TDG: Cody's Top Ten Star Trek Games (December 2024)

[@IlanMuskat]

Star Trek Alliance was really the final form of the X-Wing/Attack Wing system, with amazing solo and co-op gameplay and campaign play. It came in the twilight days of the Wizkids attack wing era, but I think you'd love it.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Yeah, it looked really good, but never had a chance to play. Thanks.

[@Lordborg909]

Couldnt agree more, Nutrek just isnt for me, but Picard season 3 was on the money. SO fun to see the old crew back together

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@Lordborg909 It was a lot of fun. Too bad the rest of nutrek is so bad.

[@blanetalk]

I never cared that much for Star Trek games with a heavy emphasis on combat - that didn't seem thematically to match the spirit of the show. But I do like things like 5 Year Mission; great co-operative puzzle-solving fun! I like a lot of your choices. I'll add my suggestions for two honorable mentions. First is Star Trek: Expeditions (2011 from WizKids), a co-operative game designed by Reiner Knizia set in the Kelvan Universe (Star Trek - 2009). This is basically "Away Missions, The Game", where you have different locations on the planet that have different challenges. And you have to choose which crew members will beam down to each location, taking into account whether their skill sets could help solve the problem there. Just really well done and I enjoy it a lot. Second is Star Trek: The Adventure Game (1985 from West End Games), a 1 to 2 player exploration and discovery game by Greg Costikyan & Doug Kaufman. I just love the fact that this game had that "choose your own adventure book" feel, where when you landed on a planet, you'd flip it over, read the number there and go to that section of the story book to find out what happens and what your choices are. I need to pull that out and solo it again soon! Great idea for a video. Thanks for sharing this!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks. Don't see the two HMs.

[@allthingsnerd.4484]

You define Fleet Captains the exact same way I do to others when introducing them to the game; Star Trek in a box. It’s just so good! Every turn is an episode, every game is a season. Cannot recommend it highly enough. A previous commenter mentioned Star Trek Alliance and I second that. It is standalone from, but can use ships and components from, Attack Wing but is co-op and:or fully solo. Has legacy elements of increasing your captain’s skill and ship/crew abilities and lets you fight the entire Dominion War across three boxed sets. Grab it. You won’t regret it!!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@allthingsnerd.4484 Yeah. I’ve heard good things about Alliance. Is it still in print?

[@allthingsnerd.4484]

@ yes it is. The third and final box set just came out in the last year or so.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@ Excellent.

[@jace76ful]

I love star trek fleet captains! It's very trekish It's the whole having a fleet. Exploring where you want to go. Maybe full-on combat, especially for klingons. Using star fleet as all around exploring/combat. Romulans are very stealthy types. It just has a lot of Star Trek theme.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I agree. Love that game.

[@ToxicXYGamer]

which one has the most Tholians?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Star Trek: Into Tholian Bits!

[@alexan07]

Thanks!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thank you very much! I really appreciate it.

[@eatingweevils]

The Star Trek game Im quite nostalgic about is Starfleet Battles i asked for a xmas present in my early teens .There was no Christmas truce along the Neutral Zone on that Christmas Day!! I now quite like Star Trek Away Missions i was quite dismissive of the miniatures but grew to love em. I joked the other day to my mate the oversized miniatures and now perfect for my old eyes to paint. Have a Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks! You have a Merry Christmas as well!

[@RolandoRatas]

While fixing the holes in my socks my grandma was deeply offended by rather tense remark Captain Picard made when he walked into the room. .. .. .. .. .. .. He said: 'Make it sew.'.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Ha!

[@douglaspearson4853]

I am a big fan of Start Fleet Captains. It put me in the TV series. Dealing with Tribbels for example. Also with the combat they took the rules from Star Fleet battles and cleaned them up to make it quick and easy. STB you had more detailed system where you had more control over your ship. SFC you have a card with pre distributed points.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@douglaspearson4853 Great Game!

[@JonHook]

I'm a huge Trekkie, but for me, most Star Trek games fall flat. But.... Star Trek: Fleet Captains is absolutely AMAZING! Cody glazed over it, (a bit), when he said that each time your ship moves into a new hex you're drawing an Encounter card. That's not quite accurate. The player who first explores/discovers a hex of space has the opportunity to roll a die to see if he can draw an Encounter card. It's been my experience that a player runs about a 50% success rate at drawing Encounter cards. For me, the heart and soul of this game are the Encounter cards and the completion of the various Mission cards. Rules as written, only the player who explores/discovers a new hex tile is given the opportunity to roll for an Encounter card. This is where I have implemented my one-and-only house rule for this game. In my game, each player has a supply to colored tokens/discs in their faction color. When that player first enters a hex, whether it has been explored/discovered or not, they roll once to see if they can draw an Encounter card. Success or fail, they drop a colored token to indicate that they have already attempted an Encounter card roll in that hex. With this house rule, each player is eligible to attempt an Encounter card roll in each hex. It really amplifies the sensation that each player is "in" an episode of Star Trek.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks not a bad idea. Thanks for sharing.

