Space Race: The Card Game – Interkosmos
Space Race: The Card Game – Interkosmos Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 12 Control Cards: one set of 12 Control Cards for the 5th player (China). Each of the four types (Propaganda, Technology, Space Program and Breakthrough) has one level 1, one level 3 and one level 6 Control Card.
- 64 Space Race Cards, added to the base game deck:
- Propaganda (Yellow), 18 cards
- Technology (Green), 16 cards
- Space Program (Violet), 20 cards
- Breakthrough (Red), 10 cards
- 16 Achievement Cards
- Book of Scenarios
- Hall of Fame Sheet
Cards from this expansion are marked with the IK (Interkosmos expansion) symbol.
China Joins Space Race: this expansion allows a 5-player game with the 12 Chinese Control Cards. See the updated Game Summary section for instructions on how to set up a 5-player game.
The Interkosmos expansion contains a reprint of an updated Planet Nine Confirmed card.
Card Text Examples
The Components page calls out these card texts beside pictured cards. The cards themselves are not named in the printed callouts, so they are listed without attribution:
- "You may exchange one of your previously played Control Cards with an unplayed one."
- "You may exchange this card with any card in [icon]."
- "You may use one ability on your current Control Card twice in one round. If you do, put this card in [icon]."
- "You may look at these cards."
- "This card has from 0 to 2 [icon] symbols; one symbol for each Control Card you have used after the first."
- "You don't score points for ties in [icon] and [icon] categories."
New Mechanics & Abilities
Interkosmos brings two major types of new mechanics & abilities to enhance the gameplay of the base game:
- Building costs represent additional expenses needed to fully exploit the potential of new Technologies.
- Control Cards Related Abilities add a new approach to Control Cards management, allowing players to profit from playing specific Control Cards.
Building Cost
Building Cost is an ability with a black background. It represents expenses that should be paid when the card is placed in your agency or during Bureaucracy (as an upkeep cost).
Cards paid as a result of this ability are placed at the bottom of the Deck. You don't have to show these cards to other players.
Failing to pay the Building Cost leads to negative consequences.
Example (Falcon 9): the card's Building Cost is printed with icons, followed by the text "or cover this card." The icons are not reproduced in this text; a warning symbol marks the consequence of not paying.
Control Cards Related Abilities
Plenty of new cards reference the Control Cards' level or type.
Control Card Level is 3 — Some Bureaucracy abilities activate only during rounds in which the player's Control Card level is 3.
Example: an ability with the text "if the level of your current Control Card is 3."
X Abilities
X Abilities reflect the level of a player's current Control Card.
Example card text: "X is half the level of your current Control Card rounded up." (The red category marker that precedes "level" in the printed text is an icon and is not reproduced here.)
Applied Research Breakthroughs
Applied Research Breakthroughs can have up to two Breakthrough symbols of one category, depending on the Control Cards a player has used during the game (see the example below).
Scoring Applied Research Breakthroughs — Example. A player's acquired Breakthroughs are Entering Space and Orbit Within Reach. A player's used Control Cards are 6 Propaganda, 6 Breakthrough, 3 Breakthrough and 1 Technology.
- Entering Space (Breakthrough) reads: "This card has from 0 to 2 [category] symbols; one symbol for each Control Card you have used after the first."
- Orbit Within Reach (Breakthrough) reads: "This card has from 0 to 2 [category] symbols; one symbol for each Control Card you have already used after the first."
It's the end of the 4th round. If the game ended now, the player would get one [category] symbol (the two used Breakthrough Control Cards produce one symbol on Entering Space). The player, however, would have no symbols on Orbit Within Reach because they have used just one Technology Control Card. The player should play at least one more Technology Control Card in upcoming rounds or Orbit Within Reach will be worthless.
Achievements
Achievements represent milestones in the space exploration development that players can race towards. They add a new way to earn Development Points.
There are 3 types of Achievements, each reflecting a different aspect of a player's Agency (see the picture below).
