Space Junkers: Beta Rulebook

Space Junkers: Comprehensive Master Rulebook (Version: 2.0.0) 

Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Game Objective
  3. Components
  4. Game Setup
  5. Game Sequence (5 Rounds Total)
    • 5.1. Pre-Game: The Draft
    • 5.2. Standard Round
  6. Key Concepts
  7. Character Roster
  8. Detailed Component
  9. End of Game & Scoring

1. Overview

Space Junkers is a competitive board game for 2-5 players where you manage own Space Junker Guild.

Players begin by drafting a unique team of Pilots, Engineers, Quartermasters, Search and Rescue specialists… and eclectic wildcards. Over 6 rounds, this crew will travel to a diverse selection of space sectors to retrieve valuable Loot: Ship Upgrades, lost Cargo, Survivors, and rare Alien Artefacts.

The heart of the game is a unique “inverted bidding” system. Each round, players must decide between sending a small, fast crew to get first choice of the most valuable loot, or sending a larger, slower crew to secure a bigger haul—potentially missing out on the best prizes. Fast and surgical vs slow and overwhelming.

The player who best manages their crew, their timing, and their luck will build the most successful Space Junker Guild and win the game.

2. Game Objective

(Competitive Mode): Score the most points by the end of 5 rounds. Points are primarily earned by collecting Loot tiles, completing secret Contract cards, and fulfilling end-of-game bonuses from certain Sector effects.

3. Components

  • Character Cards Decks (36 total):
    • 36x Core Draftable Characters: A pool of characters divided into 5 thematic decks:
      • 4x Captain Cards (One for each player, with unique art but identical mechanics. This is a player’s starting Character.)
      • 1x Quartermaster Deck (6 unique characters)
      • 1x Search and Rescue Deck (6 unique characters)
      • 1x Pilot Deck (6 unique characters)
      • 1x Wildcard Deck (12 unique characters)
  • Sector Cards (18): Define loot distribution and special rules for each round.
  • Loot Tiles (108 total):
    • 36x Ship Upgrade Tiles
    • 36x Cargo Tiles (e.g., Goods, Machinery, Data Cores, Scrap)
    • 36x Survivor Tiles (e.g., VIP, Standard)
    • 16x Alien Artefact Tiles
  • Contract Cards (~15): Secret objectives for bonus points.
  • Survivor Event Cards (36): Deck drawn when Survivors are rescued.
  • Closest to the Wreck Card (1): For tie-breaking.
  • StarJunk Ship Cards (5): Player mats.
  • Turbo Fuel Tokens (20): To reduce mission Prep Time.
  • Character card sleeves with opaque backs.

4. Game Setup

  1. Player Components: Each player receives:
    • 1 Captain Card. This is their first crew member.
    • 3 Turbo Fuel tokens.
    • 1 StarJunk Ship Card.
  2. Closest to the Wreck: Randomly give this card to one player.
  3. Prepare for Draft:
    • Let N be the number of players (2-5).
    • For each of the Character Card Decks shuffle and draw ‘N+1’ cards to form a Draftable Hand of that crew type deck for the draft.
    • The remaining Character Cards are set aside.
    • You now have 5 draftable hands. Assign one to each player.
    • If there are less than 5 players set the unassigned decks aside for the draft.
  4. Set Up Other Decks & Supply:
    • Shuffle and place the Sector DeckSurvivor Event Deck, and Contract Deck face-down.
    • Deal 1 secret Contract Card to each player.
    • Place all Loot Tiles into an opaque bag or face-down pile to form the general supply (“the box”).

5. Game Sequence (5 Rounds Total)

The game begins with a one-time Draft phase, followed by 5 standard rounds.

5.1. Pre-Game: The Draft

This phase uses a “pick-and-pass” draft to build your starting crew.

  1. Each player looks at their hand of N+1 Character cards. (This should be made up entirely of one crew type)
  2. Each player simultaneously chooses one card to keep, placing it face-down.
  3. Once all have chosen, everyone reveals their card and adds it to their crew.
  4. Each player passes their remaining hand to the player on their left. If there are less than 5 players, place each unassigned hand in a circle with the players. These hands will also be passed during the draft.
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 until each player has drafted 5 characters.
  6. The last unchosen card from each hand is added to the Recruitment Pool. All other set aside Character Cards are also added to the Recruitment Pool.
  7. At the end of this phase, each player will have 1 Captain + 5 drafted Characters, for a starting crew of 6.

