Star Tycoon Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Introduction
• Game Goal & Setup
  • Goal
  • Golden Rules
  • Setup
• Expand Your Corporation
• Guide to Profit
• How to Play
  • Round Phases
    • 1. Event
    • 2. Produce
    • 3. Player Turns
    • 4. Discard
    • 5. Rotate 1st Player
  • End of the Game
• Actions
  • Purchase Action
  • Reserve Action
  • Trade Action
  • Smuggle Action
  • Refresh Action
  • Omniforge Action
  • Loan [Free] Action
• Card Types
  • Planets
  • Developments
  • Partnerships
  • Companies
  • Company Abilities
  • Homeworld
    • Production Supremacy Target
  • Omniforge
  • Events
  • Event Cards
  • Bonus Points Tiles
• Example Turn
• Player Area & Scoring
  • Your Corporation
• Solo Mode
  • Victory and Buffs
  • Victory Conditions
  • Starting Buff
• Game Variants
  • Barter
  • More Players
  • 5 Rounds
  • Team Games
• Credits
• Quick Reference
  • Tokens
  • Brands
  • Planet Card Icons
  • Planet Type Icons
  • Other Icons
  • Box Examples
  • Development Bonus Actions
  • Round Overview

Components

• 1x Galactic Market
• 5x Trade Markers
• 3x Bonus Points Tiles
• 1x Round Marker
• 1x First Player Marker
• 1x Helper Token

Tokens

• 32x Energy Credits
• 27x Illegal Goods
• 27x Minerals
• 27x Gas
• 27x Food
• 27x Research
• 27x Ships

Cards

• 36x Planets
• 36x Development 1
• 36x Development 2
• 8x Development 3
• 6x Partnerships
• 6x Homeworlds
• 12x Companies
• 20x Events
• 6x Omniforges
• 6x References
• 6x Bank Loans

Introduction

You are tasked with transforming a start-up business into an interstellar megacorporation.

During the game, you will expand your corporation to new worlds, developing them to meet specific planetary targets and maximise profits.

The Galactic Market is the hub for all competing businesses to trade resources. Knowing when to buy and when to sell is critical for gaining a competitive edge.

The winner is the corporation with the most points at the end of the 4th round.

Game Goal & Setup

Goal

The winner is the player with the greatest number of victory points across all the cards in their corporation at the end of the 4th round.

Gain victory points by:

• Claiming sets of planets as outlined on your company card.
• Achieving Production Supremacy as outlined on your homeworld.
• Building the specified combination of target developments on planets you purchase.
• Building developments with bonus points.
• Forming partnerships with brands.
• Scoring end-game bonus points.

For an example of scoring, see Player Area & Scoring.

Golden Rules

• If the text on any card conflicts with the text in this rulebook, the card takes precedence.
• All actions in any text are only to be performed on your own turn unless stated otherwise.
• The term 'tokens' refers to all tokens in the Bank. However, when you see the "any resource" symbol, it only refers to any 1 resource of the same shape (Minerals, Gas, Food, Research, or Ships).
• Whenever you are directed to gain something, take it from the Bank.
• Some actions can only be performed on full rows. A row is considered full after it has been replenished with new cards, and not full after a card has been taken from it.

Setup

1. GALACTIC MARKET: Place as shown in the picture on the following page, then take the 5 trade markers and place them in the middle column (position 1) of each resource track. Place the round marker on the start position of the turn tracker (in the bottom left corner of the Market).
2. THE BANK: Take the token container with all of the tokens and place it above the Galactic Market. Place 1 bank loan card per player to the left of the Market. This general supply of tokens and loan cards is referred to as the Galactic Bank, or simply, the Bank.
3. MARKET ROWS: Shuffle and place the following decks face down to the right of the Market as shown: planets, development 1, development 2, and development 3. Then draw 3 cards from each deck and place them in a face-up row to the right of their respective decks.
4. EVENT CARDS, BONUS POINTS, PARTNERSHIPS: Shuffle the event cards and place them face down to the left of the Market. Randomly draw one bonus points tile and place it below the event cards. Return the remaining tiles to the box. Place all partnership cards face up underneath the Market.
5. HELPER TOKEN: The helper token is used in some events. Keep it within reach.
6. HOMEWORLD, REFERENCE: Deal 1 random homeworld card to each player and return the rest to the box. Also, deal 1 reference card to each player (not pictured).
7. OMNIFORGE: Select the Omniforge cards with the starting numbers that match the number of players. For example, if there are 4 players, choose the cards marked with numbers 1 to 4. Then, shuffle those cards and deal 1 to each player. Each player places their Omniforge underneath their homeworld card. Return the rest to the box.
8. COMPANY: Deal 3 company cards to each player. Each player then chooses 1 of their 3 cards to keep and returns the others to the box. Each player then takes their starting tokens, which are listed in the top right-hand corner of their chosen company card.
9. FIRST PLAYER: Give the player with the highest number on their Omniforge the 1st player marker. Play will proceed clockwise from that player. The 1st player marker is passed clockwise to the next player at the beginning of each new round (see How to Play).

