Transgalactica is a worker placement game.
Title: Transgalactica
Year Published: 2025
Designer: Daniele Tascini
Publisher: Devir
Players: 2-5
Game Time: ~100 mins
Set-up Time: ~10 mins
Ages: 14+
Theme: Space exploration and advancement.
Mechanisms: Worker Placement
How to win: Score the most point after 5 rounds.
Game Description
The Galactic Senate has launched the “Transgalactica Decree” in order to increase their knowledge and influence beyond the already well-known fringes of the galaxy. Fleets from every planet have been launched to the stars in search of adventure, riches, and (hopefully) an influential seat in the governing spheres that lie beyond the known space.
How to play Transgalactica
Learn how to play Transgalactica using the updated rules and errata.
Main Mechanisms
Just Worker Placement really.
The rest is just resource management, track movement and completing objectives.
USP
I don’t think there is anything new or Unique here.
Theme
I like the idea that you have these races that are exploring the galaxy, developing new technologies, improving their military etc
But I also like the idea that you’re fighting over seats in the Galactic Senate. That’s fun.
Setup & Rulebook
Setup is a chore but fine. Lots of cards and tokens of different types all over the boards. Shuffling, seperating, counting, combining, placing and returning… It’s a whole thing.
The rulebook is a joke. They had to redo it before release but it’s only available digitally. Even then, it still has issues.
Components & Artwork
The components are good. Everything is wooden and looks nice on the table. The iconography could have been handled better but it’s good enough once you know what you’re doing.
There are 3 sheets of stickers to put on the game and the stickers for the Outposts are just a bit too small to stick.
Whiile I do liike the artowkr, it makes the board a biit too ‘busy’ for me. I’d have liked more muted colours to allow the game elements to stand out a bit more.
Ease of Teaching
It’s fairly easy to teach. You have 8 actions available, 1 of those just copies the other 7.
The iconography on the actions makes them easy to remember after teaching both their cost and what they do.
There are some fiddley bits around some actions and some easily forgettable rules but it’s mostly OK once you get into it.
Similar Games
I had recently played Beyond the Sun before playing this which is a few tech tracks with exploration on top.
I actually got a feeling of The White Castle when playing, also from Devir. In that you’re moving meeples from your player board to the main board by drafting dice.
But you have a very limited number of actions to get resources to do something for points in both games.
The game being based around track movement and a map it reminds me of, and replaces in my collection, Tapestry.
Transgalactica Review
Positives
Easy game play, just place a worker and do the thing.
It’s nice and bright and cartoony, the alen resources are particularly nice.
Planning your turns is pretty fun and a tough challenge to have the resources and the required track advancements.
Saying that, I like the simplicy of the gameplay.
The lead/follow mechanisms is alwasy a good one. You only start the game with 3 workers available so each choice to follow is an important one.
The technologys, personal objectives, missions and galactic decrees differ game to game for variability.
Negatives
That rulebook.
Those stickers.
Transgalactica Round-Up
A very fun worker placement game with enough variety to keep you playing.
Rating
I give it 6/10