How to boldly go where no one has gone before in Star Trek Rivals - hints, tips, and tricks

Elephant Mouse's new card battler Star Trek Rivals is pretty good fun. Just click on that hyperlink if you don't believe me.

Saying that, it's not exactly the deepest game in the universe.

But don't think that there aren't players out there trying to exploit the game's design to their own advantage. You're gonna have to put in some serious effort to compete. Oh, yes.

Which is why we penned this guide for you. So that you are au fait with all the essential tactics for powering through Star Trek Rivals. Oh, and so that you can dominate your foes online.

Play long and prosper.

The basics

As in most card battlers, you are encouraged here to sign up friends through the use of referral codes. For example, you will receive a free Recruit J.T. Kirk card for putting in a correct friend code.

Mine is "RUSULS" (if you don't know anyone else playing). Feel free to drop yours in the comments section below. By adding chums, you will gain bonus experience whenever a buddy you sign up increases in level.

Also like in other social games, you'll want to get a load of games on the go at once here. Though the basic gameplay is fast moving, players will sometimes go days before responding to your move, which can be a little annoying.

Make sure you're playing as many people as humanly possible. That way, you're getting tons of practice and building up experience, Credits, and Latinum.

All hands on deck

Your supplies of Federation Credits and Gold Pressed Latinum are extremely limited, and can be frittered away very easily if you're not careful. You'll want to save these for packs of cards, so...

... don't waste money picking new cards once you've been dealt your starting five. It's a waste of Credits. Besides, games are over super quickly, so if you're given a load of rubbish, it's unlikely you'll get the same the next time around.

You should strongly consider saving up money for better tiers of card packs. You know, rather than just throw lots of credits at low-end card packs. You'll get rarer and more powerful cards this way. Plus, even though the costs can be pretty steep, it makes more sense in the long run.

You'll also end up with doubles. And unless you plan on upgrading them, you should be selling these in exchange for a small amount of Credits. It's unlikely to be enough for another pack of cards, but every little helps, right?

In space, no one can hear you strategise

As noted in my review of Star Trek Rivals, this card game isn't particularly deep. There are, however, a few tactics you should be aware of that can turn the tide in your favour.

The first is to keep your most powerful cards in reserve. This means that wherever you slot the all-powerful card at the end of the game, you're more likely to convert other cards around it, landing you more points.

You should also ensure any low numbers on the sides of your cards are kept facing away from the centre of the game field. Easily converted cards with exposed sides featuring ones and twos can completely change a match late in the game.

Got any tips to share? Let us and the rest of the PG community know them by leaving them in the comments section below.