EGO Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Overview & Goal
• Setup
• Gameplay
• Tactic Cards
• Success Tokens and Credit Tokens
• Alliance Tokens
• Offense Tokens
• Discarding Cards and Tokens
• Minor Events
  • Option Events
  • Risk Events
  • Prepare and Compose Events
  • Supply Events
• Negotiation Events
• Risk-Taking During a Negotiation
• Power Cards
• Bidding Events
• Tiebreakers - Circled Numbers
• The Arrival
• The Final Reckoning (Game End)
• Extension Boards
  • Setup
  • Play
• Transmission Events
• Credit Events
• Risk-Taking During a Credit Event
• Note from the Publisher (Nick Murray)
• ID (Interstellar Disruptions) Expansion
  • Overview
  • Components
  • Ships Module Setup
  • Ships Module Gameplay
  • Competitive Transmission Events
  • Special Alliance Tokens Module
• Quick Reference Guide
• Cards Icons and Symbols
• Option Event Requirements
• Power Cards (Discard to the Box After Use)
• Rewards, Penalties, and Outcomes

Components

• 6 Civilization Boards
• 5 Extension Boards
• 92 Tactic Cards
• 17 Power Cards
• 5 Reckoning Cards
• 1 Super Ship Piece & Base
• 3 Player Count Pieces
• 5 Priority Pieces
• 35 Credit Tokens (10 of value 1, 15 of value 2, 10 of value 3)
• 70 Success Tokens (10 of value 1, 15 of value 3, 30 of value 5, 15 of value 10)
• 1 Mission Leader Piece
• 50 Offense Tokens
• 50 Alliance Tokens (Success tokens: 7 of value 1-2, 15 of value 3; Credits: 7 of value 1-3)

The civilization boards are: Solar System, Alliance System, Treasure System, Sinister System, Market System, and Arrival. Each board lays out a sequence of events, shown as symbols in columns across the board: Select, Risk, Supply, Brief, Empowerment, Compose, Treaty, Bond, Quarrel, Transmission, Treasures, Conflict, Greed, Prepare, Bluff, Retreat, Mend, Arrival, Debrief, Offer, Market, Bribe, Big Bounty, Big Deal, Invest, Deal, Last Word, and Reckoning.

Overview & Goal

In EGO, players proceed through a sequence of major and minor events, including auctions, drafts, risks, and more. Risks and egos are the lifeblood of this game, as players will frequently find themselves in a game of chicken with their rival ambassadors as they try to impress various alien civilizations and earn political power.

By offering gifts, attempting persuasion, plotting intrigue, exchanging technology, and displaying charisma, these ambassadors will be able to gain advantages and allies. But careless tactics can lead to damaging or even disastrous encounters. Taking a risk during a negotiation event can possibly tarnish your reputation with the aliens, or at least confuse them greatly as you retreat to the ship in a fluster of embarrassment. Yet there's always the chance of a triumphant success, and nobody ever made it to the top without stepping on a few challengers.

Setup

1. First, set up the journey map: Start with the civilization board "Solar System." Then, lay out three randomly selected civilization boards (except the "Arrival" board) in a line after it. Finish with the civilization board "Arrival." You may split the line into multiple rows if that fits your table best. The sixth civilization board is returned to the box. For the core game, the extension boards are also left in the box.
2. Position the Super Ship at the start of the civilization board "Solar System."
3. Place all alliance tokens into the fabric bag and mix them well.
4. Keep the success tokens, the credit tokens, and the offense tokens within reach.
5. Use the priority pieces from "1" up to the number of players. Place these next to the board. With fewer than five players, leave the higher numbered pieces in the box.
6. The most charismatic player is the first mission leader, or randomly select the first mission leader. Give this player the mission leader piece.
7. With fewer than five players, place the corresponding player count piece next to the "Solar System" board (the others are returned to the box). With five players, leave the player count pieces in the box.
8. Shuffle the power cards and place them as a face-down deck next to the board. Reveal five cards and place them face up in a line next to the deck.
9. Shuffle the tactic cards and place them as a face-down deck in easy reach of all players. Leave room for a face-up discard pile next to this deck.
10. Give each player a "Reckoning" reference card. Return any extras to the box.