The first one to grab them will appear on the front pages of newspapers and get most points. But be careful — you have to claim Achievements with your Control Cards, which you could miss badly in later rounds.
Setup
Shuffle the Achievements according to their types and place them next to the universe face up:
- 2 Agency Level Achievements (with the picture of an American media house) on the left (western) side.
- 1 Miscellaneous Achievement (with the Berlin Wall) in the middle.
- 2 Agency Development Achievements (with the picture of a Soviet media house) on the right (eastern) side.
Set the remaining Achievements aside. They won't be needed in this game.
Types of Achievements
- Agency Level (American Media)
- Miscellaneous (The Berlin Wall — European Media)
- Agency Development (Soviet Media)
Gameplay
During the game, players race to claim the achievements before their opponents.
In order to claim an Achievement, a player's Agency has to meet (or exceed) the criteria on the Achievement card.
Note: Unless stated otherwise, Control Cards' levels and abilities don't count towards the Achievement criteria!
Achievement Criteria
- Agency Level — Your Agency level in a particular Stage must be at least as high as the Achievement shows.
- Miscellaneous — You have to meet the condition on the Achievement.
- Agency Development — Your Agency must have at least as many cards of the specified type as the Achievement shows.
Agency Level Achievement — Your Agency must have Propaganda Stage level 4 or higher (Control Cards don't count).
Miscellaneous Achievement — During one round, you must activate at least 2 abilities of the same Stage ("row"). (Abilities on Control Cards don't count.)
Agency Development Achievement — You must have 3 or more Space Program cards in your Agency (Control Cards don't count).
The exact criteria of each individual Achievement card are printed on that card. Where the rulebook shows a criterion only as an icon, the icon is not reproduced in this text.
Claiming an Achievement
If you meet the criteria of an Achievement, you may claim the Achievement when it's your turn to play.
- To claim an Achievement, place one of your unused Control Cards face down below the Achievement.
- Control Cards used for claiming Achievements stay in place for the rest of the game to track the order in which players claimed them. This is important for Scoring.
- Claiming an Achievement counts as a regular action (such as using an ability). After claiming an Achievement, you have to wait until it's your turn again to use other abilities or to claim another Achievement.
- It's possible to claim Achievements in the Bureaucracy Stage.
Scoring Achievements
Players receive Development Points for each claimed Achievement based on the order in which they have claimed them:
| Points for an Achievement | Development Points |
|---|---|
| 1st player who claimed it | 4 |
| 2nd player | 2 |
| 3rd player | 1 |
| Other players | 0 |
Example: China scores 4 Development Points for being the first who claimed this Achievement. NASA scores 2 Development Points for claiming the Achievement second. Russia scores 1 Development Point for claiming the Achievement third. Europe claimed the Achievement too late (fourth) and scores no points for it. The Achievement does, however, count as a tiebreaker for them. Private Sector didn't claim the Achievement at all. They don't receive Development Points and they cannot count this Achievement in case of a tiebreaker.
Achievements as Tiebreakers
In case of a tie at the end of the game, use the following rule instead of the one from the base game:
- The player who claimed more Achievements (regardless of the order they claimed them) wins.
- If there's still a tie, use standard tiebreaker rules. (Space Race: The Card Game Rulebook, page 17.)
JFK (The Solo Variant)
All mechanics and abilities from Interkosmos expand the solo variant as well. See below how to play with the new cards to enjoy Interkosmos games against the Eastern Bloc.
Cards Clarifications
Cyberespionage
For the purpose of Cyberespionage, treat all the opponent's acquired cards as if they were in his Hand.
Arecibo Message (Breakthrough)
You may take 1 card from any opponent's Hand (you may look at the opponent's cards). Then put this card in the Laboratory.
Interkosmos
If your opponent has one or more Propaganda Control Cards in play, count a +1 total bonus for the X value of the ability on Interkosmos.
The card's ability reads: "X or X. X is the number of players whose current Control Card is [icon]. You don't score points for ties in [icon] and [icon] categories."
