showcase backdrop
ExoBase logo
ExoBase logo

ExoBase

A big-box solo worker placement game in a tiny package.

Requirements

30-60
1
12+

Description

Designer-of-Tides.jpg


Title-Summary.jpg

1 player • 60 minutes • ages 12+

You have landed with 3 other specialists on a distant planet; future home of a new civilization. You've barely set up the core of your base when a proximity alarm sounds — an incoming meteorite storm is on course to obliterate your new base! You might just have time to activate the shield generator...

Build a self-sustaining base with a powerful shield generator in the hostile environment of a distant exoplanet, before a coming meteorite storm.

  • Each worker is a unique, upgradable character with their own special abilities. Use 4 of 8 included characters in each game for a variety of combinations.
  • Mine resources, harvest water, and grow food by adding new modules onto your base.
  • Balance your focus between upgrading your base and training your founders in specialized skills.
  • To survive, increase your resource production and power up the shield generator before the storm hits!

ExoBase-Components-1.jpg

Title-HowToPlay.jpg

Download the rulebook

Get the print-and-play

Learn to play in 8 minutes:


ExoBase-StartingLayout.jpg


Full Playthrough:


Reviews:

Exobase, a story of when I had bad gas in the space station

If you want a tight little solo card game with some risk and reward....if you like managing the hell out of some resources......if you don't mind a little light worker placement mixed with a little adventure and a lot of science-y s__t....this base is the place.

Full review

Planet Dave: Sci-fi Construction on a Deadline

Definitely a keeper and one to acquire for your solo gaming collection...

Full review

Tight, Tense, Fun Base-Builder!

There is a great tension in trying to squeeze everything you can out of each founder and location, and the timing of building/upgrading/gaining resources, trying to maximize every turn...

Full review

Exobase is the best compact worker placement game I’ve found to date. Great little gem! - Yogitus

It packs so much in a small package - Sinopiasaur

It doesn't occupy a huge amount of space, and doesn't take long -- the right amount of time to be fulfilling.
Everything worked well. The play loop was great and not overly complicated, there was so much in the way of variety and interactions between cards, and the game has a great story that's told through the gameplay.
One of my favorite games was Terraforming Mars. While the themes and stories of both games are different and well-implemented, I have to say that the variety I experienced during Exobase was equal to or even above the best games of Terraforming Mars I ever played.
And I honestly really love Exobase more. Although I loved Terraforming Mars, it's very impersonal in a way. Exobase is, on the other hand, a character drama in space.
It's good, it's great, I look forwards to more games of this!

Title-GatherBuildUpgrade.jpg

  • Work to gather resources
  • Build additions onto your base
  • Upgrade locations to produce more resources automatically

depth-of-field.jpeg


Title-8Characters.jpg

Each worker pawn represents one of 8 unique characters; four are used in each game. Upgrade their skills as you play to customize them further.

Founders-UpgradeANIM.gif

ExoBase-Founders.jpg


Title-Difficulty.jpg

For a longer, more difficult game, simply flip the Time, Production, and Hazard cards. Be very careful which abilities you take, you'll need most cards to produce resources!

Hard-Mode-Card-Flip.gif


WHG-Logo-newsletter.png

Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates about new games. You can join us on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Discord.

Components

Component Quantity Photo
Small Pro Box 1 Small Pro Box component icon
Medium Booklet 1 Medium Booklet component icon
Poker Deck 1 deck of 32 cards Poker Deck component icon
Cube, 8mm, Black 8 Cube, 8mm, Black component icon
Cube, 8mm, Bright Yellow 20 Cube, 8mm, Bright Yellow component icon
Cube, 8mm, Red 25 Cube, 8mm, Red component icon
D6, 12mm, Black 3 D6, 12mm, Black component icon
Halma, Black 1 Halma, Black component icon
Halma, Blue 1 Halma, Blue component icon
Halma, Green 1 Halma, Green component icon

Vitals

Average Rating 7 reviews
Publish Date May 14, 2022
Edition First
Department Games
Tags Worker Placement SciFi micro small box
More Info ExoBase web site

Why buy this?

  • Big-box experience in a tiny package.
  • Strong sense of progression, engine-building, and tension.
  • 8 unique workers with upgradeable abilities.

We Heart Games

designer logo

Notes

  • This game contains a premium upgrade called UV Coating that makes the printed components more durable.

Accolades

Related Game ThumbnailRelated Game ThumbnailRelated Game ThumbnailRelated Game ThumbnailRelated Game ThumbnailRelated Game ThumbnailRelated Game ThumbnailRelated Game Thumbnail

See It In Action

  • action shot 1
  • action shot 2
  • action shot 3

Ratings and Reviews

Posted a year ago
Own It Fun Priced Well High Replay Value Well Written Rules Nice Artwork

Posted a year ago
Own It Played It Fun Priced Well High Replay Value Well Written Rules Nice Artwork

Posted a year ago
Own It Played It Fun Priced Well High Replay Value Well Written Rules Nice Artwork

One of my most favorite pure solo games to play, but it also ranks very high on my list of all-time favorite games! It is so satisfying to work out the puzzle of optimum worker placement, location con...

Posted 2 years ago
Own It Played It Fun Priced Well High Replay Value Well Written Rules Nice Artwork

Posted 3 years ago
Own It Played It Fun Priced Well High Replay Value

I'm pretty new to Tabletop games in which I began to buy them at the beginning of 2022. So I didn't have an idea of what games I will like since I would be playing many of these games Solo (Which I d...

Posted 3 years ago
Own It Played It Fun Priced Well High Replay Value Well Written Rules Nice Artwork

ExoBase is a solo base-building, worker-placement game that comes in a tiny box, but fills a whole table! I have had this game laid out for several days now, walking over and taking a turn or two when...

Posted 4 years ago
High Replay Value

Please Sign In to leave a review
Community Chat