Exoplanets: The Great Expanse Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Gravity
  • Contents
  • Expansion Set-Up
  • How Gravity Works
• Deep Space
  • Expansion Set-Up
  • How Deep Space Works
  • Descriptions of the New Effects
• Stars
  • Contents
  • Understanding the Types of Star Cores
• Adding a Fifth Player
  • Contents
  • Expansion Set-Up
  • Variations in Gameplay

Gravity

Gravity is another special effect that comes into the game next to the Black Hole, Solar Storm, and Creation Tiles. Thanks to the Gravity special effect, players will be able to cancel the effect that Space Tiles, placed under planets, have on the game. Gravity also introduces a pool of markers which can be exchanged for resources.

Contents

Gravity Tile

20 black Gravity markers

Expansion Set-Up

A. After setting up the game, place the Gravity Tile next to the other special effect tiles – Black Hole, Solar Storm, and Creation.

B. Place the black Gravity markers on or near the Gravity tile - this is the Gravity pool. The number of markers depends on the number of the players. 2 players = 10 markers, 3 players = 15, and 4+ players = 20 markers on the Gravity Tile.

How Gravity Works

Whenever you place a new Planet Tile in the planetary system, you must take 1 Gravity marker from the Gravity pool.

You may return Gravity markers to the Gravity pool at any time during your turn to achieve one of the following effects:

A. Use 1 Gravity marker to exchange any of your current resources for any other resource.

Any resource + Gravity marker = Any resource

EXAMPLE

John has 2 Energy markers and 1 Gravity marker. In order to fulfill one of his hidden goals John needs to create additional Life on one of the planets. The cost of creating Life on this planet is 1 Energy and 1 Gas. So John needs a Gas marker.

John decides to combine 1 Energy marker with 1 Gravity marker to gain 1 Gas marker. John places the Energy marker back in the Cosmic Dust Dloud and puts the Gravity marker back in the Gravity pool. Now John can take 1 Gas marker from the Cosmic Dust Cloud and use it to create Life on the desired planet.

B. Use 3 Gravity markers (in a 2- or 3-player game) to remove one chosen Space Tile from beneath a Planet Tile. In a 4+ player game use 2 Gravity markers for to achieve the same effect.

Players	Cost	Effect
2-3 players	3 Gravity markers	Remove Space Tile
4+ players	2 Gravity markers	Remove Space Tile

EXAMPLE

One of the players placed a Space Tile under a planet; the effect on that Space Tile says that all planets in this orbit have -2 Creation Points. Unfortunately, there are as many as 2 planets under your control in this orbit. You decide to use 3 Gravity markers (a 3-player game) to remove the unwanted Space Tile, thereby removing its effect.

NOTE: Gravity markers may only be used on your turn. Gravity markers may be used in any sequence and in any combination.

Deep Space

The planetary system you've discovered is wild and wondrous, with lots of empty but thrilling space to explore. The Deep Space expansion will add even more choices to your games of Exoplanets. You may include this expansion when using the Space Probe and Long-Range Scanning variants from the base game.

Expansion Set-Up

The Deep Space expansion consists of 16 new Space Tiles. Before Set-Up shuffle the expansion tiles with the Space Tiles from the base game of Exoplanets.

How Deep Space Works

• The space tiles from this expansion include 2 Immediate Effects. When one of these tiles is played a player must choose which one will take place.
• A player may use only one of the two effects that are visible on the Space Tile. Once a decision is made it cannot be undone.
• Some of the Immediate Effects have 2 Special Effect icons. This means that if you activate a given effect you should take both of the Special Effect markers (either Solar Flare or Fusion) visible on the tile.

The remaining rules for using space tiles remain unchanged.

Descriptions of the New Effects

1. Choose one -2 or -3 marker that is placed next to any planet and remove it from the game. Only 1 marker may be removed in this way from the chosen planet.

2. Choose one +Water, +Gas, or +Energy marker that is placed next to any 1 planet and remove it from the game. Only 1 marker may be removed in this way from a chosen planet.

3. Choose one Space Tile that is underneath a planet and remove it from the game.

4. Place underneath an available planet. That planet is protected from Space Tile effects for the rest of the game.

5. Move 1 Life Marker from this planet (yours or your opponent's) to any other planet with the same Life Creation Cost.

6. Draw 1 random Space Tile from outside the game (if any are available) and add it to your hand.

7. Choose any 1 planet from the bag instead of drawing 2 random ones. This Space Tile may be played only during Phase One of your turn.

8. Take one Space Tile into your hand from underneath any chosen planet. Place this Space Tile underneath that planet.

Stars

The universe is vast, and not every planetary system ripe for terraforming is going to orbit the same type of star. The various cores of each Star will determine the special developmental circumstances of the system. The options range from dynamic exploration to management of life on the planets.