The Reckoning reference card shows, by number of offense tokens held, how many success tokens a player gains or loses at the end of the game:

Offense tokens	Success tokens
0	gain 20
1	gain 10
2	gain 5
3	gain 3
4	gain 2
5	gain 1
6	lose 2
7	lose 5
8	lose 10
9	lose 20
10	lose 30
11+	lose 40

Gameplay

The selected mission leader advances the Super Ship from event to event. The events follow this sequence:

All of the events of one board are resolved before moving on to the next board, starting with the leftmost (and topmost, if there are multiple rows) board and proceeding to the right.

The events within each board are resolved one column at a time, starting with the leftmost column and proceeding to the right. If there are multiple events in a column, they are resolved from top to bottom.

Beside its title, the civilization boards show what each ambassador receives (if anything) when reaching the board. In the "Solar System," each player receives a hand of five tactic cards and one alliance token.

Note: The number of cards each player holds is open information during the game.

Tactic Cards

Tactic cards enable the player to apply different tactics in the many events they encounter during the game. The tactic cards show four different icons: Gifts, Persuasion, Intrigue, and Tech Trade.

Most of the cards show one icon, while some cards show two identical icons.

Some cards also show a value-1 credit; these cards can instead be used as a credit token.

There is a fifth tactic icon, Charisma, which is a wild joker and can stand for any of the four other tactic icons in any event (unless indicated otherwise by the no-charisma symbol).

When in doubt, leaning into our naive charm may be able to open more doors than we could otherwise.

Success Tokens and Credit Tokens

Success tokens come in values 1, 3, 5, and 10. Credit tokens come in values 1, 2, and 3 (shown by one, two, or three diagonal lines respectively, with a generic dotted symbol also representing credits).

These tokens are used throughout the game.

Player's supplies of these tokens are public information, but they can be stacked to save space. Credit tokens are a valuable resource during the game. Success tokens determine the winner at the end of the game.

Success and credit tokens come in different values and may not be exchanged for other values. Only in the unlikely situation that the tokens of one value run out is exchanging allowed. There are two different ways the events refer to the tokens:

• The total value of the tokens (e.g. 5 or more), made up by any number of tokens.
• The number of tokens (e.g. exactly 3), irrespective of their token values.

Alliance Tokens

Alliance tokens represent the alliances the ambassadors form with various galactic factions and civilizations.

These tokens are kept face down. Players can look at their own alliance tokens at any time but not those of other players. An alliance token may show a success token of value 1, 2, or 3 or a credit token of value 1, 2, or 3.

When a player uses an alliance token, the token is revealed. Should the token remain with the player, it is turned face down again.

Offense Tokens

Offense tokens represent the various ways that ambassadors have offended aliens (either accidentally or on purpose) and tarnished their reputation.

When collected, these are kept in front of each player as public information. At the end of the game, players will either gain or lose points depending on how many offense tokens they have.

Discarding Cards and Tokens

If a card is discarded, it is placed onto the face-up discard pile next to the deck of tactic cards. If a success token, credit token, or offense token is discarded, it is returned to the supply. If an alliance token is discarded, it is mixed back into the bag.

Minor Events

Option Events

The first event in the "Solar System" gives all players the option to discard exactly two of their cards and then draw two new cards from the deck of tactic cards.

Option events appear on all civilization boards and give each player the option to act. Option events are depicted with a downward arrow icon. The first part shows what is required of the player and the second part, after the arrow, shows what the player receives in return.

If players engage in the event, they must discard all of the depicted requirements and accept all of the depicted results. Sometimes, nothing is required of the player at all.

All option events are played in clockwise order. First, the mission leader decides if they want to engage in the event and then potentially does so. Then, the other players follow in clockwise order, going around once. Important: Each option event can only be performed once by each player.

Risk Events

The next event in the "Solar System" allows all players to take a risk to gain more cards.

Risk events appear on all civilization boards (except the "Arrival" board) and give each player the opportunity to gain more cards. Risk events are depicted in yellow triangular symbols, where the top part shows how many cards are revealed, the middle part shows the tactic icons to match, and the bottom part shows the potential adverse effect the player experiences. Charisma cards always match any tactic icons.

Like option events, all risk events are played in clockwise order. First, the mission leader decides if they want to engage in the event and then potentially does so. Then, the other players follow in clockwise order, going around once.

