Space Alert is a team survival game. Players take on the role of a crew of space explorers sent out through hyperspace to survey a dangerous sector of the Galaxy. The spaceship automatically maps the sector in 10 minutes. The crew's task is to defend the ship until the mission is complete. If they succeed, the ship brings back valuable data. If they fail... it is time to train a new crew.
Space Alert is not a typical board game. Players do not compete against each other but instead they work together against the challenge presented by the game. The difficulty of this challenge can be chosen by the players themselves. Completing the most difficult missions requires close teamwork.
2 CDs (or Scenario cards if you don't have a CD player available) present ten-minute-long soundtracks that represent central computer announcements about the presence of various threats. These vary from space battleships and interceptors to different interstellar monsters and abominations, asteroids, or even intruders and malfunctions on the spaceship.
Players have to agree who will take care of which task and coordinate their actions (moving around the ship, firing weapons, distributing energy, using battlebots to deal with intruders, launching guided missiles, etc.) in real time to defend the ship. Only a well coordinated team can survive ten minutes and make the jump back to safety.
The game offers several difficulty levels, huge variability, and a unique experience for two to five player teams. Each mission lasts about 30 minutes, including setup and scoring.