Expand Your Corporation

A quick overview of the game's core loop:

• Purchase Planets: Pay the cost shown on a planet card to place it to the right of your other planets.
• Purchase Developments: Pay the cost shown on a development card to build it under any planet that has available development capacity. A development can't be moved after it is built.
• Produce Resources: Produce resources and credits at the start of every round.

Guide to Profit

• Trade Resources: Try to buy resources when they are cheap, and sell resources when they are expensive.
• Get Points: Match developments to planet targets for points.
• Form Partnerships: Earn bonus points by forming partnerships with brands, using the icons you've collected from developments.

How to Play

Round Phases

Star Tycoon is played over 4 rounds, with each round divided into 5 phases:

• EVENT
• PRODUCTION
• PLAYER TURNS
• DISCARD
• ROTATE 1ST PLAYER

These phases are also listed on the back of this rulebook for quick reference.

To track the game's progress, use the turn tracker and marker located at the bottom of the Galactic Market. The exclamation mark on the turn tracker signifies the start of a new round.

Each round consists of three turns per player, taken in order starting with the 1st player.

Once all players have taken a turn, move the turn tracker 1 space to the right. A second and then a third turn follow in the same order. The tracker number indicates the total turns taken.

1. Event

(Skip this phase on the first round.)

Move the round marker up 1 space on the turn tracker to the next exclamation-mark space.

Begin by discarding any effects from the previous round's event, unless specified otherwise. Then draw an event card. If it's round 2, start a face-up pile of events below the event deck. Otherwise, place the card on top of the used event pile. Now, resolve the new event.

Resolve events simultaneously or in player order as needed. For a list of all event cards and their effects, see Events.

2. Produce

Look at all of the cards that make up your corporation. Gain all tokens that are inside a blue production box on development cards placed under your planets. Your tokens are public information.

The Bank does not run out of tokens. If supply runs out of any token, find another way to track them until supply returns.

REMINDER: Remember to produce from your Omniforge in round 1. Including your 6 starting company tokens, you should have a total of 8 tokens at the end of the Produce phase in round 1.

3. Player Turns

This is the main phase where you will build up your corporation. Starting with the 1st player, everyone takes their turn in order, performing up to 3 actions. This cycle repeats for a total of 3 turns for each player.

In any order, you may perform any 3 of these actions in any order (except for Loan, which is considered a free action). You may also repeat actions. They are explained in greater detail on the following pages. To help you remember the actions available, please refer to the reference card given out during setup.

• PURCHASE
• TRADE
• OMNIFORGE
• RESERVE
• SMUGGLE
• REFRESH
• LOAN

Once you have finished your turn, play continues clockwise. After all players have had 1 turn, move the turn tracker 1 space to the right to help players keep track of how many turns are left in the round. After all players have had 3 turns, move on to the next phase.

Then, at the end of your turn:

Replenish Cards and Trade Markers

• For each row that's missing a card, draw 1 from its corresponding deck and place it face up to fill the gap. Each market row should have 3 face-up cards at the start of each player's turn. If a deck runs out of cards, any empty spaces in its row remain as is.
• Flip all trade markers to the buy side.

4. Discard

All players discard their remaining tokens down to a maximum of 7 (you may choose to discard even if you have 7 or less). Discarding a resource lowers its value. For each resource you discard, move its trade marker 1 space to the left per resource discarded (see Trade Action). If you discard Energy Credits, nothing happens.

IMPORTANT: Illegal Goods cannot be discarded at the end of the round. Having an excess of Illegal Goods may mean you are forced to discard more valuable tokens.

5. Rotate 1st Player

Pass the 1st player marker to the next player clockwise. If it is not the end of the 4th round, proceed to phase 1 of the next round.