Pure Research Breakthrough Cards
For you, the Pure Research Breakthroughs have two different Breakthrough symbols, but also a drawback. However, if your opponent acquires any of these Breakthrough cards, they get the symbols without the drawback.
Applied Research Breakthrough Cards
If your opponent acquires any of these Breakthrough cards, treat it as if it had one corresponding Breakthrough symbol.
Achievements
Achievement mechanics in the solo variant are similar to those in the standard game. How your opponent claims Achievements and how they are scored is explained below.
Setup
Chinese Control Cards represent the opponent's ability to claim Achievements.
- Place 7 Chinese Control Cards in a line face down near the Universe, each of them representing one round of the game. The opponent will use these cards to claim Achievements (see the example on the next page).
- Take five random Achievements (2 Agency Level, 2 Agency Development, and 1 Miscellaneous Achievements) and set the rest aside.
- Shuffle the five Achievements and place each of them next to one Chinese Control Card, starting with the last Control Card and continuing to the 3rd. The first two Control Cards will not have any Achievement near them, which means your opponent will not claim any Achievement in the first two rounds of the game.
Claiming and Locking the Achievements
You claim the Achievements in the same way as in the standard game. The only exception is that you can't claim an Achievement that your opponent claimed first.
How Your Opponent Claims Achievements
Your opponent tries to claim one Achievement at the end of each round (after Phase 3.4: Eastern Bloc Pushes Forward):
- In the first two rounds, your opponent just removes the corresponding Chinese Control Card from the line and doesn't claim any Achievements.
- Starting with the 3rd round, your opponent tries to claim the Achievement next to the Chinese Control Card that corresponds to the current round.
- If you haven't claimed the Achievement yet, your opponent places the Chinese Control Card over the Achievement. This Achievement is now locked and you may no longer claim it.
- If you have already claimed that Achievement, your opponent just removes the Chinese Control Card.
The opponent's Achievement criteria by round:
| Round | Opponent's Achievement criterion |
|---|---|
| 1st and 2nd | None (Chinese Control Card is removed) |
| 3rd | Have 6 or more cards in the Laboratory (microscope icon) |
| 4th | Have Propaganda Stage level 4 or higher |
| 5th | Have 3 or more [icon] cards in [icon] |
| 6th | Have at least 1 [icon], [icon], [icon], and [icon] card in [icon] |
| 7th | Have Breakthrough Stage level 4 or higher |
The criteria for the 5th and 6th rounds are shown as icons on the Achievement cards and are not reproduced in full here.
Scoring
At the end of the game, you score points for the Achievements you claimed according to the table below. Your opponent doesn't score any points for Achievements.
| Claimed Achievements | Development Points |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 6 |
| 4 | 10 |
| 5 | 15 |
Game Summary
Game Setup
- Set up a Scenario (optional) — If you play any of the scenarios, follow the rule changes explained in the Book of Scenarios. Anytime there's a conflict between the rulebook and the Book of Scenarios, the scenario specific rules take precedence.
- Prepare the Deck of Space Race cards.
- Create the Universe — Put a number of face-up and face-down cards from the Deck into the Universe according to the table below.
| Players | Face-up | Face-down |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 5 | 7 | 3 |
- Give the Initiative Marker to the player who went stargazing most recently (or choose who will play first).
- Give each player 1 set of Control Cards.
- Deal Space Race Cards to players from the Deck according to the table:
| Deal | Cards |
|---|---|
| 1st player | 3 cards |
| 2nd player | 4 cards |
| Other players | 5 cards |
- Achievements — Shuffle Achievement cards and randomly place a number of them face up near the Universe according to the table below. Then set the rest aside.
| Achievements type | How many to place on the table |
|---|---|
| Agency Level | 2 |
| Agency Development | 2 |
| Miscellaneous | 1 |
Gameplay
The game takes place over 7 rounds. Each round is divided into three Phases:
Phase 1: Manage the Agency
- Choose a Control Card and put it face down in the Agency.
- Turn the chosen Control Cards and the face-down cards in the Universe face up.
