's fully engaging
- it's fully thematic
- it's a very social environment; it brings people together
- it's unlike other co-ops in its multi-layered teamwork and memory challenges
References (from this video)
- fun and special
- every station different mini-game
- real-time gameplay
- can get really good with practice
- rewarding with confident crew
- bridge crew simulation
- starship bridge
- cooperative_chaotic
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative — cooperative game
- mini-games — each station is different mini-game
- real-time — real-time gameplay
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is my list the video says the top 100 board games of all time but it really is just my top 100 board games of all time
- three minute board games is an independent channel we dont take money from publishers and we do not do any form of paid content
- Mosaic has the ambitious goal of being a civilization game that can be played in two to three hours and it very much succeeds at this goal
- a game that does not need to be played with a traitor because the inherent selfish goals in this game created enough internal conflict
- I love space racing games and space corp is the game that is most racy as far as space racers go
- the term I use instead of gateway game is foundation game
- Sentinels could easily be a forever game the kind of game you just play over and over and over and over again endlessly
- Modern Art is a simple and brilliant and beautiful game and easily the best pure auction game Ive ever played
- Black Orchestra models some very clever things about how conspiracy is run
- when I asked the question hey what game should I play with my non-gamer friend who's interested in gaming but hasn't done much gaming I almost always answer Sentient Golem Edition
- Arkham Horror is the game that really made board gaming my number one hobby
- there are a few things more fun and rewarding in board gaming than organizing a fight in the arena
- Twilight Struggle is one of the best head-to-head games out there
- Santorini is the definition of an elegant design
- Arkham Horror the card game absolutely should be for you it's a hundred percent for me and it is my number one game of 2023
References (from this video)
- timer creates engaging chaos
- transforms competent players into comedic chaos
- highly satisfying when coordination works
- memorable failure and success moments
- unique individual mini-game experience
- overwhelming at first play
- requires practice to coordinate
- chaotic gameplay may not suit all groups
- space exploration
- space combat
- science fiction
- spaceship operations
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this list is about the stories not the ranking of the games
- cooperation is magical
- it's just a gang of murder hobos sticking together out of convenience just long enough to complete their private goals
- there's nothing that makes otherwise competent board gamers look like a bunch of Muppets like a timer
- watching that train wreck was some of the best social fun I have ever had in a co-op game
- what makes co-op gaming really fun it's that shared experience where one person can go up and do something wacky and you all remember it for the right way that time
- the shared experience where one person can go up and do something wacky and you all remember it for the dice for the right way that time or a memorable character event happens