For All Mankind Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Quickstart Guide
• Objectives
• Setting Up the Game
  • Players
  • Rotation
  • Earth Tokens
• Setting Up the Board
  • Starting Set-Up for New Players
  • Starting Set-Up for Experienced Players
• Victory Conditions
• Resources
• Colonies
• Research
• Espionage Cards
• Tactical Nukes
• Bonus Tokens
  • Farthest Out
  • Prestigious Universities
  • Central Intelligence
• The Bank
• Trading
• Playing a Round
  • Action Phase
  • Resource Gathering Phase
  • Planet Rotation
  • Special Civility Rule | Ready Player One
• Bot Rules
  • 1 | Espionage
  • 2 | Research
  • 3 | Colony
  • 4 | Espionage + Research
  • 5 | Espionage + Colony
  • 6 | Espionage + Roll Again
  • Bot Espionage Cards
  • Important Note About Research
• Planet Guide

Components

• 4 Field Guides
• 1 Game Board
• 1 Ruler
• 21 Colony Tokens
• 4 Earth Tokens
• 9 Research Tokens
• 3 Bonus Tokens
• 9 Planets
• 12 Tactical Nukes
• 40 Ships
• 1 Dice

100 Resource Cards

• 25 Iron
• 25 Oxygen
• 25 Water
• 25 Fuel

44 Espionage Cards

• 3 Double Agents
• 4 Reverse Engineering
• 5 Hack The Planet
• 5 Stowaway Drones
• 6 Insider Trading
• 7 "Misplaced" Shipments
• 14 Secret Nuclear Facilities

Quickstart Guide

Each player chooses an Earth Token and collects the corresponding Resources. Players place the Planets in their orbits. Collect 1 Field Guide, 10 Ships of a single color, and 1 unactivated copy of the Espionage Card called "Secret Nuclear Facilities".

1. Player 1 takes as many actions as they are inclined and able to take, including building Colonies, purchasing Research or Espionage, using Espionage Cards, trading with other players or The Bank, or launching Tactical Nukes.
2. When Player 1 is done taking actions, they draw all Resources provided by their Earth and Colony Tokens. Then it is Player 2's turn.
3. Once every player has completed their turn, the Round is over! Players will work together to rotate all of the Planets 1 pip forward in their rotation.
4. When one player has all 10 of their Ships on the board, the game is over and that player wins the game!

IMPORTANT NOTE | Remember, turn order and Planet rotations move counter-clockwise, in the direction of the arrows on the board.

Objectives

For All Mankind is a four-person game played over a series of rounds. Players compete to win 10 Victory Points by placing all 10 of their Ships on the board. To do this, players must collect Resources, purchase Colonies and Research, and earn Bonus Tokens.

Setting Up the Game

Players

Each player begins the game with 1 Field Guide, 10 Ships of a single color, and 1 unactivated copy of the Espionage Card called "Secret Nuclear Facilities". Player 1 will be the player who has most recently been to outer space. If no player has been to actual outer space, Player 1 will be the player who most recently visited by proxy, such as by film, book, or game.

IMPORTANT NOTE | If you have fewer than 4 players, please refer to Pages 17 - 20. This will teach you how to set up "artificial" players to fill empty seats and still be able to play.

Rotation

Gameplay will pass counter-clockwise from Player 1, in the same direction as the rotation of the planets and the arrows on the board.

(Diagram: Player 1 at the upper right, Player 2 upper left, Player 3 lower left, Player 4 lower right; arrows run counter-clockwise around the board.)

Earth Tokens

Once Player 1 has been determined, players will choose their starting Earth locations in reverse order. Player 4 chooses first, then Player 3, then Player 2, then Player 1.

Each starting Earth location will produce 1 of each Resource, but will specialize by producing 2 of one of them. For example, the Earth WATER location produces 2 WATER and 1 of each other Resource. This will give you a special advantage in one direction or another, so choose wisely!

