Meteor Shower Board Game Review: A Tactical Race of Strategy and Chaos

Meteor Shower promises a sharp and energetic play experience. It focuses on clever positioning, constantly shifting plans, and surprises that can completely change the game. As meteorites crash down while the game progresses, no two matches ever look the same. You are always reacting, adapting, and trying to stay one step ahead of your opponent as the board changes in real time.

Players are racing to be the first to create a continuous path of meteorites. This path must go from their starting edge to the far side of the board. The path can bend, curve, or run straight, as long as it stays unbroken. The twist is that the board starts completely empty. Meteorites are not placed at the beginning but arrive throughout the game. This forces players to reposition stones already in play and rethink their plans as new opportunities and obstacles appear. It sounds tense, tactical, and unpredictable enough to keep things interesting. But does Meteor Shower really deliver once the pieces start falling? Let’s get it to the table and find out.

How To Set Up Meteor Shower

To set up, place the board in the middle of the table and give each player their stones. The board is double-sided, so pick the game length you want and choose the appropriate side. With the larger board, take the two D12 dice and place them down by the board. With the smaller board, use the two D6. That is the only difference: the size of the board, and thus, the time it takes to play a full game.

The board begins completely empty. There are no meteorites in play at the start. Each player also claims a starting edge of the board, placing their chosen Rover into the shown starting position. Finally, place the provided container down, with the three different coloured meteorites in it. Your goal is to connect a continuous line of meteors from your side to the opposite edge. That line can be straight, curved, or angled, as long as it stays connected the whole way through. You are now ready to play.

How To Play Meteor Shower

On your turn, you will have two choices. Roll the dice to place new meteors on the board, or move your Rover.

When you roll the dice, meteorites fall into the game at the coordinates based on your dice roll. One die will show a letter, the other a number. Simply place the meteorite (black) into that space. They can fall into spaces already occupied by existing meteors, but now that space is blocked off as you cannot move into a space with more than one meteor. They cannot fall into spaces occupied by one of the two Rovers. If that happens, simply roll the dice again.

When you move, you can follow either of the four paths shown on the side of the board. As shown above, you can see you always move four spaces, but in different patterns. You will be moving to do one of two things: pick up a meteor or drop off one. You cannot move over meteors or other rovers. When you move into a space that contains a meteor, you will immediately pick it up. Then, when you move to the space you want to drop it off, you can immediately drop it off and exchange it now for a meteor of your colour.

Turns move quickly, decisions feel meaningful, and the board never stays the same for long. Meteor Shower is all about spotting opportunities, disrupting your opponents, and knowing when to push your luck or play it safe.

But what do I mean by disrupting your opponent? Well, the third thing you can do, other than roll the dice to create more meteors on the board, or move to pick up or drop off a meteor, is place a meteor in the way of your opponent. You can place these strategically to block the line your opponent is making. Such as above, where the Green player has placed a green meteor in the way of the red line, and run away! The red player now needs to build a path circling around this, making their task longer and harder. But of course, when the green player did this, they stopped working on their line, and instead moved over to disrupt their opponent. And this is the game of cat and mouse that constantly happens in this game. You are always deciding what to do: build up your own path, or try to slow down the other player. This is a race game after all. Who can build their line first? And I find most games are very tight, and the decisions as to when to build and when to disrupt are crucial!

Is It Fun? Meteor Shower Board Game Review

Meteor Shower shines because it keeps players engaged from the very first turn. The board never feels static, and the constant arrival of new meteorites means you are always reassessing your plan. Building your own path feels satisfying, but knowing when to pause that plan to interfere with your opponent is where the game really comes alive. Most matches stay close, and the finish often feels earned rather than lucky. The push and pull between progress and disruption creates tension without ever feeling overwhelming.

That said, Meteor Shower will not land perfectly for everyone. The randomness of the dice can sometimes feel frustrating, especially if meteorites drop in awkward places or accidentally help your opponent. While there is plenty of tactical depth, the game is very focused on spatial thinking and forward planning. If you dislike games where blocking and interference are central, this one may feel a bit mean at times.

Meteor Shower is best suited for players who enjoy head to head strategy, quick turns, and games that reward smart positioning. Fans of abstract games and tactical races will likely have a great time here. On the flip side, players who prefer low conflict experiences or more thematic storytelling might struggle to connect with what the game is doing. This is a sharp, competitive puzzle first and foremost.

The components are lush, especially those Rovers. Just look at them! This brings a real toy factor to the game. But the game is far from a toy. It is a smart tactical battle that will fully engross you throughout. Whether or not you come back to it over and over again will depend on your own play styles.