Star Munchkin

Star Munchkin, the first expansion to the Munchkin card game, takes Munchkin into space. All the silliness of a dungeon crawl has now been launched into orbit. I have heard and agree that this is the most balanced Munchkin card game published. Similar to Munchkin, there are lots of cheap laughs as John Kovalic’s art makes fun of common roleplayer and science-fiction stereotypes.

Basic Theme:
Star Munchkin is a card game based on science-fiction roleplaying games. The premise is that all the players are going through a space station with the goal of being the one at the end who has the most toys. As you proceed through the station (station/door* card deck), you encounter monsters which you have to deal with. If you defeat the monsters, you increase in levels. The player who gets to level 10 first wins the game.

Game Components:
Star Munchkin is a card game consisting of two decks (station/door* and treasure). Both decks are made of the same “poker card” quality cards. After many games, there are few cards that are folded or bent. Also included is one six-sided die (for run-away attempts).

Game Rules:
The game rules are simple and fun to read. They constantly remind you that this is a silly game (through jokes like “everyone starts as a level one human with no class”). The basics are that the characters kick down the door to the next room in the station (flip over a station/door* card) and fight the monster on the other side (the monster on the station/door* card). If there is not a monster on the door card, you can still loot the room. As you defeat monsters (or help others defeat monsters) you get more treasure, which helps you defeat monsters in the future. Like most card games, the cards’ game text takes precedence over the written rules.

Recommendation:
If you enjoyed Munchkin, you will probably enjoy Star Munchkin. If you have enjoyed roleplaying games, you will probably enjoy Star Munchkin. If you enjoy the science fiction genre, you may enjoy Star Munchkin. Even if you are not a roleplayer or sci-fi fan – if you like silly games, you will probably enjoy Star Munchkin. Star Munchkin is quick (less than one hour) and easy to play. The box recommends 2-6 players, but I have found that games with less than 3 players are not as enjoyable. I consider Star Munchkin a family game because it is one of the games I can play with my wife.

*The “door” cards were called “station” cards in the first printings. To remain consistent with the rest of the Munchkin series, they were renamed to door cards in subsequent printings.