Asteroid Zero-Four (1979)

About this game

The premise of this two-player SF wargame is that the US and USSR have established competing well-armed mining operations in the asteroid belt when a period of massive solar flares makes manned space travel inside the orbit of Mars impossible. A nuclear war between the two mining bases then begins, featuring both missiles and spacecraft; the winning power will dominate mining operations in the belt (and Earth's manufacturing economy) for years to come. The playing time is optimistically marked as one hour, but the game actually says "one to four hours." This is Task Force Game #2 (also #1002), one of Task Force's series of microgames.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 2.6/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.