Game Rules for Mission: Red Planet

Welcome to the exciting world of Mission: Red Planet! In this game, I invite you to embark on an intergalactic adventure as we explore the mysteries of the red planet. Here, I will provide you with the fundamental rules you need to get started. So buckle up, fasten your seatbelts, and let’s dive into the rulebook!

Goal of the Game

Our goal in Mission: Red Planet is to establish dominance and control over the red planet, Mars. We want to be the top corporation that controls the majority of the planet’s resources and population. Are you ready to become the next interplanetary mogul?

The Game Board

The game board consists of a map of the planet Mars, divided into multiple regions. Each region is numbered and has limited space for ships to be launched. Pay close attention to the positions and numbers of these regions, as they will play a crucial role in your success.

Player Roles

When starting the game, each player will choose a unique role that provides them with special abilities and advantages. Will you be the Scientist, the Explorer, or perhaps the Soldier? Your choice will greatly impact your strategy and the actions you can take throughout the game.

Game Rounds

The game is played over multiple rounds, with each round consisting of three phases: the Event Phase, Action Phase, and Cleanup Phase. These phases ensure a smooth and organized gameplay experience.

The Event Phase

During the Event Phase, an event card is revealed. These events can greatly impact the game and force players to adapt their strategies. Stay on your toes and be prepared to handle any surprises that may come your way!

The Action Phase

The Action Phase is where the real action happens! In this phase, players will take turns performing actions, such as launching ships, assigning characters, gathering resources, and more. Plan your actions carefully, for every move can lead you closer to victory.

The Cleanup Phase

After all players have taken their actions, the Cleanup Phase begins. This is when players retrieve their characters, prepare for the next round, and discard any unused event cards. It’s important to keep your game area clean and organized, just like a real mission to Mars!

Game End

The game continues until one of the end conditions is met. This could be when all regions on the map are filled, all ships have been launched, or a certain number of rounds have passed. At this point, the player with the most points, earned through controlling regions and completing objectives, is declared the winner! Congratulations on a successful mission!

Now It’s Your Turn

Now that you have a good grasp of the game rules, it’s time for you to gather your friends, set up the game board, and embark on your own mission to conquer Mars. Remember, each decision you make will shape the fate of your corporation. So make wise choices and may the best interplanetary pioneer prevail!

In Mission: Red Planet, I’m taking you on a thrilling journey to Mars. Imagine yourself as a member of a mining corporation during the Victorian steampunk era. Our mission is to explore different zones of Mars, compete for control in those areas, and extract its valuable resources.

Now, let me give you an idea of what the game is all about. The goal is simple: earn as many points as possible. You can do this by mining resources and completing mission cards. At the end of the game, the player with the highest score takes home the victory.

Before we dive further into the game, let’s talk about the components you’ll find in Mission: Red Planet.

• The game board of Mars is made up of 4 pieces
• There is a moon called Phobos
• There is a memorial called Lost in Space
• There are 132 plastic astronauts (22 for each color)
• There is a round tracker
• There are 11 resource tokens
• There are 20 destination tokens
• There are 86 point tokens
• There are 36 ship cards
• There are 54 character cards
• There is a global mission card
• There are 30 event cards

Getting Ready to Play

Setting up the Game (for 4 players)

1. Get Ready for the Game: First, put together the four pieces of Mars and put the planet in the middle of the playing area. Then, place Phobos and the Lost in Space Memorial close to Mars.
2. Build the Launchpad: Connect the dock pieces to create a launchpad with as many docks as there are players. Make sure to use the end cap docks for the left-most and right-most sides of the launchpad.
3. Set up the Supplies: Make sure the destination tokens are within everyone’s reach, and sort the point tokens into piles by type. Put the “Ice Monopoly” global mission card faceup near the supply.

Preparing Ships: Start by getting the ships ready. To do this, I shuffle the ship cards to create the ship deck. Then, I place the deck near the launchpad. Now, I need to draw a number of ship cards equal to the number of players in the game. I place these cards faceup, with one ship at each dock of the launchpad.

If I happen to draw a ship card with an unknown destination, I have to replace it with a new card. To keep things fair, I shuffle the unknown destination ship back into the ship deck. Also, if a ship bound for Phobos hasn’t been drawn yet, I need to place a Phobos destination token on the ship at the rightmost dock.

Choosing Colors: Now it’s time for each player to choose a color. This color will be used throughout the game. After choosing a color, each player gathers the nine character cards and all of the plastic astronauts of that color.

