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Star Realms
Star Realms
Star Realms
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Star Realms
Star Realms played by two players
DesignersRob Dougherty and Darwin Kastle
IllustratorsVito Gesualdi
PublishersWise Wizard Games
Players2 to 4 (adding expansions allows the game to support more players)
Playing timeuntil one of the players loses all their authority.
ChanceCard draw
Age range12 and up

Star Realms is a card-based deck-building science-fiction tabletop game, designed by Rob Dougherty and Darwin Kastle and published in 2014 by Wise Wizard Games. The game started out as a Kickstarter campaign in 2013.[1] The goal of Star Realms is to destroy opponents by purchasing cards using "trade" points and using these cards to attack an opponent's "authority" using "combat" points. The game takes place in a distant future where different races compete to gain resources, trade and outmaneuver each other in a race to become ruler of the galaxy.[2]

Star Realms is similar to other deck-building games, like Ascension and Dominion. The game is marketed as portable and expandable, as it comes in a small box and contains only cards and no dice or markers. In 2016, Wise Wizard Games published a fantasy version of this game called Hero Realms.

Cards

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The original game (core set) consists of the following:[3]

  • One 80 card Trade Deck (20 each of 4 different factions, described below)
  • Two 10 card Personal Decks, consisting of two Vipers and eight Scouts each
  • 10 Explorer cards
  • 18 double-sided Authority cards for keeping score
  • Two Rules Sheets

The cards in the core set are divided over four different factions, each with different benefits or strengths. 20 total cards from each faction appear in Trade Deck, though there are only 11 or 12 different cards in each faction because some cards have more than 1 copy. There are also Unaligned ships, consisting of the Viper and Scout cards from the starting Personal Decks and the Explorer cards.

  • The Trade Federation, focused on trade and growth. Specializes in generating Trade, and they are the only faction able to generate authority. 7 ships and 5 bases.
  • The Blobs, mysterious alien creatures. Specializes in generating absolutely obscene amounts of Combat and removing undesirable cards from the trade row. 8 ships and 3 bases.
  • The Star Empire, former colonies of the Trade Federation. Specializes in Combat and drawing new cards and to force opponent to discard cards. 6 ships and 5 bases.
  • The Machine Cult, a cult of technology focused on robotics and computerization. Specializes in removing undesirable cards and defending from opponent's attacks. 7 ships and 5 bases.

All cards have a trade cost, which is used to determine how many trade points the player needs to buy the card. Cards have either a trade value or a combat value or Authority value or a combination, giving the player a boost for purchasing cards, attacking opponents or adding authority to their total. Many cards also have a special ability, e.g. letting the player draw more cards to their hand or forcing an opponent to discard cards. Some cards also have the ability to be scrapped, which removes them from the game entirely but also gives the player some kind of benefit.

Cards are either ships, which are used and then placed in the discard pile at the end of the turn, or bases which are played and stay in play until they are destroyed by an opponent and then discarded. Bases are either a normal base or an outpost. Bases have a grey shield, and provide some kind of benefit but no protection to the player's authority or other bases. Outposts have black shields and act as protection in addition to any benefits. Outposts must be attacked first, before an opponent can attack the player or other bases. An opponent's combat points must be above or equal to the base's shield value to destroy it and move it to the discard pile.

Setup and placement

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The "game board" consists only of cards. Each player has their own draw deck to draw new cards from and their own discard pile where they put used cards. In the middle of the table is the "trade row", which holds the cards available for purchase. The trade row holds five cards at all times, plus a deck of "Explorer" cards that are always available for purchase. There is also a trade deck which holds unrevealed cards for purchase and a trash heap where players put cards that are removed from the game.

Each player starts out with a starting personal deck of ten ship cards and 50 points of "authority" cards. The starting deck includes eight "Scout" cards (each generating 1 trade) and two "Viper" cards (each granting 1 combat), the most basic ships. The authority cards indicate how much health the player has left.

Gameplay

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At the start of the game the player who goes first draws three cards and the player going second draws five cards. If there are three players, the first one has 3 in their starting hand, the second one has 4, and the third one has 5 cards.

The player whose turn it is then plays the cards from their hand in front of them, each card possibly giving a boost in trade, attack, authority, and/or granting a special ability. At the end of every turn, the player moves all played ship cards to the discard pile, then draws five cards and the next player starts their turn. Whenever the draw deck is empty and a card needs to be drawn, the player shuffles their discard pile and places it face down to form a new draw deck. New cards acquired by purchasing with trade points are first placed in the discard pile and then enter the game when the pile is reshuffled. When a card is purchased it is replaced in the trade row with a new card from the trade deck.

