Game Objective

SpaceCorp: Ventures is an expansion for the base game SpaceCorp. In solo mode, you take control of one of ten unique Earth factions, each with its own motives, advantages, and limitations, to explore the galaxy. The goal is to expand your influence and complete contracts across three distinct eras: Mariners, Planeteers, and Starfarers.

Setup

Game setup occurs progressively throughout the eras. The initial setup for Era 1: Mariners follows these steps:

• Boards and Display: Place the Mariners board on the table and the Business Display beside it ("1-2 Players" side up).
• Contracts: Place seven completed contract markers on the Business Display. For the eighth contract, randomly draw one of the three Contract Cards from SpaceCorp: Ventures for the era, place it under the Business Display (showing only the "1-4 players" side), and add the eighth marker to the left edge of the card.
• Discovery Tiles: Shuffle and stack the six e1 Discovery tiles and the three e2 Discovery tiles in their respective spaces.
• Beyond Marker: Place the 1st Beyond marker on the Asteroid Belt site.
• HQ: Choose one of the ten Player HQs from SpaceCorp: Ventures and a recommended Competition HQ for that player. Use the updated Solo Player Aid.
• Colors and Components: Choose your player color and take the corresponding cubes and base markers. If the Competition HQ is Stellar Security, its color must be blue. Place the bases on your HQ (removing those your HQ indicates you do not possess).
• Teams: Position the number of teams indicated on your HQ for the Mariners era at the Earth site. The competition does not start with teams on Earth unless the Competition HQ is D.P. Roberts Ltd. (team on contract 6) or SpaceCorp (team at a Lagrange Point of choice).
• Competition: Place the unused color cubes in the Competition Box. Place the competition color bases in an opaque container ("draw cup"), removing the Secure, Exploiter, and Shield Factory bases (which will enter during the Planeteers era), unless the competition is Stellar Security, which adds 3 yellow Secure bases to the cup.
• Progress and Profits: Place one beige and one black cube in the "start" space of your HQ's Progress Wheel. Place your profit marker and the competition's marker on the "0" space of the Profit Track ("+50" side down). If the competition is Nova Capital, its marker starts on space "2".
• Decks and Starting Hand:
  • Era Deck: Use the Mariners deck. Remove the 12 Start cards, shuffle them, and place them face down. Take the starting hand cards indicated on your HQ. Shuffle the rest of the deck and place the remaining Start cards on top.
  • Competition Deck: Use the Planeteers deck. Remove the 12 Start cards, shuffle them, and separate six. The other six return to the Planeteers deck, which is shuffled and placed at the Competition HQ. The six separated Start cards go on top of this deck.
• Offers: Reveal the first four cards of your Era Deck in the board's offer boxes.

Game Flow

The game progresses through turns, where the competition always starts the game by taking the first turn. The general structure follows the base game rules, with the following SpaceCorp: Ventures specificities:

• Sequence of Play: Each HQ has its own abbreviated Sequence of Play with faction-specific instructions. Adjustments highlighted in yellow on the HQ apply to all eras.
• Era Transition: The end of an era is triggered when six contracts are completed.
• Era 2 (Planeteers): New discovery tile configuration, new teams, and the addition of Secure, Shield Factory, and Exploiter bases for the competition. If the competition held the 1st Beyond marker, it starts the era with three consecutive turns.
• Era 3 (Starfarers): New discovery tile and colony configuration. The 1st Beyond marker is removed from the game. If the competition held the marker at the end of the previous era, it starts the era with three consecutive turns.

Actions and How to Play

Players use action cards and manage their resources to expand their corporation. The base game's basic rules apply, with the following additions:

• New Action Cards: Three new action cards have been added. The solo Edge effects for these cards are in the Solitaire Player Aid.
• Deck Modifications: The original M43 (Salvage) card is replaced by M43a. The P59 (Salvage) card is added to the Planeteers deck and S77 (Negotiations) to the Starfarers deck.
• Competition Site Actions (Mariners and Planeteers): If the competition's action card indicates a site that already has a base:
  • If the base is yours: resolve the action at the highest-numbered site that has a competition team.
  • If the base is the competition's: resolve the action at the lowest-numbered site that has a competition team.
  • If the action lists two sites and both have bases: resolve at the highest-numbered site with a competition team.
  • If none of the above options are possible, draw another card.
• Competition Site Actions (Starfarers):
  • If you have a base but no colony: resolve the action at the lowest-numbered site with a competition team.
  • If you have a colony: resolve the action at the highest-numbered site with a competition team.
  • If the competition has a colony: the competition receives profits (Ŧ) equal to the colony tile value and the turn ends.
• Contract 8: Works like the others. If not completed in the current era, its profit is added to the prize of the next era's contract.

End Game and Scoring

Consult the manual for details on final scoring and the general victory condition, as the provided context focuses on setup and expansion adjustments.

Final Profit Option (Starfarers): At the end of the turn (yours or the competition's) in which the second Starfarers contract is completed, you must choose between:

• The standard final profit option (based on the number of colonies).
• The alternative final profit option specific to your HQ.

Tips for Winning

• Leverage HQ Abilities: Pay close attention to your HQ's special rules, especially those that only come into effect during the Planeteers or Starfarers eras, to plan your long-term growth.
• 1st Beyond Marker Management: Try to maintain control of the 1st Beyond marker at the end of the Mariners era to be able to position a team in Ceres and claim a Discovery immediately at the start of the Planeteers era.
• Attention to Starfarers Timing: Plan your colony strategy in advance, as the choice of your Starfarers Scoring card (standard profit vs. HQ alternative) must be made exactly at the moment the second contract of the era is completed.