STARFIRE started as a pocket box game created by Steve Cole in 1976 and first published by Task Force Games in 1979. STARFIRE was designed as a fast-paced game of fleet-level starship combat with an easy-to-use starship design system and simple system for technological progression. In 1980 Task Force Games worked with David Weber to create and release a supplemental expansion that added strategic rules, "empire building", and galactic conquest to the STARFIRE system.

STARFIRE has a uniquely simple system for building and handling starships: each starship is represented by a row of letters, with each letter representing a weapon, defense, or other system. STARFIRE adds interstellar travel between the stars through natural "wormholes" (called "Warp Points") that exist in most star systems. In fact, no "strictly" Faster-Than-Light (FTL) propulsion technologies exist in any edition of the STARFIRE system.

STARFIRE includes not only tactical and strategic levels of play, but there is an operational layer at the scale of a star system. Using the operational scale, starships move around the star system to detect enemy ships and bases and then attempt to maneuver and engage in combat to their advantage. This added "Fog Of War" makes the operational layer maneuver hugely important to how tactical battles play out – and often who wins.

• We have a new version coming out!
• Join the Discord!