As for the starting hand of cards, each player’s starting hand contains all nine of their character cards.

That’s it! We’re ready to embark on our space adventure. Let’s go!

Starting Astronauts: Let’s begin by assigning each player an astronaut and placing them on the launchpad. Each ship should have one astronaut, and it doesn’t matter which ship. The player with the astronaut on the left-most dock becomes the first player. They take the round tracker and set it to “1”.

Placing Resources: Now it’s time to distribute the resources on Mars and Phobos. Randomly place one resource token facedown in each zone of Mars and on Phobos. We should have one resource token left, which we’ll put facedown near the supply.

Starting Mission: Shuffle the mission cards and deal two cards to each player. Take a look at your cards, choose one to keep, and place it facedown in your play area. The card you don’t choose goes on top of the undealt mission cards. Remember, keep your chosen mission card hidden from other players until the end of the game.

Create Event Deck: First, we need to prepare the event deck. Take all the discovery cards, action cards, and remaining mission cards and shuffle them together. Once shuffled, place the event deck facedown near the token supply.

Game Play

The game is made up of several rounds, and there are different phases that happen between certain rounds. The round tracker will show you the order of the rounds and phases.

There are 10 rounds in total. You can see which round you’re on by checking the number on the round tracker. During each round, every player will choose a character card from their hand in secret. Later in the round, they will use the special effect of that character card. Each character card has a unique effect, like adding astronauts to ships, drawing event cards, or even destroying a docked ship.

Let’s go through the six steps that make up a round:

1. Choose a Character
2. Use the Character’s Effect
3. Start by launching land ships.
4. Then, draw new docked ships.
5. Assign a new first player.
6. Next, advance the round tracker.

Step 1: Get Your Character

You and everyone else pick a character card from your hand and put it face down in front of you. Once everyone has made their choice, we move on to the next step.

Step 2: Character Powers

Now it’s time to reveal your character card and use its special powers. This is also when you can fill up your docked ships and set sail.

When you play the game, each character card is special in its own way. You can easily tell which card to reveal by looking at the number in the upper-left corner. This number determines the order in which the cards are revealed.

So, we start with the first player. They get to lead the countdown by announcing the character number “9,” which is the Recruiter. Everyone listens attentively and checks if they have the Recruiter card facedown. If they do, it’s time to reveal it!

Now, if two or more players have the same character card, they take turns resolving their card’s special effect. The order is determined by who goes clockwise from the first player.

Once all the players who revealed the announced character have resolved its effect, or if no one chose that character, the countdown continues. The first player calls out the next character number in descending order, and the process repeats until everyone has revealed their chosen character cards. It’s an exciting sequence of events!

So, here’s the deal: when you’re dealing with character effects, you gotta resolve them in a particular order. It’s pretty simple – just follow the order written on the card, starting from the top and working your way down.

Now, here’s the fun part. When you play a character card, it stays faceup in front of you. That means everyone can see it, not just you. So no hiding allowed!

But hold on a sec! Once you’ve used a character card, you can’t use it again until you play the Recruiter card. That nifty little card lets you bring all your played cards back to your hand. Pretty handy, huh?

When the number of astronauts on a ship equals its capacity, the ship is considered full. Once a docked ship reaches full capacity, it is time for launch. To signal the launch, all I have to do is slide the ship card away from the launchpad. This simple action indicates that the ship is on its way (check out the images below).

When ships are ready to set sail, they do so either when they are full or due to a special event, like the Secret Agent. If a ship isn’t full, it remains at the launchpad, waiting to reach its capacity.

3. Ships Landing on Mars

Once a ship has been launched, it lands on Mars, and all the astronauts on board disembark in the designated zone. However, if there is a destination token covering the printed destination on the ship card, the ship lands in the zone indicated on the token instead.

When an astronaut is placed in a zone that has a face-down resource token, the token is flipped over to reveal the type of resource present in that zone.

After a ship has landed, it is placed face-up next to the ship deck in the ship discard pile. If the ship had a destination token, it is returned to the supply.

4. Replenishing Docked Ships

Now it’s time to dock the new ships at the launchpad. For every empty dock, I draw a ship card and put it faceup. If there aren’t enough cards left in the ship deck, I’ll shuffle the discarded cards and create a fresh deck.

5. Who’s First?

The player who finished resolving their character effect most recently in this round gets to be the first player in the next round, and they take the round tracker.

