The Official SETI FAQ

[Note: this article originally appeared on the CGE Blog]

SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence is our recently announced heavy euro release coming out later this year! Wondering what it’s about? Eager to learn when and where you’ll get to demo it? We have answers and more behind-the-scenes details in our Official FAQ. Read on!

Q: What is SETI about?

In SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, you lead a scientific institution tasked with searching for traces of life beyond planet Earth. It’s a heavy eurogame for 1–4 players that pays homage to space and planetary exploration, astronomy, the ongoing search for signs of life in the vastness of space, and efforts to understand the nature of life in the universe.

Q: SETI…that sounds familiar. Where have I heard that before?

SETI is inspired by our search for life beyond our own planet and the real-world space research being conducted by institutions around the globe. In the US, one of the most notable of these organizations is the SETI Institute, which was founded in the early 1980s to search for life in the universe beyond.

Though our game is not directly affiliated to the SETI Institute, it does pay homage to the scientific research that’s ongoing at the institution. The designer, Tomáš Holek, is also a huge fan of Carl Sagan.

Q: What do you do in the game?

Players will explore nearby planets and their moons by launching probes from Earth while taking advantage of ever-shifting planetary positions. Decide whether to land on their surface to collect valuable samples, or stay in orbit for a broader survey. Additionally, by directing your telescopes to gaze into distant star systems, you may detect traces of alien signals or undiscovered exoplanets, and collect promising data to examine and study back home.

Back on Earth, you can invest in upgrading your equipment so you can analyze incoming data more efficiently, boost your telescope signal capacity, or increase your supply of resources—all to expand the scope of your search that could lead to a discovery of extraterrestrial life forms.

You will also make use of over 200 cards to aid your efforts or focus your research in a particular direction for additional bonuses and rewards. Each card has unique effects and illustrations and depicts real-life technologies, projects, and discoveries (like the ISS, Large Hadron Collider, Perseverance rover, Voyager probe, and many more).

Finding traces of extraterrestrial life is only a matter of time—utilize the resources you have at your disposal strategically and you may well end up being the one to make the biggest scientific contribution towards advancing our understanding of alien life within our galaxy.

Q: Wait…alien life? Is this a sci-fi game?

Much of SETI’s design and inspiration is based on real science. All of the projects and technologies are derived from actual space projects from the past, active projects presently underway, and upcoming projects that are in the planning. While the gameplay isn’t a simulation (it’s still a thematic euro after all), a lot of attention to detail has gone into crafting an authentic and realistic space exploration experience.

The probability of life beyond our own world is inevitable — and we’ve designed the discoverable alien life in the game to fall along the plausible realms of science. TLDR: you won’t find three-headed mutants with armor and light sabers or big splodey space pew pew star cruisers in SETI. It’s not that kind of game.

Q: What makes this game unique from other space games?

For starters, the game has a giant four-layered rotating galaxy in the center of the board. Certain actions and events in the game cause different layers to rotate frequently, which can impact planetary positions and alignment. This can be used to your advantage in clever ways — whether you’re maneuvering rocket-propelled probes through space to line up for a planetary landing or you’re working to align your radio telescope to a certain region of the galaxy to gather signal data to maximize your research.

Each of SETI’s 200+ cards have multiple uses and can be played strategically in different ways throughout the game. They can be discarded to use a fast action or gain a resource, permanently banked to improve your production, or used to complete a tech project by paying the funding cost and gaining a bigger reward. Some projects also include optional missions that you can also work towards to complete for bonuses.

Unlocking alien life can also have a big impact on the flow of the game. SETI features several randomized types of discoverable alien life that you’ll potentially uncover in each game. Every alien life discovered adds a different mechanic that expands the gameplay in new directions, which adds even more variety to the experience across multiple playthroughs.

Q: Cool! Can you tell us more about the solo mode?

The solo mode variant of SETI is still under development, and more details will be shared soon in a future article. In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to the SETI page on BGG to be notified of developer diary updates, as this is where we’ll be sharing more details.

Q: When will SETI be released and how much will it cost?

We’re aiming for an Essen Spiel 2024 launch in Europe and hope to have copies for sale in the US at PAX Unplugged this winter, with a retail launch following shortly after. It’ll be priced at €69.95 EUR / $69.95 USD.

Q: Will SETI use RE-Wood components?

Yes! We will be using RE-Wood for some of the componentry in SETI. Learn more about what RE-Wood is and how we used it in Kutná Hora: The City of Silver on the CGE blog here!

Q: What languages will the game be available in?

We typically will print copies of our new games in waves, with different language partners joining in at different waves of printing as it makes sense for them. While we’ll be starting with English and German language editions of SETI since it’s an Essen Spiel release, but it’s often up to our partners if and when they want to publish a version of our game in their language.

Currently, we’ve confirmed that SETI will be available in the following languages, with more likely to come in the future:

🇬🇧 English
🇩🇪 German
🇮🇹 Italian
🇪🇸 Spanish
🇺🇦 Ukrainian
🇫🇷 French
🇰🇵🇰🇷 Korean
🇵🇱 Polish
🇯🇵 Japanese
🇨🇿 Czech

Q: When can I read the rulebook?

At CGE, we make all of our games in the OK manufacturing facility we recently purchased in the Czech Republic. This allows us to continue refining our games right up until launch. As such, the rulebook design and layout is the very last thing that goes to print, and we are only able to make it available online shortly before the game launches. You should be able to read a digital copy shortly before Essen.

If you’re curious about how we manufacture our games, we’ve got a cool behind-the-scenes video about that below!

Q: When will I have a chance to see more and play the game?

We’ll definitely be demoing SETI at BGG Spring, UK Games Expo, Origins, Gen Con, SPIEL, and PAX Unplugged. Here’s more detailed info on where to find us at upcoming cons this summer (linked to CGE).

Q: Are you looking for playtesters?

Yes, actually! We’re doing ongoing beta testing online and are currently looking for more players to try the game and give feedback to help the development process. You can sign up for that here (linked to CGE).

Q: Where can I learn more about the game?

In this first designer diary series article, Tomáš Holek explores the very beginnings of SETI, from its inspiration and early prototypes to its evolution over time. He also wrote a second lengthy article digging into the game’s unique four-layered rotating solar system mechanics here.

We’ll be posting more designer diary articles on the SETI game page here on BGG, as well as the CGE Blog in the coming months. Be sure to subscribe and follow the game on BGG to get updates when new content about SETI drops!