When you have chosen your starting Earth location, place one of your Ships in the corresponding place on the board, place your Earth token in front of you, and draw the Resources from it as your starting hand.

Once all Players have their Earth location and starting Resources, the planets can be placed and the game can begin.

Setting Up the Board

Starting Set-Up for New Players

For All Mankind has a variable game board. However, if there are any first-time players, we suggest using the starting solar system setup below to place the planets on the board. These starting locations should provide a level of challenge that is approachable for new players and keep experienced players from running rampant.

(Diagram: the suggested starting positions of the planets on the board; see the printed rulebook.)

Starting Set-Up for Experienced Players

After you choose your starting Earth locations, players will take turns choosing planets and placing them in their orbits until all of the planets have been placed. This will effectively randomize the starting board while giving every player a chance to maximize their own benefits and minimize their opponents' benefits.

Victory Conditions

If a Player has 10 Victory Points, they win the game immediately. As soon as any Player's 10th Ship is validly placed on the board, the game is over and that Player wins the game!

Victory Points come from (see the diagram on the board and Field Guide):

• Bonuses: Farthest Out, Prestigious Universities, Central Intelligence.
• Research: Tier 1 - X-Large Hadron Collider, Silver Shield Initiative, International Friendship Station; Tier 2 - Y.E.T.I. Institute, Lunar Outpost, Superspy Academy; Tier 3 - Executive Privilege, Ganymede Station, Optimized Shipping Lanes.
• Colonies (Inner Colonies: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars; Outer Colonies: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto).

Resources

There are 4 different Resources in For All Mankind: IRON, FUEL, WATER, and OXYGEN.

Resources are used to purchase Colonies, Research, and Espionage Cards. Each player starts with a home base on Earth, which grants a basic allotment of Resources each turn. Purchase and control Colonies in order to draw more Resources during your turn.

Colonies

Colonies are worth 1 Victory Point each. They also give two more important benefits:

• Owning a Colony lets you collect its Resource every turn.
• You can calculate FUEL costs from any planet where you have a Ship, which means wherever you have a Colony.

The base cost to build a Colony is the same everywhere in the Solar System (1 IRON, 1 WATER, and 2 OXYGEN). In addition to the base cost, there is a variable FUEL cost for every Colony, which is calculated from any planet where you have a Ship. The variable FUEL cost is measured with the Ruler. Consult your Field Guide for exact details.

IMPORTANT NOTE | The FUEL cost for Outer Planets is different from the FUEL cost for Inner Planets. If you are measuring to or from an Outer Planet, you must pay 2 FUEL times the distance measured by the Ruler. FUEL is measured from pip to pip on each planet.

Examples (illustrated with the Ruler on the board):

• Mars to Venus (Inner Planet): 3 x 1 FUEL.
• Mars to Jupiter (Outer Planet): 5 x 2 FUEL.

When you purchase a Colony, pay the base cost plus the FUEL cost, then place one of your Ships on the corresponding Colony marker on the board. Take the relevant Colony Token and place it in front of you to remind you which Resources to draw during your draw phase.

Colony markers on the board (Resources produced):

• Mercury: IRON, FUEL
• Venus: IRON, OXYGEN
• Earth: the four starting Earth locations (each produces 2 of one Resource and 1 of each other)
• Mars: IRON, WATER
• Jupiter: OXYGEN, WATER, FUEL, FUEL
• Saturn: OXYGEN, WATER, IRON
• Uranus: OXYGEN, FUEL, FUEL
• Neptune and Pluto: see the Colonies chart on the board and the Colony Tokens

IMPORTANT NOTE | If you already have a Colony, the distance to build a new Colony on the same planet is 0. If you don't have to fly there, you don't have to spend any FUEL!

When a player controls every Colony on a planet, that is called a Monopoly, and those Colonies will start producing double Resources. When you have a Monopoly, you can immediately flip over the Colony Tokens for that planet, where you will see a reminder to collect double Resources for as long as your Monopoly remains.