End of the Game

At the end of the 4th round, all players add up their points earned across their entire corporation, plus the bonus points tile that was revealed at the start of the game. The player with the most points is the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the greatest total production is the winner.

Actions

During each of your turns, you can perform up to 3 actions in any order (except for Loan, which is considered a free action). You may repeat actions, provided you follow the rules for that specific action.

Purchase Action

Choose either 1 face-up planet or development card from a full row, 1 face-up partnership card, or 1 card from your reserve.

Then, pay the tokens shown in the top left-hand corner of the card to the Bank and take the card. If a card has a "—" symbol under the cost, you may choose to pay either the cost above or below the line.

Place planets you purchase to the right of your homeworld or other planets.

Place purchased developments under any planet with remaining capacity, with the bottom portion of the development displayed.

Look for the development-capacity icon on the planet to see how many developments it can support. For each development-capacity icon, the planet can support 1 development (see Planets). This is also referred to as a development being built on a planet.

You should try to match some aspect of each development to the targets of a planet you place it under, but you don't have to (see Player Area & Scoring for an example of scoring).

Once a development is built under a planet, it cannot be moved.

Some developments offer once-off bonuses at the moment they are purchased. For more information, see Developments. For a list of these bonuses, see Quick Reference.

Place any purchased partnerships face-up near your company card. You may only purchase 1 partnership per turn.

Reserve Action

You may reserve any planet, development 1, or development 2 card from a full row and take it into your hand. You may hide reserved cards from your rivals if desired. To purchase a reserved card, you must use another action.

You can only have 1 card in reserve at any given time. If you want to reserve a different card, you must first return your previously reserved card face-down to the top of its deck before taking the new card into your hand.

IMPORTANT: You cannot reserve partnerships or tier 3 developments offered by Diamond Mega Engineering.

"Promises are cheap! Diamond Mega Engineering wants only cold hard credits."

Trade Action

For each Trade action, you can perform up to 2 transactions, each on a different row of the Galactic Market that has a marker showing its buy side. This means in a single Trade action, you can transact once each on 2 separate rows (2 separate resource types).

With each trade transaction, you have the option to either gain 1 or more of a resource by paying the specified amount of Energy Credits, or sell 1 or more of that resource to gain the indicated number of Energy Credits.

During each trade transaction, you may only perform the transaction once, according to the current exchange rate. You are not permitted to increase the number of tokens bought or sold beyond the set rate shown at the top of the column.

IMPORTANT: For each of your 2 trade transactions, move its trade marker 1 space right if you bought the resource with Energy Credits (increasing its future price) or 1 space left if you sold it for Energy Credits (decreasing its future price).

If the marker cannot be moved any further then it remains in its current position. Then, flip the marker to its "sold out" side to indicate that resource can no longer be traded in your turn, even if you take another Trade action.

IMPORTANT: Every time you use the Galactic Market to buy or sell, you must move and flip the corresponding trade marker.

EXAMPLE: In this picture, the exchange rate of Minerals is 2 Energy Credits for 1 Mineral.

This means you can buy 1 Mineral for 2 Energy Credits, or, you can sell 1 Mineral for 2 Energy Credits, once and only once this turn.

If you buy Minerals, move the trade marker 1 space to the right and flip to show its "sold out" side.

If you sell Minerals, move the trade marker 1 space to the left and flip to show its "sold out" side.

You cannot buy or sell multiple Minerals in this one trade transaction. You can no longer trade Minerals with the Market this turn.

"The market tends to react to what players are producing in their initial rounds. During some games, resources may fluctuate from strikingly cheap to shockingly inflated, or they may reach a harmonious balance. No matter which direction the Market sways, we're certain of one unshakeable truth: capitalism is never wrong!"

Smuggle Action

Smuggle tokens through 1 or 2 smuggler developments in your system, a rival's system, or the development 2 market row. This allows you to trade tokens outside of the Galactic Market, even when a trade marker is showing its sold-out side.

Similar to the Trade action, taking the Smuggle action grants you 2 transactions. However, when you smuggle, you may perform 2 transactions in total using either a single smuggler or 2 different smugglers.

When performing the Smuggle action, select 1 or 2 cards marked with the smuggler icon; you may use ones that you have built, a rival has built, or that are currently face-up in the development 2 market row. Carry out the exact transaction as depicted within its box, up to 2 times on 1 card, or 1 time each on 2 separate smuggler cards.

