PARSEC

PARSEC Rulebook

Table of Contents

[0.0] Using These Rules

New gaming terms, when they are initially defined, appear in dark red lettering for quick referencing. The instructions for this game are organized into major "Rules" sections, as shown in large Blue font, and represented by the number to the left of the decimal point (e.g., rule 4.0 is the fourth rule). These rules generally explain the game's components, procedures for play, the game's core systems and mechanics, how to set it up, and how to win.

With each Rule, there can be "Cases" that further explain a rule's general concept or basic procedure. Cases might also restrict the application of a rule by denoting exceptions to it. Cases (and Subcases) are an extension of a Rule, shown in the way that they are numbered. For example, Rule 4.1 is the first Case of the fourth Rule; and Rule 4.1.2 is the second Subcase of the first Case of the fourth Rule.

Important information is in bold text.

References to examples of a Case are in blue boxes with rounded corners. Text in grey shaded boxes provides the voice of the game's designer, who is addressing you to explain an idea or concept that is not, itself, a Rule or a Case.

[1.0] Game Equipment

1 Victory Point Scoreboard
1 Homeworld Start Tile
105 Space Tiles
6 Ship Standees (1 of each color)
96 Robot Counters (16 of each color)
12 Credits Counters (6 One Credit Value, 6 Ten Credit Value)
12 Research Counters
9 Faction Sheets
5 Monster Standees
5 Monster Cards
45 Nanotech Cards
10 Destroyed Moon Counters

[2.0] Introduction

After millennia of shifting dominant civilizations, wars and industrialization, Homeworld became a planet that couldn't sustain its population. Off-world migration was the last hope.

In this 2 to 6-player game, you explore space, placing new tiles and moving your Ship Counter, placing Robot Counters on strategic locations. During a Scoring Round, Planets score Victory Points, Nebulas garner Research Points for new abilities. Asteroids and a presence on opponent-dominated Planets garner Credits used to purchase additional actions. After the last Planet is completed, a Final Scoring Round takes place and the winner is determined.

[3.0] Setting Up the Game

Remove the 12 Start Space Tiles (with green "START" on the back) and place them face down near the play area. The remaining Space Tiles are placed in a bowl or large cup to draw from.

Sort the Nanotech Cards by type, then place one of each type into a draw deck for each player in the Game. For games with 3-6 players, there is one less of each Nanotech Card type available.

Example: In a 4-player game, there are only 3 of each type of Nanotech Card available during the game.

Shuffle the Nanotech Deck and deal each player 3 cards, which are placed face up. Each player chooses one of his Nanotech to be complete at the start of the game, the other two are still being researched. Each player takes 2 Research Counters, and places one on the "6" and the other on the "4" of the Research Tracks on the right side of the other two Nanotech Cards.

Shuffle the 9 Faction Cards and deal one to each player, placing it face up in front of them to show what abilities they will have.

Each player starts with 3 Credits; place a Ones Counter on the "3" space on your Faction Card, and a Tens Counter on the "0" space. Select a Ship and 16 Robot Counters of the same color. Place the Victory Point Scoreboard near all the players, and each player places one of their Robot Counters on the "0" space of the Scoring Track. Place the other 15 Robot Counters in the "Robots Aboard Your Ship" box. They move around with your Ship until transported to a destination (see Rule 6.3).

If using the optional rules for Monsters, place the Monster Counters and cards off to one side until they come into play.

Place the Homeworld Start Tile in the center of the table, and all players' Ships on the Homeworld space. Beginning with the oldest player and going clockwise, each player draws one random Start Tile and places it so that one or two edges touch the Homeworld Start Tile (forming the second ring of spaces around Homeworld). Follow the rules of tile placement (see Rule 5.1), except that players do not draw another tile after placing a Starting Empty Space Tile (per 5.1.4). Continue in this manner until all 12 Start Tiles are placed. The oldest player conducts the first turn, with play proceeding clockwise around the table afterward.

[4.0] Sequence of Play

When it is a player's turn, referred to as the active player, she performs these steps in order:

Draw and Place a Space Tile (see Rule 5.0)
Scoring Round; Only if the 3rd, 5th, 7th or 9th Planet was completed (see Rule 9.0)
Monster Activates; Only if active player is a Monster Controller. (see Rule 11.0)
Spend Action Points; Usually five of them (see Rule 6.0)

Afterward, play passes to the right (clockwise) and the next player's turn is conducted.

[5.0] Draw and Play a Space Tile

[5.1] Placement

A Space Tile is drawn from the cup and placed on the board so that at least one tile edge touches another belonging to a Space Tile that has already been placed. Specific tile placement Cases are listed below:

[5.1.1] Asteroid Field: These tiles are filled with rocks ranging from small boulders to some the size of small moons.

[5.1.2] Black Hole: These are the super-dense remnants of collapsed stars whose gravitational pull is so great, not even light can escape. These tiles will affect adjacent tiles with their powerful gravitational fields (see Rule 6.2). The Black Hole hex itself cannot be entered. (see Rule 5.3).

[5.1.3] Derelict Spaceships: These are long dead spaceships, adrift for possibly thousands of years. If you place a Robot here to control them, you gain 1 Research Point and 1 Credit during a Scoring Round.