Research

In addition to Victory Points, each Research provides a special ability. These powers can give you an important edge over your opponents in the quest for stellar domination.

Research comes in three Tiers, which are more or less expensive depending on how powerful they are. Consult your Field Guide for full details on the specific cost and unique powers for each Research.

• Tier 1: X-Large Hadron Collider, Silver Shield Initiative, International Friendship Station
• Tier 2: Y.E.T.I. Institute, Lunar Outpost, Superspy Academy
• Tier 3: Executive Privilege, Ganymede Station, Optimized Shipping Lanes

When you purchase a Research, place one of your Ships in the corresponding place on the board. Take the relevant Research Token and place it in front of you to remind you what your special power is. (Example: Executive Privilege - "You may activate ESPIONAGE CARDS on the same turn you acquire them".)

IMPORTANT NOTE | You don't have to buy Research in any particular order. If you can afford it, you can buy it as long as someone else doesn't already own it - no matter which Tier it's in!

Espionage Cards

Espionage Cards have powerful single-use abilities that help players gain tactical advantages over their opponents. When you want to buy an Espionage Card, pay the cost in your Field Guide and draw 1 card from the top of the deck.

Espionage Cards can only be used during your own turn, and can only be activated after they have been in your hand for at least 1 full round. When you want to use an Espionage Card, pay the activation cost (noted in its upper left hand corner) and take whatever action the card says to do. (Example: "Hack the Planet" - activation cost 2 IRON - "For the rest of your turn, you may use the powers of every RESEARCH currently owned by all players.")

An Espionage Card can only be used once. After an Espionage Card has been activated, it goes into your own personal discard pile.

Tactical Nukes

You can use Tactical Nukes to destroy other players' Colonies and Research.

When you use a Nuke, the Tactical Nuke is discarded back to The Bank, and the nuked Colony or Research returns to The Bank where it can now be purchased by other players on their turn. The player's Ship that was just destroyed will be returned to them.

Tactical Nukes can only be used by players during their own turn and may be used as soon as you have them. There is no additional cost to use a Tactical Nuke once it has been created. As soon as it has been made, it is considered fully fueled and ready to deploy.

You can build up and/or replenish your nuclear stockpile with the "Secret Nuclear Facilities" Espionage Card ("Add one TACTICAL NUKE to your stockpile.") or by trading with other players. There is no way to purchase a Tactical Nuke directly from The Bank.

IMPORTANT NOTE | All Colonies and Research can be nuked, but there are treaties that protect Earth. Starting bases on Earth can be neither nuked nor traded.

Bonus Tokens

Throughout the game, players are competing for 3 Bonus Tokens, each worth an additional Victory Point.

Farthest Out

For building a COLONY furthest from the sun (Outer Planets). This Bonus Token goes to the first player to build a Colony outside the asteroid belt (in the Outer Planets), and will pass to whichever player currently has a Colony on the planet furthest from the sun.

Prestigious Universities

For having the most RESEARCH PROJECTS (Two or More). This Bonus Token goes to the first player to build 2 Research, and transfers to whoever currently has the most Research.

Central Intelligence

For using the most ESPIONAGE CARDS (Three or More). This Bonus Token goes to the first player to activate 3 Espionage Cards, and will transfer to whichever player has activated the most Espionage Cards.

In all cases, if there is a tie, Bonus Tokens go to whoever got there first.

When you complete one of these objectives and earn a Bonus Token, place one of your Ships on the corresponding marker on the board and take the relevant token to place in front of you. If someone else earns the same Bonus Token by surpassing your achievement, take your ship off the spot and pass them the token.

IMPORTANT NOTE | Bonus Tokens cannot be nuked and cannot be traded. They must be earned.