• You may make transactions through your own smugglers, or any smugglers face-up in the development 2 row, at no additional cost.
• When conducting a transaction through a rival's smuggler card, pay an additional Energy Credit per transaction to them as a "commission." You do not need their permission to use their smugglers.

REMINDER: These cards do not contribute to a planet's production targets, but their brand icons may contribute to a planet's required brand targets (see Planets).

When buying or selling tokens using smugglers, do not move any trade markers left or right.

Smuggler Cards

• OFFWORLD IMPORTER: Spend Energy Credits to gain a resource, regardless of the current Market exchange rate.
• OFFWORLD EXPORTER: Spend 1 Ship plus 1 of any resource to gain 3 Illegal Goods, regardless of the current Market exchange rate.
• BLACK MARKET: Buy or sell Illegal Goods for Energy Credits from the Bank.

EXAMPLE 1: You take the Smuggle action. You smuggle once using 1 of your own smugglers, and then pay a rival to smuggle once through 1 of their smugglers, all within the 1 action.

EXAMPLE 2: You take the Smuggle action and smuggle twice through a rival's smuggler, paying them 1 Energy Credit for each transaction made (2 total), all within the 1 action.

Refresh Action

Choose 1 full row and place all of those face-up cards at the bottom of its deck.

Then, replenish the row with 3 new face-up cards from the top of the deck. You may still purchase from this row after refreshing if you have another action available.

Omniforge Action

Omniforge is the name of both the action you may take during your turn and the development that is given to you at the start of the game during setup. For more information about the card itself, see Omniforge.

When taking this action, you may immediately gain the tokens listed in the blue production box on your Omniforge card.

You can identify your Omniforge development by the Omniforge icon in its bottom-left corner.

Loan [Free] Action

As a free action, you may take a loan of 5 Energy Credits from the Bank if you do not already have one.

Place a loan card in your play area. This serves as a constant reminder of your obligation to pay interest and repay your loan before the end of the game.

You must pay 1 Energy Credit as interest to the Bank immediately after collecting your production at the start of each round.

If you do not have an Energy Credit to pay your interest, the Bank repossesses all of your Omniforge's production for that round (discard those tokens after producing). You cannot choose to pay with your Omniforge's production if you have an Energy Credit available to pay with.

You may pay back your loan in full at any time during your turn by returning 5 Energy Credits to the Bank. This is a free action that does not use any of your 3 actions. If you fail to pay back your loan, deduct 5 victory points from your total score at the end of the game.

EDGE CASE: You may take a loan and pay it back within the same turn or round if possible. If this occurs, no interest repayments are needed.

"Sometimes life can throw challenges your way. At other times, it can present incredible opportunities. In either situation, the Galactic Bank is here to help."

Card Types

Planets

Purchasing planets expands your corporation's capacity for building developments. Additionally, if you satisfy a planet's specific target requirements, you can earn victory points.

Each planet has two classifications, a planet type and a system (for a list of planet types, see Quick Reference).

Planets also have limited development space. For each development-capacity icon on the card, you can build 1 development underneath the planet.

You have the flexibility to build any combination of developments on a planet, provided you do not exceed its capacity limit. However, pay attention to each planet's target box; it specifies the particular developments that need to be built on that planet to earn its victory points.

There are 2 different target icons used in Star Tycoon to help remind you how the target is achieved. For a detailed explanation of scoring examples, see Player Area & Scoring.

• CORPORATION-WIDE TARGET: All of the cards you have purchased across your entire corporation (all of your cards) can contribute to this target. You'll find these icons on your homeworld and company cards.
• PLANET TARGETS: Only cards placed underneath this planet can help achieve this target. You'll find this icon on all cards in the planets deck.

NOTE: Stars can be found in the planets deck, even though they are not planets. For simplicity's sake, they are referred to as planets.

There are 2 different types of planet targets:

• PRODUCTION TARGETS: You reach this target if your planet produces at least this combination of tokens (see Developments).
• BRAND TARGETS: You reach this target if your planet has at least this combination of branded developments (see Developments).

"You might be wondering how it's possible to build developments like farms on stars and gas giants. The answer is simple: science fiction!"

Developments

Purchasing developments boosts your corporation's production and increases victory points. Build them on planets for various benefits, and to match them to production and brand targets.

