Unsettled

2021

Embark on a journey through the surreal cosmos in Unsettled, a cooperative survival board game. Explore bizarre alien landscapes and conquer unique survival tasks.

90
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium Heavy

About the game

The game Unsettled is a wonderfully immersive and intriguing board game that takes you on a thrilling journey across the vast expanse of the cosmos. In this game, players are thrust into the grandeur and mystery of uncharted space, where they must work together to survive the unknown.

The setting of Unsettled is truly unique. Each game takes place on a different planet, each with its own set of challenges and quirks. The planets are not simply backdrops, but are active participants in your adventure, constantly changing and presenting new obstacles that players must overcome.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Unsettled is a highly immersive, thematic board game that comes with a variety of components that each play a unique role in the game’s mechanics and overall experience. Here is a detailed list and description of each component:

1. Planet Boxes: There are several Planet Boxes included in Unsettled. Each box represents a different planet, complete with its own unique challenges, characteristics, and playstyle. The Planet Box contains all the necessary items for playing on that specific planet.

2. Player Pawns: These are the physical representations of the players on the game board. The pawns move around the board according to player actions and decisions.

3. Player Decks: Each player has a deck of cards. These cards can be actions, abilities, or events that the players can use during their turns. The deck composition can change based on player decisions and game progression.

4. Tokens: There are several types of tokens in Unsettled. These can represent a variety of things such as player resources, obstacles, points of interest, and more. They provide a visual and physical representation of various game elements.

5. Dice: Unsettled comes with dice that are used to determine the outcomes of certain actions or events. The dice can add an element of chance and unpredictability to the game.

6. Game Board: The game board is the physical space where the game takes place. It is a modular board, allowing for a different layout and game experience each time you play.

7. Condition Cards: These cards represent different conditions that can affect the players or the game state. Conditions can be beneficial or harmful, and managing these conditions is an important part of the game’s strategy.

8. Planet Cards: These cards provide information and details about the planet that the players are exploring. They can affect the game’s mechanics and strategy.

9. Objective Cards: Objective cards provide the players with specific goals or tasks to complete. Completing these objectives is usually necessary to win the game.

Each component in Unsettled interacts with the game and the players in unique ways. The careful management and utilization of these components is key to mastering the game and overcoming the challenges of each planet.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Unsettled is a cooperative survival game where players explore unknown planets and attempt to survive against the odds. The game setup involves preparing the planet board, selecting roles for players, and distributing initial resources. Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to set up ‘Unsettled’.

Step 1: Preparing the Planet Board

First, select the planet you wish to explore. Each planet has its own unique set of challenges and features.
Once a planet has been chosen, layout the Planet Board in the center of the table. This board represents the planet you’re exploring and will be the main focus of the gameplay.
Now, shuffle the Planet Deck and place it face down on its designated spot on the Planet Board. The Planet Deck contains various events and discoveries that can occur during the game.
Finally, place the Mission Deck and the Time Tracker on their respective spots on the Planet Board. These elements will help guide your exploration and manage the passage of time.

Step 2: Selecting Player Roles

Each player should now select a role from the available options. Roles include the Engineer, the Scientist, the Explorer, and the Navigator. Each role comes with its unique set of skills and abilities, which can be utilized during gameplay to overcome challenges.
After choosing a role, each player should take the corresponding Role Card and Marker. The Role Card outlines the special abilities of the role, and the Marker is used to keep track of the player’s location on the Planet Board.
Place the player Markers on the starting location on the Planet Board.

Step 3: Distributing Initial Resources

Each player starts the game with a set of initial resources, listed on their Role Card. These resources include items like food, water, and tools, which can be used to survive and explore the planet.
Each player should collect their initial resources and place them in their personal inventory.

Step 4: Setting Up Random Elements

Shuffle the Discovery Deck and place it face down next to the Planet Board. This deck contains random events and discoveries that can occur during gameplay, adding an element of uncertainty and excitement.
Finally, draw the top card from the Mission Deck and place it face up on the designated spot on the Planet Board. This card represents the initial mission that players need to accomplish.

