Space: 1999 Preview: Gerry Anderson’s Sci-Fi Hit Returns in Roleplay Form!

Space:1999 is the upcoming Tabletop Roleplaying Game from Modiphius Entertainment based on the Gerry Anderson TV show of the same name. The game casts you as members of the Moonbase Alpha during the events of the series.

For the uninitiated, Space: 1999 is a science fiction series made in the mid-1970s that imagined what space travel would be like at the end of the 20th Century. It also imagined what would happen if the moon was suddenly flung out of Earth’s orbit and into the furthest reaches of space along with a team of explorers stationed there.

Modiphius were good enough to send me the quickstart guide for the full game and I am happy to share my thoughts on the experience.

Space 1999‘s core rulebook is currently available for pre-order on Modiphius’ website for £45. It is due to be available from January 2025, but pre-ordering it will get you instant access to the quickstart guide pdf detailed in this article.

Story – Making Your Own Way in this Sci-Fi Epic

In this imagined future of the year 1999, humanity has a permanent base on the moon and designs for further space exploration. Human society is almost entirely dependent on nuclear energy. Moonbase Alpha’s mission is to dispose of vast amounts of nuclear waste and further Earth’s space program. However, due to an unexplained reaction with the nuclear waste, the moon is blasted out of Earth’s orbit and deep into unknown space. This leads to all sorts of misadventures with space phenomenon, alien species and dystopian societies.

The quickstart guide gives us a scenario to play through called ‘Breakaway’, which takes us through the first episode of Space: 1999. It invites us to take on the role of their pre-generated characters, all Moonbase Alpha personnel, or Alphans for short. The game provides a decent variety of characters with different skills, stats and backstories. You can also make your own characters using the core rulebook. 

What kind of adventures will your characters have in the furthest reaches of space?

Breakaway gives a good sense of what to expect from the main game. Through seven scenes, we are given license to explore our characters’ leisure times, respond to crises and potentially engage in combat. I appreciated how the core mechanics guide you to figuring out what keeps your character going in trying times. Every character has a signature asset, which is a memento of their lives on Earth. There are also hope scenes that players can use once during a game session for a temporary advantage. Playing a hope scene encourages players to explore what their character’s personal desires and needs are. Mechanics like these really encourage players to make these characters and their story their own.

Gameplay – Taking Modiphius’ 2d20 System in New Directions

Space 1999 makes use of the 2d20 system used in some of Modiphius’ other systems. These include Star Trek Adventures and Dreams & Machines. This system involves characters taking actions by adding two sets of stats together to get a target number. Then, you need to roll underneath that with 2d20s to succeed. This means that the higher your stats are, the more likely you are to roll under your target number. Each dice that rolls equal to or under your target number is a success. The more difficult the task, the more successes you will require for an overall success in that task.

In Space 1999, the two sets of stats are skills and attitudes. Usually in 2d20 games, the gamemaster will choose what stats to add together to get the target number. However, what sets Space 1999 apart, is that the players get to choose the attitude, whilst the GM chooses the skill. During playtests, I found that the players felt more empowered in how they approached tasks. It also got them to think more about the internal workings of their characters in the moment.

With so many ways of approaching situations, you can really make your story your own.

Like other Modiphius games, Space 1999 offers a lot of tactical depth to the way you approach situations. There are mechanics for gaining extra dice for rolls that cost resources or make things more difficult later. Players can also assist each other for roles. I found the assistance mechanics really got the players thinking creatively about how characters could help in unusual moments.

I also found the combat mechanics quite refreshing. Again, there were many similarities with other 2d20 games, with Initiative passing between characters on each side of the conflict. The main difference is that Space: 1999 expands the scope of combat. The first part of a turn in combat is simply determining your character’s objective. From then, determine if anyone is trying to stop them. If an action succeeds, the opponent is either defeated, or can spend a resource called Spirit to resist defeat. Deciding whether or not to accept defeat encourages players to really engage with encounters and the stakes involved. 

The quickstart guide details all these mechanics and also summarizes them in concise lists for easy review.

Artwork – Capturing the Iconic Look of This Cult Classic

Gerry Anderson’s vision of what space exploration in the year 1999 could look like holds a warm place in many a sci-fi fan’s heart. The show featured pulp action, revolutionary special effects and created icons of the Eagle spacecraft and the sprawling shape of Moonbase Alpha .

Eagles flying over Moonbase Alpha.

The quickstart guide and core rulebook cover capture that style beautifully. Fans will feel right at home the moment they see the Space: 1999 text emblazoned over the scene of one of the Eagles flying over the base. Throughout the guide, flashes of orange, grey and black are faithful to the show’s promotional material whilst starkly contrasting each section from each other. Modiphius have also worked alongside Anderson Entertainment to provide a treasure trove of images and icons from the show. This not only provides a great nostalgia buzz for fans, but also help newcomers better visualize the scenarios they find themselves in.