Galaxy Trucker

To set up the game, place the main game board in the center of the playing area. Create four piles of adventure cards (labeled I, II, III) and place them around the board, with three face-down and one face-up. Scatter the component tiles face-down within reach of all players. Each player selects a ship board, a cockpit tile of their chosen color, and two matching rocket tokens. One rocket is placed on the ship board as a reference, and the other is placed on the 'Stall' space of the flight board. Finally, choose a first player.

The primary objective of Galaxy Trucker is to earn the most credits by the end of the game. This is achieved by successfully building a spaceship capable of withstanding the perils of space, collecting valuable cargo, and completing missions. Players must balance the need for a strong, functional ship with the desire to collect lucrative cargo and arrive at destinations quickly.

The game proceeds in two main phases: assembly and flight. The assembly phase is timed using an hourglass, during which all players simultaneously build their spaceship by drawing and placing component tiles. Players can take one tile at a time, reveal it, and either place it on their ship, reserve it (up to two tiles), or return it face-up to the common pile. Once a player has attached at least one component, they can peek at the top three adventure cards. When the hourglass runs out, or a player completes their ship and moves their rocket to the first available space on the flight board, the assembly phase ends. The flight phase then begins, where the leader (the player whose rocket is furthest along the flight path) draws an adventure card, and players resolve its effects in order of initiative. This can involve encountering planets, meteor showers, enemies, abandoned ships, stellar dust, or war zones.

Scoring occurs at the end of each flight and at the end of the game. Players earn credits based on their arrival order at the destination planet, with earlier arrivals receiving more credits. Additional credits are awarded for specific titles, such as having the 'most beautiful ship' (fewest exposed connectors). Cargo collected and successfully delivered to the destination is sold for credits, with special cargo types yielding higher values. Penalties are incurred for lost components during flight, especially for essential parts like engines or life support, and for any reserved tiles not placed on the ship.

The game concludes after a predetermined number of flights, typically three, as indicated by the adventure card piles. After the final flight's scoring, players tally their total credits from all flights and any bonus credits from titles. The player with the highest total credit score is declared the winner. If playing a multi-flight game, the game board is reset for the next flight, but players keep their accumulated credits and any remaining cargo.