[5.1.4] Empty Space: These tiles show nothing but a star background. If you draw an Empty Tile, draw an additional tile after placing the first one. If you draw another Empty Tile, continue to draw and place tiles until you place a Non-Empty Tile.

[5.1.5] Moons: During a Scoring Round, Moons modify the value of their Planets (see Rule 9.1.1). A Moon Tile must be placed with at least one hex-side touching an existing Planet Sector, or will touch the Planet once the Planet is completed. A Planet can have any number of Moon tiles attached. A Moon must be placed so that it is attached to only one Planet, and placed so that future expansion of a different Planet will not touch it either (per Tile Placement). New Planet Sectors from a different Planet cannot be placed next to this Moon. If you pull a Moon and cannot place it due to there being no planetary sector available, simply draw another tile and mix the Moon back into the cup (see Rule 5.2).

[5.1.6] Nebulas: Nebulas are giant gas clouds formed from the remains of supernovas and stretch across vast regions of space. Nebula Tiles show a large magenta cloud with one or more edges that the Nebula spreads into (denoted by a solid colored edge.)

A Nebula Tile must be placed so that it does not have a Nebula hexside touching an adjacent Non-Nebula Tile. Conversely, other, Non-Nebula Tiles cannot be placed touching a Nebula hexside. Only another Nebula hexside can be touching one already in play.

If the Nebula Tile cannot be placed thus, use that tile to start a new Nebula, if possible, or replace that tile (see Rule 5.2) if that is not possible.

Nebula Completion Bonus: The player that completes a Nebula by placing the last Nebula Tile which leaves no remaining open-edges in that Nebula gains a Nebula Completion Bonus of Two Research Points. The Nebula must be at least three tiles or larger to gain the Nebula Completion Bonus.

[5.1.7] Planet Sectors: Each Planet consists of three matching Planet Sector tiles placed together.

There are Four different colors of planets in the game: Rocky brown Planets, forest/jungle green Planets that are teeming with life, ocean-rich blue Planets that are much like Homeworld was before it fell into ruin, and the legendary gold Planet, strewn with the artifacts of a long lost alien civilization.

When placing a Planet Sector, if there is a Planet with one or two Planet Sectors already in play, that Planet must be completed before a new Planet of the same color can be started elsewhere. A newly-started Planet's initial Planet Sector must be placed so that its two remaining Planet Sectors (denoted by a solid colored edge) can be placed to complete the Planet without violating other tile placement rules.

[5.1.8] Pulsar: A Pulsar is a neutron star that sends out powerful pulses of Gamma and X-ray Radiation. It is considered a Blocked tile (see Rule 5.3), and cannot be entered. All adjacent hexes suffer from severe radiation. Ships or Robots can move through any hexes adjacent to the Pulsar, but they cannot end their move in them. A Ship starting its turn next to a Pulsar must leave that hex during their turn. Any Robots in a hex next to a Pulsar that is placed are destroyed and are placed back on Homeworld, where they can be picked up and used again as normal. You cannot place Robots adjacent to a Pulsar.

[5.1.9] Space Warp: These are areas of space where the fabric of the universe itself is altered. They can be used to jump to any different point of known, navigable space (see Rule 6.2).

[5.1.10] Supernova: A Supernova is a gigantic exploding star. They are rare events, and those who witness them can gain rare and valuable scientific insights. When a Supernova is placed, a special "Science Scoring Round" occurs (see Rule 9.5). The Supernova hex itself cannot be entered.

[5.2] Impossible Tile Placement

If a newly drawn tile cannot be legally placed on the board as per the preceding Cases, that player must draw a different tile and, afterward, return the unplayable tile(s) back into the cup, should more than one be drawn during their turn.

[5.3] Blocked Tile Placement

Some tiles block their entire hex and cannot be entered due to the hazardous effects of the hex. These Blocked tiles include Black Holes, Pulsars, and Supernovas. If any tile is placed next to a Blocked tile, it must also be accessible from another non-blocked tile. That is, a Blocked tile cannot form a dead end, nor can it cause another tile to only be accessible by a Space Warp.

Tile Placement Examples

Incorrect Tile Placement: The Nebula in A could not be facing that way, since it will not allow the Green Planet to place a tile in C to complete it. Also, the Nebula has an open edge facing the Green Planet, which is not a legal placement either (see Rule 5.2). The 3-edge Nebula in F is facing incorrectly. Its Nebula hexsides cannot face toward a non-Nebula hex. The Double Moons tile in B is placed incorrectly. It is connected to the Brown Planet, however, the Green Planet, when completed with C would also touch the Double Moons, making it an illegal placement. The Green Planet Hex in D is not the correct color to complete it (see Rule 5.1.7). The Moon in E is completely blocked by the Black Hole and is not accessible from any other hex, making it an illegal placement. Also, Moons cannot be placed by themselves, they must be attached to a Planet hex already on the board (see Rule 5.1.5).

