Space Race: The Card Game
Space Race: The Card Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
In Space Race: The Card Game each player takes the role of a director of newly formed Space Agencies. The mission is simple: to lead their country into the pages of history as the first nation ever to conquer the Universe. Players hire astronauts and scientists, develop technologies, initiate space programs, and celebrate astonishing breakthroughs.
The game typically starts with players aiming at basic development of their Agencies by collecting mutually supporting cards. Later on, they will combine their acquired cards into powerful combos. The game ends after 7 rounds have been played, which represents 7 decades of space exploration.
Goal
The goal is to have the most developed Space Agency at the end of the game. The Agency development is measured in Development Points which are awarded for:
- Total level of the Space Agency (the sum of numbers in "coloured arrows" on cards),
- Number of cards in the Laboratory (one point per card in the Lab),
- Breakthroughs ("red" cards) achieved by the Agency.
Components
- 48 Control Cards — Every player gets 1 set of 12 Control Cards: 1 Propaganda, 1 Technology, 1 Space Program, 1 Breakthrough, 3 Propaganda, 3 Technology, 3 Space Program, 3 Breakthrough, 6 Propaganda, 6 Technology, 6 Space Program, 6 Breakthrough. You may exchange one of your previously played Control Cards with an unplayed one.
- 1 Initiative Marker (use the card or the rocket).
- 98 Space Race Cards in the deck — Players can acquire these during the game: Propaganda (Yellow), 28 cards; Technology (Green), 28 cards; Space Program (Violet), 28 cards; Breakthrough (Red), 14 cards.
- 13 Player Aid Cards, listing the Card Types & Subtypes (Propaganda, Technology, Space Program, Breakthrough, and the Breakthrough subtypes Leader, Reaching for the Stars, Man in Space, Planet Exploration, and Search for Extraterrestrial Life) and the Abilities symbols (Take from — what card, place it in — how many cards, place them in; Immediate Action — resolve when the card is placed in your Agency; Bureaucracy — resolve at the end of each round; Special Effect/Ability — see the card's bottom section for details).
Basic Concepts & Terms
In Space Race: The Card Game, players do not play cards directly from their Hands. Instead, they acquire new cards from a central pool of cards (called the Universe) which is accessible to all players. Furthermore, there are no resources or costs associated with acquiring the cards. The opportunity to pick the most useful card at any given moment is what matters the most.
Zones
Over the course of the game, cards are constantly placed in and moved between several game zones:
Central zones accessible to all players:
- Deck — This is where players draw cards from.
- Universe — This is where players usually get cards for their Space Agencies.
Exclusive zones accessible only to individual players:
- Space Agency (or simply Agency) — Acquired cards are placed here. These form the core of the player's space exploration activities.
- Laboratory — Cards placed aside representing a player's Laboratory. They can be, occasionally, put directly into the player's Agency as a result of his research activities.
- Hand — Each player also has cards hidden in his Hand.
Space Race Cards
These cards represent the basic building blocks of the Space Agencies. Over the course of the game, players will strive to get Space Race Cards that best fit their strategies. Every Space Race Card has an icon in the top-left corner that marks its type:
- Propaganda cards represent iconic Space Race characters and well-known Cold War propaganda activities.
- Leaders are marked with a special symbol and represent a special subtype of Propaganda cards.
- A player can have only one leader in his Agency at any given moment.
- If an additional leader card is placed in the Agency, one leader (player's choice) must be immediately moved to the Laboratory.
- Leaders are marked with a special symbol and represent a special subtype of Propaganda cards.
- Technology cards stand for cutting-edge technologies such as space centres, rockets, and development facilities.
- Space Program cards represent ongoing ambitious space missions.
- Breakthrough cards celebrate the human ability to achieve astonishing and unique discoveries. There are 4 categories of Breakthrough cards in the game marked with an appropriate icon: Reaching for the Stars, Man in Space, Planet Exploration, and Search for Extraterrestrial life.
