2038: Tycoons of the Asteroid Belt (1995)

About this game

2038 is a space mining adaptation of the 18xx series of games. First, you have the ever important stock trading rounds followed by operating rounds where you try to deliver commodities mined from the asteroid belt. Instead of laying track, the players explore the asteroid belt and lay claims to various mining resources. During operation rounds, ships move from mine to mine limited only by their fuel and the players' refueling stations. Operation is thus more flexible than in most 18xx games, and the randomly generated map greatly increases replay value.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 3 to 6.
• Rules load. At 4.0/5 this is a heavy game — read the rulebook before people arrive.
• Age. The publisher suggests 14 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.