[@josephhaack5711]

What? no Star Fleet Battles? We played that tactical game for decades, still do. Had a strategic game where fleet markers that could use Fleet Battles To resolve battle 😂

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I've heard great things about it, but alas, I've never played that one. Maybe one day. Thanks.

[@josephhaack5711]

@ the key is energy management for movement, weapons, shields, damage control etc…

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@josephhaack5711 I've heard it plays a lot like GMT's Talon, which I love.

[@joshuafannin6356]

Spot on with the number 1 pick, Its my top pick as well! I hope they reprint it as my old copy has seen better days..

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@joshuafannin6356 Yeah. They need to bring it back. Thanks.

[@RayPhay]

I would love for them to reprint this game as I have been wanting to get/play this one for years.

[@Ziplomatic007]

Got a sweet deal on a used copy of Fleet Captains, then two days later I found a pristine like new copy on sale. Bought them both in case I wear one out. Love that game.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@ Good job. It’s great.

[@Jezza_One]

No love for Federation & Empire the most complicated wargame ever made. How about Star Fleet Battles or Federation Commander monsters in their own right.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@Jezza_One Haven’t played ‘em. I’ve heard stories…

[@Jezza_One]

@TheDiscriminatingGamer 🤔

[@TheChillee]

Not nearly the most complex wargame ever… you obviously never played Advanced Squad Leader. Of course, the whole SFB system could use a rewrite with proofreading and conciseness in mind. AND, SFB is not really Star Trek… and I am one who grew up watching TOS reruns in the ‘70s.

[@TheFatalT]

@@TheChilleeit’s Star Trek adjacent lol

[@Jezza_One]

@TheChillee I have played ASL and the rulebook for F&E with all the modules is bigger. Its definately Star Trek because its produced under the TOS licence.

[@DaveinLedbury]

They can keep the Star Wars franchise… It’s Star Trek all the way, for me! Happy Christmas Cody! Happy New Year, too! Looking forward to more of your videos in 2025.

[@RayPhay]

You know I like the Star Wars universe but I tend to have more fun with the Star Trek games. Star Wars Outer Rim with expansion is probably my favorite for that franchise.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thank you, sir. I like plenty of SW games as well. But some really fun stuff happening with Star Trek right now.

[@DaveinLedbury]

I’m perhaps being a bit harsh… I’ve not played any Star Wars games, but that’s mainly because I’m not a huge fan of SW, compared to Star Trek.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@DaveinLedbury Star Wars: Rebellion is the best, but there are many more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXrXaKSchcR3oZo

[@DaveinLedbury]

@ Thanks Cody. I trust your opinion - our gaming tastes are very similar - so I may put Rebellion on my 2025 wishlist! Thank you.

[@PaulDarcy]

I think two more that would make my top ten would be Star Trek Panic. Super fun, always tense. Not sure if you've played that one? Also Star Trek Expeditions. It's sad there was never an expansion or ten for that system. Very cool system that should have gotten more love. Great list Cody, thanks!

[@-RTC-]

I’ve had my eye on your #2 for years but have never pulled the trigger. Do you think it plays well with two players? Merry Christmas!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

I've never played it with two, but I think it wouldn't be bad - especially if you got the Dominion expansion and played two factions each. Great game.

[@jupiterloner999]

Not sure why your videos are low in volume... 🤔

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Not sure either.

[@jonnelson7112]

Woo!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@jonnelson7112 Woo indeed!

[@dabearz27]

Good Trek games are few and far between. Most of the good ones are reskins. Didn’t much care for Fleet Captains because it felt a little thematically all over the place, and it seemed to favor the Klingons quite a bit. Top three for me would be Five Year Mission (Simple, but fun), The Adventure Game from the 80’s (Tales of the Arabian Nights meets Trek, albeit very imbalanced in favor of the Federation), and Star Trek Panic. You aren’t missing much with the deck builders. The TOS one is okay, but very mundane by today’s standards.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@dabearz27 I love Fleet Captains, but appreciate that it’s not everybody’s cup of tea.