• Level 1 developments are cheap, and typically produce 1 token.
• Level 2 developments require a higher investment but reward you with more production, victory points, or minor bonus actions. Some even allow you to smuggle resources.
• Level 3 developments, also referred to as megastructures, provide 5 victory points and additional production. Maximise your points by matching them to production targets.

PRODUCTION: During the Produce phase, gain tokens equal to those depicted in each of your development's blue production boxes.

BRANDING: Each development is offered by 1 of 7 corporations already established in the galaxy. Look for their unique brand logos in the bottom-left corner of all developments.

BONUS ACTION: When purchased, take the action listed on the top right-hand corner of the card immediately. For a list of all bonus actions, see Quick Reference. Example: Gain 1 Research per ocean planet you own.

COMMUNICATION ARRAYS: These are special development cards that collectively score a number of victory points based on the total number of Communication Arrays you build throughout your corporation. These points are not scored per Communications Array, but as a single total. Example: If you built 3 Communications Arrays, you score 5 points in total for them.

Partnerships

The brands that offer developments are always eager to get their hands on the latest and greatest research that the galaxy has to offer. If you provide them with enough Research, they will form a partnership with you.

Partnerships score you victory points based on the total number of that brand's developments you have built across your corporation.

You may only purchase 1 partnership per turn.

Example: A Square Software Partnership will grant you 7 points if you have built 5 or more Square Software developments across your corporation.

Companies

Each company has a unique ability, starting tokens, and a corporation-wide target (see Corporation-Wide Target under Planets).

Your corporation-wide target may grant you bonus points at the end of the game if you meet its target goal. Some companies want to claim planets in a specific system, others prefer to claim specific planet types.

Your company's unique ability does not use any of your 3 available actions per turn.

Abilities vary in their frequency and effect: some can be activated once per turn or once per round, others are constantly active or modify standard actions. Certain abilities provide a bonus action that does not count towards your three available actions per turn. Carefully read each card's text to understand how and when to use it.

Company Abilities

• QUONK UNION TRADE ALLIANCE: Once per round you may swap any 1 resource for any 1 resource with any player. If you do, that player gains 1 Energy Credit.
• ADVANCED PHASE MECHANICS: Each turn you may swap the top card of any 2 decks with a card from their corresponding rows.
• ORANGE CORP CONSULTING: You may purchase, reserve, and refresh from development rows that are not full.
• JIM'S TERRAFORMING: Once per round you may pay 1 Ship to gain a bonus Purchase action on the planets row, even if it's not full.
• K'RATAK FEARSOME ACCOUNTING: When you take the Trade action you may make up to 3 transactions.
• MYRON NANOTECH: You may build developments under this card. Gain 1 point for every 2 cards you build in this way.
• JUGNO'S INTERDIMENSIONAL SHOPPING NETWORK: Treat this as a normal smuggler card: 2 Energy Credits in exchange for any 2 resources (of any 1 or 2 shapes).
• LEGITIMATE VENTURES LLC: Once per turn you may use Illegal Goods in place of any 1 token when purchasing a card.
• FRANEK HOVER SOLUTIONS: Once per turn you may move 1 of your developments to 1 of your other planets.
• FARBLE SECURITIES: You may hold up to 2 cards in reserve and once per round you may take 1 bonus Reserve action.
• RAHKOON WAYFARING COMPANY: When you take the Omniforge action, you may choose to gain any 1 player's Omniforge production.
• HOLOX INDUSTRIAL SPA AND LEISURE: Once per round you may take 1 bonus Refresh action that refreshes any combination of full rows.

"Anything less than infinite growth is unacceptable."

Homeworld

These unique starting planets represent your corporation's base of operations. Each player receives 1 at the start of the game. It is on this planet that you will build your Omniforge (see below).

Together these cards provide you with a corporation-wide Production Supremacy target (see below), some starting production, and a modest amount of building space.

NOTE: Homeworld cards reside in a separate system from planets found in the planets deck. They also have their own classification of Homeworld.

Production Supremacy Target

Your homeworld grants you victory points when you achieve Production Supremacy.

To do so, your corporation must have a greater number of production icons of that token than each of your rivals (excluding your Omniforge).

If you do, you earn 3 victory points at the end of the game.

IMPORTANT: When calculating Production Supremacy, the production from your Omniforge is not included.

Omniforge

Omniforge is the name of both the action you may take during your turn and the development that is given to you at the start of the game during setup. For more information about the action, see Omniforge Action.