Phase 2: Develop the Agency
- Propaganda Stage — Players with Propaganda Control Card may use their abilities and claim Achievements.
- Technology Stage — Players with Technology Control Card may use their abilities and claim Achievements.
- Space Program Stage — Players with Space Program Control Card may use their abilities and claim Achievements.
- Breakthrough Stage — Players with Breakthrough Control Card may use their abilities and claim Achievements.
- Bureaucracy — All players resolve [Bureaucracy abilities] and may claim Achievements.
- Players without cards in their Hands draw 1 card.
- Is it the end of the 7th round? If yes, move on to Scoring.
Phase 3: Prepare for the Next Decade
- Place Space Race Cards face down into the Universe.
- Add cards from the Deck face down into the Universe, if necessary.
- Shuffle the face-down cards in the Universe and reveal a number of them according to the table below:
| Players | Reveal |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 card |
| 3 or 4 | 2 cards |
| 5 | 3 cards |
- Move the Initiative Marker clockwise.
Scoring
The player with the most Development Points wins. These are awarded for:
- Total Space Agency Level — Sum of all the levels (coloured numbers) on cards in the Agency except for Control Cards.
- Laboratory Power — 1 Development Point for each card in the Laboratory.
- Breakthrough Categories — 6 Development Points for every Breakthrough category (the four category symbols) in which the Agency has the most symbols (or is tied for the lead).
- Claimed Achievements — Players score Development Points for each Achievement based on the order in which they have claimed them.
| Points for an Achievement | Development Points |
|---|---|
| 1st player who claimed it | 4 |
| 2nd player | 2 |
| 3rd player | 1 |
| Other players | 0 |
Book of Scenarios
The Book of Scenarios is a separate companion booklet for this expansion. Its scenarios are transcribed below as the expansion's own rules; where a scenario conflicts with the rulebook, the scenario's rules take precedence.
The six scenarios are: The Dawn of an Era (1-5 players), Reusable Rockets (1-5 players), Cold War Scare (2-5 players), International Cooperation (2-5 players), History Comes Alive (1-5 players) and One Planet Is Not Enough (2-5 players).
Scenarios Overview
Each scenario has the following sections:
- Name & Player Count — Name of the scenario and the number of players it supports.
- Flavour — Scenario's background story. See why the mechanics are changed and how it reflects the history (or present day) of the space exploration.
- Mechanics Overview — A brief description of the differences in gameplay compared to the standard game.
- Thematic Setup (optional) — A list of cards recommended to set up the scenario with. This will maximise the thematic experience of the gameplay.
- Each card on the Thematic Setup Card List has a zone associated with it. If the zone is the Universe, place that card face up in the Universe as a part of the setup. If the zone is a faction name, place that card in the Hand of a player who plays for that faction.
- When using the thematic setup, you may find it more comfortable to prepare the cards before the game session in order to save time.
- Using the thematic setup is not mandatory, and all scenarios (except for History Comes Alive) work perfectly even with randomly selected cards.
- Game Setup — A guide for setting up the scenario.
- Special Rules — A detailed description of all changes to the standard game.
- All the standard rules that are not mentioned in this section remain unchanged and still apply!
- If there's a conflict between the standard rules and the scenario rules, follow the scenario rules.
- Scoring — Some scenarios are scored differently.
Thematic setup zones are shown in the booklet as a faction name, or as a star symbol for the Universe. The star is read here as the Universe, as the Thematic Setup rules direct.
The Dawn of an Era
1-5 players
Scenario Mechanics Overview
The gameplay of this scenario replicates the early cold war focus on essential technological advancements as foundations for successful extraterrestrial breakthroughs that will establish the leading agency and country as superior.
The Dawn of an Era promotes direct competition during the first three rounds as players do not have access to Breakthrough Control Cards until the fourth round. After that, Breakthrough possibilities start accumulating and it will be the task for the best prepared agency to reach for them.
