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A cooperative deck building game with an easy setup and no shuffling required
Astro Knights is a solid cooperative deckbuilder that plays to its strengths when players enjoy tactical, team-based combos and don’t mind some setup fuss. The no-shuffle, draw-trigger system creates satisfying synergy potential and the expansions add very high replay value. If you like coops and deckbuilders (think Aeon’s End lineage), this is worth a shot—just be prepared to spend a bit of time organizing components before the action starts.
Astro Knights is a cooperative, science-fiction card game designed by Nick Little (I) and Will Sobel and published by Indie Boards & Cards, Frosted Games, and Matagot. It plays 1–4 players and is pitched at ages 14+, with a listed playtime of about 45 minutes that can stretch depending on expansions and familiarity. The copy I played came with the expansion, and our two-player session ended up running closer to two hours. If you like cooperative deck-, bag- and pool-building games with distinct hero powers, variable setups, and a chit-pull tension mechanic, this is squarely in your wheelhouse.
We approached the game after watching a playthrough video and reading the rules; the rulebook is crystal-clear, which made the learning curve friendly even with all the moving pieces. The basic loop is straightforward: trigger your active weapons, play cards, buy new gear and cards, and then draw—but the twist is that you don’t shuffle in the traditional way. Cards have triggered effects when drawn, which rewards deck specialization and careful timing. The game sits somewhere between accessible and medium complexity: there’s enough tactical depth to make decisions meaningful without overwhelming newer players. Our session felt collaborative and team-based, with measured tension early on that gave way to satisfying combo moments as our decks started to come together.
Setup took longer than the advertised 5–10 minutes because we were using the expansion, and there are a lot of additional villain and hero options to sort through. The player feedback matches my experience: if you use the base game only the setup is brisk, but expansions increase setup time and the number of small piles to organize. The components themselves are solid—good-quality cards and functional artwork that favors clarity over flashy detail. Iconography is mostly clear with just a couple of minor issues that required checking the rulebook a time or two, but nothing that breaks the flow.
I believe we played a retail version; there were no component defects and no missing pieces. The game comes with a fair number of tokens and cards, and if you want to reduce setup time I strongly recommend organizing the expansion cards into labeled boxes or trays ahead of time. That was the single setup improvement we would make based on this play: better organization reduces the initial friction and gets you into the game faster. Despite the extra time, the production value supports the gameplay and the extra components directly feed replayability through added heroes and villains.
At its core, Astro Knights plays as a cooperative deckbuilder with a no-shuffle, draw-trigger twist. Each card can have actions when played and actions that trigger when drawn into your hand, so purchased cards become building blocks for repeatable combos rather than one-off tools. The combat and encounter resolution use a chit-pull system that keeps the threat level unpredictable. We found the luck vs skill balance to be healthy—you need to plan and coordinate, but the chits and villain pulls keep the tension high and force real tactical adaptation.
Gameplay flows through distinct phases: trigger weapons, play cards, make purchases, then draw. That simplicity masks the tactical depth in card interactions. Early in the game our team felt nearly helpless—the boss and villain escalation outpaced our damage output for several rounds. That’s when the game shows its strengths: as decks are customized, certain bought cards began to interact and trigger consistently when drawn, letting us chain effects and finally deal meaningful damage. In our session this slow ramp culminated in a dramatic late-game where we were able to synchronize abilities and pull off combos that felt earned; we nearly had no chance at the beginning, but because of the way cards trigger on draw, we started carving into the final boss and managed to win.
Thematic integration is adequate; you do get a sense of battling in space, with distinct hero powers and villain personalities, but the theme doesn’t always rise to the level of full immersion. It’s more a framework that supports the card mechanics than something the game leans on heavily for atmosphere. Interaction is fully cooperative and moderately interactive—players coordinate choices and build complementary decks rather than directly disrupting each other. If you’re coming from games like Aeon’s End, you’ll notice clear lineage in the no-shuffle deckbuilding and the emphasis on team synergy.
Astro Knights is a fun cooperative deckbuilder that rewards persistence and clever deck construction. It’s not the deepest strategic game—decisions often feel tactical and reactive—but it excels at delivering tense, rewarding sessions where early struggles can flip into satisfying victories once your deck synergies click. Replayability is very high thanks to the expansion content: more heroes, more villains, and more cards to buy mean every game can feel different. The rulebook and video resources make learning straightforward, and downtime was minimal during our two-player session.
There are a few caveats. Setup can be fiddly, especially with expansions, so if you dislike long setup times you’ll either want to organize components ahead of game night or stick to the base set. The game also won’t satisfy players looking for heavy, long-term strategy or competitive confrontation; it’s tailored to people who enjoy tactical cooperative play and deck optimization. Personally, I’d play it again but it’s not at the very top of my list—there are nights it’s perfect (when you want a cooperative, tactical deckbuilder), and other nights I’d reach for something more cutthroat or strategic.
If you enjoy cooperative games, like deck-building with combo potential, and don’t mind a bit of setup and component sorting, Astro Knights is worth trying. The expansion content adds real value and makes repeat plays rich and varied. For groups who love building synergies and savor the moment when a risky plan finally pays off, Astro Knights delivers a lot of satisfying gameplay moments.