If a card has a scrap symbol (a trash can) it can be scrapped and permanently removed from the game. Other cards also enable cards to be scrapped without activating a scrap ability. In this way, each player builds up their own deck of cards by adding cards from the trade row and removing cards by scrapping. Each drawn hand will give different opportunities for gaining trade points or attacking the opponents with combat points.

Winning the game

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In order to win the players need to attack their opponents' authority using combat. If a player's authority is reduced to zero or less they are out of the game.

Expansions

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Wise Wizard Games have released many expansion packs plus two standalone expansions for Star Realms. Some expansions/promo cards were only available to backers of the Kickstarter campaign while other expansions are available to the public. There are some differences between the online Gambit expansion and the collectible cards.

Standalone Expansions

  • Star Realms: Colony Wars (2015) - Includes new 80 card trade deck plus two 10 card starter decks for the players. When combined with the base game (or Frontiers), allows for 3 to 6 player games.
  • Star Realms: Frontiers (2018) - Includes new 80 card trade deck plus four 10 card starter decks for the players. When combined with the base game (or Colony Wars), allows for 5 to 6 player games.

Expansion Packs

  • Star Realms: Crisis
    • Bases & Battleships (2014) - 12 card expansion with new bases and ships.
    • Events (2014) - 12 event cards shuffled into the trade deck that have special effects when they are turned up into the trade row.
    • Fleets & Fortresses (2014) - 12 card expansion with new bases and ships.
    • Heroes (2014) - 12 hero cards that when purchased from the trade row immediately go into play and boost your game play.
  • Star Realms: Gambit Set (2014) - 10 Gambit cards, 1 or 2 of which are dealt to each player at the beginning of the game and kept hidden. They can be played during the game for a bonus for the player, 3 copies of a new unaligned ship, and 4 cards describing Solo or Co-op challenges.
  • Star Realms: Cosmic Gambit Set (2015) - 13 new Gambit cards, 1 or 2 of which are dealt to each player at the beginning of the game, and 1 new unaligned base. This card is place into play as a result of a Gambit card, and is scrapped when destroyed.
  • Star Realms: United
    • Assault (2016) - 12 card expansion with new bases and ships, including cards with two factions.
    • Command (2016) - 12 card expansion with new bases and ships, including cards with two factions.
    • Heroes (2016) - 12 new hero cards that when purchased from the trade row immediately go into play and boost your game play.
    • Missions (2016) - 12 mission cards (3 are dealt to each player at the beginning of the game), which when completed by the player are revealed. When all 3 are completed and revealed the player wins the game.
  • Star Realms: Promo Pack 1 (2016) - 15 card expansion with new bases and ships.
  • Star Realms: Promo Pack 2 (2017) - 12 card expansion with new ships.
  • Star Realms: Scenarios (2018) - 20 scenario cards (1 used each game) which change how the game is played.
  • Star Realms Command Decks
    • The Alliance (2018) - 18 card expansion with 1 legendary commander, 12 card starter deck, 2 gambit cards, 1 mega ship and 2 score cards.
    • The Alignment (2018) - 18 card expansion with 1 legendary commander, 12 card starter deck, 2 gambit cards, 1 mega ship and 2 score cards.
    • The Coalition (2018) - 18 card expansion with 1 legendary commander, 12 card starter deck, 2 gambit cards, 1 mega ship and 2 score cards.
    • The Pact (2018) - 18 card expansion with 1 legendary commander, 12 card starter deck, 2 gambit cards, 1 mega ship and 2 score cards.
    • The Union (2018) - 18 card expansion with 1 legendary commander, 12 card starter deck, 2 gambit cards, 1 mega ship and 2 score cards.
    • The Unity (2018) - 18 card expansion with 1 legendary commander, 12 card starter deck, 2 gambit cards, 1 mega ship and 2 score cards.
    • Lost Fleet (2018) - 18 card expansion with 1 legendary commander, 12 card starter deck, 2 gambit cards, 1 mega ship and 2 score cards.
  • Star Realms: Stellar Allies (2018) - 12 card expansion with new bases and ships.
  • Star Realms: Frontiers Kickstarter Promo Pack (2018) - 41 card expansion with new bases and ships, as well as new event cards. Split into two expansions in the mobile app as "Frontiers Events" and "Frontiers Promos."
  • Star Realms: High Alert
    • Heroes (2021) - 12 new hero cards that when purchased from the trade row immediately go into play and boost your game play.
    • Invasion (2021) - 12 card expansion with new bases and ships.
    • Requisition (2021) - 12 card expansion with new bases and ships, some of which cost less if cards of that faction have been played that turn.
    • Tech (2021) - 12 tech cards that provide abilities that can be activated each turn.
    • First Strike (2021) - 22 card expansion with new bases and ships, and two new tech cards.