Correct Tile Placement: The Nebula in A is now facing properly, since it will allow the Green Planet to place a tile in C to complete it, and both of its open edges do not face any other areas that need to remain open (see Rule 5.1.6). The Twin Moons in B will now only be touching the Green Planet, making it a legal placement. The Blue Planet is now completed legally by the correct color Planetary Sector in D. The Moon in E has now been placed correctly in that it is connected to a Planet already on the board, and although still next to the Black Hole, it is not blocked completely by it, as it is accessible from at least one other hex. All 3 of the open Nebula edges of F are facing out toward the open. Thus, that Nebula tile can legally expand with future Nebula tile placements.

(The board diagrams that accompany these examples are omitted.)

[6.0] Spend Action Points

The heart of each player's turn is spending Action Points or "APs" as shown by a star symbol (AP).

[6.1] How Many APs?

Each turn, players receive a free allotment of 5 APs. With the Improved Thrusters Nanotech Card, the free per turn allotment is raised by one to 6.

[6.1.1] Additional APs from Credits: A player can also spend their Credits to increase their APs for that turn. Each Credit spent gains that player 1 AP. A player can spend a maximum of 5 Credits for additional APs in a single turn, and Credits are spent after that player's allotment of free APs for that turn have already been used up.

[6.1.2] Unused APs: Unused APs not spent that turn cannot be saved up for later use or transferred to another player. They are simply lost.

[6.2] Actions

[6.2] Movement: The basic cost to move your Ship is 1 AP per tile of "known space" (i.e., a tile already placed in play) travelled. You cannot move to a space that does not have a tile placed yet. Asteroid Fields and Nebula tiles, being tricky to navigate, cost 2 APs to enter. If a tile requires more APs to enter than your Ship has left, then you must either wait until next turn to enter that space or pay Credits (see Rule 6.1.1) to gain additional APs sufficient to enter that tile.

Space Warps: Space Warps also cost 2 APs to enter, but only 1 AP to leave. When leaving a Space Warp Tile, your Ship can be moved to any tile that costs only 1 AP to enter!

A Ship cannot "warp move" into an Asteroid Field, Black Hole or a Tile adjacent to a Black Hole, Nebula, Pulsar, Supernova, or another Space Warp Tile. Improved Sensors will allow you to jump into an Asteroid Field or Nebula.

Black Holes: Black Hole Tiles cannot be entered. The gravitational forces from the Black Hole are so strong that even adjacent tiles are affected. Entering a tile adjacent to a Black Hole costs one additional AP (+1) per adjacent Black Hole tile. (i.e., two adjacent Black Holes would be +2 APs to enter, etc.)

[6.3] Transport Robots: You can Transport or "beam" Robots between your Ship and the tile in which it resides.

Beaming down from your Ship to the current tile costs 1 AP per Robot dropped off in that tile. There is no limit to how many Robots can be beamed down during a single turn, other than your AP allowance.

Beaming up from the tile back to your Ship also costs 1 AP, but not for each Robot. You can return to your Ship any and all of your Robots in that tile for a single AP. They are easier to pick up than to put down in a good landing spot.

[6.3.1] Stacking Limits: There is no limit to the number of Robots that can be placed into a single tile, but only one player's Robots can occupy a tile. Two players' Robots cannot share the same tile, so first come, first served.

[6.3.2] Prohibited Landings: Robots cannot be landed on Black Hole, Empty Space, Moon, Pulsar, Space Warp, or Supernova Tiles. These tiles cannot be "controlled" by any player.

[6.3.3] Asteroid Fields: Each Asteroid Field tile is considered a separate Asteroid Field, even if one or more of them are touching (unlike Nebulas, they don't form a large, multi-tile entity). Only one Robot is required for a player to control an Asteroid Field Tile.

[6.3.4] Nebulas: Like Asteroid Fields, only one Robot is required for a player to control a Nebula Tile. However, a player can only control one Nebula Tile per "cluster" of connected Nebula Tiles. Note that other players can share the same Nebula by controlling other tiles in that cluster, and all players benefit equally during Scoring Rounds for jointly controlling a Nebula Cluster (see Rule 9.4).

[6.3.5] Planets: Players can beam their Robots to only one Planet Sector per Planet. There is no limit to the total number of Robots that can be in a player's Sector, and the player with the most Robots on that Planet "controls" it for scoring purposes (see Rule 9.1).

[6.4] Buy Research Points: Players may buy Research Points during their turns for 3 APs each (see Rule 7.2).

Designer's note: This is a great way to get extra Research Points during non-Scoring Rounds when you don't have anything else to do with your Action Points for that turn. Throw in a few Credits, and you could buy lots of Research Points for the turn.

[6.5] Drop the Bomb: Players may also spend 1 AP to drop The Really, Really, Big Bomb to destroy a Monster or the Robots on a target Planet (see Rule 7.3).

[7.0] Research and Technology

[7.1] Research and Development: Each player gets to start with a Nanotech Card in play, as well as two other Nanotechs under development. This represents the basic R&D that the player did to get into space in the first place. Draw the top Nanotech Card from the deck, draw again if already researching that Nanotech. You cannot research the same Nanotech Card type twice.

[7.2] Research Points: To buy new Nanotech, you need to get Research Points (also called RPs). Research Points are accumulated during Scoring Rounds, or by spending 3 APs (see Rule 6.4). Each Nanotech Card has a track on the right side to show research progress. As you gain more RPs, simply move the Research Counter so that the new number shows through the little window. You may advance the Research Track on the two Nanotechs under research in any order. Once it reaches the microscope icon (i.e., the tenth point), remove the Research Counter and place the Nanotech with your completed cards. That new Nanotech becomes immediately available from that point on.

