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Annotated Games: 4 players, version .7

This game was played during the game testing of Foundation. The players tried different strategies to assess how balanced they were. "P" means place an action token on an action space, "->" means displace two action tokens to two new action spaces and "R" means retrieve an action token from an action space. Unfortunately, teal cubes were not available at Tabletopia so the images depict pink cubes instead.

  1. Red: Colonize many planets and take advantage of the abilities.
  2. Yellow: Build a network for production and trade.
  3. Green: Focus on Military for resources and protected space ships.
  4. Yellow: Push research to to get strong actions quickly.

Setup and Round 1

The players take 1 level I resource and then place their initial ships next to planets which will provide the resources necessary for their initial strategies.

  • Red (1 blue): P Space 1, P Space 1 -> Space 2-Colony 1
  • Yellow (1 red): P Space 1, P Production 1
  • Green (1 green): P Military 1, P Space 1
  • Blue (1 blue): P Space 1, P Colony 1
  • EMPIRE MOVE

Round 2

The players plan their coming actions. Notice how Red sets up 3 level II actions; Space, Colony and Production.

  • Red (1 blue): P Production 1, P Colony 1 -> Colony 2-Production 1 - > Production 2-Colony 1
  • Yellow (1 red): P Space 1 -> Space 2-Trade 1, P Production 1 -> Production 2-Military 1
  • EMPIRE MOVE
  • Green (1 green): P Space 1 -> Space 2-Colony 1, P Military 1 -> Military 2-Research 1
  • Blue (1 blue): P Research 1, P Space 1 -> Space 2-Colony 1 -> Colony 2-Production 1

Round 3

Red gets the first colony in the game and the ability to colonize level I planets for free. Yellow gets the first level II resource by using green and yellow to produce white. Green researches Military II and Blue researches Research II.

  • Red (none): R Colony 1 (pay 1 blue to colonize red planet and free Colony I actions), P Colony 1
  • Yellow (1 red, 1 white): R Space 2, R Production 2 (use 1 green and 1 yellow to produce 1 white)
  • EMPIRE MOVE
  • Green (none): R Research 1 (pay 1 green to get Military II), Space 2 -> Space 3-Colony 2
  • Blue (1 blue): R Research 1 (pay 1 blue to get Research II), P Research 2

Round 4

Red uses her colony ability immediately by taking another Colony 1 action for the colony that grants double Space distances and prepares for a jump with Space 1. Yellow makes two space placements to have the second "bump" the first and end up with two tokens in action 2 spaces. She also takes an out of turn action to battle an Empire ship. Green jumps towards the center and battles an Empire ship there, earning her 1 orange. Blue uses her Research II ability to "bump" action tokens to Research III and Military II.

  • Red (none): R Colony 1 (pay nothing to colonize green planet and double Space distance), P Space 1 P Colony 1
  • EMPIRE MOVE (Yellow: R Military 1, take Empire)
  • Yellow (1 red, 1 white): P Space 1, P Space 1 -> Space 2-Trade 1 -> Trade 2-Research 1, return Empire ship
  • Green (1 orange): R Space 3, R Military 2 (take Empire and 1 orange)
  • Blue (none): R Space 2, P Research 2 -> Research 3-Military 2

Round 5

Red advances towards the center and produces 1 teal. Yellow takes advantage of her previously placed action tokens on Space and Trade to "triple bump" to action levels 3 and 2 respectively. Green prepares the next turn with some placement actions while blue gains three cubes through Military and Production.

  • Red (teal): R Space 2, R Production 2 (use 1 blue and 1 green to produce 1 teal)
  • Yellow (1 red, 1 white): P Trade 1, P Trade 1 -> Space 1-Trade 2 ->Trade 3-Space 2 -> Space 3-Trade 2
  • Green (1 orange): P Military 2, P Colony 1 -> Space 1-Colony 2 -> Colony 3-Space 2
  • EMPIRE MOVE (Green: Return Empire)
  • Blue (1 gray, 2 yellow): R Military 2 (take Empire and 1 gray), R Produce 1 (take 2 yellow)

Round 6

Red prepares another Space action for the next turn. Yellow resarches Trade I and completes her previous turn's "triple bump" with another one to push two actions tokens to the center and set up two wild level III actions for herself. Green pushes up several action tokens upwards while Blue prepares Military and Research actions for the next turn.

  • Red (teal): P Space 1 -> Space 2-Trade 1, R Space 2
  • Yellow (1 white): R Research 1 (pay 1 red to get Trade I), P Trade 2 -> Trade 3-Space 2 -> Trade 4-Space 3 -> Space 4-Trade 3
  • EMPIRE MOVE
  • Green (1 orange): P Military 2 -> Military 3-Research 2, P Space 1 -> Trade 1-Space 2 -> Space 3-Trade 2
  • Blue (1 gray, 2 yellow): P Military 1, P Military 1 -> Military 2-Research 1

Round 7

.

  • Red (none): R Colony 2 (pay 1 teal to get orange colony and ability to stack with Empire), P Trade 1 -> Trade 2-Space 1
  • EMPIRE MOVE
  • Yellow (1 white): R Wild as Space 3, P Military 1
  • Green (1 orange, 1 black): R Space 3, R Military 3 (Take Empire and 1 black)
  • Blue (1 yellow): R Research 1 (pay 1 yellow to get Trade I), R Research 2 (pay 1 gray to get Colony II)
  • EMPIRE MOVE (Blue: Return Empire)

Round 8

Red doesn't have the expected resource available and is forced to prepare Production actions instead and the same goes for Yellow. Green on the other hand gets a colony on the central planet and is fortunate to get a military goal (2 Empires), which suits her strategy well. Blue prepares a space jump to enable a big production.

