Moon Colony Bloodbath is a tense strategic board game with a science‑fiction and survival theme, designed by Donald X. Vaccarino (creator of Dominion) and illustrated by Franz Vohwinkel. The game was released in 2024 by Rio Grande Games and is intended for 1 to 5 players, with an estimated playtime of 45–90 minutes.
In the game, you take on the role of the leader of a lunar colony facing unpredictable dangers on the Moon’s surface. Although the colonization of the Moon was envisioned as a pinnacle of human achievement, it quickly becomes clear that life there is filled with deadly challenges—from technical malfunctions and lack of resources to attacks by mysterious creatures. The goal of the game is to survive as long as possible and keep the most colonists alive by the end of the game.
The game is based on engine‑building and engine‑losing mechanics, as well as the use of a shared deck of cards that affects all players.
Each round, a card from the shared deck is revealed, bringing either positive effects (e.g., gaining resources) or negative events (e.g., colonist deaths, equipment failures). Players choose between various actions, such as mining for money, farming for food, exploring for new cards, constructing new buildings, or replenishing supplies. Players may also add their own cards to the shared deck, either as personal perks or as developments that affect all players. Event cards and twist cards introduce unpredictable changes that require adaptability and strategic thinking.
The game ends when a player loses all their colonists or when the event deck is depleted. The winner is the player with the most surviving colonists.
If you enjoy survival‑themed games, science fiction, and strategic decision‑making, Moon Colony Bloodbath is an excellent addition to your collection. 🚀