To engage in a risk event, the player reveals the corresponding number of tactic cards from the deck (the number shown at the top of the risk symbol). There are three possible outcomes of their risk:

• If all of the cards match the depicted tactic icons (including charisma), then their risk is a total success. That player collects all of the cards and adds them to their hand. They also bask in the brilliant glow of their political prowess (and their rivals' envy).
• If at least one (but not all) of the cards match the depicted tactic icons (including charisma), then their risk is a partial success. The player collects the matching cards, while the cards showing other icons are discarded onto the face-up discard pile. The player also takes the penalty depicted at the bottom of the risk icon (usually one or two offense tokens). While they earned a short-term advantage, they also offended the aliens and ambassadors present for rudely attempting such ill-suited tactics.
• If none of the cards match the depicted icons (including charisma), then their risk is a total failure. The player discards all of the revealed cards onto the face-up discard pile. Fortunately, a total failure never offends others, thus no penalty is taken. It merely confuses the aliens and ambassadors present and embarrasses the player who attempted the risk.

Prepare and Compose Events

Prepare and compose events are easy to play. They give each player one or two cards respectively.

The next event in the "Solar System" simply gives each player one card in preparation for future events.

In a prepare event, the mission leader reveals as many cards from the deck of tactic cards as there are players. Then, the mission leader chooses one of these cards, followed by all the other players in clockwise order, going around once.

In a compose event, the mission leader reveals twice as many cards from the deck of tactic cards as there are players. Then the mission leader chooses one of these cards, followed by all the other players in clockwise order, now going around twice.

Note: Prepare and compose events give the mission leader (and earlier players) an advantage through a wider choice. This is balanced by negotiation events, where later players are at a slight advantage.

All the ambassadors agree that this is fair!

Supply Events

Before explaining the negotiation event, which is next in the "Solar System," there is one more minor event for getting more supplies, which is the concluding event in the "Solar System."

Supply events are easy to play. They give each player a choice of more rewards.

All supply events are played in clockwise order. First the mission leader chooses any one of the depicted rewards and takes them. Then, the other players follow in clockwise order, going around once. The same rewards may be chosen by multiple players.

The Solar System's supply event offers: draw two tactic cards; draw one alliance token; gain a 2-value credit token; gain a 3-value success token; discard one offense token.

This concludes the description of the four types of minor events that occur throughout the game.

Negotiation Events

Negotiation events are the most involved events of the mission. The main wheel contains dark wedges that depict the vastly different outcomes the event can bring to the players. The negotiation event itself is then all about what ambassador gets what outcome.

Negotiation events are designated by a clockwise circle around the wheel and a green top wedge.

With fewer than five players, the number of outcomes to choose from is restricted to the number of players. The available outcomes expand from the top, clockwise around until the relevant number of outcomes is reached. The mission leader places the player count piece on the remaining outcome or outcomes that are not available. This helps all players to keep a cool overview in the heat of the negotiation.

Example: In a two-player game, only the first two outcomes are available. The rest are covered by the player count piece.

The mission leader must then open the negotiation by playing one card from their hand face up on the table. The icons on the card must match the tactic icons (including charisma) depicted in the top wedge of the event wheel. The player announces the number of icons played in front of them.

Example: The mission leader, Venus, plays one intrigue card and announces "1."

Alternatively, the player may decide not to play a card and pass. In this case, the player takes the priority piece with the highest available number and is out of the negotiation. They will be the last to choose an outcome.

The negotiation continues clockwise from player to player. When it is a player's turn to act, they must play one card after another from their hand face up on the table. The icons on all these cards must match the tactic icons (including charisma) depicted in the top wedge of the event wheel. After each card, the player announces the number of icons played in front of them. As soon as the total equals or exceeds the total announced by the previous player, the player must stop. They may not play further cards to increase their total!

Alternatively, the player may decide to not play a card and pass. In this case, the player takes the priority piece with the highest available number and is out of the negotiation.

The negotiation proceeds in this way multiple times around. When it is a player's turn to act again, the player must play at least one more card, even if their total still equals the total announced by the previous player. If the player decides to pass instead, all the cards they played during the negotiation are discarded onto the face-up discard pile.

Be Careful: You may be tempted to play many cards during the negotiation but end up getting little in return. Choose wisely how you use your cards. The mission is long, and your fellow ambassadors will exploit any weakness you show.

