Star Trek Panic and other new board games

It looks like 2016 is going to be a good year for trekkie board game fans, with several new licensees announced, bringing a variety of new games.

USAopoly (who have previously brought us several different versions of Star Trek Monopoly games) are returning, with a Star Trek version of the game Panic, delivered in conjunction with Fireside Games. The TOS-based game will feature a model of the Enterprise at the center, which will need to be protected from enemy attacks while the ship attempts to go about its mission. This is expect to arrive in May. Here's how USAopoly describe it:

Star Trek™ Panic® boldly goes where no one has gone before as players join the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise on a voyage to defend the ship from enemy attacks and carry out five vital galactic missions.

This cooperative light strategy game introduces new, never before seen, Panic® game mechanics, including Mission Cards, which feature unique challenges based on the original Star Trek™ series, as well as Character Cards, so players can assume the roles of Star Trek™ icons like Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Star Trek™ Panic® comes complete with a maneuverable U.S.S. Enterprise model ship, Shields, Damage and Destroyed Indicators, Mission Cards, Character Cards, Enterprise Cards, and more.

Another existing format, the game Road Trip, is also the subject of a Star Trek adaptation, which is already available from Aquarius, who released it back in August. Here's how they describe this game, which is also based on TOS:

Set your phasers to fun and journey to the farthest reaches of space in this epic board game, Star Trek Road Trip. Under the command of Capt. Kirk, Officers Spock and Bones and Chief Engineer Scotty, you and your friends will face the Enterprise Challenge on your way to becoming the best and brightest recruit.

Released around the same time last year by Mayfair Games (who previously brought us the Star Trek version of Catan) is a TOS and TNG crossover game, Star Trek: Five Year Mission. Perhaps reflecting the age old debate between trekkies, this game plays off the crews of the two different era Enterprises to pick the winner. Here's how Mayfair describe it:

You are about to begin your 5-year mission aboard the USS Enterprise. But which one? You can crew the classic Enterprise NCC-1701 or the next generation NCC 1701-D.

ALERT! You and your fellow crewmates must cooperate to resolve dangerous situations that threaten to destroy your ship. If you fail, you all lose. Solving threats is the way you score points for your crew and win the game.

Each crewmate has a unique ability. These abilities can help the team solve alerts. Use your skills wisely to give your crew the best chance at success.

So, which is the crew for you—The Original Series, or the Next Generation?

If you're feeling a little less competitive, then Culturenik's latest offering might be more your thing, a new Star Trek jigsaw puzzle, a collage of Juan Ortiz's retro poster art, split into a thousand pieces, which has just recently been released.

In the year ahead there's even more on the way, CBS recently announced a wide assortment of new Star Trek licences, ready to merchandise the heck out of this anniversary year. USAoply was among those, described as developing Star Trek themed games, so perhaps we will see other releases from them.

Also mentioned was Gale Force Nine, who were actually announced as a Star Trek licensee last summer. There's not been any news on what they're working on since then, but they were expected to bring us something in the summer of this year, so hopefully we'll find out what they've created soon.

Another of the new licensees is Wooden Expressions, who are apparently going to be making new tridimensional chess sets (given the name, presumably wooden ones).

Finally, announced last year Wizkids latest offering will be Star Trek Frontiers, a strategy game using the Venture Tile System from Mage Knight. This was previously expected this month, but has now been pushed back to a May release.