Overview

Galaxy Trucker is a game where players build space ships from prefabricated components, then fly them through a gauntlet of adventure cards featuring meteors, pirates, planets, and other events. The game has 3 rounds with progressively larger ships (Class I, II, III) and longer, more dangerous journeys. Players race to grab components in real time, build the best ship they can, then see how it holds up. The player with the most cosmic credits after Round 3 wins.

Components

• 4 double-sided ship boards (I, II, III, IIIa) per player color
• 4 starting components (pilot cabins, one per color)
• 144 component tiles (engines, cannons, cabins, batteries, cargo holds, special cargo holds, shield generators, structural modules, life support systems)
• 1 flight board (circular track with price list and rules summaries)
• 8 space ship markers (2 per player color)
• 4 numbered tiles (1-4 for turn order)
• Adventure cards in 3 decks (I, II, III) with asterisk-marked starter cards
• Cosmic credit tokens
• Crew figures: white (humans), purple and orange (aliens)
• Green battery tokens
• Colored goods blocks (red = hazardous/most valuable, then yellow, green, blue)
• 2 dice
• 1 sand timer

Setup

1. Each player takes a ship board matching the current round (I, II, or III). Place your starting component (pilot cabin) on the square marked with the round number.
2. Turn all other components facedown and mix them into a central pile (the Warehouse).
3. Place numbered tiles “1” through the player count in a row near the Warehouse.
4. Place the flight board nearby with the appropriate round’s rules card on top.
5. Prepare adventure cards: make 3 piles of random cards (composition varies by round, mixing decks). A 4th pile is added after building.
6. Place cosmic credits, crew figures, battery tokens, goods blocks, and dice in the bank.

Turn Structure

Each round has two main phases: Building and Flight.

Building Phase (Real-Time)

Someone says “Go!” and all players simultaneously grab components from the Warehouse.

Grabbing Rules:

• Use only one hand. The other stays above your ship board.
• Take one component at a time (facedown from pile or faceup from table).
• Don’t flip facedown components until above your ship board.
• Either add the component to your ship or return it faceup to the table.
• Cannot move a placed component, but can reposition your newest component until you grab another.
• May set aside up to 2 components (these count as lost if not placed).

Building Rules:

• Each new component must be placed on an empty square adjacent to an existing component.
• Components only fit in the indicated building area squares.
• Connectors must legally match: simple-to-simple, double-to-double, universal-to-any. Smooth sides cannot touch connectors.
• If a component touches the ship on multiple sides, ALL touching sides must legally connect.
• Engines must point toward the rear (toward the player). No component behind an engine.
• No component in front of a cannon barrel.

Timer: In the full game, a sand timer limits building time. When it runs out, any player may flip it to the next circle. After the final flip (to “Start”), time runs out and everyone must stop.

Finishing: When satisfied, take the lowest remaining numbered tile. This sets flight order.

Looking at Adventure Cards: After placing at least one component, you may pick up and examine any of the 3 adventure card piles during building (costs time).

Spot Check: Verify all ships are legal. Illegal components must be removed (placed in discard pile, count as lost).

Preparing for Flight

• Place 2 white crew figures in each cabin (or 1 alien if joined to matching life support).
• Place green battery tokens on battery components (2 or 3 per battery).
• Shuffle all 4 adventure card piles together.
• Set ship markers on flight board with separation based on numbered tiles.

Flight Phase

The leader (frontmost player) flips adventure cards one at a time. Each card is resolved, then the next is flipped. Adventure types:

Open Space: Each player (leader first) announces engine strength, moves forward that many empty spaces.

Planets: 2-4 rows of goods. Leader picks first. One player per row. Landing costs flight days (move back). Load goods into cargo holds.

Abandoned Ship: One player opportunity (leader first). Spend crew, gain credits, lose flight days.

Abandoned Station: Requires minimum crew to dock. One player opportunity. Gain goods, lose flight days.

Meteoric Swarm: Roll dice for each meteor to determine row/column.

• Small meteors: harmless unless hitting exposed connector. Shield (1 battery) blocks.
• Large meteors: must be shot by cannon in same column/row. Otherwise, component destroyed.

Enemies (Smugglers/Slavers/Pirates): Attack players in order. Compare cannon strength vs. enemy strength. Win = gain reward (goods or credits) + lose flight days. Lose = suffer penalty. Tie = nothing. Once defeated, remaining players safe.

Combat Zone: 3 criteria; weakest player in each pays a penalty (fewest crew, weakest engines, weakest cannons). Ties broken by who is ahead.

