Arrival

Players act as competing ship AIs responsible for guiding a fledgling human colony after a century-long interstellar journey. Each AI follows a different directive and manages technology, ecology, and society to achieve its programmed vision of a successful settlement. Gameplay proceeds through repeated phases—Events, Worksite selection, Construction, Resource, and Work—where players assign tasks, build infrastructure, and steer social and scientific development. The colony’s government can shift, allowing cooperative, competitive, or political interaction, while social metrics like distrust and shame influence AI standing. Optional emergent mechanics let an AI evolve beyond its original constraints into a vastly more powerful entity.

Players: 1–6 best 6
Playing time: 120 min
Age: 14+