How To Play: Orbit

Overview

So, you just picked up Orbit, and now you’re staring at the box like it might bite you. Don’t worry — my friends and I survived our first game, and no one lost an eye (except for my pride). This guide walks you through How To Play orbit, covering the basic rules and sharing my top tips for winning. Spoiler: luck helps, but strategy crushes it!

What’s in the box

• 1 Game Board
• 120 Resource Cards
• 4 Player Tokens
• 8 Dice
• 40 Orbit Tiles
• 20 Event Cards
• 16 Reference Cards
• 50 Victory Point Tokens
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Orbit: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Gather 2-4 players who enjoy laughing and possibly arguing about rules.
2. Place the main Orbit board in the center of the table—unless your cat is already there.
3. Give each player a set of colored tokens and a matching player board.
4. Shuffle the deck and deal 5 cards to each player. Put the rest within reach, but not close enough for your friend Kevin to spill snacks on them.
5. Pick a player to go first. Usually, it’s the person who most recently saw the moon, but rock-paper-scissors works too.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, draw a card from the deck. If you forget, the game judge (that’s your Aunt Linda) will remind you.
2. Play up to 2 action cards. These let you move your tokens, gain resources, or troll your friends.
3. Move your token along the orbit paths on the board. Direction isn’t just a boy band—it’s vital in this game.
4. Collect resources if you land on special spaces. Try not to yell “jackpot” every single time.
5. End your turn by checking that you don’t have more than 7 cards. Discard the extras, unless you’re a rebel and like house rules.

Winning

1. Keep moving your tokens and collecting resources. If you like shiny things, this part is for you.
2. Be the first player to complete your secret objective card. Yes, the one you almost lost under the couch.
3. If two players finish at the same time, they must have a dramatic stare-down until someone blinks. Or just score your resource totals.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If you land on a black hole space, you lose your next turn pondering life’s mysteries.
2. Comet cards cause random events. Follow the instructions, no matter how odd. Last week, I had to sing my next action out loud.
3. If the draw pile runs out, reshuffle the discard pile. Try to look cool while doing it.
4. Do not feed the game components to your dog. This is less a rule and more a suggestion—learned the hard way.

And that’s how you get started, play, and become a legend at Orbit! If you want to really impress your friends, memorize these and shout “How To Play Orbit!” at the start of every game night.

Best Orbit Strategies

Master Your Money: Resource Smarts in Orbit

Plan Your Spending

1. Count your tokens every turn. Don’t just hope you’ll have enough for that big move – check twice!

2. Save something every round. Overspending early left me with empty pockets and a sad little spaceship.

Watch Your Opponents

1. Peek at what others collect. Copying winners or blocking hoarders can work wonders for your stash.

Invest Wisely

1. Spend on cards that give more later. In How To Play orbit, small boosts build into big wins as I learned the hard way.

Mastering Movement: How To Play Orbit With Swiftness

Plan Your Routes

1. Look ahead at the board every turn.

2. Pick the shortest paths between points of interest.

3. Avoid loops unless they offer big rewards.

React To Opponents

1. Change your route if someone blocks you.

2. Use other players’ moves to your advantage.

Use Action Cards Wisely

1. Save speed cards for key moments.

2. Consider holding back if you’re in the lead.

Balance Speed And Control

1. Don’t rush. Sometimes a careful step wins the race.

2. Keep your options open for sudden changes.

Unlock Victory: Mastering Card Combo Planning in Orbit

Know Your Deck

First, I always check my deck to spot potential combos early. This helps me plan each move, rather than rely on luck.

1. Identify cards that work well together.
2. Note high-impact pairs for endgame.

Time Your Combos

Next, I make sure to wait for the best moment. You don’t want to play your big combo just because you can. Patience pays off, trust me!

1. Observe other players’ actions.
2. Hold back until you gain max benefit.

Disrupt Opponents

Finally, I search for ways to mess with my rivals’ plans with my combos. Often, blocking their critical turn can swing the whole game my way.

1. Combo to remove key cards from their reach.
2. Force them to waste resources.

After many game nights with my pals, I found that solid card combo planning is the secret sauce in How To Play orbit well.

Blast Off to Victory!

So, that’s my wisdom after a dozen rounds of Orbit—plus one game where I tried to eat a meeple. Trust me, cardboard doesn’t taste as cool as winning. If you plan your moves, use your resources smartly, and pull off those sneaky card combos, you’ll be teaching everyone else How To Play orbit instead of begging for a rematch. Good luck, and may your spaceship dodge all space rocks!

Want to know what we think of Orbit? Read our detailed review of Orbit here