The negotiation ends when only one player is left in the negotiation. This player is the negotiation winner — they discard their played cards and take the last available priority piece (showing top priority number, "1"). The negotiation winner becomes the new mission leader and receives the mission leader piece from the retiring mission leader.

Example continued: Cosmo plays a single card with two gift icons and announces, "Two." Starla says, "Pass," and takes the highest priority piece ("3"). It is back to Venus who has one intrigue icon in front of her. She adds one charisma icon and announces, "Two." Cosmo adds an intrigue icon to his two gift icons and announces, "Three." Venus says, "Pass," and takes the highest available priority piece ("2"). She discards her played cards. Cosmo wins the negotiation and takes the remaining priority piece ("1") and the mission leader piece. He discards his played cards.

The negotiation winner has the top priority piece, showing number "1," and now gets first choice of all available outcomes. The player places the priority piece on the outcome they choose and receives the depicted resources. Then, the player with the priority piece showing the number "2" chooses one of the remaining outcomes, and so on. Not all outcomes are good, but each player must choose one. Note: For an explanation of all the outcomes, see the Rewards, Penalties, and Outcomes reference near the end of this rulebook.

Cosmo chose the two alliance tokens as his reward. Then Venus chose the power card. Finally, Starla must choose the last available option, an offense token.

Note: In the "Sinister System," the "Conflict" negotiation event only brings negative outcomes. If a player chooses an outcome to give up cards, a success token, or alliance tokens but is unable to do so, the player receives one offense token for each item they are unable to give up.

At the end of the negotiation event, the new mission leader removes the player count piece and all priority pieces from the event wheel and then advances the Super Ship to the next event.

Risk-Taking During a Negotiation

Each time it is your turn to act in a negotiation, you may decide to start by taking one risk. As depicted in the top wedge of the event wheel, you reveal two cards from the deck of tactic cards and get to add all cards matching the depicted tactic icons (including charisma) to your cards on the table, while discarding those cards showing other icons.

As explained under risk events, it is possible that a risk results in a total success, a partial success, or a total failure. A total success (both cards match the depicted tactic icons, including charisma) bears no penalty, and both revealed cards are added to your cards on the table. A partial success (one card matches) means that you must take the penalty, but you also add the matching revealed card to your cards on the table. A total failure (neither card matches) bears no penalty, but you have greatly confused the aliens and ambassadors present, embarrassed yourself, and brought shame to your home planet. You retreat in a flustered state to the Super Ship — meaning that you must immediately pass and are out of the negotiation event after a total failure.

After a total or partial risk success, if your icon total then equals or exceeds the total announced by the previous player, you must stop and announce your total (you do not play any cards from your hand this turn). If your total remains too low, you must play more cards from your hand, or you may decide to pass.

Example: The group is several turns into the "Treaty" negotiation event. Starla plays another card and announces an icon total of "3." Note: The credit displayed on the first card does not count as a contributing icon (it does not match the tactic icons of the event). Venus only has one icon played so far and decides to take a risk: She reveals one charisma and one non-matching card. She takes one offense token, and the charisma icon brings her icon total to "2," so she plays a double gift icon card to bring her icon total to "4." Cosmo has only two icons played in front of him. He decides to take a risk and reveals two matching doubles (an exceptional political maneuver!), bringing the total to "6." Because he reached/exceeded the icon total during the risk, he may not play any additional cards from his hand this turn. Starla is at "3" and decides to take a risk. She reveals two non-matching cards and must pass out of the negotiation event in embarrassment — she takes the highest available priority marker ("3") and discards her played cards (the two revealed during the risk and the three that she played before).

Power Cards

Some outcomes of the negotiation events bring the power cards into play. If you choose an outcome that gives you a power card, choose any one of the available cards from the line of face-up power cards. This line is not replenished right away, and if later players choose an outcome that gives them a power card, they have a reduced choice. When the event has ended, replenish the line of face-up power cards to five cards by drawing from the deck of power cards.

Power cards come with different functions:

• Instant power cards (green background): Immediately use any instant power cards to take the depicted resources. Then return these power cards to the box – do not discard them onto the face-up discard pile!
• Tactic power cards (cream background): Add all power cards showing tactic icons to your hand. These are used like tactic cards. Once used, return these power cards to the box – do not discard them onto the face-up discard pile!
• One-off ability power cards (orange background): Display all power cards that give you one-off abilities face up in front of you. Once used, return these power cards to the box – do not discard them onto the face-up discard pile!