Digital game

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Star Realms has also been released as a digital game for Android, iOS, Mac and Windows.

There are 2 gameplay differences between the games:

  1. The digital version has an unlimited number of purchasable Explorers while the physical card game only has 10 Explorer cards. Although the Explorers were always intended to be unlimited for most games, the 10 provided can replicate an unlimited stack by either reusing scrapped Explorer cards, or in a game where players have run out of Explorers the players can use a proxy or decide that players can't buy any more until somebody scraps one.[4]
  2. Cards with ally abilities that include draw effects trigger immediately upon another card of the same faction entering play, rather than at the discretion of the player.

The digital game allows the player to play against other players online or play scenarios of varying difficulty against an AI.

Awards

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Star Realms has won many notable table top gaming awards, including:

2014 Golden Geek Awards (as voted by the members of BoardGameGeek.com)[5]

  • Best 2-Player Game
  • Best Card Game
  • Best Indie Game
  • Best Mobile / Handheld Game

2014 Dice Tower Gaming Awards[6]

  • Best Small Publisher (Wise Wizard Games for Star Realms)
  • Best Two-Player Game

2014 Origins Awards[7]

  • Fan Favorite Card Game

2015 SXSW's Table Top Game of the Year[8]

References

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Star Realms

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from Grokipedia
Star Realms is a deck-building card game centered on spaceship combat, designed by Darwin Kastle and Rob Dougherty and first published by Wise Wizard Games in 2014. In this two-player game, participants start with a basic deck of 10 cards each and take turns drawing five cards to generate trade for purchasing new ships and bases from a trade row of five cards, while using combat values to attack the opponent's authority—beginning at 50 points—with victory achieved by reducing it to zero. The base set contains 128 cards, including 80 from the trade deck, 10 explorer cards, personal starting decks, and score cards, all housed in a portable deck box for easy play. The game's strategic depth arises from faction synergies among its four core factions—the Machine Cult, the Star Empire, the Blob, and the Trade Federation—allowing players to build powerful combos as their decks evolve through acquisitions and discards. Expansions such as Frontiers, Colony Wars, Crisis, and United introduce new cards, heroes, events, and multiplayer support for up to six players, enhancing replayability and complexity. Star Realms has been praised for its , quick of about 20 minutes, and balance of luck and skill, earning awards including the 2015 SXSW of the Year, four Golden Geek Awards from , and two Dice Tower Awards. A digital adaptation, developed by Wise Wizard Games, launched in on platforms like , iOS, and Android, featuring online multiplayer, AI opponents, and all expansions as DLC. In 2025, to mark its tenth anniversary (first published in 2014), Wise Wizard Games released an anniversary edition with extended artwork and a travel-friendly box, alongside the 2024 Rise of Empire legacy campaign, which introduces three new factions—the Consortium, the Kingdom, and the Scavengers—along with a narrative progression.

Overview and History

Development and Publication

Star Realms was designed by Rob Dougherty and Darwin Kastle, both Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour champions and inductees into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame. The game originated as a collaborative project between Dougherty and Kastle, developed in a small office above Dougherty's garage as an indie endeavor. It was conceived as a streamlined , drawing inspiration from the combat mechanics of Magic: The Gathering and the deck-building framework of to create a more interactive, player-versus-player experience. Following the completion of the core design, Star Realms launched on in October 2013, raising $51,481 from 1,178 backers against a $20,000 funding goal to cover printing costs. The game was published by White Wizard Games in 2014, marking the company's entry into the deck-building genre. The company later rebranded to Wise Wizard Games in 2021. The initial release was distributed through hobby game stores, online retailers such as , and direct sales, making the compact boxed set accessible to a wide audience. A key milestone came in 2025 with the 10th Anniversary Edition, featuring extended artwork on select cards, premium foil-stamped packaging, and a new travel box compatible with sleeved or unsleeved cards.

