Colonise

CONCEPT After succesfully colonising Mercury, Venus and Mars, humanity set its sights on populating planets outside of our solar system.

You are the Commander of one of hundreds of starships sent by the Company on a mission to colonise one of these exoplanets; your crew are the most qualified scientists and engineers that Earth could spare.

After a ten year journey, your starship touches down on the chosen barren, rocky planet, and the hard work begins!

The starter colony is set up quickly, and now development will be critical to its success.

On the holoscreen in front of you are four project proposals for development, chosen by your starship's artificial intelligence as the best of those submitted by your crew.

But there is only time and resource to continue with two of these projects, and the final choice is down to you Commander, so choose wisely, the future of the colony depends on it!

AIM OF THE GAME Score enough Credits to cover all Project Costs and ensure the future of the Colony.

SET-UP Shuffle the cards Project Side up and place the top card Planet Side up in the game area - this and any cards added to it form your Colony.

Place two cards Project Side up in the game area. These are the four Projects that you need to consider before choosing one from the left of a card, and one from the right of the other card.

Once chosen place these cards down next to each other so the chosen Projects are on the far left and far right. Add up the two Project Costs; at the end of the game, your Colony must be worth at least this many Credits to win.

Place a card Planet Side up across your two chosen Project cards (rotated either way around). The Facilities shown in each row have different end game scoring values; +2 Credits for each of the Facilities in the top row that are in your Colony at the end of the game (+1 for the middle row / -1 for the bottom row).

Draw two cards Planet Side up to form your Hand of Development Cards.

Place the other cards Project Side up in the game area. This is the Development Deck.

GAME TURN
Each turn place one Development Card from your Hand onto your Colony, and draw the top card of the Development Deck as a replacement.

The only rule for placing cards is that one or more of the 12 Areas on the card must exactly overlap one or more Areas on the card(s) it is placed on.

QUICK SCORE The top card of the Development Deck shows how you can currently Quick Score (at the bottom).

After placing a card, if you have satisfied the Quick Score Criteria, you may (if you wish) take the Quick Score card and tuck it under your Projects so that only the Quick Score area is showing. Then draw the top card of the Development Deck as normal.

END GAME SCORING +1 Credit per Hab-Dome in the largest Adj group. -1 Credit per Hive in your Colony.
+/- Credits for both of your Projects.
+/- Credits for Facilities in your Colony.
+ Credits for each Quick Score card.

WINNING To win, end the game scoring Credits >= the total of your two Project Costs - this is called a Commander Victory!

INCREASING THE DIFFICULTY During Set-up after placing your Colony, place a card Project Side up in the game area. This card shows the Company Directive Criteria you must satisfy to win (at the top). Carry on with Set-up and place your chosen Projects on this card so that only the Company Directive Criteria is visible at the top.

If you score a Commander Victory (see Winning), and currently satisfy the Company Directive Criteria, you score a Company Victory, otherwise you lose.

Some Company Directives require you to do unlawful things and are marked with a warning triangle. For these, you can score a Company Victory as above. However, if you score a Commander Victory, but don't currently satisfy the Company Directive Criteria, take 5 Credits off your final Credit score and check to see if your Commander Victory is still valid. If so, you score a Moral Victory, otherwise you lose.

END OF GAME When the Development Deck is empty, carry on placing cards until you have none left, triggering the end of the game.