Thematic Setup
| Card | Zone |
|---|---|
| Sergei Korolev | Universe |
| Wernher von Braun | Universe |
| Leaving Earth | Soviets |
| Small Step for Man | NASA |
Game Setup
- Form the Breakthrough Pile — Find all 24 Breakthrough cards, shuffle them, and place them next to the Deck.
- Prepare the Deck — Shuffle all remaining cards and place them face down on the table.
- Finish setting up the scenario by following the standard game setup.
Special Rules
Let's Make a Rocket! — During the first three rounds, players may only use Propaganda, Technology, and Space Program Control Cards.
Future Echoes — Whenever players use an ability that allows them to take cards from the Deck into their Hand, one of the cards they take can be from the Breakthrough Pile.
Welcome to the World of Tomorrow! — From the 3rd round on, before players place cards face down into the Universe (Phase 3.1: Clever Investments), take the top card from the Breakthrough Pile and put it face down into the Universe (2 cards in 4- or 5-player game). Treat this card as if it was placed in the Universe by players (for the purpose of Phase 3.2: Unexplored Universe).
Scoring
Breakthrough categories are scored as usual. However, every Breakthrough card present in a player's agency is worth 3 additional Development Points.
Solo Variant
After you choose the difficulty level for the game, remove all Breakthrough Control Cards from the opponent's Control Card decks. At the beginning of the 4th round, shuffle the Breakthrough Control Cards back into the respective decks.
Reusable Rockets
1-5 players
Scenario Mechanics Overview
The scenario's overview is written as a letter from a private launch company, reproduced here in full:
BREAKING NEWS! Reusable rocket systems open up unforeseen possibilities. Space agencies are now capable of executing more launches than ever before!
From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: [SPAM] Scenario Mechanics Overview
Dear director,
Reusable Rockets change the way the game is played by allowing you to uncover a card every time you claim an achievement. Such improved launch capabilities require more workforce for executing your space programs and maintaining your technologies.
We understand that this task is hard to manage without extra manpower, something we are more than willing to help with. Our highly qualified staff is experienced and capable, allowing you to fully exploit the new rules of the space conquest. We are able to help you activate your abilities even outside the reach of your Control Card only for the modest price of 3 cards from your Hand.
Best regards, Private Launch Company, Ltd.
Thematic Setup
| Card | Zone |
|---|---|
| Ariane Rocket | ESA |
| Falcon 9 | Private |
| Space Shuttle | NASA |
| Long March | China |
| Soyuz Rocket | Russia |
| Launch Contract | Universe |
| Escaping Earth | Universe |
Game Setup
Set up the scenario by following the standard game setup.
Special Rules
Private Companies Conquer the Sky
- All players are active in every Stage (even if they didn't play a corresponding Control Card).
- When determining the player order in a Stage, compare all players' levels in that Stage. As in a standard game, the player with the highest level takes turn first.
- Players with the corresponding Control Card play as usual.
- Players who don't have the corresponding Control Card can do one of the following:
- Observe the Markets — The player passes & skips the current Stage. This happens by default in the standard game if a player's current Control Card is different than the currently played Stage.
- Invest in a Startup — A player may pay 3 cards from their Hand (put them to the bottom of the Deck) to resolve 1 ability in the current Stage or claim one Achievement (if they meet the conditions).
- Note – Investing in a startup allows you to use only one ability, not all you have in that Stage. Therefore, players have to pay separately for every action they want to do until they decide to pass or run out of cards.
Claiming Achievements
- Whenever a player claims an Achievement, they may uncover 1 card in their Agency.
- Achievements are not scored at the end of the game.
- Every Achievement can be claimed by a limited number of players:
| How many players can claim each Achievement? | Players |
|---|---|
| 2-player game | 1 player |
| 3- or 4-player game | 2 players |
| 5-player game | 3 players |
Scoring
Scoring remains the same as in the standard game except for the Achievements, which are not scored at all.
Solo Variant
Prepare the Universe and the Private Sector Hand (the player's Hand) following the Thematic Setup. Then play the game using the Special Rules. The opponent follows standard solo game rules (and also scores the Achievements they claim).