Draft Example (3 Players): Each player receives a 5-card hand. After the first pick, they pass a 3-card hand. After the second pick, they pass a 2-card hand. After the third pick, they choose one and pass the final card, which is added to the Recruitment Pool. This process is repeated with new decks until all players have drafted 4 characters.

5.2. Standard Round Structure

Each of the 5 rounds consists of the following 5 steps:

Step 1: Location Reveal

  1. Deal Sector Card: Reveal the top card of the Sector Deck. Read its special property aloud. This rule applies for this round only.
  2. Deal Loot: Deal Loot Tiles (Ship Upgrades, Cargo, Survivors, Alien Artefacts) into a central area accessible to all players, according to the distribution specified on the Sector Card for the current player count.

Step 2: Mission Selection (Simultaneous & Secret)

  1. Choose Crew: Each player secretly chooses which Characters from their crew they want to send on the Mission.
    • Players can send a maximum number of crew equal to their current Crew Capacity (initially 2).
  2. Choose Fuel (Optional): Players may secretly commit any number of their Turbo Fuel tokens to this mission. Each token spent reduces the mission’s total Prep Time.
  3. Hide Selection: Players place their chosen Character cards (and any committed Fuel tokens) face-down under their StarJunk Ship Card.

Step 3: Mission Reveal & Turn Order Determination

  1. Reveal: All players simultaneously reveal their chosen Characters and any spent Turbo Fuel.
  2. Calculate Prep Time: Each player sums the Prep Time values listed on their chosen Characters. Apply modifiers from Sector effects. Then, apply the Prep Time reduction from spent Turbo Fuel.
  3. Determine Turn Order: Players compare their total mission Prep Times. The player with the lowest total Prep Time will go first, proceeding in order to the player with the highest total Prep Time.
  4. Tiebreaker:
    • If players are tied for Prep Time, the player holding the Closest to the Wreck card wins the tie (goes earlier).
    • If the tied players do not include the holder of the Closest to the Wreck card, the tie is won by the player closest to the holder’s left (proceeding clockwise).
  5. Resolve Immediate Effects: Apply any effects triggered by Prep Time order (e.g., Ship Damage from SEC06 Space Mines – lowest prep, SEC13 Pirate Ambush – highest prep). The affected player chooses which upgrade to lose.

Step 4: Missions (Executed in Turn Order: Lowest Prep First)

Missions resolve in distinct phases. When it is a player’s turn, they resolve all their applicable abilities for a given phase.

A) Before Mission Phase (Global effects resolve before any player takes their main turn)

  • Any character with a “Before Mission Phase” ability activates (e.g., Teleporter TechCryogenesis).
  • Tiebreaker: If multiple players have abilities in this phase, they resolve in Prep Time order (lowest first).

B) Mission Phase (Players take turns based on Prep Time order)

  1. The player with the current lowest Prep Time takes their turn.
  2. The player resolves the “Mission Phase” abilities of ALL characters they sent on the mission in any order they choose.
    • Collecting Survivors triggers Survivor Events immediately.
    • The Captain‘s Recruit/Train ability is used here.
    • The Cadet‘s copy ability is used here.
  3. After resolving all character abilities, resolve any applicable Sector effects that trigger during the main turn (e.g., SEC10 Treasure Hoard).
  4. Continue in Prep Time order until all players have taken their turn.

C) After Mission Phase (Global effects resolve after all players finish their turns)

  • Any character with an “After Mission Phase” ability activates (e.g., CollectorClean Up CrewS&REMP).
  • Any Ship Upgrades with an “After Mission Phase” effect activate (e.g., Scrap Retrieval Arm).
  • Tiebreaker: If multiple players have abilities in this phase, they resolve in Prep Time order (lowest first). For effects like collecting all remaining loot, the lowest prep time character acts first, taking a single item of that loot type, continuing in prep time order until all loot has been collected.

