Space Opera 2020

"Space Opera" is a game of galactic politics for 2 to 4 players. Each player controls a different power bloc striving to come out on top of the new order. Game play is character-driven and the exploits of a handful of a few, key citizens will determine the fate of the galaxy for the next several centuries.

Your goal is to bring the majority of planetary governments under the control of your power bloc. Your tools include recruitment, local elections, diplomacy, and the occasional coup d'état and assassination.

Players take turns activating one of their bloc’s citizens. When activated, a citizen may take 2 different actions; draw a new planet, replace an unpopular government, draw or play opportunity cards, recruit a population or new citizen, and travel.

Dice are rolled to determine the degree of success (if any) of each action. The number of dice rolled depends on your citizen’s requisite skill level. Skills are guile, intelligence, negotiation, opportunity, rank, and wealth.

You can push your luck by re-rolling some of the dice, but failure on a re-roll can lead to failure and injury.

Certain dramatic events, such as an assassination or successful no-confidence vote, ratchet up the tension. This is indicated by removing a clock token from a pool.

Once the pool is empty the game ends and the power bloc that controls the most planetary governments wins!

—description from the designer