Planet Unknown

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• Setup
  • • Place the space station in the center of the table and load it with tiles.
      • Each section of the station should be loaded with 2 stacks of 12 tiles each.
      • All tiles in a stack should be the same shape and have the same orientation.
      • Tiles should be organized into an interior ring (small tiles) and an exterior ring (large tiles).
        • Move the interior ring before you start the game to create a variable setup.
    • Give each player:
      • 1 planet board
      • 1 corruption board
      • 2 matching depot indicators
      • 5 resource trackers (1 of each color)
    • Each player should take and position the lifepods and rovers as instructed on their planet and corporation boards.
    • Each player should position their depot indicator around the space station, separated equally, and in front of a depot.
    • If playing with the events module:
      1. Separate the event deck into 3 piles of cards separated by event type (green, orange, red).
      2. Remove any solo mode cards.
      3. Create a deck of 20 cards to be used during the game by randomly selecting cards from the different decks. You can customize the event difficulty by choosing from the decks of your choice.
    • Randomly select civ cards such that each rank (1-4) stack contains a number of cards equal to player count + 1.
      • The rest of the civ cards can be returned to the box.
    • Create a supply of meteorites and biomass patches.
    • If playing with the private objectives module:
      • Deal 2 private objective cards to each player (neighbor side up). Each player chooses 1 to keep and returns the other to the box.
    • Shuffle and deal the objective cards. Use the card side and setup based on the table below.
    • Choose a start player and give them the station commander token.

    Players	Card Side	Objective Setup
    3-6 players	Neighbor	1 card between each player
    2 players	Neighbor	3 cards between both players
    solo	Private	4 cards, choose 3 to play with

• Gameplay

  • The game is played over a number of rounds until either a player cannot legally place a tile from their depot or when 1 depot is completely emptied. Either case will trigger game end.

    • Each round:
      1. The station commander may rotate the space station as much or as little as they like, until they have any 1 depot in front of themselves.
      2. (If playing with the event module) Immediately draw the next event card from the deck and execute its action.
         • All actions must be executed, if possible, for all events and all players.
      3. All players must draft 1 of the 2 tiles in front of them (or their depot indicator).
      4. After players place the tile on their planet according to placement rules, they advance 1 space on each resource track matching the resources shown on the placed tile.
         • If a tile with a meteorite symbol is placed, immediately cover the square with the symbol with a meteorite token.
         • If a tile with a water resource does not have its water terrain covering at least 1 ice space, you cannot advance on the water resource track.
         • If a tile has an energy resource, you advance 1 of the following:
           1. The non-energy resource on the tile you placed.
           2. The resource of any 1 terrain that is orthogonally adjacent to the energy terrain area from the tile placement.
      5. Pass the station commander token to the next player in clockwise order.
  • Placement Rules
    • • The 1st tile placed on your planet must be touching the outside edge of your planet.
      • All tiles must be placed orthogonally adjacent to another tile (after the 1st tile).
      • Tiles cannot be placed on top of other tiles.
      • Tiles cannot overlap other tiles or extend off the planet's printed grid.
      • Tile must be aligned with the grid squares.
      • If a tile is placed onto a lifepod or rover, the lifepod/rover is destroyed and removed from the game.
      • If a tile with a water resource is NOT placed on at least 1 ice space, you cannot advance on the water resource track.
  • Resource Tracks
    • • Medals: You claim the highest medal (point) value you reached at the end of the game.
      • Synergy boosts: You claim these immediately -- advance any single tracker once.
      • If a tracker reaches the top of its track, it does not gain additional benefits. It will score the points indicated at the top of the track at the end of the game.
        • The rovers can still move (X spaces) each time they would advance, but are at the top of the track.
      • Tracks may have additional benefits.
  • Civ Resource Track
    • • When hitting a civ milestone, take all civ cards of the corresponding rank and select 1 to keep. Return the rest to the supply.
        • If 2+ players reach the same milestone during the same round, cards are selected in clockwise order (starting with the commander).
      • After choosing a card, claim any benefits on the card if it's labeled Immediate.
      • Cards labeled End Game are scored at the end of the game.
      • If there are no cards left in the civ pile, you cannot claim a card.
  • Rover Resource Track
    • • When a player advances onto a rover milestone, they place a rover on any space of the last placed tile.
        • If the rover is placed on a meteorite, immediately collect it.
      • When advancing onto a number, move your rover a number of spaces equal to this number.
        • Rovers only move orthogonally.
        • Rover movement may be split between multiple rovers.
        • Rovers may move both on tiles and on the planet grid.
        • Rovers may backtrack.
        • If the rover tracker is at the top of the track and would advance, you do still move your rovers the indicated number of spaces.
      • If you move your rover onto a lifepod/meteorite, collect it and place it on your player board.
      • Anything (tile, biomass patch, meteorite) placed onto a rover destroys it and it is removed from the game.
      • If all your rovers have been destroyed, they do not place a rover when reaching a rover milestone.
  • Tech Resource Track
    • • When a player advances onto a tech milestone, they unlock a tech that can be used every round for the rest of the game (unless stated otherwise).
      • Level 4 advancement clarification: Only advance twice due to tile placement. Do not advance twice due to synergy boosts, event cards, or tiles you did not place.
  • Biomass Resource Track
    • • When advancing onto a biomass milestone, collect a biomass patch and immediately place it on their planet following normal placement rules.
      • Placing biomass patches does not advance you on the biomass track.
  • Water Resource Track
    • • In order to collect the water resource on the tile, there must be at least 1 water terrain portion of the tile covering an ice space.
      • Water terrain is not required to be placed over ice.
  • Energy Resources

