
2020 · Territory Building
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy is a board game for 2–6 players. It plays in 60–200 minutes and is meant for ages 14 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 4. It is rated 8.3 out of 10 by 95 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $9.99 (United States).
Players command an interstellar civilization competing against rivals for dominance through exploration, research, construction, diplomacy, and warfare. On each turn, players reveal and explore new star systems, invest in technology, expand their economy, and design and deploy ships to contest territory or engage in combat. Multiple strategic paths exist—military conquest, technological advancement, economic expansion, and diplomatic maneuvering—and success depends on adapting to the strengths and weaknesses of one's species and the actions of other civilizations. This edition presents updated components and refined rules while retaining core mechanics of exploration, research, shipbuilding, and area control.
- Players
- 2–6 best 4
- Playing time
- 60–200 min
- Age
- 14+
- Complexity
- 3.7 / 5
About the game
- Design
- Publisher
Expansions
See them in Ludoya
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Outcasts2024
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Seekers2024
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Rift Cannon2020
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Galactic Events2020
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Minor Species2020
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Worlds Afar Collection2020
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Turn Order Variant2022
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Gamemat2020
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Supernova2019
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Remnants of Worlds Afar2022
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Warped Universe2024
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy – Expanded Galaxy2023
Eclipse: Neue Gefahren2022Photos from Ludoya tables
All photos in LudoyaWhere to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 448
- Plays logged
- 764
- Players
- 3h 23m
- Average play
- 187
- In collections
- 57
- On wishlists
8.3/10
from 95 Ludoya reviews
Vic Granell9.0 First play of Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy today with our bubble group of 5. All factions in play except for the Draco. We ran out of hexes at round 4 approximately, creating few wormhole connections among players. Only the Planta and Mechanema fought against each other (creating an alliance the round after that) while all other combats were against neutral ships. By round 6, we had to end the game because of the curfew at 22h, so we counted points at that point, resulting in: 22, 22, 21, 21, 18. Everyone had checked the rules beforehand but we couldn't finish the game after more than four hours. Amazing game!!! Congrats Touko Tahkokallio , Lautapelit.fi and Maldito Games . Can't wait for a full 8 round game ?
Balleflass6.0 Updated late 12.2024 Yeah, it's still top random in most departments. Rep tiles, exploration and tech. I'm fine with dice combat. Updated 12.2024. It has grown on me. The randomness during exploration can be a bit harsh, but sometimes we play with a variant where you draw 1 more tile than you would normally and discard one or both. Original Comment from 2020 I believe: Low amounts of player interaction compared to Exodus: Proxima Centauri and TI4. Eclipse is kind of a blend of Exodus: Proxima Centauri and Endeavor: Age of Sail. This game is a slow, swingy and high luck game which is 3 elements I dislike.
Una puta pasada!! Tunea tus naves y explora a full!!! Eurazo 4x
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Can I move my ship through a sector that contains enemy ships?
Yes — ships can pass through sectors with enemy ships only if they are not pinned; during each Move Activation each opponent ship in a sector pins one of your ships (of your choice), and pinned ships cannot move from a sector containing opponent ships (see p.13).
How does retreating in combat work — where can I retreat to and when are retreating ships safe?
To Retreat, move your ships to the edge of a neighboring sector that has a Wormhole Connection and that contains one of your Influence/controlled ships (players with Wormhole Generator have expanded options); retreating ships cannot Attack or be Attacked once they complete their retreat on their next Ship Activation, but they remain eligible to be targeted until they’ve actually moved (see p.19).
When do I pay Civilization Upkeep and what happens if I can't pay?
You pay during the Upkeep Phase after activating Colony Ships and collecting Income; if you cannot pay you must Trade or Abandon Sectors until you can pay, and if you still cannot pay you are eliminated from the game (see p.24).
How do Research discounts and minimum costs work — can discounts make a tech free?
Each tech you have in a category gives a discount on further techs in that category, but every tech has a printed minimum Science cost that discounts cannot reduce below, so a tech cannot be made cheaper than its minimum (see p.10).
What happens to Discovery Tiles when I Explore versus during Combat?
When Exploring you may place a discovered sector and immediately take its Discovery Tile only if the sector is undefended (no Ancients); Discovery Tiles from sectors containing Ancients are only awarded during the Combat Phase, and when you take a tile during Explore you must reveal it and choose its side before the activation ends (see p.9); during Combat Phase unresolved Discovery Tiles in sectors with your ships are claimed as part of the Combat cleanup (see p.21).
When do I claim a sector after winning a battle — do I place an Influence disc immediately and gain its resources?
Control changes are handled during the Combat Phase cleanup: after battles are resolved you may remove the controlling player's Influence disc and place it on their Influence Track, then move Influence discs from your Influence Track to any sector where you have a ship and no disc; resource/production effects happen during the Upkeep/Production steps later (see pp.18 and 21).
Similar games
Free, on web, Android and iOS
Play Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy with Ludoya
- Keep it in your collectionTrack your copy and its expansions, lend it to friends, or put it on your wishlist and get told when the price drops.Add it to your collection
- Log every playScores, winners, timers and photos, then your stats: win rate, favourite player count, best score.Log a play
- Settle rules questionsAsk anything about the rules and get an answer from the rulebook, with the page to check it on.Ask the rules assistant
- Find people to play it withClubs, game nights and events near you that bring this game to the table.See events
Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.




