Cold War Scare
2-5 players
Scenario Mechanics Overview
Cold War Scare rewards directors who can hide their intentions the best. Telegraphing the plans and boasting about your discoveries is not beneficial. Therefore, the agency with the lowest level in a Stage gets to play first (it's the opposite in the standard game). However, the final scoring remains the same!
Thematic Setup
| Card | Zone |
|---|---|
| Covert Ops | Private |
| Cyberespionage | China |
| Espionage | Soviets |
| International Project | ESA |
| Moon Speech | NASA |
| Secret Project | Universe |
| UFO Investigation | Universe |
Game Setup
Set up the scenario by following the standard game setup.
Special Rules
Classified Initiative — The order of players in every Stage (Phase 2: Develop the Agency — How To Resolve Stages) is resolved as in the standard game with the following change: the Agency with the lowest level takes turn in a Stage first, then the Agency with the second lowest level, and so on.
If it is a tie, the turn goes to the player with the Initiative Marker (or the player closest to him in a clockwise order).
Scoring
Scoring remains the same as in the standard game.
International Cooperation
2-5 players
Epigraph: "The next NASA rover to Mars will launch in 2020. It will be built in the United States, and it will measure wind with a tool from Spain, study rock chemistry with an instrument partially built by the French, and examine the subsurface with a sounder from Finland." —Ellen Stofan, Slate
Scenario Mechanics Overview
In International Cooperation, all players start only with level 3 Control Cards. When they finish their turn, they can take one additional Control Card from a shared pool, which is refreshed at the end of every round. Having such limited options adds an extra layer of required planning. Will you play one of the early stages so that you have more choices in the next round? If you are careful, you can execute extremely powerful combos. If not, you may be left with no viable choices for the rounds to come.
Thematic Setup
| Card | Zone |
|---|---|
| Ariane Rocket | Player 3 |
| Mir | Universe |
| Chang'e Program | Player 5 |
| Interkosmos | Universe |
| Launch Contract | Player 4 |
| Skylab | Player 1 |
| Vega Program | Player 2 |
Game Setup
- Deal every player a set of level 3 Control Cards:
- Sort all level 3 Control Cards according to their type (Propaganda, Technology, Space Programs, and Breakthrough).
- Shuffle each of the piles and deal one card from each pile to all the players. Everyone should end up having one level 3 Control Card of each type (with random backs).
- Set the rest of the level 3 Control Cards aside. They won't be needed in this game.
- Prepare the Control Card Pile — Shuffle all remaining Control Cards (level 1 and 6) and place them next to the deck face down.
- Open the Control Card Market Pool — Place two more cards than the number of players from the Control Cards Pile face up next to the Universe.
Whenever a player picks a card from the Control Card Market Pool, that player takes all the cards below the chosen Control Card into their Hand.
- Finish setting up the game by following the standard setup except for the achievements, which are not used in this scenario.
Replenishing Stocks — After the end of Bureaucracy:
- Add 1 card from the Deck face down below each of the Control Cards left in the Control Card Market Pool.
- Place new cards from the Control Card Pile into the Control Card Market Pool face up until there are two more cards than the number of players.
Special Rules
Control Card Market Pool — Whenever a player passes (finishes playing) the Stage of their current Control Card (Propaganda, Technology, Space Programs, or Breakthrough), that player takes one of the cards from the Control Card Market Pool and may use it in the future rounds. Once a player picks a card from the Control Card Market Pool, they may no longer activate any abilities in that stage during this round.
Example (4-player game at the beginning of a round): the booklet illustrates the Market Pool with cards newly added to it and cards left in it since the last round, and notes that Cards from the Deck are added below the Control Cards that nobody has taken. The example also calls out: "You may exchange one of your previously played Control Cards with an unplayed one." The card values in the illustration are not reproduced here.
Scoring
Scoring remains the same as in the standard game except for the achievements, which are not used in this scenario.
