Ascent: Give rise to an Empire

It is time to conquer a new frontier. As global overseer you have ambitious plans for your expansion into the galaxy, but space is large and there are many contenders to deal with. From the peaceful Alliance to the insect-like Swarm or the warrior race Kthuani. Do you have what it takes to emerge victorious from the galactic power struggle? Ascent is a solitaire, 4x, sci-fi, roll and write game in which you must explore your local sector, discover and lay claim to new systems and their resources, defeat your enemies in battle and trade with your allies (or destroy them too). The game is played over a series of turns divided into 6 phases. During each turn you’ll gather resources, explore space and colonize star systems, construct new structures to progress your colonies, improve your armada and advance your political agenda. Win the game by efficiently managing your commodities and time in order to pursue one of the 3 different, species-specific, winning conditions (Goals). Once you complete any one of your goals the game ends and, optionally, you can determine your final score. Will you be remembered as an all-powerful leader? A grand merchant? A warmonger? A political genius? Or something entirely different? —description from the designer