The Omniforge is a free development that starts on your homeworld. It provides base production for your fledgling corporation, even on your first turn. It may also be used as an action to produce its resources. Your Omniforge card is the only card in your corporation that has a homeworld icon in the bottom left corner.

The number on the card determines which player starts the game. The player with the highest number is given the 1st player marker, and play continues clockwise.

IMPORTANT: Your Omniforge is a special development. Do not count your Omniforge production icons when calculating Production Supremacy.

Events

Events occur at the start of rounds 2, 3, and 4, before Production (see Event, under How to Play).

Event Cards

• MARKET FLIP: Move each trade marker to the equivalent position on the opposite side of its track. Example: 1 Energy Credit to 2 resource becomes 2 Energy Credits to 1 resource.
• REDUX: Each player may gain any 2 tokens out of their 6 starting tokens.
• WAR OR PEACE: Each player may choose to gain 2 Ships or 2 Food.
• OVERTIME: Each player gains an extra action in their first turn this round.
• DEED GIVEAWAY: In turn order, each player draws a card from the planet deck and places it in their play area for free.
• BUILDING BOOM: In turn order, each player draws a card from the development 1 deck and may build it on their homeworld for free, regardless of capacity. Don't perform steal actions.
• MARKET ERROR: Move all trade markers 1 space down (to the row below). Move the Ships trade marker to the top row. Example: Move the Gas trade marker to the Food row but keep the same exchange rate.
• LAUNDERING: Each player gains 1 Illegal Goods. During this round, you may use Illegal Goods in place of Energy Credits when buying any resource on the Galactic Market. Place an Illegal Goods token above each column on the Market as a reminder.
• ROADBLOCK: Move all trade markers that are at a 1-Energy-Credit-to-1-resource exchange rate to the left 1 space. Then, cover all 1-Energy-Credit-to-1-resource spaces with an Illegal Goods token. During this round, trade markers skip across Illegal Goods spaces when moved.
• MOVING DAY: Each player may choose to either move 1 development to another of their own planets or swap 2 developments between their own planets.
• ROCKET SCIENCE: Each player may choose to gain 2 Research or 2 Gas.
• OPPORTUNITY: During this round, the planet and development rows each have 4 cards rather than 3. When you discard this event, move all cards to the bottom of their decks and refresh back to 3 cards in each row.
• PHISHING: During this round, when a card is replenished (not refreshed) into the market rows, place an Illegal Goods token on top of it from the Bank. When you take or reserve such cards, take their Illegal Goods token as well. When cards are refreshed or this event is discarded, discard remaining Illegal Goods tokens on market rows.
• TRANSMUTATION: Each player gains a bonus Omniforge production. Players may trade any resource with any resource from the Bank. Move the trade marker left 1 space for the resource you trade away.
• EQUALIZE: Move each trade marker 1 space towards the center. If a marker is already in the center, do not move it.

Bonus Points Tiles

During setup, a random bonus points tile is selected and placed under the event card deck. These points are awarded to all players at the end of the game based on the criteria on the tile.

• ENERGY CREDITS: Count the total number of Energy Credits you have remaining at the end of the game, after the final Discard phase. Score points at thresholds of 1/2/4/7 Energy Credits for 1/2/4/7 victory points. Example: 3 Energy Credits = 2 victory points.
• RESOURCES: Count the total number of resources you have remaining at the end of the game, after the final Discard phase (does not include Energy Credits or Illegal Goods). Score points at thresholds of 1/2/4/7 resources for 1/2/4/7 victory points. Example: 1 Minerals + 3 Gas + 1 Ships = 5 resources = 4 victory points.
• DEVELOPMENTS: Count the total number of developments across all of your planets at the end of the game, including your Omniforge. Score points at thresholds of 14/15/16/17 developments for 1/2/4/7 victory points. Example: 15x development cards = 2 victory points.
• PLANETS: Count the total number of planets in your play area, including your homeworld. Score points at thresholds of 5/6/7/8 planets for 1/2/5/7 victory points. Example: 7x planet cards = 5 victory points.
• PLANET TYPES: Count the total number of unique planet types in your play area, including your homeworld. Score points at thresholds of 4/5/6/7 unique planet types for 1/3/5/6 victory points. Example: 5x different planet types = 3 victory points.
• SYSTEMS: Count the total number of unique systems identified on the planets in your corporation, including your homeworld system. Score points at thresholds of 4/5/6/7 unique systems for 1/3/5/6 victory points. Example: 5x different systems = 3 victory points.