Bidding Events

Bidding events are very similar to negotiation events. The main difference is that all players act simultaneously:

Bidding events are designated by inward pointing arrows in the middle of the wheel and a red top wedge.

All players secretly select the cards they want to bid from their hands. It is best to hide these cards under the table so that the other players cannot detect how many cards are being bid.

Only cards with icons that match the tactic icons (including charisma) depicted in the top wedge of the event wheel may be bid.

When all players have made their selection, the bids are revealed simultaneously: All players place their selected cards on the table and announce the total number of matching icons they show. The player with the highest total receives the top priority piece ("1") and goes first to choose an outcome. Then, the player with the second-highest total receives the next highest priority piece ("2") to choose an available outcome, and so on.

All the cards the players have bid are discarded onto the discard pile (with power cards being returned to the box).

Tiebreakers - Circled Numbers

You may have noticed that all tactic cards have a unique circled number. These are used to break ties in bidding events. Ties between players who bid the same number of icons are broken in favor of the player with the higher circled number among the cards they bid.

Note: Bidding events are delicate matters, as you are completely in the dark about what the other players will do. Yet, choosing the middle ground and bidding a few icons often gets the worst result.

Nevertheless, all your fellow ambassadors honestly advise you to do so.

Important: All players must bid at least one card in the bidding event. If a player just bids a single card, this card may show only non-matching icons. But a bid with one or more non-matching icons is considered a bid of zero, and the bid card does not return to the player's hand. If several players bid zero, the circled numbers on the cards then still break the tie between them. Players cannot take risks during a bidding event.

The mission leader does not change after a bidding event.

The Arrival

The final civilization board, "Arrival," essentially serves to summarize the mission's results and evaluate the achievements of the individual ambassadors as you arrive at the meeting hall of the galactic senate. Who will come out on top?

After an option event that offers you one last opportunity to mend some offenses, there is a final bidding event. This event allows you to use all your remaining cards: all tactic icons match. Nevertheless, the selection is not straightforward, as more offenses loom in the outcomes and lucrative rewards tempt you to withhold cards for the Last Word event. Look ahead before you make your bid!

The final two option events allow you to change any five alliance tokens or any credit tokens of total value 10 (or higher) into success tokens of value 15. Remember that you can use each option event only once!

Exchanging the values of success tokens in this final stage of the game is allowed.

The Final Reckoning (Game End)

At the end of the game, all players translate their offense tokens into success … or failure.

The "Reckoning" card shows how many success tokens you gain or lose (see the Reckoning table under Setup above).

All the players now add up the values of their success tokens (including alliance tokens that are success tokens). Nothing else counts! The player with the highest total wins the game. This player truly represents the spirit of the EGO mission.

Ties are broken in favor of the player who has more credits remaining. If this does not break the tie, then the tied players become joint winners.

Extension Boards

Extend your galactic journey with the bidding event and credit event extension boards! These boards introduce even more opportunities to put your hard-earned tactic cards and credits to use.

Setup

During setup, extend the journey map with the extension boards for each system that is in play. Lay out the extension boards directly after their corresponding civilization boards.

You may include all of the matching extension boards or leave some in the box, depending on your desired journey length. As always, we recommend you only play with five total civilization boards, including "Solar System" and "Arrival" (plus any desired extension boards).

Note: When including credit events, we recommend you use both the "Treasure System" and "Market System" civilization boards and their extension boards in the journey map.

Credits make the cosmos go round!

Play

The extension boards show various events that have already been described as well as two new types of events.

The "Solar System" extension board now gives each player a power card before the ambassadors leave the Solar System. But what ambassador will get what card?

With even more events along the journey, players will need to pace themselves and manage their hands wisely. Those who pick and choose the right political battles, knowing when to press forward and when to retreat, have the best chance of success.

Transmission Events

Transmission events appear on all extension boards and give each player the opportunity to show off to their planetary governments about how extraordinarily well they are doing (communicated via space transmission). Transmission events are characterized by the transmission symbol. The required card icons are depicted before the symbol, and what the players receive is shown after the symbol.

In all transmission events, the players merely show the required icons but keep the cards in their hands.

Usually, the transmission symbol indicates that charisma icons may not be used for the transmission. Only the hard facts count, one should think!