    • There is no energy resource track. Instead, when a tile containing an energy resource is placed, you advance another resource based on the following 2 options:

      1. The non-energy resource on the tile you placed.
      2. The resource of any 1 terrain that is orthogonally adjacent to the energy terrain area established from your tile placement.
         • This means that you can access the resource through other adjacent energy tiles, not just the one you placed.
• Game End

  • The game ends in 1 of 2 ways. If playing with the event module, there is a 3rd way.

    1. A player cannot legally place a tile from their depot.
       • All players finish the round as normal and then the game is over.
       • Any player that cannot legally place a tile still chooses 1 and advances on the tracks for both resources on the tile, but does not place it.
    2. A depot is completely emptied of tiles.
       • The game ends at the end of the round where a depot was emptied.
    3. (Only if playing with the event module) When the last card of the event deck is drawn, complete the current round.

    Scoring

    • Before scoring, all players:

      • Should place any biomass patches they have.
      • Should execute any end game corporation tech.
      • Should advance any tracker due to end game civ cards.

    • Score points for every complete row and column on your planet.

      • The row/column cannot have a meteorite or empty grid square.
      • Each row/column scores 1-3 points based on the medal to the side/above it (respectively).
    • Score the highest value medal that each tracker has reached/passed.
    • Score points for the lifepods and meteorites collected.
      • 1 point per lifepod
      • 1 point per 3 meteorites (rounded down)
    • Score points for end game civ cards.
    • Score points for any completed private objectives.

    • Score points based on the neighbor objective cards if your planet wins when compared with your neighbor's planet.

    • In case of a tie:

      1. The player with the fewest uncovered grid squares wins.
      2. The player with the fewest meteorites remaining on their planet wins.
      3. The players share the victory.
• Modules
  • 2 Player Variant
    • • Each round, the depot is rotated clockwise by 1 depot instead of the commander choosing.
  • Private Objective Module
    • • In a multiplayer game, you may optionally use private objectives in addition to neighbor objectives.
      • During setup, deal 2 private objectives to each player. They choose 1 to keep and return the other to the box.
        • This should be done before neighbor objectives.
  • Event Deck Module
    • • Setup
        1. Separate the event deck into 3 piles of cards separated by event type (green, orange, red).
        2. Remove any solo mode cards.
        3. Create a deck of 20 cards to be used during the game by randomly selecting cards from the different decks. You can customize the event difficulty by choosing from the decks of your choice.
      • Gameplay
        1. After the space station has been rotated, immediately draw the next event card from the deck and execute its action.
           • All actions must be executed, if possible, for all events and all players.
        2. Play the rest of the round as normal
      • The last card of the event deck also triggers the game end.
• Reference