Abilities — Almost every card in the game has one or more abilities which provide players with various instant bonuses, such as drawing cards or placing new cards in the Agency. They are depicted with a card symbol (see the picture).
Control Cards
Players receive the same set of 12 Control Cards and will use one of them in each round. They represent each player's capability to manage and develop his Space Agency.
Control Cards allow the players:
- to acquire new Space Race Cards for their Agency (of the same type as their current Control Card),
- and to activate abilities on cards in their Agency which match the Stage (coloured stripe) of their current Control Card.
Every Control Card can be used only once. Therefore, players should choose wisely which one to use at any given point in the game.
Levels
Most cards have one or more levels depicted as numbers placed in coloured arrow-shaped fields on the left side. The sum of all colour-matched numbers from all cards in an Agency determines its total level of advancement and development in that area (Stage).
Game Setup
- Prepare the Deck — Shuffle all the Space Race Cards and place them in the center of the play area.
- Create the Universe:
- Take 4, 5, or 6 cards (for a 2-, 3-, or 4-player game) from the top of the Deck and arrange them next to the Deck according to their type.
- Then, put 2 additional cards from the Deck face down (do not look at them) next to the face-up cards in the Universe. These cards represent the unexplored universe (discoveries which are yet unknown to players) and will be turned face up later in the game.
- Give the Initiative Marker to the player who went stargazing most recently or choose who will play first.
- Each player gets 1 set of 12 Control Cards that belong to 1 of the 4 competing factions (NASA, ESA, Russia, and Private Sector).
- Players draw Space Race Cards from the Deck:
- 1st player (the one with the Initiative Marker) draws 3 cards,
- 2nd player (clockwise) draws 4 cards,
- other players (if any) draw 5 cards.
Game Zones
- Universe — Cards in the Universe represent everything that can presently be invented or explored. It is a shared area from which all players can acquire new cards.
- Hand — Space Race Cards form players' Hands; they are the initial resources of the newly formed Space Agencies. Players should keep their Hands separate from their Control Cards and hidden from their opponents.
- Space Agency — Cards in the Agency provide abilities and also contribute towards the Agency's development (level).
- Laboratory — Cards placed in the Laboratory are turned 90°. Neither their levels nor their abilities can be used. However, cards in the Lab are a good source of Development points and might, occasionally, even be placed directly into an Agency. Cards in a Lab are always kept face up and any player may look at them.
Gameplay
Space Race: The Card Game takes place during 7 rounds (decades). Each round is divided into three phases:
- Phase 1: Manage the Agency — Each player secretly chooses a Control Card for the upcoming round.
- Phase 2: Develop the Agency — Players develop their Space Agencies using abilities on the cards in their Agencies.
- Phase 3: Prepare for the Next Decade — Players put cards from their Hands face down into the Universe.
Phase 1: Manage the Agency
At the beginning of every round of Space Race, players think about their possibilities and decide how to develop their Space Agency. Their choice of Control Card will determine their Agency's development for that round.
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Plan Development — Every player chooses one of their remaining Control Cards and puts it face down in their Space Agency.
Slide the Control Cards from the previous rounds up to make space for the new card, and to let other players see all previously played Control Cards. After that, set the remaining Control Cards aside. You will not need them until the next round.
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Unexpected Opportunities — Turn all the face-down cards in the Universe face up and place them among the other cards in the Universe according to their type. Also, every player's current Control Cards are turned face up.
Phase 2: Develop the Agency
The actual space exploration and Space Agency development takes place in the second phase of the round. In this phase players go through five Stages in fixed order. Players may only use those abilities on cards in their Agency if they match the Stage of their current Control Card.
- Propaganda Stage — Players with a Propaganda Control Card may use their Propaganda abilities.
- Technology Stage — Players with a Technology Control Card may use their Technology abilities.
- Space Program Stage — Players with a Space Program Control Card may use their Space Program abilities.