If you have additional RPs left over, place them on the other Nanotech in progress, or start another second Nanotech Card. A second Nanotech Card can only be brought into play if you have at least 1 RP to place on it. If you spend all of your RPs and do not have at least one extra RP left, a new Nanotech Card must wait until you have at least 1 RP to place on it. You can only ever have 2 Nanotechs under research at a time.

[7.3] Let's Meet the Nanotechs!: Below is a list of what each Nanotech improvement does:

Astrofinancial Super Computer: The amount of Credits you may spend during your turn is increased from 5 per turn to 6 per turn. You still spend all of your standard APs before spending Credits.
Autonomous Robots: During your turn you can choose one of your Robots to move about the board by themselves without your Ship having to move them! They follow all the rules for movement just like your Ship, including any of your Ship's Nanotech bonuses like Improved Sensors. However, they do not have the power or structural integrity to be able to use a Space Warp. They may still enter the Space Warp Hex for 2 APs, but cannot use the Teleport ability when exiting. A Robot moving in this fashion can end its move in an Empty Hex, and can move through hexes containing other players' Ships or Robots, but cannot end its movement in a hex containing another player's Robots.
Improved Robots: Your Robots garner one additional (+1) Victory Point on Planets they control during a Scoring Round (see Rule 9.1). Improved Robots provide no additional benefits on Asteroid Fields, Nebulas, or in gaining Credits on Planets not controlled by that player.
Improved Sensors: Your Ship can move into Asteroid Field and Nebula tiles for only 1 AP instead of 2. Space Warp tiles still cost 2 APs to enter. Entering a tile adjacent to a Black Hole still costs one additional AP per adjacent Black Hole tile; Asteroid Field and Nebula tiles are only 1 AP before the Black Hole effect is considered.
Improved Thrusters: You receive a free allotment of 6 APs during your turn instead of 5. You can still spend no more than 5 Credits per turn if you wish to purchase additional APs.
Improved Transporters: You can beam down up to two Robots per AP instead of just one. Beaming up any number of Robots from a tile still requires spending 1 AP.
Stellar Cartographer: At the beginning of your Turn, instead of drawing one Space Tile, you draw two. You may then choose which one to place. You do not need to reveal the second tile that you drew; it is returned to the tile mix after you have placed the first one. If you placed an Empty Hex, you may pull another two Tiles, and play the one that you wish.

[8.0] Factions

At the beginning of the game, each player receives a Faction Card that allows them a special ability both during and after the game. Each card shows the faction's name, the "Game Bonus" which is given during the playing of the game, and a "Final Scoring Round Bonus", which gives a bonus during the last Scoring Round. These Bonuses are in addition to the standard bonuses for each instance. The Final Scoring Round Bonus is used in the Final Scoring Round only, and is used instead of the standard Game Bonus. All of the Factions have fairly straightforward abilities listed on them. Since there are 9 different Factions, the mix in each game will always be different!

[9.0] Scoring Rounds

When the tile that completes the 3rd, 5th, 7th or 9th Planet is placed, a Scoring Round ensues. All players score Victory Points (VPs), earn Credits and gain Research Points for what they control at that moment. Once this Scoring Round is completed, the active player can continue to spend Action Points and continue their turn as normal.

Below is a description of what each scoring opportunity yields. Score Planets first, Asteroids and Derelict Spaceships second, and Nebulas last. Don't forget to include any scoring abilities from Factions when the circumstances arise. Here is how scoring works for each type of tile:

[9.1] Completed Planets: Only Completed Planets with all three of their Sectors in play are scored! Incomplete Planets score nothing.

The Controlling Player (the one with the most Robots in their Sector, and see Warrior Robots, above) scores Victory Points based on the Planet's color. Controlling a Brown Planet scores 2 VPs, a Green Planet scores 3 VPs, a Blue Planet is worth 5 VPs, and the Gold Planet scores 7 VPs. These VPs are added to a player's current total on the Scoreboard.

Players having Robots on a Planet controlled by another player during a Scoring Round, each receive 1 Credit from the Bank.

In case of a tie for control of a Planet, no player with Robots there receives any VPs and each player instead gains only the 1 Credit from the Bank.

[9.1.1] Moons: During a Scoring Round, the controlling player gains an extra Victory Point per Moon, the Double Moon is worth 2 points around that Planet. Moons do nothing for an incomplete Planet, as nothing is scored for it.

[9.2] Asteroid Fields: For each Asteroid Tile a player controls by having a Robot there, that player gains 2 Credits.

[9.3] Derelict Spaceships: During a Scoring Round, each Derelict Spaceship gains the owner 1 Research Point and 1 Credit.

[9.4] Completed Nebulas: Only Completed Nebulas that have no remaining open-edges on them (called Nebula Clusters) are scored! Incomplete Nebula Clusters score nothing. Each player with at least one Robot anywhere within a Nebula Cluster draws one Research Point for every two tiles of that Nebula Cluster, rounded down. No one "controls" a Nebula Cluster. Either a player has a presence there or not.

