Solo Sessions: Space Aces - Voyages in Infinite Space

A solo play example of the RPG of zany sci-fi adventure from T-Rex Games.

Jul 17, 2025

Welcome to Solo Sessions, a solo play example from one of the game’s covered in The Soloist.

Space Aces: Voyages in Infinite Space is a whimsical sci-fi RPG where your characters are galactic gig workers with a taste for adventure. The tone is Saturday morning cartoons meets Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. While it’s not specifically for solo play, I needed no supplements or GM-emulators to have a great single-player experience.

Create a crew - p. 10

Characters get a randomly generated past career, knack, and quest. They each start with 3 gumption, a measure of willpower and the game’s only stat.

I decide to create a crew of 3 and roll the tables. My crew...

Luna Latte, a psionic barista raised by the pirate flotilla called the Space Wolves. She dreams of reliving the glory days of adventure with her adopted family. Luna has two robot companions:
Chrono Chipper, a nervous temporal teamster-bot with a holo-memory, and
Ensign SN4-RK, an engineer-bot who feels unappreciated by the “meatbags.”

Make a starship - p. 6

Your crew starts with a small ship and rolls for the ship’s purpose and personality.

I rolled "combat" for purpose and "fastest in the galaxy" for personality.

The Leavitt, a former military courier ship named after astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt, has boosted engines that are prone to overheating.

Start at Starbase 42 - p. 63

Space Aces has 60 locations, each with detailed descriptions and tables to generate adventure hooks and events. Starbase 42 is located at the center of the galaxy and is the character's home port.

I roll the "What’s Happening" table and find the crew has witnessed some shady business! For inspiration I roll the Space Treasure and Wandering Space Captain tables.

Upon arrival at Starbase 42, the Leavitt is rerouted to a D-grade berth when The Problem Solver is given priority by dock traffic control. When they land, SN4-RK hovers towards the decked-out cargo hauler, to give the crew of their rival a piece of its mind. Speeding through the dockyards is dangerous as there are crates, haulers, ships, and crew everywhere.

Actions - p. 4

Two dice are rolled every time a risky, dangerous, or uncertain action is attempted:

Action d20: The player rolls a d20. The action succeeds on a roll equal to or greater than a difficulty level: easy 5, tricky 10, hard 15, and epic 20.
Effect d6: Players also roll a d6 to check if there is a snag (on a 1 or 2), or a benefit (on a 5 or 6). Snags hinder and benefits help the situation.

I determine SN4-RK’s dash across the dockyards to be tricky. My action roll of 12 succeeds. My effect roll of 1 means I’ve hit a snag. I increase heat, a measure of tension in a session, from 1 to 2. Higher heat results in worse negative effects from snags.

The much larger and faster Chipper intercepts SN4-RK, but they crash into some cargo containers drawing the attention of Levi Athan, The Problem Solver’s 6-inch tall Gargantuan captain. He sends two Gargantuan guards towards the bots.

Scuffle - p. 4

Space Aces's combat system has you first determine How’s it Lookin which measures advantage and then roll on the situation table.

In this case, the bots are in a Tight Spot which means I roll 2d6 and pick the worst result. I roll 4 Trading Blows and choose to take a hit and try to counter attack. The Gargantuans each have 1 gumption and do 1 harm.

The Gargantuan guards fire their blasters towards the bots. The white beams indicate an EMP setting which are harmless to bio-beings but dangerous to robots. The blasts hit SN4-RK and Chipper who each lose 1 gumption. The shock also unlocked one of the containers and freeze-dried oranges spill on the floor. Chipper throws the fruit box at the guards while SN4-RK tosses oranges.

Scuffle success is determined by rolling 1d20 equal to or over the difficulty level. These guards are inept so I've set difficulty at 5. However I roll a 4 for both bots and they fail their action!

The guards dodge and take cover.

In this situation, the groups are now Evenly Matched. This means I roll 1d6 and use the result to set the situation. My roll of 5 puts the bots In the Clear and they can attack without reprisal.

Chipper notices that guards have positioned themselves on a cargo lift. The bot transmits a Teamster-net command to the lift to raise it into The Problem Solver’s cargo bay. SN4-RK shouts one of his rude bio-unit insults.