The Bank

The Bank is the entity who holds all the cards. When you draw Resource Cards, you draw them from The Bank. When you purchase Colonies, Research, or Espionage Cards, you buy them from The Bank. If your Colonies or Research are nuked, they return to The Bank, where another player may purchase them.

Trading

In For All Mankind, everything is for sale! You can trade literally anything with other players, except for your starting Earth base and Bonus Tokens. You can trade Resources, you can trade Colonies and Research, you can trade Espionage Cards, you can trade Tactical Nukes. You can even trade promises and threats. The bounds of your imagination are the only limit on how you can trade with other players. That and what they'll agree to, of course.

Players can also trade Resources with The Bank. The rate of trading with The Bank is 3:1 - that's three Resources of the same kind for one Resource of your choice.

IMPORTANT NOTE | Players can only initiate trades during their own turn, though they are free to discreetly discuss the terms of potential future trades at any time.

Playing a Round

For All Mankind is played in a series of rounds. Each round consists of all four players taking a single turn, during which players will have an action phase followed by a resource gathering phase. Once all players have completed their turn, the planets will move forward in their rotations. Rounds repeat until one player is victorious.

Action Phase

Players may take as many actions as they are inclined and able to take. Consult your Field Guide, Resources, Research, and Espionage Cards to determine what actions you may complete. Actions may include:

• Colonizing a Planet
• Purchasing Research or Espionage
• Using an Espionage Card
• Trading with other players or the Bank
• Launching a Nuke

IMPORTANT NOTE | You may only take actions during your own turn.

Resource Gathering Phase

Once you are done taking actions, draw all Resources provided by your Earth location and Colony Tokens. Collecting Resources signals the end of your turn, and play passes immediately to the next player to the right.

Your Earth and Colony Tokens will display which and how many of each Resource you should collect.

IMPORTANT NOTE | During this phase, you will draw Resources from any new Colonies and/or Monopolies. If you got a Monopoly during your turn, remember to flip those Colony Tokens over and collect double Resources!

Planet Rotation

Once every player has completed their turn, the Round is over! Players will work together to rotate all of the planets 1 pip forward in their rotation.

Remember: planets move counterclockwise, in the direction of the arrows on the board. Once all planets have been rotated, the next round can begin.

IMPORTANT NOTE | Most players will not be able to build a Colony on their first turn. You will always be able to buy Espionage Cards on your first turn, and will always be able to buy Tier 1 (sometimes Tier 2) Research. It's also a valid move to do nothing on your turn. You can always just gather your Resources and prepare for bigger moves next Round.

Special Civility Rule | Ready Player One

Because Player One has the great privilege of going first, they also must carry the grave responsibility of reminding everyone to rotate the planets before taking actions for the next round.

If at any time Player One fails in this responsibility and begins their turn before the planets have been rotated, play must stop, and they must deliver a formal apology to the gathered assembly of stellar empires. This apology should be heartfelt and grandiose, and each other player must formally grant forgiveness (or not) before play can continue.

IMPORTANT NOTE | There is no penalty if anyone refuses to grant forgiveness, only the shame you will have to live with. Either way, play will resume once the planets have been moved.

Bot Rules

For All Mankind requires 4 players to create the intense competition needed for the game to be fun. If you have fewer than 4 players (even if you only have yourself!), you can use the following rules to create artificial opponents to fill the extra seats - we call these artificial opponents "bots."

Bots can go almost anywhere in the player lineup, so if everyone has already been seated, they can be Player 2 or Player 3 or Player 4 - wherever there is an empty seat. A human player will always be Player 1, as chosen by the rule of who's most recently been to outer space.

When it is the bot's turn to choose a starting Earth location, pick one for it at random. Place one of the bot's Ships in the corresponding place on the board, and draw the Resources from that location for the bot's starting hand.

Bots will also start with one unactivated copy of the Espionage Card called "Secret Nuclear Facilities," just like all human players.

