"SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence" game

"SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence is strategy board gameinviting players to become leaders of interstellar exploration and venture into the unknown in search of extraterrestrial life. Instead of traditional entertainment, it's all about science: analysing cosmic signals, observing celestial bodies and developing technology.

In this article, we will briefly discuss what makes the SETI board game different, how it works and what the basic rules are.

What is the SETI board game?

"SETI is a strategy board game in which players lead a scientific institution searching for traces of intelligent life in the Solar System. Players use telescopes, advanced technology and probes to investigate planets and their satellites for signs of extraterrestrial life. 

Each turn, players take an action to scan or land on a planet. Successful discoveries earn them tokens and credits, which can be invested in upgrading technology. 

Over five rounds, players compete to see who can detect alien signals first. There is no one right way to play the game, only wise choices that can lead to the biggest discovery or leave players with nothing.

"SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence" rules

Are we alone in the Universe? "In SETI, players must try to answer this question. 

The aim of the game is to use cutting-edge scientific technology to send probes to distant planetary worlds, scan the stars and analyse the data to discover traces of extraterrestrial life. 

"SETI board game components 

The following is an overview of the main elements of the SETI board game:

Preparing for the game

Before you start your mission, you need to have the right game elements in place so you can start exploring the cosmos and looking for traces of extraterrestrial life.

1. Shape the Solar System: randomly arrange the discs to form eight sectors in which the planets and stars move.
   
2. Get ready for planetary movements: remember that the planets will be moving, so you will have to adapt and plan your explorations.
   
3. Prepare the alien race: Shuffle the alien cards and randomly pick two race cards to place on the board. Hide the remaining cards in a box.
   
4. Prepare the research cards: Shuffle the research cards and turn over the first three, which will become part of the initial selections.

Each player has to bring their own research tools:

• A research board to record information on resources and progress.
• Their own coloured figurines and markers to represent their missions in space.
• Initial resources - 4 Credits, 3 Energy Chips and 5 cards in hand.

"In SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, "Beginner's Choice" means deciding at the start of the game which player will start the game. This can be a fun and easy part of the game. 

According to the rules, the person who last saw a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) should start the game. If no player can boast of this, it is possible to simply cast lots to choose the first player. 

Game progress

Each player's turn starts with a basic action, such as scanning a planet, landing a probe or exploring a sector of space. If the player has sufficient resources, they can also perform additional free actions, such as upgrading their technology or conducting additional research to gain more information about alien signals.

Key actions

"The success of the SETI mission depends on the probes. They must be launched into space to collect data on the Solar System and celestial bodies beyond.

• Launching a probe into orbit will cost 2 credits.
• If you want it to start collecting scientific data, you'll need to pay 1 more credit and 1 more energy to make it an orbiting satellite. This will give you points and information about the planet of your choice.
• If you want to explore the planet in more detail, you'll need to land on its surface. This will cost 3 energy tokens, but if you already have an orbiter on the planet, it will cost only 2 energy tokens.

Equally important is exploring the stars. You'll need to spend 1 credit and 2 energy chips to scan the stars for signs of extraterrestrial life.

The next important step is to analyse the data collected. Once the mission has successfully collected the information, it can be turned into points or evidence of extraterrestrial life.

During the game, players can use cards that provide benefits such as upgrading technology, speeding up research, or providing additional challenges to their opponents.This can include forcing a turn skip, damaging research, limiting resources, or altering the environment in a way that makes their research more difficult. 

Cards can affect the course of the game, for example by forcing your opponents to take extra actions, limiting their resources or giving you an advantage in your exploration.

If you want to improve your research base, you can invest in technology. For 6 publicity points, you can buy a technology upgrade that will provide additional benefits in the future.

If you see that you are running out of options during the round, you can withdraw from the round - this will give you an extra card and allow you to better prepare for the next round.

Solar system rotation

As the solar system is constantly moving in SETI, players will have to adapt to changing conditions. During each round, the Solar System will move in three stages:

• The upper disc will move for the first time.
• Then secondary school.
• Finally, the bottom one.

If your probe is located between sectors, it can be pushed or move with the disk. This means that strategic planning is very important in the game - if you don't account for orbital changes, your exploration mission may not go quite where you expect it to.

Discovering aliens

One of the game's key elements is the discovery of extraterrestrial life. Each alien race has three life trace spaces to fill.

There are three ways to find traces of extraterrestrial life:

• Scanning stars for signals from other planetary systems.
• Landing on a planet, directly exploring its surface.
• Analysing data by processing the information collected.

Once all three life traces have been filled in, the Alien Race card must be turned over. This will reveal which civilisation has been discovered and what impact it will have on the game.

Some races can provide extra points or resources, while others can influence planetary exploration or even change the game mechanics. Depending on the characteristics of the discovered civilisation, new conditions or special effects may come into play, altering the way the game progresses.

For example:

• New discoveries can open up opportunities for other missions.
• Signals from extraterrestrial life can create unexpected challenges for players.
• Aliens can be hostile or cooperative, depending on their type of civilisation.

End of the game and scoring

"The SETI mission ends after five rounds. At the end of the last round, all players tally up their achievements and assess how far they have progressed in their search for extraterrestrial life.

Points are awarded for:

• Completed missions - the success of scientific research and space expeditions.
• Data collected - The more valuable scientific data that can be gathered, the greater the contribution to the Universe.
• Planetary landings and orbital research - Each expedition you complete gives you extra points.
• Traces of extraterrestrial life discovered - Perhaps your team has made the greatest discovery in human history?

The player with the most points wins the game. If several players score the same number of points, the winner is the player who has done the best research and managed his/her resources most efficiently during the game.

A true SETI researcher never lets up. Even if this time victory remains elusive, perhaps in the next game you will be the first person to prove that we are not alone in the Universe?

What makes SETI different from other board games?

"SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence stands out from other board games such as "Catan" and "Ticket to Ride", due to its space-themed and more complex strategic decisions. 

Unlike Catan, where players focus mainly on exchanging goods and controlling territories, SETI allows players to choose from a wide range of strategies to achieve the ultimate goal of discovering extraterrestrial life. Players have to adapt to changing conditions, such as planetary movement and random alien signals, making each game different.

Compared to "Ticket to Ride", where players simply collect paths and earn points, SETI offers much more decision-making freedom. Players have to decide how to invest resources efficiently, what technologies to develop and how to cooperate or compete with others. This forces players to make important decisions that directly affect the course of the game.

"SETI is also distinguished by its cosmic realism. As real astronomers, players must constantly adapt to the changing cosmos and make decisions that have a lasting impact on their research, giving the game a greater sense of engagement and authenticity that other games lack.

"SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: findings

The SETI board game is ideal for advanced players or those who want to move from simpler games to more tactical experiences.

The game, developed by "Czech Games Edition" combines scientific realism, diverse mechanics and high variability, making each lot unique. It is a good choice for those who are looking not only for entertainment, but also for an intellectual challenge and a chance to immerse themselves in an immersive space theme.

SETI board game FAQ