At the edge of the Solar System, another planet might be lurking. In this logic game, you’ll become astronomers: studying the night sky to uncover a hidden planet. Do you have the skill to find Planet X?

About the Board Game “The Search for Planet X”

This deductive strategy game tasks you with finding Planet X, proposing accurate theories about the locations of other Solar System objects, and earning acclaim among peers and the world. The winner is the player who contributes most to astronomical science and scores the highest points!

Gameplay

At its core, this is a competitive game—the first to solve the puzzle (find Planet X) usually wins. The game board is divided into sectors, with Planet X hidden in one of them.

For example, we know there are four asteroids across the sectors, and one asteroid is always next to another. We also know there’s a dwarf planet somewhere, which can’t be near Planet X. Nebulae must be at least one empty sector away from other objects. We know what objects are in the system, but not where they are. With deduction and a notepad, you can crack this logic puzzle.

Mobile App and Actions

A mobile app is essential for play, generating the system’s object layout and providing clues throughout the game. Each player can use their own device or share one with others.

On your turn, choose one of four actions:

• Scan the Sky: Pick an object type and a range of consecutive sky sectors. The app reveals how many of those objects are in that range.
• Survey a Sector: Select one sky sector. The app tells you what object is there or if it seems empty.
• Research a Topic: Choose a research topic. The app shares a logical rule about it for this game.
• Locate Planet X: Guess Planet X’s sector and the objects in its two adjacent sectors. The app confirms if you’re right.

Each action costs “time,” paid by moving along the time track. The player furthest back always goes first. As players’ telescope tokens move on the time track, the Earth disc rotates. If the arrow lands on a conference or theory symbol, that phase begins.

Conference Phase

In this phase, all players gain new info about Planet X’s location by pressing the “Conference” button in the app.

Theory Phase

All players simultaneously decide which theories to propose, placing theory tokens on the expertise track where they think an object type lies. Tokens are then revealed and checked via the app.

The game ends when someone finds Planet X. Tally your points. The player with the most points wins—their contribution to this astronomical discovery reigns supreme!

We recommend watching the video rules in the “Video” section and, if desired, exploring the illustrated PDF rules in the “Files” section.

One Last Note

Gallu the Rooster recommends “The Search for Planet X” to anyone thrilled by logic puzzles and deduction games with a hint of bluffing.

Also check out the logic board game “Alchemists”, where players brew potions, dabble in science, and try to profit from their game-earned knowledge.