Step 5: End of Round

  1. Sector Effects: Resolve End of Round sector effects (e.g., SEC01, SEC07, SEC18).
  2. Upgrade Effects: Players with a Fuel Synthesizer (UPG10) upgrade gain 1 Turbo Fuel.
  3. Pass Token: Pass the “Closest to the Wreck” card to the player on the left.
  4. Discard Loot: Discard any uncollected Loot tiles from the central pool. (Loot is usually handled by abilities in the After Mission phase, but this cleans up any stragglers).
  5. Check Game End: If this was the 5th round, proceed to End of Game & Scoring. Otherwise, begin the next round.

6. Key Concepts

  • Loot Tiles: There are four main categories of loot.
    • Ship Upgrades: Grant powerful passive abilities, one-time effects, or new actions.
    • Alien Artefacts: A rare loot type. Score points based on the number of unique artefacts collected (N^2).
    • Cargo: Provides victory points. Four sub-categories: Goods, Machinery, Data Cores, and Scrap. Players with the most tiles in the Goods, Machinery, or Data Cores categories at the end of the game earn a +5 VP Majority Bonus for each.
    • Survivors: Provides victory points (VIP: 5 VP, Standard: 1 VP) and triggers an immediate Survivor Event card draw when collected.
  • Drafting & Recruitment Pool: At the start of the game, players draft their crew. Un-drafted characters form a face-up Recruitment Pool available for hire via the Captain’s ability.
  • Captain’s Choice: During the Mission Phase, if you sent your Captain, you must choose one of two actions:
    • A) Train: Choose one of your other Standard crew members and flip their card to its Elite side.
    • B) Recruit: Choose a character from the Recruitment Pool and add it to your hand. Return one of your other crew (not the Captain) to the pool.
  • Inactive Abilities (The “Commissioning” Rule):
    • Newly Trained Crew: A character that becomes Elite cannot use their Elite ability in the same round they were trained.
    • Newly Collected Upgrades: A Ship Upgrade tile has no effect during the round it was collected. Its ability becomes active at the start of the next round.
  • Prep Time: Determines turn order for the round (lowest first). Calculated by summing the Prep Time of all characters sent on the mission, adding any Sector penalties, then subtracting reductions from Turbo Fuel. Prep Time can be negative.
  • Turbo Fuel Modifiers: Each fuel token spent provides a base reduction of -1 Prep Time. This reduction is modified:
    • With a Racer: Each fuel token reduces Prep Time by an additional 2 (for a total of -3 Prep per fuel).
    • In a Fast Zone (SEC04): Each fuel token reduces Prep Time by an additional 1 (for a total of -2 Prep per fuel).
    • Racer + Fast Zone: These effects stack. Each fuel token reduces Prep Time by a total of 4 (-1 base, -2 from Racer, -1 from Sector).
    • In a Dead Zone (SEC03): Fuel provides no benefit (0 reduction), regardless of other abilities.
  • Training: Characters start as Standard and can be Trained to Elite (by flipping their card) via the Captain’s ability or other game effects. Elite characters have improved stats or more powerful abilities.
  • Recruiting: Players use the Captain’s “Recruit” ability to expand their crew. This is a key method for adapting your strategy mid-game. The process is as follows:
    1. The active player shuffles the face-up Recruitment Pool and draws 3 characters at random, revealing them to all players.
    2. If there are fewer than 3 characters in the pool, they draw all remaining characters.
    3. From the drawn characters, the player chooses 1 to add to their crew permanently. This increases their total crew size.
    4. The unchosen characters are returned face-up to the Recruitment Pool.
    5. A player can have more than the starting 5 characters. However, they are still limited by their Crew Capacity for each individual mission.* Crew Capacity: The maximum number of characters you can send on a mission. Starts at 2. Increased by the Crew Module (UPG01) Ship Upgrade.

7. Character Roster

Space Junkers: Full Character Roster (v2.1.0)

[Developer Note: Elite versions are pending final design. They will primarily be quantitative improvements (e.g. prep time, collect more, affect more targets) rather than introducing new qualitative mechanics.]