Core Concept and Themes

Star Realms is a two-player deck-building centered on spaceship combat in a universe, where players command interstellar fleets to engage in strategic battles for galactic dominance. The premise revolves around rival factions clashing in a vast, resource-scarce , drawing players into a of interstellar rivalry and territorial expansion. This setup positions participants as fleet commanders who must navigate alliances and conflicts among diverse groups, such as the militaristic Star Empire and the mercantile Trade Federation, to outmaneuver their opponents. At its core, the game's objective is to reduce the opponent's —a measure of their command influence—to zero through targeted assaults, achieved by acquiring and deploying powerful ships and defensive bases to form an evolving armada. Players begin with modest starting decks and progressively build their forces by drawing from a shared row, balancing the acquisition of cards that generate Trade resources for purchases or direct damage to erode enemy defenses. This mechanic underscores the thematic emphasis on exploration, as commanders scout and integrate new technologies and vessels, and conquest, as they launch assaults to seize control of key sectors. The themes of Star Realms evoke a galaxy-spanning conflict marked by opportunistic alliances and betrayals among factions vying for supremacy, fostering asymmetric gameplay where decks evolve rapidly into specialized engines of war or economic might. This fast-paced dynamic highlights the tension between short-term tactical strikes and long-term strategic deck refinement, immersing players in a of relentless interstellar ambition without predefined storylines, allowing emergent tales of victory through cunning .

Components

Card Types and Factions

Star Realms features three primary card types: Ships, Bases, and starter non-combat cards. Ships represent mobile spacecraft that players deploy to generate resources and deal damage, typically providing a combination of (used to purchase new cards from the Trade Row) and (used to attack the opponent's or their Bases). Bases are defensive installations that remain in play after activation, offering persistent effects such as resource generation, damage, or protection, but they are vulnerable to targeted destruction by opponent . The initial Personal Decks consist of non-combat Scouts, which yield 1 when played to facilitate early purchases, and basic Vipers, low-cost Ships providing 4 for initial aggression. Cards are categorized by rarity—Common, Uncommon, and Rare—with Rares offering more powerful effects and higher costs, influencing deck-building . The base game's shared Trade Deck comprises 80 cards (20 per base ), while each player's starting Personal Deck contains 10 cards: 8 Scouts and 2 Vipers, emphasizing acquisition and basic to bootstrap deck growth. The game revolves around four main factions in the base set, each with distinct themes, colors, and allied synergies that activate bonus effects when multiple cards from the same are in play. These alliances encourage faction-focused deck construction for amplified abilities, such as extra resources or disruption. Expansions add new cards to these factions and, in the case of the 2024 Rise of Empire set, introduce three additional factions, expanding . The (yellow) emphasizes economic dominance through corporate trade networks, generating substantial Trade for acquiring superior assets and Authority for sustaining health. Allied cards grant +1 Trade, promoting rapid deck expansion and defensive plays. The Star Empire (red) embodies aggressive military expansion from rebellious colonies, focusing on direct Combat output, card draw, and opponent disruption via discards. Its ally ability adds +2 Combat, enabling swift, overwhelming assaults. The Blob (green) consists of bio-organic alien destroyers, specializing in high-damage bursts, base destruction, and Trade Row manipulation to deny opponents key purchases. Allies provide +1 Combat and scrap an opponent's card from the Trade Row, enhancing control and aggression. The Machine Cult (blue) draws from techno-religious mining worlds, prioritizing deck optimization through scrapping weak cards and bolstering Base defenses. The ally effect allows scrapping a card from hand or discard, fostering efficient, resilient builds. The 2024 Rise of Empire set introduces three new factions as part of its legacy campaign. The (purple) represents wealthy worlds allied with trade interests, specializing in economic and diplomatic strategies with ally abilities focused on resource generation and alliances. The Kingdom (orange) is a militaristic emphasizing disciplined combat and defensive structures, with synergies for coordinated attacks and authority protection. The Scavengers (gray) feature opportunistic raiders who repurpose wreckage, offering abilities for scavenging resources, disrupting opponents, and adaptive scrapping. These factions integrate with existing ones, providing new combo opportunities.

