How to Save a World Strategy Board Game

About this product

Three plans. One asteroid. No room for hesitation.

Race against disaster while building the scientific strategy that could save an entire world.

A competitive sci-fi strategy game for 1–4 players where you deploy landers, manage resources, develop technology and influence three desperate projects before the asteroid arrives.

Product Description

The planet Alarria is home to an extraordinary variety of advanced life — but an asteroid known as Leviathan is hurtling towards it.

As the leader of a scientific Asteroid Response organisation, you must decide where your efforts will have the greatest impact. Three possible solutions stand between Alarria and disaster: destroy the asteroid with the Laser, deflect it using the Shield, or prepare the Evacuation of as many species as possible.

Deploy your landers across Alarria and its moon, Fortuna, gather and manage vital resources, research new technologies, acquire useful cards and contribute to the projects you believe are most likely to succeed.

But saving the world does not mean everyone is on the same side. Each organisation is competing for recognition, and the project that ultimately proves pivotal can dramatically affect final scoring.

As Leviathan moves ever closer, every round tightens the pressure. Build wisely, adapt to changing circumstances and make sure your scientific organisation has done enough when the asteroid finally arrives.

View the How to Save a World Rulebook (PDF)

View the How to Save a World Solo Mode Rules (PDF)

Why You’ll Love It

• Constant pressure: The approaching asteroid creates a genuine race against time as every round pushes the crisis closer.
• Three competing solutions: Invest in the Laser, Shield or Evacuation and decide where your resources will matter most.
• Strategic lander placement: Deploy landers to valuable locations across Alarria and Fortuna to gain resources and opportunities.
• Develop your organisation: Research technologies, improve resource baselines and build combinations from Action, Boost and Species cards.
• Uncertain project outcomes: Your contributions influence the three projects, but the final outcome is not completely under your control.
• Multiple ways to score: Project performance and Species cards give you different paths towards victory.
• Dedicated solo mode: Take on the SiMu opponent across four difficulty levels when playing alone.

Quick Details

• Publisher: Burnt Island Games
• Game designer: Yuval Grinspun
• Solo mode designer: Alara Cameron
• Players: 1–4
• Age: 14+
• Play time: 60–90 minutes
• Game type: Competitive sci-fi strategy board game
• Theme: Science fiction / planetary crisis
• Solo play: Yes

The main rules confirm the Laser, Shield and Evacuation project system, project competition and endgame scoring. The separate solo rules use the SiMu opponent and offer Practice, Normal, Challenging and Expert difficulties. 

Good to Know

• This is a competitive game: You are all responding to the same disaster, but only one player wins.
• Solo play is fully supported: The included 11 SiMu cards provide an automated opponent for one-player games.
• The pivotal project matters: The Laser is attempted first, followed by the Shield; if both fail, Evacuation becomes the pivotal project.
• Strategy develops differently each game: Cards, facilities, project progress and the asteroid's approach all influence your decisions.