Censure

You're a System Administrator for the Extraction Directorate, managing resource acquisition from six Concessions spread across a distant star system. The Terran Consolidation issues three escalating quotas over 15 operational cycles. Miss a quota and you earn a Censure. Three Censures and you're reassigned to waste processing. There are no second chances. Each turn, you roll 2d6 for Events that help or hinder your operation—equipment failures, budget cuts, windfall discoveries, or catastrophic system failures. You then allocate three Directives to Survey undiscovered Concessions, Activate production sites, Upgrade infrastructure, or manipulate your political standing with the Directorate. Only Concessions you activate this turn produce resources, forcing constant triage between building your engine and meeting immediate needs. The game uses Phased Event Tables that evolve as you progress: early turns reward exploration with bonuses and discoveries, mid-game turns pressure your infrastructure with inspections and breakdowns, and late-game turns throw Catastrophes that can destroy entire Concessions. Each Concession has unique abilities—some produce bonus resources when paired together, others resist destruction, and one generates the Political Favor you need to manipulate dice rolls or prevent disasters. You win by delivering all three Mandates on Turns 5, 10, and 15 without accumulating three Censures. Success means promotion. Failure means the Directorate finds other work for you. —description from the designer