Ever dreamed of being the first to set foot on an alien world? Of decoding messages from the stars or healing species we’ve never seen before? Welcome to Planet of the Week, where you’re part of humanity’s greatest adventure.

You’re the away team of the research vessel Endeavor Maru, the first eyes, ears, and hands on each new world we discover. While other ships chase glory in battle or chart safe trade routes, your mission is to understand. Every planet holds a mystery: a civilization on the brink of possibilities, an artifact with alien secrets, or a cry for help from beings we’ve just met.

But understanding comes with risk. When you’re days from backup and your communicator crackles with static, when alien technologies clash with yours and cultural misunderstandings turn deadly—that’s when your team proves its worth. Your shuttlepod becomes your lifeline, your mobile base in a universe where every mission could change history.

The tabletop role-playing game Planet of the Week is my homage to shows like Star Trek, Firefly, and Stargate: Atlantis.

Play as:

  • The xenolinguist who can crack alien codes under fire
  • The anthropologist who learns the mysteries of alien civilizations
  • The engineer who can merge incompatible technologies on the fly
  • The doctor who treats unknown alien physiologies
  • The tactical specialist who knows when to fight and when to fade
  • The counselor, the pilot, the scientist and more…

Choose a background:

  • The empath who understands the emotions behind the aliens’ words
  • The Farfleet brat who knows everyone
  • The frontier colonist who learned survival skills on a hard planet
  • The telepath who catches the whisper of hostile intent before the weapons power up
  • The deep-space Boomer more comfortable in low gravity than on a planet
  • The augment, the cyborg, the veteran, and more…

Away Team Focus

This isn’t about ship battles or bridge drama—it’s about being on the ground, where every choice matters. Your equipment is what you can carry. Your backup is light-years away. Your communicator might work… or might just pick up the local equivalent of cosmic static.

But you’re not alone. You have your team, your training, and your determination to understand. Because in Planet of the Week, the greatest discoveries don’t come from superior firepower or faster ships, they come from the courage to reach out, the wisdom to listen, and the strength to stay true to your values when everything goes wrong.

Ready to make first contact?

You can access the game here. Comments and questions welcome, right in the doc.

Cover illustration by Ed Emshwiller for Amazing Stories, January 1962. Public domain.