The Search for Planet X FAQ
52 questions players ask · Updated Nov 7, 2026 · Full rulebook
Setup and Game Modes
Principles of Astronomy and Solving
- Is every game of Planet X solvable by logic, or do you ever have to guess?
- Must every gas cloud be next to a truly empty sector, and can Planet X be that neighbor?
- Does a clue like "Planet X is not within 2 sectors of the dwarf planet" mean it is exactly 3 away?
- If a clue says each comet is within 2 sectors of a dwarf planet, must it be the same dwarf planet?
- In Expert Mode, what layouts can the dwarf planet band take?
- Can a dwarf planet be adjacent to Planet X?
Actions
- Does a Research clue give the tightest (lowest) possible number?
- Can you survey for empty sectors, and does the count include Planet X?
- What are the limits on a Survey for comets?
- Can you survey or target sectors that are not in the visible sky?
- What do you announce to the other players when you take an action?
- Must all three parts of a Locate Planet X guess be right?
- What happens if my Locate Planet X attempt is wrong?
- Can I try to locate Planet X when its sector is not in the visible sky?
- Can I take Research on consecutive turns, or repeat a topic?
- Is Research, Survey, Research allowed?
Pawns, Earth Board and Phases
- When exactly does a theory or conference phase happen as the Earth board rotates?
- If pawns share a sector with a theory icon, do they act before the theory phase?
- Does the Earth board rotate after a wrong-theory penalty moves a pawn?
- Does the Earth board turn one sector per turn, or until it reaches the player furthest back?
- Does the visible sky move before the first turn?
- How many conference phases happen in a game?
- How do I tell who is farthest back, and how far apart can pawns be?
- If nobody places a new theory in a theory phase, do the face-down theories still advance?
Theories and Peer Review
- Can I submit a theory about a sector I already targeted?
- In what order do players place theories in a theory phase?
- Can I submit no theories in a theory phase?
- Can I submit more than one theory in the same sector?
- What is the penalty for an incorrect theory?
- If several players take a penalty at the same time, in what order do their pawns move?
- Can I place a deliberately wrong theory to mislead opponents?
End of the Game and Scoring
- In solo play, does the bot get a final scoring turn when I find Planet X first?
- Do incorrect theories at game end cost a time penalty?
- Who gets a final scoring opportunity after Planet X is located?
- Are theories placed during final scoring peer reviewed, and are they simultaneous?
- Does the Earth board rotate after the game-ending Locate Planet X?
- Does the game end after 12 actions, the number of rows on the note sheet?
- How many points do I get for locating Planet X if someone else did first?
- If two players submit the correct theory in the same sector in the same theory phase, do both get the leader bonus?
- Does the leader bonus apply to unrevealed theories, final-scoring theories, or a lone correct theory?
- When counting how many sectors behind I am, is my own sector counted?
Solo Mode and the App
- Does the app's History page show the results of my past actions?
- Does Planet X have a solo mode, and what is the player count?
- Can I pause a solo game and resume it later?
- Does the solo bot submit only correct theories, and must it submit what it knows?
- Does the solo bot cheat?
- Does the solo bot score leader bonuses, and who counts them?