REVIEW: Star Trek & Next Generation Fluxx Card Games

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It truly is an excellent time to be both a Star Trek fan, and a tabletop gaming fan. It seems like every few months we’re treated to a new Trek game hitting the shelves of our friendly local game store.

One of the latest to hit the market is Star Trek Fluxx , and it’s 24th century companion Star Trek: TNG Fluxx. The basic Fluxx card game has been around since the late 1990s, and there have been several editions that reflect a variety of themes and franchises. In fact, a Star Fluxx edition has been out for a while, and lovingly (and unofficially) riffed a bit on Star Trek . That said, the two new official Star Trek editions of Fluxx will no doubt become your new favorite versions of the game.

A brief word about Fluxx in general: this is a fast moving card game with “ever-changing rules,” which can take anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes to play. While the suggested age is 8+ and number of players is 2 to 6, I’ve made it work with younger kids and more players without breaking the game balance too much. It helps that it is easy to play, with very little instruction needed before diving right in.

The point of the game is to end up with a set of cards on hand (“Keepers”) that match the current “Goal” card on the table. But with a goal that is constantly being replaced and with new rules coming and going, there’s usually no clear indication of who is close to winning until just before they accomplish the goal.

These two new Star Trek editions of Fluxx feature Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: The Original Series elements, along with a 12-card “Bridge Expansion” packet that allows you to play with both sets at the same time. Each Trek edition has a standard set of cards that will no doubt be familiar to fans of previous Fluxx games (“New Rule,” “Surprise,” and “Action” cards namely).

Of course, it’s the Star Trek specific cards (“Goal,” “Keeper,” and “Creeper” cards) that really turn these into unique collector’s editions.

One of my favorite Trek specific cards comes from the Original Series set, and it is a delightfully deep cut reference to the episode “A Piece of the Action.” ( A game of Fizzbin, anyone? ) Other classic references in the Original Series set include the Doomsday Machine, Spock’s beard from the Mirror Universe, random red shirts, and the Guardian of Forever.

Speaking of the Doomsday Machine, this set has an “Ungoal” card type that I haven’t seen in other editions of Fluxx. If each player has had the Doomsday Machine card — and no one has the Enterprise — then all players lose the game! It’s a card that will no doubt encourage some cooperation to defeat the Doomsday Machine, or it’ll end the game for everyone.

The Next Generation set has a significant Borg presence, drawing on their relationship to both Picard/Locutus and Q, and this makes for some interesting “Goal” cards (and an “Ungoal” card of its own). I did think there were a few missed opportunities here, though.

It would have been clever to somehow involve Robin Lefler’s rules (this is a game all about crazy rules afterall). I also thought it would have been fun to have a “Creeper” card based on “The Game” episode from season 5. Instead, we have the rather generic feeling Romulans and Malfunction “Creeper” cards.

It just seemed like the Next Gen set lacked some fun callbacks to episodes (like the Fizzbin card of the Original Series set). The Borg are fine and all, they just feel a little over-represented in all Next Generation games. It wasn’t an insignificant part of the franchise, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t the whole franchise.

One of the primary ways these sets are distinguished from previous iterations of Fluxx, is in the ability to combine them with the Bridge Expansion cards. Here we have a clever “Meta Rule” card, which is placed alongside the Basic Rules card for the duration of the game. It allows anyone to discard 4 goal cards all at once, and then draw 5 new cards immediately and play all of them.

Combining both sets creates a huge draw pile, and this is a way to get through a large number of cards more quickly. It’s exactly the kind of rule change needed to make the combination of sets work. I’m also a huge fan of the The Bridge “Keeper” card, which lets you steal the Enterprise “Keeper” from someone (and potentially help you deal with that “Ungoal” related to the Doomsday Machine “Creeper” card).

When I’m picking out what to bring to game night, Star Trek Fluxx is going to be a top pick. It’s so easy to introduce to new players, and anyone who likes Star Trek will no doubt get a kick out of all the crazy Trek-themed cards. It’s absolutely worth picking up both sets and the expansion!

If you’re at STLV this weekend, the Star Trek Fluxx games are available for sale only at the FanSets booth in the convention vendors room — including the Bridge Expansion pack.

Looney Labs Games
Star Trek Fluxx
Star Trek: TNG Fluxx

Star trek: lower decks review — “the best exotic nanite hotel”, star trek: lower decks review — “shades of green”, star trek: lower decks season premiere review — “dos cerritos”, search news archives, new & upcoming releases, featured stories, star trek: starfleet academy begins production in toronto, video preview: factory entertainment’s upcoming star trek phaser and medical tricorder prop replicas, interview — exploring star trek: prodigy season 2 with creators kevin & dan hageman (spoiler alert).

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Fluxx Review

Star Trek: The Next Generation Fluxx is a themed version of the original card game Fluxx based on the 1987 Sci-Fi show adored by many. The game is simple, alter the rules to your heart's content and collect the current goal cards. The constantly changing rules make for some frantic decision making and heartbroken opponents.

