Ravensburger has announced Lunar Outpost, a new cooperative board game inspired by the PBS science series NOVA and developed with NASA astronaut Dan Tani. Currently available for pre-order on Amazon, the game will officially go on sale in June 2022.

In Lunar Outpost, players work together to mine lunar elements and build a circular base on the moon. Players can choose to build a starter base, habitat colony, research centre or manufacturing facility. Each type of base is comprised of different “modules”, such as a solar monitor or a machine shop, some of which allow the players to do more as the game goes on. The game also comes with a “Training Mission” to get new players up to speed.

Throughout the game, players will need to contend with events ranging from oxygen leaks to meteorite strikes. A newly created Alexa skill serves as Mission Control, keeping track of the team’s progress and announcing the special events for each round. Players can also play offline using a deck of event cards.

Ravensburger worked with NASA Astronaut Dan Tani to give the game authenticity. Tani, who spent time on the International Space Station, provided Ravensburger’s game developers with an account of what it is like to live and work in space.

“It was a pleasure to work with the Ravensburger team on the Lunar Outpost game. This game conveys the excitement, planning and intricacies involved in building something as complex as a lunar base,” says Tani. “I was impressed with the technical, visual, and even interpersonal fidelity that the game makers insisted upon. I’m proud to be involved with this game and hope that our future lunar architects and explorers get their start on this game board!”

The game supports two to four players ages 10 and up and plays in approximately 45 minutes.