The main appeal of One Deck Galaxy will likely be the combination of its theme and cooperative gameplay. It also fits a tremendous amount of content into very few components, which is both problematic and an advantage.

It results in a travel-sized game that won’t crowd your shelves, and reduces setup. However, it does stifle the game flow a bit.

The game does cleverly repurpose cards for many different mechanics, living up to the title. But the rules and complex phases aren’t friendly. There are many moving parts, and they aren’t always cohesive.

The rules have troubled many since launch. But there are now more (and improved) learning materials. This includes answers from the designer on official forums. You will have to push through that learning curve to enjoy One Deck Galaxy.

Still, the game’s premise does lend itself to complex gameplay, akin to grand strategy games like Stellaris. Which is why some players might be confused by the cutesy art design.

It certainly conflicts, but I enjoy it nonetheless. The characters also operate thematically, such as the pirate homeworld using salvage rights.

And although there are many different rules, this also gives you a great deal of freedom once you become accustomed to them. There is always a means to mitigate bad dice rolls, frustrating encounters, and more.

In this way, One Deck Galaxy is like patiently solving a puzzle, using your own preferred methods.

It’s fun to pair different societies and win conditions. And while I wish there were more variety in the adversary difficulty, each of them is distinguishable and interesting.

Final Thoughts

One Deck Galaxy is a dense, ambitious game with a great flavor for co-op fans. It does have a shaky foundation and many moving parts. But the gameplay also has an epic scope and decent replay value. The rules and game flow are flawed. However, the niche angle and complexity can be their own reward.

Score: 7.5 / 10