6. Advance Round Tracker

Hey there! Get ready to learn about the Advance Round Tracker. It’s a cool tool that helps us keep track of our progress in the game. How does it work? Well, the first player slides the gauge clockwise until the pointer lines up with the next notch. Easy, right? But wait, there’s more! Did you notice the icon in the window? That little icon tells us which round or phase is coming up next. It’s like a little sneak peek of what’s to come!

Production Phase

Now, let’s talk about the Production Phase. This is where the game gets really exciting! On the round tracker, you’ll see three production phases marked. During one of these phases, something amazing happens. Each zone that has a faceup resource token will produce point tokens. How many? Well, it depends on the number of dots shown in the production phase icon. So, the more dots, the more point tokens you get! It’s like magic! So make sure to keep an eye on those production phases and collect as many point tokens as you can. Good luck!

So here’s what happens: I get these point tokens based on who has the most astronauts in each zone. If I’m the only one with the most astronauts in a zone, I get all the point tokens from that zone. But if there’s a tie, and two or more players have the most astronauts, we gotta split those point tokens between us.

If there are any leftover point tokens, they stay in the zone. They might come in handy later. Oh, and if there aren’t any astronauts in a zone, the point tokens just stay there.

Oh, one more thing: at the end of each production phase, the first player moves the round tracker forward to the next spot. Gotta keep things moving, you know?

For example, let’s say there are two players who tie in a zone with three point tokens. In that case, both players would get one point token each, and the third one would stay in the zone.

Rewrite Discovery Phase

Hey there! Let’s talk about the exciting Reveal Discovery Phase in the game. In this phase, the first player flips over all the discovery cards that are currently in play. It’s like uncovering hidden treasures!

Each discovery card has a unique effect that will come into play during this phase. To determine when the effect is resolved, you just need to look at the icon located in the lower-right corner of the card. It’s easy peasy!

When we reach the end of the reveal discovery phase, I get to move the round tracker forward by one notch. I’m excited to see what the next round holds!

Final Scoring Phase

Now it’s time for you and me to reveal our mission cards and see if we were successful. Did we accomplish our goals? If so, we earn points for completing the “Ice Monopoly” global mission. Let’s calculate our final scores:

• Add up the points from your completed missions.
• Count the total value of all the point tokens you collected.
• Consider any discoveries that affect you and adjust your score accordingly.

Now it’s time to compare our final scores. Will you come out on top and win the game? In case of a tie, the player with the most point tokens takes the victory. But if there’s still a tie, we share the glory together.

Event Cards

Hey there! So, let’s talk about event cards. They come in three different types: discoveries, missions, and actions. These cards play a big role in the game, and you’ll encounter them right from the beginning.

First, we have discoveries. These cards hold secrets waiting to be uncovered. They can reveal new locations, give you extra resources, or even introduce unexpected challenges.

The second type is missions. These cards present you with specific objectives to complete. They might ask you to gather certain resources, reach a particular location, or overcome obstacles along the way. Missions can guide you on your path and add a sense of purpose to the game.

Lastly, we have actions. These cards provide you with special abilities or actions that you can take during your turn. They can give you an advantage or help you deal with difficult situations. Actions will give you more flexibility and options as you navigate through the game.

Remember, event cards are drawn when you’re setting up the game and also when the Scientist’s effect is in play. So make sure to pay attention to them and use them wisely. They can make a real difference in your journey!

Did you know that there are incredible things waiting to be discovered on Mars? These discoveries can be scientific phenomena or amazing geographical features. When you come across a discovery card, you get to choose where to place it facedown on one of the outer zones of Mars. Just slide a portion of the card under the board, and it’s ready to surprise you later in the game. At the end of the game, the discovery cards can have a positive or negative effect on that zone. It might even produce more valuable point tokens!

Missions, on the other hand, are secret objectives that can earn you extra points if you manage to complete them. When you draw a mission card, take a peek and keep it hidden in your play area until the final scoring phase. No one else will know what you’re working towards until it’s time to reveal!

Actions are special powers that can give you an advantage during the game. When you draw an action card, keep it facedown and in secret. You’ll know exactly when to use it because the card will tell you when the time is right.

Destination Tokens

When you’re playing the game, there are these special tokens called destination tokens that are pretty important. The Pilot’s effect uses them, and so does the player who puts the first astronaut in a ship without knowing where it’s going.

