
- BGG rank
- BGG #958
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Eminent Domain
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2011

Rules assistance for Core Worlds: Galactic Orders
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Core Worlds: Galactic Orders is an expansion for Core Worlds released in 2012 for 2–5 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Andrew Parks and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
In Core Worlds: Galactic Orders – the first expansion to Core Worlds, the deck-building card game of intergalactic conquest – players begin to forge alliances with the six Galactic Orders, powerful organizations that have maintained their independence in the midst of a crumbling empire. These Orders consist of the Galactic Senate, the Science Guild, the Merchant Alliance, the Mining Coalition, the Order of Knighthood, and the Mystic Brotherhood. The Galactic Orders expansion focuses on these six independent organizations and their influence upon a galaxy at war. Each Galactic Order is represented on the table by a large Galactic Order card that specifies the special power associated with that Order, and each player starts with 20 Faction Tokens that match the Faction symbols on their Starting Decks. Whenever a player deploys a Unit or plays a Tactic with a Galactic Order icon on it, he gets to place his Faction Token onto the corresponding Galactic Order card. Players must choose between leaving their Faction Tokens on the Galactic Order cards to score points at the end of the game, or removing their Faction Tokens in order to use the unique special powers associated with each Order.
Core Worlds: Galactic Orders supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Core Worlds: Galactic Orders is 90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Core Worlds: Galactic Orders for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Core Worlds: Galactic Orders has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Core Worlds: Galactic Orders belongs to these categories: Card Game, Science Fiction, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Core Worlds: Galactic Orders are: Andrew Parks. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Core Worlds: Galactic Orders as an expansion for Core Worlds. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Core Worlds to use it. Check that your edition of Core Worlds is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.