  • Symbol	Term	Description
    	Benefit	Any non-medal icon on your research track.
    	Medal	The number on the medal is the number of end game points.
    	Synergy	Advance any resource track once.
    	Advance	Move a resource tracker 1 position up on the resource track. Claim any benefit under the tracker.
    	Regress	Move a resource tracker 1 position down on the resource track. DO NOT claim any benefit under the tracker.
    	Tile	Cardboard polyomino with 2 terrains/resources.
    	Resource	1 of 2 icons on a tile.
    	Terrain	6 types of terrain, 1 corresponding to each resource.
    	Milestone	Benefit on a resource track that triggers a specific mechanic to that track.
    	Square	1x1 area corresponding to the planet grid, a section of a tile, or the size of a biomass patch.
    	Terrain Area	A contiguous group of terrain consisting of 1 or more tiles of the same resource type touching orthogonally. Area size is the number of squares in the group.
    	Rover Movement	Rover movement can be split between multiple rovers. Rovers can move on both tiles and the planet grid. Rovers may backtrack.
    	Collect	Take a component from your planet and place it on your player board.
    	Destroy	Remove a destroyed component from the game.
    	Do Not, May Not, or Cannot	This symbol describes additional game play restrictions. The additional restrictions must be followed, if possible, but should be ignored if they become solely responsible for triggering the end of the game.
    	Complexity	A higher complexity is given for asymmetric planets and player boards that create more rule restrictions or advanced planning.
    	Solo Mode Only	A component that should only be used during solo mode.
    	Immediate	Execute any effects right away.
    	End of Game	Execute any effects at the end of the game. Include medals in your scoring if you met all necessary conditions.
    	Example of Multiple Benefits	Game 3 rover movement and a synergy boost.
    	Lifepod on Your Planet

    Tech and Corporation Phrases

    Phrase	Definition
    At round start	Immediately execute this at the start of each round if the conditional requirement is met.
    Carrying	A rover that physically has a meteorite on top fo the rover in the process of meteorite delivery or destruction.
    Deliver / Delivering	A rover carrying a meteorite reaches its destination and the player moves the meteorite from the rover to the corp. board.
    Gain a biomass patch	Take a biomass patch from the supply and immediately place it. You may store it if you've unlocked the corresponding tech.
    Gain movement	Add movement to your total rover movement this round.
    Ignore tile adjacency placement restrictions	Remove the restriction for othogonally adjacent tile placement. Rules for placement on the planet grid squares and inside planet perimeter must still be followed. Any other placement restrictions put in place by asymmetric planets, corps., or events must be followed.
    Position lifepod	Place a lifepod that was gained or collected into either the scoring area or another designated area of your corporation board.
    Store biomass patch	Keep the biomass patch by your corp. board until a future point as noted by the corporation.
    Teleport a rover	Pick up a rover from 1 square and place it on another square. The rover does not move on the planet between the starting and ending square.
    +X rover movement	Add X to the number underneath the rover tracker each time you gain rover movement.

• Asymmetric Corporations

  • Republic

    Advantage: 7 x Civ milestones
    Weaknesses: 1 x Rover, Regression

    • Tech lvl 1 is an immediate gain of movement even before you place your tile. If your rover tracker is not at a position with rover movement, do not gain any movement.
    • Tech lvl 2 example:
      • With tech lvl 2 unlocked, the player claims a rank 3 civ milestone. The player picks up all cards from rand 3 plus 1 card at random from rank 4 and chooses 1 to keep. Then, return all unchosen cards to their respective piles.
    • Regress another tracker: Move any non-civ resource tracker 1 position downward on the resource track. Do not claim benefits.

    Wormhole Corp.