Deck and Accessories

The base game of Star Realms includes two identical 10-card starter decks, one for each player, each consisting of eight Scout cards and two Viper cards, providing a neutral starting hand for building personal fleets. An 80-card Trade Deck forms the shared market from which players acquire new cards, comprising 20 cards each from the four core factions: Trade Federation, Star Empire, Machine Cult, and The Blob. Additionally, the game contains 10 Explorer cards, which are drawn to reveal new options in the Trade Row, along with a rulebook outlining setup and play. To track —the game's starting at 50 per player—the base set provides 18 double-sided score cards (12 for increments of 1 or 5 Authority and 6 for 10 or 20 Authority), allowing players to mark reductions from combat. These components are housed in a compact, portable deck-box , measuring approximately 1.8 x 2.8 x 3.8 inches, which facilitates easy transport and storage without additional accessories. The 10th Anniversary Edition updates the packaging for improved organization, featuring a premium foil-stamped collector's box that accommodates sleeved or unsleeved cards, extended artwork on all 136 cards (including an expanded 16 Explorer cards and four starter decks for up to four players), and four compact score dials replacing the original cards for simpler tracking. For multiplayer games with three or four players, the base set's components are insufficient alone; two copies are required, with their Trade Decks shuffled together to form a larger shared market, while each player receives one of the four available starter decks from the combined sets.

Rules

Setup and Preparation

To prepare for a game of Star Realms, each player assembles a personal starting deck of 10 cards, consisting of 8 Scout cards (each providing 1 ) and 2 Viper cards (each providing 1 ), and shuffles it thoroughly. Players also begin with 50 Authority each, tracked using the included authority markers placed at the 50 position or noted on paper. Damage tokens are set aside and made readily available for resolving damage to bases during play. The trade deck is shuffled and placed face down to form the draw pile, with the top 5 cards turned face up in the center of the play area to create the trade row from which players acquire new cards. The 10 Explorer cards, which provide 1 and can be acquired at any time, are placed face up in a separate pile adjacent to the trade row. The first player is chosen randomly (such as by coin flip or agreement); the first player draws 3 cards from their deck, and the opponent draws 5 cards. This setup process is minimal and typically takes 1-2 minutes, enabling quick entry into gameplay. For 3-4 player games, two copies of the base set are combined by shuffling all trade deck cards together to form the shared draw pile while maintaining the standard 5-card trade row; the first player draws 3 cards, the second draws 4, and others draw 5; each player uses their own 10-card starting deck and begins with 50 Authority.

Turn Sequence and Actions

In Star Realms, a player's turn consists of three distinct phases that structure the gameplay around activating, managing resources from the personal deck, and drawing for the next turn. The turn begins with the Main Phase, where the player may play cards from their hand face up, activating their primary effects to generate resources such as Trade and Combat, or triggering special abilities. There is no maximum hand size limit, and playing cards is optional. Ships provide immediate Trade (used for acquiring new cards) or Combat (used for attacks) and are oriented horizontally when played, while Bases are oriented vertically and remain in play until destroyed, offering ongoing effects like additional resource generation or defensive capabilities. Players then allocate their accumulated Trade to buy cards from the central Trade Row—a line of five face-up cards from the Trade Deck, each with a cost ranging from 1 to 6 Trade in the upper-right corner—adding purchased cards directly to their discard pile for future draws; the Trade Row is immediately refilled from the Trade Deck after each purchase to maintain five available options. There is no restriction on the number of cards that can be acquired, provided sufficient Trade is available, allowing strategic flexibility in deck-building. Combat generated during this phase can be directed toward attacking the opponent's bases (which automatically defend by absorbing damage equal to their defense value) or, after resolving base defenses, toward reducing the opponent's Authority, which serves as their health pool starting at 50 points. Players cannot target their own bases with attacks or effects, preventing self-sabotage in resource allocation. In the base game, faction synergies enhance card play through Ally abilities, which activate when a player has at least two cards of the same (indicated by colored icons: blue for Trade Federation, yellow for Star Empire, orange for Machine Cult, green for Blob, or purple for free agents) simultaneously in play, often granting bonuses such as +1 or +1 to amplify the turn's output. These abilities can be triggered and used at any point during the Main Phase, regardless of play order, encouraging players to build decks around compatible factions for compounded effects. The turn continues with the Discard Phase, where all played Ships, any remaining cards in hand, and unspent Trade or Combat are discarded to the player's discard pile, while Bases stay in play; this resets the hand for the next phase. The turn concludes with the Draw Phase, where the player draws five cards from their personal deck; if the deck is depleted, the discard pile is shuffled to form a new deck before drawing continues. The Trade Row is refilled if necessary to prepare for the opponent's actions.