- Breakthrough Stage — Players with a Breakthrough Control Card may use their Breakthrough abilities.
- Bureaucracy — All players have to resolve their Bureaucracy abilities.
- Emergency Financing — Players that have no cards in their Hand draw 1 card from the Deck. "The government has authorized an additional capital injection to the budget of the agency that is on the border of financial collapse."
- (In the 7th round only) After finishing all the Stages above, move on to the End Game & Scoring. The round number can always be determined by counting the Control Cards in any of the Agencies.
How to Read Abilities
Most of the cards have a symbol that represents an ability. When used, abilities allow a player to move one or more cards from one game zone to another. Common examples:
- Take a Technology card from the Universe and place it in your Agency (e.g. Apollo Program — Manned Moon Landing).
- Put up to 3 cards from the top of the Deck into your Hand.
Some abilities are more complex. An ability marked with a special symbol means that the ability is somehow special. Follow the instructions at the bottom of the card where the ability is explained in detail.
Several cards have "combined" abilities (i.e. one ability depicted in the "top row" and another in the "bottom row"). Before using such an ability, the player has to announce how he will divide the ability power (the number in the middle) among the top row and the bottom row parts. For example, an ability with power 2 split between "put a card from the Deck into your Hand" and "put a card from your Hand to the Lab" allows the player to do one of the following:
- To put 2 cards from the Deck in his Hand.
- Or to put 1 card from the Deck in his Hand and to put 1 card from his Hand to the Lab.
- Or to put 2 cards from his Hand to the Lab.
Single-Use vs. Reusable Abilities
Abilities are located either on the left or the right side of a card. This position determines whether the ability can be used repeatedly or if it is just a single-use ability:
- Reusable Abilities appear on the left side of cards. They are weaker and can be used once during each round.
- Single-Use Abilities appear on the right side of cards. They usually provide a significant bonus. Immediately after using such an ability, cover the whole right side of the card with another card in your Space Agency. Any abilities on the covered side of the card cannot be used anymore. In order to cover a card, you can use the Player's Aid if necessary (for example if you have not yet added any other cards to your Agency).
- Uncovering Cards — Some cards in the game allow a player to uncover a covered card's right side, which makes the ability usable again.
Available Abilities
During the course of the game, players may use particular abilities only if certain conditions are met.
Abilities Belonging to a Stage — Players can only use abilities that lay on the same coloured stripe as the stripe activated by the symbol of the current Control Card.
Bureaucracy Abilities — Abilities marked with the Bureaucracy symbol in a card's bottom section are resolved in the Bureaucracy Stage, no matter which Control Card players have chosen for the round.
Immediate Actions — Abilities marked with the Immediate Action symbol in a card's bottom section are always resolved immediately when a card with such an ability is placed in an Agency.
Permanent Abilities — There are some abilities depicted in a card's bottom section without any preceding symbols. In that case, read the ability description to check when and how such an ability is triggered or if it is a permanent effect.
How to Resolve Stages
At the beginning of each of the first four Stages (Propaganda, Technology, Space Program and Breakthrough), each player involved in the Stage (by having the appropriate Control Card chosen for this round) determines his total level for that Stage — he simply sums up all the levels connected to the ongoing Stage on all cards in his Agency and on his current Control Card.
The Stage is then played in the following way:
- The player with the highest level may use one of his active abilities. Then the player with the second highest level may use one of his abilities, and so on.
- If there is a tie, the turn goes to the player with the Initiative Marker (or the player closest to him in a clockwise order).
- The order is determined only once, just before the Stage starts. It is not recalculated after that and remains the same until the Stage ends even if the level changes.
- If a player does not want to (or cannot) use any of his abilities, he may pass in which case he cannot participate in that Stage anymore.
- After the last player has used one of his active abilities (or passed), the turn reverts to the first player again, who may use another one of his abilities (or may pass). The game continues in this fashion until all players have passed. At that moment, the Stage is over and the game proceeds to the next Stage.