I roll successes for the bots and defeat the guards who have 1 gumption each

The guards disappear inside the ship. We hear containers falling to the hull floor and screams from the guards and other Gargantuans.

Heat increases after a scuffle and is now at 3.

The job board - p. 128

Most planets and systems have adventure hooks, but at Starbase 42, you can check the job board and roll to pick a mission. Every mission has 3 objectives and reward. Each also has a Time Bob(s) that trigger at various Heat levels. A mission fails at Heat Level 20.

I roll 4 and get the mission Smile for the Cameras.

As the dust settles, Luna strides confidently through the chaos. She gathers her crew. “Alright, team, we’ve got a new job. Alfrat Hitchcock, the Ratonian director, needs our help. We’re heading to Tantor to capture footage of the elusive Skelle for his next holomovie.” Chipper’s servos whir excitedly as a small camera pops out ot its chest. SN4-RK’s displays flicker red. “Perfect. Another mission risking my circuits for bio-unit fantasies.”

Hypersurfing - p. 6

Space Aces’ galactic hex map is randomly generated. A ship can hypersurf as many hexes as their ship’s Drive Range allows, at a rate of 24 hours per hex. After hypersurfing, the ship’s drive needs to recharge leaving the ship vulnerable. The pilot rolls after each trip to see what happens with a neat push your luck system.

I roll a 4 and decide not to push my luck with another roll. A 4-5 means we pick up something on sensors. I roll on the Deep Space Encounters table.

We see the crew at their stations on the Leavitt’s small bridge as the view screen goes from hypersurf star trails to standard space. SN4-RK alerts the crew that there is another ship here and we see the captain of Los Boosterleros replace the starfield. “Leavitt crew! Word is you’re chasing holovid glory. But there’s only room for one ship in the spotlight. You want Skelle footage? Gotta go through us.”

Starship Scuffles - p. 7

Starship Scuffles are just like regular Scuffles except the Ships are the Characters. There are 3 phases.

Phase 1: Red Alert! Each crew is assigned to a station. Helm: Luna Latte, Engineering: SN4-RK, Operations and Tactical: Chrono Chipper. Each Staion can be used once a Round.

Phase 2: Make It So!

Round 1 – How’s It Lookin’?: Because the Leavitt is the Fastest in the Galaxy, I roll that the crew starts In the Clear.
- Helm – Luna attempts to outmaneuver Boosterleros and break for open space. Difficulty: Hard (15) Roll: d20 = 17 → success
- Engineering – SN4-RK routes emergency coolant to the primary thruster. Difficulty: Tricky (10) Roll: d20 = 14 → success
- Tactical – Chipper fires a full plasma spread across the enemy’s nose. Difficulty: Tricky (10) Roll: d20 = 9 → fail

Luna slingshots the Leavitt around a nearby asteroid. The engines roar as SN4-RK adds more coolant. The jolt from the engine causes Chipper’s shot goes wide. But it doesn’t matter, the Leavitt leaves Los Boosterleros eating its ion wake.

Arriving at Tantor

Every sector in Space Aces comes with a full page description including features of interest, maybe a Delve, and a table or two of random encounters. Tantor is home to the Skelle, a sentient fungal species who rebuilt civilization in the image of a spaghetti western.

The Leavitt lands just outside town. Chipper complains about the dust. SN4-RK starts scanning. Luna straps on her blaster and steps off the ramp like she owns the place.

I roll for what’s happening planetside and get Bonecrab Rodeo. It’s the yearly test of bravery where the Skelle try to ride giant crabs through downtown New Tombstone. It’s apparently a very big deal.

Luna eyes the arena. SN4-RK mutters, “Please tell me we’re not doing this.” Chipper checks his chest-cam battery and grins.

What’s Next?

Will the Skelle welcome the ousiders?
Will Luna ride a bonecrab for glory and footage?
Will she end up as another skeleton in Dead Man’s Gulch?

The answers lie in the dust-choked streets of New Tombstone...

Reflections on Space Aces

Space Aces is a blast! It’s light, fast, and works well for solo play with tons of tables, easy-to-use systems, and little to track. The tone is silly and joyful without feeling throwaway. The book is packed with ideas and great illustrations. Highly recommended!

The creators have a whole galaxy of other games worth exploring including the solo-first Space Aces: Wreck Runners.