  • Red (none): P Production 1, Production 1 -> Production 2-Military 1
  • Yellow (1 white): P Military 1, P Military 1 -> Military 2-Produce 1
  • Green (1 orange): R Colony 3 (pay 1 black to peek on one goal and take one private goal: 2 Empire), P Military 2
  • EMPIRE MOVE
  • Blue (1 yellow): P Colony 3, P Colony 3 -> Colony X-Space 3

Round 9

Red gets the necessary green resources to advance on the research track. Yellow takes a big production action, earning her 2 gray. Green prepares the necessary actions to research and fulfil her goal tile. Blue takes an even stronger Production action, earning her 2 black, but how will she make the best out of them?

  • Red (2 green): P Military -> Military 2-Production 1, R Production 1 (get 2 green)
  • Yellow (1 white, 2 gray): P Production 1 -> Production 2-Military 1, R Production 2 (use 2 blue and 2 yellow to produce 2 gray)
  • EMPIRE MOVE
  • Green (1 orange): P Trade 1 -> Space 1-Trade 2 -> Trade 3-Space 2, R Space 2
  • Blue (1 yellow, 2 black): R Space 3, R Wild as Production 3 (use 2 teal, 1 brown and 1 gray to produce 2 black)

Round 10

Red proceeds in her quest for research resources by producing 2 brown. Yellow takes another step on the research track with Colony II. Green battles the Empire to get a necessary black while Blue, who already has the necessary black, prepares strong research actions.

  • Red (2 green, 2 brown): R Space 1, R Production 2 (use 2 green and 2 red to produce 2 brown)
  • EMPIRE MOVE (Green: R Battle 2)
  • Yellow (1 white, 1 gray): P Military 1 -> Production 1-Military 2 -> Military 3-Research 2, R Research 2 (pay 1 gray to research Colony II)
  • Green (1 orange, 1 black): P Battle 2-> Battle 3-Research 2 -> Research 3-Battle 2, R Battle 3 (get Empire and 1 black)
  • Blue (1 yellow, 2 black): P Research 2, P Research 2 -> Research 3-Military 2
  • EMPIRE MOVE

Round 11

Red returns to her colony strategy for resources while Yellow uses the Battle action to get a black resource. Green proceeds to prepare the necessary Research and Military actions to fulfil her goal. Blue researches the goal tile of adjacency to 2 of 3 outer colors.

  • Red (2 green, 2 brown): P Colony 1, P Colony 1 -> Colony 2-Space 1
  • Yellow (1 white, 1 gray): R Space 2, R Battle 3 (take Empire and 1 black)
  • Green (1 orange, 1 black): Military 2 -> Military 3-Research 2, Space 1 -> Space 2, Colony 1
  • EMPIRE MOVE
  • Blue (1 yellow, 1 black): R Research 3 (pay 1 black to research goal tile: adjacent 2 of 3 outer colors), P Colony 3

Round 12

Red gets a colony to get the necessary (gray) resources. Yellow finds a fine bump combination, including "bumping" two tokens at the same time, giving her two more tokens on the wild action. Green positions herself for a final push towards the goal while Blue prepares researching a goal tile.

  • Red (2 green, 1 brown): R Space 1, R Colony 2 (pay 1 brown to get gray colony and 3 gray)
  • Yellow (1 white, 1 gray, 1 black): P Trade 2, P Trade 2 -> Trade 3-Research 2 -> Trade 3-Research 2 ->-> Research 3-Military 2 AND Trade 4-Research 3 -> Research 4-Military 3
  • EMPIRE MOVE (Yellow: Return Empire)
  • Green (1 orange, 1 black): R Space 2, P Battle 2
  • Blue (1 yellow, 1 black): P Colony 3 -> Colony 4-Space 3, R Space 3

Round 13

Red finally starts researching but is it too late? Yellow researches the same goal tile as blue before her. Green battles and now only needs one more Empire ship to win. Blue hopes to get an easier goal tile and researches the one requiring three colonies.

  • Red (1 green, 1 brown, 3 gray): P Research 1, R Research 1 (pay 1 green to research Colony I)
  • EMPIRE MOVE (Blue: R Battle 2, take Empire)
  • Yellow (1 white, 1 gray): R Research 3 (pay 1 black to research goal tile: adjacent 2 of 3 outer colors)
  • Green (1 orange, 1 black): R Battle 2 (take Empire and purple), R Research 2 (pay purple to research Battle 3)
  • Blue (1 yellow, 1 black): R Colony 2 (pay yellow to colonize blue planet and get 3 blue, R Wild as Research 3 (pay 1 black to research goal tile: 3 colonies)
  • EMPIRE MOVE (Yellow: R Battle 2, take Empire, Blue: Return Empire)

Round 14

Red prepares her final research push while Yellow prepares to go fo colonies. However, Green researches her personal goal tile and battles the Empire. This earns her a second Empire ship and she declares victory.

  • Red (1 green, 1 brown, 3 gray): P Research 2, P Research 2 -> Research 3-Military 2 -> Military 3-Production 2
  • Yellow (1 white, 1 gray): P Colony 3, P Colony 3 -> Colony 4-Space 3
  • Green (1 orange): R Research 3 (research personal tile), R Battle 3 (take Empire)
  • GREEN DECLARES VICTORY

Green's strategy turned out to be a successful one, much thanks to the goal tile that fitted it. Red started strong but should have started researching earlier. Yellow got plenty of strong actions but often lacked the resources necessary to make them efficient. Blue should probably have used her research advance to get better actions.

P&P (PDF, A4)

P&P (PDF, US Letter)



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