How to Play

Roll for the Galaxy

2-5 players 45-45 min 7.6 Board Game Geek Rating

Players command dice-based populations to construct galactic civilizations in this 2-5 player space empire builder. Direct your dice workers to research technologies, colonize planets, and trade resources across the galaxy. Victory belongs to whoever most effectively manages their workforce while building the wealthiest interstellar domain.

Published 2014

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Prepare Ambition components

Include six objective tiles and talent counters from the Roll for the Galaxy: Ambition expansion

Set player dice

Give each human player 2 Home (white) dice and 1 Leader (black) die in their cup instead of the standard 3 Home dice

Position the automa

Set up the automa between both players on either side of the table

Give automa limited components

Provide the automa with only a credit marker and a mat with the marker on the 0 space

Draw automa starting tiles

Draw two tiles from the bag and place the first one development-side up on the left construction zone and the second one world-side up on the right construction zone

Exclude automa extras

Do NOT give the automa a cup, screen, phase strip, faction/home world tiles, or any dice

Set VP pool

Use 36 VPs in the common pool

Draft starting tiles

Give both human players two faction tiles and two home world tiles each; players select one of each after viewing the six objectives, returning extras to the box

Set aside phase die

Place one Leader (black) die near the phase tiles for phase selection

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Roll and assign dice

Proceed normally with rolling and assigning dice; players do not need to hide dice behind screens

Communicate freely

Players may discuss strategy and share information openly

Roll phase die

Roll the spare Leader (black) die instead of a Home die; all phases shown occur

Handle wild result

If the Leader die shows wild (*), both Produce and Ship phases occur

Resolve automa actions

After reveal but before phases, the automa acts based on selected phases

Automa gains base income

The automa always gains one credit each round

Automa explores

During Explore, the automa gains one additional credit plus one credit per three tiles in its tableau (rounded down)

Automa develops

During Develop only, the automa builds developments by paying credits, drawing new tiles after each build until it cannot afford the next

Automa settles

During Settle only, the automa builds worlds by paying credits, drawing new tiles after each build until it cannot afford the next

Automa handles both phases

When both Develop and Settle occur, the automa prioritizes balancing worlds and developments, preferring worlds when tied

Automa produces

During Produce, the automa gains 1 credit per 3 total development cost in its tableau (rounded up)

Automa ships

During Ship, the automa gains 1 VP per colored world and 1 VP per two gray worlds (rounded up)

Choose producer action

For each producer, players choose to either create a good or send to citizenry to give a tile away

Give tiles to partner

To give a tile away, take any tile from your construction zones and give it to the other player, who places it at the bottom of either of their construction stacks