Space is a polarizing theme in board games. Many love it. Others loathe it. It’s actually my least favorite while being one of Adam’s preferred themes (opposites do attract) which means I’ve sat through a fair number of space games out of love. And good thing, too! There are some truly fantastic space games out there I would never have played otherwise. If you’re like me and the space aisle makes your eyes glaze over but you have family members who love it, this list is the one I wish I’d had sooner.
These are the best space games for families that earned their spot at our table, even with a skeptic running game night. Games are sorted from easiest entry point to deepest gameplay.
Our Quick Picks
Not sure where to start? Here’s a cheat sheet to help you find the right game fast.
- Best Overall: Junk Orbit โ The most accessible entry point on this list. Quick to learn, clever to play, and the space junk theme gets everyone laughing.
- Best for Families: Space Base โ Everyone stays involved on every single roll. Zero downtime, big energy. A permanent spot on our shelf.
- Best for Star Wars Fans: Star Wars: Super Teams โ The theme does all the heavy lifting and the gameplay delivers. Easy to explain, fun for all ages.
- Best Solo or Co-op: Warp’s Edge โ A bag-building solo game with real tension. The feeling of finally beating that mothership is something else.
- Best Table Presence: Planet Unknown โ The spinning selection wheel alone is worth setting up just to show people. Stunning on the table and genuinely great to play.
- Most Original: Moon Colony Bloodbath โ Darkly funny, wildly clever engine-building from the designer of Dominion. Nothing else plays quite like it.
- Best Logic Puzzle: Orapa Space โ Laser deduction with magnetic planet tiles. The kind of game that makes you feel genuinely clever when it clicks.
Easy to Learn Space Games for Families
These are the ones I reach for when we have mixed ages at the table or someone new joining game night.
Junk Orbit
Ages 8+ | 2โ5 Players | 30 minutes
You launch space junk into orbit to deliver it between planets and moons. The twist: every piece you launch also moves other players’ pieces. So you have to think a step ahead.
It sounds more complicated than it is. Kids pick it up faster than adults usually do. Rounds move quickly, the art is charming, and it gets better the more you play it.
Star Realms Academy
Ages 6+ | 2 Players | 20โ30 minutes
This is the family-friendly entry point into the Star Realms universe, and it’s the cleanest deck-builder I’ve handed a six-year-old. You build a fleet from a shared market and try to knock down your opponent’s authority before they knock down yours.
No prior deck-building experience needed. Everything makes sense the minute you start playing. Competitive without ever being mean.
Star Wars: Super Teams
Ages 7+ | 2โ4 Players | 20-30 minutes
If you’ve got Star Wars fans in the house, this one gets played a lot. You pick a team of iconic ships, race them through a track, play cards to move, and set traps to slow people down.
Light, quick, looks great on the table. Strategy comes from managing your hand and knowing when to spend your best cards. If your kids love Star Wars, also check out our full list of the best Star Wars board games for families.
Orbit
Ages 8+ | 2โ4 Players | 30-40 minutes
Designed by Reiner Knizia, which is a name worth knowing if you don’t already. You’re racing to visit every planet and return home first. Each turn you play a card to move your ship, collect energy, or nudge the planets along their orbits. Which means the race keeps shifting under everyone’s feet.
The card play is simple. The decisions aren’t. Plays fast once everyone knows the rules, and the randomized setup keeps it fresh. A smart, breezy space race that rewards planning without ever making the table feel tense. Knizia at his best.
Step-Up Space Games for Families
These games have more rules, more decisions, and more depth. They’re still family-friendly, but they reward players who are ready to dig in a little further.
Space Base
Ages 10+ | 2โ5 Players | 45-60 minutes
A dice game with depth that sneaks up on you. You build a fleet of ships, each assigned to a numbered slot. When dice get rolled, on anyone’s turn, you collect income from your fleet. Retired ships flip over and pay you on other people’s rolls too.
Translation: nobody sits idle waiting for their turn. Every roll matters to everyone. This is the one I recommend most often to families who want strategy without ditching dice.
Orapa Space
Ages 8+| 2โ5 Players | 20โ25 minutes
A laser logic deduction game. You figure out the hidden positions, orientations, and colors of planet-shaped tiles using only laser signals bouncing back at you. The magnetic tiles snap into place, which makes it feel satisfying in a way most puzzle games don’t.
The lasers don’t always behave the way you expect, which is what separates this from a basic deduction puzzle. If your family loves logic games, this is a must-try. It’s a step up from Orapa Mine, so if you already own that one, this is the natural next move.
Welcome to the Moon
Ages 10+ | 1โ6 Players | 25โ30 minutes
A flip-and-write where everyone plays at the same time, filling in numbers on their own moon base sheet. Eight campaign scenarios connect into a story, and each one introduces new rules.
Zero downtime because everyone’s making decisions simultaneously. The campaign structure is the real win. You sit down planning to play one scenario and end up three sessions deep before anyone notices.
First Rat
Ages 10+ | 2โ4 Players | 45โ75 minutes
Possibly the most charmingly silly game on this list. You’re a crew of rats collecting cheese and supplies to build a rocket and escape to the moon. The art is wildly adorable and the premise sells itself.
Solid resource collection and race game with escalating tension. Everyone races toward the same goal, so the competition stays focused. Nobody gets knocked out early.
One of the best “looks easy, plays deeper” games in this genre.
Deeper Space Games for Families Ready to Dig In
Save these for when you have a real evening, older kids at the table, or a game night with people who already love the hobby. They feature more sophisticated strategy without requiring the heavy time investment that some all day space games require.
Warp’s Edge
Ages 14+ | 1โ2 Players | 30โ60 minutes
Solo or co-op bag-building game. You’re a lone fighter pilot trying to destroy a massive enemy mothership before it destroys you. You pull tokens from a bag to take actions, and over the course of the game you swap weaker tokens out for better ones.
The tension is real. Every reach into that bag matters. Perfect for older kids or teens who want a real challenge and the satisfaction of finally beating something that felt impossible the first time.
Perfect for older kids or teens who want a real challenge and love the feeling of beating something that felt impossible the first time.
Planet Unknown
Ages 10+ | 1โ6 Players | 60โ80 minutes
Polyomino tile placement, which is a fancy way of saying Tetris pieces. Every player develops their own planet board with landing sites, rovers, water, and biomass. Tiles get picked from a rotating lazy-Susan style wheel, so everyone pulls from the same supply but no two players grab the same piece at the same time.
The production value is stunning. The wheel alone is worth setting up just to show people. Plays up to six with real depth, which is rare. A great pick for bigger family game nights.
Moon Colony Bloodbath
Ages 14+ | 1โ5 Players | 45โ90 minutes
Don’t let the name scare anyone off. This is a darkly funny engine-builder from Donald X. Vaccarino, the designer behind Dominion. You’re each running a moon colony, trying to keep colonists alive while a shared event deck throws chaos at everyone. Hunger. Power failures. Glitches. Leaks.
The twist: you’re building an engine and breaking it at the same time. Cards you add to the shared deck can help you, but they also mean more trouble is coming for everyone. The first few rounds feel almost peaceful. Then it stacks. Then you’re just trying to outlast your neighbors.
Plays almost like a competitive co-op. Best with three or four players who can laugh together when everything falls apart. And it will fall apart.
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