Overview

Ascending Empires is a space exploration and civilization-building game with a unique dexterity element. Players flick wooden starship discs across a modular puzzle-board galaxy to explore planets, establish colonies, build cities and research facilities, develop technologies, mine resources, and engage in combat. The player who accumulates the most victory points through expansion, technology, and combat wins.

Components

• 9-piece interlocking puzzle board
• 4 player placards
• 32 starship discs (8 per player) and 4 battleship discs (1 per player)
• 28 planet discs (in 4 colors: orange, grey, brown, purple)
• 10 asteroid discs
• 56 plastic troops (14 per player)
• 64 wooden structures: research facilities, cities, and colonies (16 per player)
• 50 VP tokens
• Range ruler tiles
• Technology track tokens

Setup

1. Assemble the 9-piece puzzle board.
2. Distribute planet discs and asteroid discs across 4 quadrants based on player count.
3. Each player places their homeworld planet, starts with 6 troops in supply, and places 2 starships in orbit around their homeworld.
4. Set all technology track markers to level 0.
5. Determine first player.

Turn Structure

On your turn, perform exactly one action:

1. Recruit – Add up to 2 troops among your homeworld and occupied planets (max 3 troops per planet).
2. Move – Spend up to 2 movement points to launch, navigate (flick), or land ships.
3. Mine – Remove troops from planets to earn VP tokens.
4. Build – Construct research facilities, colonies, or cities on planets you control.
5. Research – Increase a technology level by 1 if you control enough matching research facilities.

Actions

Recruit: Distribute up to 2 troops from your supply among your homeworld and any planets you occupy. Maximum 3 troops per planet.

Move (Dexterity Element): You have 2 movement points per turn. Spend 1 to:

• Launch: Place a ship from supply into orbit around a planet with your troops.
• Navigate: Flick a starship disc across the board. The ship must not fly off the board or touch an asteroid.
• Land: Move troops from a ship onto a planet the ship orbits (within range).

If a ship contacts an asteroid during navigation, it is destroyed. Ships that leave the board are returned to supply.

Mine: Remove troops from one or more planets you control to gain VP tokens based on the planet color and technology level.

Build: On planets you control (with troops), build:

• Colony – Establishes control of a planet.
• Research Facility – Required for technology advancement. Facilities come in 4 colors matching technology tracks.
• City – Worth bonus VP at end of game.

Research: Advance one technology track by 1 level. You must control a number of matching-color research facilities equal to the level you are advancing to.

Technology Tracks (4 types):

• Orange (Fleet): Improves ship capacity and movement.
• Grey (Troops): Enhances troop abilities.
• Brown (Build): Unlocks building capabilities.
• Purple (Mining): Increases mining efficiency.

Combat: When your ship is within range of an enemy ship after navigation, you may attack. The attacker removes the defender’s ship. If your ship lands near an enemy planet, you can battle for control.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Game End: The game ends when a certain number of VP tokens have been claimed (varies by player count) or when specific conditions are met.

Scoring:

• VP tokens earned during the game (from mining, combat, etc.)
• 1 VP per occupied planet/colony at end of game
• 2 VP per city at end of game
• Quadrant bonuses for having cities in multiple sectors of the galaxy
• Technology level bonuses

The player with the most VP wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Flicking Rules: Ships must be flicked with one finger. If a ship touches an asteroid, it is destroyed. If it flies off the board, it returns to supply.
• Orbit: A ship is “in orbit” around a planet if it is within range (measured by the range ruler).
• Battleships: Each player has 1 battleship disc which is larger and harder to destroy. Unlocked by technology advancement.
• Planet Control: You control a planet if you have troops on it and no enemy troops are present.
• Stacking: Multiple ships can orbit the same planet. Troops from different players can coexist on a planet during combat resolution.
• Board Seams: If a ship stops on a seam between puzzle pieces, the owning player may adjust it slightly.

Player Reference

Action	Cost	Effect
Recruit	–	Place up to 2 troops on homeworld/planets
Move	2 movement points	Launch, navigate (flick), or land
Mine	Remove troops	Gain VP tokens
Build	Troops on planet	Place colony/research/city
Research	Matching facilities	Advance 1 tech level

Technology	Color	Benefit
Fleet	Orange	Ship improvements
Troops	Grey	Troop enhancements
Build	Brown	Building capabilities
Mining	Purple	Mining efficiency

End-Game Scoring
VP tokens	Earned during game
Occupied planets	1 VP each
Cities	2 VP each
Quadrant bonuses	Cities in multiple sectors