Space Cadets / Similar games

18 games like Space Cadets

The best games like Space Cadets are Xia Legends of a Drift System, Quantum and Nemesis — the closest of 18 ranked alternatives, scored by shared mechanics and category. Xia Legends of a Drift System shares science fiction, space exploration, dice rolling with Space Cadets.

Every alternative below links to its own Space Cadets-style fact page, drawn from MeeplePick’s action / dexterity / puzzle shelf.

Ranked by shared category (3 pts) and mechanics (2 pts), bonus within 0.7 of Space Cadets’s 2.7 weight, then BoardGameGeek’s Bayesian rating — one entry per series, 18 shown.

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  1. 3–5 players · 60–180 min · ★ 7.9 · Medium · games like Xia Legends of a Drift System →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, Modular Board · 3 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–5 players · ~30 min longer · +0.4 heavier
    View Xia Legends of a Drift System on Amazon →
  2. 2. Quantum (2013)
    2–4 players · 60 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium-light · games like Quantum →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, Modular Board · 3 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–4 players · goes down to 2 · ~30 min shorter · 0.3 lighter
    View Quantum on Amazon →
  3. 3. Nemesis (2018)
    1–5 players · 90–180 min · ★ 8.4 · Medium · games like Nemesis →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Science Fiction, Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling, Modular Board · 3 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–5 players · plays solo · ~45 min longer · +0.6 heavier
    View Nemesis on Amazon →
  4. 4. Asteroyds (2010)
    2–6 players · 30 min · ★ 6.3 · Medium-light
    Shares with Space Cadets: Real-time, Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, Modular Board · 3 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–6 players · goes down to 2 · ~60 min shorter · 0.6 lighter
  5. 5. Project ELITE (2020)
    1–6 players · 60 min · ★ 8.1 · Medium-light
    Shares with Space Cadets: Real-time, Science Fiction, Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling, Grid Movement · 3 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–6 players · plays solo · ~30 min shorter · 0.3 lighter
  6. 6. T.I.M.E Stories (2015)
    2–4 players · 90 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium · games like T.I.M.E Stories →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Puzzle, Science Fiction, Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling · 2 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–4 players · goes down to 2 · about the same length · same complexity
  7. 1–4 players · 120–180 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium-light · games like Star Wars Outer Rim →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Dice Rolling, Modular Board · 2 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–4 players · plays solo · ~60 min longer · 0.3 lighter
  8. 8. Galaxy Trucker (2007)
    2–4 players · 60 min · ★ 7.4 · Medium-light · games like Galaxy Trucker →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Real-time, Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Dice Rolling · 1 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (17%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–4 players · goes down to 2 · ~30 min shorter · 0.4 lighter
  9. 1–4 players · 5–1000 min · ★ 8.1 · Medium · games like The 7th Continent →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Science Fiction, Cooperative Game, Grid Movement, Modular Board · 3 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–4 players · plays solo · ~413 min longer · same complexity
  10. 10. Steam Park (2013)
    2–4 players · 60 min · ★ 6.9 · Medium-light · games like Steam Park →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Real-time, Science Fiction, Dice Rolling, Memory, Modular Board · 3 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–4 players · goes down to 2 · ~30 min shorter · 0.6 lighter
  11. 2–4 players · 90–120 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium · games like Star Trek Fleet Captains →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Dice Rolling, Modular Board · 2 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–4 players · goes down to 2 · ~15 min longer · +0.3 heavier
  12. 1–4 players · 90–150 min · ★ 8.1 · Medium
    Shares with Space Cadets: Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling, Modular Board · 3 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–4 players · plays solo · ~30 min longer · +0.5 heavier
  13. 13. Starcadia Quest (2020)
    2–4 players · 60 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium
    Shares with Space Cadets: Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, Modular Board · 3 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–4 players · goes down to 2 · ~30 min shorter · same complexity
  14. 1–4 players · 60–120 min · ★ 7.0 · Medium · games like XCOM The Board Game →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Real-time, Science Fiction, Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling · 2 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–4 players · plays solo · about the same length · +0.2 heavier
  15. 15. Ricochet Robots (1999)
    1–99 players · 30 min · ★ 7.0 · Medium-light · games like Ricochet Robots →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Puzzle, Real-time, Grid Movement, Modular Board · 2 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–6 players · plays solo · scales to 99 · ~60 min shorter · 0.3 lighter
  16. 1–5 players · 10 min · ★ 7.0 · Light · games like Escape The Curse of the Temple →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Action / Dexterity, Real-time, Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, Modular Board · 4 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (67%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–5 players · plays solo · ~80 min shorter · 1.3 lighter
  17. 3–6 players · 120–180 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium · games like Battlestar Galactica The Board Game →
    Shares with Space Cadets: Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Dice Rolling · 1 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (17%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–6 players · ~60 min longer · +0.5 heavier
  18. 18. Galaxy Defenders (2014)
    1–5 players · 120 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium
    Shares with Space Cadets: Science Fiction, Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, Modular Board · 4 of Space Cadets’s 6 mechanics (67%)
    vs Space Cadets: overlaps at 3–5 players · plays solo · ~30 min longer · +0.5 heavier
Check Xia Legends of a Drift System on Amazon →

As an Amazon Associate, MeeplePick earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked

What game is most like Space Cadets?
Xia Legends of a Drift System (2014) is the closest match to Space Cadets, sharing science fiction, space exploration, dice rolling. It rates 7.9/10 on BoardGameGeek.
What should I play if I like Space Cadets?
Xia Legends of a Drift System, Quantum, Nemesis are the top-ranked alternatives to Space Cadets in the MeeplePick database, matched on medium complexity as well as mechanics. All 18 are ranked on this page with the shared mechanics shown for each.
Is Xia Legends of a Drift System harder than Space Cadets?
Compared with Space Cadets, Xia Legends of a Drift System is +0.4 heavier and ~30 min longer (3.2 vs 2.7 complexity on BoardGameGeek's 1–5 scale).

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Looking for the original? See the full Space Cadets fact page — players, play time, age and complexity.