Space Junkers: Final Character Roster

DeckCharacter NamePrepAbility Text
StartingCaptain1Mission Phase: Choose: A) Recruit 1 Character from the recruitment pool, OR B) Train 1 of your crew.
EngineersFabricator3Mission Phase: Draw 3 Ship Upgrades from the supply. Choose one to keep, then return the other two.
EngineersShipwright1Mission Phase: Collect 1 Ship Upgrade. You may spend 1 Fuel to collect a second Ship Upgrade.
EngineersScientist2Mission Phase: Collect any 2 Ship Upgrade tiles from the central pool.
EngineersCollector0After Mission Phase: If there are any Ship Upgrade tiles remaining, you may swap one of them for a Ship Upgrade you already have.
EngineersTinkerer1Mission Phase: Collect 1 Ship Upgrade tile. You may also destroy 1 of your other installed Ship Upgrades to collect another.
EngineersDraftsman2Mission Phase: Return 2 of your installed Ship Upgrades to the supply. If you do, search the supply for any one Ship Upgrade and install it.
QuartermastersDemolitions1Mission Phase: Collect 1 Cargo tile, then you may destroy 1 other Cargo tile in the pool.
QuartermastersDockworker2Mission Phase: Collect any 2 Cargo tiles from the central pool.
QuartermastersCurator1Mission Phase: Collect 1 Cargo tile. You may then swap one Cargo tile you already own with one in the pool.
QuartermastersClean Up Crew0After Mission Phase: You may pay 1 Fuel to collect 1 remaining Cargo tile. You may repeat this action.
QuartermastersTeleporter Tech4Before Mission Phase: Collect 1 Cargo tile from the central pool.
QuartermastersTransmutator2Mission Phase: You may return up to 2 of your Cargo tiles to the supply. For each tile returned, draw a new random Cargo tile from the supply.
Search and RescueSpace Lawyer1Mission Phase: Collect 1 Survivor. Draw 2 Survivor Event cards and choose which one resolves. Discard the other.
Search and RescueRescue Team2Mission Phase: Collect any 2 Survivor tiles from the central pool.
Search and RescueValet0Mission Phase: Collect 1 VIP Survivor tile. If you do, do not draw or resolve a Survivor Event card.
Search and RescueShepherd2After Mission Phase: Collect all remaining Survivor tiles from the central pool.
Search and RescueEconomy Ship0Mission Phase: Collect any 2 Standard Survivor tiles from the central pool (cannot collect VIPs).
Search and RescueMedic1Mission Phase: You may discard 1 of your collected Ship Upgrades or Cargo tiles. If you do, collect any 2 Survivor tiles.
PilotsHelmsman-2(Passive Ability) None.
PilotsRacer-1(Passive Ability) Each Turbo Fuel token you spend reduces this mission’s Prep Time by an additional 2.
PilotsFuel Tanker1Mission Phase: Gain 2 Turbo Fuel tokens.
PilotsXenofanatic0Mission Phase: Collect 1 Alien Artefact. Passive: If an Alien Artefact is in the pool, this character’s Prep Time becomes -3.
PilotsSuicide Runner-5After Mission Reveal: You may choose to remove this character from the game permanently. If you do, this mission’s Prep Time is -5.
PilotsBooster Rockets0After Mission Reveal: You may spend any amount of Fuel. Each Fuel spent reduces this mission’s Prep Time by 2.
WildcardsCryonics1Before Mission Phase: Choose up to 3 loot tiles of any type. Freeze them (move them to next round’s loot pool).
WildcardsXenowitch3Mission Phase: If at least 1 of each loot type remains in the central pool, you may destroy them all to gain 1 Alien Artefact.
WildcardsHeavy Lifter4Mission Phase: Collect any 2 loot tiles of any type.
WildcardsDrone2Mission Phase: Collect 1 Ship Upgrade tile and 1 Cargo tile.
WildcardsLuddite2Mission Phase: Collect 1 Survivor tile and 1 Cargo tile.
WildcardsCyborg2Mission Phase: Collect 1 Survivor tile and 1 Ship Upgrade tile.
WildcardsCadet4Mission Phase: Choose another Character you sent on this mission. Copy that Character’s ability text for this turn.
WildcardsGhost Crew5Passive: This character does not count towards your Crew Capacity for this mission. Mission Phase: Collect any 1 loot tile.
WildcardsGiant1Passive: This character takes up 2 Crew Capacity slots for this mission. Mission Phase: Collect any 2 loot tiles of any type.
WildcardsEMP3After Mission Phase: Opponent’s Ship Upgrades have no effect next round. This character cannot be used next round.
WildcardsEnvironmentalistN/APassive: This character cannot be sent on missions. End of Game: Gain 3 VP for each Fuel token you place on this card during your turns. (Max 3 tokens).

