Forbidden Stars is a strategy board game for 2–4 players set in the grim darkness of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take command of one of the galaxy’s major factions and battle for dominance over the long-lost Herakon Cluster. Each army seeks to reclaim ancient relics and vital locations essential to its survival. To win, players must seize planets, manage resources, upgrade forces, and defeat rival factions.
Published by Fantasy Flight Games, the game is played over a maximum of eight rounds. Victory is achieved by capturing a set number of objective tokens—two in a two-player game, three with three players, or four in a full four-player match. These objectives represent key artifacts, individuals, or strategic sites, and are usually claimed through a deep and highly engaging card-driven combat system.
Miniatures, Factions, and Scalability
Forbidden Stars features high-quality plastic miniatures that will feel instantly familiar to tabletop 40K players. Each faction includes four distinct ground units, two unique spacecraft, and its own customized combat deck. The models are detailed and visually impressive, practically inviting players to paint them.
One of the game’s strongest features is its scalability. Many strategy games struggle to balance well across different player counts, but Forbidden Stars adapts seamlessly from two to four players. The map layout, objectives, and overall pacing adjust smoothly, ensuring the strategic depth remains intact regardless of group size.
Gameplay Structure and Order System
Each round is divided into three phases: Planning, Operations, and Refresh.
During the Planning phase, players take turns placing order tokens face down onto systems on the game map. These tokens dictate future actions such as movement, resource gathering, unit deployment, or upgrades. The twist is that each system holds only a single stack of orders, meaning opponents can place their own tokens on top of yours, potentially delaying or disrupting your plans.
Once every player has placed four order tokens, the Operations phase begins. Players then take turns resolving the top token from any stack on the board. This system creates constant tension: do you place an important order early and risk it being buried, or wait until later and risk losing the initiative?
This layered order mechanic leads to difficult and meaningful decisions. You may want to deploy powerful units before attacking, or sequence multiple moves across different systems—but opponents always have a chance to interfere.
Combat: Tactical and Engaging
Combat in Forbidden Stars strikes a strong balance between depth and speed. Battles rely on a mix of dice rolls and card play, ensuring they are tactical without slowing down the game for non-involved players.
Units roll a number of dice equal to their combat value—heavy vehicles roll more dice than infantry, for example. Dice faces represent damage, defense, or morale. Players then draw five combat cards and fight over three combat rounds, playing one card per round to modify results and gain advantages.
Damage is resolved by comparing attack and defense values, with morale playing a key role in routing units rather than destroying them outright. Routed units retreat, which can significantly affect future turns and counterattacks.
Upgrading your combat deck is critical, often determining whether you dominate a battle or suffer a costly defeat.
Strengths, Drawbacks, and Setup Concerns
The game’s biggest weakness lies in its setup. In standard play, players alternate placing starting units and even place objective tokens for their opponents. This can unintentionally create unbalanced situations or hand easy points to certain players. Fortunately, the introductory scenario in the learn-to-play guide is excellent and highly recommended for new players’ first few games.
Playtime can also be lengthy. Even with fewer players, a full game can take around four hours, especially for groups that enjoy careful planning and analysis.
Expansions and Availability
There are several well-regarded fan-made expansions that introduce additional factions such as the Tau, Necrons, Imperial Guard, and Tyranids, further expanding the game’s replayability.
The major obstacle, however, is availability. Forbidden Stars has been out of print for years after Fantasy Flight Games lost the Warhammer 40,000 license. As a result, copies are rare and often expensive on the secondary market.
Despite this, for fans of highly thematic, strategy-heavy “Ameritrash” board games, Forbidden Stars remains a standout experience—one that’s absolutely worth tracking down if you ever get the chance to play it.
