# Alien Artifacts: Discovery

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2018
- **BGG Rating**: 7.0
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 2-5
- **Duration**: 60-90 min
- **Weight**: 3.00 / 5
- **Designers**: Marcin Senior Ropka, Viola Kijowska
- **Artists**: Aleksandar Mihajlovic, Evan Lee, Rafał Szyma
- **Publishers**: Pegasus Spiele, Portal Games
- **Categories**: Expansion for Base-game
- **Mechanics**: Hand Management, Open Drafting, Set Collection, Variable Phase Order

## Verdict
If you love Alien Artifacts, you’ll enjoy the fresh alien resources that add strategic depth.More strategic optionsWell‑integrated expansionHigher replay valueRequires full translationSlight learning curveRECOMMENDED

## Description
Humanity stumbled upon a mysterious resource buried deep beneath a distant planet, and now everyone wants a slice of this newfound wealth. Alien Artifacts: Discovery continues the original universe's storyline and introduces a brand‑new card type: Alien Resources. The expansion adds fifty cards that broaden the options for gathering, trading, and exploring. The core still blends hand management, open drafting, set collection, and variable phase order—the same combo that made the base game addictive. You’ll still draft from a shared pool, but now you must decide how to wield the freshly discovered alien resources, which can grant unexpected bonuses or open different strategic paths. Each resource can be traded, hoarded, or used to speed up your tableau construction. The 4X mechanic remains, encouraging exploration and expansion, while tableau building lets you watch your alien empire take shape. It’s not a radical overhaul, but the 50 extra cards make the game richer and boost replayability without overcomplicating the rules. Perfect for fans of the base game who want more strategic variety without learning an entirely new system.

## How to Play
Objective of the Game
In Alien Artifacts: Discovery, players are captains of reconnaissance spaceships exploring "dead zones" across the Gliadius system, searching for extraordinary resources hidden under hard-to-drill crusts. The Yamishi Corp. Board has tasked players with securing as many "crusty" planets as possible, as big changes are coming, and they need to be prepared. The game's ultimate goal is to discover and exploit these valuable Alien Resources.

Preparation (Setup)
To set up Alien Artifacts: Discovery, first, shuffle the new Ships, Technologies, Planets, and Alien Artifacts cards into their appropriate decks from the base game. Then, set up the base game as usual. Additionally, shuffle the Alien Resources cards and place them face down next to the Resource deck, leaving space for a discard pile beside it.

Fluxo do Jogo
Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.

Ações e Como Jogar
New Type of Cards: Alien Resources Cards

    Alien Resource cards can only be produced on planets with the specific keyword: Produce.
    Each Alien Resource card provides 1 Alien Resource symbol and 1 Production bonus (the 'When produced' section).
    An Alien Resource is considered a universal Resource for all game purposes, meaning you can use it as a wild Resource for any Basic, Operational, Faction, and Card specific action.
    Alien Resource cards must obey Assembly Limits when spent for an action.
    The Production bonus is a one-time bonus a player gains when the card is produced. For example, if a planet Produces 2, and a player draws 2 cards, they gain 3 and 1 (resolving it immediately), and then tuck the cards under the planet.
    When an Alien Resource card is spent, it is placed into the Alien Resource discard pile.
    If there are no Alien Resource cards left in the Alien Resource deck, shuffle the discard pile to create a new deck.
    If there are no cards in both the Alien Resource deck and the discard pile, planets cannot produce Alien Resources.


New Ships: XENIUM

    GO ON A MISSION: A xenium ship immediately harvests. To harvest, a player may spend 2 Resources of any kind from 1 of their planets to gain 1 Alien Resource (maximum 1 per ship). This ship cannot attack Alien Systems or other players. Harvest is considered an attack for all game effects and keywords.
    JOIN THE FLEET: Gain a permanent bonus. From now on, when your planet(s) produce, you may choose 1 planet, and that planet produces one additional card according to its kind (Resource or Alien Resource if it's a xenium planet). The player must decide which planet produces the additional card before drawing any cards.


New Planets: XENIUM

    SETTLE A XENIUM PLANET: Gain a permanent bonus. From now on, using a faction's action to gain an Alien Artifact card is reduced by 2 Resources. For example, if Clone Clans normally spend 10 Resources to gain an Alien Artifact card, having two Xenium planets reduces the cost by 4, requiring only 6 Resources.
    EXPLOIT A XENIUM PLANET: It produces 2 Alien Resource cards. Resolve the Production bonus, and then tuck the Resource cards under the planet. At any time, you may use these cards as if they were in your hand (the Assembly Limit still applies to using these cards). Each time a xenium planet produces (using Mine the planets or any other game effect), it will produce Alien Resource card(s) instead of regular Resource cards.


Card Clarifications

    EFFICIENCY ENHANCING AGENDA: One Technology card can have more than 1 attached Ship card.
    LONG RANGE EXTRACTION SIMULATIONS: The effect works instead of the normal production.
    ENHANCED CONTROL PROGRAM: One Technology card can have more than 1 attached Ship card.


Fim de Jogo e Pontuação
Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.

Dicas para Vencer

    Focus on settling Xenium planets early to reduce the cost of acquiring Alien Artifact cards, which can be a significant advantage for your faction.
    Utilize Xenium ships to harvest Alien Resources, as these are universal resources that can be used for any action, providing great flexibility.
    When exploiting Xenium planets, remember that they produce 2 Alien Resource cards, and these cards can be used from under the planet as if they were in your hand, allowing for strategic planning and resource management.

## FAQ
### How many players can play?
From 2 to 5 players, just like the base game.

### How long does a game take?
Approximately 60‑90 minutes, depending on player count.

### Do I need anything besides the base game?
Yes, you need the Alien Artifacts base game to use this expansion.

### Is the expansion translated into Portuguese?
Most cards are in English; a full translation is recommended for comfortable play.

### What is the complexity level?
It keeps the 3/5 weight of the base game, so it’s approachable for those familiar with the mechanics.

### How many new cards are added?
Fifty new Alien Resource cards that expand collection and trade strategies.

### Does the expansion change core rules?
No, it only adds new cards and options; the core rules stay the same.

## Price Comparison
### Best International Offers
- **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 17.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4916716&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com)
  - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/23366/alien-artifacts-discovery?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com