Combat and Authority Mechanics

In Star Realms, serves as each player's total, starting at 50 in both two-player and standard multiplayer Free-For-All formats. Damage applied to directly reduces this value, and the game ends when an opponent's reaches zero. cannot be healed through standard mechanics, though certain cards from expansions allow players to gain . Combat in Star Realms is generated primarily by playing Ships and activating certain Base abilities, accumulating in an unspent Combat pool during a player's Main Phase. Players may freely distribute this to target an opponent or their Bases, subtracting from the pool as needed; for example, a total of 10 Combat could be split as 6 against a Base and 4 directly to the opponent's . However, if the opponent controls any Outposts—a special subset of Bases— all available Combat must first be applied to destroy those Outposts before targeting the opponent or non-Outpost Bases, enforcing a protective priority mechanic. Bases defend against Combat by possessing a fixed Defense value, typically 5 for most standard Bases like the Battle Station or Trading Post (with variations such as 4 for some Outposts like Stealth Needle). To destroy a Base, a player must allocate at least an amount of Combat equal to its Defense value in a single turn; excess Combat assigned to a Base is wasted and does not carry over or spill to other targets. Destroyed Bases are moved to their owner's discard pile, removing their ongoing benefits, while some card abilities enable direct destruction without expending Combat, such as the Missile Boat's "Destroy target base" effect. Direct damage primarily targets via the pool, reducing it point-for-point without intermediaries, whereas indirect damage focuses on Bases to eliminate defensive or generative assets before accessing . Certain cards bypass the pool entirely for direct loss. This distinction encourages strategic allocation, as neutralizing Bases unlocks faster paths to victory through undefended strikes.

Winning Conditions

In Star Realms, the primary winning condition is to reduce an opponent's to zero or below, at which point the game ends immediately and the attacking player is declared the victor. represents a player's life force in the interstellar conflict, starting at 50 points per player, and is typically depleted through combat damage from ships and bases. In multiplayer games supporting 3 to 6 players, the format determines the path to victory, but the core principle remains elimination based on . In Free-For-All mode, players may attack any opponent or their bases, and the last player with above zero wins, allowing for informal alliances or shifting targets without formal team structures. Other variants, such as Hunter (where attacks target only the player to your left) or team-based modes like Hydra (shared pools for pairs or trios), also end with the last remaining player or team victorious upon opponents' reaching zero. No formal tiebreakers exist; simultaneous reductions to zero result in sudden death resolution based on the triggering action. Games of Star Realms typically last 20 to 30 minutes for two players, scaling slightly longer in multiplayer due to increased decision complexity, though the focus on rapid deck-building and direct confrontation keeps sessions concise.

Expansions and Variants

Major Expansion Sets

The major expansion sets for Star Realms introduce substantial new card pools, mechanics, and gameplay variants to the base game, expanding strategic options while maintaining compatibility for mixed decks. These sets focus on enhancing combat dynamics, faction synergies, and player interaction through innovative card types and structures. Colony Wars, released in 2015, serves as a standalone two-player set with an entirely new 80-card trade deck comprising refreshed cards from the four core factions (Star Empire, Trade Federation, Machine Cult, and The Blobs). It emphasizes defensive strategies with enhanced bases and introduces new ship abilities that promote aggressive territorial control, allowing seamless integration with the base game for up to four players. The Crisis expansions, released in 2014, comprise four interconnected mini-packs—Bases & Battleships, , Fleets & Fortresses, and —adding 48 cards total. These introduce event cards that dynamically alter the trade row upon entry, fostering asymmetric play through sudden disruptions, alongside powerful units with persistent abilities and fortified bases for each , which deepen tactical in prolonged engagements. Frontiers, released in , is a standalone expansion supporting 1-4 players via a new 80-card trade deck and eight challenge cards for solo or modes. It innovates with the "double ally" , doubling bonuses for same-faction plays to reward focused builds, and includes mercenary-like neutral ships that provide flexible synergies across decks, broadening exploration and conquest themes. United, released in 2016, comprises four packs—Assault, Command, Missions, and Heroes—delivering 48 cards emphasizing multi-faction alliances. It features hybrid ships and bases blending faction traits, elite hero characters with game-altering abilities like hidden agendas, and mission cards that impose secret objectives, enabling varied victory paths beyond direct combat. Block sets organize expansions into cohesive collections for streamlined play. The Nova Block bundles the core set with the Gambit expansion and Crisis elements (the four packs), providing over 250 foil cards for enhanced replayability in 1-6 player games. The Colonial Block, centered on Colony Wars, incorporates the Cosmic Gambit and United expansions for thematic campaigns, supporting 2-4 players with modular deck-building. Rise of Empire, released in 2024, functions as a standalone with a 141-card set and a 12-scenario legacy campaign for 2-6 players. It unveils three new factions—the (diplomatic traders), Kingdom (honor-bound warriors), and (resource raiders)—alongside an evolving game board, permanent deck modifications, and crisis events that transform the market over sessions, blending narrative progression with core deck-building. An Infinite Replay Kit was released in 2025 to allow multiple playthroughs without stickers.