Transmission events can be played in parallel, as every player who can will usually do the transmission.

Credit Events

Credit events are essentially played like negotiation events, but players negotiate with credits, not with tactic icons.

The mission leader places one of their credit tokens (or credit alliance token or tactic card with a credit symbol) on the table and announces its value — or the mission leader passes.

The credit event continues clockwise. When it is a player's turn to act, they must place one credit symbol after another on the table. After each, the player announces how many credits are in front of them; once they match or exceed the total of the previous player, they must stop. Alternatively, the player may decide not to place any credits and pass.

When it is a player's turn to act again, the player must place at least one more credit on the table, even if their total still equals the total announced by the previous player.

The first player who passes receives the number of offense tokens indicated in the event wheel but keeps all their credits.

When more players pass, they also keep their credits but experience no adverse effect. The winner of the credit event is the only player who must give up all the credits they placed on the table. In return, this player receives the success token depicted in the bottom part of the event wheel.

The credit event winner becomes the new mission leader and receives the mission leader piece from the retiring mission leader.

Risk-Taking During a Credit Event

Each time it is your turn to act in a credit event, you may decide to start by taking one risk. This risk works differently than before:

As depicted in the top wedge of the event wheel, you reveal one alliance token from the bag.

If the alliance token shows a credit value, you receive the token and place it on the table. You also receive an offense token (a total success is still considered shady and thus offensive). If your total then equals or exceeds the total announced by the previous player, you must stop and announce your total. If your total remains too low, you must play more credits, or you may decide to pass. (Even if you pass, you have become a bit richer because you keep all the credits you placed on the table.)

If the alliance token does not show a credit value, you must return the token — you cannot keep it! You do not receive an offense token, but you must pass out of the event. After a failed risk, you may no longer place credits, but you keep all the credits you placed.

Note from the Publisher (Nick Murray)

As much as I loved playing Reiner Knizia's 2005 classic Beowulf: The Legend, I felt that it couldn't possibly be republished … at least not successfully. The fundamental issue with this push-your-luck auction game was that it was simply too polarizing.

Some players strongly disliked the game because the risk events were too swingy: a successful risk came with huge benefits and no downsides, and a failed risk (in the original design) incurred a major penalty and was very punishing. Thus, a common perception and complaint of Beowulf was that the outcome was luck-driven and simply determined by whoever succeeded in the most risks. Ironic, then, that fans of Beowulf point to the risk mechanism as one of their absolute favorite features of the game. They love the drama and suspense that it invites, and they argue that a wise and experienced player knows when to risk and when to not risk.

Furthermore, some folks claim that the game has a "pasted-on" theme because its auctions feel nothing like battling alongside Beowulf. Meanwhile, others praise the experience for how it closely follows the story of Beowulf and chronicles the poem's events — evoking a feeling of being naive apprentices who try to one-up each other in a clumsy effort to impress and succeed the legend himself.

Even further, some people believe that the game is lacking replayability because the sequence of events is the exact same in every play, while others believe the game is ripe with replayability because the player interaction and hand management contribute to drastically different experiences.

Regardless of which viewpoint is right, Beowulf landed itself a middling rating on BoardGameGeek and underwhelming sales at large (indicated by the lack of further support from the publisher with reprintings or expansions). Even though there are many folks who love Beowulf: The Legend, there was sadly not enough support to keep it growing or thriving.

Funny then that, despite knowing all of this from the beginning, I now sit here telling you how we decided to bring this game back to life. To be honest, this entire project started merely because I mentioned to Reiner offhand that I liked Beowulf: The Legend and maybe there was chance that we could somehow publish it, but only if Beowulf saw a dramatic makeover. It seemed like a long shot in the moment, yet one only needs a tiny spark of an idea to get themselves a roaring fire of results from the unstoppable force that is Reiner Knizia.

Now, looking back on it all, this project to me represents an important lesson: Doubts and fears often stand in the way of triumphant successes. Because what started out as a skeptical offhand comment has now become one of my all-time favorite games of the auction genre or push-your-luck genre or space genre … or any genre, for that matter. And I'm confident that EGO will be a hit at many, many tables.