History Comes Alive
1-5 players
Flavour: "BRNO — The International Geophysical Year is approaching, and the space conquest starts in full throttle. The race that will span the following decades and change the world has just started. The whole world can but look forward to the discoveries that will mark the high point of technological advancement of the 20th century. Your role, however, is quite different. You are not a spectator; you're holding the steering wheel. Change the history, set new paradigms, start a new era, win the space race!"
Mechanics Overview
In this scenario, you will hear the historical undertones that resonate through Space Race. During the game, you will use three separate decks sorted according to the date of the discovery, thus, going through the milestones in order that replicates the events as they occurred in history.
In the beginning, the gameplay will lean heavily on the power of historical figures and crucial technologies necessary to launch early space programs. Then in 1965, players will need to utilise their early advancements to push for first discoveries and become established agency directors. By 1990s, players will encounter the most important breakthrough opportunities but also the constant pressure of a possible financial crisis that may hit the market and reduce funding for space exploration.
Thematic Setup
| Card | Zone |
|---|---|
| Covert Ops | Private |
| Cyberespionage | ESA |
| Baikonur | Universe |
| Cape Canaveral | Universe |
| Apollo Program | NASA |
| Vostok Program | Soviets |
Game Setup
- Prepare the Deck & the Universe:
- Sort all Space Race cards according to the tables below to form 3 decks (Deck 1, Deck 2, and Deck 3), using only a single copy of all the cards. When playing a 5-player game, include also all duplicates of Propaganda Actions, Technologies, and Space Programs. Shuffle each of the decks.
- Place Deck 1 on the table (this will be the main Deck for the start of the game).
- Place Deck 2 and Deck 3 aside. They will be needed later in the game.
- Finish setting up the scenario by following the standard game setup.
Card lists for the decks
Propaganda
| Deck 1 | Deck 2 | Deck 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Shepard | Cultural Revolution | Elon Musk |
| Alexei Leonov | Cyberespionage | Jeff Bezos |
| Buzz Aldrin | European Commission | Research Grant |
| Carl Sagan | International Project | Richard Branson |
| Cold War Spirit | Project 863 | Space Tourism |
| Covert Ops | Sabotage | Science Popularisation |
| Espionage | Stephen Hawking | Yang Liwei |
| Moon Speech | Taikonauts |
Technology
| Deck 1 | Deck 2 | Deck 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Area 51 | Ariane Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Arecibo Observatory | Canadarm | The Eye of Heaven |
| Baikonur | Guiana Space Centre | |
| Cape Canaveral | ISS | |
| Goddard Space Flight Center | Long March | |
| Jet Propulsion Lab | Mir | |
| Johnson Space Center | Saturn V | |
| OKB-1 | Soyuz Rocket | |
| OKB-301 |
Space Program
| Deck 1 | Deck 2 | Deck 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Apollo Program | Interkosmos | Cassini-Huygens |
| Project Gemini | Launch Contract | Chang'e Program |
| Project Mercury | Lunokhod | Heavenly Palace |
| Sputnik 1 | Project Magion | Hubble Telescope |
| Sputnik 2 | Project SETI | LHC |
| UFO Investigation | Skylab | Mars Exploration |
| Voskhod 1 | Vega Program | Rosetta Mission |
| Vostok Program | Viking 1 |
Breakthrough
| Deck 1 | Deck 2 | Deck 3 |
|---|---|---|
| First Man in Space | Arecibo Message | Ancient Aliens |
| Laika | First Moon Rover | Earth-Like Exoplanet |
| Leaving Earth | First Venus Landing | Enceladus Geysers |
| Orbit within Reach | Interstellar Probe | Escaping Earth |
| Martian Meteorite | First Comet Landing | |
| Small Step for Man | First Mars Rover | |
| Space Rendezvous | Lakes on Titan | |
| Wow! Signal | Martian Colony |
The Breakthrough list as printed names 23 cards and does not include Entering Space, although the Dawn of an Era scenario refers to 24 Breakthrough cards. The booklet does not explain the difference, so the lists are transcribed as printed.
