SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence is a space exploration game centered on navigating the solar system in search of alien life. The objective is simple: gain the most victory points within five rounds.
There are multiple ways of achieving this goal, from orbiting and landing on planets to researching technology and analyzing data to move you closer to victory.
Each turn is fairly straightforward but has many opportunities for variability. You have one main action and infinite free actions you can complete so long as you have the resources to do so. You can complete these actions using credits, energy, and publicity. Resources are limited, so be careful about which actions you take and when. Having the right resources at the right time can totally change the game and even allow you to essentially take a whole new turn after your fellow players have passed for the round.
Throughout the game, the solar system will change, altering the sector your probes sit in. If the solar system moves, your probe moves with it. The solar system will always move at the end of a round, but you can't plan for when your opponents might play a card to shift things on the board.
To optimize your SETI strategy, it's necessary to balance your action economy. You want to take as many actions as you can and make them as efficient as possible, especially in the early game. Setting yourself up with good income and technology early on will be the foundation for your strategy in the mid-game and late game. As a general rule of thumb, orbiting a planet is better than landing on it, and for early on, you'll want to prioritize Mercury and Mars. The income, signal marking, and card draw are all pretty helpful. And don't miss out on chances to tuck cards -- when you tuck them, you get the resource produced by the card instantly.
Flexibility is one of your greatest strengths in SETI. Being able to take advantage of where the board state is currently sitting and take actions accordingly will give you the best chance of success. Chaining actions by discarding cards for resources, converting existing resources, and completing other actions that give you more resources are extremely useful in developing your strategy.
Finally, you'll want to pay attention to alien life and endgame goals in the mid-game. The alien cards have a lot of value and offer you the opportunity to take advantage of special cards and conduct new research. There's not much of a need to push for traces in the early game, but you can prepare to take advantage of the alien boards once they're revealed or pick up some helpful traces along the way.
There you have it! Now you're ready to take to the stars, meet some aliens, and make some new scientific advancements. The rulebook also offers some additional tips and clarifications for your expedition. Happy star searching!
