Unsettled
120 questions players ask about Unsettled. Pick one for the answer. See also the full rulebook.
Updated 2026-11-06.
Setup, Players and Game Format
- Can I play Unsettled solo?
- Does Unsettled get easier or harder at two players?
- Can I play with just the framework box and no planet box?
- How long does a game of Unsettled take?
- What is the turn order, and are there fixed rounds?
- Can I use Scientific Specializations and Scientific Fascinations together?
- Do survival tasks carry anything over from one to the next?
- Is there errata for Unsettled I should use?
Taking a Turn and Focus
- Can I place focus cubes one at a time and move, use LUNA or take free actions between them?
- Must I place all three focus cubes every turn, even if nothing useful is left?
- When does using a focus cube cost time?
- What happens if a focus cube would go above 3?
- Can effects change a focus cube that is already placed on an action space?
- Do free actions need a focus cube, and can I repeat one?
- Can I use breakthroughs and other free actions on another player's turn?
- Can I place a cube on an action space if I can't perform all its effects?
- What happens if an effect tells me to lose a resource I don't have?
Movement and Exploration
- Does an effect that 'places' my explorer trigger node-edge symbols?
- Does a free Traverse still resolve node-edge symbols and movement penalties?
- In what order do node-edge symbols and 'when entering' effects resolve?
- Do I lose unspent movement if I place a focus cube or reveal a node?
- Can I move off the edge of the revealed map to explore?
- Do 'adjacent' and 'within 1 node' include diagonal nodes?
- Can I move twice in a turn, and can Traverse carry someone?
- Does an explorer carried by Traverse also ride along when a breakthrough moves me with LUNA?
- Do swapping places with LUNA or riding along trigger node-edge effects?
LUNA and Resources
- Does Analyze Data collect from LUNA's node or my node?
- When LUNA scans, who gets the materials and who gets the data?
- Where does the bonus resource from a matching focus type come from on Analyze, Unearth and Charge?
- How often can LUNA scan, and can I clear a node to scan again?
- Do I have to be on LUNA's node to move her or use her primary function?
- If an action needs LUNA to be present, must I be there too?
- Can I discard materials or data I don't want?
- Does LUNA trigger node-edge symbols, spore clouds or 'when entering' effects?
Distress, Trust, Time and Endurance
- How can group trust go up?
- What happens if trust would rise or fall when it is already at that level?
- Does gaining distress always lower group trust?
- Can I move a distress card to a different action space?
- What happens if I must gain distress but can't?
- Can Support target an explorer with no distress, or myself?
- What happens when the time marker passes the end of the timeline?
- How many time symbols does one 'ignore time' icon cancel?
- Does an unconscious explorer take turns, and can the crew still use their stuff?
Insight, Comprehension and Breakthroughs
- What happens if I gain insight when the track is full?
- What if I must lose insight at the bottom of the track?
- How many comprehension tokens and breakthroughs can I have?
- Does 'you', 'local' or 'adjacent' on a breakthrough refer to its owner or to the target?
- Does 'an explorer' on a card include me, and does 'another explorer' exclude me?
- Does 'each explorer gains X' give everyone the full amount, or is it split?
- Can breakthroughs be given or traded between explorers?
- How often can a 'once per turn' breakthrough be used?
- Can a non-local player use my breakthrough by paying its cost?
Opportunities and Investigating
- Can another explorer complete an opportunity I revealed, even after my turn?
- Which opportunity card belongs to which moment marker?
- If an opportunity points to a discovery elsewhere, where do the tokens go?
- How many opportunities can be active, and can I forfeit one?
- When do an opportunity's effects and discovery take effect?
- Does Investigate place an Investigated token if I don't draw an opportunity?
- Who becomes engaged when an engaging opportunity is revealed on a node with several explorers?
- Can I investigate the Scarab tile?
Discoveries, Anomalies and Structures
- Are a discovery and its anomaly always traded, given up and discarded together?
- What exactly happens when I gain a discovery?
- Is there a limit on anomalies, duplicates or how many cards a planet has?
- Can I discard a discovery to use its anomaly on another player's turn?
- Does the Powdery scientific property do anything on Wenora?
- Does comprehension need to be on my own dashboard to use an anomaly or action?
- Who can use a science structure's ability, and when does a new structure become active?
- Can I build a structure and move away the same turn, and does it cost time?
- When an effect says to charge power to its maximum, does every disc move?
Survival Tasks and the Scarab
- Is the Scarab a node, and can I scan or investigate it?
- Does standing on the Scarab protect explorers from planet hazards like spore clouds or storms?
- Does LUNA have to be on the Scarab for the crew to win?
- Do explorers who already reached the Scarab still take turns?
- When does a survival task step that needs a focus action advance, and can I move afterwards?
- How does the Rejuvenation Pod work, and can it be refilled?
Traits and Dashboard Actions
- Does Support raise or lower trust, and what about Recover?
- If a cube sits on a trait and trust flips the tile, does the cube move?
- Can the Harmonist distribute distress to herself?
- Can the Empath use Support when nobody else has distress, and does it lower trust?
- How does the Artificer trait let me activate breakthroughs?
- What do the Leader and Optimist traits actually do?
- Is revealing an opportunity the same as pursuing one?
- Does icon colour change how it works?
Wenora (core planet)
- On Wenora, does entering a spore cloud give distress, or only starting my turn in one?
- Do spore clouds keep being placed after the tentacles appear?
- On Wenora, when is a spore cloud placed?
- What happens when a tiny tentacle meets a spore cloud?
- Does a newly placed tentacle move on the turn it appears?
- Do Hallucination effects that say 'for the remainder of the game' last after the card is discarded?
- How does the Deploy Robotic Sidecar breakthrough work?
- Do the glowing frog components have a game effect on Wenora?
- On Wenora Task A, which node counts as adjacent to the cephalopod nest, and why are there two Swampy Quagmires?
Other Planets and Add-ons
- On Yendraal, does the Bane trigger if only one of the two boxes is filled?
- How does the Grakkis storm hit explorers?
- Any clarifications for Grakkis Task A and B (pylons, labs, transmitters)?
- How do Gniir's exposure, protection and snow rules work?
- How do Gniir anomalies and the Task B song work?
- How do long passages, blocked edges and discoveries work on Vo'qorr?
- Any clarifications for Blackout and Strannos?
- Any clarifications for Scientific Specialization and Fascination abilities?
- How do LUNA's ire and gravity wells work?
- Do materials from Augmented Yank count toward a task that requires Unearth?
Unsettled: KaelyfosExpansion
Unsettled: KoguyaExpansion
Unsettled: ZehronnExpansion
- How much distress does Zehronn's cerebral overload give?
- Is 'Logic' on Zehronn Task A the same as 'Reason'?
- Can explorers or LUNA bypass attunement requirements on Zehronn?
- How do Zehronn discovery tokens fit the Memory cards?
- What remains after Zehronn Task A card 8, and how do Generate Shimmery Resonance Field and LUNA's discovery work?