Here’s how it works. If either of these situations happens, it’s your job as the active player to grab one of the destination tokens from the supply and put it on the ship’s printed destination. This means that the ship is now headed to the place that’s printed on the token.

Now, there are only two destination tokens allowed in each zone. So, if a ship with a destination token lands, you need to take that token and put it back in the supply. That way, there are always enough tokens for everyone to use.

Lost In Space Memorial

Welcome to the Lost in Space Memorial, where we honor the brave astronauts who lost their lives during their mission to Mars. It’s a place of remembrance for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The effects of the Femme Fatale and Soldier abilities lead to the direct death of astronauts, and they are then memorialized here in the Lost in Space Memorial. Additionally, any astronauts on a docked ship that gets destroyed by a Saboteur meet the same fate and find their resting place in this memorial. It’s a solemn reminder of the dangers and risks involved in space exploration.

Phobos: An Outpost on Mars

Phobos serves as an outpost for colonists on their way to Mars. It functions similar to other zones on the planet with one exception – it stands alone and is not adjacent to any other zone. Moreover, discovery cards cannot be assigned to Phobos. It’s a unique place in the vastness of space, acting as a pit stop for those embarking on their Martian journey, offering resources and support along the way.

Ice Monopoly Mission: A Chilling Challenge

Hey there! Let’s talk about the “Ice Monopoly” mission. It’s a global mission that any player can take on. It’s pretty cool because it gives you a chance to earn some points. Here’s how it works: during the final scoring, the player who has the most ice point tokens gets to complete the mission and earns 9 points. But what happens if there’s a tie? Well, in that case, the players who are tied for the most ice tokens will have to share the 9 points among themselves. They’ll split it up evenly, rounding down if necessary. So, it’s definitely a mission worth taking on if you want to score big!

Card Clarifications

Now, let’s tackle some rule questions that might come up during the game.

Character Cards

• When I’m playing this game, I have to make sure I resolve all the character effects. It’s important to handle them completely, unless it’s not possible. The only exception is the Travel Agent’s effect, which I either resolve fully or not at all.
• Before I can launch any full ships, I need to resolve my character’s effect. Let’s say I pick the Saboteur. During the next step, if there’s only one docked ship at the launchpad, I have to place one of my astronauts on that ship and make it full. Then, I have to destroy that ship before it launches.
• 9 Recruiter: Here’s an interesting character. When I play this card, I get to bring back all my played character cards into my hand. This includes the Recruiter card itself. So, it’s a great way to regroup and strategize for the next moves.

Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary adventure as an 8 Explorer?

Well, let me tell you, it’s all about the moves! As an 8 Explorer, I can make my move by simply relocating one of my astronauts to a neighboring zone. Oh, and guess what? I can move the same astronaut as many times as I want!

Now, here’s the juicy part. When I move my astronaut to a zone with a mysterious facedown resource token, I have the power to flip it faceup. Talk about discovering hidden treasures!

7 Scientist: So, here’s what happens when we come across a facedown discovery card. We take a peek at it and then put it back facedown in its designated zone. But here’s the twist: if all the outer zones already have a discovery card in them, and we happen to draw another one, we don’t get to keep it. Instead, we have to discard it faceup next to the event deck. But don’t worry, we still get to check out one of the facedown discovery cards that are already in play. It’s like finding a hidden treasure!

Secret Agent Strategy: Hey there! Did you know that there’s a top-secret move you can make as a player in this game? You can actually make a ship launch even if it doesn’t have any astronauts on board. How cool is that?

I’m really sorry to hear that you’re experiencing crucial challenges right now. As we continue to strive and look for a solution that suits you best, I want you to know that you’re not alone in this. Many people face similar difficulties and have to navigate through tough times. It’s important to remember that there are ways to overcome these obstacles and find a path forward.

Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, trying to make the right decision when there are so many factors to consider. But don’t worry, I’m here to help you break it down and simplify the process. Finding the right solution is like solving a puzzle; you need to gather all the pieces and fit them together to see the bigger picture.

One of the main pieces of this puzzle is understanding the importance of making the right choice. Whether it’s deciding on a career path, choosing the right school, or even picking out the perfect outfit, our choices have consequences. They can impact our lives in both positive and negative ways, which is why it’s crucial to take your time and weigh the options.

When you find yourself faced with a difficult decision, it’s essential to consider all the information available to you. Sometimes this means doing some research, asking for advice, or reflecting on your personal values and priorities. By putting in the effort and understanding the different variables at play, you’ll be better equipped to make an informed decision.

