Spice Planet

Spice Planet is a card game for three to eight players, playable with two standard decks of playing cards.

"He who controls the Spice controls the Imperium!"

The Galactic Imperium is completely dependent on the addictive Spice produced on only one world, the Spice Planet. From time to time, the Great Houses vie for influence on the planet with both armies and intrigue.

Objective: Be the first faction or alliance to control four cities, or control the most cities before a ceasefire ends the game. Control a city by building a stack of cards that is larger than all opposing card stacks on that city. Obtain more cards by controlling cities, trafficking in the spice harvest, and engaging in reputational intrigue.

Turn Sequence: Repeat this sequence each turn until the game is over.

1. Weather: determine the first player in the turn order by flipping cards from the top of the draw deck to the harvest pile until a player’s suit is drawn; the first player starts the action phase and decides if turn order proceeds clockwise or counter-clockwise. Each time a face card is drawn, alliances may be made or broken.

2. Action: each player in turn order either takes an action or passes; when all players consecutively pass, the phase ends; then, check for military victory.

3. Harvest: player or players tied for the most cards in pile draw 1 for each enemy suit present in pile then take 1 of own cards from pile.

4. Intrigue: reveal the intrigue pile; player or players tied for the least cards in the pile draw 1 for each enemy suit present in pile then take 1 of own cards (if any) from the pile.

5. Income: shuffle and place all discards at the bottom of the draw deck; give each player 1 card, then award 1 card for each controlled city, then award 1 card for each adjacent pair of controlled cities.

Military Victory is declared at end of the Action phase by a single player or an alliance that controls 4 cities. The victors seize control of Spice production, forcing an end to the hostilities, and the game ends immediately.

Ceasefire is declared if the draw deck is depleted. The player who then controls the most cities wins a Political Victory, but a tie is a Stalemate with no victors. Exception: see victory conditions for The Nomads and the Guild.