EGO is a drastic reimagining of the strategic, push-your-luck auction game Beowulf: The Legend and the fourth game in the critically acclaimed Crown Jewel Selection by Bitewing Games. Much like the previous titles in the Crown Jewel Selection, Bitewing Games has collaborated with Reiner Knizia to preserve the essence of Beowulf: The Legend while helping it to evolve and reach its full potential. EGO introduces many innovations by:

• Revamping the polarizing risk mechanism while preserving its excitement and drama
• Enabling setup variety with a randomized sequence of interchangeable civilization boards
• Streamlining the end-game push-your-luck currency with which players can score big or suffer immensely
• Introducing exciting new features such as currency cards and transmission events
• Balancing the bidding tiebreaker system with the simple solution of ranked cards
• Speeding up the playtime with a condensed and focused sequence of events
• Increasing the variety of unique power cards that can be drafted as rewards
• Spicing up the risk events with varying sizes and penalties
• Sharpening the end-game hand management decisions with tempting rewards behind a climactic final auction
• Broadening the appeal of the theme and presentation with vivid galactic artwork by Marie Bergeron

EGO is also making its debut alongside the ID (Interstellar Disruptions) Expansion. This expansion adds special alliance tokens and extends the journey map with thrilling ship boards featuring new competitive transmission events.

We hope you enjoy this evolved edition of a wonderfully unique game. Happy space greetings!

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© Dr. Reiner Knizia, 2025. All rights reserved. © Bitewing Games LLC, 2025. All rights reserved.

Reiner Knizia expresses his gratitude to all the playtesters who contributed to taking the first EGO mission into space, in particular Rudi Gebhardt, Dorette Peters, Andreas Stamer, and Stefan Willkofer.

ID (Interstellar Disruptions) Expansion

This expansion can be purchased directly from our shop at www.BitewingGames.com.

Our journey through the galaxy is long and arduous, yet we find ourselves making the most of our downtime (for better or worse). Each ambassador has many private meetings with their planetary government — briefings and progress reports via space transmission. We also have regular joint transmissions with the Council of the Solar System, the interplanetary authority that formed and funded EGO, where the ambassadors seize every opportunity to outshine each other in front of their superiors.

If only those transmissions were the most eventful part of our flights … Cabin fever has resulted in more than one quarrel within, and space pirates threaten our journey without. Our quest for galactic power is not without its costs.

Overview

This expansion features two new modules. The Ships Module adds brief but potent ship events between each civilization visit. As always, we recommend you only play with five civilization boards (plus corresponding extension boards and ship boards, if desired). The Special Alliance Tokens Module increases the variety of alliance benefits.

Components

• 5 Ship Boards (Super Ships and Hostile Ships)
• 8 Alliance Tokens

Ships Module Setup

During setup, add one random ship board after each civilization board (or after its extension board, if the extension board is in play). These ship boards represent events while traveling to the next system. No ship board follows the "Arrival" board, so the remaining ship board will be returned to the box.

There are two types of ship boards: some depict the E.G.O. Super Ship; others depict a hostile alien ship. Make sure that the first ship board following the "Solar System" board shows the Super Ship, not a hostile alien ship. The aliens are further out!

Ships Module Gameplay

After you have finished all the events of a civilization board (possibly extended by its extension board), advance the Super Ship to the ship board. The Super Ship will advance to the next civilization board when the ship board has been played through.

One of the ship boards depicting the Super Ship shows a transmission event. All players who have cards depicting all four icons in their hands (charisma doesn't count) — showing them, then returning them to their hands — receive a value-5 success token.

The other ship boards depict the Super Ship or hostile alien ship and show competitive transmission events. The ambassadors attempt to outshine each other during a joint transmission.

Competitive Transmission Events

Competitive transmission events require all players to simultaneously select the cards they want to show from their hands. Only cards showing the required icon (persuade icons for one event and tech trade icons for the other) may be selected. Note: The transmission symbol indicates that charisma icons may not be used for the transmission.

The selected cards are then revealed, and all players announce the total number of matching icons they show. All players with the highest total receive a value-5 success token. All players with the lowest total receive an offense token. All other players receive one card from the deck of tactic cards.

If some players could not select any cards, all these players count as lowest and receive one offense token. If all players have the same number of matching icons, they all receive one tactic card.

The two ship boards depicting the hostile alien ship also show a competitive transmission event, just with more negative effects. For one hostile alien ship board, charisma icons are required. The ambassadors attempt to out-charm each other when facing the hostile aliens.