Special Events: Stardust (lose 1 flight day per exposed connector), Epidemic (lose crew from connected cabins), Sabotage (random component destroyed on smallest crew ship).

Actions

Ship Components

Component	Function
Cabin	Holds 2 crew (humans or 1 alien with life support)
Engine (simple)	Strength 1. Must face rear.
Engine (double)	Strength 2. Requires 1 battery per use.
Cannon (simple)	Strength 1 forward (1/2 side/rear).
Cannon (double)	Strength 2 forward (1 side/rear). Requires 1 battery per use.
Battery	2-3 green tokens. Powers double engines, double cannons, shields.
Shield Generator	Protects 2 sides (as oriented). Costs 1 battery to activate. Blocks small meteors hitting exposed connectors and light cannon fire.
Cargo Hold	2-3 containers for normal goods.
Special Cargo Hold	1-2 reinforced containers. Required for red (hazardous) goods.
Structural Module	No function but many connectors (universal). Makes ship more durable.
Life Support (purple)	Joins with cabin to allow 1 purple alien (replaces 2 humans).
Life Support (orange)	Joins with cabin to allow 1 orange alien (replaces 2 humans).

Aliens

• Purple alien: +2 cannon strength (only if base strength > 0). Max 1.
• Orange alien: +2 engine strength (only if base strength > 0). Max 1.

Goods Prices (per block)

Listed on the flight board price list. Red (hazardous) is most valuable, then yellow, green, blue.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

At the end of each round’s flight:

1. Position Bonus: Credits based on finishing order (varies by round; e.g., Round 1: 4-3-2-1).
2. Best Ship Bonus: Fewest exposed connectors earns bonus credits (ties: all tied players get it).
3. Sell Goods: Return goods blocks, gain credits per price list.
4. Lost Component Penalty: Lose 1 credit per component in discard pile (max penalty varies by ship class: Class I = 5, Class II = 8, Class III = 11, Class IIIa = unlimited).

Credits carry over between rounds. After Round 3, the player with the most cosmic credits wins.

Giving Up

If you lose all humans, encounter Open Space with 0 engine strength, or get lapped on the flight board, you must give up. You may also choose to give up before the next card. When giving up:

• No position bonus
• Sell goods at half price (round up)
• Still pay lost component penalty

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Exposed connectors: Any connector not adjacent to another component. Increase meteor vulnerability and may cost flight days (Stardust).
• Hits to ships: Destroyed component is removed along with any pieces that become disconnected. If ship splits, pilot keeps one piece; the other is lost.
• Flight day movement: Skip occupied spaces when counting.
• Battery spending: Decide each time you use engines or cannons whether to power double components. Spent battery tokens are removed permanently.
• Loss of goods/crew: Must give up most valuable goods first. If not enough goods, lose battery tokens. If not enough crew, just give up what you have.
• Side/rear cannons: Count at half value (1/2 for simple, 1 for double).
• Side meteors (Rounds 2-3): Large side meteors can be shot by cannon in same row OR adjacent row.
• Epidemic: Lose 1 crew from each occupied cabin joined to another occupied cabin.
• Sabotage (Round 3): Roll coordinates to hit random component on ship with fewest crew. 3 misses = saboteur gives up.
• Ship building errors found in flight: Remove illegal components + pay 1 credit penalty.
• Team Play variant: Partners share credits. After building, fly your partner’s ship.
• Round 3A: Optional harder round with Class IIIa ships (no maximum loss penalty).

Player Reference

Round Structure:

1. Build ship (real-time, timed)
2. Spot check for legality
3. Prepare crew and batteries
4. Fly through adventure cards
5. Score bonuses, sell goods, pay penalties
6. Reset for next round (keep credits)

Engine/Cannon Strength:

• Simple engine/cannon: 1
• Double (powered): 2
• Side/rear cannons: half value
• Purple alien: +2 cannon (if base > 0)
• Orange alien: +2 engine (if base > 0)

Defense Summary: | Threat | Defense | |——–|———| | Small meteor (exposed connector) | Shield (1 battery) | | Large meteor | Cannon in same column/row | | Light cannon fire | Shield (1 battery) | | Heavy cannon fire | None (pray for a miss) |

Ship Classes: | Class | Round | Max Loss Penalty | |——-|——-|—————–| | I | 1 | 5 credits | | II | 2 | 8 credits | | III | 3 | 11 credits | | IIIa | 3A (variant) | Unlimited |