Planet Unknown
Our planet has run out of resources, and we are forced to move. We have discovered a series of planets and sent our rovers to test their environment with the hope of colonization. Our rovers have confirmed 1-6 viable colonization options.
Planet Unknown is a competitive game for 1-6 players in which players attempt to develop the best planet. Each round, each player places one polyomino-shaped, dual-resource tile on their planet. Each resource represents the infrastructure needed to support life on the planet. Every tile placement is important to cover your planet efficiently and also to build up your planet's engine. After placing the tile, players do two actions associated with the two infrastructure types on the tile. Some tile placements trigger "meteors" that make all planets harder to develop and prevent them from scoring points in the meteor's row and column.
Planet Unknown innovates on the popular polyomino trend by allowing simultaneous, yet strategic turn-based play via the Lazy S.U.S.A.N. space station in the center of the table.
Number of players: 1 - 6
Game duration: 45 mn
Complexity: 4 / 5
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Play Planet Unknown and 846 other games online.
No download necessary - play directly from your web browser.
With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Rules summary
Overview
The game continues until the tiles run out or a player can't place a tile
Turn
The start player may rotate the space station as much as they desire until one of the depots is facing them and likewise a depot is facing each of the other players
Each player now drafts 1 tile from the depot which faces them
All players place their tile according to placement rules (and add a meteorite token if the corresponding symbol is present)
All players advance the corresponding resource trackers based on the tile selected. Trackers may be advanced in whatever order the player prefers.
Pass the start player marker and start a new round
Tile Placement
The first tile of the game must be placed so an edge touches a border.
Additional tiles must be orthogonally adjacent to pre-existing tiles.
Tiles cannot overlap other tiles and neither can they fully cover/replace each other.
Tiles cannot hang over the edge of the grid.
Tiles have to sit so they are aligned with the printed grid, but can be rotated or flipped prior to placement.
Lifepods and Rovers CAN have tiles placed on them, but the object is then removed permanently.
Resource Tracks
Each resource tracks provides a unique benefit. You claim the benefit once your resource marker reaches an icon on the track. Two icons are shared by all tracks:
.Victory Points (gold medals) - Players receive points at the end of the game for the highest victory point medal reached on each track.
.Synergy Boosts (multi-color swirls) - Immediately move the resource marker up one step on any resource track.
Civ Track (black)
.Civ Milestone (dome) - Take all the Civ Cards of the depicted level, look through them, and pick one to keep.
If the card states IMMEDIATE, you get these bonuses straight away, otherwise you'll get them later.
If the card states END GAME, it is kept secret and revealed at end game.
If more than one player reaches the same milestone in the same round, they should select them in clockwise order from the current start player.
If playing with modules, there is a chance that when you reach a milestone there are no cards to claim.
Water Track (blue)
If a square of the tile with water resource is placed on planetary ice, the track advances, otherwise no advancement is made.
Biomass Track (green)
.Biomass Milestone (tree) - Gain a Biomass Patch to place immediately following normal placement rules.
Biomass Patches do NOT advance the track, but do help to fill in spaces.
Rover Track (red)
.Rover Milestone (vehicle) - Place a rover token onto the tile which triggered it. It may be placed on a meteorite if desired. It does not need to be placed on the red portion of the tile.
.Movement Space (number) - Move your rover(s) a combined amount equal to the space's number (so a 3 could move 1 rover 3 spaces or 2 rovers 2 and 1 spaces respectively). Rovers move orthogonally and can move on both tile spaces and empty spaces. When a Rover shares a space with either a Lifepod or Meteor, the component is collected.
If something is placed onto the rover, the rover is destroyed.
Tech Track (gray)
This track unlocks permanent abilities for the rest of the game.
Level 1: Adjacency placement restrictions no longer apply.
Level 2: Store Biomass Patches to be placed at End Game.
Level 3: +1 for Rover Movement.
Level 4: Double Water advancement. Water must still be placed on ice to trigger the advancement. Double advancement only applies if triggered by tile placement.
Level 5: Immune against Meteors.
Energy (tan)
There is no track for Energy, instead pick any other track to advance, with the following limitations:
You may pick the other resource shared on the energy resource's tile (Remember this track still advances naturally, so in effect gets to advance twice).
You may pick a resource bordering the energy terrain (tan area spanning 1 or more tile) that includes the tile just placed.
End Game
The final round is triggered when either the last tile is removed from any of the depots or a player cannot place a tile.
If a tile cannot be placed, the player still chooses a tile from the depot and advances the trackers as normal, without adding the tile to their planet.
After all players have advanced their trackers, any biomass patches should be placed and any end game bonuses should be activated.
Scoring
Score each row and column based on the medal number attached to it if it is complete, so all spaces have a terrain tile in them and no spaces have a Meteor token on them. Complete rows & columns are worth 1-3 points.
Score the highest medal passed or reached on each track.
Score 1 point per Lifepod collected and 1 point per 3 Meteor token collected. Lifepods destroyed by tile placement are not scored.
Score End Game Civ cards.
The player with the most points wins!
If tied, the player with the least empty spaces wins!
Asymmetric Planets
Tartarus
Be warned: Not only can a rover not cross the chasm orthogonally, it can only cross diagonally at two specific corners (the chasm is faded a little).
Asymmetric Corporations
Flux Industries
"Improve the flux track" (Tech level 3): only applies to the Civ, Water, Biomass, and Rover tracks:
- Civ: choose from cards one civ level higher than the milestone
- Water: gain two synergy boosts instead of one
- Biomass: gain two biomass patches instead of one
- Rover: gain one extra movement for your rover