All players with the highest total of charisma icons on their selected cards receive a value-1 success token. All players with the fewest charisma icons receive two offense tokens. All other players receive one offense token. If all players have the same number of charisma icons, they all receive one offense token.

The other hostile alien ship board compares the number of alliance tokens each player has (the fronts of these tokens should remain secret). Calling upon other aliens appears most promising against the unprovoked alien attack.

All players with the most alliance tokens receive a value-1 success token. All players with the fewest alliance tokens receive two offense tokens. All other players receive one offense token. If all players have the same number of alliance tokens, they all receive one offense token.

Special Alliance Tokens Module

These eight alliance tokens are an optional addition for any setup of EGO. They are shuffled into the bag of alliance tokens. These tokens can be spent to gain their benefit — return the alliance token to the bag when spent.

• This alliance token can be spent at any time to return one offense token to the supply.
• This alliance token can be spent at any time to draw two cards from the deck of tactic cards.

Quick Reference Guide

Option Events: May discard X to gain Y.

Risk Events: May reveal this many items from the deck/supply. Keep matching types (including charisma). Partial success = take this penalty.

Prepare/Compose Events: Reveal 1×/2× as many tactic cards as there are players. Claim one card at a time in turn order.

Negotiation Events: In clockwise order, either:

• Play one card with matching icons (including charisma) at a time until the current icon total is reached or raised, OR
• Pass. Take the highest available priority piece. Discard any played cards.

At the start of each turn, may take a risk before playing cards. If risk is a total failure, must pass. Last player remaining in the negotiation claims the one priority piece and the mission leader piece. Players then choose an available outcome in priority piece order.

Bidding Events: Players secretly select cards with matching icons (including charisma) and reveal simultaneously. Most matching icons gets priority piece "1", second most gets "2," etc. Ties are broken in favor of the higher circled number among the bid cards. Players then choose an available outcome in priority piece order.

Supply Events: Each player may select any one of the five rewards.

Reckoning Event: Must gain or lose points depending on your total end-of-game offense tokens (see "Reckoning" card).

Transmission Events: Reveal (but do not discard) the exact matching icons from your hand in order to gain the depicted reward.

Credit Events: In clockwise order, either:

• Play one credit token (or credit alliance token, or tactic card with a credit symbol) from your supply at a time until the current total is reached or raised, OR
• Pass. Keep any played tokens/cards. First person to pass takes the penalty.

At the start of each turn, may take a risk before playing tokens/cards. Draw one alliance token from the bag. If the token is a credit token, play it to your bid and take one offense token. If the token is not a credit token, return it to the bag and pass. Last player remaining in the credit event discards all of their played credits and claims the reward.

Competitive Transmission Events: All players reveal (but do not discard) the exact matching icons from their hands or the number of alliance tokens in their supplies. The player(s) with the most earn the reward. The player(s) with the least take the penalty. All other players take the middle reward/penalty. If all players tie, all take the middle reward/penalty.

Cards Icons and Symbols

• Gifts, Persuasion, Intrigue, Tech Trade — the four tactic icons.
• Charisma — Wild joker; can stand for any of the four other icons in any event (unless indicated otherwise by the no-charisma symbol).
• 1-Value Credit — This card can be used as a credit instead of its depicted icon.
• Circled Number — Highest number played wins ties in a bidding event.

Option Event Requirements

• Discard the depicted number of credit/success tokens (irrespective of their value).
• Discard at least this value of any number of credit/success tokens.

Power Cards (Discard to the Box After Use)

• Cream background: Add this card to your hand; use like a tactic card.
• Green background: Immediately collect the depicted rewards.
• Orange background: Display this card face-up in front of you; use at any time.

Rewards, Penalties, and Outcomes

• Claim the depicted value of success token (1/3/5/10).
• Claim the depicted value of credit token (1/2/3).
• Claim a power card from the face-up display (do not refill display until end of event).
• Draw an alliance token from the bag.
• Draw a tactics card from the deck.
• Take an offense token.
• Discard an offense token.
• Discard a credit/alliance token.
• Discard a success token (or success alliance token); if you are unable, then take one offense token.
• Discard two tactic cards from your hand. If you are unable to discard one or two cards, then take one or two offense tokens, respectively.
• Discard two alliance tokens. If you are unable to discard one or two alliance tokens, then take one or two offense tokens, respectively.