While it was originally released as a collectible card game, the current edition of Supernova provides players with the complete set of cards, along with a random assortment of 24 additional cards. These extra cards are extremely useful, as they allow players to customize and modify the central deck slightly between games in order to give each session a slightly different flavor. By changing the card mix you can cause a game to focus more heavily on diplomacy or warfare, or you can make a game centered around specific alien races in order to play out a particular story you have in mind. Supernova can be played with anyone from two to six players, although three or four seems to be an optimum number. However, once you reach this point it can be a great deal of fun.
Supernova supports a wide variety of strategies and types of conflict.
Even invasion and combat can take on a variety of different forms. Military fleets can destroy enemy ships and raze hostile worlds, but if you can pull it off it's much more efficient to put together a strong merchant fleet and buy those worlds. There are many other interesting features of the game. While you don't have to understand all of the subtleties to play or even win, there are a lot of strategies you can master if you put your mind to it. In addition, the fact that you can customize the deck to highlight a particular aspect of play allows for a great deal of replay value from the basic game.