Example: Let us assume that the round is entering the Space Program Stage. The Space Program level of Player 1 is 8 (6 thanks to his Control Card and 2 for the Titan Rocket card). Player 2 has a Space Program level equal to 4 (3 for his Control Card and 1 for the Sergei Korolev card). Player 1 starts and may use one Space Program ability.
No Appropriate Card in the Universe?
If a player cannot use the ability on his active Control Card because a card of the appropriate type is not present in the Universe, he can, instead, do one of the following:
- Choose any card from any of the preceding Stages (i.e. a Stage that is already finished) and put it into his Agency.
- Or draw 3 cards from the Deck into his Hand.
Useful Notes
- Players can use abilities on the cards that they add to their Agencies during the round (as long as the abilities are in the active stripe).
- Each particular ability can be used only once per round.
- A player may forego using an ability even if it is active.
How to Resolve Bureaucracy
The Bureaucracy Stage is the fifth and last Stage. It is played in nearly the same way as all the previous Stages described above with two minor differences:
- Since there are no level bonuses associated with the Bureaucracy, this Stage always starts with the player with the Initiative Marker and continues in a clockwise order.
- "Nobody can escape the bureaucracy!" — Players are not allowed to pass until they have resolved all of their Bureaucracy abilities. Some of these abilities, however, begin with "You may...", in which case the player might decide whether to use the ability or not.
Phase 3: Prepare for the Next Decade
During the last phase of the round, players have the opportunity to influence which cards will be available in the Universe in the upcoming round:
- Clever Investments — Every player (starting with the one with the Initiative Marker) may put any number of cards from his Hand into the Universe face down.
- The maximum number of cards any player can have in his Hand at the end of this step is 7. Any additional cards must be placed in the Universe. "A Space Agency is not a for-profit corporation. Allocated resources must be utilized."
- If a player has 7 or less cards in his Hand, he may skip this step.
- Unexplored Universe — If there are fewer face-down cards in the Universe than the number of players, add face-down cards into the Universe from the deck until there is one face-down card per player.
- True Visionaries — Shuffle the face-down cards in the Universe. Then:
- turn 1 of them face up in a 2-player game,
- turn 2 of them face up in a 3- or 4-player game.
- Arrange these cards in the Universe according to their types. All the other cards in the Universe stay in place.
- Move the Initiative Marker clockwise.
Then enter a new decade (round) of the space conquest by moving on to Phase 1: Manage the Agency.
End Game & Scoring
After the end of the seventh round, it is time to determine which player has built the most advanced Space Agency. Who was able to achieve the most significant Breakthroughs? Whose name is now permanently written in history? It all depends on Development Points which are awarded for:
- Total Space Agency Level — Sum of all the levels (coloured numbers) on cards in the Agency except for Control Cards.
- Laboratory Power — 1 Development Point for each card in the Laboratory.
- Breakthrough Categories — 6 Development Points for every Breakthrough category (Reaching for the Stars, Man in Space, Planet Exploration, and Search for Extraterrestrial Life) in which the Agency has the most symbols.
- In the event of a tie in any of the Breakthrough categories, all Space Agencies involved receive 6 Development Points.
- Agencies only receive a total of 6 Development Points for every Breakthrough category they win. They do not receive 6 Development Points for every card in that category.
Players receive no Development Points for their Control Cards or cards in Hand.
Scoring Example: In this example, the player would receive a total of 21 Development Points (13 for his total Space Agency level, 2 for his Laboratory power [+1 per card in the Laboratory], and 6 for having the most Breakthrough symbols).
Breakthrough Scoring Example: Player 1 achieved the most Breakthrough symbols in the Reaching for the Stars category and therefore receives 6 Development Points for this category. Player 1 is also tied with Player 2 for achieving the most symbols in the Man in Space category (no one has more of them) and receives 6 Development Points for that category as well. Player 2 has only one Breakthrough symbol in the Reaching for the Stars category, which is not enough to score Points for it. However, Player 2 receives 6 Development Points for being tied for the lead in the Man in Space category. Because neither player has searched for extraterrestrial life nor explored other planets, no one gets Points for these categories.
