"When in doubt, look at the back of the box or at your Reference Card."

~Confucius

Teaching New Players

I've had to teach a lot of people how to play Atomica: Seventh Species (A7S).  New players, especially those without much tabletop gaming experience, can be hesitant to try the game.  They see all of the game's pieces scattered across the table and think "boy, I'm in way over my head."  This guide will help you get new players straight into the action, showing them just how simple the game really is.

I know that a lot of people don't pay attention when rules are being explained—I'm the same way, which is why I made this guide short and sweet.  If you have a player in your group who likes reading manuals, let them take a look while you set everything up.  The manual is written with the intention of being spoken aloud to a group, so if your group is patient (good luck with that) you can read straight from the manual.  Otherwise use this guide, which can also be read as a script.

"You're just learning the basics.  Once we start, you'll learn fast."

In A7S you collect Resources, trade with people, buy stuff, and fight each other.  If your Health Points (HP) drop to 0, you are eliminated from the game.  First you set up the turn order and pick Instincts (explained in the manual on Page 6).  Then you build the board.  If you want, use a preset board.  

"All the Instincts are good.  If you want, pick based on the aesthetic."

On your turn, make a Resource roll (Page 2).  After that, you can move, trade, or buy stuff in any order you want.  For some stuff, you need to be next to a Station—this is indicated on your inventory card.  Attacking is the last thing that happens on your turn (Page 4, read in full).  Everything you can buy (Page 5) is explained on your Reference Card.  Your Reference Card also has important rules to remember (Page 7).

If there is a dispute, read Page 8 or the Frequently Asked Questions page.  If you want to look at all the Instincts, they are in the back of the manual.  If you want strategy tips, read the orange and blue boxes in the manual.

"When in doubt, look at the back of the box or at your Reference Card."

After hearing this, your players have enough information to start the game.  Be willing to answer questions, especially during the first few turns.  After each player has completed 3 or 4 turns, they should be pretty comfortable with moving and purchasing—it's around here that you can introduce the 2 minute turn timer.  Players can take a long time on their turn, especially while trading, but the timer makes sure the game moves at an appropriate pace.

If your game is still moving along slowly, or your group doesn't want to use a turn timer, there is a very easy way to make the game move faster: attack someone.  New players are especially hesitant to attack because they don't know the stakes, so the game can go on a long time without any conflict.  Once one person attacks, other people usually join the fight.

And that's it!  Use the manual, be patient with new players, and make sure they look at their Reference Card.  Thank you for playing, and enjoy your game!

Rule Variants