Is the Planet Apocalypse Base Game Enough on Its Own?
Yes. The core Planet Apocalypse box is a complete cooperative game for 1 to 5 players, built around demon miniatures, custom dice, and a campaign structure that escalates as you play. You do not need a single expansion to get a full, replayable game out of the $99.99 box.
That's the honest answer, and it's worth sitting with before anyone tells you otherwise. Petersen Games builds an expansion ecosystem into most of its lines, and Planet Apocalypse is no exception. But "there are expansions" and "you need the expansions" are two different claims. This guide covers what's actually in the base box, what the real add-ons do, and when it makes sense to buy them.
What Comes in the Planet Apocalypse Core Box?
A full cooperative tower-defense game. Hell has risen, humanity is nearly gone, and 1 to 5 players take on post-apocalypse heroes fighting demon hordes across the circles of hell toward a final confrontation with a Demon Lord. The core game plays in about 60 minutes and is rated for ages 14 and up.
The mechanical engine is the Demon Lord AI. Every demon your team kills makes that Lord meaner. Kill the Lord and it comes back stronger next time. Combine that with modular map tiles and a custom dice system, and no two campaigns play out the same way. Sandy Petersen designed it, and Keith Thompson handled the art direction. That's a lot of game before you spend another dollar.
What Do the Real Expansions Actually Add?
Two campaign expansions and a component upgrade, plus a handful of single-figure add-ons. That's the current lineup on petersengames.com, and none of it is required to finish a campaign or understand the base rules.
The Power Pack ($79.99) adds what the listing calls "the final and most deadly maps in Purgatory and the Inferno," along with new Fourth Circle demons, Lords, heroes, and troopers. The Pack of the Pit ($79.99) covers different ground: it continues the campaign into Rome and the US capital, again with new Fourth Circle demons, Lords, heroes, and troopers. Both push the campaign past where the core box ends. Neither one fixes a hole in the base game. They extend a game that already stands up fine without them.
Then there's the Relic Pack ($49.99): 28 plastic miniatures that swap out punchboard tiles and tokens for sculpted pieces. It changes zero rules. It's a table-presentation upgrade, full stop, and belongs in the "nice to have" column, not the "need it to play" column.
What About the Individual Demon Lord Minis and Dice Packs?
These are for people who already own the game and want variety, not people deciding whether to buy in.
Petersen Games sells single Demon Lord and Lady figures individually ($24.99 to $29.99 each) as alternates or extras for the campaign roster, along with a Combat Dice Pack and Alternate Combat Dice Pack ($14.99 each) and a Demon Gate accessory ($29.99). None of these change what the base game plays like on a first session. Think of them the way you'd think about extra dice sets for a game you already love: fun to own, irrelevant to whether the core box is worth buying in the first place.
Who Should Buy the Base Game Only?
Anyone picking up their first copy. Full stop.
If you're new to Planet Apocalypse, spend the $99.99 on the core box and nothing else. Play through it. The campaign structure, the Demon Lord AI, and the modular maps give a group plenty to chew on before "more content" becomes the actual problem you're solving. Buying an expansion before you've played the base game is buying a solution to a question you haven't asked yet.
Who Should Add the Expansions, and When?
Groups who've run through the core campaign and want to keep going. If your table has beaten the base Demon Lord fights and the group is asking "what's next," the Power Pack and Pack of the Pit are built for exactly that moment. They're priced like a second core-adjacent purchase ($79.99 each, close to the base game's own $99.99), not an impulse add-on, so treat them as a second wave once the first one's been played out, not a launch-day bundle.
Collectors are a separate case. If your shelf already runs Cthulhu Wars or Hyperspace, the Relic Pack and individual Lord miniatures round out a display in a way that matters more for presentation than for gameplay. That's a fine reason to buy them. Just don't confuse it with a gameplay reason.
Is Planet Apocalypse Currently in Stock?
Here's the wrinkle worth knowing before you plan a purchase: as of this writing, the core Planet Apocalypse box is showing sold out on petersengames.com, while the Power Pack, Pack of the Pit, and Relic Pack are still listed. Stock on a collector-driven title like this moves, so check the live product page before deciding anything. If you already own the base game and it's the expansions you're after, that's not a blocker. If you're waiting to buy your first copy, keep an eye on restock rather than starting with an expansion you can't use yet.
When the core game is in stock, orders process within 48 hours (2 business days, Monday through Friday), then ship USPS Ground Advantage to the US in 2 to 5 business days, or DHL Ground to Canada in 3 to 7 business days. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on destination and package weight. There's no standing free-shipping offer.
What Do Reviewers Say About the Base Experience?
Tower-defense cooperative games live or die on whether the core loop holds up before any extra content gets added, and that genre pattern is well documented outside the tabletop space too.1 Planet Apocalypse has its own page on BoardGameGeek, the hobby's largest community database, where players log campaign progress and compare notes on the base box against the expansion lineup. Review coverage from outlets like Meeple Mountain is worth a read if you want a second opinion on the base game before you commit to anything beyond it.2
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need any expansions to play Planet Apocalypse?
No. The core box is a complete cooperative game on its own, with demon miniatures, hero figures, custom dice, and a full campaign structure built around the Demon Lord AI. Expansions add more maps and more Fourth Circle content for groups who have already worked through what's in the base box.
What's the difference between the Power Pack and Pack of the Pit?
Both are $79.99 expansions that add Fourth Circle demons, Lords, heroes, and troopers. The Power Pack adds the final maps set in Purgatory and the Inferno. Pack of the Pit continues the campaign through Rome and the US capital. They cover different ground and both build on the same core rules.
Is the Relic Pack worth buying?
The Relic Pack ($49.99) swaps 28 cardboard tiles and tokens for plastic miniatures. It changes nothing about how the game plays. It's for collectors who care about table presentation, not for anyone deciding whether to buy their first copy of the game.
Is Planet Apocalypse currently in stock?
Stock changes. As of this writing the core Planet Apocalypse box is showing sold out on petersengames.com, while several expansions and add-ons remain listed. Check the live product page for current availability before buying.
How many players does Planet Apocalypse support without any expansions?
1 to 5 players, straight out of the box, for ages 14 and up. The expansions don't raise the player count. They add more maps, demons, and Lords to fight through at the same table size.
Start With the Base Game
Buy the core box first. Play it. Then decide. The Planet Apocalypse core game gives a full campaign's worth of demon-hunting for $99.99, and the expansions are there waiting for whenever your table actually needs more circles of hell to fight through, not before.
0 comments