Designer: Clarence Simpson
Artist: Léonard Dupond
Publisher: Allplay
Player Count: 2–8+
Playtime: 30–45 Minutes
Getting a message from an alien in space might be pretty cool or creepy, depending on your personality. In A Message From the Stars, you don’t have to worry, since the alien message is really just from your buddy on the other side of the table. Unfortunately, they might as well come from space, because you don’t understand what they are saying. The aliens communicate through encrypted clues, while the scientists try to decode the message. Time to think hard and work together.
A Brief How to Play
Players split into two sides: the aliens and the scientists. Each side has a secret set of three words determined by rolling the dice against a clue card. The alien also draws six secret letters from a shuffled alphabet deck to form a cipher composed of three Trust, two Amplify, and one Suspicion letter. These letters determine how clue words will be scored numerically throughout the game.
Gameplay spans four rounds. Each round, the alien and the scientists take turns writing a single word clue. The alien gives a word and scores it based on how many cipher letters it contains. Trust letters add one point each, Amplify letters double the value, and Suspicion letters flip the score negative. The scientists then respond with their own word, which the alien scores in the same way.
Both sides are trying to achieve two goals at once. First, they must deduce each other’s secret three-word message. Second, the scientists must uncover the alien’s six-letter cipher. After four rounds, both sides make their guesses. Each correct guess earns one point, with a maximum score of 12.
There’s also a team mode that pits two alien-scientist teams against each other for a competitive experience.
Pacing and Interaction
Turns in A Message From the Stars are meant to be short, especially with two players. Both the alien and the scientists write one word per round, followed by a quick numerical score. It is incredibly simple, but like games such as Wordle or Codenames, there are tons of ways to approach the puzzle, giving the game more depth than you might expect.
Because every word has to hint at both specific letters and full secret words, players will need to immerse themselves in all the layers of the game’s deduction. In games with multiple players, the alien should listen closely to the scientists’ conversations, silently tracking their logic and planning the next clue to nudge them closer to the right answer. There is a lot of potential for just one clue to make or break the game if the players are not in sync.
The game’s pacing is excellent, but like any game that demands a lot of thinking, there is room for players to get stuck and spend a long time coming up with a word. Some groups can avoid this if they have players who are willing to just guess and move forward without getting bogged down searching for the perfect clue, but this will not be true for everyone.
Even worse, A Message From the Stars can feel incredibly complex on the first playthrough. The rules are solid, but there is so much to track that if both the alien and the scientists are new and are relying only on the rulebook, the experience can feel overwhelming. The game almost requires one player who is confident with the rules and can guide the others through the first session. Otherwise, it can be a tough sell. It can be done, but players will need to work for it. After you break through that first game, though, you might find yourself with one of your all-time favorite word games.
The game thrives on interaction, as it is essential for success. There is no feeling of solitaire here; both sides must work together and catch each other’s drift to win.
Replayability
With tons of word combinations and a new cipher each game, A Message From the Stars stays fresh through variety alone. The fact that every clue word must serve multiple functions ensures that no game ever plays the same. The cipher system often forces players to approach communication in entirely new ways too.
Replay value is even higher when the same group returns to the game repeatedly. Playing multiple sessions with consistent roles or alternating alien and scientist sides adds depth. The more familiar players become with the system, the more clever their clues can become.
Theme and Components
The theme of cosmic communication shines through brilliantly. The game’s art direction and component design help players to feel like they are picking up and deciphering signals. It blends the absurdity of Mad Libs with the logic puzzles of math-based cipher cracking.
The production quality is excellent. Every card and board is dry-erase, and the included fine-tipped markers make for clean, readable notes. We were provided the upgraded Kickstarter components with fancy dice and lovely foldable displays. The game looks great without these, but they are worth the extra $10 to upgrade the game.
While there are no flashy miniatures or dramatic visuals, A Message From the Stars doesn’t need them.
A Message From The Stars Is Great For…
A Message From the Stars is ideal for players who enjoy cerebral games and layered deduction. Fans of Decrypto, Codenames, or even just Wordle will find something to love here. It’s also great for math and logic puzzle fans.
Note that A Message From the Stars is not a casual party game. If your group prefers fast laughs or low-pressure gameplay, this will fizzle out the party’s energy. Be ready to come together and think together.