IMPORTANT NOTE | A bot will never use Resources. It does not have to pay for Espionage, Colonies, or Research. It has Resources so you can steal from it when the right Espionage Cards are played.

When it is the bot's turn, roll the dice, and do what it says!

1 | Espionage

Activate an Espionage Card. Refer to the bot-specific Espionage list on page 19 to see what it does. If the bot has no Espionage Cards available to activate, draw an Espionage Card and leave it unactivated.

2 | Research

Place one of the bot's Ships on the first available Research, from the top of the list to the bottom. Give the bot that Research Token. If there is no available Research, build a Colony, following the same rules as 3.

3 | Colony

Colonize the Inner Planets until they are full. Place one of the bot's Ships on the first available Colony of its primary Resource type and give the bot that Colony Token. If there is no available Colony of the bot's primary Resource type, build in order of its secondary Resources (as indicated on its Earth location).

Once the Inner Planets are full, then start colonizing the Outer Planets, from Jupiter outward to Pluto, in the same way - primary Resource first, then secondary Resources in order.

If there are no available Inner or Outer Colonies, build Research, following the same rules as 2. If there is no available Research, do Espionage, following the same rules as 1.

IMPORTANT NOTE | Whenever a bot builds a Colony, add a Resource of that type to the bot's hand.

4 | Espionage + Research

Do Espionage, following the same rules as 1. Then build Research, following the same rules as 2.

5 | Espionage + Colony

Do Espionage, following the same rules as 1. Then build a Colony, following the same rules as 3.

6 | Espionage + Roll Again

Do Espionage, following the same rules as 1. Then roll the dice again to give the bot another action.

Bot Espionage Cards

When a bot activates Espionage Cards they do slightly different things than a human does. Whenever a bot activates an Espionage Card, please refer to the list below to see what that card will do.

"Misplaced" Shipments: The bot steals one Resource Card at random from each opponent, including any other bots.

Secret Nuclear Facilities: Add a Tactical Nuke to the bot's stockpile (maximum 1). If there is already a Nuke in its stockpile, immediately use the new Nuke to randomly destroy one of the leading opponent's Research or Colonies. The leading opponent is the other player or other bot with the most points, chosen at random if tied for the lead.

Insider Trading: Add 1 each of the bot's secondary Resources (as per its Earth location) to the bot's hand.

Reverse Engineering: Choose the opponent's discard pile with the most used Espionage Cards. Replicate a random card in that pile, using this list to see what it does. If no opponents have any discarded Espionage Cards to replicate, the bot draws an Espionage Card.

Hack the Planet: Draw 2 Espionage Cards for the bot. Activate the second one immediately.

Stowaway Drones: Build a Colony for the bot, as per dice roll 3. Instead of worrying about Inner/Outer planets, consider only planets that are already occupied and have available Colonies. If there are no occupied planets with available Colonies, the bot draws an Espionage Card.

Double Agents: The bot steals a random Espionage Card from the leading opponent (or leadingest opponent who has an Espionage Card to steal). If no opponent has an Espionage Card that can be stolen, the bot draws an Espionage Card.

Important Note About Research

• If a bot owns Silver Shield Initiative, its Resource Cards and Espionage Cards cannot be stolen.
• If a bot owns International Friendship Station, it will use its stockpiled Nuke to defend itself, if it has one.
• If a bot owns Executive Privilege, any time it draws an Espionage Card it activates that card immediately.

IMPORTANT NOTE | Bots compete for Bonus Tokens along with players - if a bot meets the conditions, they will get the Bonus Token and the extra point.

IMPORTANT NOTE | A bot will win if they get all their Ships on the board. Keep an eye on how many they have left, and plan accordingly!

Planet Guide

The nine Planet pieces are Mercury (purple), Venus (orange and yellow), Earth (brown), Mars (red), Jupiter (grey-green), Saturn (orange with rings), Uranus (blue), Neptune (dark indigo), and Pluto (pink).