8. Detailed Component Lists

8.1. Sector Cards (Full List – 18 Total)

Finalized Sector Decks (v2.1)

(loot per sector per player breakdowns to be added soon)

Early Game Deck: “The Foundry” (9 Sectors)

(Used for Rounds 1-3. Focuses on engine-building and resource acquisition.)

Sector IDSector NameEffect Text
SEC-E1The ArmouryAt the start of the round, deal N Ship Upgrades into a separate “Armoury” pool. On your turn in the Mission Phase, take one upgrade from the Armoury.
SEC-E2The AcademyAt the end of the round, each player may Train one of their Standard characters for free.
SEC-E3The Fuel DepotEach player gains +1 Fuel at the start of the round. The player with the lowest Prep Time gains an additional +1 Fuel.
SEC-E4Market ExchangeAt the start of the round, deal N Contract cards face-up. In Prep Time order (lowest first), each player chooses one to add to their hand.
SEC-E5Debris FieldAny player whose final Prep Time is an odd number may collect one random Cargo tile from the supply box.
SEC-E6Asteroid BeltAny player whose final Prep Time is an even number gains one random Ship Upgrade from the supply box.
SEC-E7Scout’s ReportThe player with the lowest Prep Time may look at the top 3 cards of the Late Game Sector deck and place one on the bottom of that deck.
SEC-E8Oxygenated VoidMaximum Crew Capacity is increased by 1 for all players this round only.
SEC-E9Unstable WreckageThe player with the highest Prep Time gains 1 Alien Artefact tile from the supply box at the end of the round.

Late Game Deck: “The Gauntlet” (9 Sectors)

(Used for Rounds 4-6. Focuses on VP scoring, high-stakes disruption, and catch-up mechanics.)

Sector IDSector NameEffect Text
SEC-L1Pirate TollAt the end of the round, the player with the highest Prep Time must give one of their collected Cargo tiles to the player with the lowest Prep Time.
SEC-L2The Finish LineThe player with the lowest Prep Time gains +5 VP. The player with the second-lowest gains +2 VP. Any player with a Prep Time of 5 or higher loses 2 VP.
SEC-L3Hostile TakeoverAt the start of Mission Reveal, the player(s) with the most Ship Upgrades must return one to the loot pool. The player(s) with the fewest get -2 Prep Time.
SEC-L4All Hands on DeckYou must send your maximum Crew Capacity on this mission. If you cannot, you gain +3 Prep Time.
SEC-L5Supernova WarningThis sector generates +1 loot of each type per player. Any loot not collected by the end of the Mission Phase is immediately destroyed.
SEC-L6The Grand AuctionAt the start of the round, players secretly bid Fuel. The highest bidder may buy any tile from the loot pool for 5 VP (paid at game end). The second-highest pays 3 VP.
SEC-L7The Black MarketDuring your Mission Phase, you may discard one of your secret Contract cards to gain 4 VP immediately.
SEC-L8Specialist’s PrideAt the end of the round, gain +1 VP for each Elite character you sent on the mission this round.
SEC-L9Space MinesThe player with the lowest Prep Time takes 1 Ship Damage (loses 1 collected Ship Upgrade of their choice).

8.2. Loot Tiles – Ship Upgrades (Full List)

Upgrade IDUpgrade NameEffect DescriptionQuantity
UPG01Crew Module+1 Maximum Crew Capacity per mission (cumulative).8
UPG02Turbo Fuel PackImmediately gain 1 Turbo Fuel token.4
UPG03Scrap Retrieval ArmAfter Mission Phase, collect 1 remaining Cargo tile per Arm you own.2
UPG04Star LogImmediately gain 1 random Contract card from unused pile.4
UPG05Luxury AccommodationGain +1 VP for each VIP Survivor collected (score at game end).2
UPG06Training SimulatorImmediately Train 1 Standard character of your choice to Elite.4
UPG10Fuel SynthesizerAt the end of each round, gain 1 Turbo Fuel.2

