Overview

Planet Steam is an economic resource extraction game where players act as entrepreneurs on a colony planet, trying to accumulate the most wealth. Players stake claims, deploy tanks and converters to extract resources (quartz, ore, water, energy), and buy and sell those resources in a volatile market driven by supply and demand. The player with the most total wealth (credits + resource value) at game end wins.

Components

• 1 game board
• 90 plastic pieces: 35 bronze tanks, 14 silver quartz converters, 14 gold ore converters, 14 gray energy converters, 13 bronze superchargers
• 350+ cardboard pieces: 85 claim markers (5 colors + gray), resource tokens (quartz, ore, water, energy), credit tokens (1/5/10/20/50/100)
• 8 resource supply and price indicators
• 1 tank supply marker, 1 support airship marker
• 1 round marker, 4 order markers
• 67 cards: 10 specialist cards, 40 carrier cards, 14 certificate cards, 3 optional cards
• 5 reference sheets, 1 six-sided die

Setup

1. Place game board centrally. Set up resource market with starting prices.
2. Each player takes claim markers, carrier cards, credits, and a reference sheet.
3. Deal specialist cards for initial player order.
4. Place tanks in the tank market at starting prices.
5. Set round marker to round 1.

Turn Structure

Each round consists of multiple phases:

1. Specialist Selection

Players select specialist cards which determine turn order and grant special abilities for the round.

2. Claim Zones

In turn order, players stake claims on resource zones on the map.

3. Purchase Equipment

Players buy tanks and converters from the market. Tank prices fluctuate based on supply. Converters transform base resources into more valuable ones.

4. Deploy Equipment

Place purchased tanks and converters on claimed zones.

5. Resource Extraction

Tanks and converters on claimed zones produce resources based on the zone type and equipment.

6. Market Trading

Players buy and sell resources on the volatile market. Prices adjust dynamically based on supply and demand. The order in which players trade matters significantly.

7. Support Airship

The support airship provides additional extraction opportunities for the row it occupies.

Actions

• Stake Claims: Place claim markers on resource zones to control extraction.
• Buy Tanks: Purchase extraction tanks (prices fluctuate with supply).
• Buy Converters: Acquire converters (quartz, ore, or energy) to transform resources.
• Deploy Equipment: Place tanks/converters on your claimed zones.
• Trade Resources: Buy/sell on the open market at current prices.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game lasts a set number of rounds. At game end, the player with the most total wealth wins.

Wealth = Credits held + Market value of all resources owned

Resource values are determined by their current market price at game end.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Market prices are volatile: buying raises prices, selling lowers them.
• Specialist cards provide unique abilities and determine turn order each round.
• Converters allow transforming cheaper resources into more expensive ones.
• The support airship bonus row changes position each round.
• Building licenses and luxury quarters (certificate cards) provide additional bonuses.
• Tank market supply is limited; prices rise as tanks are purchased.
• Player order during trading phase significantly impacts final wealth.

Player Reference

Phase	Action
1. Specialists	Select specialist for turn order and ability
2. Claims	Stake claims on resource zones
3. Purchase	Buy tanks and converters
4. Deploy	Place equipment on zones
5. Extract	Produce resources from equipped zones
6. Trade	Buy/sell on the volatile market

Resources: Quartz, Ore, Water, Energy Win: Most total wealth (credits + resource market value).