The player whose Space Agency has received the most Development Points is declared the winner of Space Race.
If there is a tie, each involved player uses the total level of the most powerful Stage of his Agency or the Laboratory power as a tiebreaker. If there is still a tie, use the 2nd highest number, and so on.
The Cold War (Alternate Scoring Variant)
In this variant, Space Race: The Card Game is played in the same way as the standard game. The scoring, however, is quite different — it makes earning Development Points much harder. Almost every move players make is of immense importance and can result in winning or losing the game. We recommend this variant to experienced players who want the challenge of a higher degree of strategy, complexity, and indirect interaction.
In the Cold War variant, a Space Agency scores Development Points in the following way:
- Levels — The Agency scores 1 Point for every other Agency that has a lower total Propaganda level. It then scores Points for comparing Technology, Space Program, and Breakthrough levels in exactly the same way.
- Laboratory Power — The Agency scores 1 Point for each other Agency that has fewer cards in its Laboratory.
- Breakthrough Categories — The Agency scores 1 Point for each other Agency that has fewer Breakthrough symbols in any Breakthrough category. Space Agencies receive Development Points for each particular Breakthrough category separately.
The player whose Space Agency has received the most Development Points is the winner of the Cold War!
- If there is a tie, use the total level of all unused Control Cards as a tiebreaker.
JFK (The Solo Variant)
In the solo variant, you take the role of president John F. Kennedy, leading your country and its space program in a historical Space Race epoch against the united powers of the Eastern bloc. Everything is up to you. Will you win the race?
Game Setup
- Prepare the Deck — Shuffle all the Space Race Cards and place them in the centre of the play area.
- Create the Universe:
- Take 4 cards from the top of the Deck and arrange them next to the Deck according to their type (Propaganda first, Technology second, Space Program third, and Breakthrough last).
- Finally, put 2 cards from the Deck face down next to the other cards in the Universe.
- Take 1 set of 12 Control Cards.
- Draw 4 Space Race Cards from the Deck.
- Set up your opponent — Prepare 1, 2, or 3 complete sets of Control Cards for standard, challenging or unbeatable difficulty. Shuffle each of them separately and put them face down on the table.
Gameplay
Just like in the standard variant, the game takes place during 7 rounds, each of them divided into three Phases:
- Phase 1: Manage the Agency — Both you and your opponent prepare Control Cards.
- Phase 2: Develop the Agency — You develop your Space Agency using abilities on your cards. Your opponent just takes cards from the Universe.
- Phase 3: Prepare for the Next Decade — You may put cards from your Hand face down into the Universe.
Phase 1: Manage the Agency
- Plan Development — Choose one of your remaining Control Cards and put it in your Space Agency.
- Unexpected Opportunities — Turn all the face-down cards in the Universe face up and place them among the other cards in the Universe according to their type.
- Shuffle all cards of a particular type in the Universe if one or more cards were added among them during this step (shuffle them and return them to the Universe).
- Your Opponent Plays Control Card(s):
- Take the top Control Card from each of your opponent's Control Cards' deck(s) and put it face up into the appropriate section.
- If there already is one or more Control Cards in the section, add the current card to it.
- Your opponent's Control Cards stay in place for the rest of the game.
Phase 2: Develop the Agency
You play this phase in the same way as in the standard variant. Your opponent, however, resolves his turns according to the rules below:
- Resolve Stages (check the special rules below).
- Resolve Bureaucracy (only you perform this step).
- Emergency Financing — If you have no cards in Hand, draw 1 card from the Deck.
- Eastern Bloc Pushes Forward — For each of the first four Stages (Propaganda, Technology, Space Program, and Breakthrough), if your opponent's level is at least twice that of yours, he puts one additional card from the Deck into his acquired cards pile.
