How to Play

Tiny Epic Galaxies

1-5 players 30-45 min 7.3 Board Game Geek Rating

Players command galactic empires, expanding through strategic dice-rolling mechanics. Your galaxy's strength determines dice quantity, with symbols indicating actions like moving ships, gathering resources, or influencing planets. Opponents can follow your actions by spending resources, keeping everyone engaged. Victory comes through colonizing planets for points and special abilities while managing resources efficiently.

Published 2015

Get Ready

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

Distribute galaxy tableaus

Each player receives a galaxy tableau in their chosen color (use front side for multiplayer, back side for solo)

Give player components

Each player receives 4 ships, 1 culture marker, 1 energy marker, and 1 empire marker in their color

Place starting ships

Each player places 2 ships standing upright in the center of their galaxy tableau; remaining 2 ships go on the framed numbers of the ship display

Set initial resources

Place each player's culture marker on 1 and energy marker on 2 on the resource track

Set empire level

Place the empire marker on the first space (marked with a star) of the empire track

Prepare planet cards

Shuffle planet cards and deal face-up cards equal to number of players plus 2 (maximum 6 cards for 5 players) in a row in the center

Place control tableau

Put the control tableau and all 7 action dice in the center of the table

Distribute secret missions

Shuffle secret mission cards, deal 2 to each player; each player keeps one under their tableau and returns the other to the box unseen

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Roll dice

Take dice equal to your empire level (4 dice at start) and roll them to determine available actions

Activate dice

Place a die in the Activation Bay on the control tableau to use its action; each die may only be used once per turn

Choose activation order

Activate dice in any order; not all dice must be activated

Reroll dice

Reroll unactivated dice at any time; first reroll each turn is free, subsequent rerolls cost 1 energy each

Move a ship (rocket symbol)

Move one ship to a different planet to either land on the surface (upright) or orbit it (lying down on colonization track)

Gain energy (lightning symbol)

Receive 1 energy for each ship on or orbiting planets showing the energy symbol, plus 1 for each ship on your galaxy tableau

Gain culture (column symbol)

Receive 1 culture for each ship on or orbiting planets showing the culture symbol

Track resources

Move markers along resource track; maximum 7 of each resource; remove marker when at zero

Advance colonization - Diplomacy (web symbol)

Move ships one space forward on colonization tracks ending with the diplomacy symbol

Advance colonization - Economy (chart symbol)

Move ships one space forward on colonization tracks ending with the economy symbol

Colonize a planet

When your ship reaches the end of a colonization track, take the planet card and place it under your galaxy tableau showing text and point value; all ships on that planet return to their owners' tableaus; draw a new planet to replace it

Use a colony (building symbol)

Activate either your galaxy tableau action or one colonized planet's action

Upgrade empire

Pay resources equal to the next empire level (all energy OR all culture, no mixing) to advance your empire marker and gain more dice, ships, and victory points

Use the converter

Place 2 inactive dice in the converter area, then set a third die to any face; usable once per turn; converted dice cannot be used this turn

Follow another player's action

After the active player activates a die, other players may pay 1 culture to immediately perform the same action; each player may follow each die only once

End your turn

After activating desired dice, give other players a moment to follow the last die, then remove all dice from the control tableau and pass to next player clockwise