
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,801
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Rival Realms
- 1–2 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2018

2019
Rules assistance for Planetopia
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Planetopia is a board game released in 2019 for 2–5 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Julien Charbonnier and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Grid Movement, and Pattern Building.
The universe is so vast and the stars hide so many things that the birth of a new planet often goes unnoticed. But this time you will be able to make the difference, your planet is the most beautiful, the most welcoming of all the galaxy and you intend to prove it well! Attract a maximum of life forms on your planet and, by respecting the laws of gravity, make sure to arrange your living spaces as well as possible in order to score a maximum of Prestige points. Show everyone that your planet is the most prosperous in the entire galaxy! Planetopia is a space deck building game where players each embody a planet and will optimize their hand to achieve the most interesting combinations to win the game. The game goes clockwise,each player taking one turn at a time. During his turn a player has the choice among the following actions: Mandatory action to choose among: Take a Cosmos card: Take a Cosmos card from the common trail. The rightmost card is considered to be closest to your planet, so you can take it without spending an Atom token. On the other hand, if you choose to take a card farther away from your planet, you will have to spend an Atom token on each card to the right of the chosen card. The chosen card then joins your hand, you can only apply its effect once you play it. Once the card is taken, slide the remaining cards to the right to fill the empty space. Then draw a new Cosmos card and add it to the left end of the row so you have 5 cards available again. Play a card: Play a card of your hand face up in front of you and apply its effect. Most of the time the Cosmos cards can accommodate new residents on your planet, then take the Alien tokens corresponding to the icons on the card played and place them on your game board. If you end up with more Alien tokens than your board can welcome, discard the token(s) of your choice without obtaining Atom token(s) in exchange. If you play the last card you had in hand, recover all your cards at the end of your turn. Recover cards: Collect in your hand all the cards played face up in front of you. On top of your mandatory action you can make another optional action to choose between: Atomize: You may decide to discard one or two of the residents of your choice from your planet, receive an Atom token for each discarded Alien token. Make a combo: Discard the Alien tokens corresponding to the pattern on the Prestige card and take it. Keep it face up in front of you. Some cards can also recover special tokens. You can therefore do a maximum of two actions per turn: one mandatory and one optional, in the order of your choice. The game is played in as many rounds as necessary for a player to score 25 Prestige points. The player with the most points is then declared the winner, her Planet is the most remarkable of all the Galaxy! —description from the publisher
Planetopia 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 Planetopia is 30–45 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 Planetopia for ages 8 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.
Planetopia has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
Planetopia belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Puzzle. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Grid Movement, and Pattern 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 Planetopia are: Julien Charbonnier. 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 Planetopia as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.