Example Turn

ACTION 1 - PURCHASE

"This is my first turn, so I start by buying a planet. My company, 'Jim's Terraforming', scores victory points for claiming 3 gas planets, so I pay 1 Ships to purchase Veon from the planet row, and place it next to my home planet."

ACTION 2 - TRADE

"I want to purchase a refinery development next, but I need some food to do so. I use the Trade action to sell a Gas with my first trade transaction, then use the Energy Credit that gave me to buy the Food I need with my second transaction."

ACTION 3 - PURCHASE

"Now I can afford that development! I'll use my last action to purchase the refinery and place it under my blue planet Veon. This helps meet its Gas production target. Thanks Capitalism!"

Player Area & Scoring

You will purchase a variety of cards as you expand your corporation during the game. The example below illustrates what your corporation's play area may look like at the end of the game, and how it might score.

Your Corporation

Planets are placed horizontally next to your company and homeworld card. There is no limit to the number of planets your company can claim.

Developments must always be placed underneath a planet. Make sure the planet has enough capacity (development-capacity icons) to support the development.

Place other cards such as Partnerships or Bank loans in front of you however you like.

Example scoring for a corporation of a company card, a homeworld, and 4 planets:

1. 4 VP — 4 points have been awarded for purchasing at least 3 gas planets.
2. 0 VP (Homeworld) — Production Supremacy has not been achieved because this player has not produced more Ships than their rivals (Omniforge production is not counted).
3. 9 VP — 4 points have been awarded for reaching the planet's 3 Gas production target. An additional 5 points are added because 1 megastructure development was built, bringing this planet to a total of 9 points.
4. 3 VP — 3 points have been awarded for reaching the planet's Gas and Food production target.
5. 3 VP — This player failed to reach this planet's 3 Heart Institute brand target, but 3 points are awarded because a development includes bonus points.
6. -1 VP — The planet's production target wasn't achieved, and its only development scores -1 point. So this planet is worth -1 point to the overall score.

This game's bonus points tile was for unique systems claimed. This player has acquired planets spanning 5 different systems (including their homeworld), so they score 3 points from this goal. For more information on Bonus Points Tiles, see Bonus Points Tiles.

FINAL SCORE FOR ABOVE EXAMPLE: 21 victory points

Solo Mode

In solo play, the overall rules remain the same except for the following modifications:

• During setup, shuffle all 6 Omniforge cards and deal one to yourself at random.
• Each turn before replenishing cards, choose 2 cards from the planets row to remove from the game. For each resource shown in the target box of the removed planets, move the corresponding trade marker 1 space to the left (if possible). Then, choose 2 cards from both the development 1 and development 2 rows to be removed from the game. For each resource displayed in the production boxes of the removed developments, move the corresponding trade marker 1 space to the right (if possible).
• You achieve Production Supremacy when you produce 3 or more of that token.
• The Refresh action can be paid for with 1 Energy Credit instead of using an action, and this can be repeated as desired.
• Any steal or force-trade is directed to the Bank instead of another player.
• Rahkoon Wayfaring Company's ability changes to: When you take the Omniforge action, you may choose to gain 1 of any resource and 1 Energy Credit instead.

Victory and Buffs

Solo mode spans 3 games. Each game presents a unique victory condition, determined by your starting Omniforge's number (detailed in the top right). This condition must be reached by the end of round 4.

STARTING BUFF: At the start of each game, draw a second Omniforge card and apply the buff specified in the box to the right based on the card's number (do this before starting your first turn). After applying the buff, discard this card into the box to avoid drawing it again.

IF YOU WIN: Discard your homeworld, Omniforge, and company into the box. They should not be reused. Reset everything else for a new game and draw a new random homeworld, Omniforge, and company. If you win 3 games in a row, you have won solo mode!

IF YOU LOSE: If you don't achieve a victory condition in any game, you must restart the series from the first game. Reset the entire game, including reintroducing the previously discarded cards.

Victory Conditions

Choose the condition below that corresponds to your Omniforge number.

