Space Barons is a quick game of delivering commodities across a distant galaxy.

Inventory: map showing star systems and connections between them; rocket ship pawns, home base and transporter markers, and galactic credits (money). The game is driven by a deck of rather silly delivery cards. There is a deck of insurance policy cards (in the event of disasters). And a six-sided die.

Players begin by selecting a spaceship dealer or dealers and rolling the six-sided die, then paying for their spaceship. They then build and pay for their home base (which doubles as a permanent transporter), selecting a star system from the map. Each star system has a cost to build, ranging from 10-50, which indicates the value and frequency of deliveries that can be made to that system.

Play is relatively simple. On each turn, players draw one delivery card, which usually specifies a cargo and three destinations, varying in value. The cargo is automatically available at the system where the player's rocket pawn is located. The player may then deliver that cargo to the best possible destination (if any is possible). Deliveries may only be made to star systems connected by the players. Upon arrival at a system specified by their card, players are paid for the cargo.

There are no restrictions on arrival at a system. However, to depart from a system a player must possess a matter transporter at that system, or pay another player to rent their transporter. If no transporter is present, the player must build one on a later turn in order to move.
Random events are included in the delivery deck. Some of these can result in loss of spaceship or transporter, or devaluing of cargo. A player may buy an insurance policy, partially covering the cost of losing a ship or transporter.

The delivery deck has a reshuffle card. Upon reshuffling, an end-of-game card is added to the delivery deck. The length of play can be altered by choosing where and when to shuffle these two cards into the deck. The player with the most money when the end-of-game card is revealed wins the game.

Games