Contents

4 Star Cores: Chaotic, Dynamic, Red Dwarf, Blue Giant

After setting up the basic version of the game, insert a chosen type of core into the Star ring.

Understanding the Types of Star Cores

A. Chaotic Star

This Star core is perfect for achieving a lot of goals and switching tactics often, all in one game. Its activity peaks during dynamic and widespread development of Life on many planets at once. Life can be directed in its evolution in order to take advantage of Goals on Space Tiles.

How it works:

Each time you add a new planet to the system in Phase One you may move 1 Life Marker (yours or another player's) from one planet to another. Certain rules apply to this mechanism:

• You may move only one Life Marker (a Species cannot be moved).
• You may move a Life Marker only between planets with the same level of Life Creation Requirement Costs (for example from a planet that has the Life Creation Requirement Costs of 1 Water and 1 Energy to a planet with the cost of 1 Gas and 1 Water).
• You cannot move a Life Marker to a planet that already has 3 of your Life Markers (in other words, you cannot use this action to create a Species).
• You may move your Life Marker to a planet where another player already has Life Markers present.

NOTE: This additional action can only be performed after a Planet Tile is placed and before Phase Two of your turn. This additional action is optional.

(Placement note: in the printed rulebook this note sits at the top of the page-3 column, above the Dynamic Star text. It is placed here because it qualifies the Chaotic Star's additional action.)

B. Dynamic Star

This Star core fosters rapid development of Life and Species in a planetary system during the first part of the game. Later, the focus shifts when all that remains to be manipulated are the Space Tiles of the cosmic arena.

How it works:

During Phase One when you add a new Planet Tile to the planetary system, you take one extra resource (Energy, Gas, Water), depending on on which side of the Star this new planet is placed.

This action should be taken immediately after placing the Planet Tile. This means that you will receive 4 resources during Phase One of your turn:

• 1 Energy from the Star
• 2 resources from the planetary alignments
• 1 additional resource depending on which side of the Star the Planet Tile is placed.

C. Red Dwarf

This Star core warps the space around itself rapidly, offering players more options and opportunities for forging the fate of their planetary system.

How it works:

During Phase One of your turn, if you choose to draw two Planet Tiles from the bag when adding a planet to the system, you may return one resource of any type to the Cosmic Dust Cloud to place those tiles in any order on the Planet Reserve and draw two new Planet Tiles from the bag. The following rules apply:

• You may look at the Planet Tiles you first drew from the bag before deciding whether to take this action.
• You may only perform this action once on your turn.
• You may only perform this action if there are Planet Tiles left in the bag.
• Once you have taken new Planet Tiles the decision cannot be undone and you must accept the tiles you have drawn.

D. Blue Giant

This star bestows the gift of resources but there is usually a cost: Gaining the resources will require changes in strategy or a great sacrifice. This star encourages players to try different techniques of developing Life in order to fulfill as many goals as possible. It also provides an opportunity for correcting the course of Life development, removing Life your opponents have placed to make room for your own.

How it works:

Whe you add a new planet to the system during Phase One you may carry out one of the following actions:

• Return 1 Life Marker to a player's pool from a chosen planet; in return that player takes as many resources of any kind as the level of Life Creation Requirement Costs on the chosen planet (for instance, if the Life Creation Requirement Costs on a given planet is 1 Gas and 1 Water, then that player could choose any 2 resources and take them from the Cosmic Dust Cloud). This action may only be performed once during Phase One of your turn.

- OR -

• You may discard a SpaceTile from your hand and take 3 resources of any kind from the Cosmic Dust Cloud. The discarded Space Tile should be removed from the game. This action may only be performed once during Phase One of you turn.

Adding a Fifth Player

Space is big, but sometimes it can get crowded when there's a viable system out there waiting to be terraformed and everyone's wanting in on the action. The fifth-player expansion will allow even more players to get in on the cosmic fun!

Contents

6 new tan Life Markers

4 new tan Species Markers

Expansion Set-Up

Before Set-Up, shuffle the Deep Space expansion tiles with the Space Tiles from the base game of Exoplanets.

In Step A of Set-Up, place 25 Energy Markers on the Star Tile.

In Step C of Set-Up, place 6 Space Tiles face-down on each side of the Star Tile extending out from the original Planet Tiles that were placed.

At the beginning of play, after the first player has been established, the player who would go last on the first turn may take one resource of any type from the Cosmic Dust Cloud and add it to their supply.

Variations in Gameplay

Gameplay is the same in a 5-player game as the base game of Exoplanets, with the following exceptions:

• If at any time a player would receive a resource and that resource is no longer available from the Cosmic Dust Cloud, they may take another resource of their choice from the Cosmic Dust Cloud.
• On the last round of the game, the player who takes the last turn will choose a Planet Tile from the bag or the Planet Reserve and use that tile to replace a Planet Tile already present in the planetary system. That planet must not have any Life Markers on it. That planet is removed from the game.