Special Rules
At the end of Phase 3: Prepare for the Next Decade, replace the Decks according to the table below:
| End of round | Replace |
|---|---|
| 1 | Deck 1 with Deck 2 |
| 4 | Deck 2 with Deck 3 |
Fast Development — In case Deck 1 or Deck 2 runs out of cards, start using the next deck immediately (Deck 2 or Deck 3, respectively).
Financial Crisis — If Deck 3 runs out of cards, funding for space exploration has been cut as a result of financial crisis hitting the market, and the following rule applies: Whenever a player should draw a card but cannot, that player instead scores 1 Development Point per card not drawn.
If Deck 3 runs out, you also do not add cards face down into the Universe during Phase 3.2: Unexplored Universe.
Scoring
Scoring remains the same as in the standard game.
Solo Variant
This scenario can be played solo by following the special rules.
One Planet Is Not Enough
2-5 players
Epigraph: "I would like to die on Mars, just not on impact." —Elon Musk
Scenario Mechanics Overview
Today, we stand on a verge of a great human achievement. And it's about the right time: only two minutes to midnight according to the Doomsday Clock. We cannot rely on Earth any more to suffice as the only and permanent home for the humanity. Dwindling reserves of natural resources are not enough to sustain the ever-growing population. The answer lies in Moon mining and Mars colonisation, and the agency to establish these first will have the power to influence the direction of humanity for hundreds of years to come.
When One Planet Is Not Enough, it's all about sprinting to the most important Achievements as fast as humanly possible. All the Achievements are part of this scenario, and whoever claims 5 of them first wins not only Space Race, but also a mansion on the newly colonised Mars.
Sounds easy? Not entirely, Mr. Director — unlike in the standard game, every Achievement can be claimed by just one Agency. And what's more, they have to be claimed in a specific order! It is crucial to pay constant attention to what your opponents are up to because even one mistake, one tiny slip, can cost you the game.
Thematic Setup
| Card | Zone |
|---|---|
| Carl Sagan | NASA |
| Elon Musk | Universe |
| International Project | Russia |
| Research Grant | Universe |
| Chang'e Program | China |
| Mars Exploration | Private |
| Rosetta Mission | ESA |
Game Setup
- Prepare the Moon and Mars Tracks — Shuffle all Achievement cards together and create two rows of 8 random face-down Achievements near the Universe. Then turn the first two cards (from the left) in each Track face up. This is the Moon Mining Track and the Mars Settlement Track (see the picture below).
- Finish setting up the scenario by following the standard game setup.
Achievement Tracks — Example. The booklet's picture of the two tracks has this legend:
- Already claimed Achievements (Other players can't claim these).
- Active Achievements that can be claimed.
- Face-up but not active Achievements (these can't be claimed yet).
- Achievements that have not been revealed yet. They will be revealed when players claim more Achievements.
Special Rules
Claiming Achievements
- Only the active Achievements can be claimed. These are the leftmost unclaimed Achievements on both tracks.
- Exclusive Endeavour — Every Achievement can be claimed by only one player. Players place a Control Card face down over the whole Achievement card to claim it.
- Shareholders' Expectations — If a player can claim an Achievement, they have to do so as soon as possible when it's their turn.
- Threats & Opportunities — The two leftmost unclaimed Achievements on every track are always face up. Whenever an Achievement is claimed, turn the next Achievement card on the same track face up.
- The game ends when any player claims their 5th Achievement.
End Game & Scoring
Colonisation Victory! — The game ends immediately when any player claims their 5th Achievement. This is a sweeping victory for that player! Their extraterrestrial settlements are up and running, celebrating the first non-earthling newborns!
Space-Tycoon Victory — The game ends immediately after all Achievements are claimed (but neither player has claimed 5 of them), or after 7 rounds have been played. In this case, players reveal all Control Cards they used to claim Achievements with and count their level values (and nothing else):
- The player with the highest total invested well in the space rush and becomes the winner!
- If there's a tie, the player who claimed more Achievements wins.
- If there's still a tie, the tied players share the victory. Congratulations to all space tycoons!