1. Reach 36 points.
2. Reach 30 points and build at least 5 of the following cards (double-ups allowed): Logistics Hub, Wellness Center, CEO Monument, Executive Retreat, Corporate Office.
3. Reach 30 points, build a Crime Hub, and have at least 7 illegal goods.
4. Reach 30 points, build 2x Offworld Exporters, and make at least 4 transactions total using those exporters. Place an Illegal Goods token from the Bank on the Market to keep track of how many export transactions you've made.
5. Reach 30 points and make sure that each of your planets produces at least 1 Ship.
6. Reach 36 points and form at least 4 Partnerships.

Starting Buff

Choose the buff below that corresponds to your second Omniforge number.

1. Start the game with an additional 5 Energy Credits.
2. Any bonus actions from developments in this game are doubled.
3. Draw the top card of the development 2 deck and build it on your homeworld for free.
4. Search the development 2 deck for any Offworld Importer and build it on your homeworld for free.
5. Start the game with a second, random Omniforge. If you win this game, do not discard this card to the box.
6. Any points from Communication Arrays in this game are doubled.

Game Variants

Barter

Bartering can be incorporated into the game, if all players agree.

You may barter with other players and trade for immediate or future benefits either on your turn, or on their turn. Bartering is not an action.

The following may be bartered:

• All tokens.
• Cards in reserve (can be bartered into another player's reserve).

"When your business rivals are in a state of desperation, try taking advantage of them!"

More Players

Star Tycoon was designed and balanced for 2 to 4 players. However, accommodating up to 6 players is possible. When playing with a group of 5 or 6, we recommend ensuring all players are experienced so as to minimize the length of time spent waiting between turns.

NOTE: Business conditions change at 5 and 6 players. Cards will become scarce, and market rates may fluctuate widely by the time your turn comes around again. This volatility is an integral part of Star Tycoon's design and mastering the competitive business landscape is part of the challenge with larger player groups.

5 Rounds

As with the player count, Star Tycoon was designed and balanced to be played over 4 rounds. However, an extra round may be added to the game if all players agree. Once you've reached the end of round 4, simply move the round marker back 2 spaces to the exclamation-mark space and play an additional round.

Team Games

Choose to play in even teams of 2 or 3. During setup, make sure teammates do not have turns after each other. All points scored by teammates are combined. The team with the most points at the end of the final round are declared the winners.

Credits

DESIGNERS: Peter Sanderson, Alkira Sanderson (warpcoregames.com)

ILLUSTRATION, GRAPHIC DESIGN: Michael Dickinson

DEVELOPMENT: Aaron Child, Nathan Child, Kim Brebach, Graeme Pretty, Bjorn Brett

©2023 Warp Core Games. All rights reserved. No portion of this product may be duplicated or copied without express written permission.

Any resemblance to other intellectual properties is solely for parody and satire purposes.

Some icons are used under licence from Freepik Company, S.L.

Manufactured by Long Pack Games. Printed Aug 2023.

Quick Reference

Tokens

• Energy Credits — 1-10x Energy Credits.
• Resources: Minerals, Gas, Food, Research, Ships.
• Wild Resource — 1-5x Wild Resources. Choose any resource of the same shape.
• Illegal Goods — Cannot be discarded or used to reserve.

Brands

Rounded Bioworks, Cross Labs, Heart Institute, Hex Industries, Square Software, Pointed Investments.

• Diamond Mega Engineering — Cannot be reserved, no brand partnership.
• Homeworld (no brand).

Planet Card Icons

• Planet System — The star system this planet resides in. Example: "Dukat System."
• System Target — the number of planets needed from this system. Example: 3 planets from the Dukat System.
• Planet Capacity (see Planets).
• Production Supremacy (see Homeworld).

Planet Type Icons

Terra, Desert, Gas, Ocean, Ice, Star, Homeworld, Planet Card.

Other Icons

• Communication Array (see Developments).
• Smuggler (see Smuggle Action).

Box Examples

• Production box (see How to Play, Produce).
• Smuggler box (see Smuggle Action).
• Planet production target (see Planets).
• Corporation-wide target (see Planets and Companies).

Development Bonus Actions

• STEAL: If possible, take any 1 resource from any player.
• Gain 1 Gas per gas planet you own.
• Gain 1 Minerals per ice planet you own.
• Gain 1 Research per ocean planet you own.
• Gain 1 Food per terra planet you own.
• Gain 1 Energy Credit per Illegal Goods that other players own.

Round Overview

EVENT ▶ PRODUCE ▶ PLAYER TURNS ▶ DISCARD ▶ ROTATE PLAYER