Risk, Roleplay, and the Official Board Game: How to Play Tabletop StarCraft

It has been more than seven years since the latest release of Blizzard’s sci-fi military real-time strategy (RTS) video game, StarCraft. While loyal fans have spent years longing for a sequel or remaster, the game remains a go-to for RTS enthusiasts. Most recently, Microsoft announced the StarCraft franchise would be making its Game Pass debut during the company’s Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2024 broadcast. This means that new and old StarCraft players can access the franchise’s games — which includes StarCraft Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection — on Microsoft’s subscription service starting in November.

This is the second Blizzard classic that Microsoft has introduced into its Game Pass ecosystem since acquiring Activision Blizzard. Previously, the action RPG Diablo 4 was added to the Pass in March, alongside subscriber-exclusive perks for Blizzard’s free-to-play esports title, Overwatch 2. While StarCraft and StarCraft 2 multiplayer are free-to-play titles, the addition of the franchise into Microsoft’s Game Pass comes with the games’ campaigns. Fans of the StarCraft games can revisit these challenging and inventive RTS challenges featuring memorable characters and Blizzard’s infamous melodramatic storytelling.

Of course, even though StarCraft’s origins are strictly video games-based, there are other ways to enjoy Blizzard’s sci-fi military RTS — whether through its official licensed board game or by designing your own D&D homebrew. In this post, we’ll take a look at the different ways you can play tabletop StarCraft:

What is StarCraft?

Since the release of the first StarCraft game in 1998, the series has gained a strong following and fanbase worldwide, spawning spin-off titles, novelizations, collectable statues and toys, and an official board game. For tabletop RPG fans and players who aren’t familiar with the StarCraft games, the general gist focuses on a war between three alien races, in which players aim to destroy the opponent player on various maps through different strategies, tactics, and microeconomics — like in chess.

Due to the skill, strategy, and decision-making required to succeed in the game, StarCraft makes for a compelling competitive title. The game is especially popular in South Korea, where esports professionals and teams participate in tournaments, earn sponsorships, and play in televised matches for sizable prize pools. Due to the popularity of its esports scene, StarCraft also has a niche esports betting market.

Unlike multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, StarCraft doesn’t provide in-game objectives other than simply defeating your opponent, which makes StarCraft betting a more straightforward pursuit. Avid fans and players of the game watch esports matches and assess the best StarCraft players to bet on, but reputable esports betting platforms like Thunderpick also offer various odds to help people betting on StarCraft make more informed decisions about players based on their match histories, playstyle, and which in-game races a player plays best.

Today, StarCraft and its sequel, StarCraft II, remain a much-loved esports title. StarCraft II was recently included in the inaugural Esports World Cup’s lineup, with Team Liquid’s Clem claiming $400,000 for his dominant Grand Final showing against BASILISK’s Serral without dropping a single map. Clem also saw his name added to the first-ever EWC totem and added 1,000 Club Championship Points for Team Liquid, boosting them to a clear second-place club behind Team Falcons.

The official StarCraft board game

Now that you know how StarCraft is typically and competitively played, you’ll be glad to know that the series’ success led to an officially licensed board game — perfect for tabletop enthusiasts. If you’re interested in an in-depth sci-fi tabletop experience and don’t know where to start, StarCraft: The Board Game provides a ready-made universe with exciting and tense lore to explore and strategize in.

The board game consists of a total of 180 plastic figures and dozens of unit types. StarCraft: The Board Game also features an innovative modular board of varying sizes to match the different map designs and terrains found in the original video games. This guarantees a new experience for experienced and new players in each game. While the StarCraft video games are played using a mouse and keyboard setup, the board game makes use of a card-driven combat system, allowing players to build decks based on their preferred race and modify and upgrade their faction as the game progresses.

Like the StarCraft video games, the board game requires players to battle it out for galactic domination, with movement only allowed and possible within planets and through “Z-Axis” connections. Throughout a game, players can “research” new technologies to improve their race-based combat deck and gain an edge over their opponent — whether unleashing a Zergling rush, using Protoss shields for defense, or sending cloaked Ghosts out to hit targets.

A StarCraft-themed Risk

While the StarCraft video games are mostly a one-on-one experience, Risk: StarCraft Collector’s Edition, released in 2012, can be played with two to six players. In this version of Risk, players control the three factions or races from the StarCraft universe to defeat opponents and control the sector. Players can recruit and mobilize their units to move around and dominate various areas on the board.

Instead of the card-based combat system introduced in the official StarCraft board game, this themed Risk uses dice to resolve battles, as is the case in regular or traditional Risk. Still, there are also special power cards granted to players who control certain areas on the board. The board game offers a flexible experience as it includes four ways to play, such as Basic Training, which starts players on a pre-set map, and Command Room, which allows players to set up the map and place their starting units according to their preference.
Risk: StarCraft Collector’s Edition is only one of many themed Risk board games available. For sci-fi tabletop fans and players interested in more experiences, another future war-themed Risk board game recently released is Risk 2210 A.D., which is an updated rerelease of the 2001 title. While StarCraft has players taking on intergalactic races, Risk 2210 A.D. features human troops involved in space wars.

StarCraft-based D&D campaigns and roleplay

Finally, another way to play tabletop StarCraft is by way of classic tabletop roleplay. Instead of using fantastical elements and characters popularized in various D&D campaigns, for example, many Dungeon Masters have begun developing their own StarCraft-based campaigns to play with friends and loved ones. Of course, this isn’t a new practice, but it will require a lot of creativity and planning compared to playing licensed board games like those mentioned above.

It’ll take some time to adapt D&D characters, stats, actions, and encounters into the in-depth StarCraft world, but with the amount of sci-fi-themed D&D campaigns available, it can surely be done. Of course, you can also opt to pick up an already established sci-fi tabletop RPG, but being able to control or battle against StarCraft’s iconic creatures like the Zergling can be a satisfying experience for hardcore fans of the game.

With so many spin-off video games and novelizations within the StarCraft universe, Dungeon Masters will also have a lot of material to plan and improvise their campaigns on. Since there hasn’t been official news or teasers for a new StarCraft video game, imagining or reimagining your own StarCraft universe and stories is the next best way to celebrate the iconic sci-fi real-time strategy game.

If you found this post interesting, you can also check out our previous post highlighting heavy mecha like the A-1 Sonic Tank for ideas to spice up your sci-fi tabletop roleplays, or maybe even add them into your StarCraft-based homebrew if you like.