It’s also important to remember that no decision is set in stone. Life is full of unexpected twists and turns, and sometimes what may seem like the wrong choice at the time can turn out to be a valuable lesson or a stepping stone towards something better. So don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t work out exactly as planned. Embrace the journey and be open to new opportunities that may come your way.

In the end, the key to making the right choice is to trust yourself and your instincts. No one knows you better than you do, and deep down, you have the answers within you. So take a deep breath, listen to that inner voice, and have confidence in your ability to choose the path that feels right for you.

Remember, you’re not alone. We’re all on this journey together, facing our own unique challenges and striving to make the best choices we can. So take a step back, gather all the pieces of the puzzle, and trust that you have what it takes to find your way. You’ve got this!

4 Femme Fatale: The “replace” effect is a powerful ability that can be used in different situations on Mars. It can target astronauts who are currently in a docked ship, a launched ship, or any zone on Mars, including Phobos, as long as there is already one of my own astronauts there. Here’s what happens: the astronaut that gets replaced is instantly gone, and sadly, he is considered to be lost forever. We honor his memory by placing him on the Lost in Space Memorial.

3 Travel Agent: If there is no spaceship with available space for at least three additional astronauts, you disregard this rule and move on to the next turn.

2 Soldier: Hey there! I’ve got some important info for you about the “kill” effect in this game. You know, it can actually target astronauts in any zone, except for Syrtis Major and Valles Marineris. And get this, you can even kill your own astronauts! But don’t worry, if you’re moving multiple astronauts at the same time, they don’t all have to go to the same zone. You just need to make sure you move at least one astronaut. Pretty cool, huh?

1 Pilot: When you use the “place a destination token” effect, you have the option to target either a docked ship or a ship that has already been launched. You can also place destination tokens on top of existing ones, which will change the ship’s destination once again.

Event Cards

Let me tell you about Action Cards. They’re a pretty big deal and they play a crucial role in this game. You keep them hidden, along with mission cards. That’s right, it’s a bit of a mystery until it’s time to reveal them.

Now, let’s move on to Discovery Cards. These are another key element of the game. They add an exciting element of surprise and exploration. When you uncover these cards, you never know what you’re going to find. It could be a game-changer or a total flop. That’s part of the fun!

So, remember, Action Cards and Discovery Cards are essential pieces of the puzzle. They keep you guessing and add an extra layer of excitement to the game. Get ready to uncover the unknown and embrace the unexpected!

• Discovery cards can be assigned to any zone except Phobos, Syrtis Major, and Valles Marineris.
• Each zone (including Tritonis Sinus) can have at most one discovery card assigned to it, and assigned discovery cards cannot be removed, overridden, or replaced.
• Discovery cards have effects that can resolve when revealed (during the reveal discovery phase), during the third production phase, or during the final scoring phase.
• Even Ground & Uneven Ground: These card effects only apply during the third production phase. During the final scoring phase, we treat each player as having their actual number of astronauts in the zone.
• Mining Incident vs. Synergy: If the “Mining Incident” card affects a zone that is also affected by “Synergy”, the “Mining Incident” card takes precedence, and no point tokens are placed in that zone.

The Subterfuge zone in the game has an interesting rule. If two or more players have the same number of astronauts in this zone, they will evenly distribute the point tokens among themselves. The same goes for the most astronauts in the zone – if there is a tie, the players will share the point tokens. However, if only one player has astronauts in this zone, they get to keep the point tokens all to themselves.

Mission Cards

• Some mission cards give players points based on the number of red zones in which they have astronauts. For example, if a player has astronauts in at least one red zone, they will gain 1 point. If they have astronauts in all four red zones, they will gain 7 points. The points are rewarded in a specific sequence based on the number of zones the player is present in.

In this game, there are a few mission cards that can earn you points if you have “the most” of something. If you happen to tie for the most, you still get the points listed on the card.

Another way to earn points is through strategic zones. If you have the highest number of astronauts in Syrtis Major and Valles Marineris, you get points for this mission card. You don’t need to have the majority in either zone, just the highest number.

When it’s time to compare final scores, we look at each color separately. The color with the highest score wins the game. But if both neutral colors have the highest score, then nobody wins. In that case, the player with the highest score in their main color is the winner.

If there’s a tie between a main color and a neutral color, the main color wins.

So, remember to collect the most of something, control the strategic zones, and aim for the highest score in your main color to secure your victory. Good luck!