8.3. Loot Tiles – Alien Artefacts (Full List)

Artefact IDArtefact NameEffect DescriptionQuantity
AA01-AA12Various Unique NamesContributes to Alien Artefact set scoring (N^2 VP at game end).1 each

8.4. Loot Tiles – Cargo (Details & Distribution)

  • Categories (9 Tiles Each):
    • Goods: 4x 2VP, 3x 3VP, 2x 4VP. Eligible for Majority Bonus.
    • Machinery: 4x 2VP, 3x 3VP, 2x 4VP. Eligible for Majority Bonus.
    • Data Cores: 4x 2VP, 3x 3VP, 2x 4VP. Eligible for Majority Bonus.
    • Scrap: 1x 2VP, 3x 3VP, 5x 4VP. Not eligible for Majority Bonus.

8.5. Loot Tiles – Survivors (Details & Distribution)

  • VIP Survivor: 9 Tiles, 5 VP each, Trigger 1 Survivor Event.
  • Standard Survivor: 27 Tiles, 1 VP each, Trigger 1 Survivor Event.

8.6. Contract Cards (Pool of ~15)

Contract IDObjective Condition TextVP Reward
CON01Collect at least 3 Alien Artefacts.7
CON02Collect at least 2 VIP Survivor tiles.5
CON03Have at least 4 different Elite Characters at game end.8
CON04Have at least 5 different Ship Upgrade types installed at game end.6
CON05Have collected the most Scrap tiles among all players (ties share).5
CON06Gain 1 VP for every Standard (1 VP) Survivor collected.Special
CON07End the game with at least 2 Turbo Fuel tokens remaining.4
CON08Have collected at least 1 tile each of Goods, Machinery, Data Cores, AND Scrap.6
CON09Collect >= 4 Cargo tiles. If successful, gain -4 VP for each Cargo Majority contest won.8
CON10Have collected at least 8 total tiles from the Ship Upgrade and Alien Artefact pools.6
CON11Gain -1 VP for every Survivor tile collected (max -8 VP penalty).8
CON12End the game with 2 or more Crew Modules installed.4
CON13Have >= 3 Survivors, >= 3 Cargo, >= 2 Ship Upgrades, AND >= 1 Alien Artefact.8
CON14Send a Mission with total calculated Prep Time <= -2. (Reveal immediately for one-time VP).4
CON15Collect at least 3 Cargo tiles with a printed VP value of 2.5

8.7. Survivor Event Cards (Full List)

Event IDEffect Text / LogicQuantity
EVT00Nothing.8
EVT01Train 1 Standard character of your choice to Elite.4
EVT02Gain 1 Turbo Fuel token.4
EVT03Gain 1 random Cargo tile from the box.3
EVT04Gain 1 VP immediately.3
EVT05Gain 1 ‘Crew Module’ Ship Upgrade immediately.2
EVT06Gain 1 ‘Scrap Retrieval Arm’ Ship Upgrade immediately.2
EVT07Look at the top 3 cards of the Sector Deck. Rearrange them in any order.2
EVT08Gain ‘Repair Token’. Discard after taking Ship Damage to ignore it.2
EVT09Gain 1 random Contract card from the unused pile.1
EVT10Keep this card. Counts as 1 collected Alien Artefact at game end.1
EVT11Choose 1 installed Ship Upgrade. It has no effect during the next round.1
EVT12Gain 1 random tile (Ship Upgrade or Artefact) from the box.1
EVT13Romeo: Keep this card. If you also have ‘Juliet’ at game end, gain +5 VP.1
EVT14Juliet: Keep this card. If you also have ‘Romeo’ at game end, gain +5 VP.1

9. End of Game & Scoring

The game ends after 5 rounds. Final scores are calculated by summing:

  • VP from Survivor tiles.
  • VP from collected Cargo tiles.
  • VP from Alien Artefacts (Total unique artefacts collected ^ 2).
  • VP from Cargo Majorities (+5 VP per category for Goods, Machinery, Data Cores; ties share).
  • VP from completed Contract cards.
  • VP from in-game Sector Effects (e.g., SEC09 - Galactic Race).
  • The player with the highest score wins. There is no tiebreaker.