Barnard's Star: The First Interstellar War (1999)

The game Barnard's Star deals with the critical battle of the Naronian War. Players assume the roles of the Naronian and Terran leaders fighting the battle on the planetary surface. As the battle progresses, it is a race against time for both players. The number of beacons destroyed will determine the fate of the coming Terran counterattack fleet.

Barnard's Star contains all the science fiction chrome a player could want: interstellar movement, space battles, jump troops, planetary defenses, etc., etc. - all done with as little grit as possible. In this system, every unit has its own purpose - its own strengths and weaknesses - without lengthy special rules.