Now, you are all set to start your adventure in the world of Unsettled! Remember, the key to survival is cooperation and strategic use of resources. Happy exploring!

Game flow Round and round we go

Unsettled is a cooperative survival adventure board game. It’s set in the bizarre and wondrous reaches of outer space. Players are a team of astronauts stranded in alien landscapes where your most basic assumptions of reality do not apply. Your most immediate needs for survival force you into a constant state of decision-making that is as intuitive as it is strategic.

Game Setup:

Each player selects a character and takes the corresponding character card and marker.

The game board, which represents the alien landscape, is laid out with the tiles in the configuration specified by the chosen planet.

Place your character markers on the starting tiles as indicated by the planet setup.

Shuffle the deck of Unsettled cards and place it within reach of all players.

Set the survival and knowledge counters according to the number of players.

Gameplay Overview:

Gameplay in Unsettled proceeds in rounds, with each round consisting of two phases:

1. Player Phase: During this phase, players take turns in clockwise order. On your turn, you may perform up to two actions. The actions can be any combination of the following, and can be performed in any order:

Move: Move your marker to a tile adjacent to your current location.

Interact: Interact with a point of interest on your current location.

Resolve: Resolve a card from the Unsettled deck.

Assist: Assist another player at your location.

2. Planet Phase: After all players have taken their turns, the planet takes its turn. During this phase, resolve the top card of the Unsettled deck and follow its instructions. This often involves adding new points of interest to the board, moving existing points of interest, or otherwise changing the game state in unpredictable ways.

Once the Planet Phase is complete, a new round begins with the Player Phase.

The game continues in this way, with players and the planet taking turns, until either the players have achieved their objective (as specified by the chosen planet), or they have succumbed to the alien environment. In either case, the game ends immediately.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the board game ‘Unsettled’, players are plunged into an uncharted universe full of mystery and danger. Each player’s turn is packed with strategic decisions and potential actions that can greatly affect the gameplay.

Turn Order:

Energy Phase: At the beginning of each turn, the player collects energy tokens based on the energy value of their current sector. This energy is a valuable resource used to perform actions.
Action Phase: The player uses their collected energy to perform actions. They may do any number of actions, as long as they have enough energy to pay for them. Actions include exploring new sectors, interacting with objects or anomalies, using equipment, and more.
End Phase: After all actions are resolved, the player ends their turn. If any effects happen at the end of the turn, they are resolved here.

Possible Actions:

Explore: The player can spend energy to reveal an adjacent sector. This might uncover valuable resources, dangerous anomalies, or even other players.
Interact: The player can spend energy to interact with an object or anomaly in their sector. This might give them new tools, help them solve the planet’s mysteries, or put them in danger.
Move: The player can spend energy to move to an adjacent sector. This can help them avoid danger, reach valuable resources, or interact with other players.
Use Equipment: The player can spend energy to use their equipment. Equipment can provide various benefits, such as additional actions, protection from danger, or boosts to energy.
Rest: The player can choose to rest, regaining some energy but ending their action phase early.

The strategic choices made during a player’s turn in ‘Unsettled’ can have significant effects on the gameplay. Choosing whether to explore new sectors, interact with objects or anomalies, move to new areas, or use equipment can result in discovering valuable resources, avoiding danger, or progressing the game. However, these choices also have risks, as exploring or interacting can result in danger, and using equipment or moving can deplete a player’s energy. Therefore, a player must carefully consider their options and make strategic decisions to navigate the challenges of the uncharted universe.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Unsettled’ ends when the players have successfully completed all the objectives listed on the Planet Deck or when the time runs out. The game is a cooperative one, meaning that all players either win together or lose together. Remember, ‘Unsettled’ is about surviving uncharted space, not competing with your fellow explorers.

