Have you ever played Sabacc? Neither have we. Not yet, anyway.
This isn’t a full review. It’s a first impression of a box we couldn’t leave behind, and an honest list of what we haven’t done with it yet.
How a ride queue sold us a card game
We were waiting in line for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disney World when we spotted it: Sabacc, the legendary Star Wars card game, laid out as part of the queue decor. Curiosity: instantly piqued.
Later that day, we found an actual box of Sabacc in one of the shops at Galaxy’s Edge. Of course we had to grab it. The second photo below shows a Sabacc table display in one of the themed shops.
What is Sabacc?
In the Star Wars universe, Sabacc is the gambling card game. Most famously, it’s the game in which Han Solo wins the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian, a scene that finally made it to the screen in Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. Fittingly, we spotted it in the queue for the Falcon ride.
The game itself first appeared in a 1983 Lando Calrissian novel. Over the years, there have been several real-world versions, and no single official ruleset was ever published.
The Galaxy’s Edge set is based on the dice variant from Solo, known as Corellian Spike. It uses a smaller deck with values from minus 10 to 10, and the target is zero. When the set launched in 2019, it was sold only at Galaxy’s Edge, for 14.99 dollars at the time.
What’s in the box
According to our box: 62 cards, 2 dice and instructions, for 2 to 8 players, age 10+. The cards come in positive and negative sets numbered 1 to 10, plus two zero cards.
The box itself is slim and fits in one hand, as our photo shows.
How it’s meant to play
Since we haven’t played it, here’s only the gist, as others describe it. You get two cards and play three rounds. On your turn you can draw, swap, stand or fold. After each round the dice are rolled, and if they show doubles, everyone has to toss their hand and draw new cards. Closest to zero wins.
What we can’t tell you yet: whether that dice twist feels exciting or just random at the table. We’ll find out.
What we hear in the community
On Instagram we wrote that the online board game community isn’t so sure about it. Here’s what we’ve found since.
Some find it competitive and interesting, a mix of strategy and luck. At the same time, you often hear that the rules take a while to learn and the Star Wars card designs make it harder to pick up at first. On top of that, this version has no betting rules, apparently to keep it family-friendly. That creates an odd gap: you can fold, but without bets there’s little reason to.
Fans have filled that gap themselves: many fan-made Sabacc rulesets exist. We’ve found hardly any in-depth accounts of this exact box, so treat all of this as a lead, not a verdict.
What we haven’t done yet
Plenty. We haven’t played a single round. We haven’t tested it with two players or with a full table of eight. We haven’t tried it with our kids, and we haven’t tried any of the fan rules or added betting with chips. Our first impression is about the box, the theme and what we hear in the community, nothing more.
Our first impression
As a souvenir, Sabacc is a hit before you even shuffle. A slim box, the game from the Falcon scene, bought in the middle of Galaxy’s Edge. For Star Wars fans, whether that’s a family of Jedi, a couple of smugglers or one very dedicated Lando cosplayer, that’s half the value right there.
As a card game, the jury is out. Have you played it? Tell us what you thought. We’ll be back with a proper review once it’s hit our table.
First impression: what we like
- The Star Wars magic: this is the game Han Solo won the Millennium Falcon with
- A slim, good-looking box that travels well
- Room for a crowd: up to eight players, per the box
First impression: what worries us
- We haven't played it, so no verdict yet
- Others report rule inconsistencies in the official instructions
- No betting in this version, which is half the fun of Sabacc on screen
Fact sheet
- 2–8 (box)
- 10+
- 62 cards, 2 dice, instructions
- Galaxy's Edge, Walt Disney World
- Not yet
From our table
FAQ
Have you played Sabacc yet?
Not yet. We bought the box at Galaxy's Edge at Disney World and haven't had a chance to play it. This page is a first impression, not a full review.
What's in the Galaxy's Edge Sabacc box?
According to the box: 62 cards, 2 dice and instructions. It says 2 to 8 players, age 10+.
Where can you buy the Galaxy's Edge Sabacc set?
We found ours in one of the shops at Galaxy's Edge in Walt Disney World. When it launched in 2019, it was sold only in the Galaxy's Edge areas of the Disney parks.
Is this the Sabacc from the movies?
It's a real-world take on the dice variant from Solo: A Star Wars Story, where the goal is a hand as close to zero as possible. There has never been one single official ruleset, so versions differ.
