Zenith

Overview

Zenith is a fast, punchy two-player tug-of-war game set in a far-future solar system inhabited by three races: Humans, Robots, and Animods. Civilization runs on Zenithium, a clean energy source, but coexistence is a struggle. Players compete for control of five planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter) by gaining Influence discs. The game features card play across three factions with distinct abilities, technology progression, and multiple victory conditions.

Components

• 5 Planet boards (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter)
• Influence tokens/discs (tug-of-war style on each planet)
• Leader badges (silver and gold sides)
• Technology markers (white and black tracks)
• Zenithium tokens
• Credits
• Playing cards (organized by faction: Robot, Human, Animod)
• 16 Bonus tokens (8 face-up, 8 face-down)
• Hand management cards

Setup

1. Arrange 5 planet boards between players.
2. Place initial Influence tokens on each planet at neutral position.
3. Determine first player randomly; second player gains 1 Earth Influence token.
4. Each player draws 4 cards as their starting hand.
5. Place technology markers at starting positions.
6. Arrange bonus tokens (8 face-up, 8 face-down).

Turn Structure

On your turn, select 1 card from your hand and perform 1 of 3 actions:

1. Diplomacy

Discard 1 card to gain the Leader Badge (silver side) plus the diplomacy bonus. Bonuses vary by faction:

• Robot: 1 Zenithium
• Human: 3 Credits
• Animod: Mobilize 2 cards

The silver badge increases hand size to 5. Upgrading to gold (costs more) increases hand size to 6.

2. Influence

Spend credits equal to the card’s cost to play it onto your stack for a planet. All cards provide base 1 Influence on their planet plus additional effects. Card effects may:

• Grant extra influence
• Remove opponent’s cards
• Steal opponent’s cards

Credit Discount: -1 cost per card already in your stack for that planet. Free if existing cards exceed cost.

3. Technology

Discard the card to advance your tech marker on that faction’s technology track. Requires Zenithium payment. Markers can only advance 1 level per turn.

Tech Sync Bonus: When all 3 tech tracks reach the same level (1, 2, or 3), gain Influence on a chosen planet:

• Level 1 sync: 1 Influence
• Level 2 sync: 2 Influence
• Level 3 sync: 3 Influence (One-time bonus per level.)

Turn End

Draw cards back to hand size limit. Pass to opponent.

Actions

• Diplomacy: Gain Leader Badge and faction-specific bonus.
• Influence: Play a card to a planet stack, gaining Influence and card effects.
• Technology: Advance a faction’s tech track using Zenithium.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Players win immediately upon achieving one of three conditions:

Victory Type	Requirement
Absolute	Gain 3 Influence discs from the same planet
Democratic	Gain 4 Influence discs from strictly different planets
Popular	Gain 5 Influence discs from any combination of planets

Influence discs are gained when your Influence on a planet reaches the edge of the track. A new token is then placed on the planet for future contest.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Excess Influence: When your Influence reaches the edge of a planet board, you claim the disc. Excess influence beyond the edge is lost.
• Bonus Tokens: 16 total (8 face-up, 8 face-down). Awarded to the first player reaching specific achievements (planet control, tech levels). Effects include: Influence, Zenithium, credits, leader badges, card mobilization, card exile, and card transfers.
• Leader Badge Upgrade: Silver badge can be upgraded to gold for enhanced benefits. Hand size: base 4, silver 5, gold 6.
• Three Factions: Each faction (Robot, Human, Animod) has distinct card abilities and diplomacy bonuses. Building a strategy around one or multiple factions is viable.
• Card Stacks: Cards played for Influence are placed in stacks per planet. Stack size reduces future Influence costs for that planet.
• New Influence Token: When a disc is claimed, a new token is placed on the planet, resetting the tug-of-war for that planet.
• Zenithium Management: Technology advancement requires Zenithium, which is a scarce resource gained primarily through Robot diplomacy or bonus tokens.

Player Reference

Action	Cost	Effect
Diplomacy	1 card (discard)	Leader Badge + faction bonus
Influence	Credits = card cost (minus discount)	Play card to planet stack
Technology	1 card (discard) + Zenithium	Advance tech track 1 level

Victory: 3 same planet (Absolute)

4 different planets (Democratic)

5 any mix (Popular)

Hand Size: Base 4

Silver 5

Gold 6