Victory Conditions:

Completion of Planet Objectives: The primary win condition in ‘Unsettled’ is the successful completion of all the objectives listed on the Planet Deck. These objectives are unique to each planet and may involve various tasks such as gathering specific resources, reaching certain locations, or overcoming particular challenges.
Survival Until Rescue: In some scenarios, the players may also win if they manage to survive until the rescue team arrives. The time until rescue is typically tracked using a countdown mechanism and requires the players to efficiently manage their resources and actions to endure until help arrives.

Pre-End Actions:

Before the final scoring, there are a few actions that players must take:

Check for Unfinished Objectives: Before the game is declared over, players must ensure that all objectives on the Planet Deck have been completed. If any objectives remain incomplete, players must continue playing until either all objectives are complete or time runs out.
Resolve Active Effects: Any active effects, such as ongoing damage or status effects, must be resolved before the final scoring.
Calculate Survival Points: Although ‘Unsettled’ is a cooperative game, players can still calculate their individual survival points for fun. The points can be calculated based on the number of tasks completed, resources gathered, and other accomplishments achieved during the game.

Keep in mind that ‘Unsettled’ is a game about exploration and cooperation. The journey is just as important, if not more so, than the destination. Happy exploring!

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

‘Unsettled’ is a unique board game where players are not competing against each other but are working together to survive in alien environments. Because of this co-operative nature, the game doesn’t have a traditional scoring system or points system like many other board games. However, the success of the team can be gauged based on the completion of objectives and survival of the team.

Each scenario in ‘Unsettled’ has a different set of objectives which the players must accomplish to achieve a successful game. The objectives can range from finding certain resources, exploring specific regions, or solving complex puzzles within the game. Once the objectives are complete, the players win the game.

Survival is a key aspect of ‘Unsettled’. Players are required to manage their resources carefully and ensure that their characters are not succumbing to the harsh environments. This includes managing health, hunger, and sanity levels. If a player’s character dies, the entire team loses, regardless of how many objectives have been completed.

As for tie-breaking rules, since ‘Unsettled’ is a cooperative game, there isn’t a need for such rules. The players either win together or lose together based on their ability to achieve objectives and survive in the alien environments.

In summary:

Scoring in ‘Unsettled’ is based on the team’s ability to complete scenario-specific objectives and survive in the alien environments.
There is no point system or tie-breaking rules as ‘Unsettled’ is a cooperative game where players win or lose as a team.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Unsettled is a deeply strategic board game that challenges players to survive in the vast expanse of unexplored galaxies. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Pooling Resources: When exploring new planets, it’s critical to pool resources among team members. This allows for more efficient use of actions and can help the team survive longer.
Optimal Action Selection: The choice of actions is critical to survival. Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of each action can help you make optimal decisions.
Risk Management: Sometimes, taking a risk can lead to significant rewards. However, it’s important to balance risk and reward, as reckless decisions can lead to disaster.

Beginner Tips:

Understand the Game Mechanics: ‘Unsettled’ has a unique set of rules and mechanics. Understanding these before your first game can help you make better decisions and enjoy the game more.
Teamwork is Key: ‘Unsettled’ is a cooperative game, and teamwork is critical to success. Communicate with your team, plan your actions together, and help each other out whenever possible.
Explore Carefully: Exploring new areas can provide valuable resources and opportunities. However, it also carries risks, so be sure to explore carefully.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring Team Needs: In ‘Unsettled’, it’s important to consider the needs of the entire team. Ignoring your team’s needs can lead to disaster.
Wasting Actions: Each action in ‘Unsettled’ is valuable. Wasting actions on unnecessary tasks can lead to defeat.
Not Planning Ahead: ‘Unsettled’ requires strategic planning and foresight. Failing to plan ahead can put the team in a difficult situation.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Efficient Resource Management: Managing resources efficiently is key to survival in ‘Unsettled’. Always consider the best way to use your resources.
Effective Communication: Good communication can greatly improve your team’s chances of success. Always discuss your plans and strategies with your team.
Strategic Exploration: Exploring new areas is risky but can lead to great rewards. Plan your exploration carefully to minimize risk and maximize reward.