The wait is almost over. Star Trek Expeditions, one of the most-anticipated Star Trek games in recent memory, will be available starting on June 15 at hobby, game and specialty retailers. Designed by 2002 Gaming Hall of Fame inductee Reiner Knizia, Star Trek Expeditions – from WizKids/NECA -- is a cooperative board game set in the universe of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) feature film, with one to four players assuming the roles of Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy and Uhura, and the players banding together against the game itself. Read on for additional details, and be sure to check out the exclusive video review above provided to us by Jeremy D. Salinas of Drakkenstrike Videos.

In the game, it’s 2259 and the Enterprise ventures to a planet, Nibia, that’s recently petitioned the United Federation of Planets for membership. Only, when Kirk and crew reach Nibia they discover that there’s a Klingon Battle Cruiser in orbit, that civil war is this-close to breaking out and that Nibia and its president are re-thinking their UFP membership request. And so it is the crew’s mission – and thereby YOUR mission – to quell the brewing civil war, contend with the Klingons, and convince Nibia to join the Federation. Oh, and you only have 30 days – each day is a turn -- to pull it all off, or else a Klingon battle fleet will soon swoop in and compel you to withdraw (or, in game parlance: lose). And, just as in life, the choices you make in the game, along with how well you interact with other crew/players, will impact upon the mission’s outcome.

Among the contents of Star Trek Expeditions are: six highly detailed, fully painted HeroClix miniatures, a game board, 14 Stardate cards, 42 Energize cards, 21 Captain’s Log cards, 25 Captain’s Log Supplemental cards, 15 Regular and five Major Discovery Tokens, a Score Tracker (to monitor progress), four Away Team cards, four Turn Order cards and three custom dice. 

Explaining how Star Trek Expeditions differs from the other 500-plus games he’s designed over the years, Knizia said, “Co-operative board games are still a fairly new genre, which I started with the great Lord of the Rings game in 2000. There are still many interesting aspects to explore in this genre. For me, the one really new aspect that stands out in the Star Trek board game is the plot development. We have a variety of different plot cards relating to the three core challenges, the political crisis around the Klingons, the military crisis caused by the rebels, and the energy crisis with the scientific dilithium puzzle. Dependent on the game events and the players’ activities, these plot lines branch out differently and can lead to a variety of different events, bringing new challenges and yet new branches to the plot lines. To do well, the players need to stay ahead of the events and ensure that the various plot lines develop in their favor.  Easily said, with the three plot lines advancing simultaneously, and the Enterprise being under attack from the Klingons.”

For additional details about Star Trek Expeditions, click here. Simply enter your zip code to find a store in your area which carries the game