This is a documentation for Board Game Arena: play board games online !
Gamehelpplanetunknown
Overview
The game continues until the tiles run out or a player can't place a tile
Turn
The start player may rotate the space station as much as they desire until one of the depots is facing them and likewise a depot is facing each of the other players
Each player now drafts 1 tile from the depot which faces them
All players place their tile according to placement rules (and add a meteorite token if the corresponding symbol is present)
All players advance the corresponding resource trackers based on the tile selected
Pass the start player marker and start a new round
Tile Placement
The first tile of the game must be placed so an edge touches a border
Additional tiles must be orthogonally adjacent to pre-existing tiles
Tiles cannot overlap other tiles and neither can they fully cover/replace each other
Tiles cannot hangover the edge of the grid
Tiles have to sit so they are aligned with the printed grid
Lifepods and Rovers CAN have tiles placed on them, but the object is then removed permanently
Resource Tracks
Each resource tracks provides a unique benefit. You claim the benefit once your resource marker reaches an icon on the track. Two icons are shared by all tracks:
Victory Points (gold medals) - player receive points at the end of the game for the highest one passed on each track.
Synergy Boosts (multi-color swirls) - Immediately move the resouce marker up one step on any resource track.
Civ Track (black)
Take all the Civ Cards of the depicted level, look through them, and pick one to keep
If the card states IMMEDIATE, you get these bonuses straight away, otherwise you'll get them later
If the card states END GAME, it is kept secret and revealed at end game
If more than one player reaches the same milestone in the same round, they should select them in clockwise order from the current start player
If playing with modules, there is a chance that when you reach a milestone there are no cards to claim
Water Track (blue)
If a square of the tile with water resource is placed on planetary ice, the track advances, otherwise no advancement is made
Rover Track (red)
If a player passes a rover milestone, they may place a rover onto the tile which triggered it, possibly even covering up a meteorite if desired
If a movement space is reached, the player may move their rovers a combined amount equal to the space's number (so a 3 could move 1 rover 3 spaces or 2 rovers 2 and 1 spaces respectively). Rovers move orthogonally and can move on both tile spaces and empty spaces. When a Rover shares a space with either a Lifepod or Meteorite, the component is collected.
If something is placed onto the rover, the rover is destroyed
Tech Track (gray)
This track unlocks permanent abilities for the rest of the game
Level 1: Adjacency placement restrictions no longer apply
Level 2: Store Biomass Patches to be placed at End Game
Level 3: +1 for Rover Movement
Level 4: Double Water advancement
Level 5: Immune against Meteors
Energy (tan)
There is no track for Energy, instead pick any other track to advance, with the following limitations:
You may pick the other resource shared on the energy resource's tile (Remember this track still advances naturally, so in effect gets to advance twice)
You may pick a resource bordering the energy resource spaces of the tile just placed
Biomass Track (green)
This gains the player a Biomass Patch to place immediately following normal placement rules
Biomass Patches do NOT advance the track, but do help to fill in spaces
Scoring
The game ends when either the tiles run out or a player can't place a tile
First, all players activate any end game bonuses and place any unplaced Patches
Score each row and column based on the medal number attached to it if it is complete, so all spaces have a tile in them and no spaces have a meteorite on them, as such each r/c is worth 1-3 points if scorable
Score the highest medal passed or reached on each track
Score 1 point per Lifepod collected and 1 point per 3 Meteorites collected
Score End Game Civ cards
The player with the most points wins!
If tied, the player with the least empty spaces wins!