How Does it Play?

One of the great elements of Fluxx is its simplicity. The small box of cards and short sheet of rules takes moments to read over and seconds to prepare. Simply place the Basic rules, Draw 1, Play 1, into the centre of the table, shuffle the rest, and deal 3 cards to each player. With no active goal, use the cards in your hand to alter the rules for all players, set the goal, take actions or play Keepers. When your Keepers in play match the current goal requirements you win.

If you play new rules, these take effect immediately. Some rules instruct you to draw more cards, play all in your hand or add a hand limit for cards. Action cards give you abilities, such as recovering discarded cards or stealing opponents cards. The Goal card in play determines the combination of Keeper cards needed to win the game. There are even rule cards which allow several goal conditions to be in play at any one time. Giving you, and your opponents, more options for winning conditions. As the number of rules builds and the collections of Keepers grows in front of each player, the game becomes more frantic. All plans are thrown out of the window, as rules or goals change, and players must find a new path to victory.

For such a simple game, there is so much room for different play styles. Perhaps you like drawing cards to have more to choose from or you prefer hand limits which focus your options. You determine exactly how the game plays out, but so do your opponents.

Replayability

Fluxx is a hit with new players. It's super easy to learn, the actions are intuitive and the aim is simple to understand. This makes it perfect for bringing friends to the table or starting off your gaming collection. It’s also small and lightweight which makes it perfect to take with you when you travel or attend parties. Replayability in Next Generation Fluxx is great. It’s never a drag to get this game off the shelf, and it feels effortless to play again and again in one sitting. Players can drop in and out of the game seamlessly, dealing in or discarding all their cards, which is great for larger groups or parties. But even if the game does near the longer end of its 10-40 minute play through, it often feels like you are only a card away from victory.

Star Trek The Next Generation Fluxx Keeper Card

Why Star Trek: The Next Generation Fluxx ?

Star Trek: The Next Generation Fluxx is an obvious choice for any Trekkie. However, even if you're not a fan of the show, this is a fantastic edition to pick up. You’ll enjoy the cute polygon art of the characters and the references to the show. Collecting characters and equipment from the show is so much more engaging than the classic items like Milk or Sleep. But this isn’t just the same game with different pictures. There are new card types and abilities added into this version of the game which adds extra layers to the game play. It's these new elements that really elevate the game above the classic Fluxx.

Creepers are new card types not included in the original game. It's important to avoid these, as they prevent you from winning, but they are played immediately when drawn. Creepers always bring a sigh or angry mumble from players and can lead to hilarious scenarios. Sometimes you meet several goal card requirements but can’t seem to shift those Creepers to win.

Surprise cards are cards you can play at any time, to take instant actions. These often boost your own actions or hinder another players'. The excitement of playing a winning card only to see a smug smile as someone plays one of these purple ‘nopes’ cards. It adds a great twist to the game play.

The Ungoal card is played to replace the current goal. If the conditions are met, the game ends and all players lose. This card keeps players on their toes.

Some of the Keeper’s now have special abilities. These activate whilst in play giving bonuses actions to the player. This is such a great addition to the game. Attempting to steal these cards to gain these abilities creates tensions between players.

Star Trek The Next Generation Fluxx Cards

Great Cards That Need a Mention

On playthroughs, there were a few cards which highlighted the improvements this Star Trek version brings to the game. These go beyond the Star Trek theme and which make it a great game for anyone.

Darmok! A reference to the episode of the same name, adds such a fun challenge. Players try to only speak in Names, numbers or noises between their turns in return for extra cards. Trying to trick people into speaking leads to some hilarious outcomes and fuels the competitive atmosphere. Pretending to get the rules confused always works on this one, people pipe up to correct you and you can smuggly respond ‘Darmok’.

The Holodeck Keeper opens up the possibilities for winning combinations. Allowing you to use a Keeper someone else has in play on your turn. This card certainly becomes a target of envy and is often stolen across the table, resulting in fleeting plans of victory.

Jean-Luc Picard

Watching your opponents face as you steal their Crew Member Keepers turn by turn. This is a bonus if the goal doesn’t even currently need Crew Members and you are only doing it out of spite.

Star Trek The Next Generation Fluxx Creeper Card

Why Should You Buy It?

Fluxx itself is already a fun, frantic card game. It's great for 2 players, where you can play off of each other but also for groups, where rules are changing between your turns. Players dropping in and out with ease also makes it perfect for parties. Yet this Star Trek: The Next Generation Fluxx version adds to the classic game with references, stylistic artwork and new card types. The fun, new abilities lead to an interactive game, with plenty of shouting round the table. These additions make it a solid addition to the collection whether you’re a Star Trek fan or not.

If you'd liked to see more variations of Fluxx, you can see the full collection here .