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Clank! In! Space!: A Deck-Building Adventure
Build a deck, rob a tyrant's ship, and try not to die in the hallway.
Designed by Paul Dennen · 2017
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A smart, tense heist that fixes the original's weak spots and still keeps the giggly thrill of grabbing one more artifact before the ship eats you. Easily the version I'd reach for first.
Best for: Players who want a racy deck-builder with a board and real tension
What it is
Here's the pitch. You're sneaking onto Lord Eradikus's ship to steal an artifact and get out before he kills you. Every move comes from cards you buy into your deck, so you're building an engine and racing across a board at the same time. Each card you buy might add a noise cube to the bag, and when the rage track triggers, those cubes come out swinging. It's a heist with a clock you keep winding yourself.
The catch
The honest catch is the ending. Once someone escapes, the ship starts killing stragglers, and a knocked-out player can sit doing nothing while everyone else finishes. Downtime is real. The rulebook is also weirdly vague (the Clank symbol itself goes barely explained), and players note the cards and map tiles scuff fast, so sleeves are basically mandatory. None of this is a dealbreaker, but go in knowing the cardboard is fragile and the back half can drag for whoever dies first.
Who it's for
Compared to the fantasy original, this one earns its keep. The terminal hacking and telepad keys kill the cheap grab-and-run, so you can't just sprint for the door. Reviewers who've played both tend to call Space the better build, and I'm with them. Get it if you want a deck-builder with teeth, a real board to navigate, and that delicious last-second gamble of grabbing one more thing. Skip it if downtime ruins your night.
What other players say
This write-up is grounded in real reviews and player discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:
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