- Is it the end of the 7th round? If yes, move on to the Scoring.
Special Rules for the Opponent
The opponent is always active in all (and only those) Stages for which he has already played an appropriate Control Card (even in previous rounds).
- On his turn, your opponent always takes the bottom card of the current Stage from the Universe and puts that card into a corresponding pile of his acquired cards.
- If there are no cards in the Stage for your opponent to take, he takes the bottom card from the most recent Stage with at least one card. If no cards are in any of the previous Stages, he takes the top card from the Deck instead.
The opponent's level in a Stage is equal to the sum of the levels on all Control Cards for a given Stage he has already played.
- All of your opponent's Control Cards contribute towards his Agency level for the rest of the game.
- You determine your Stage level in the same way as in the standard variant (sum up all the levels connected to the ongoing Stage on all cards in your Agency and on your current Control Card).
- If your opponent's level in the current Stage is higher than yours, he performs his turn before you. Otherwise, you play the whole Stage (using all abilities you can/wish) and then let your opponent perform his turn.
Treat all cards your opponent has taken from the Universe as though they were in his Lab. This means that you can reach them using cards such as Espionage or Rosetta Mission.
Phase 3: Prepare for the Next Decade
The last phase of the solo variant is played in nearly the same way as in the standard variant:
- Clever Investments:
- You may put any number of cards from your Hand face down into the Universe.
- The Hand limit at the end of this step is 7.
- If you don't put any cards in the Universe during this step, put 1 card from the Deck face down into the Universe instead. Do not look at it!
- Unexplored Universe — Add one additional card face down from the Deck into the Universe for each Stage for which your opponent has already played one or more Control Cards.
- For example, if the opponent has Propaganda and Breakthrough Control Cards, add 2 more cards into the Universe face down.
- True Visionaries — Shuffle the face-down cards in the Universe and turn 2 of them face up.
- Arrange these cards according to their types in the Universe.
- Preserve the order of face-up cards in the Universe. Always add new cards on the top of those already there.
Then enter a new round (decade) of the space conquest by moving on to Phase 1: Manage the Agency.
End of the Game & Scoring
You gain Development Points in the same way as you would in the standard variant (i.e. you score Points for the total level of your Agency, for cards in your Laboratory, and for every Breakthrough category in which your opponent does not have more symbols).
Your opponent gains Development Points for:
- Acquired Leader Cards and Breakthrough Cards, which count as 2 Points each.
- Other acquired cards, which count as 1 Point each.
Your opponent does not score any Development Points for:
- Having any Breakthrough symbols.
- His Space Agency level.
- His Control Cards.
Whoever has received the most Development Points is declared the winner.
- If there is a tie, the opponent is the winner. "Better luck next time, Mr. President."
FAQ
- Can I have more than one Leader in my Agency? No, see the explanation on page 6.
- Can I have the same card in my Agency more than once? Yes.
- Do I have to use the exact number of cards written in the centre of the abilities? No. Players may draw, discard, or move as many cards as they wish as long as the number of cards does not exceed the number given by the ability.
- If there is, for example, a zone icon in a text in one of my card's bottom section, which player's zone is meant? Unless explicitly stated in a card's text, all icons on your cards refer to your own zones.
- Is it possible to use both abilities on the level 1 Technology Control Card or level 1 Space Program Control Card at the same time during my turn? No. These cards contain two separate abilities. Players have to use one of them first and then wait before it is their turn again to use the other ability.
- Can I change the Breakthrough symbol duplicated by the Area 51 card? Yes, you can change it anytime, even before the Scoring.
- What card can I get with the ability of the Saturn V Technology card? This ability allows you to take a Breakthrough card with the symbol from the Universe and put it into your Agency. If there is no such a card in the Universe you do not get any other card.
