2026Channing Jones
- Videos
- 5
- Creators
- 3
3 - 5 players120 minHeavy weight

2021Channing Jones
Mainly how-to-play and reviews. Galactic Era is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 13 reviews, 14 how-to-play guides, 7 recorded sessions, 3 unboxings, and 9 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
Galactic Era is an epic space strategy board game with a focus on exploration, expansion and combat. The most innovative feature of the game is that you can choose to play as the “dark” or the “light” side with the appropriate consequences. You can switch your alignment during the game though, too. The amount of luck involved in this game is very low. Combat is deterministic with hidden information (no dice are used). Further features: Many paths to victory, from peaceful to warlike. Alignment determines how you can interact with other players: “Light” (STO) factions can ally with advanced civilizations encountered but may not interfere with primitive civilizations, are peaceful towards other STO players, are peaceful with STS players unless attacked first. “Darkness” (STS) factions can be as peaceful to aggressive as they wish, and are able to subjugate primitive planets. Develop your civilization in across five different technology fields: Military, Spirituality, Propulsion, Robotics and Genetics. Those who are committed a single area of specialty are rewarded with epic powers, at the highest level. Cooperate with other players by trading technologies. Choose from 17 unique factions, each with a unique power, sometimes even two (one for each alignment). Fog of war creates uncertainty by hiding fleets with their tactical options and advantages. Fleets have advantages over others in a Rock-Paper-Scissors fashion. Secret objectives give each player a surprise power, while encouraging different avenues of play. Highly variable game setup that influences objectives. A detailed and rich background story, based on testimony from secret space program whistle-blowers, UFO/ET witness accounts and channeled material. -description from the publisher
Galactic Era has 46 videos from 21 creators: 13 reviews, 14 how-to-play guides, 7 playthroughs, 3 unboxings and 9 other videos. They date from 2019 to January 2025.
To learn the rules, start with "Showing Prototype 1" by Seajay Games, which runs 5 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "The Discriminating Gamer: Galactic Era" by The Discriminating Gamer. 11 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "Playthrough with 2 Players" by Seajay Games, one of 7 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Era of Atlantis and Gnomic Parliament, also by Channing Jones, or Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition and Terra Mystica, which share several of its mechanics.
8 of 21
2026Channing Jones
3 - 5 players120 minHeavy weight
2025Channing Jones
4 - 8 players30 - 60 minMedium weight
2021Sydney Engelstein, Jacob Fryxelius, Nick Little (I)
1 - 4 players45 - 60 minMedium weight
2012Jens Drögemüller, Helge Ostertag
2 - 5 players60 - 150 minVery heavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
Galactic Era is an epic space strategy board game with a focus on exploration, expansion and combat. The most innovative feature of the game is that you can choose to play as the “dark” or the “light” side with the appropriate consequences. You can switch your alignment during the game though, too. The amount of luck involved in this game is very low. Combat is deterministic with hidden information (no dice are used). Further features: Many paths to victory, from peaceful to warlike. Alignment determines how you can interact with other players: “Light” (STO) factions can ally with advanced civilizations encountered but may not interfere with primitive civilizations, are peaceful towards other STO players, are peaceful with STS players unless attacked first. “Darkness” (STS) factions can be as peaceful to aggressive as they wish, and are able to subjugate primitive planets. Develop your civilization in across five different technology fields: Military, Spirituality, Propulsion, Robotics and Genetics. Those who are committed a single area of specialty are rewarded with epic powers, at the highest level. Cooperate with other players by trading technologies. Choose from 17 unique factions, each with a unique power, sometimes even two (one for each alignment). Fog of war creates uncertainty by hiding fleets with their tactical options and advantages. Fleets have advantages over others in a Rock-Paper-Scissors fashion. Secret objectives give each player a surprise power, while encouraging different avenues of play. Highly variable game setup that influences objectives. A detailed and rich background story, based on testimony from secret space program whistle-blowers, UFO/ET witness accounts and channeled material. -description from the publisher
Designer
Channing Jones
Artist
Diego Sanchez
Publisher
Seajay Games
Categories
Mechanics