Example: The Blue player has the "Big Adventure Safari Club" Faction Card. During Scoring Rounds, he gets the following Game Bonus of +1 VP and +2 Credits for each Green Planet he has at least one Robot on, Win or Lose. This means, if the Blue player Wins on a Green Planet, he gets 3 VP for the Planet itself, any Moon bonus points, and another VP for the Faction, as well as 2 Credits. If he had Lost on a Green Planet, he would get his normal 1 Credit as compensation for losing on a Planet, as well as 1 VP and 2 more Credits because of the Faction ability. During the Final Scoring Round, the "Big Adventure Safari Club" Faction makes each of the Green Planets he controls at the end of the game worth +2 VP.

[9.5] Science Scoring Round: When a Supernova is placed, a "Science Scoring Round" occurs, which allows all non-Planets to be scored, Nebulas, Asteroids, and Derelict Spaceships. Planets are not scored during a Supernova.

[9.6] Final Scoring Round: Once the 9th Planet is completed, the game has ended and a Final Scoring Round takes place as follows:

Planets score VPs normally (see Rule 9.1). However, players having Robots on a Planet controlled by another player during the Final Scoring Round each receive 1 VP instead of 1 Credit. In case of a tie for control of a Planet, all players with Robots there receive 1 VP each instead of 1 Credit. Moons modify the Planet's value as normal.
Asteroid Fields score 1 VP each (instead of Credits) during this Final Scoring Round.
Derelict Spaceships score 1 VP and 1 Research Point during this Final Scoring Round.
Completed Nebula Clusters still provide Research Points (see Rule 9.4), but see below:
Nanotech Cards are worth 3 VPs each. You may still complete Nanotech Cards at this point if you gain enough Research Points, however, you cannot start researching any new Nanotech Cards. Incomplete Nanotech Cards score 1 VP, but only if they have 6 or more Research Points, anything less scores nothing.
Any extra VPs from Faction abilities are also added to a player's final score, usually scored during their specific instances.

[9.7] Determining the Winner: After the Final Scoring Round takes place, the player with the highest Victory Point total wins. In the event of a tie, whoever has the most Credits wins. If there is still a tie, it is a joint victory.

Scoring Round Examples

Standard Scoring Round Example: In this three player game, we have the Green player, with the "Big Adventure Safari Club" Faction (and Nanotechs that don't affect the Scoring Rounds), the Yellow player who has the "Tidal Research Foundation" Faction and the Warrior Robots Nanotech, and the Red Player with the "Cosmic Conservation Corps" Faction, and Improved Robots Nanotech.

Starting the Scoring Round with Planets first, the Gold Planet is incomplete, and scores nothing (although Red already has made his bid for a future base there).

The Blue Planet is won by Red, with his 3 Robots, and both Yellow and Green get 1 Credit from the bank. Red gets a big score: 5 VP for the Blue Planet, +1 VP for his Improved Robots, and the "CCC" Faction gives him another +2 VP and 1 Credit, for a total of 8 VP!

The Brown Planet is controlled by Green, who gets 2 VP for the Planet, and 1 VP for the Moon (3 VP total), and both Yellow and Red get 1 Credit. Yellow's Faction ability also gives him +1 VP and +1 Research Point for the Moon around the Brown Planet, even though he lost.

The Green Planet is tied by all three players. Normally this would mean that everyone gets 1 Credit, and no one gets any VP. However, Yellow has Warrior Robots, which wins Ties, lucky for him! Not only does Yellow get the 3 VP for controlling the Green planet, and the 2 VP for the double Moon tile next to the Green Planet, but because of his "Tidal Research Foundation" Faction, he gets an additional +2 VP and 2 Research Points (7 VP and 2 RP, nice!) Green and Red still get their measly 1 Credit for losing. However, since Green is on a Green Planet, (funny how that works out) and has the "Big Adventure Safari Club" Faction, he still gets 1 VP and 2 extra Credits, win or lose.

Next comes Asteroids: Red and Green get 2 Credits apiece for their Asteroid fields. Remember, that even though both fields are adjacent, each hex is its own separate field. The Derelict Spaceship scores Green 1 Credit and 1 Research Point.

Nebula Clusters now allow all players with a Robot in them to gain research points. Nebula Cluster A shows all 3 players getting 2 Research Points, 1 per every 2 hexes (rounded down). The Nebula in Hex B, although adjacent, is not part of Nebula A, as its solid colored border does not connect to Nebula A. Nebula C, although having a Yellow Robot there, does not score anything, since it is not completed (it still has solid colored borders open).

Final Scoring Round Example: If the above example had been a Final Scoring Round, some things would have gone very differently. The Gold Planet would still score nothing, the Blue Planet would see both Yellow and Green scoring 1 VP instead of 1 Credit for being there. Red would get 5 VP for the Planet, +1 for Improved Robots, and his Faction's Final Scoring Round Bonus of +3 VP, giving him 9 VP for controlling the Blue Planet.

The Brown Planet would score Red and Yellow both 1 VP, and Green would get 2 VP, plus the Moon for 3 VP total.