Special Editions and Promos

The 10th Anniversary Edition of , released into retail on November 4, 2025, celebrates a decade of the game with updated extended artwork on its 136 core cards, including an 80-card main trade deck, 16 Explorer cards, and four 10-card personal decks. This edition retains the original gameplay while introducing high-quality components, such as four compact score dials, a folded rulesheet, and a premium foil-stamped travel box designed to accommodate both sleeved and unsleeved cards. Promotional cards for Star Realms have been distributed through various events and retailers, enhancing the base game with unique additions like new ships and bases. At conventions such as , exclusive promo cards are offered, including the ship as a 2025 giveaway, which provides players with specialized combat options not found in standard sets. Tournament prizes, including those from organized play at events like , reward participants with powerful promo cards, such as high-cost ships capable of bouncing opponent bases, fostering competitive engagement. All special editions and promos integrate seamlessly with the core game, allowing players to expand trade decks by shuffling in additional cards for increased variety and larger-scale play.

Digital Versions

Available Platforms

The digital version of Star Realms was initially released as mobile applications for and Android in 2014 by Wise Wizard Games, LLC. The Android app became available on July 3, 2014, followed by the version on August 13, 2014. Both platforms offer the base game for free, with in-app purchases unlocking additional content such as expansions and full version features. The PC version, including its full Steam release on March 8, 2016, supports online multiplayer and AI opponents across Windows and Mac platforms. The mobile and desktop apps include optimizations for tablets, enhancing usability on larger screens. is facilitated via unified user accounts, enabling players to maintain progress and compete across , Android, , and Mac. All expansions from the physical game are available as (DLC) in the digital edition, including sets like , Cosmic Gambit, United, and Crisis expansions, priced individually. Through 2025, the digital Star Realms receives ongoing updates, encompassing bug fixes, balance adjustments, and seasonal events such as Swarm challenges featured in modes. For instance, a patch in April 2025 addressed stability issues, while June 2025 introduced Swarm-themed rewards and foils.

Unique Features and Updates

The digital adaptation of Star Realms incorporates automated deck shuffling, eliminating manual preparation and allowing seamless transitions between turns for a fluid . This feature, combined with intuitive interface controls, replicates the core deck-building mechanics while optimizing for touch and mouse inputs across devices. AI opponents are available at three adjustable difficulty levels, enabling solo players to engage in strategic battles that scale with skill progression and serve as effective practice tools. Online matchmaking facilitates 2-player games through asynchronous or live modes, connecting users via global servers for ranked matches against friends or random opponents. The single-player campaign comprises 15 missions, starting with introductory tutorials that guide new players through setup, trading, and combat before advancing to complex scenarios. Seasonal modes introduce daily and weekly challenges, such as the Battle Star or Swarm events, where participants compete for rewards including exclusive foil card unlocks that add visual flair to decks. In 2025, developers released updates featuring new customizable avatars and weekly previews of upcoming foil cards to build community anticipation. Monetization follows a model for the base game, with no advertisements interrupting play; the full version upgrade costs $4.99 to access the complete campaign and core expansions, while additional packs like or are priced at $1.99 to $4.99 each, directly adapting physical expansions as DLC content. Community engagement is supported through global leaderboards tracking player rankings, in-app tournaments offering competitive brackets with entry fees and prizes like foils, and cross-save capabilities that sync progress and purchases across , Android, and desktop platforms via a single login.

