Gaia Project

2017 · Science Fiction

Gaia Project

Players take one of fourteen alien factions and expand across a modular galactic map by colonizing and terraforming different planet types to suit their home environment. Factions upgrade along six technology tracks—Terraforming, Navigation, Artificial Intelligence, Gaiaforming, Economy, and Research—to unlock abilities, buildings, and bonuses. Gaia planets serve as shared colonization targets, and Transdimensional planets can be converted into Gaia planets to open new options. Gameplay emphasizes area control, engine building, and asymmetric faction powers as players develop infrastructure, research technologies, and compete for resources and strategic positions across variable sector layouts.

Players
1–4 best 3
Playing time
60–150 min
Age
12+
Complexity
4.4 / 5
8.4 on Ludoyafrom $75.10EconomicSpace ExplorationSolo / Solitaire GameVictory Points as a ResourceVariable Set-up

On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
1,406
Plays logged
852
Players
2h 15m
Average play
296
In collections
69
On wishlists
2
Pre-ordered

8.4/10

from 171 Ludoya reviews

By player count

  • 1 playerGood · 1 vote
  • 2 playersGood · 1 vote
  • 3 playersBest · 1 vote
  • 4 playersGood · 1 vote
  • zim zhang9.0

    10 with expansion

    No plays logged

  • Mestremuten9.0

    Rating: 5/5 Production value: 3/4 Is the game in my collection/Love to have?: 1/1

    Played it 4 times

  • Carlos9.0

    Very deep brain burner game. Need to play more.

    First impressions · 2 plays

Read the reviews and rate it

Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

Can I spend power from any area of my power cycle?

No. You can spend only power tokens in area III, moving each spent token to area I. To charge power, move tokens from area I to II when possible; only when area I is empty do you move tokens from II to III (p. 9).

How far away can I build a mine, and can I use Q.I.C. to reach farther?

Your basic range depends on Navigation: 1 at levels 0–1, 2 at levels 2–3, 3 at level 4, and 4 at level 5. When building a mine, each Q.I.C. you spend adds 2 spaces to your range; the route is the shortest path and may cross occupied or unoccupied planets (p. 11).

Can I build on a Transdim Planet right away, or does my Gaiaformer stay there?

You cannot build directly on a Transdim Planet: first start a Gaia Project, and the planet becomes a Gaia Planet during the following round’s Gaia phase. The Gaiaformer stays on it until you build a mine there; only its owner can colonize that planet, and that owner pays no Q.I.C. to make it habitable (pp. 10–12).

How much do I need to connect for a federation, and can I include extra planets or satellites?

Your connected planets’ structures must total at least 7 power value, and you must use as few planets and satellites as possible while meeting that threshold; each satellite costs one discarded power. A mine is worth 1, a trading station or research lab 2, and a planetary institute or academy 3 (p. 14).

Once I pass, can I still take actions or keep my round booster?

No. Passing ends your turns for the rest of the round; when you pass, take a different available booster and return the one you started with (in the final round, return yours without taking another). You may take free actions before passing, but not after (p. 16).

When another player builds or upgrades near me, do I charge power for free?

You may charge power if you have a structure within two spaces, but you must spend VP: charging 1, 2, 3, or 4 power costs 0, 1, 2, or 3 VP, respectively. You can charge for only your highest-power-value nearby structure, and you either charge the full amount or as much as your power cycle or available VP permits (p. 17).

Official score sheet

Gaia Project score sheet

Every scoring category, from the Ludoya kit. On your phone the totals add up by themselves.

Opens Ludoya's rules assistant, which reads this game's rulebook.

Score sheets and play helpers

  • Full Game Kit
  • CAT ✶ Gaia Project
  • EN ✶ Gaia Project
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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.