Yellow still wins the tie-breaker on the Green Planet due to his Warrior Robots, giving him 3 VP for the Planet, 4 VP for his Faction ability (2 Moons x 2 VP) for a total of 7 VP and 1 Research Point. Green and Red both get 1 VP, but since Green does not control the Green Planet, he does NOT get the bonus 2 VP for his Faction, as he needs to control the Planet to get the bonus.

The Asteroid Fields and Derelict Spaceships score 1 VP each instead of Credits, and the Spaceship still gives 1 Research Point.

The Nebulas still score as normal and can be used to complete any Nanotech Cards under research, but cannot start research on any new Nanotech Cards not already started. The Players all score 3 VP per completed Nanotech card, and 1 for each Card with 6 or more RPs already on it, anything less scores nothing.

(The board diagram that accompanies these examples is omitted.)

[10.0] Optional Rules

[10.1] Quick Game Rules: Use the standard setup, except each player starts with 5 Credits, and 4 Nanotech Cards, 2 Completed and 2 under Research. Play ends with the Final Scoring Round once the 7th Planet is completed.

[10.2] Even Scoring Rounds: Use the standard setup and play rules, except the Scoring Rounds happen on even numbers, starting on the 4th Planet completed, so 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th. This can make the game a few minutes longer, but will have the advantage of allowing all Planets to be completed and scored at least once. This does eliminate the mystery of which Planets at the end will be completed or not.

[10.3] Chosen Factions: At the start of the game, give each player 5 extra Credits, (8 total), then everyone bids to see who gets the first Faction choice. Deal out a number of Faction Cards face-up, equal to the number of players +1. Players then all place any amount of Credits secretly under their hand and, once all bids are down, reveal them. Highest bidder gets first pick, with next highest down, etc. Ties can be broken by Rock, Scissors, Paper, Gladiatorial Combat, or the oldest player. Credits spent in this way are used up, so if you bid Zero, you would start the game with +8 Credits, but have the last pick.

[10.4] Chosen Nanotechs: Assemble the Nanotech Deck as described in the Game Setup rules. Deal the players 5 Nanotech Cards at the beginning of the game. Out of those, they get to choose the starting Nanotech, as well as the two to be researched. Discard the other 2 unused cards back into the Nanotech Deck, and reshuffle. Redraw duplicate cards.

[11.0] Optional Rule: Space Monsters

From the unknown depths of space, terrible beasts have begun to appear. After a new Space Warp is placed (not counting the one in the starting hexes), the active player puts a randomly chosen space Monster on it and takes the corresponding Monster Card to keep in front of them. On that player's next turn, he may activate the Monster per the rules below.

Notice that since only 3 additional Space Warps will be placed, only 3 of the 5 Monsters will show up in any game.

[11.1] General Monster Info: Each Monster has a variable amount of APs, shown on its control card. The Monsters move at a rate of 1 hex per AP, ignoring the movement effects of Nebulas or Asteroid Fields. Monsters are still affected by Black Holes. A Monster generally can destroy Robots in any hex it occupies at a rate of 1 AP per Robot. A Monster may spend any number of APs in a hex to eat Robots, depending on the Monster's goals. The destroyed Robots are placed back on Homeworld, and can be beamed up from there as normal. Monsters do not attack Ships. Monsters must also use all of their APs each turn; they don't have a subtle mode, they move, eat, and keep moving for more things to eat. Unused APs do not carry over to the next turn.

[11.2] Controlling a Monster: The player who placed the Monster will control that Monster until the next Scoring Round. Each Monster Card will have a Target listed, which is the type of Planet it will move toward. In the case of two or more qualifying Planets, the controlling player may decide which one to go after. You may need to eat your own Robots while controlling a Monster, if it fulfills the goal of the monster!

Some Monsters may move around from Planet to Planet according to their Target type (including incomplete Planets, though they will go to complete Planets first, if available), others will stay and finish off an entire world before going to the next one. If the Monster is going to stay and destroy all Robots on a world, the controller has the option of choosing the order that they will be destroyed.

A Monster can also, at the controller's option, eat Robots in Asteroids and Nebulas, as long as it continues to move along the shortest path to its target Planet.

Monsters cannot use Space Warps.

If a situation arises that is not covered in the above rules, the controlling player decides how the Monster will proceed within the spirit of that Monster's goals.

[11.3] Monster Special Rules: Each monster has special rules listed on its card, and detailed below:

Intergalactic Machine: Will head to any Planet the controller wishes with at least one Moon attached to it. The Machine will destroy one Moon first for 4 APs. If it has less than 4 APs once it has reached the Moon, it will stop at the Moon and destroy it first thing next turn. The Double Moons get eaten one at a time, and the Machine has to eat both before moving on to Robots. Place a Destroyed Moon counter on top of any Moon destroyed; that Moon no longer produces extra points during a Scoring Round. The Machine will then destroy all robots on the target Planet before moving to the next target; the controller decides the order in which they will be eaten. However the Machine is not as efficient at eating Robots as the other Monsters; it takes 2 APs to eat one Robot.
Shadow Monster: Will head to the closest Planet from where its Space Warp was placed. The Shadow will destroy all Robots on the target Planet before moving to the next target. The controller decides the sector to attack first, eating one Robot per sector on the Planet, rotating clockwise around the Planet until all of the Planet's Robots are eventually destroyed.
Slaver Ship: Will head to the closest Planet with more than one Faction's Robots landed on it. Instead of the Slavers destroying Robots, they capture them and hold them for ransom. The Slavers capture each Robots for 1 AP, but will capture only one of a player's Robots before moving onto the next player. Once they have at least one of each color of Robot from a Planet, they will begin capturing a second from each player on another Planet, until they have an equal number from each player on that Planet. They will only capture one round of Robots per Planet they visit. To get these Robots back, either destroy the Slaver Ship with The Really, Really Big Bomb, or pay the Slavers 3 Credits for each Robot returned. Place released or destroyed Robots back on Homeworld as normal. Once the Slavers leave the map, place any captured robots back on Homeworld.
Space Amoeba: Will head to the Planet with the most Robots in total. The Amoeba's special ability envelops 2 Robots per AP spent. The Amoeba has to destroy all Robots on the target Planet before moving to the next target, the controller decides the order in which they will be eaten.
Star Dragon: Few creatures inspire the CPU numbing, oil-slick leaking terror in a Robot than the Star Dragon does. The Dragon will head to the Planet Sector with the most total Robots. The Dragon's special ability allows it to teleport to any space on the board not affected by a Black Hole for 3 APs. The Dragon will destroy all Robots on the target Planet sector before moving to the next target planetary sector.

[11.4] Monster Exit: When a Scoring Round occurs, all Monsters currently on the board leave for the rest of the game.

Strategy Tips

Grab a few Asteroids early in the game. These will give you valuable Credits during the Scoring Rounds, and can come in very handy later in the game.
Place a few Robots down on any Planet you come across that you might want to claim. Other players will have to place down even more Robots than you did to steal it away from you.
If you have nothing else better to do for a turn, use 2 APs, and buy yourself a Research Point. Toss in more Credits, and you can buy lots of Research Points.
Place a few Robots on incomplete Nebulas and Planets. They might be completed on someone else's turn, and if a Scoring Round comes up, your Robots are already in place.
Abandon Planets you think you cannot win and reinforce those you can before the 9th Planet is completed. Credits are not awarded in the Final Scoring Round, and Credits themselves don't award any points.
Know your Faction! Make sure to exploit your Faction's abilities both during and in the end game. If you get extra stuff for say, Green Planets, make sure you get as many Green Planets as you can to maximize the benefits granted to you by your Faction.
Your Robots can move! Keep your options open and your eyes peeled for new opportunities. If a Planet or something else is not working out, pick up your Robots and go someplace else. Autonomous Robots are great for shifting a Robot or two over to a close target.
Abandon Asteroids if you have tons of Credits, and Nebulas if you have tons of Research. Once you have completed all the Nanotechs, (not likely, but possible) get your Robots out of Nebulas.

Tile Mix

6 Asteroids (2 in Start tile mix)
4 Black Holes
4 Derelict Spaceships
19 Empty Hexes (5 in Start tile mix)
4 Single Moons
2 Double Moons
14 Single-edge Nebula (1 in Start tile mix)
5 Double-edge Nebula (1 in Start tile mix)
3 Triple-edge Nebula
2 Four-edge Nebula (one with opposite edges)
2 "L" shaped Nebula
1 "Tunnel" Nebula (With opposite edges)
1 Six edge Nebula
12 Brown Planet Sectors (4 Brown Planets, 1 in Start tile mix)
9 Green Planet Sectors (3 Green Planets, 1 in Start tile mix)
6 Blue Planet Sectors (2 Blue Planets)
3 Gold Planet Sectors (1 Gold Planet)
2 Pulsars
4 Space Warps (1 in Start tile mix)
2 Supernovae

Example of Play

Turn Example: As you can see, this game is already a few turns in, and some Robots are already placed. The Tiles marked with a yellow "S" are the start hexes, which were placed forming a ring around the Homeworld Start Tile before any Ships moved. In this three player game, we have the Green player, with the "Big Adventure Safari Club" Faction, the Yellow player who has the "Tidal Research Foundation" Faction and the Stellar Cartographer Nanotech, and the Red Player with the "Cosmic Conservation Corps" and the Warrior Robots Nanotech.

Green goes first. Following the Sequence of Play, he first draws a Tile. He pulls a Black Hole, and places it next to the Green Planet, knowing that this will mess with the other players moving around on the other Green and Blue Planetary Sectors, (Currently not placed at this point in the turn.) There's no Scoring Round or Monsters, so he spends his 5 AP. Green's Ship starts in the lower Asteroid Field, with a Robot of his placed on a previous turn. He spends 2 AP moving through the Empty Hexes, and 2 AP to enter the Nebula. He spends his last AP to drop off a Robot in the Nebula.

Red goes next and pulls and places the remaining Green Planet Hex. Since he cannot start another Green Planet until the first is completed, he has but one choice on where to place it. Since he already has a base on the Green Planet, Red sets his sights on the one placed Blue Sector. From his starting point in the Nebula next to the Double Moon, it's far away and would take at least 7 AP just to get there. So he spends 1 AP to enter the Empty Hex, then 2 AP to enter the Space Warp. His next AP spent allows him to move through the Space Warp directly to the Blue Sector itself, where he spends his last AP on dropping off a Robot.

