Learn Galileo Galilei

Welcome to Galileo Galilei

Italy, around 1600. You are one of the first astronomers with a telescope: you observe planets, comets and constellations, write about them and lecture at the university — while the Inquisition watches every bold discovery.

The player with the most victory points wins. Points come from:

• Major Objects and constellations you observe.
• Objectives — 7 points first, 3 later.
• The university at the end, and your Reputation with the Tribunal.

1–4 players (solo against Tycho Brahe), about 50–100 minutes. Ready to set up? Open the setup checklist — it adapts to your player count.

The sky, the university and your board

• Game board: six face-up Discovery cards, rows for spotted comets, the Book of Comets and the university — objectives, four Scale tiles and the Tribunal’s Reputation track.
• Your player board: the starry sky your telescope turns across, your dice, the library for the cards you collect, your comets and constellation tokens, and the cellar where Inquisitors wait.

More: The player board · University.

Your turn: move the telescope

1. Move your telescope 1–3 spaces round the starry sky.
2. Act: take the space’s fixed action — Observe, gain a die or Lecture, spot a comet, or Upgrade — and the moving action on its Action tile, in either order. Quadrants buy free actions.
3. Clean up: the used Action tile goes back to the start of the queue, twice-used comets go to the Book of Comets, and if an Inquisitor moved you are interrogated.

Details: A turn · Actions.

Raise dice, observe, write

Dice are never rolled: they start at 1 and Action tiles raise them.

1. Observe a Major Object with dice of its two colours, or up to two constellations with dice of one colour each. Comets lower the cost.
2. A Major Object’s card goes into your library; its reward row lines up with your four rows.
3. Write to move Book tokens right and collect every reward they pass.
4. Many discoveries bring an Inquisitor. Harmless until you persuade one — then your whole cellar is interrogated.

More: Observe · Writing · Interrogation.

The end and scoring

When the last Discovery card leaves the deck, finish the round, then everyone plays one more turn. Then score:

1. University — for each Scale tile, what you achieved in its subject × your token’s multiplier.
2. Cellar — every Inquisitor scores by its space: –8 / –4 / –2 / +1.
3. Reputation — your Tribunal token’s space, from –10 to +10.

Ties: highest total of dice, then most Quadrants. Full details: Scoring.