- Can I use the Bureaucracy effect on the level 1 Propaganda Control Card to return the same card (level 1 Propaganda) back to my unplayed Control Card supply? No.
- Do special effects on cards such as UFO Investigation, Lunokhod, Project Mercury, or Project SETI include the cards themselves? Yes.
- If I have the Carl Sagan leader card, may I choose how many cards in the Universe to turn face up? No. You can only choose which card will be turned face up but not how many.
- What is the maximum amount of Breakthrough symbols that the Planet Nine Confirmed Breakthrough card can have? 4. One for every category present in at least one Agency.
- What if there are no more cards in the Deck? In such a case, the financial crisis hits the markets and the following rule applies: Whenever a player should draw a card but cannot because there are no cards left in the deck, he, instead, scores 0.5 Development Points per card not drawn as a result of using the ability. Use good old pen & paper to track these points... as there's no money left to be spent on efficient IT infrastructure in a time of such crisis.
Credits
Space Race: The Card Game
Game Design & Development: Jan Soukal, Marek Loskot, and Michal Mikeš Artwork: Dalibor Krch Graphic Design: Zak Eidsvoog
Published by Boardcubator. http://boardcubator.com
© 2016 Boardcubator s.r.o. All rights reserved.
Game Summary
Game Setup
- Prepare the Deck of Space Race Cards.
- Create the Universe: Take 4, 5, or 6 cards (for a 2-, 3-, or 4-player game) from the top of the Deck and arrange them next to the Deck according to their type. Then put 2 cards from the Deck face down next to them.
- Give the Initiative Marker to the player who went stargazing most recently or choose who will play first.
- Give each player 1 set of 12 Control Cards that belong to 1 of the 4 competing factions (NASA, ESA, Russia, and Private Sector).
- Deal Space Race Cards from the Deck: 3 cards to the 1st player (the one with the Initiative Marker), 4 cards to the 2nd player (clockwise), and 5 cards to other players.
Scoring
The player with the most Development Points wins. These are awarded for:
- Total Space Agency Level — sum of all the levels (colored numbers) on cards in the Agency except for Control Cards.
- Laboratory Power — 1 Development Point for each card in the Laboratory.
- Breakthrough Categories — 6 Development Points for every Breakthrough category (Reaching for the Stars, Man in Space, Planet Exploration, and Search for Extraterrestrial Life) in which the Agency has the most symbols (or is tied for the lead).
Gameplay
The game takes place over 7 rounds. Each round is divided into three Phases:
Phase 1: Manage the Agency
- Choose a Control Card and put it face down in the Agency.
- Turn the chosen Control Cards and the face-down cards in the Universe face up.
Phase 2: Develop the Agency
- Propaganda Stage (players with Propaganda Control Card).
- Technology Stage (players with Technology Control Card).
- Space Program Stage (players with Space Program Control Card).
- Breakthrough Stage (players with Breakthrough Control Card).
- Resolve Bureaucracy (all players).
- Players without cards in their Hands draw 1 card.
- Is it the end of the 7th round? If yes, move on to Scoring.
Phase 3: Prepare for the Next Decade
- Place Space Race Cards face down into the Universe for the next round.
- Add cards from the Deck face down into the Universe, if necessary.
- Shuffle the face-down cards in the Universe and reveal 1 card in a 2-player game or 2 cards in a 3- or 4-player game.
- Move the Initiative Marker clockwise.
Zones & Abilities
Central Zones: Deck, The Universe.
A Player's Zones: Laboratory, Space Agency, Hand, Control Cards.
Card Types & Subtypes: Propaganda, Technology, Space Program, Breakthrough — with Breakthrough subtypes Leader, Reaching for the Stars, Man in Space, Planet Exploration, and Search for Extraterrestrial Life.
Abilities: Take from (what card, place it in); Take from (how many cards, place them in); Immediate Action (resolve when the card is placed in your Agency); Bureaucracy (resolve at the end of each round); Special Effect (see the card's bottom section).