    Advantage: Surplus biomass patches
    Weaknesses: Tile placement restrictions

    • Tech lvl 2 may be used to achieve biomass terrain connections, but you cannot place a biomass patch onto a meteorite.
    • Tech lvl 5 allows you to place a biomass patch onto a meteorite at game end, destroying the meteorite.

    Cosmos Inc.

    Advantage: Advancement engine
    Weaknesses: Lifepod scoring, 1 x Rover, Lifepods cover benefits

    • You may position lifepods such that a tracker skips over more than 1 lifepod at a time.
    • Lifepods only score medals if they are on your scoring area at game end. You may use your tech to reposition them onto a scoring area later in the game.

    Horizon Group

    Advantage: 4 x Rovers
    Weaknesses: Pick up and deliver requirements

    • Each rover may hold 1 meteorite on top of it.
      • A rover picks up a meteorite when it is placed onto, moves onto, or moves through a meteorite.
      • A rover delivers a meteorite it's carrying when it moves onto or through a rover resource.
      • A rover destroys a meteorite it carries when it moves onto water terrain.

    Jump Drive

    Advantage: Flexibility, 6 x Techs
    Weaknesses: Lifepod scoring, 1 x Rover

    • A tech may be used immediately when unlocked.
    • Be aware that Jump Drive has little incentive to advance their tech resource tracker, as they score fewer medals the further they advance tech.
    • Tech D: Treating tech resource as an energy resource during tile placement only applies to tile placement and not end of game resources.
    • Tech E: A row consists of 5 resource track positions that span across all resource tracks of the corp. board. as designated by the current tracker position.

    Oasis Ultd.

    Advantage: Tracker manipulation, Medals on the water track
    Weaknesses: Long winding water track

    • Instead of just advancing upward, your water tracker advances toward the end of the resource track, always following the irregular path.
    • Each resource tracker only scores medals once based on its corresponding resource track.
    • Tech lvl 1: A tracker must stay on its corresponding track.

    Makeshift

    Advantage: Flexibility, Tracker manipulation
    Weaknesses: Resource dependency

    • A resource tracker may block another resource tracker from advancing.
    • Resource trackers score medals based on the track they occupy at the end of the game.
    • Tech lvl 1: Trackers may advance diagonally from civ to tech and vice versa.
    • Tech lvl 3: A lateral shift is when a player moves a tracker horizontally to an adjacent resource track and claims the benefit.
    • Tech lvl 4: Regress -- Move a resource tracker 1 position down on the resource track. Do not claim benefits.

    Flux Industries

    Advantage: Power level, Versatility
    Weaknesses: 1 tech available at a time

    • Tech lvl 2: When you unlock this, choose the flux track as normal. You may advance your tracker to the next milestone on the flux track any time before you unlock tech lvl 3.
    • Tech lvl 3: Only the benefits of the flux track are improved. Disregard all other improvements that do not correspond to the flux track.
    • Tech lvl 4: Collect a meteorite from your planet, if possible.
• Asymmetric Planets
  • • Gaia
      • It is legal to cover a city with your tile placement, but it will impact your score.
    • Persephone
      • It is legal to play a tile that crosses quadrants, provided it obeys restrictions.
    • Arashi
      • The planet's ring occupies the 2 largest horizontal rows. Biomass patches may not be placed covering the ring.
    • Petra
      • Electrical currents count as energy terrain if uncovered at the end of the game.
    • Tartarus
      • There are 2 points of the chasm that may be crossed if your rovers have diagonal movement tech.
    • Charybdis
      • Obey tile placement rules as normal after your 1st tile placement.
    • Pajitnov
      • The tile must be able to slide into places from any direction. Biomass patches may be placed even if they cannot slide into place.
    • Oblivion
      • Score each row and column only once as normal. Treat areas without grid squares as if they did not exist when determining if a row or column is complete.
    • Cerberus
      • Indicator brackets determine the grid area of each planet. Treat areas without grid squares as if they did not exist when determining if a row or column is complete. Maximum possible score is 45 medals.
    • Lacuna
      • Treat holes as if they did not exist when determining if a row or column is complete.
    • K'aax
      • No clarifications.
    • K-273
      • No clarifications.
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