Leaving Earth

To set up the game, each player selects a space agency, such as China (SAC), and receives starting money. The mission cards are sorted by difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard) and a set number are drawn based on the chosen game difficulty (e.g., 5 Easy missions for the simplest game). Technology cards, representing various advancements like rockets, capsules, and life support, are stacked face down, with three 'outcome' cards placed on top of each. Location cards, representing celestial bodies like Earth, Moon, and Mars, are laid out to form the solar system map. Players also receive spacecraft tokens and a player aid card detailing rocket capabilities and mission requirements.

The primary objective of Leaving Earth is to accumulate the most victory points by successfully completing missions. Missions involve various tasks such as orbiting Earth, landing on celestial bodies, or returning samples. Players must strategically research technologies, build spacecraft, and manage resources to achieve these goals. The game is played over a maximum of 20 years, and the player who has successfully completed missions worth the highest total of victory points by the end of this period, or when all missions are completed, is declared the winner. In solo play, the objective is to achieve more points from completed missions than from failed ones.

Each turn represents one year in the game. At the start of their turn, players receive 25 million credits. Players can then perform any number of actions in any order, including purchasing components (rockets, capsules, probes, supplies, astronauts) and researching technologies. Purchasing a technology costs 10 million credits and requires drawing three 'outcome' cards to determine its reliability (success, minor failure, major failure). If a major failure is drawn, the action fails, and the player can pay 5 million to discard the outcome card. If a success is drawn, the player can pay 10 million to discard the outcome card, making the technology fully reliable. Launching spacecraft involves calculating the total thrust needed to overcome the mass of the spacecraft and its payload, considering the difficulty of the maneuver. Time tokens are placed on the calendar track to indicate the duration of missions.

Victory points are primarily awarded for completing missions. Each mission card specifies the number of victory points it is worth. Points are tallied at the end of the game. Additionally, there are penalties for astronaut casualties; each astronaut lost results in a deduction of victory points. In multiplayer games, the player with the highest total victory points wins. In solo play, the player must achieve a positive score (more points from completed missions than from failed ones) to win.

The game concludes either after 20 years have passed on the game calendar or immediately if all available mission cards have been successfully completed. Once the game ends, players tally their victory points from completed missions and subtract any penalties for lost astronauts. The player with the highest final score is declared the winner. In solo play, a positive final score indicates a win.