Yellow now gets to go. He has the Stellar Cartographer, which allows him to pull 2 Tiles and place the one of his choice. He pulls a Nebula tile and a Blue Planet Tile. Since he has no Planets to call home yet, he decides to play the second Blue Sector. The Nebula Tile is discarded without having to show it to the other players. Although it will have the gravity effect of the Black hole to contend with, Yellow has a plan. Starting off from where he beamed down a Robot in the Asteroids, He moves his Ship over Green's base on the Green Planet for 1 AP, then spend 2 AP to enter the empty Green Sector, (1 AP to move there, +1 AP due to the Black Hole Effect). Since he went to all this trouble, he spends his 4th AP to beam down a Robot, creating a three-way tie. He then spends 2 AP more to move into the empty Blue Sector he'd placed, and beams down a Robot. This costs a total of 7 AP; he spends 2 Credits to make up the difference for the extra APs.

Next Turn: Green pulls a Double-edged Nebula and completes the southern Nebula. He gets a Completion Bonus of 2 Research Points for finishing the Nebula. He then moves out of the Nebula, to the Empty Hex, and then back to the Green Planet for 2 APs. He drops off another 2 Robots for 2 APs, then spends another 3 APs to head to the Derelict Spaceship. An 8th and final AP lets him drop off a Robot at the Derelict Spaceship. Three Credits are spent to cover his APs, and Green's turn is done.

Red pulls an Empty Hex, and plays it next to the Derelict Spaceship. Since he drew an Empty Tile, he draws another one. This tile also turns out to be Empty, so he places it next to the Space Warp and draws again. This time he pulls a Supernova, and places it next to the Empty hexes he just played. Playing the Supernova triggers a Science Scoring Round, meaning Planets are not scored. Green and Yellow both get 3 Credits for the Asteroids they control, and Green gets another Credit and a Research Point for controlling the Derelict Spaceship (just in time!) Nebulas are then scored; Both Yellow and Green score 2 Research Points for the 4-hex Nebula, 1 RP per two hexes of Nebula Cluster. The other Nebulas are not complete, and score nothing.

With the Scoring Round over, Red now gets to take his actions for the turn. He starts off by beaming down 2 more Robots, so now Yellow will have to play more Robots there to take the Planet away. This costs 2 APs, and another 2 APs to move into the Nebula. He spends his last AP beaming a Robot into the Nebula, vowing not to miss the next Scoring Round's Research Points. Red saves his Credits for a later turn when they may come in more handy.

Yellow now pulls his 2 Hexes, his Stellar Cartographer processing the new sensor sweeps. He pulls a Brown Planet and a Pulsar. An evil smile flashes across Yellow's robotic face, and he places it next to the Blue Planet occupied by the Red player. The lethal radiation pulses from the Pulsar destroy not only the Red Robot that was just put in the Nebula, but also all 3 Robots on the Blue Planet! These 2 hexes cannot support Robots there for the rest of the game. The four destroyed Robots are placed back on Homeworld, Red's automated factories banging out replacement Robots from Homeworld's few precious remaining resources.

The Yellow player, now confident that the Blue Planet shall remain his for the rest of the game, (since even the final Sector will not be viable for Robots due to the neighboring Pulsar), departs for new territory. He spends 2 APs (+1 AP from the Black Hole) to move back to his base on the Green Planet, and spends the rest of his 3 APs to land 3 more Robots, thus now being in Control of two Planets if a Scoring Round comes along.

Epilogue: The Yellow player has a short-lived monopoly on the Blue Planet, as the Red player returns in a future turn with the Really, Really Big Bomb and a considerable grudge…

(The board diagrams that accompany this example are omitted.)

Reference Card: Action Point Costs and Scoring Round

Additional APs may be purchased with Credits at a 1:1 Ratio (5 Max/Turn).

Movement (AP cost to enter the hex): Move into a normal hex: 1 AP. Move into an Asteroid hex: 2 APs. Move into a Space Warp: 2 APs. Move into a Nebula hex: 2 APs. Move next to a Black Hole: +1 AP.

Transporting: Per Robot Beamed Down: 1 AP. Any number of Robots Beamed Up: 1 AP.

Research & Misc.: 1 Credit = 1 AP. Buy a Research Point: 3 APs. Bomb a Planet or Monster: 1 AP.

Scoring Round: Control a Brown Planet: 2 VP. Control a Green Planet: 3 VP. Control a Blue Planet: 5 VP. Control the Gold Planet: 7 VP. Each Moon around a Planet: +1 VP. Lost or Tied on a Planet: 1 Credit. Per Asteroid controlled: Credits (see Rule 9.2). Per Derelict Ship controlled: 1 Credit and 1 Research Point (see Rule 9.3). Per 2 Hexes of a Nebula Cluster, rounded down: Research Points (see Rule 9.4).

Sequence of Play: 1. Draw & Place a Space Tile. 2. Scoring Round (3rd / 5th / 7th / 9th Planet). 3. Monster Activates (if active player is a Monster Controller). 4. Spend Five Action Points.