Head in the stars
In Orbita, each game is played as a series of tricks and planet movements. Each turn, depending on the cards played, the planets' positions on the game board will shift, influencing the outcome of subsequent tricks. But here, winning the most tricks doesn't necessarily guarantee victory: your goal is to let your opponent take some tricks in order to score points at the end of the game. When the game ends, the player with the most points wins.
The course of the stars
Throughout the game, you must keep your cards in the same order in your hand: you cannot move or rearrange them. Each trick, you take turns playing 1 to 3 cards of the same planet, then move the corresponding marker on the board the same number of spaces. Your opponent must do the same, but choose a different planet. Once both markers have been moved, their positions are compared: if your planet is on the space with the higher value, you win the trick and collect all the cards played. You then become the first player of the next trick.
Who will be the great master astronomer?
This is where the true subtlety of Orbita is revealed! At the end of the game, you compare your number of cards with your opponent's for each of the four planets. The player with the fewest cards turns them face down and gives them to their opponent: each card won this way is worth 1 point. You'll therefore need to carefully manage your collections throughout the game to gain the upper hand at the final scoring.
