The Star Harvester Board Game prototype is a digital board game crafted to explore core game theory mechanics—strategy, resource scarcity, risk, and asymmetric advantage—that will ultimately shape the gameplay and overarching design philosophy of starharvester.com. Available across multiple platforms, it’s your first look at a future multiplayer universe where cunning meets competition.

Available now on Web, Android, iOS, and macOS.

Core Gameplay Mechanics#

The game centers around planetary resource harvesting, with gameplay driven by these interlaced systems:

Resource Scarcity & Collection#

Players scour randomly scattered asteroids, dynamically competing to breach and seize precious resources. Successfully transporting these assets back to a designated “exit zone” is the key to earning points and claiming victory.

Time Pressure & Spatial Strategy#

With competitors breathing down your neck—and a ticking clock—each move is imbued with urgency. Efficiency in decision-making, adapting to on-the-fly scenarios, and anticipating opponents’ next moves are essential.

Asymmetrical, Skill-Based Competition#

Victory isn’t guaranteed by luck: even when faced with a disadvantage, players can leverage sharp thinking, creative exploitation of rules, and psychological manipulation to turn the odds in their favor.

Rule Manipulation & Bureaucracy Exploits#

The game’s world features a satirical regulatory system—bureaucratic constraints like fees, taxes, and equipment costs—which create opportunities to both cheat the system and sabotage rivals. Clever players can slip through loopholes or trick opponents into costly mistakes.

Multiple Paths to Victory#

Players can succeed by sheer volume of resource extraction, by undermining competitors through sabotage and trickery, or by manipulating game mechanics to avoid penalties and taxes—or gain unexpected advantages.