Reception

Critical Reviews

Star Realms has received widespread praise from critics and players for its quick setup time, which typically takes under five minutes, allowing players to dive straight into gameplay without extensive preparation. Reviewers highlight the game's compact design and straightforward rules as key factors in its , making it ideal for spontaneous sessions. The deck-building mechanic ensures high replayability, as each game features unique combinations of ships, bases, and faction synergies drawn from a shared trade row, preventing predictable outcomes. Additionally, the game strikes an effective balance between luck—through card draws—and , with decisions on purchases and influencing outcomes without overwhelming complexity. Critics have noted some limitations, particularly the game's optimal experience at two players, where the direct confrontation shines brightest, though expansions enable multiplayer variants with mixed results. Without expansions, the base set can feel repetitive over extended play, as the finite card pool may lead to familiar strategies dominating sessions. On , Star Realms holds an average rating of 7.9 out of 10 based on over 47,000 user ratings as of 2025, reflecting its enduring appeal as a portable deck-builder. The has recommended it for its portability and fast-paced duels, positioning it as a go-to option for on-the-go gaming. The game's longevity has been supported by recent expansions such as Rise of Empire (2024), , High Alert: First Strike, and Borg: Invasion (all 2025), which introduce new cards, scenarios, and mechanics to refresh the core experience. However, in November 2025, publisher Wise Wizard Games announced layoffs and a restructuring amid financial challenges, including over $2.5 million in obligations, raising questions about future development despite ongoing community engagement. It is often compared favorably to for its sci-fi theme and aggressive combat focus, offering a more thematic and confrontational alternative to the medieval engine-building of its predecessor. The community supports this vitality through active forums on , where discussions on strategy and balance continue, alongside fan-created variants that adapt the game for multiplayer or solo play.

Awards and Recognition

Star Realms has received widespread acclaim in the tabletop gaming community, earning multiple prestigious awards shortly after its 2014 release that highlight its innovative deck-building mechanics and accessibility for two-player combat. The game's success is evidenced by its wins in major industry honors, reflecting its impact on the genre and appeal to both casual and dedicated gamers. In 2015, Star Realms won the SXSW Tabletop Game of the Year award, recognizing it as the top overall tabletop game at the Interactive festival. That same year, it secured four Golden Geek Awards from , including Best 2-Player , Best , Best Indie Game, and Best Handheld Game (for its digital adaptation). These user-voted honors from the largest database underscore the game's popularity and versatility across physical and digital formats. The game also claimed two Dice Tower Awards in 2014, voted by the influential Dice Tower Network: Best Two-Player Game and Best Game from a Small Publisher (for White Wizard Games). Additionally, at the 2015 Origins Awards, it was nominated for Best Traditional and won the Fan Favorite in that category, further affirming its status among card game enthusiasts. Internationally, Star Realms garnered further recognition, including a recommendation in the 2016 Hra Roku (Czech Game of the Year) awards and a nomination for the 2017 As d'Or - Jeu de l'Année Expert category in . These accolades contributed to its reputation as a seminal deck-builder, influencing subsequent games in the space combat theme.

References

  1. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/147020/star-realms
  2. https://www.starrealms.com/
  3. https://www.starrealms.com/learn-to-play/
  4. https://www.starrealms.com/about-star-realms/
  5. https://www.starrealms.com/factions/
  6. https://www.starrealms.com/sets-and-expansions/
  7. https://store.steampowered.com/app/438140/Star_Realms/
  8. https://www.starrealms.com/rise-of-empire/
  9. https://www.geeksundergrace.com/tabletop/interviews-tabletop/game-designer-interview-rob-dougherty-on-star-realms-and-white-wizard-games/
  10. https://geeklyinc.com/an-interview-with-star-realms-co-creator-rob-dougherty/
  11. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1172937197/star-realms-deckbuilding-game
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  23. https://www.miniaturemarket.com/wwg001.html
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  34. https://www.ebay.com/itm/236241340047
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  38. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/star-realms/id893447125
  39. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.starrealms.starrealmsapp&hl=en_US
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  42. https://steamdb.info/patchnotes/18212514/
  43. https://www.starrealms.com/arena-season-25-06-challenge-and-rewards/
  44. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npRkNSWMBwo
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  55. https://gamefound.com/en/projects/wise-wizard-games/star-realms-conquest
  56. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWPjU3RlJcs
  57. https://uvsgames.com/other-games/star-trek-star-realms-borg-invasion/
  58. https://www.wisewizardgames.com/wise-wizard-games-business-update/
  59. https://naylorgames.com/blogs/blog/battle-of-the-deckbuilders-star-realms-vs-dominion
  60. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/147020/star-realms/forums/0
  61. https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2769992/the-fan-made-variant-collection
  62. https://www.starrealms.com/star-realms-wins-sxsw-table-top-game-of-the-year-and-4-golden-geek-awards/
  63. https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-awards-2014
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