Payload 2026

Payload is an exciting new tabletop card game built around the world of rockets. You don’t need to know any rocket science to play—just bring your curiosity, your strategy, and your competitive spirit. The game mixes 90% fun with a light touch of real space engineering, giving players a thrilling experience that still stays true to how rockets actually work.

The game in brief:

Payload is a 1–5 player game, perfect for ages 14 and up (though, enjoyable by players of all ages), and takes about 45 minutes to play. Each player becomes the Chief Engineer of a rising rocket company. Your mission? Be the first to send two payloads into space.

The game begins with a tense bidding phase, where players compete for valuable payload contracts. Bid smart, earn money, and choose the missions that will shape your company’s path. Then the real race begins. You’ll hire talented engineers, gather blueprints, and piece together the right parts to build a rocket that won’t blow up on launch day.

Every turn feels like a step toward liftoff as players block, out think, and out build each other. And when your rocket is finally ready, everything comes down to the final countdown: 3... 2... 1... Liftoff! Did your hard work pay off, or will luck and pressure send you back to the drawing board?

Payload stays true to real rocket concepts but keeps everything simple and fun (and competitive!).

-description from designer