Review: Galaxy Trucker 2nd edition (Czech Game Edition)

When a company comes out with a new, updated version for one of their classic games, you can pretty much count on two things: the new one will cost more — sometimes a lot more — and it’ll add a bunch of complicated new features so it’s harder to learn and takes longer to play. Oh joy.

But sometimes a miracle occurs instead, and the new game comes out cheaper, faster, and better than the original. And that’s what Czech Games Edition did with Galaxy Trucker 2nd Edition.

So as angels flap, birds sing, and dogs and cats live together in peace thanks to this CGE miracle, let’s dig into five awesome things about the new version of Galaxy Trucker.

Begin at the Beginner-ing

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The latest version of Galaxy Trucker streamlines the basic rules to get players moving faster and easier than ever. Special kudos go to the team that laid out the new rulebook, too. It’s much cleaner and clearer, and should help new players a lot.

The new artwork gorgeously immerses players in the goofy, offbeat universe of the game. What else can you say when part of your goal involves building a space ship out of sewer parts? The art gives the game a retro sci-fi look with bright colors and rounded versions of the art that long-time players know and love.

And, of course, the writing is spot-on. Galaxy Trucker’s rule book is still the most entertaining read anywhere. (Remember: You need as many of every component as possible, except aliens and shield generators… you only need two each of those.)

Faster Play, Quicker Fun

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One of the first house rules we implemented for the original Galaxy Trucker was trimming the races from three trips down to just one. We were glad to see CGE make that The Official Way The Game Works now.

Doing three races was fun — and busting out the big ships was especially awesome — but it was hard to set aside enough time to go through three rounds of building and flying. Plus, after two rounds of building ships and watching them split apart under a hail of pirate gunfire and ill-placed asteroids, sometimes we were just ready to quit for a while.

Of course, you still have the opportunity to go for three rounds of building and racing with the new edition, but it’s the optional Transgalactic Trek scenario rather than normal gameplay.

Component Upgrades Play Great

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Half of playing any tabletop game is interacting with the components. CGE scores a big win on this one with an awesome selection of lovingly redesigned, high quality bits.

The astronauts got a friendly new sculpt that fits the retro space theme. The aliens pieces have slightly larger bases which makes them more stable during play. It also subtly reinforces the rule that you can only have one alien in a cabin because two simply don’t fit.

Goods cubes look sharper too, made from a silk swirl plastic instead of the old flat color scheme. Oh, and the batteries are still the little green bits that we knew and loved from the first edition.

Price and size

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We aren’t sure how the wizards at CGE pulled this one off (we’re pretty sure it’s magic), but the list price of the new 2nd Edition Galaxy Trucker dropped to just $29.99 MSRP.

To bring the price of the game down, the design team started from their basic vision for simplifying things. For example, instead of having two spaceship versions available for every level of play, the new game has one each, all printed on one double-sided board. (So, yes, your two-sided board actually has three sides. Don’t fight it, just roll with the weirdness.)

Free Online Expansion

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If getting a new edition of the game wasn’t enough, CGE also published a 15-card online mini-expansion called Rough Roads. You can find it on their web site at https://czechgames.com/en/galaxy-trucker/mini-expansion/.

The expansion adds some pretty powerful seasoning to the game, so follow the instructions and go easily. Start by using one card, then maybe add another if you feel wild. Or if you just want to watch your ships burn.

Verdict

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We loved the first edition of Galaxy Trucker a lot, so we were a little wary of a revised version. CGE put our fears to rest by fine tuning the best parts of the game, streamlining the bumpy bits, and dressing the whole thing up with perfect new art that reinforces its cartoony premise.

And you’ll definitely like a significant drop in the list price plus having the whole game packed into smaller box for an easier fit in your shelf space. (My wife especially liked that feature.)

Galaxy Trucker 2nd Edition earns a solid pair of “must buy” recommendations from us, as well as a proud home on the family game shelf. We think you’ll love it!