Charon Inc.

About this board game

Charon Inc. is a strategic area-control and bidding game for 2–5 players, playable in about 60 minutes. Set in the year 2288, it casts players as mega-corporation CEOs competing to exploit resources and colonize Charon, the largest moon of Pluto.

Each round, Charon’s regions are seeded with a mix of gems. Players place bidding flags in regions, on borders between regions, or at intersections touching multiple regions. These positions determine influence over several areas, making every bid a choice between concentrating power and affecting a wider part of the map.

The bidding system also governs access to special actions. Players move their flags until each has one unspent, then use the special power where their final flag stands. That power is available only when a player is alone in its area, except in a five-player game, where two players can share it.

• Win gems by having the most flags in or around each region.
• Resolve ties through flag seniority: flags affecting fewer regions take precedence.
• Build cards using gems from a common pool or from your hand.
• Trade gems when necessary and manage the limited number you can save.

At the start of each round, everyone contributes a building card to a common pool, then receives additional cards afterward. During the building phase, players spend their collected gems on available cards, while observing the restriction that they cannot build cards with the same number.

After five rounds, the player with the highest sum of buildings wins. With its blend of area control, tactical bidding, resource management, and changing special powers, Charon Inc. turns planetary exploitation into a tense race for corporate domination.